+- Court of the Fallen (https://cotf-rpg.com)
+-- Forum: Out of Character (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=26)
+--- Forum: Important (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=27)
+---- Forum: Archives (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=38)
+---- Thread: Simon says, get the fuck up (/showthread.php?tid=11034)
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 04-10-2025
He smirked at her false insult and hollow complaint. It was perhaps the greatest compliment she could have given him. [say]“Glad to be of service,”[/say] he said in a dramatically snobby accent and heightened voice, nodding his head deeply while performing a partial bow with one hand.
The shoulder she rested on shook with a quiet laugh at her long-winded way of saying love you. He stilled as it faded into a smile, his own head tilting to rest against hers. He stared toward the other end of the bar but scarcely registered the patrons moving to and fro. His attention had turned inward, focused on her steady breaths and the ocean that clung to her hair. It was comforting, this—being here with her, being someone she could lean on. Not just for the closeness, but for what it meant. That she trusted him with her weight, even for a little while. A quiet reminder that he mattered to someone. That he could be there when it counted. [say]“I suppose I should visit more often,”[/say] he murmured against the gold strands tickling his cheek. He didn’t regret pouring so much of himself into his home and family these past few years, but this moment reminded him that he had friends beyond his front door who mattered too—and maybe it was time he paid a bit more attention to the rest of the world.
His head perked up at her offer of the ring, the calm dissolving into wicked excitement at the prospect of pranking his older cousin. [say]“You have no idea what a perfect suggestion that is, you evil genius!”[/say] he exclaimed, craning his neck to kiss the top of her head in celebration. After getting flicked and jabbed from afar by Koa’s absurdly long, invisible reach, the thought of giving him a taste of his own medicine was deeply satisfying. His free arm slid into place atop hers, returning the gesture without tightening it. He held her lightly, just enough to say I'm here. When he exhaled, some of her hair fluttered against his nose, and he scrunched up his face at its light touch.
[say]“How much jewelry do you have, anyway?”[/say] he asked, peering toward her fingers and reaching to bring her hand into view of his tilted head. He tutted like a disapproving old woman. [say]“You might have an actual addiction.”[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 04-11-2025
Flora hums a soft, amused sound at his dramatically snooty tone, not bothering to lift her head from his shoulder as she murmurs, [say]"Careful, now. At this rate, I might get used to you being nice to me."[/say] Her tone is light, teasing, but there's something undeniably real behind it too. That steadying presence, that quiet I’ve got you, was something she hadn’t realized how badly she needed until it was just... there. No strings. No expectations. No judgements. No one needling into her thoughts to tell her to stop feeling things so strongly.
His words about visiting more often make her chest tighten, but this time it’s not grief—it’s gratitude. And when he kisses the top of her head, she lets herself lean into the warmth of it with a faint smile curling at the corner of her mouth.
[say]"Gods, Koa’s gonna lose his mind,"[/say] she snickers, already picturing the look on his cousin’s face when invisible Kaisel gets the drop on him. [say]"You know I expect a full play-by-play after it happens, right?"[/say]
When Kaisel lifts her hand, inspecting her rings with all the exaggerated scorn of a busybody auntie, Flora gasps, all wounded pride. [say]"Excause me, I’ll have you know that each of these pieces is enchanted,"[/say] she says with mock indignation, wiggling her fingers in his grasp like she’s showing off precious heirlooms. [say]"This one makes me invisible, this one lets me know if someone’s lying, this one keeps nosy telepaths out of my head, this one lets me trigger Torchline's Stargate, this one heals, this one is for luck..."[/say] Her voice trails off for a moment, and her gaze flicks sideways to him, lashes lowered. [say]"And this one?"[/say] She taps a gold band near the base of her thumb. [say]"This one’s just really shiny."[/say]
She pauses, then adds slyly, [say]"Also possibly cursed. I got it at a market from a guy with six teeth and a weird laugh."[/say] Smirking, Flora nudges her shoulder softly against the dragoon's. [say]"What about you? Any secret relics of doom hiding under those sleeves?"[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 04-11-2025
[say]"Gods, I know,"[/say] Kaisel grinned, already planning out various scenarios. He could do it when Koa was getting all cozy and comfy in bed. Or—ooh—during a meeting, and pants him in front of all the important commanders. Maybe play the long game and move things around his house every day, enough to make Koa think he was haunted and slowly losing his mind. Too much potential. Far too much.
