smelling like a bonfire, lost in a haze

so much of our lives is just carving through the dark

"Flora, there you are!" Isla's voice is animated in a way that any woman worth her salt will know is entirely fabricated, but it's for a very good reason. Having recently ended her dance with Everest - and having taken a brief step outside to let the cold air bring her back down to earth, for that matter - upon her return she's spotted the Doubletake with her new and, uh, handsy acquaintance. Handsy in a way that very much suggests he's after more than Flora is willing to give.

"I'm so sorry," Isla gushes to the NPC young man trying to wrap himself around the Doubletake like a limpet, "I'm having a bit of an emergency, and only another lady's assistance will do. You understand, I'm sure!" Breezily said and not taking no for an answer, she links her arm with Flora and draws her away and across the length of the Temple towards the drinks table.

"My gods, what an interesting partner you found," she whispers to the other woman.

you look like my next mistake

Allowing the pawing and groping if only so that she wouldn't have to endure the evening alone, and gods what woman wasn't familiar with having to bury her own standards so as not to appear uncool, Flora laughed brightly at every stupid comment and joke. Having noticed Isla—ew, with Everest????—dancing earlier, the Doubletake had tried to get her accessory onto the floor as well, but he seemed too focused on the food and her tits to be swayed.

"Oh? Well, sorry Barry." Flora said casually, while desperately grabbing onto Isla as they fled toward the drink table. It's Barney, but hey if you two are— whatever lewd comment followed the Doubletake didn't hear over the sound of her praising Isla. "Oh my gods I have never been so happy to see you." She said, adjusting her dress before smoothing out one of her curls.

"And speaking of, damn." Able to fully take in the Remedy, Flora let her mouth drop open as she gaped at the other woman before softly clapping her hands in wild approval. "You look amazing."

so much of our lives is just carving through the dark

"I came as quickly as I could," Isla assures her friend with a reassuring pat to the arm, falling to a halt at the table so she might be able to pour them both some punch from the bowl. "Do make sure we look as though I am having some sort of social emergency, though, because I think your date is still watching us quite hopefully." Trying and failing to hide her smile and offering Flora a glass, the Remedy leans in as if sharing an urgent secret.

"Damn yourself," she says with a soft laugh, having had more than enough wine leading up to this point to grow a little more unrefined than at the beginning of the night. "I can't believe I missed you up until now. But I suppose you were at the leaders' conference, given that you're a leader and all, mm?" She winks.

you look like my next mistake

Grimacing and fully turning her back to where she'd just been, the Doubletake just grins. "I mean, you pretty much are. I tried to come and break up that dance with Everest but I couldn't get away. He really has two left feet, huh?" The pair had looked like their feet had been glued to the floor, that's how slowly they were moving, and Flora would bet that Isla wasn't the one who lacked dance training.

Happily preening beneath Isla's gaze, Flora let her own stare wander up the slit that parted Isla's dress, wondering how many nosebleeds the Remedy had inadvertently caused that evening.

"Oh my gods, have you not heard???" Reaching for a glass of whatever was nearest, red wine as it turned out, Flora took a healthy sip before running her finger beneath her lip to ensure her lipstick was still in place. "Dahlia showed up. Just like, strolled right on in. Said her invite must have gotten lost."

so much of our lives is just carving through the dark

Brows furrowing to hear that she is, in fact, having a social emergency, Isla blinks a couple of time sbefore realising Flora does, in fact, mean Everest Hart, and she huffs out a soft laugh. "Oh, no," she assures her, "he dances perfectly well. We were just a little too busy talking to focus on the music," she murmurs, hiding her sly smile behind a sip of punch.

Setting the cup down and admiring the other woman in turn, with the preening out of the way they can move appropriately onto gossip, and whilst the Remedy might profess (wrongly) not to engage in such things sober, she possesses none of the same reservations tipsy. "Dahlia?" She hisses the word almost under her breath, pebble blues growing wide. "Gods, is everyone alright? She isn't here now, is she...?"

you look like my next mistake

"Uh huh, sure." Flora rolls her eyes, assuming Isla is just being polite. There was something very off about Everest, and not just because he'd apparently been able to have an entire conversation with Isla, while touching her, and hadn't fainted once.

"I mean, who the fuck knows." The queen answers, glancing over one shoulder and shrugging, before melding their two strands of gossip into one. "But she showed up with Everest, like he was her little butter. Opened the door and took her coat and everything." Flora continues, raising her eyebrows and helping herself to another sip of wine.

"But then things sort of got heated, then Sunjata basically saved the day by smoothing everything over, but.." The queen shakes her head. "Evie and Deimos had their baby with them. Like, can you even imagine??"

so much of our lives is just carving through the dark

Having been quite content to leave it at uh huh, sure, Isla takes another sip of punch when Flora comes in with the sort of tea that is enough to shake her back towards sobriety, and she frowns as she listens, lowering her glass. "I suppose she is the leader of Stormbreak," she says hesitantly. "And isn't he on her council, still? I suppose being that close, you wouldn't want to rock the boat..."

