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+---- Thread: I wanna drink cheap wine with you (/showthread.php?tid=10001)
RE: I wanna drink cheap wine with you - Flora - 09-10-2024
[say]"Hey,"[/say] quickly she reaches for him, wanting to keep him pressed against her where the air between them had been warmed by their breaths and their bodies, and where it felt like if they tried hard enough, they could mould the world around them to be the way they want it to be. Needed it to be. [say]"I know it isn't...I mean, I know how it sounds, but...I don't want to lie to you."[/say]
The bright bliss she'd felt only seconds before had all but cooled, leaving her feeling a touch dishevelled and more than a little shitty to see the way her words had stripped all the joy from Koa's face, much as he tried to hide it.
Sliding her arm around his, Flora reached for the wine glasses they'd hastily placed on the railing earlier, holding the stems of both in her fingers before trying to melt against his side.
RE: I wanna drink cheap wine with you - Koa - 09-12-2024
[say]"No, I know. And it really is okay."[/say] Mustering a smile that's almost 100% convincing, Koa takes the offered wine glass, letting Flora melt against his side. It's a touch that lacks the magic of mere minutes earlier but it's still something, a kernel of love for Koa to cling to as his pride recovers from the hit. Leaning over, the Dragoon places a reassuring kiss against the side of the Doubletake's head. [say]"We never talked about being exclusive, and I wouldn't want to push you into something you don't want."[/say] Like an actual relationship with me---
But no. Better not to go down that road.
Together they resume walking, still synchronized in arm and step as their heartbeats stutter out of time. Koa's mind hunts for things to say, and comes upon a snag. It's a confession he hasn't been sure how to make, has planned to keep until after dinner, but with things already growing fractured, well... in for a penny, in for a pound.
[say]"Speaking of other people..."[/say] he starts, then winces, shaking his head. [say]"I mean-- not like that, obviously, but... I've been meaning to tell you something."[/say] Fishing into his back pocket, Koa passes Flora a cleanly written note. [say]"I figured it was safer to write it down, since... well, you'll see."[/say]
I saw Sohalia, in King's End. She's alive, and safe, but still hiding from the Family. She said she'd been sick and trapped in the Greatwood. I don't think she's infected.
He watches Flora's face for reaction, fingers fidgeting anxiously with the edge of his coat. [say]"It was about a week ago,"[/say] Koa contributes. [say]"She sent me a letter, asking me to come. She seemed shaken up, but okay. Though we didn't speak for very long."[/say]
RE: I wanna drink cheap wine with you - Flora - 09-12-2024
[say]"Listen, if you and I are actually going to be a thing, then...I mean, obviously I won't be with anyone else."[/say] Flora is quick to add, feeling as though she'd say or do anything to smooth the sadness off of Koa's cheeks; to see him smile at her again. [say]"But this all started before, like..back when you were with Sohalia, and then you were gone and I didn'tk now, and when you came back."[/say] Swallowing, she shakes her head. [say]"I know we made plans, but...I wasn't sure if anything would really happen."[/say] The admission has her cheeks burning. It isn't that she'd ever intentionally wanted to doubt him, but now that they were in the midst of this particular conversation, Flora realized how much she had. How much she thought he'd let her down again.
Softly sighing, trying to keep her exhale from sounding like impatience or upset, Flora holds the dragoon close, ignoring the way the silence between them feels thick and loud. Of course how he chooses to break said silence has her stomach immediately twisting into knots, imagining the worst. You were right before, Sohalia did have my baby or I'm infected, long live the Family. Even if it was just lmao sorry you've got the clap, go swim in the healing fountain, why the theatrics? Why the—
—the first word she read when she opened the note was Sohalia. Trembling, she makes herself read, and then re-read, her face burning, her fingers mildly shaking. It was hypocritical of her to feel anything about what Koa had penned, but where jealousy had turned her blood to ice in her veins, anger and fear had made her knees weak and her fingers go numb. [say]"But she's okay?"[/say] Flora whispers.
Raising her eyes, it's perhaps a calculated first question so that she didn't come across like a total asshole. Sohalia had been her best friend once upon a time, though clearly not any longer if Soh hadn't bothered to reach out to her, but instead to him.
RE: I wanna drink cheap wine with you - Koa - 09-13-2024
If you and I are going to be a thing, I won't be with anyone else, feels like a slap in the face, but not because she's seeing someone. It's the If of it all - If they're going to be a thing means they are not, currently, which truth be told is news to Koa, who once again has pulled himself further ahead in a relationship than his partner. And then she's bringing up Sohalia, and the Dragoon feels a wave of frustration push against the back of his teeth, suddenly feeling very much like he's fighting a battle he'll never win.
But of course he doesn't say anything, because what is there to say? Again and again Flora has reminded that it's up to him to prove himself. Now, Koa is beginning to wonder if it's something he can ever actually do.
[say]"I think so?"[/say] She'd been alive, though he hadn't spent long enough with her to determine just how much emotional damage there was. He'd been too emotional himself, caught off-guard by how much it hurt to see Sohalia again. [say]"I wasn't sure if-- I mean, I don't know who else knows. Or who she told."[/say] Running his fingers anxiously through his hair, Koa looks past Flora, into the Grounds. [say]"But I thought that you should know. And I'm sure she'd want to see you. I know you guys were close."[/say] Though with the tangled triangle they've formed, the Dragoon has no actual idea what the two Queens' relationship might now be.
