aneeeee :
Rafayel is a grey, complex character. He scared me sometimes, but I think sometimes… Sometimes people perceived him way darker than what he actually is. No, Rafayel doesn't hate humans, and No, Rafayel does care about Lemurians.
He often spends sleepless nights just to mourn for his people and finds it hard to let go/deal with passing [siren song anecdote, banquet ablaze]. He also learned how to be dependable support (at a young age) for his people and even went a step ahead, thinking and preparing about where they live and possible occupations so they can have money to eat [omnipotent perception, tanakhali quest].
K's death already shakes him, let alone if it's Thalia who's in danger. It is also mentioned in TOR, he said watching your people die is a pain more excruciating than the death itself.
Aaaaand he doesn't have a super mental age or 800 years worth of wisdom; his mental age, at least pre-branch story, is linear with his current age, which is why Thalia always keeps an eye on him, and grateful Thomas and MC are there for him because he is too young and pushes himself too hard to the point he's almost swallowed completely by grief [his birthday card, Lyn card, siren song, banquet and dagger, and safety pin acc.].
The only reason he's fine with Lemurian extinction in GOT and AB is because it's an endless circle of killing others for their own benefits, but that doesn't mean he's completely unaffected by their passing, especially since they died in the most brutal way in the current TL. You can see his PTSD showing in Siren Song and implication in the When Light Falls card.
In both the commission quest and his other cards, like Ocean at Night, Floral Promise, Omnipotent Perception, Private Trip, etc., tho more prominent in the unicorn quest, It showed that Raf is a character that cherished life and loved nature. He mourns for Lemurian, sympathizes with humans who experience losses, and appreciates the strong-willed one [Tanakhali, Ivory Nightfall]. His bitterness with humans doesn't come from pure hatred but from how humans don't appreciate life, both that given to them and the one they rob away from others [omnipotent perception, tanakhali].
2025-07-27 03:57:42