#matchmaker au

It was tradition that the former god or goddess of the sea be mourned for ten days and ten nights. Their body was then taken to the Abyss of Divinity and dropped to give life and nourishment to those that dwelt deep in the oceans away from the light of Lemuria.

After ten days of mourning there came a new beginning. The seas could not be without their god and the process of selecting a new god was underway. Rafayel was never sure how the elders and the council decided who was to be the new ruler of the seas but he was loathing that it was taking this long.

Rafayel had been just one of the few names that had been brought forward as a potential new god of the sea. They elite few had been selected at early ages to be recommended for the position. For what reason he could not say but they had all learned and played together growing up, knowing that one day one of them would be chosen.

“Raf, please, stay still. You are giving me a headache with your leg bouncing like that.” One of the other candidates, Neri, said.

“How long must it take though?” Rafayel sighed, forcing his leg to be still. “They have been deliberating for days and now they summon us here and they are still deciding. I was fine waiting until it got to be so close to an answer. Now I find I cannot wait a second more.”

“Would it not be funny if Jun was chosen and he wasn’t even here?” Neri laughed. “Serves him right for being away from home so long.”

“I do not understand how he can stand living on land for so long,” Rafayel muttered. His distaste for humanity often left him very bitter when he remembered the world of land existed. All the waste and destruction humans wrought on the seas was enough to make his blood boil. Fire sparked at his fingertips just thinking about the coral reefs that were destroyed by some fisherman’s giant net.

He had been taught not to judge all of humanity by the acts of a few but it was hard not to when he saw how polluted the waters became every day. Sure, there were humans that tried to help but they would never cleanse the oceans, not so long as they let other keep degrading it.

There had been a time long ago when humans and Lemurians coexisted. It was a dark time for his people. They were hunted and slaughtered. Some were even kept as pets for the humans, as if they were nothing but mindless animals to them. It was then they retreated deep into the sea where no human could find them again and created their own sun so they may live and thrive without having to risk going to the surface. Times may have changed since then, reducing Lemurians to nothing more than a bit of myth and magic but Rafayel was not sure how much humans could really change. At their core they were greedy beings.

“In a way I hope it’s you that gets it,” Rafayel said, “I do not know how I would handle the bridal search. A possible entire year on land with humans? I don’t think I’d survive.”

“Land isn’t that bad. You should have gone earlier. I think you’d like it if you just gave it a chance.” Neri flicked the side of his head. “But I hope I get it too. I’d love to have an excuse to spend an entire year on land looking for love.”

Rafayel tried to suppress his sneer. “You really think you can love a human?”

“I think I could love anyone no matter their species. Be they human, dragon, or alien.”

“Dragons and aliens don’t exist.”

She shrugged. “We exist and we’re about as mythical as them to humans. So why couldn’t they?”

Rafayel knew that this is what was supposed to happen since he was a child. He knew that if he was chosen to be the next sea god that he’d have to go to land and fall in love with a human. The older he got though the more that idea seemed like an impossibility. Rafayel wasn’t even sure why the sea god’s partner had to be human. There was no specific text that stated the reason. The elders had told him once upon a time that it was to keep the sea god humble. To have a human partner was to remind them that there are others outside of those that live under the waves and they must be fair to all of humanity. Others would say bringing in humans was to keep the gene pool of Lemuria from getting too incestuous but if that were true they could just visit other Lemurian colonies and not rely solely on those that live in Whalefall City.

Rafayel had to admit that what did intrigue him about the human partners was that there was apparently a destined partner for the sea god. For each god there was a destined love and he had to say he liked that aspect of this whole ordeal. Even if all of humanity was a nuisance to him there was one human out of the batch that was supposed to be perfect for him. Only if he was chosen though.

The doors into the council room opened and the elders called Rafayel and Neri inside.

They entered into the large high vaulted room where the elders gathered. Fish swam between the tall open water windows and around the points of luminescent sparks of light that glittered from the chandelier made of glass and bone. Rows of white stone seats curved around in a circle surrounding a floor tiled in a mosaic of two fish swimming after each other. Rafayel and Neri took a knee as they waited to be addressed.

One of the elders stood and began to address them in a booming voice. “We have thought long and hard, communing with the tides and watching the stars as well as speaking amongst ourselves and a decision has been made about who will hold the honored burden of being the ruler of the seas. Before we tell you though, assure this council that you both understand the duty that you may or may not be charged with. Do you understand the expectations that will be hoisted upon you as the future ruler of the seas?”

“We do.” Rafayel and Neri answered in unison.

“Do you accept the duty of passing equal judgement between the people of Lemuria and with humankind?”

“We do.”

