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these lines of lightning - Flora - 06-24-2025
The House of Midnight had a way of absorbing sound—low conversations slipping into its walls like steam into polished wood, footsteps softened by plush rugs and carefully chosen magic. Down at the bar, the hush was deeper still, steeped in clove and sandalwood and the distant whisper of laughter from another room. It was warm and lovely and made for lingering, though the woman curled into the corner booth hardly looked like she’d come for pleasure.
Flora sat with her back to the wall, legs drawn up just enough to tuck one foot beneath her, an oversized shirt-dress spilling loosely around her frame like something borrowed. The pale silk hung off one shoulder, intentional maybe, or perhaps not—either way, it gave just the faintest glimpse of gauze and lavender ointment near the collarbone. Her curls were pulled into a low twist, more practical than stylish, and though she’d taken the time to darken her lashes with a touch of mascara, it did little to disguise how drained she looked.
No rings. No glitter. No usual crown of accessories to dazzle the eye. Just a glass of water in her hands, held too carefully to be casual.
The seat across from her remained empty. And though her body was still, her thoughts flickered restlessly behind her eyes—old memories layered over new wounds, like sea glass dragged against the shore. Every time the door creaked open, she glanced up, quiet hope fluttering briefly in her chest like a moth too tired to escape the flame.
RE: these lines of lightning - Sohalia - 06-24-2025
Sohalia was not a frequent visitor at the House of Midnight, but she'd been a few times - usually to visit Sunjata, though it had been a while since she'd done even that. Still, as she stepped through the door, she was struck - as always - by how nice it was. Plush sofas and thick rugs softened the space, but Soh hurried through it all without a second glance. Her destination was the bar - and the subdued blonde who waited for her there.
Flora's letter had been... well. Suffice it to say that Soh had taken the first skyship out of Torchline in order to get to the Doubletake, and when that hadn't gone quickly enough, she'd abandoned her luggage and taken to the skies herself. When the skyship docked, they were under orders to leave her bags at the port, but that was the furthest thing from Soh's mind as she slid into the empty seat across from Flora.
She was not herself - that much was clear to anyone with eyes. One didn't even have to know her well, Soh thought, to notice the haunted look in her eyes, the way she couldn't quite mask the memories that had brought her here. To Soh, who did know her, it was clear that she wasn't even trying to.
[say]"Hey you,"[/say] Soh said softly, taking in the sight of gauze and ointment poking out from beneath the shirt-dress hanging off a shoulder. She extended a hand across the table, palm up, offering it for Flora to take, if she wanted. [say]"Are you healing okay?"[/say] she added, concern coloring her silver gaze. [say]"Can I get you anything?"[/say]
RE: these lines of lightning - Flora - 06-25-2025
As soon as Sohalia appears in the doorway, Flora straightens as much as her battered body will allow, one hand bracing against the table, the other fluttering instinctively to smooth the oversized shirtdress where it slips too low off one shoulder. Her smile rises like sunlight behind clouds—warm, if a little dimmed at the edges—but it’s real, and it’s all for Soh.
She reaches for her friend’s hand the moment it’s offered, her fingers curling around Sohalia’s with something too gentle to be desperation but far too tight to be casual. Her thumb brushes a slow line across the Luminary’s knuckles, and she doesn’t let go. [say]"I’m just sticking with water,"[/say] she murmurs, voice soft but steady. [say]"Apparently alcohol will fuck up the stuff I'm taking to help me sleep, soooooooooo."[/say] There’s a flicker of humour behind her eyes, faint but familiar, and her shoulders drop a little as she exhales. [say]"It’s really good to see you,"[/say] she adds, the words unadorned but rich with emotion, as if Sohalia’s presence alone tethers her more firmly to the world. [say]"Thanks for coming."[/say]
RE: these lines of lightning - Sohalia - 06-27-2025
Sohalia would sit here with Flora's hand in hers for as long as the Doubletake wanted. There was something about not being the first to let go that was precious in the comfort it offered to the other party - and it looked like Flora could sorely use some comfort. [say]"I'll always come when you need me,"[/say] Soh responded softly, her expression earnest and open. She squeezed Flora's hand. [say]"Always."[/say]
She ordered a water of her own and, once it had been delivered to their little tucked-away booth, Soh slid it closer, leaving a trail of condensation in its wake. [say]"So,"[/say] she said, [say]"You don't have to tell me anything you don't want to, but... Flora, what happened?"[/say] How did Soh's best friend go from fine to very nearly dead, by the looks of things? And why had Soh not been there for her to at least try to help prevent it?
