Stop the world

Koa

Don't you just wanna wake up dark as a lake
Smelling like a bonfire, lost in a haze?

Very unfair, but that's okay- this isn't really a situation where logic reigns supreme. And it's not like Koa hasn't levied all the same accusations against himself, emotionally and physically kicked himself for letting this happen at all. "I'm not positive." It's a perfunctory protest, one he clearly doesn't believe himself. "But it's the only thing that makes sense." Which, it doesn't, nothing about this makes any sense, but Koa has to find some thread of reason if he doesn't want to go insane.

From the corner of his eye he sees Flora drop, and it pulls him back to reality. "Hey, hey." Without a thought he follows her down, reaching for the water flask at his hip. "Here- have a sip of this." It helps, honestly, having someone else in crisis- he's trained for this, after all, spent his life learning how to manage people around him, to squash emotion in favor of rational response. External battlefields are far easier to navigate than the one inside his heart.

"We don't know she's there," Koa repeats now, one hand extended to brace Flora's shoulder, to pull her against him should she need more support. "But... wherever she is, I don't think they'll hurt her." Which is said with far more confidence than could possibly be warranted, but fuck, he has to believe it. "Sohalia's smart, and capable, and important, and if they wanted to kill her... well, they would have killed me, too." After all, killing one random Dragoon would be far less impactful than Stormbreak's Heart.

If you're drunk on life, babe, I think it's great
But while in this world I think I'll take my whiskey neat