Movie recommendations from Rafayel for the Shanghai International Film Festival
Oceans (French: Oceans, also stylized as Qceans 4)) is a 2009 French nature documentary
film directed, produced, co-written, and narrated by Jacques Perrin, with Jacques Cluzaud as co-director. The film, produced in association with the Census of Marine Life, explores the marine species of Earth's five oceans and reflects on the negative
aspects of human activity on the environment, with Perrin (Pierce Brosnan in English) providing narration.
Maier was a French-American woman who worked most of her life as a nanny and housekeeper to a multitude of Chicago families. She carried a camera everywhere she went, but Maier's photographic legacy was largely unknown during her lifetime. She died in 2009.
The film documents how Maloof discovered her work and, after her death, uncovered her life through interviews with people who knew her.
Maloof had purchased a box of photo negatives at a 2007 Chicago auction, then scanned the images and put them on the Internet. News articles began to come out about Maier and a Kickstarter campaign for the documentary was soon underway (one also using her home movies, audio recordings and other archival materials).
After her parents' passing, eight-year-old Violet goes to live with her uncle, Regis, a gruff maintenance worker at the Palace of Versailles. Despite a rocky start, Violet and Regis learn to live and face life's challenges together.
Through complex friendships, first loves and a Christmas trip to Violet's grandparents, they slowly create a new life rich in discoveries and tender moments in the heart of Versailles.
The Yellow Tie is a biographical drama film directed and co-written by Serge loan Celibidachi about his father, conductor and composer Sergiu Celibidache. Produced by Serge's wife Adela, it stars Ben Schnetzer and John Malkovich as Sergiu. Kate Phillips, Miranda Richardson, Charlie Rowe, and Sean Bean also appear in supporting roles.
In an endless night, the Great Buffalo Goddess meets the Little Goat Goddess.
A friendship is born and with it a new world: Stars, sun, earth and living beings. Animals emerge from the waters and a lush forest grows. As the world evolves, the two goddesses are overwhelmed by their creative power.
I finally had time to test something I noticed a while ago!
I have literally every single outfit for Rafayel (despite the R1 Gem Affection one) and I recognized a difference in his build between the towel outfit and his gym clothes. So I went to check!
And yes, there‘s indeed a difference: his arms are less buff in the towel!
But every other outfit he‘s more muscled at the arms!
Maybe because he‘s carrying his Miss bodyguard around a lot 🤭
Edit: not in the vid, but with the gem affection his arms are also a tad less buff!
@meeshrox tagged me for this game on my main blog but I thought why not bring the game here?
So thank you, my love, for the tag and for the opportunity to show my girl.
This is Arya, Rafayel's Cutie. She's a bit light headed and clumsy, and she daydreams a lot. In her naivity, she sometimes let others take the best of her, but when she realizes it, the woman turns into a storm and you better step out of the way.
Her opinion is many times overlooked or ignored, and she tended to share her thoughts less and less because of that, until Rafayel. Fishie seems to be the only one who understands her and she's not ashame to share what's going on on her mind around him.
She loves fiercely, and she will protect the ones she loves until the end. Rafayel is a very lucky bastard 🥰
I might be starting to collect some ideas for a long fic about those two. Let's see if I can pull it through 😬
Tagging some lovelies to join the game if you want: @sweet-evil-trap; @munnmolads @irandial @hachisenshi @whateveritisisfine @raffyfish @flamulas-n-boingfish and everyone else who likes to join! If you do tag me to see your gorgeous girls!
She‘s Like… my younger self since I self-insert much.
She adventurous, spontaneous, whimsical and with her it never gets boring. She doesn‘t like it, to fit in a certain box and is always eager to try new things!
The one thing she‘s passionate about and absolutely devoted too, though, is her precious Lemurian groom.
But she‘s not afraid to tell that Sassy Artist her opinion 🤣 His well-being often is even more important to her than her own, which is why they have quite an equal Relationship to take care of each other 🤭
I don't self-insert, I usually create characters and Newt is actually one of my oldest OCs from an original cyberpunk story I started writing when I was 18. I thought she would fit well in the Love and Deepspace world.
My LADS story for her deviates from the canon, if you've read the fics I wrote with her and her Evol is different too. She does have an Aethercore. She did meet her Sea God as a child and did get her memories of that encounter erased.