[say]"I will spare no detail of our sweet victory. DREAM TEAM!"[/say] He laughed, deep and genuine, the kind of laugh that warmed his ribs from the inside out. Comfort wrapped around him in the shape of her hair, and he let himself sink into it.
For a second, he didn’t speak. His head tilted a little more toward hers, gaze flicking down in an attempt to see her without pulling away. It struck him then—how easily this moment settled into place. How it felt to be needed without question, to be wanted for who he was. A simple closeness. Uncomplicated. Flora's theatrics pulled him back, and he turned his head more towards her to see her better. He counted along on his fingers as she rattled off the rings and their powers in the same manner a crazy cat lady would name all her precious little babies. He was nearly out of fingers when she paused, displaying one in particular. He turned a bit more on the seat to see it better, as if it was something truly breathtaking.
This one’s just really shiny.
Kaisel could only stare for a moment, unsure if she’d just played him, or if he’d done it to himself. His dumbfounded expression cracked into a grin, then a full-on belly laugh. [say]"You’re just a crow!"[/say] he shouted, spearing the air above him with the hand that had been on hers. It fell with a small slap onto his forehead as he covered his continued laughter. [say]"Flo-Crow."[/say] he dubbed her, and cawed a few times into the bar before settling down a bit better.
[say]"Hmm, oh me? Yeah, I’d definitely call these—"[/say] Without warning, he slid out from under her, pivoting so he was above and facing her, one arm snaking out to cradle the back of her head so she didn’t thunk it on the seat. The other curled in a dramatic bicep flex. [say]"Secret relics of doom!"[/say] he declared, then pursed his lips and traced his jawline with a finger as he struck the mewing pose for additional ridiculous flair. Suddenly the performance faded as real brightness bloomed across his face.
[say]"Wait. I’ve got an idea!"[/say] He leaned forward towards her, grabbing at her shoulders, eyes alight with mischief. [say]"With all your crow charms, we could pull some dope pranks around here."[/say] He leaned back, half-standing, half-kneeling on the bench beside her as he began to plot. [say]"Like, we could put dye in Hadama’s shampoo. Turn his hair bright red."[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 04-12-2025
Flora cackles, loud and unfiltered, the sound bouncing off the bar’s stone walls and drawing a few startled glances from nearby tables. Let them stare. She doesn’t care. Gods, she hasn’t laughed like this in forever—not the careful, polished laughter she wears like armour, not the brittle breath of amusement she offers when everything’s going to hell—but this. This is real. It fizzes out of her like soda shaken too long, wild and irrepressible.
The mental image of Hadama surfacing from the sea with candy-apple red hair is enough to make her snort, half doubling over as she gasps, [say]"You—stop—"[/say] between wheezing giggles. She swats weakly at Kaisel’s shoulder, the other hand clutching her side like it might keep her from splitting in half. [say]"He would kill us. Like, actual murder. And then turn our corpses into tasteful underwater sculpture."[/say]
But the look in her eyes—bright and reckless—says she’s tempted. Gods, she wants to be tempted. Wants this, whatever this is, this giddy bubble of chaos and friendship and dumb inside jokes. And when Kaisel abruptly shifts into his pose—bicep flexed, lips pursed, jawline shamelessly highlighted—she nearly chokes on her own breath.
[say]"Wow,"[/say] she says, eyebrows arching as her gaze does a very un-subtle sweep from his arm to his face and back again. [say]"And here I thought you were just the nice one."[/say] Her smirk curves sharp at one corner, but her tone is unmistakably appreciative. [say]"Okay, that move earns you, like, one and a half relic points on its own,"[/say] she adds, tilting her head thoughtfully like she’s genuinely reconsidering the rankings of their imaginary magical arsenal. [say]a"But you’ll need at least three more over-the-top poses to catch up to my ring collection."[/say]
Her grin is sharp, flushed, a little breathless. But there’s something else layered beneath the mischief—something soft, almost wistful. This is what it feels like to be young. To joke without consequence, to plan pranks instead of diplomacy, to laugh until you cry and not worry that someone might see and use it against you. For once, no one's looking to her for answers, or strategy, or sacrifice.
