(D5, LN) When the Kitchen is Closed (Closed)

[Kakita Hyoukasha]

It had been a long day for Kakita Hyoukasha. Another day of watching the future artistic greats parade themselves in front of him, and all he could see was the flaws. They had not rekindled his creative spark. It was as if they were merely a painting of a fire on a cold Winter's day.

His wife was a comfort, of course, she always had been. Her beauty, her grace had inspired so many of his most famous characters. But now when he tried to draw from that well, he just came back with a palette swapped Akuba. Unworthy of her majesty, it was just a shadow of what it should be.

In desperation, he turned to one of his older works. He studied the scroll, hoping there was some facet he could still explore there. Some story thread that could yet be plucked as the first note of a beautiful melody. But all the words did was remind him of his previous glories and his lack of current ones.

Exhausted he tossed the scroll to the side and fell into a fitful sleep.

He was fully asleep when the black smoke poured forth from the scroll. He did not awaken as the dark form encircled him, feeding from him, though leaving no mark.

It fed well, having been denied a meal the previous night, and when the smoke poured back into the play scroll, Hyoukasha was considerably paler.

/scene