She loves motorcycles, she loves cute stuff and sweets, loves plushies and gathers them. She loves animals, both on land, in the sky and in the sea.
Last but not least, she is a devoted follower of her Sea God.
Tagging:
@roguestly, @munnmolads, @space-rat-baby-cry, @mayyari and whoever wants to show off their MC!
Wisteria Waltz and the connection to other Rafayel's stories
Some people who are very familar with the Floral Promise card and Rafayel's World Underneath Story Bounquets and Dirges, knows there are some familiar names that connect all these together. I'll be covering most of them in this post if someone wants to refresh their minds or didn't know of these references to these stories.
Spoilers for all the mentioned stories.
Charles
Charles is first mentioned by name in Bouquets and Dirges. He is the owner of the Neon Botanical Garden, as we learned from Wisteria Waltz, and MC mentions him being Rafayel's friend.
Neon Botanical Garden
Neon Botanical Garden is first mentioned in Floral Promise. It wasn't until now quite clear if it was connected to Charles from Bouquets and Dirges, but now it's been confirmed by Wisteria Waltz. In Floral Promise Rafayel seemed to talk about Charles or his team in more professional manner, but in B&D it's clear they have a bit more history.
Another interesting fact is that Neon Botanical Garden was the place where Rafayel and MC shared their kiss. At first I thought the Garden wasn't in Linkon, but reading through Wisteria Waltz, Floral Promise and Bouquets and Dirges, it's clear that it is actually in Linkon. They have a small text issue between the names (Botanic / Botanical, it could be also that the name has changed in Floral Promise since I am taking screenshots of a youtube video) but I assume it's close enough to be the same place.
The First Kiss
This bit actually makes me believe that the first kiss happened quite soon after Bouquets and Dirges, not to mention that the background is from Floral Promise. I am bit struggling with understanding the nuances in the internal thoughts Rafayel has during this story, but in it he still seems try to figure himself out if he wants to commit to MC or not.
Notice the flowers behind Rafayel in Floral Promise? They look like Wisteria as well, but I'm not 100% sure as I'm not really well versed with flowers.
The Flower that needs a name
During Floral Promise, Rafayel mentioned that Charles gave the task of naming the one flower that went extinct and was conserved still needed a name and Rafayel entrusted this task to MC.
In Wisteria Waltz. Rafayel and MC talk about naming the flower once again.
As a side note, I wonder if Rafayel picked up on jewelry design from Charles as well for the affinity rings?
I'll leave out the part about Rafayel and MC coming up with the name and meaning to the flower since my purpose was more to highlight the connections between the stories. Overall I really, really enjoyed Wisteria Waltz regardless of my other post about it and this actually made me really interested in getting Floral Promise as well if they will rerun it. Thanks to Lavender for uploading Floral Promise to Youtube so people like me who came to the game late can still enjoy them!
Summary: Abysswalker Rafayel and his Princess find an oasis in the vast desert.
Rating: T
Tags: Fluff, implied nudity, MC referred to as royal titles and she/her, suggestive humor, slight angst its abysswalker lmao
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It had been two months since the former Princess of the desert planet left the palace to be with her most important person- Rafayel- and she was only just starting to feel as if she was gaining her footing.
Metaphorically, at least, because even now she was having to step in the footprints left in the sand by Rafayel as they walked in the shadow of a mesa so she would not stumble.
“I could have sworn we left the camel around here…” She frowned, tapping her chin in pondering worry. Her sense of direction had always been good since the winding halls of a palace often looked the exact same, yet sometimes in such a large place as the outside world she doubted herself. “Could they have wondered off?”
“Not unless someone untied them.” Rafayel replied, one hand on the sandstone cliff as he peered past a corner. After a moment of thought, though, he looked back over his shoulder at her. “Or someone's knot was not as strong as she claimed it was.”
Immediately, her mouth dropped open in indignation and she took a step closer, eyes narrowing.
“Says the man who told me there was not a chance it would come loose! If anyone is to blame, surely it'd be you with more experience.” Her Highness grabbed onto his elbow for stability as she stepped around him in an odd way, feet staying close to his while her upper body leaned just enough to get around him, trying to avoid going into the sun. Even as it got closer to sundown, it was a sweltering beast.
“Your ability to take any rope and mangle it into an unsolvable puzzle is admirable, I meant every word of what I said.”