RE: these lines of lightning - Flora - 06-27-2025
Flora’s smile is quiet, tired at the corners, but real all the same. It flickers like candlelight at Sohalia’s vow—because she believes it, deeply, maybe too deeply. And maybe that’s the problem: That Sohalia always comes because Flora keeps giving her reasons to. [say]"I know,"[/say] she murmurs, brushing her thumb again along the edge of Sohalia’s hand. There’s a thread of guilt sewn in, the kind she doesn’t bother hiding.
She exhales, the breath slow and uneven, and when she speaks again it’s more to the tabletop than to Sohalia’s eyes. [say]"I’d been invisible ever since the party. I just—"[/say] she winces, her grip tightening slightly, [say]"I assumed Dahlia wouldn’t be able to find me. I thought if I kept my head down and stayed out of sight, I’d be safe. I wasn’t even doing anything reckless, Soh. I was in the Greatwood visiting a friend and then she was just there."[/say]
A shiver traces her spine, visible even in the slow hunch of her shoulders. Her voice dips lower, barely above a whisper now. [say]"She saw me, and attacked me before I could do anything..I used my compass, I—I dropped into King’s End, and she still—"[/say] Flora swallows hard, visibly trembling now, her expression caught somewhere between disbelief and dread. [say]"She still found me."[/say]
She shakes her head, curls brushing against her cheek. [say]"I channeled Ronin. Who channeled Remi and Sunjata. And they—"[/say] A soft, incredulous laugh pushes through, brittle and hollow. [say]"They stabbed her with a rose."[/say]
Her free hand lifts, fingers making a vague gesture in the air before falling uselessly into her lap. Her voice is barely audible now. [say]"But not before she got her claws in me again, literally."[/say]
Flora doesn’t cry, not quite. But her jaw trembles, and when she finally meets Sohalia’s eyes again, it’s with a sheen of unshed tears and a thousand-yard stare that speaks of far too much blood in the grass and not enough time to stop it. [say]"Gods it...I felt her claws against my ribs."[/say] Swallowing down a sob that nearly has Flora gagging, the queen looks away, eyelashes fluttering. [say]"It was like she was trying to tear me apart."[/say] And gods, she very nearly had.
RE: these lines of lightning - Sohalia - 06-30-2025
I know, Flora said, but it was more sad than grateful, with a thread of guilt that Soh didn't miss. Flora had it all wrong: Soh would always show up for her best friend because Flora had always done the same for her. If their roles were reversed right now, it would be Flora sitting across the table from the Luminary, offering her hand in a gentle show of support.
But Soh stayed quiet as Flora told her story, though her grey eyes widened with horror as the tale went on. As Flora began to shake, visibly trembling as she forced her way through the story, Soh silently rose to slip into the seat beside her friend. Where she might normally have wrapped Flora into a hug, she merely grasped her friend's hand again, tugging gently until they were shoulder to shoulder, touching along their arms. It was the most she could do without potentially hurting Flora, given the apparent extent of her injuries.
When Flora swallowed a sob, Soh squeezed her hand, fighting back tears of her own. This was how close she'd come to losing the one person who mattered more to her than anyone else in the world, and where had she been? Safe and sound, in Haulani, letting everyone else do the fighting. Taking care of the family of a boy who kept treating her like an option rather than a necessity.
[say]"Oh, Flora..."[/say] Soh murmured, dismayed by the images painted in her mind's eye. [say]"I'm so sorry."[/say]
RE: these lines of lightning - Flora - 06-30-2025
She doesn’t hesitate when Sohalia slips into the seat beside her, doesn’t pretend she’s strong enough not to need the closeness. Her shoulder leans lightly into her friend’s, the familiar press of Soh’s presence more comforting than any medicine, and when she exhales, it’s not ragged with grief the way it was before, but softer—something like release. Her fingers stay curled around Sohalia’s, their hands a quiet anchor beneath the weight of everything else.
[say]'Yeah, it’s all been pretty shit,"[/say] she murmurs at last, voice wry with tired honesty. There’s no attempt to dress it up, no deflection or forced optimism—just a breath of truth between friends who have shared too much to bother pretending anymore.
She’s quiet for a moment, letting the hush settle over them again before adding, almost as an afterthought, [say]"I got a letter from Hadama this morning, though. My bad, I probably should have led with it."[/say] Her thumb brushes lightly along the side of Soh’s hand, her voice quiet but clear as she continues. [say]"Apparently he’s negotiated some kind of exchange. I don’t know the details, just that...they’re going to trade Dahlia. For peace. For the Family to leave Caido."[/say] She glances sideways, not with urgency but with quiet intention, meeting her friend’s eyes with something warm and worn in equal measure. [say]"It means you can finally go home,"[/say] she says, and though there’s a flicker of relief in her words, there’s something else too—something more complicated, tucked behind the edges of her smile.
