@saltbrine,
SPRING didn't have a face until he reached the surface. at home, in the dark, the seasons had no reach beyond the gap in the rock, and all minhae knew of spring was an extraordinarily blue sky.
there were more colors up here. and more light, of course — warm and resplendent, so far-reaching that he was delighted to stand under the shade of some awning and still be able to put a hand out to feel it. in those first few days on the road, he had insisted on keeping the windows of the carriage down, so that the light could stream in and his god could feel him close. he'd imagined his first month in yeonghae unfolding in all kinds of ways, but he had thought most of all that his god would find him and commune with him before his alliance with the yangs, at least, so that the sun could advise on whether it was a good match, but the sun hadn't so much as sent him a sign since his arrival.
his parents certainly had their own opinion about it, which they said was the sun's will. but, minhae thought, he would have really liked to hear it from the sun himself. the ritual was the only thing he could think of doing.
he'd taken to carrying an umbrella when his skin proved unfortunately easy to burn in the sun, but for now he set it aside so the sun would have no trouble finding him. his ritual mirror laid next to it, wrapped in cloth until he finished building the necessary pyre. he just couldn't get the damned thing to stay up.
minhae frowned at his pathetic pile of rocks and sticks. in the distance, the waves roared. he wondered if he should have chosen someplace other than the beach.
he glanced around. there were a few people nearby, a lot of unfamiliar faces for that festival, but none of them seemed particularly helpful. then he glanced in the other direction, and there was his first stroke of good luck all week, in the shape of somebody much closer—observing? no one ever stared at a ritual so openly.
"you. hello." minhae eyed them up and down. they looked useful, at least. "do you have nothing better to do for the next minute?"
