Paradise Falls judas kiss still on my lips

For @Riven

WELCOME TO MIDNIGHT MASS.

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Her heart thumped uncomfortably against her chest, sitting out in an open stretch of the territory as she gazed towards the sky. Her gaze was filled with mysticism and wonder, a wide smile on her features as she became lost in her surroundings. It reminded her of home. The home she had come from, not the home she had found. It reminded her of the Father and his words, of the tales of the stars, and how they could bring destruction to them all if they were to stray from his words. He’d had a special connection with them, and she’d consumed every word.

Even after she had come to question it and broken away from the Calling as they were called, she had found a mysticism in the stars. She’d continued to focus on it, hoping the Ancestors might speak to her like they had the Father as well… the words had never come, but she never quite gave up hope.

And that was what brought her to go star-gazing this often, whispering prophetic words to herself in the hope that it would summon it.

It was a beautiful night, and as the weather warmed, Riven found that his joints felt much better than before. The fact he’d been able to rest more often was helping significantly as well, and some days it felt like he’d never been injured at all. Like tonight - his back and hips felt so good that he couldn’t help but take advantage of it. He’d tried to sleep, but his body was too restless, reminding him that while he was older than he once was, he still wasn’t old, though the soreness in his joints might lead him to believe so from time to time.

He was aimlessly wandering when he stumbled across someone else who was enjoying the bright, clear night. A tiny thing - tinier than Riven, even - barely more than a girl, it seemed. Riven didn’t hesitate to make his way over to the woman, tipping his head to the side with a smile.

“Stargazing?” he asked, following her gaze up to the sky. “It’s a beautiful night for it.”