There’s a pause before she adds, softer still, [say]"Much as I’d love for you to stay in Torchline."[/say] Her gaze lingers on Sohalia’s face, fond and flickering, a light that’s dimmed but never gone out.
RE: these lines of lightning - Sohalia - 06-30-2025
An exchange. Dahlia for the departure of the Family. Freedom for Stormbreak.
All of this fell upon Sohalia as she stared dumbly at the two glasses of water on the table, the condensation pooling around the bases and glistening on the sides of the cups. This was so much more than she ever could have hoped for, and yet... in the face of Flora's near-death experience, it felt almost insignificant. Or maybe it was that Soh felt insignificant, because she had done nothing to deserve this. Everyone else had fought, and died, and struggled for this moment... and now she was supposed to reap the rewards? She would get to go home, just like that?
It didn't feel right, somehow.
And neither did the fact that Flora thought she should have led with that. [say]"Flora,"[/say] Soh said after a moment's silence, tilting her head to catch the Doubletake's eye. [say]"There is no world in which you wouldn't be more important to me than anything else. Not that that's not great news, because it is, but the fact that you survived - everything you went through to make it here - that's always going to come first."[/say]
But then, just to make sure she'd heard right: [say]"They're really just... leaving?"[/say]
RE: these lines of lightning - Flora - 06-30-2025
Flora huffs a soft laugh, the sound small but genuine, her smile tilting at one corner as she leans a little more into Sohalia’s shoulder. [say]"Okay okay,"[/say] she concedes, the sparkle in her gaze shining for just a moment before she inhales and considers. [say]"I mean, that’s what the letter said,"[/say] she murmurs, tone light but edged with lingering disbelief. [say]"Apparently the demigods are all going to go and stand guard or look intimidating or do whatever it is they do during very serious magical negotiations with hostile alien attackers."[/say]
She lifts one hand, palm up, like she might mime out the details but can’t quite summon the effort. [say]"But...yeah. I guess so."[/say] Her brows rise slightly, her expression caught between hope and hesitance, as if saying it aloud might make it less real—or more so. She nudges Soh’s arm with her own, the movement gentle but intentional, and her voice lowers to a whisper as if the thought might vanish if spoken too loud.
[say]"It might actually all be over."[/say] And there’s something in her eyes then, something wide and unsure, as if peace itself is harder to believe in than war. [say]"Crazy, right?"[/say]
RE: these lines of lightning - Sohalia - 07-02-2025
With Flora seemingly accepting the gentle chastisement, Soh turned her attention to the news at hand: that the Family was leaving, that Stormbreak was being vacated, and that this prolonged war was finally over. She could scarcely believe it, even with the information coming from Flora - who was, arguably, the most reliable source Soh could imagine.
And the fact that it might all be over... that meant everything.
It meant that Soh's days as an exile from her home were numbered. And however sad she might be to leave Flora and Torchline behind... well, there was just nowhere quite like Stormbreak. Besides, the region was going to need leadership in the days and weeks to come, and - if the people would still have her - Soh was determined that she would make a difference. [say]"Crazy,"[/say] Soh repeated, distracted by the sudden list of things she needed to do, the letters she needed to write -
But that wasn't fair to Flora, who was here and hurting and needing her, and the Luminary pushed aside all of that to refocus on her friend. [say]"Speaking of crazy - tell me about Kai."[/say]
RE: these lines of lightning - Flora - 07-03-2025
Flora nods gently, her head tipping in quiet agreement as Soh drifts through the possibilities now blooming on the horizon. She isn’t offended by it—in fact, there's something comforting about watching her best friend do what she does best: think ahead, plan, prepare. Flora’s own thoughts have been trapped in the wreckage of the now for so long that the promise of a future, even someone else’s, feels like sunlight catching on sea glass. She wraps both hands around her water glass, fingers tracing the condensation trails down its sides.
But then Soh speaks again, and the mention of Kai shatters that soft, reflective quiet like a pebble tossed into a still pool. Flora snorts and immediately coughs, water catching the wrong way as she jolts slightly upright. Her free hand flaps vaguely in the air while she swallows, clears her throat, and lifts a hand to her chest as if to calm the sudden flutter of embarrassment. [say]"Okay, so...yeeeaahhhh,"[/say] she drawls, eyes sparkling despite herself. [say]"I didn't meant for it to happen, honestly."[/say]
She pauses to take another sip—this one careful—before continuing. [say]"He came by after the whole pool party thing to check on me, and we started talking, and then it got super late, and...I said he should just stay over."[/say] Flora huffs out a laugh and lets her head tip back against the couch. [say]"I swear even then I didn't think anything would happen."[/say] Unable to quite contain her smile with any semblance of accuracy, the Doubletake just shoots Sohalia a look over one shoulder, before clearing her throat and forcing the warmth she felt to the side.