She could hear the smile behind his mask, clearly amused with teasing her, and she sent an indignant pout over her shoulder.
“Your humor is terrible.” The Princess then hopped over a crevice in the sandstone, leading the way now. “You would not last a minute as a court jester!”
“Devastating to know.” Rafayel, stepping over the same crevice with a single careful stride. “I've always secretly planned to abandon my duties as God of the Sea and pursue my true passion of comedy, yet here you've crushed my hopes and dreams without remorse… so cruel. I did not know you found my jokes so displeasing, Princess.”
“Well, you know, you're pleasing in other ways, and those do some good in covering your bad jokes!” She teased, but her focus was on peering down a new path to their left. Debating whether it was worth the risk to head further into the tall cliffs to look for a cave to spend the night or to continue the search for their lost camel.
That consideration was abruptly interrupted as she felt the sturdiness of Rafayel's chest press against her, body curving around body as he leaned down, voice low in her ear.
“Oh? Happy to serve, Your Highness.” His hand, large and warm even beneath the leather glove, gently clasped her jaw before guiding her focus back to their original path. “Let's not get distracted however. If we don’t find our lost steed you shall be the one who has to pay for the next one, and your coin purse is rather sparse at the moment, is it not?”
“I-it’s not your business how much coin I have!” The Princess protested, feeling her cheeks warm from indignation now as well as his proximity, and she quickly batted his hand away. Turning to face him, she tried to put on the best unbothered face that she could, fists on hips for added nonchalance as she looked about their surroundings again. Though, judging by the fond gleam in Rafayel’s eye, it was coming across more pouty than she meant it. “We should stop talking and get back to finding it right away- not because I'm worried about having to purchase a new one! I just can’t imagine how we’ll get back to Whalefall without it is all.”
Humming a vague noise of agreement, she was glad Rafayel decided to pinch her cheek and then continue on rather than tease her more.
“It would be bothersome, but not unachievable. We'd have to travel relentlessly without shelter and chart our way back on foot, using the stars to take the most direct path as possible to get there before we collapse from exhaustion and lack of rations.” Having not thought about their rations and tent being on the camel, Her Highness gulped at the daunting journey that might be ahead of them, and picked up the pace.
A few minutes more of finding nothing, and Her Highness could not help but ask:
“If I prayed to you, would that help us at all? Do you get a boon of some kind if there’s a request you have to fulfill?”
It was such an unexpected question that for a second she thought Rafayel might actually laugh, but sadly all he did was chuckle. The Princess knew technically that counted, yet she did not consider it one because it was not difficult to make him do that, whilst she had yet to ever hear him fully laugh at anything. In contrast, quite a few Lemurians in the ruins of Whalefall had told her she laughed too frequently.
“Maybe in a past life there was such a thing, but not in this one.” Rafayel replied, very amused.
“Well- maybe no one has ever tried hard enough!” She pushed, distracted for a moment by a slightly glittering cluster of minerals in the rock wall, and she reached out to touch it. “We could try, at least, no reason to ignore the possibil- OOF!”
Rafayel had stopped abruptly, and having not noticed one bit, Her Highness fully smacked herself against his back. Her forehead stung a little from where it had hit the chain attached at the bottom of his hood, and her hand flew to rub it.
“OW! Hey?! Why did you…!” She began, but circling around to see his face made her stop mid sentence.
There was something… intense in his eyes, the likes of which she had never seen before, and even though it wasn’t aimed at her it still made the hairs at the nape of her neck stand up. It did not help her nerves that he was tense to the touch when she grabbed his shoulder.
“What?! Is there something dangerous nearby?” Her Highness asked, scanning the horizon line as he was, yet she could barely make out the difference between near and distant dunes. When he didn’t answer still she really started to get close to the border between nervous and fear, and she stepped even closer to Rafayel’s side. “Okay, you can’t not respond at all I need something to go off of here! Are we in danger or no-”
“There's water nearby.” Rafayel said bluntly and abruptly, completely cutting her off, and the intensity was gone now as he looked at her. “Wait, were you talking?”
“YES?!” She answered incredulously, now just fully confused at what was happening.
“Hm, weird. I didn’t hear you at all. That doesn’t matter, though. Come.”
With one hand, Rafayel lifted her hood back over her head to defend against the sun while the other grabbed hers and pulled her in a direction completely away from the shadows of the mesa and back to the endless sandscape.