There was a beat of silence. Rafayel clenched a fist behind his back.

“You also recognize that before you be made the god or goddess of the sea you must travel to land and find the one you are destined to bring back to Lemuria as your partner. Then and only then may you assume your full power and be granted the title and honor of being a deity.”

“We do.”

“And you recognize that failure to complete this task will result in the forfeit of not only your chance to be god or goddess of the sea but you will be stripped of your identity as a Lemurian entirely. You will remain a human for the rest of your life, never to return to the sea you once knew and another will be chosen in your place to become the ruler of the seven seas.”

Rafayel gulped. His answer followed a breath after Neri’s. “We do.”

The entirety of the council stood and the elder that had been speaking stepped down from the stands and stood directly before Rafayel and Neri. “Then it is by the just and wise decision of this council that we dub thee, Rafayel Qi, our god of the seas.”

There was an applause as Rafayel stood to his feet. A wreath of coral and pearls was placed upon his head as he turned and faced the congregation. Neri was smiling at him but he could see that she was disappointed it hadn’t been her. Rafayel was too. He was honored of course and he was excited about being the new god.

But now he had to go to land…

As the crown was placed on his head a torrent of power flooded into his body, swimming through his blood and filling him with a rush of hot ecstasy that had his lungs burning. It was the power of the sea god, at least partially. It all began today. Today he would leave for land to find his human bride and in the future he would become the god in entirety or lose everything trying.

---

This was the day that would never end!

You had finally made it out of work but not without losing a bit of your sanity. Tourist season was ramping up in the city of Linkon as the weather got warmer and you had just finished a twelve hour shift at the cafe you worked at. You needed the extra cash from those long shifts but it didn’t mean it exactly made the stress of the job worth it.

It felt like every other second someone was coming in and ordering something. If it wasn’t a rude customer insisting the perfect drink you made was wrong it was a tourist asking for something complicated or insane. And not to be the rain cloud on parade day, but you had been asked about five times by tourists to “surprise them” with something you think they’d like. If the cafe was dead you may have had fun with it but as it was you just gave them all matcha lattes and moved on with the next order.

Then after the cafe you had to return home and start on your second job which should have brought you more joy than it did because it was your own.

You ran a small matchmaking service that paired individuals up with each other. You also sold little charms meant to bring luck in love and even learned how to do tarot readings to give people love fortunes. You liked this job, you really did, but after such a long shift the last thing you wanted to do was mull over who would do best with who on a date. But you did.

You got to your apartment building, rushing for the stairs but the voice of your landlord caught you before you could make your escape. “Rent is due on the first, remember that!” he called after you. “You hear me?”

“Yes, Mr. Baek. I know and I will have the rent money ready.” You climbed another step but he wasn’t done with you yet.

“And that means all of it! No more of this pay me half now and half then sort of thing you’ve been doing! And if you’re late again you’re out of here,” he snarled. Did this bitter old man really have nothing better to do than yell at you?

“I know, Mr. Baek. I will have all of it to you on time. I promise.” Note to self to double check how much money you had in your account when you got up to your apartment.

“Mhm,” he huffed, “I’ll believe it when I see it.” He retreated back to his place with more grumbling and you dragged yourself up the rest of the stairs. He was such a miser about getting paid on time but he ran such a run down building. The only reason you lived here was because it was cheap and close to the beach which were the two things you had wanted when you first went apartment hunting.

You finally made it to your apartment door and unlocked it. The building was so old it didn’t even have the electronic thumb print scanning locks that other apartments in Linkon did. You pushed into the apartment. It was only two rooms. The bedroom, living room, and kitchen was all one room and the bathroom was the other, barely. It hadn’t even come with a door, you had to hang up a curtain for privacy in case you had guests over.

Instantly there was meowing around your feet and you smiled as your cats rubbed against your ankles. Well, Tuna and Anchovy were up to greet you, Sardine was curled up on your bed uncaring that you had come home.

“Hello my babies, mama is very glad to see you.” You hefted Anchovy off the floor and pressed a kiss to her head. “Are you hungry? Yeah, me too, let’s get some dinner started.”

You made yourself some instant noodles, refilled the kibble bowl for the cats, and sat down at your laptop, looking through your latest client’s profile to ascertain who they had the best chance of liking. It didn’t help that they had very specific preferences in appearance. Apparently you were supposed to be pulling men over six feet and in top physical shape out of thin air.

After about an hour of doing that you couldn’t take it anymore and closed the laptop with a sigh. You needed to relax. But first you needed out of these work clothes. You reeked of coffee and overpriced pastries.