Because for the past few years—gods, even longer—she's been a queen. The daughter of four demigods. The girlfriend of someone basically twice her age. Every room she walks into, she’s expected to be clever, poised, dazzling, and ready. There’s no room for stumbling. No room for being twenty-two.
But here, on this worn bench beside a boy who doesn't need her to be anything more than Flora—just Flora—she lets her shoulders drop. Just a little.
[say]"Kaisel?"[/say] she murmurs, her voice quieter now, the laughter still clinging to her smile. [say]"I think we might be unstoppable."[/say] There’s a flicker of something like awe in her expression, gazing at him not with the distant polish of a ruler or the half-veiled caution of a woman who’s been burned one too many times—but like a girl sitting in the glow of candlelight, plotting harmless chaos with her favourite co-conspirator.
[say]"Alright, Flo-Crow and The Invisible Bicep of Doom,"[/say] she says at last, extending her hand across the table with a theatrical flourish. Her rings sparkle in the dim light, each one a symbol of the burdens she carries, but right now? They just look like costume jewellery.
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 04-13-2025
[say]"Hey, a statue is a statue,"[/say] Kaisel shrugged, unphased by the threat as the image of himself forever immortalized in stone or metal danced in front of his eyes. [say]"All the kids will gather to learn about The Greatest Prank Ever. Then be forced to write five-page essays on our legacy? Honestly, that’s iconic."[/say] The dying part was… less ideal, but plenty of people stayed alive and never got turned into a statue, so really, who was the real winner here?
As his name tumbled out with a softness that cut through his carefully crafted noise, he stilled. He glanced down, looking at her properly, a question in his eyes as they held hers. He was here for her, after all—his chaos, his jokes, all of it spun from the quiet hope that it might make space for her to breathe again. She was the one in charge, even if he took the lead sometimes. She was the one who needed someone tonight—although everyone needed someone. So he braced for her to pull back. For the laughter to break and the world to press through the cracks of their moment and suffocate her with its weight again. So he was surprised, and relieved, when she instead provided an awed confession. His smile, that had never fully faded, grew wider. [say]"Oh, I know it,"[/say] he chuckled with the confidence of someone unafraid and unburdened. He could tempt her into this mischief because he didn’t have to shed a mantle that bore a kingdom, or a cloak woven with the history of gambles and mistakes. He was perhaps too reckless, and she too willing to let him sweep her into the tide of it, but he didn't recognize that—wouldn't, until something negative came of his carelessness. How quick he was to offer the escape, but not the return. He meant well. He always meant well. But good intentions could still be reckless.
As she offered her hand, he took it without hesitation, and it didn't feel weighty in the least. He hauled her up as he also stood to his full height. [say]"Hey!"[/say] He protested with feigned offense. [say]"They’re not invisible, you just have to look at them in the right light."[/say] His grin was wolfish, a promise of all the doom the invisible biceps would bring tonight, as he leaned in conspiratorially. [say]"Alright,"[/say] he lowered his voice and looked around warily for eavesdroppers. [say]"Why don't we start by mixing up the sugar and the salt in the kitchens?"[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 04-13-2025
Flora grins as Kaisel pulls her to her feet, tilting her head back to look up at him as he rises, pretending to squint in exaggerated concentration at the supposed "hidden" biceps. [say]"Mm-hmm, the right light,"[/say] she drawls skeptically, though her eyes dance with mischief, her fingertips briefly squeezing his arm as though testing the validity of his claim. [say]"You keep telling yourself that, babe."[/say]
Her lips curl slowly upward at his conspiratorial whisper, and for once, Flora doesn't stop to think, doesn't pause to weigh out the risks and rewards—she just lets herself bask in his reckless enthusiasm. It's dangerously contagious, drawing out a side of her that's been buried beneath expectations, royal responsibilities, and relationships far too complex for someone barely past twenty.
She feels young around him, in the way she hasn't in years. No crowns, no carefully balanced bargains, no trying to keep pace with someone decades ahead of her in experience. Just two idiots about to make a delightfully immature mess of things—and gods, she's missed this. More than she realized.