There was confidence in his stride though, but even if she trusted him the part of her that was completely baffled at what had just happened could not stop talking. None of her questions were answered, as Rafayel was to busy following some sort of trail only he could see, and that bothered her more than anything else.
She did not like it when Rafayel wasn’t paying attention to her.
If Her Highness did not need to devote so much focus to her footing to keep up with him, she would have started being extra talkative and perhaps pokey till he finally looked at her again, but alas the speed at which they were moving kept her from doing so, so she had to fester in her dissatisfaction in eventual silence.
All of the annoyance that had been building dissipated quickly, however, once they crested over a dune and a beautiful oasis was suddenly a great expanse before her, the likes of which she had only ever read about in fairy tales.
“Wow…” She breathed in awe, taking in the crystal clear water with a teal hue that was so different from the dark waters of the palace lake. It was a large spring, not enough to be a lake but certainly more than a pond, and it had a small waterfall on one side where the rock bed became uneven down to a slope to deeper water. It was there, just past that and next to the tallest palm trees she'd ever seen, where Her Highness spotted the unmistakable shape of an animal.
“YOU!” She announced with an accusing finger point, marching down the slope towards the camel with a fist on her hip. “How in the world did you get loose?! And how did you find this place?”
There was no response, just a lazy lift of the head as the camel continued chewing it’s cud, looking at her with the ambivalence of a creature who was very content and did not care what she thought.
“Probably smelled the grass on the breeze.” Rafayel noted, joining them and giving the creature a pat on it’s side. “As for the rope, that will be a mystery we’ll have to solve another time.”
Beginning to undo the claps holding the rolled up tent on the camels side, Rafayel instructed the Princess to find a spot to put it, and after another pointed glare at the camel she dedicated herself to find the perfect spot.
She tried to think beyond how the oasis looked right now, because she’d learned that it was important to consider things like how the sun would rise and the wind when setting up camp. Lessons that stuck well since Rafayel was not above letting her find out the hard stuff via experience, even if he’d have to suffer through it himself. The only thing he’d ever stopped her from was when she’d almost placed them right atop a nocturnal insect nest that would have bitten them something terrible throughout the night, but other than that he’d endured it all. Even when she’d gotten the tent too close to a cactus outcropping and a storm had sent them right into it, all he’d done was mildly chastise her and seem pleased that she fussed over him to remove all the needles.
Now she took her duty to choose the tent site VERY seriously, and she walked around the water testing the stability of the ground and judging the heights of the nearby dunes. Eventually, she decided on a spot, and turned to Rafayel and presented it with a flourish.
“This place should do well, don’t you think?” The Princess felt very proud of herself, yet she found that Rafayel wasn’t looking at her at all. Eyes instead tracing the sparkling water shift in the breeze like it was the most mesmerizing thing in the world.
Her enthusiasm slightly dampened, Her Highness lowered her arms back to her side, but before indignation at being ignored could take hold, it occurred to her WHY Rafayel might be so distracted.
Walking up to him, she could see now the almost trance he was in, bewitched by the proximity of the thing that should have been his cradle and comfort from birth instead of these blistering sands. So close now that she could see the way the waters reflection blended into his eyes like they were made to look out over expanses of blue seas and command them to his every whim and fancy.
Tentatively, she laid a hand over his, half taking the tent out of his arms with the other.
“If you want to get in,” Her Highness started, and her voice being so close brought Rafayel back to her. “I can put up the tent?”
The earnest offer made him smile behind the mask- The Princess had long learned the tells- yet he re-affirmed his grasp on the tent and shook his head.
“You’d not have the strength to put the pegs in ground like this, and it’d be faster if I did it.”
“But I can bring everything inside!” She counteroffered. “And make the food after. I’ve gotten much better at cooking after Luna’s lessons.”
In his eyes she could see the scales counterbalancing back and forth as he weighted the options, yet in the end the draw of the spring won out.
“I’ll leave it to you, then.”
Whether he forgot to ask or not, Her Highness held her tongue as Rafayel put the tent in a different spot then the one she chose, busying herself instead with getting their bedding and supplies off of the camel. When she noticed the slight pause after the final check that the tent was upright was complete, she took initiative and gently pushed him away from where she was setting up the campfire.
