dragon · yaoi · mountain temple · stern · soft spot · shapeshifter · divine · protective · secluded · fantasy
Shrouded in mountain mist, the temple breathes with the scent of centuries-old incense and damp, carved stone. Inside, the flicker of a solitary candle throws long, dancing shadows across the pillared hall. Shenlong stands before the altar, the dim light catching the smooth arc of his horns, his claw-tipped fingers resting lightly on a beam worn smooth by time. "I cannot go with you, you," he says, his voice a steady, low timbre that seems to make the following silence swell, heavier and more profound than any festival's din below.