[se] the ones who sing in the dead of night

Amalia It reminds her of the bone bridge, but alive. That's what Amalia thinks as she wanders through the Oerwoud- it's alive, beautifully and spectacularly so, every inch of it singing praise and adulation to the care of Rae, the gift of Vi. Here the Old Gods exist in an abundance of glory that catches the breath in Amalia's chest, stripping away anxieties and leaving her wonderfully at peace. Barefoot she walks the length of the bridge, her great wings folded upon her back, a crown of red ginger woven in her hair, echoing the riot of color and life that marks this place. Curtains of vines hang on either side but Amalia stands with her face upturned, eyes closed as she basks in the sensation of life. She is happy, happier than she has been in ages, wonderfully at peace. It isn't to last - it never does - but in this moment the Archangel doesn't mind. It is enough to be right here, right now, and never mind the rest. reach for the stars: but child, first recognize the constellations of light you already carry inside you

He was continuing to explore in the Oerwoud, not expecting to see anyone else. As long as the sun wasn't high in the sky, he felt comfortable walking about, Adam finding that since his resurrection, he was much more content with his own company. His mind drifted to a few different things as he wandered about the abundant beauty of the Wilds; his new predicament, old and new friends, what he ought to do about his various mixed up feelings on marriage. Amalia did factor into those thoughts, but with no way to contact her, Adam had given up for now on getting any kind of reunion going. Anyway, he was admittedly putting it off too; he couldn't imagine Amalia would be happy to see his new fangs. And yet, as soon as he did actually see her (something he had to blink and check again, but yeah, that was definitely her stood by the bridge), Adam had nothing but excitement in him, all of the worries gone in the thrill of seeing his dear friend. "Ama?!" He called out, running towards her and going to grab her into a tight hug without a thought, laughing at the bizarreness of finding her here, and how happy he was about it. adam Mistreat your Altar Boys long enough and this is what you get Sad and angry... can't learn how to behave Still won't know how in the darkness of the grave

Amalia Some voices you don't forget, no matter how long it's been since you heard them. Some people you don't stop loving, no matter how much the both of you have changed. Some wounds ache and fester for years, only to be mended in the breadth of an instant, the edges fused and the rot chased out by something as simple as a touch. Amalia's eyes open only a second before she's caught up in an embrace, but it is more than enough. There is no conscious thought to drive her, no fear or anxiety to still her hand; there is only a bone-deep, instinctive understanding which leads her to return the embrace in full, her long arms reaching for his shoulders, her wings outstretched to encompass him. "Adam!" a voice cries in shrill delight, and she doesn't realize it's hers. She's holding him as tightly as she ever has, terrified that to let go would be to lose him again. All the fear she'd felt at facing him feels so foolish now - of course she's happy, of course it's right, of course she loves him no matter what. It's Adam - her Adam - and the girl is laughing, her face aglow with joy and tears. "You're here," she whispers breathlessly, pulling back only far enough to look up at him, her palm laid softly on his cheek. "Gods above, you- you're really here." reach for the stars: but child, first recognize the constellations of light you already carry inside you

Later, he'd have questions, like what the fuck was going on with the wings, but in the moment all Adam could do was hold on to Amalia just as tight as she held him and laugh at nothing in particular, the joy having to get out somehow. He moved back softly as her hand came to his face and let her look at him, grinning without any consciousness about the fangs it would reveal. "I am. I really am." For the first time in weeks, he suddenly felt incredibly glad to be back, just to see Amalia's happy tears. "I didn't know how to find you." Adam tried to explain, his own hands staying on her shoulders and squeezing her arms, resisting pulling her close again for another hug. He'd worried about this reunion for days, but suddenly as it was happening, it was obvious they'd make it through; he loved her too much for it to go any other way. "I want you to tell me everything. Gods, I couldn't even make it to your wedding!" He laughed an apologetic, quiet chuckle and let go of her shoulders, but kept sat close by. "I want to know all of it. Everything that happened to you since I was gone." adam Mistreat your Altar Boys long enough and this is what you get Sad and angry... can't learn how to behave Still won't know how in the darkness of the grave

Amalia "I was- I've been-" the explanation of why she hasn't been found falters on her lips; she shakes her head, still smiling brightly, not wanting to dampen this reunion with difficult truths. "I moved," is where she settles, letting her hands drop from his cheeks and rest upon his chest. "I couldn't travel, but I heard- and now you're here." Still breathlessly delighted, she gazes with eyes that are older than the last time he saw her, more lined and worn and weary but no less fervent or bright with ardor. They've sat at some point, settled onto the bridge in this little perfect pocket of world that belongs only to them. And even as Adam asks questions that would shatter it - what's happened, how was the wedding? - the not-Shield forces herself to keep buoyant, to fight against the weights of reality that tether down her feet. Her hands have returned to her lap now, rubbing over her ankles in repetitive motions that give away the worries beneath her sanguine surface. She looks away from Adam, up towards the distant sky. "Gods, so much," the Angel murmurs, shaking her head and closing her eyes as her smile falters. "The wedding was beautiful - we, we saved a spot for you, even though... but Deimos and I, um...." Pain cracks into her smile; she tries and tries to keep it hidden, but still it shines through. A mirthless laugh, and the rubbing intensifies as a leopard tail wraps around her and fur rises on her shoulders, her neck. "Turns out I wasn't ready for marriage. So I... I... I left." reach for the stars: but child, first recognize the constellations of light you already carry inside you

"Hell yeah, I'm here." Adam grinned, posing with a hand behind his head and his leg stuck out for a moment. Amalia always made him want to be silly so he could see her smile; already he could see the worries under her surface bubbling away through little cues she gave off, some of them she probably didn't even know about. A twitch of her lips there, the hand on her ankle, her eyes glancing away for a second. At least one of those worries was revealed pretty quickly, Adam pausing in surprise before immediately going to pull her back into a hug, rubbing up and down her arm with his hand. "Well hey, it is kind of overwhelming. Dudes so big it must have been like marrying three people at once." Jokes aside though, he knew keenly well what it was like to 'fail' in a marriage and he squeezed her close before letting her go, kissing her forehead. "I'm sure you tried your goddamn best. But okay, there's gotta be more. What else happened, 'side from Deimos?" adam Mistreat your Altar Boys long enough and this is what you get Sad and angry... can't learn how to behave Still won't know how in the darkness of the grave

https://cotf-rpg.com/showthread.php?tid=5138

This portion of the thread is now over (but not fin'd, that would happen in the linked thread. Both count as exploration for the purposes of the seasonal event requirements). Good luck getting home.