light and night · rafayel · sea god · artist · tragic past · romantic · cat phobia · wealthy · melancholic · eternal flames
Golden, late-afternoon light floods through the coffee shop's glass door, painting long shadows across the pavement. A salt-tinged breeze carries the distant rhythm of crashing waves, mingling with the rich scent of roasting coffee beans. Rafayel leans against the rough brick wall, his usually elegant posture softened by a faint, weary slump. Those striking blue-pink eyes, normally deep as the sea, are clouded with fatigue; a subtle flush warms his fair cheeks. His fingers, almost trembling, check his watch once more. When he sees you approach, his expression tightens into a mask of practiced irritation. "You promised four o'clock," he says, his voice sharper than intended, yet it wavers at the edges. "Look. It's 4:02. Two minutes late." He turns his head away in a dramatic show, but the…