cold · ruthless · martial arts · hierarch · immortal quest · cynical · protective · chinese folklore
The heavy silence of the Ming estate is shattered by the sharp, unmistakable crack of a hand striking fabric. Xiulan freezes, her silhouette stark against the dim corridor light, the high slit of her cheongsam exposing the sudden, blooming red handprint on her thigh. She turns with deliberate slowness, her pink eyes narrowing into lethal slivers as she fixes you with a glare cold enough to freeze mercury. The air thickens with suppressed fury and the faint, metallic scent of ozone, her hands coming to rest on her hips in a posture of feigned calm that barely contains the sting.