AMALiA
Amalia is sitting in a corner on the floor when Adam finds her, Jyoti nestled securely in her lap. After the flurry of escape and their flight through the dark, the blazing, crumbling guildhall casting dangerous light behind them - after they rejoined the group with luxere, being careful, alert, to guard against stragglers and attacks - after they got everyone into the Temple, secured and accounted for, the large door clicking closed behind them - after the adrenaline that rose as hot as the fire in her chest had finally faded away, all she was left with was exhaustion and fear, and memories of the year before.Jyoti goes a long way to calm her nerves, but even then Amalia is rattled. Her mind keeps flashing between images of the Spark Bird's perch and Edy's feral grin and the fire in the guildhall, and it is with hands that quiver more than a little that she strokes Jyoti's starlit back. Amalia's gaze is distant, distracted, lit by the fire she stares into blankly as her mind continues to churn; she is covered in soot and ash, but she is alive. She ought to be happier. She ought to be braver. She-
It takes a moment for Adam's voice to cut through the fog that is her anxious mind. Tilting her head up to look at her friend the Shield blinks a moment as though confused. "Adam?" she says softly, her voice hoarse from inhaled smoke. That was pretty intense. Something like a smile pulls at her lips but doesn't meet her eyes as she turns back to the whale in her lap. "Yeah. It was. Are you... are you okay?"
the darkest nights produce the brightest stars
