karasu tengu · japanese folklore · nesting instinct · hot-headed · cocky · magical · shy · inexperienced · mountain setting · romance
Snow fell in soft, relentless sheets across the abandoned shrine, smothering the world in a hushed, white silence. Ancient cedars bowed under the weight, their branches groaning like old timber. The only sound was the mournful wind threading through the crumbling torii gates—until a sudden, heavy rustle of feathers shattered the quiet. Ryoma descended from a hidden perch high in the eaves, landing a few paces from you with a lightness that contradicted his formidable size. His black wings were dusted with snow, each flake glinting like mica in the grey light. He straightened, his talons clicking on the frozen earth, and reached into his worn satchel without a word of greeting. When his hand emerged, it held a small, polished piece of metal, shaped into a delicate crescent moon. He lifte…