You went to your closet and opened it up. It was pretty bare bones inside. Right. Laundry day was tomorrow which meant you had winter clothes, one nice cocktail dress, and a sundress clean right now. Well it was too hot for winter and you weren’t going to take the cocktail dress for a walk along the beach so sundress and light cardigan it was.

There was a spring in your step as you got changed and left the house. The worries of the day had ended and you were free to just enjoy your evening. After such a stressful day too the best way you had to unwind was strolling along the beach. There was such a serene kind of peace that overcame you when you were at the beach, especially at night. There were no loud tourists making a ruckus, no screaming kids, maybe there was the late night jogger or a couple walking by taking in the view but otherwise it was fairly empty.

The sound of the waves crashing against the shore, the sand between your toes, the warm air on your face and the sight of the moon reflecting off the water was the perfect atmosphere for relaxation.

You edged closer to the water, letting the tide lap at your feet as you stared over the endless horizon. What you would give to follow that horizon and never stop. Just keep going until you hit someplace new and decided to start over again. Some wonderful place where rent doesn’t exist and you don’t have to work two jobs to keep a tiny apartment.

“I just need a break,” you whispered to the air. “Can I have that, god? Can I have a single lucky break?”

The only answer was the wind and waves. “This is the best I’m gonna get, huh?”

You took in a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of the salty sea air. Things have to get better at some point. Right?

You heard a splashing sound that broke the stillness around you. Your head whipped from side to side but there was no one near you. You looked out at the ocean and saw something moving in the water. Your mind immediately said driftwood but it wasn’t being carried by the tide. It was moving of its own power closer to the shore. A turtle perhaps?

Your eyes strained in the darkness trying to get a better look. It was then you realized what you had spotted was getting bigger and rising taller out of the water. A person? What was someone doing swimming this late? Being out in the ocean in the dark like this was dangerous.

You watched as they got closer, their body silhouetted by the moon and casting their face into shadow. What you could make out was that they were broadshouldered, a man’s physique most likely, and they had extremely long hair. Despite not being able to make out their face you were stunned to realize you could see their eyes. Their eyes…they were glowing.

You were sure you had to be seeing things. There was no way someone’s eyes could actually glow, but as they drew nearer you realized it was no trick of the moonlight. Their eyes glowed with a hot blue flame. What was more unsettling was that you could tell they were staring straight at you.

There was a part of you that knew you should run but you couldn’t look away. It was as if you were staring down some deadly predator and if you broke eye contact first then they’d pounce and drag you into the sea to be devoured.

It was ridiculous though. This was just a man. A human man that was coming out of the water and heading straight for you. That was terrifying for a whole new reason.

Your heart was pounding in your ears, your gaze transfixed as if mesmerized by this other worldly figure wading closer. He was getting so close now, your breath caught in your throat. His head tilted to the side, as if assessing you anew like some curious animal.

Rationality was telling you to run, scream, escape this strange being. But there was some voice in the back of your head that told you to stay. Curiosity gnawing at your insides, desiring answers and explanations, and a name for whoever or whatever this person was before you that inspired awe and fear.

They reached out a hand, their eyes widening as they drew closer. Their words were softly spoken, almost lost to the wind. “My bride.”

---

Leaving Lemuria was the hardest thing Rafayel had ever done. He said his goodbyes to his friends and family and home and began his journey to land. The closest human settlement he was told about laid in the west. It was also where his Aunt Talia lived.

She was one of the subsect of Lemurians that decided to live on land completely. She sometimes came back to visit but it was not often. He didn’t understand it but having someone he knew and trusted already established and living on land was good for him. He’d at least have someone to lean on and somewhere to live while he was stuck in the world of humans.

It took most of the day, swimming nonstop to finally spot land. It was a good thing too because the water had gone pitch dark and the only light he had was the one he could create in his hands and the beams of pale moonlight shining through the water.

As he neared shore he shifted into his more human form, his tail splitting and turning into two legs once more. His feet the wet sand and he began trudging out of the ocean. He pushed the hair from his face and noticed that he was not alone on this shore.

There, illuminated by the moonlight beaming behind him was a woman. The white dress she wore fluttered in the breeze and shone like a beacon in the night, leading him to shore. In a word, he was entranced.

She was beautiful and radiant and so still. He would have mistaken her for a statue if not for those bright eyes staring back at him. There was a thundering in his chest, the waves seemed to swell larger around him as he moved forward. The only thing in focus was her, her glittering eyes pulling him in as if he were a fish on a hook.

Surely this was the sign that he had expected to find when he met his future bride. He had done it. He had found you. You were right in front of him, close enough to touch. “My bride…”

“Pervert!” You screamed. Before Rafayel could blink and understand what you had said your fist collided with his face and he fell backwards back into the water. When he came back up you were gone, running back up the beach.

