smelling like a bonfire, lost in a haze

so much of our lives is just carving through the dark

Stopping a few paces in front of Flora as she realises she's leaving her friend behind, Isla's smile over her shoulder is positively wicked. "He," she says simply, "is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time. If you don't trust anything else, trust my judgement on that, okay?" Laughing, because even if Ever wasn't who he was to Flora, she hopes she can still understand the objective attraction.

And she's very much planning to go off before the night is through as well, thank you very much.

Dropping back to link her arm with Flora's that they might continue their jaunt around the ballroom, she offers the other woman a sly smirk. "Yeah? Go on then - tell me what crazy thing you will be doing this evening."

you look like my next mistake

Crinkling her face hard enough to give herself several double chins in the process, Flora hates her friend's happiness at that moment if only because it was so at odds with her own situation. Also, maybe she should have been fucking Ever this whole time. Exhaling in such a way as to look both sulky and amused, Flora takes a few quick steps to rejoin Isla before sighing. "Not like I have much choice, huh?" The queen quips with a grin and a playful bounce of her eyebrows. "Well, I hope you stay this happy and that he doesn't turn back into a frog, or a...well, whatever he was before."

Pulling in a deep breath through her nose, please for this distraction that she might not have to think about Koa, the question brings the dragoon promptly back to the forefront of her thoughts such that she all but deflates as she exhales. "My crazy thing, will be going home alone. Gasp." Or maybe she'd find Jack...? No. No, no. Home alone.

so much of our lives is just carving through the dark

"No, you do not have much of a choice," Isla confirms with a grin, though she does give Flora an affectionate nudge for her trouble. "And I hope so too. Not that he didn't make quite a handsome frog, or whatever he was before, but I do quite enjoy being able to make eye contact with him." Then again, who knows, perhaps the Remedy would have been successful in her pursuit of a relationship with Everest Hart even without his thoughts becoming hued with purple.

As for Flora's crazy thing, Isla can't help but offer the Doubletake a rather proud grin, if anything. "Going home alone means you're going home with the best choice," she points out. "Better than a second rate date, anyway. Though if you like I'm sure we can find you some good prospects."

you look like my next mistake

Still wanting to pull a face every time the Remedy mentioned anything at all to do with Ever, she swallowed her theatrically unease as gracefully as she could. "Wait." Blinking slowly, Flora's mouth drops once more, albeit a touch more subtly. "Are you the reason he took my brother's boat to do his...his sex thing?" Suddenly thinking of Everest in a new light, one which had him going to the corners of Caido to suddenly become a sex god or something, Flora straightened somewhat, perhaps understanding the attraction all the more. She couldn't even get a guy to go on a second date with her, and her was Ever literally studying up to be better for Isla?

"Oh hush." Rolling her eyes, knowing the sentiment was as cheesy as it was true, Flora sighed and shook her head. "Nah, I mean...I know where I can go if I want something for just one night, but...I mean if that's the case I can just do it myself." She chuckles. What she wanted was something real, and...well, that wasn't the sort of thing you could just scan a party for.

so much of our lives is just carving through the dark

Pausing mid-sip at the new question from Flora, Isla can't not flush a little at it, though she does offer an honest answer at least. "I think he was always planning to do that," she says in her defence, trying and failing to stop her smile from running away with itself. "...But I may have been an extra incentive, it's true." Not that she'd found anything wrong with the lessons she was giving Ever herself, but they'd already had that conversation between them, and she stands by the decision made.

Hushing nonetheless at the sentiment she knows risks giving Flora cavities, Isla hears the other woman out and tilts her head, nodding her agreement. "And probably a lot better and in a much shorter time, too," she murmurs. "When we get back to Torchline and the Hanged Man has had its reopening, maybe some handsome idiot will tumble into your lap and stay there, mm?"

you look like my next mistake

"Ohhhh okay. Okay, I see you." Winking at Isla over the rim of her glass, Flora can only swallow down her jealousy. It does go down easily, if only because this is still Everest they're talking about, and eye contact or not, Flora isn't entirely convinced that all of this isn't just a big joke.

"Ain't that the truth." The queen agrees with a crooked smile. Though, to be fair, the Ark's Captain was shockingly good in bed. How a man so cutthroat and seemingly selfish knew how to push each and every one of her buttons, the Doubletake would never know. But the LongNight on the beach...

Okay so...maybe she would go find Jack.

"Wouldn't that be nice?" Sounding doubtful, Flora just shrugs wistfully. "Well, I definitely don't want to keep you from your evening, so..." Reaching out, the queen takes Isla's free hand and gives it a little squeeze. "I really do appreciate being rescued though. You're legit amazing, just for that."

so much of our lives is just carving through the dark

If it's a joke then Isla isn't yet in on it, and she's likely to get quite a nasty shock if the punchline ever does drop. For now, at least, her eyes pan the room for the sight of a handsome aviator in a plum suit, before returning to the woman at her side. Laughing her agreement - and if Flora does go home alone Isla sincerely hopes that she's her very best date for the evening in that way - the Remedy tilts her head as the Doubletake seemingly plans to take her leave.

"I would never leave a friend in need, especially one who could do so much better than... Barty, was his name?" Isla chimes a laugh and squeezes Flora's hand right back. "Take care out there, okay? And we'll still catch up when we're back." Leaning in for a quick kiss to her cheek, only then does Isla release Torchline's beautiful leader back into the party.

~FIN