Dolasach - Of Ivy & Seafoam

In an Irish House, 1988

i desperately need to just sit by the water

She followed him to the rock and took a seat where he'd urged her to, still somewhat observing Rafayel as he placed the rocks to keep the scroll open. Now that they were back on solid land, she finally let go of his hand and placed hers in fists on her lap as she tried to get a better look at the scroll in its entirety.

The Lemurian script was impossible for her to understand, but she could read Eolchaire's small additions to whatever Caspian wrote. They were... Curious comments, seemingly small notes of support and agreement with whatever he'd written. Dolasach couldn't help but furrow her brows at them--Eolchaire, intentionally or not, kept her annotations vague enough that Dolasach couldn't figure out what the message was about.

Though now that she thought about it, the fact that they could both annotate each others' writing meant that they must've somehow taken the time to teach each other their respective tongues. She couldn't recall if Eolchaire had mentioned anything about it, or if it was a detail Dolasach had forgotten about because she never thought it to be particularly important to her.

She turned her attention to the main body of what Eolchaire had written. Without the fear of possibly falling into the water distracting her, she could read through the message with ease--though it didn't escape her notice that it was a long one.

To my cute little successor--I hope the name the forest gives you is as lovely as the sunrise. I know that the day that you're able to finally really this message, the successor to the Sea God would have finally found you, and you would've finally given him a moment of your time. Perhaps he asked about us? I deeply hope that Caspian's efforts to lead him to you through talking about us were not in vain. Do you hate him? Whatever your answer, I hope that they fact that the two of you were able to unseal this scroll means that the feelings between you aren't entirely negative. However... Despite that, I understand that you may have your own reservations about him. It would be impossible for you not to--I can't go back to change all the records I've kept of my thoughts and feelings to prevent that, nor do I truly want to. Your opinion of him needs to truly be your own, made with the most informed mind that I could bestow upon you even long after my passing. But as your predecessor, I must ask of you to give him a chance. Even if you may hate him, or think you do, please give the God of the Tides a chance. If he fails you, then you may turn him away and banish him from your domain--but don't make any rash decisions. Despite how things weren't easy with Caspian, I've been the happiest I've ever been with him. And that happiness... I want you to experience it too. It won't be easy. I'm sure you'll know that much from all the writing I've left behind. There is a cycle of tragedy that befalls each pair of gods, always beginning with the sea meeting the forest, and ending with one or both having conceded to catastrophe. I know you'll want to avoid it--I know you want to live. But trust me, and trust the remnants of us that Caspian and I will leave behind. We want the two of you to live, too.

Dolasach stared at the message for a long time with her mouth agape and brows deeply knit together, only snapping out of her daze when Rafayel cleared his throat. She turned to him and saw, to her surprise, that his ears had turned the brightest red and a pink tinge colored his cheeks.

What in the world did Caspian's message contain? Because there certainly wasn't anything in Eolchaire's message that got that kind of reaction from her. She looked between him and the text he was pointing at.

"Are you alright?" she asked, more concerned (and confused) about him than curious about the text. Without any hesitation or hint of shyness, she reached over and pressed the cool back of her hand to his cheek.

"Why do you look like you're about to come down with a fever?"

₊❏❜ ⋮ i'll chase you to the ends of the earth. ⚬𓂂

@dolasach

He is used to it; however, that didn't mean he accepted it.

Rafayel sighed as he let his head rest against his palm, the same thing being drilled into his mind by the endless sea of words spewing the history of Lemuria and the world on the surface repeated like a broken record from the elders. He seemed to be falling asleep and was immediately scolded for not paying attention.

Evidently, something came up that had the elders leave the vicinity for the time being and this served as an opportunity for Rafayel to escape. He had attempted in doing so a few times, but he was sure that this time he would be able to be successful. 

A blue fish swam around him and held his hand out, allowing the fish to swim over his palm. 

"Shall we head to the surface? It's a little boring right now and I'm tired of hearing the elders saying the same thing over and over again." 

The fish continued swimming over his palm before seemingly directing him toward an opening to which he was able to squeeze through. It was then he realized that he was out of the city walls of Whalefall City and was able to swim to the surface.

He thanked the fish before it disappeared back through the city walls and Rafayel didn't have to think twice as he turned away from Whalefall City to swim up to the surface; however, before he allowed himself to fully come out, he swam slowly as the damn words from the elders rang in his head. 

"The world on the surface is dangerous, even if those people worship our Sea God, there is a chance that someone will try to capture him."

"As the previous Lemurians have..." 

"Rafayel, you must never venture out to the surface world. Your people are here, that is all that should concern you." 

And the annoying part of all. "The Sea God will one day meet the Goddess of the Forest, and when that day comes, should he fall in love with her, it will be the beginning of the downfall of Lemuria."

Rafayel always thought it to be those stories to be something a parent would tell to their child to make them listen. And besides, Rafayel had always been, not only a rebellious soul, but one of sheer curiosity. 

Once he peeked out from the water, he spotted a woman by the shore. And he had seen a few other humans before, but something about her was different and he couldn't help but to swim towards the shore, closer to her. Who could she be? For some reason... he needed to know and while he doesn't know why he needs to, he simply just has to try; in a way, it felt as though there were residual feelings, feelings that weren't from him and that in itself baffled him.

So without thinking, his mouth opened to speak.

"Who might you be? You don't seem... human to me, although you do appear to be." He tilted his head briefly before letting out a laugh. "Ah, apologies. This is bold of me, I will admit."

☆☆☆☆ archive moodboard: order for @prodraje | want one?

heart handbag by ROTHBARTH