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White feathers are not nice, nor are they pure. The idea that angels would have white feathers is absurd, because what happened to their soulmates? One's wings were only white until they met their soulmate. Any contact sent colors swirling through their feathers in matching combinations.
Angelica had seen it happen to so many people she loved. She thought it might have been Alexander for her, with his sharp wit to match her own. Alexander had the lopsided effect of one wing colored blue struck through with gold, and the other white. He was matched by John; one blue and gold wing, one a blank slate. But when Angelica shook Alexander’s hand, her wings remained white. Instead, Alexander belonged to her sister and both Eliza and Alexander belonged to John. When Eliza shook hands with them, first Alexander and then John, both her wings changed- first one, blue and gold, then the other, green with the same gold accents. John and Alexander watched with wide eyes as their wings changed to match Eliza’s.
Angelica smiled for her sister. She was sure Eliza was too good for either of the men, but who could argue with the mechanics of finding one's soulmate, or soulmates as the case may be. She left the triad to their devices with an “I'll leave you to it!” thrown over her shoulder as she walked away.
She kept the smile on her face until she made it out of the building. The banner above the door behind her read “Welcome Back!” in neat block letters, painted by Eliza for Angelica. It had been a gathering ( “It’s not a party, Angel! It's just going to be some friends gathering to welcome you back! And Aaron said he had a new friend to bring because he figured you’d get along…” Eliza’s voice rang in the back of Angelica’s head) for her return from her extended stay in London. Even Thomas had made it back to the states before Angelica had; as much as he loved Europe, his wings belied his true love. He couldn't stay away from New York or his soulmates, despite (or perhaps because of) the fact that he, James, and Hercules Skyped each other most days when their schedules would allow it.
“Running away from your own party, Angie? What would your sister think? She put so much effort into tonight, you know.” Angelica huffed out a silent laugh, or maybe it was a sigh, before turning around to face the speaker.
“As if I would leave early, before you had a chance to arrive? I knew you’d be late, I came out to meet you,” she said with a teasing smile. Thomas pouted at her before breaking into a grin and enveloping her in a hug, his wings wrapping around her shoulders. He drew back, his hands on her shoulders, to inspect her, and Angelica did the same.
In the months since she’d last seen Thomas, not much had changed. His hair was perhaps a bit longer, his wings a bit more well-cared for, but not much else differed. His wings, both earthy shades of purple that looked nearly identical if one hadn’t known him before he met Hercules, and colored through with orange-brown highlights, were half-spread behind him until Hercules pushed one wing gently aside to hug Angelica.
Herc drew back moments later to motion James toward Angelica. He coughed awkwardly and waved halfheartedly before Angelica gave a shark-like smile and pulled him into a hug as well. He froze, unsure of what to do, and Angelica let the hug linger a little longer than she normally might have.
“You think you're getting away with just a wave hello, James Madison?” she scolded once she released him from her embrace, still grinning. “It's been too long for you to get away with that.”
James looked over his shoulder at his soulmates for assistance only to find both of them trying their best not to smile or laugh out loud. Hercules offered a shrug, a grin fighting to break out over his face. James rolled his eyes and turned back to Angelica with a sigh that quickly turned into a coughing fit, his wings shaking with the strength of his racking coughs.
In a flash, all traces of amusement vanished from Thomas’s face, and he stepped forward to rub soothing circles on James’s back, holding out his inhaler to him. Angelica, Hercules, and another person Angelica hadn't realized was with the trio watched on, sharing nervous looks amongst the three of them.
Eventually, a few tense minutes later, James’s coughs subsided enough for him to accept the inhaler Thomas had been holding for him. Angelica took the opportunity to introduce herself to the other woman. She turned to her, taking in her appearance.
The first thing that stood out were her wings. They were snowy white, as colorless as Angelica's wings. The next thing Angelica noticed were her eyes. They were warm brown, but a fire burned behind them as she met Angelica's gaze, chin held high.
The silence stretched out between the two, Hercules looking back and forth between them before edging around them to stand by Thomas and James. Finally, Angelica broke the silence.
“Angelica Schuyler. It's a pleasure to meet you,” she said extending her hand.
“Dolley Payne. The pleasure’s mine.” Dolley stepped forward and took Angelica's hand. They both froze at the contact.
Angelica could only describe the feeling as a shock traveling from where their hands met throughout her body. Her wings itched, and as she watched the color spread across Dolley’s wings, she knew it was because hers were changing as well.
The colors started at the base of her wings, a dark lavender, and raced down to the tip, lightening as it swirled through the feathers, from lavender to pink to pale yellow, in all the colors of the sunset.
By the time their wings had finished changing, James had recovered from his coughing fit and he, Hercules, and Thomas were all staring at them. Angelica felt like the air had been punched out of her lungs.
She smiled at Dolley, and Dolley smiled back at her.
They were still holding hands when they went back inside.