[say]"Wait—wait,"[/say] she says, raising a hand to pause him, her expression suddenly deeply skeptical. [say]"Sugar and salt? Gods, Kai, clearly you didn't grow up with brothers if that's the best prank you can think of."[/say] Her eyes narrow playfully as she leans in with a smirk. [say]"And it's my bar, genius—pranking myself isn't exactly thrilling."[/say] Yet even as she protests, a shadow flickers across her expression, her smile briefly fading before it returns, softer and edged with something bittersweet. [say]"Then again,"[/say] she murmurs, a note of quiet resignation slipping into her voice, [say]"soon I won't be able to step foot back in here anyway, so we might as well."[/say]
Before he can answer, she's already tugging him by the hand toward the kitchen, slipping through the crowded bar with a dancer's grace, all while looking back at him with a smile that promises nothing but trouble.
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 04-13-2025
He stilled instantly at her command, careful not to cross too many boundaries too soon. Climb some walls and duck under some tape, sure, but watch out for the broom in the closet that could send it all crashing down in a moment. Instead of refusal or caution, he only heard a complaint. [say]"I was starting slo—"[/say] he began to scoff, but cut off as she leaned in close, the promise of more there as her eyes gleamed like a cat's. If he had the bravado, she had the brains. Well, she also had the bravado if he was being honest. What did he have then... brawn?
One of his eyes narrowed at the subtle shift in her gaze, in the pull of her lips. He was watching her carefully, had been from the moment he saw the residue of her tears; her mascara was giving charcoal in an old fire pit. Thankfully, she didn't leave him guessing at the hundreds of reasons for that change in her, as she merely tossed out a mild grenade of conversation like it made no difference if he lost a leg in the process. Confusion rippled across his face as he tried to make heads or tails of it. As if beseeching the heavens for assistance, his hands lifted palm up, in sync with his demand [say]"What the hell do—"[/say] One of those hands was clasped, not by an answering god, but by the swiftest queen. Her golden hair dashed with its own wild abandon behind her as he stumbled along, the words forgotten in the wake of that devilish smile, its twin smattering onto his features as care was fully and completely left on the booth they abandoned.
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 04-13-2025
Flora laughs as Kaisel stumbles along after her, a carefree sound she hasn't heard from herself in what feels like forever, bright enough to chase away the shadows that have settled heavy and persistent around her shoulders. [say]"Oh my gods, you're literally useless,"[/say] she teases affectionately, glancing back at him over her shoulder with a smirk as she guides him easily around a passing server and a pair of particularly tipsy regulars. [say]"Honestly, Kai, what did you do before you had me to make all your bad ideas better?"[/say]
She slips through the kitchen door like she owns the place—because, well, she does—finally letting go of his hand only once they're safely inside. For half a heartbeat, she just breathes, feeling lighter somehow, her eyes dancing with mischief and excitement as they flick back toward Kaisel. But even as she gathers herself, some part of her recognizes the confusion she'd left behind when she’d casually dropped that little bomb about leaving her bar. Flora almost ignores it, almost pushes past like it's nothing, but when she catches the look still lingering in his eyes, she hesitates.
Sighing softly, she leans back against the prep counter, arms folding loosely across her chest as she offers a small, somewhat rueful shrug. [say]"It's... complicated,"[/say] she admits quietly, gaze dropping briefly to the scuffed kitchen tiles before lifting back to meet his questioning eyes. [say]"Part of my deal with Dahlia was that I couldn't benefit personally from her blood. So since we're using it to protect the city..."[/say] She trails off, the words lingering unspoken but obvious. [say]"I can't stay. Or else she'll go after people I care about."[/say] That meant moving out of the house she'd moved into with Enzo when he'd been alive, and also giving up the Hanged Manl
She pushes herself upright with a determined little shake, a stubborn brightness returning to her eyes as quickly as it had flickered away. [say]"But whatever, that's tomorrow’s problem,"[/say] she declares firmly, tossing her curls back over her shoulder and fixing him with a grin sharp enough to slice through any lingering tension. She steps closer to Kaisel, head tilted playfully as she pokes a finger lightly into his chest. [say]"Now, are you gonna keep looking at me like I'm some tragic soap opera heroine, or are we actually gonna do this?"[/say] Her smirk widens, all playful challenge, though there's warmth and gratitude beneath the teasing.