Sighing out a breath that has her cheeks puffing briefly, Isla would have draped herself against a wall had one been nearby. Alas, all she can do is reach out to refill her punch glass. "Did you say Sunjata saved the day? I do hope everyone sends him a thank you note," she murmurs. "And gods, a baby, too? I'm glad everyone got out of there safe..."

you look like my next mistake

"I mean, as someone who used to very regularly boss that man around, never once did he ever let me dress him for work, and..." Raising her eyebrows and pushing her lips together, Flora exhales. "Well, you've seen how he's dressed tonight." Like a real ass human.

Grinning, glad that it seemed as though Sunjata had been demoted from heart breaker down to just regular old ex, Flora nods. "Oh, I bet he'd love to get a bunch of letters about it." She chuckles. "But yeah, he just swanned up, all smooth, and just diffused it all. I thought Maea and Hadama were going to get themselves straight-up killed. "

so much of our lives is just carving through the dark

"I most certainly have." Isla smirks, lifting her glass in a faux-toast and taking another sip from it. "And in fairness, there's a difference between bossing around and threats of certain death from whatever Dahlia actually is, right?" She grimaces a bit, because she'd have shown up to a ball wearing nothing but flip flops if Dahlia had been the one in command of Torchline, and had decided as much. "But he's been acting more outgoing anyway, right? It isn't a bad thing, surely, to learn how to read a social situation."

Equally as glad to have Sunjata not take up quite such a large space in her chest, Isla would even go as far as to call them friends again, and good ones at that. Not that they see each other that often any more, but again... that might not be a bad thing, if this uneasy peace is to be maintained. "Gods, Hadama as well? What was he thinking?" Shaking her head, she gestures for them to go for a stroll about the room if they're going to keep gossiping. Maybe they'll even eavesdrop on some other good conversations at the same time.

you look like my next mistake

"Ewwwuh." Flora groans. At the end of the day, Everest, no matter what ugly duckling change he'd undergone, was still Mateo's weirdo friend that she'd known since she was a kid.  "Maybe he's just in love with her or something." The queen suggests flippantly. "I mean, new outfits, new outlook on life, new Everest. And all basically since she took over, so.." Really, it made about as much sense as anything else she could think of.

"I don't know!" Throwing back her head and laughing emphatically, Flora can only shake her head before following Isla. "Dahlia came in, Maea told her to get, and then Hadama stood up all silent but deadly right behind her. Meanwhile, everyone else is just sitting there, shocked, Evie is trying to gtfo with her baby, and..." Flora whispers, talking out of the side of her mouth so as not to look suspicious.

so much of our lives is just carving through the dark

Flora can ewwuh as much as she likes - Isla can only let out a peal of laughter in the face of it as they walk, and she shrugs her shoulders openly. "I do hope he isn't in love with her. That would put my plans for the evening into quite a bit of jeopardy," she said off-handedly, though the twinkle in her eyes says she knows another gasp! or similar exclamation is likely to come her way because of it.

Listening eagerly to the rest of the explanation, perhaps tomorrow when Isla is properly sober she'll be able to digest all of this properly and realise the danger that had been waltzing around the Grounds just a few hours before. (And perhaps she might even start to tentatively put some pieces together regarding Ever's personality transplant, but who knows). Tonight, however, it's just two girls and their gossip, and she shakes her head disbelievingly.

"It's hard to believe they're all still here now too, isn't it?" she murmurs, nodding at the familiar faces in the crowd.

you look like my next mistake

Indeed it is. Turning sharply and playfully hitting Isla's arm, Flora has to work not to trip over her own jaw as it hits the floor. "Isla!" She scolds, not knowing whether to praise the Remedy for getting a bit of action where and when she wanted it, or to warn her about the fact that Everest would probably have to ask her with shaking hands and a please and thank you every time he removed an article of her clothing. "For real?"

Twitching her lips, Flora glances around and nods. "Dahlia did disappear, but I mean, this doesn't feel super safe. If it wasn't for the fact that she seemed more like she was showing up just to prove she could rather than trying to start anything, I'd be gone." But then, who was to say that there weren't more members of the Family just milling around at the Ball, anyway?

so much of our lives is just carving through the dark

"Flora," Isla trills right back through a laugh, having to steady her arm and the glass she's holding as she's struck, not that she begrudges her friend her surprise. "Yes, for real," she continues, straightening back up when she considers it's safe enough to take another drink. "It's already happened... twice." Because if they're going to gossip, they can absolutely gossip.

As for Dahlia and any lingering members of The Family, the Remedy wrinkles her nose and follows Flora's gaze. "I'd hope she'd reconsider here," she remarks softly. "There are a great deal more people than there would have been at the conference. And more demigods." Remi and Ronin included.

you look like my next mistake

"Excuse me. I'm not the one thinking of have sex with Eve—shutthefuckup." Incredulous, Flora stops dead in her tracks. "No way. But...but you're so hot and incredible, and he's...I mean..he's Everest." Was this a midlife crisis? Was Isla even old enough for that?

Did Ever have a massive cock or something?
Did Ever even know how to use it?

"Dang, I mean. Hey, so long as it's good for you, go off I guess." She chuckles, wondering what world she was suddenly in where Hadama was the reckless Torchline Leader, where Sunjata was the politically sophisticated one, and where Isla fucked Everest Hart.

"Well, you'd think so, but apparently this is the Ball where people do crazy things." Flora says pointedly, before laughing.