Rafayel held his jaw, wincing. By the tides, what in the hells just happened? So much for his future bride, but he should have expected as much from humans. The initial beauty couldn’t make up for the inherent mistakes in their character.

He stood up, brushing the sand away and realized with a start that his clothes were gone. He was sure he had some when he left Lemuria. When he shifted forms they sort of just disappeared, melting away as his tail grew and reappearing when he decided to have legs again. That’s what should have happened, so why was he naked?

“Oh…” Rafayel sighed, hands on his hips. “That’s why she screamed pervert.”

Alright, so you may have been warranted in your reaction. But did you have to punch him?

He needed out of here. He needed clothes and he needed to find his aunt. He slid back into the water where he could move more freely without worry of being spotted and moved along the coast looking for his aunt’s house. He had been told by his mother where she lived and what her home looked like but it was still hard to find at night.

By some miracle, and some divine ability to sense where other Lemurians were, Rafayel was able to find the shore that led to his aunt’s house. He made sure no one was looking and booked it across the sand and up to the backdoor of the house. There was a towel hanging on a line that he took and wrapped around his waist. He raised a fist and pounded on the glass door until a light turned on inside.

Aunt Talia appeared, squinting through the door before her eyes widened. She slammed the door open in disbelief. “Rafayel? What are you doing here? Are you naked?”

“Aunt Talia,” Rafayel breathed out in relief, “sorry to disturb you so late but it was urgent.”

“What is wrong?”

“Nothing is wrong. I just need a place to stay,” he said. “You must know that the old sea god died, I have been chosen to replace him.”

“I see.” She stepped aside. “Come in, come in.”

Rafayel stepped inside the house. It was far different from the homes he was used to in Lemuria. Everything was boxier, sharp corners, quieter and lifeless. Talia had plants growing and some nice decor but compared to the life that bloomed in every corner of his home in Lemuria this felt like being stuffed in a coffin made of white wood and low ceilings.

“What happened here?” She touched the spot on his jaw that was blooming with a bruise.

“When I came out of the water there was a human woman waiting on the shore. For a moment I had foolishly believed she was my bride and that I must have found her immediately, then the brute punched me in the face.” Rafayel sat down in the kitchen. “Do you have anything to eat? I’m starved.”

Instead of supplying him with food or clothes Talia slapped him upside the head. “Ow! What was that for? Have I not been brutalized enough tonight?”

“It serves you right for coming out of the water without a strip of clothes on.” Talia huffed, opening a cabinet and drawing out some box. “You probably scared that poor girl half to death. Walking up to her like some kind of flasher.”

“She punched me!”

“Why in the hells are you naked?” she snapped back at him. “Did you not think to bring clothes with you?”

“I had clothes--”

“Human clothes, Rafayel.” She poured out what was in the box into a bowl and handed it to him. “Anything associated with your godly status disappears at the start of the bridal year.”

“That would have been great to know earlier.” Rafayel stared down at the bowl. “What is this?”

“Cereal. Try it.” She handed him a spoon. “And this is something you should have already known. Did you do any research before coming here?”

“I didn’t think I’d have to.” Rafayel wasn’t sure about this cereal that Talia gave him but he was starving and new that she’d only slap him again if he insisted on having something else.

“Ancestors help me.” Talia pinched the bridge of her nose. “Okay. Eat your cereal, I’ll find you some clothes, and tomorrow you are getting a rundown on how the land of humans works. Then you can start your bride search. Maybe find a job too.”

Rafayel’s brow creased. “A job?”

“You need something else to occupy your time while you’re here. I am not going to let you laze around my house all day doing nothing.”

“I’m not going to be here that long though.”

She raised a brow at him. “You don’t know that. Do you realize how long it takes to fall in love with someone? It’s not an instantaneous thing.”

“Maybe. But if it is my destined bride then it will not be long at all.”

“Oh you precious idiot.”

---

Of course this was how your day from hell ended! Of course it did!

The one place you always felt safe to go to for some peace and relaxation and some flasher comes out of the water right for you. Once you realized that this stranger was naked your body moved automatically and punched him in the face before running for safety. You called the police to report the pervert but by the time they got there the creep had made himself scarce. They took your statement but you didn’t have much to go on since it was hard to make out his face so all they knew was that it was a man with waist length long hair and blue eyes. You left out the glowing part because you thought they’d think you were crazy. They assured you they’d contact you if there were any updates with your case but you doubted you’d hear from them again.

You cradled your hand to your chest. It was blossoming with pain after that hit, the only proof you had that you hadn’t just hallucinated the entire thing. You went home, your body vibrating with nerves as that moment replayed over and over again.

My bride. My bride. My bride.

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