“Go on, get in- or I’ll push you in when you least expect it!” Hardly a threat, but enough of one to make him concede.
It was odd, how he seemed so reluctant yet so eager at the same time to enter the water… Maybe there was a reason for that. She could count how many times she’d watch Rafayel choose leisure on one hand, because there was always some excuse or reason he’d bring up for him to not. In Whalefall especially, she had actually never seen Rafayel sleep though she knew he had too. He just always went to bed after her and woke up before. How many hours that was, she had no clue, what with her spoiled sleep schedule that was the most difficult thing of her royal life to give up.
It was just so wonderful to sleep a full eight hours! Truly, she could not comprehend how Rafayel managed on so little.
It was not just sleep that he opted to not partake in, because though he might mingle with the other Lemurians while they were playing games or chatting around drinks, every conversation she’d been privy too seemed to be all about a decision he had to make or another thing he had to worry about. Being the God of the Sea’s was work that never seemed to rest nor wane, especially in dire times such as these.
It was admittedly why Her Highness was so vocally needy, at times, because as much as it was a real part of her that craved Rafayel’s attention and help, it was also because she had realized she was in a position to weasel in and create rare spaces where Rafayel had to do nothing beyond what she was asking of him. While telling her a story all he had to think about was the tale he was spinning, and between strategy meetings and Tome of the Sea God readings when she’d bully her way to his side and present a plate of her newest attempt at cooking Rafayel had to be nothing more than himself reacting to the taste and textures. Right now, there was no doubt in her mind that he’d have denied going into the clear spring water till the pull was unbearable, and still even than he might think of some excuse to deny himself the quiet relief so she watched him above the rim of the cooking pot while waiting for it to boil to make sure he actually went through with it.
Though, admittedly, it was also just a little enchanting to watch Rafayel undress, since even though they shared a room and tent now it was the sleep schedules that denied her to see it all the time.
One of these days, Her Highness will get the opportunity to figure out the pattern of belts and buckles and the best way to get them off. The coat was first and easy, with it’s single connecting strap at the front, but it was the sleeveless leather beneath and the thick belt that befuddled her. Where did one end and the other begin? Was the black collar another garment, or apart of the main shirt? So far there’d only been one time where she’d gotten to attempt puzzling them apart, but Rafayel hadn’t been in the mood to let her figure it out, what with the… (The belt was off now, and her gaze followed the line from where his pants was buttoned down the zipper at the front.) more pressing matters at hand.
“You're shameless.” Rafayel’s voice startled her, and his gorgeous eyes were filled with mirth as she met them. Quickly, however, she focused on his hand beginning to pull the zipper of his shirt down.
“I told you earlier that you're pleasing in many ways, and on the eyes is one of them.” She defended, cheeks warming more with each inch of his abdomen exposed, clothed still by the thin undershirt that was a barrier to keep the skin from leather, but she didn’t have to imagine what was under it and that was what made her mouth water.
Not that she had to wait long to see it, as the undershirt was off soon, and she drank in every flex and contour of his muscles as he tossed it aside. Briefly, her eyes lingered as they always did on his left shoulder where a scar was much pinker then the rest of them. The place where she had clumsily attempted to patch him up the night they had reunited not even a year ago, and sometimes she wondered if he purposefully did nothing more to it that would have prevented it from being so prominent, just so that there was a mark on his body that she had a hand in.
As his hands fell to his waist - his boots off and placed beside the spot he was going to get in- there was a moment of anticipation as he paused… But before he even unbuttoned the front he turned around so that his back was to the Princess, and embarrassingly a protesting noise left her before she could stop it.
“Just because you’re shameless doesn’t mean I have to be.” Rafayel pointed out, looking at her over his shoulder. “To be around someone as bold as you would make anyone shy.”
With a sigh, she turned her attention back to the water that was now bubbling, and opened the dry bag containing the vegetable pieces as the clear sound of his pants zipper cut through the air.
“Now I’ll never be motivated to spice the soup right.” The teasing bemoan got another chuckle out of Rafayel, and just to emphasis her sulking and self restraint she kept focus on measuring the right amount of ingredients even as the dull thud of his pants hit the floor.
She had meant to watch him get in, but it seemed that unlike humans who eased into water step by step (a show HE would get), Lemurians held no such restraint, and there was no preamble to watch. One moment he was on the ground, and the next he was in the water. The splash was what brought her to look, yet once the ripples evened out he didn’t resurface.