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 04-13-2025
Kaisel sucked in his chest as he came a hair’s width from crashing into a server. His fighter’s reflexes saved him as he twisted his weight, feet skidding into a quick half-step that drew only a gasp from the worker. Flora was more agile, but she was also in front, weaving and dodging with purpose. He was trying to read the tells in the sway of her curls, half a beat behind, the chaos like euphoria as he laughed in her wake. There was no start, no finish, no yesterday or tomorrow. Just tonight. Just this. Just them, together in this hum of shared momentum that felt unstoppable. Eternal. [say]"My best, daaamn!"[/say] he quipped behind her, one hand spread theatrically across his chest.
He didn't continue though as they slowed, passing through the kitchen doors with all the effort of smoke. His hand felt oddly cold as her grip departed, as if she'd taken some piece of him with her, buried in some enchanted ring most likely. He stayed quiet, but alert, uncertain of what her newfound genius plan was, but also aware they were nearing the threshold of getting caught. Soon would be the time for tact, and that required a bit more concentration on his part. His heart began to crawl into his throat, the giddy anxiety a quickened pulse that roared gently in his ears. She glanced back at him, and as he locked eyes with her, that warmth returned as though her hand were back over his.
Her words from before hadn’t left him. Her casual confession echoed like a dropped plate that never quite hit the floor. His brows pinched, a half-formed question in his eyes, what the fuck did you say before? He opened his mouth, hands gesturing, but she’d already started to explain. [say]"What isn't with you,"[/say] he murmured, teasing by reflex. His smile stuck around, small and uneven, while his eyes watched her carefully. Drawn in by her quiet tone, he edged closer, the shift in her tone telling him the game had changed. He almost wished he hadn't heard.
Her newest revelation sent a newfound heat coasting through him. Not the warmth of her head on his shoulder, but a burning that singed the edges of his vision. He blinked rapidly against it and drew in a breath, barely able to catch it as the scorching wave engulfed him. He barely noticed her straighten up again. Some part of him, not a part he felt like he controlled, mirrored her. That heady mischief he'd been delighting in just before, it now throbbed in tempo with his heartbeat, too fast and too loud, every thought pushed out until it was ringing. She was talking. He couldn't hear her. She reached out, jabbed him lightly in the chest, and he didn’t feel it—not really. He looked down at her finger, then up at her, something between awe and alarm flashing across his features. The world snapped back into focus all at once and sound returned like a wave hitting shore.
A smile wobbled its way across his face. It wasn’t quite the same as before, but he was trying. His thoughts were racing, but she wanted to keep pretending. So he’d play along—if only to give her a few more minutes where she could still be weightless. He could do that. He would do that. Maybe it'd buy him time so he wouldn't say something stupid too. [say]"Y-yeah!"[/say] he said, breath catching for half a beat before he steadied himself. [say]"Let's do it. On your mark."[/say] He smiled again, and this one felt more real. Or close enough, given he forced it.
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 04-14-2025
Flora's expression softens for half a heartbeat as she catches the wobble in Kaisel's smile—the subtle stutter in his voice, the faint hesitation in his eyes that he tries so valiantly to push away. She knows that look: the careful, cautious way people treat someone they think might shatter at the slightest touch. And gods, she doesn't want to be that person tonight—doesn't want to see that look in Kaisel's eyes, because she'd thought she finally found a sliver of freedom with him, a moment to just breathe.
But she also knows he's only trying to protect her, to keep the laughter going just a little bit longer. And for that, she's grateful. [say]"Hey."[/say] Flora tilts her head slightly, gaze softening as she gently touches the side of his arm, offering a small, grateful squeeze. [say]"I appreciate the solidarity and everything, but you can breathe, you know? I'm still me. We’re still here. And I really just wanna do something stupid with you right now."[/say] Her voice is teasing again, deliberately playful, brushing aside the shadows creeping in at the edges despite how the ache of everything is still making some compelling arguments about just dropping to her knees and sobbing.