[say]"But I mean, it's nothing. Pretty sure Koa would lose it if he even found out, and Kai literally took another girl on a date like, the next day, so..."[/say] Reaching again for her water, the pretty blush on her cheeks now darkening somewhat, Flora shrugs a touch too carelessly for it to be genuine. [say]"We'll probably just both pretend it never happened."[/say] Which, as we all know, false
RE: these lines of lightning - Sohalia - 07-03-2025
Flora choked on her water, and Sohalia winced, immediately regretting the abrupt shift in conversation. But this was important, Soh could feel it in her bones. Kaisel was special to Flora. Maybe not special like Koa, and certainly not special like Jack, but... he was important, somehow. He'd been one of the two people Flora had called to help her move onto the Sugar Tide, after all, and that felt... momentous, somehow.
Didn't mean for it to happen. Wasn't that always the way? Soh softened as she considered all the things she hadn't meant to happen, each one crucial in its own way to shaping who she was and how her life had gone. She listened as Flora explained, watched keenly at the smile that graced the queen's face - for a moment, anyway, before the Doubletake cleared her throat and looked away. It's nothing, Flora said then, a darkening blush on her cheeks and something too bright in her tone. Pretend it never happened.
Sohalia hummed a thoughtful sound as she propped one elbow on the table and leaned her head into her hand, peering at Flora through her lashes. [say]"Is that what you want?"[/say] she asked softly, meaningfully, because it didn't matter if this was an accident or if Koa would care or if Kai was taking other girls out - this had meant something to Flora, and that meant that how the queen felt about it mattered.
RE: these lines of lightning - Flora - 07-03-2025
Flora glances at Sohalia, already feeling the weight of her best friend’s gaze before their eyes even meet. Of course Soh can see right through her. There’s no use pretending otherwise.
With a sigh, Flora leans back against the cushions, one leg curling beneath her as she rests her glass against her knee. [say]"I honestly don’t know,"[/say] she murmurs, voice soft, like it might crumble if she tries to make it stronger. [say]"Things with Kai have always been easy. Fun. Like, zero pressure and just...good. But that night?"[/say] Her fingers trace idle patterns against the condensation of her glass. [say]"Yeah. I felt something. And not just like///hot guy, good sex, emotional comfort, done. It was more than that. But—"[/say] she shrugs, eyes flicking toward the ceiling, [say]"—it doesn’t matter. I’m not gonna chase it down."[/say]
She glances back to Soh now, her expression caught somewhere between wry and wounded. [say]"You know how it is. When there’s more than one person in the mix, things get...messy."[/say] Her voice softens again, this time tinged with resignation. [sy]"If I were to say anything to him now, it’d just complicate everything. Kai’s gone on a few dates with this girl—Caly. And I think he really likes her."[/say] Her mouth twists in something almost like a smile, but it doesn’t reach her eyes. [say]"Even if I didn't ask him to pick but just like..put it out there, that's gonna fuck up everything."[/say]
She takes another sip of her water, mostly to give herself something to do with her hands. [say]"It’s not fair. To either of them. He should sort out how he feels about Caly without me muddying the water."[/say]
Her thumb rubs slowly against the rim of her glass as she adds, more quietly, [say]"And then there’s the Jack of it all. Our last goodbye..."[/say] Her voice falters, curls forward like a petal folding in on itself. [say]Fuck...I'd take Dahlia pulling me open before I'd want to go through that again."[/say]
RE: these lines of lightning - Sohalia - 07-05-2025
One of these days, Sohalia was going to start to wonder why everything had to be so godsdamned complicated. Flora deserved someone who made her feel the way that she described Kai making her feel - but of course there was something (or someone) standing in the way. Soh watched her friend with an understanding gaze, though, because she got it. How could she not, with her history?
Her eyes cut to her water glass, and she traced the rim with a finger. She wasn't entirely sure what it felt like to be on the other side of the which girl do I choose question (at least, not to her knowledge), but she knew that being the person stuck between two potential lovers was not a fun place to be. Flora was between a rock and a hard place, and all Soh knew to do was be there for her while she sorted it all out.
And that was without even considering Jack. Soh reached again for Flora's hand to squeeze, silver eyes jumping back to her best friend. [say]"I'm sorry,"[/say] she said gently. No empty platitudes like you can do better or he's such an ass, even though those things were absolutely true. But that wasn't what Flora wanted to hear right now, when the end of the relationship still hurt like a dagger through the heart. [say]"About all of it. I'm sorry I can't take it away for you."[/say]