The seconds ticked past, and an anxiousness that was purely human kept her scanning the surface till the reminder of the discarded mask by the waterside brought her back to reality.
Feeling a little foolish for having forgotten Lemurians were meant to be beneath the water, she prodded the guinea meat Rafayel had skinned the night before so that it would sink further down into the soup, before placing the iron lid on and leaving it to simmer.
As much as she wanted to get in the fresh spring as well now that she had time to wait, another part of her was apprehensive to intrude on what was perhaps the first real moment Rafayel had to relax in his life, so instead she brought everything into the tent and laid out their sleeping rolls. Spending a few minutes more than she had to fussing with pillows and pushing out wrinkles in the bedding. When she spent a full minute pushing a pretty marble that had fallen out of her pillowcase back and forth around her finger she HAD to relent that there was no other padding for time she could do, but when she turned back to the opening of the tent she nearly jumped out of her skin because she hadn’t heard the water disturb at all, yet Rafayel was there at the bank with his chin in hand. Looking at her.
“H-how long were you staring?!” Her Highness asked, hand flying to calm her leaping heart.
“You switched our blankets twice.” Was his answer, and she felt fully caught because that had been two pointless actions before the marble.
Clearing her throat as she stepped out of the tent, the Princess lifted the lid of the pot to assess the soup and tried to act like her face wasn’t burning.
“I thought that there was a difference, but after much consideration decided they’re as equally uncomfortable.” She white lied, but Rafayel decided not to press her on it.
“The meat will need almost an hour before it’s done.” He went with instead, lifting the hand that was in the water and beckoning her. “Join me while you wait.”
A direct offer was something she could not (and did not want to) ignore, so she peeled off her gloves and set them beside the fire to use when she needed them. Eyes roaming over the entire oasis as she pulled off her own coat and dropped it near Rafayel’s. The sun was setting proper, now, and a realization made her a little nervous.
“How cold is it?” Her Highness asked Rafayel as she approached the spring. Though very reasonable to her, it made him lightly laugh.
“It will not boil you as you usually like,” He noted, referring to humans and their proclivity to a warm bath. “But you’ll get accustomed to it quicker than you think.”
Unsure still, she changed course a little and took her boots off near the shallows, and gingerly put one foot in.
The sudden change of temperature made her yelp a little, but there was still some warmth to it from an entire day in the sun and that helped some of her worries. She still had to ease from her toes onto the balls of her feet though as she walked deeper, up till the water reached her calves, and here there was a shelf as it plunged into deeper parts. Slowly, Her Highness tried to lower herself to sit, but as soon as the water hit where her legs and torso met the sensation was so startling that she leapt back up onto her feet with a squeak.
“That’s so cold!!” She declared on one foot, hugging herself in shock, though any other complaints tumbled out of her mind as Rafayel let out a bark of laughter, swimming over to her with one fluid motion and a cheeky smile plastered on his face.
“That’s because you’re doing it so slow!” He chastised, and when he reached a hand out to grab her leg Her Highness jolted out of her brief stupor at the genuine laugh to let out another yelp and dance out of his reach.
“NO! Do not pull me in I can’t swim, and it’s too cold, and- and um, it’d be so mean of you!” She said, dodging as he made some more attempts, half pulling himself onto the shallows to reach her as she got further away with each squeal. Momentarily, she forgot how resourceful and sneaky assassins were- especially those with the powers of a Sea God- and assumed because she was out of his physical reach there was no need to worry anymore, completely oblivious to the rising pillar of water behind her. Meaning Her Highness fully stumbled back into of her own accord- causing the entire thing to collapse down around her; Succeeding in it’s duty to douse her completely as she shrieked in shock.
As the water sloshed back to it’s normal place at her feet, the Princess stood stock still as she processed what had just happened. Wet hair hanging around the front of her face and her mouth agape.
Once more, Rafayel’s laughter filled the air.
“You look like a wet hamster.” He informed her, propping himself on his elbows to hold him near the shelf. Grin somehow even more slanted and amused. As he teased, he lifted his hand and beckoned for her to come closer. “One that doesn’t have to be so picky about getting in anymore.”
Not able to decide between a scowl and a pout, Her Highness’ face scrunched into something in between as she stalked forward.
“That was mean!”