[say]"So,"[/say] she declares, stepping back and clapping her hands lightly together, eyes bright and wickedly playful again, like the moon slipping back out from behind a cloud, [say]"here's what we're gonna do. Instead of swapping out salt for sugar, we're gonna swap out the stuff behind the bar we use to line rims of the glasses, or offer up after shots, and replace it with some crushed blushberry powder."[/say] She steps closer again, close enough that she has to tilt her head back slightly to maintain eye contact, her smile broadening into something genuinely warm and affectionate. [say]"You go out behind the bar and say that I need all the salt and sugar containers, and I'll get the powder ready to swap. Deal?"[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 04-14-2025
Just like that, she was the one comforting him. It was stupid, honestly. He shouldn't be needing this from her right now—she was the one who needed someone right now. It's just—well, fuck, what she said was a really Big Deal. She can't stay here? The people she cares about could be hurt? Is Koa still included in that list? It's a mess of what-ifs and fears, each one an ingredient burning in the heat of his worry. At the heart of it all, sliding through his fingers like cold grease, a thick residue that he can neither shake off or grip anything with—its trust. He heard all of this and balked, his trust in her fraying, and fuck if that wasn't the worst thing possible tonight.
She didn't deserve that.
Her voice drifted over, tilted with that gentleness she only ever offered him when everything was about to go bad between them. Something threatened to break, then, and he pressed his teeth tighter behind that smile he was still gifting her. Her touch coasted against his arm like a question and an answer all at once. He glanced down at it, and that faultline shored up. That molten fear that had been scorching everything inside of him was reduced to a swath of steam, hissing as steeled resolve emerged. He would trust her. This was scary, and they might talk through it more, but like his salt and sugar thoughts, she was already ten steps ahead in the plan and he would follow her again and again through whatever hell. He exhaled, and the steam left with it as his smile brightened. [say]"Okay,"[/say] he said in earnest. [say]"Let's become statues."[/say]
After she had explained her plan and he agreed to it, he crept out from the section they'd been sheltering in. He found an opening to slip into the flow and bustle of the bar, appearing casual and not like someone who had just rolled out from under a silverware cart. The trick, he knew, was to act confident as fuck—which, easy, that was his natural state of being. Although he was half tempted to run and slide over the counter for some flair and maybe Relic of Doom points, he resisted and settled for a loud throat-clearing sound as he passed behind the bar. [say]"Excuse me. Our Grace, Miss Flora the Doubletake, has kindly requested all salt and sugar be handed over at once for an inspection. She tasted something, off. Her fear is that one of you has taken budgeting too far. It should be obvious, but no one is to scrape unused drink rims off customer glasses back into the containers. Since it seems that's likely happening, you should confess now, or prepare yourself for her thorough investigation, starting with the salt and sugar containers—N O W!"[/say] Each word was punctuated with a bit of a lifted nose accent, and an extreme amount of hand motions and wrist action.
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 04-15-2025
Don't worry about it Kaisel. Maybe you see now why Jack left; why it's so easy to lose faith and trust in the queen.
Flora watches from the kitchen doorway, biting her lower lip so hard it hurts, desperately trying to stifle her laughter as Kaisel's theatrics ripple through the bar. His hand gestures alone deserve an award—grandiose flourishes that would put Torchline’s most dramatic actors to shame. For half a heartbeat, she worries he might push it too far, that his glorious exaggeration might tip the scales from convincing into absolutely absurd, but the sheer force of his charisma keeps everyone hanging onto his every ridiculous word.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself—and failing miserably—Flora steps fully into the bar, leaning casually against the counter beside Kaisel. Her eyes glitter with mischief, lips curved into a deceptively sweet smile as she sweeps an exaggeratedly judgmental glance across her very bewildered staff. [say]"And really, everyone, it's not that I don't appreciate your creative cost-cutting measures,"[/say] she drawls playfully, eyes sparkling as she pretends to scrutinize each bartender, each server. [say]"But if someone’s licking the rims clean and putting them back, then we might have to consider some changes in staffing, no?"[/say]
One of the newer bartenders stammers a flustered denial, looking horrified. Flora lets him twist for a moment longer before her composure cracks entirely and she dissolves into laughter. [say]"Oh, my gods—your faces! Relax, you're all safe. Kaisel’s just being dramatic,"[/say] she says with an affectionate shove at the dragoon’s shoulder. [say]"What else is new?"[/say]
Her staff exchange confused glances, and the bartender still looks utterly baffled, but Flora just waves them off with an easy grin as she offers out two new bowls to be used instead. If the staff notice the faint bluish tinge, none of them mention it. [say]"Carry on,"[/say] she says airily, giving Kaisel a playful look from beneath lowered lashes. Then, lowering her voice so only he can hear, she leans in and whispers, [say]"Come on, before they realize it was all a setup."[/say] She snags his wrist lightly, tugging him out from behind the bar to head back toward their former booth to watch the chaos unfold.