RE: I wanna drink cheap wine with you - Flora - 09-13-2024
That Koa doesn't reply has Flora biting at the inside of her cheek, wondering why she hadn't tried to break the news to him a bit more smoothly, with a bit more tact. In her mind, this thing with Jack was just sex
Swallowing hard as they move onto the Sohalia of it all, Flora nods numbly. [say]"Not enough to write, I guess."[/say] She mutters, perhaps a touch petulantly, though her hurt is merely misplaced, truth be told. [say]"And...how was it?"[/say] Glancing over her shoulder up at him, her eyes scan the hard lines of his silhouette before falling back to the pathway before them. [say]"To see her again, after..."[/say] After whatever had happened between them, after Koa had risked his life in trying to go after her.
RE: I wanna drink cheap wine with you - Koa - 09-16-2024
How was it? Weird. Frustrating. Painful. A huge relief. Koa shrugs, not knowing how to encapsulate his emotions into words, not trusting anything he would say to have a positive effect. [say]"I'm glad she's safe,"[/say] he answers simply, which is true. [say]"Probably best not to talk to much more about it here. Y'know, given..."[/say] he gestures vaguely toward the Tower, though really the boy is more afraid of Flora than Dahlia just now. Forcing himself to relax, Koa offers his arm to Flora, accompanied by an only slightly strained smile that softens as he gazes down at the blonde. [say]"Plus, I'd rather focus on us. We still have dinner, after all."[/say]
As they continue walking he can feel himself start to ease, anticipation of the main event fluttering in his chest. Stubbornly, Koa is determined to make this a great date, past
[say]"Hey, do you hear that?"[/say] They've come to a fork in the road, with a sign for 'Oerwoud' on the western path. Beyond, a faint sound can be heard, like strains of humming on the breeze. As they press forward the humming will grow louder, taking on the harmonious notes of a string quartet as mimicked by vibrating, colorful wings.
RE: I wanna drink cheap wine with you - Flora - 09-18-2024
Having to fight not to ask Koa to recite the interaction word for word and detail by detail, Flora could only nod a touch numbly. For however hypocritical it was, she could hardly stand the thought of Sohalia weeping in Koa's arms, recounting what she'd gone through, with the dragoon comforting her as he inevitably would have even if there hadn't been a shared past between them. It hardly helped that as her bestfrien d(or former best friend, she supposed), that Soh hadn't sent her a letter saying that she was back. Glancing toward the Tower, her stomach in knots, Flora cages her next question—no but really, how was it? Are you still in love with her?—as Koa offers his arm out to her. [say]"Yeah...yeah of course."[/say]
Smiling despite the heat in her cheeks, Flora holds him close, no longer trying to remain breezy at his side, but instead setting her pace to meandering in order to prolong any other difficult conversations ahead. Blinking at the strange mingled humming, the queen wrinkles her nose as her head tilts, cheek pressed against his muscular bicep. [say]"What's...I've never heard anything like that before."[/say] She murmurs, before raising her eyebrows and nudging his hip softly with her own.
[say]"Want to go check it out?"[/say]
RE: I wanna drink cheap wine with you - Koa - 09-23-2024
Sometimes it is just as well most people can't read thoughts, because Flora's would have set Koa's mood in a spiral of sour frustration. Blessed as he is with ignorance, he's able to power through, determined to stubbornly barrel past any discomfort in search of the happy end he knows they can achieve.
Rallied by Flora's curiosity, Koa puts on a mischievous smile that's only slightly forced. [say]"I think we should."[/say] Again the path splits, though this time it's a narrow branch that meanders off, into a dense segment of trees. It is here that they'll find the source of the song: a clearing opens up before them, cleverly hidden despite being rather close to the main path. Inside, a gazebo is decorated with fairy lights, its centerpiece a table set for two.
And all around it treeflits fly and hum, their jewel-toned bodies dancing in the glittering light. Together they harmonize into a song, mimicking the string quartet Koa had bribed to come play for them in the days before. Koa watches Flora's face intently as the scene unfolds, eyes wide with anticipation, breath holds as he waits to see how she'll react. [say]"What do you think?"[/say] he murmurs, squeezing her arm gently. [say]"Hope you're not afraid of bugs."[/say]
RE: I wanna drink cheap wine with you - Flora - 09-27-2024
It was going to be the last good day between them, though neither of them knew it yet. Looking back it's impossible to know if anything could have been done to avoid the trainwreck which was about to befall them. What if they'd said I love you, sooner? What if they'd had the hard conversation about exclusivity, about Flora's insecurities, about Koa feeling like he'd never escape the shadow of his mistakes? What if they'd talked about how far away they lived and about their respective jobs and obligations to their regions?
What if they'd just talked?
Gods, but they were young, and it was their first real date; how were they meant to talk when there were so many other things to do with their lips and tongues? When they were finally at a place and time that didn't require chastity or restraint and they could just be together the way they'd individually been dreaming about for years?
And so they had.
The dinner Koa had planned was eaten between bursts of laughter, and though the pair managed to keep their pants on for the remainder of their stroll, there wasn't a single moment that passed where they weren't holding each other in some way or another. Back in their hotel room, they'd made their frantic pawing on the bridge look positively barbaric in comparison with how they'd taken their time with one another, bringing each other to orgasm with impossible slowness until they'd passed out in each other's arms, only to wake up before the dawn to do it all over again.
They'd agreed to plan another date as soon as they could, but it would be weeks before they saw each other again, and by then the present chapter of their love story would have already been closed.
~FIN