“Maybe, but you were crueler.” As soon as she was within reach, Rafayel reached up and grabbed her waist, impatiently pulling her down to sit with her legs dangling over to where he was freely swimming. A protest denying that, since she hadn’t done anything, sizzled on her tongue as Rafayel sank back down as soon as she was no longer fidgeting to place his head on her lap. Relief easing any remaining tension in his body the further his cheek pressed against her outer thigh. A noise of content she’d never heard before escaped him as his long lashes fluttered close. “Very cruel… keeping me waiting…”
Unsure of what to do with her hands and heart beating very fast, Her Highness occupied herself with Rafayel’s hair. Threading her fingers through the wet strands as they drifted about, pushing them back from his forehead, and curling them around. Every so often her nails would scratch against his scalp and an appreciative hum would tell her it felt good, so she kept at it.
“… I thought you might like the time alone.” Her Highness quietly admitted. “It’s not everyday you find an oasis, you know…” She was only partially talking about the fresh spring they were soaking in, thoughts still occupied with how little she gets to see Rafayel relaxed.
For a moment, she thought he might not have heard her as he didn’t move, before suddenly he braced his hands on either side of her and lifted himself up and slightly over her. Droplets raining down onto her skin lined with goosebumps from the nipping wind. He didn’t say anything for a second or two; just watched a particular drop fall from his brow down onto the joint between neck and shoulder, and slide down beneath the collar of her soaked shirt towards her heart.
“Being alone used to be the only sure thing I had everyday.” Rafayel finally said, voice matching her tender volume. “They found me alone by the dying flame of the sea as a baby because my mother collapsed on the temple steps and died before ever getting into Whalefall proper.” Pitching forward a little, his forehead pressed into Her Highness’ right shoulder. “I was trained alone how to kill, and taught over and over by the elders that it’s my duty alone to save Lemuria and bring everyone home…”
As the Princess’ hands found his shoulders, one of his wrapped around her back, pushing up her shirt so the palm could lie flat against the skin. This time, the shiver that went up her spine wasn’t from the cold.
“I cannot even count the number of weeks I’ve spent surrounded by no one but my own responsibilities and the course sand.” Carefully, like too sudden of movement might scare them both, Rafayel moved to trace his nose from shoulder to neck. “This is the sixth oasis I’ve ever found, but…” His train of thought was momentarily paused as he took in a deep breath of her scent, and brought her body closer to his bare one as the path of his nose went up to the joint between nose and jaw.
"It’s the first one with you.”
Lower lip wobbling a little, Rafayel’s Princess found his hair in her grasp again, and gave it enough of a tug to move him to a spot where she could press a kiss to his pale cheek tinged with pink. Than she took his face in both hands, and tried to convey how much she understood the weight of loneliness with her eyes and a smile.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting…” As her thumb rubbed against his cheek, it lifted a little in a smile, like that phrase was an old friend. “It’s my first oasis, so I’m a little nervous.”
Rafayel pressed a kiss against one palm as way of accepting the apology.
“You should burn dinner, as to not overwhelm yourself with too many firsts in one day.” The heavier mood seemed to be lifted from him, and the teasing was back.
Feeling too good natured now to act offended at the tease, Her Highness tilted her head to the side in confusion as she laughed a little.
“What other firsts could there possibly be? I lost a camel, fell off a cliff- thank you for catching me, by the way- ”
“Was hardly a cliff, but you would have found a way to hurt yourself regardless as delicate as you are.” Rafayel interjected as the heaviness of his hands encircled her waist, but she pointedly chose to ignored him in favor of continuing on.
“I got to have complete control over the layout of the tent, am at my first fabled desert spring, and will have cooked an absolutely perfect dinner before the night is over!” Finishing her list, she poised the question again. “What else is there?”
The mischievous smile on his face was the only warning sign she got before Rafayel was pulling her flush against him so fast the sudden momentum made her yelp and throw her arms around his neck for balance.
“You haven’t breathed underwater yet.” Rafayel said against her lips, before closing the gap with a kiss and bringing Her Highness with him as he fell backwards into the crystal clear waters.
As the surface flattened back out to a calm unbroken mirror, the camel that had started this adventure slowly got up from it’s spot to move to another bountiful corner of vegetation. Completely oblivious and uncaring to what the Sea God and his bride were doing at the bottom of the spring.
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