raphael x reader: now i understand
[song sprint part two, this time to “starry, starry night.” tried to keep this as true to raphael’s onscreen personality as possible, with a little artistic leeway to incorporate a tiny bit of what i picked up from ‘paradise lost.’]
*
The breeze coming through the window carried with it the scent of drying grass, the sound of crickets, the crisp taste of a warm evening.
The sky danced in blazing golds and sparkling greens, ferocious reds and glorious blues.
The fireworks were near enough that the refractions played on the glass within the ancient window panes, but also distant enough that the sound was nothing more than a muffled roar, echoing from leagues away.
There was a magic to the scene, fireflies dancing in the garden, the fairy lights strung about your room and the patio adding a soft glow that nearly reminded her of Heaven.
She counted the stars glistening above her, shining from a shimmering sky. Part of her yearned to return to the heavens, spread her wings and twirl among them, fall seemingly endless into the light.
The continued ballad of your blade etching patterns into Ponderosa provided enough of a tether to keep her rooted to the present, gaze drifting lazily back to where you were hunched over the large piece of wood.
You hummed quietly to yourself as you worked, fingers tracing gently over each new lines you would carve, reshaping this single branch into a piece of art.
She was mesmerized, watching the way your eyes shined even as you struggled against the grain, lost in the kaleidoscopic dance of your irises.
For a moment, she dreamt of falling headlong into them as well, finding the same sparkling splendour of any star cluster.
Her Father's craftsmanship-
Shaping patterns into every quark, spinning His design into some spectacular sequence she could study for aeons.
That creativity, that passion, that dedication and imagination-
He had chosen Humanity to bestow these gifts to, giving them just enough of a spark to wonder, to dream, and Lucifer bolstering their curiosity and resolve enough to pursue it.
It was a marvel to behold, and there was an intimacy to watching your hands shape the universe to your will, as small a corner as it was.
You worked with such dedication, such careful focus-
She admired your deftness, awed slightly by the delicate designs appearing from the application of such a deadly instrument.
Who knew that your blade- one she had often seen dripping scarlet and gold with both blood and ichor- could also be used for such beauty?
The knife- Humanity's first true tool- capable of bringing both life and death when placed in the right hands.
Raphael turned her attention once more to the sky, losing herself to the memories of a simpler time, soothed by the shimmering starlight and the soft sonata of roses slowly being shaped from pine.
*