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 04-15-2025
It took every ounce of self-control (and there's not a lot of ounces to go around) to not completely break character and dissolve into laughter on the ground as Flora waltzed in and sealed the deal. But then, she cracked! His head whipped around so fast he was certain he heard something pop, but it was hard to catch under the laughs bubbling up from her. What is she doing? The thought burns through him, flabbergasted, but the reminder to trust is brighter. He stumbled faintly at her shove, and nearly lost all control then and there. Instead, he coughed once, hard, and straightened back up. [say]"Just a test,"[/say] he explains, an attempted reassurance to the staff that had turned as pale as Hadama's hair. As Flora wrapped up and provided their new rim dips, he caught her look, his own returned with widened eyes and a crease in his lips, an image of complete confusion.
He dips his head in farewell to the staff as she hauls him away, and he's tumbling and stuttering behind her again, although not at quite the same breakneck speed. When they finally hit the booth again, he just can't contain it anymore. He leans a hand on her shoulder to keep from fully sinking to the ground as his mirth escapes with a raucous spill. [say]"I'm deceased,"[/say] he squeaked out, the air in his lungs gone, his laughter turning into silent shakes along his body. [say]"Their faces!"[/say] he gasped, shaking his head, his hands repeatedly refusing the air in front of him. [say]"I thought you'd lost your nerve. My jaw? The floor."[/say] The thrill of it rushed through him, the rush the same as he got when he stepped into the fighting pits. The risk was so tantalizing, especially when the rewards could be reaped. [say]"Excellent work Flo-Crow,"[/say] he said lazily, the haze of success and the glow of her presence making him feel like a cat in the sunshine.
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 04-16-2025
Flora shushes Kaisel with a quick finger to his lips, her eyes dancing with wicked delight as she cranes her neck to peek over the back of their booth. [say]"Do you want to get us caught?"[/say] she whispers, though her grin says she wouldn't trade this moment for anything.
Then she nudges him, curls bouncing as she tilts her head toward the bar. [say]"Watch,"[/say] she says in a stage whisper, gesturing as one of her utterly unsuspecting bartenders begins to rim a glass with the replacement mixture she’d provided. The faintest shimmer of powdered blushberry clings to the edge of the glass like gold dust. Flora leans closer to Kaisel, her voice low and conspiratorial. [say]"Ever tried blushberries before?"[/say] she asks. [say]"One nibble and you’re the blushing embodiment of oops I have a crush."[/say]
They don’t have to wait long. A patron steps up—tan, suave, perhaps a little too confident in his open shirt and seashell necklace—and accepts the drink with a flirtatious murmur to the bartender. He turns, sips, and—
[say]"Oh no,"[/say] Flora breathes, already muffling a laugh behind her hand.
His cheeks go crimson almost instantly. Like sunburn in fast-forward. He blinks wide-eyed, suddenly wracked with the awkward energy of someone who’s been dropped into a very romantic scene without knowing his lines. He lingers near the bar for a moment like a short-circuited automaton before finally bee-lining back to his table, where his date awaits with a look of bemused curiosity. The poor man sits too fast, nearly knocks over the candle between them, then proceeds to tuck his hair behind both ears at once while smiling way too hard.
Flora leans back in the booth, positively glowing with mischief. [say]"We just weaponized first-date nerves,"[/say] she murmurs with obvious pride.