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but daddy i love him - Flora - 09-23-2024
[say]"Where's he going?"[/say] Glancing over her shoulder after Remi had stiffly pressed a kiss to her forehead, Flora turned toward Ronin with a brow raised. [say]"What, are you two, like, fighting?"[/say] Certainly given the way her dad's lips had been set into a thin line the Bastion hadn't looked happy, though honestly with the sorts of shenanigans the Taliesins got up to, Flora couldn't be sure that this wasn't some weird roleplaying game that was going to end with them breaking something in her bathroom later.
Sinking down into the chair opposite the Knight, Flora glances at the nearly empty plates and grins. [say]"Food good?"[/say] Combing her fingers into her hair to neaten out some of the ends which were still a touch unruly from before, the Doubletake eventually brushes her hair over her shoulder. [say]"I didn't think you two would be back so soon. Didn't you go and...y'know.."[/say]
RE: but daddy i love him - Ronin - 09-23-2024
[say]"Mm? Oh no, we're not fighting,"[/say] Ronin mumbles with a smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes, glancing over his shoulder to watch Remi depart from the table and away into the bar. [say]"Food great,"[/say] he adds to Flora and carefully stacks their plates so they might not get in the way of this conversation somehow. For all that Remi is having doubts, the Knight feels no less certain about his own choices, and he ruffles a hand through his dark hair and shifts to get more comfortable in his seat.
[say]"We absolutely did go and y'know,"[/say] he agrees with a nod, of course finding it much easier to speak about Starfall than the actual subject he needs to broach. [say]"I used Mort's relic - that black sword? It made the fight... short."[/say] He shrugs. [say]"So here we are. Anyway, uh... I hate to pry, Flora, but did we see you coming out of the supply room with Jack when we sat down?"[/say] He tries very hard not to look like that gif of Michael Scott grimacing he's uncomfortable, but he doesn't really succeed.
RE: but daddy i love him - Flora - 09-23-2024
[say]"Aww, that's good. It's super filling."[/say] Flora hums proudly, not that she had anything to do with the preparation of the food or even this part of the menu.
[say]"Oh, yeah, the little one?"[/say] She'd seen the Rapier before but was always warned away from getting too close to it. [say]"Isn't it—"[/say] Falling silent if only because she wasn't really that interested in what had happened on the island, the Knight's question has the Doubletake blushing prettily and biting at the inside of her lip to keep her grin from growing too quickly.
[say]"UHMMM, I mean, you weren't really supposed to see that."[/say] She chuckles, glancing shyly over her shoulder. Luckily Remi had already disappeared into the back room leaving an empty hallway for Flora to grin at before turning back to Ronin and offering him a youthful shrug.
RE: but daddy i love him - Ronin - 09-23-2024
Nodding - both in response to the food and to the reference to the little one (a nickname that is going to stick for Wilde's Rapier if Ronin has anything to say about it) - the Knight is more than happy to put both of those conversations to bed, if for no other reason than to focus fully on the Jack of it all. [say]"Believe me, we agree,"[/say] he says, huffing out a laugh and rubbing at the back of his head as he slouches back; he'd have been very content living his life without that image burned into his mind.
[say]"I suppose I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I know the last time we spoke you were upset about Koa, and it can be fun to distract yourself with other people. It doesn't help in the long run, though."[/say] A little behind on the conversation Remi is currently having in the supply closet, Ronin is still mildly hopeful that Flora is just messing around with Torchline's most ruthless smuggler, and nothing more.
RE: but daddy i love him - Flora - 09-23-2024
[say]"I'm definitely okay."[/say] Flora says, beaming. Despite how things are going for Jack, the queen's mind is suddenly bubblegum soft and bright with thoughts of how well things were turning out.
[say]"He isn't a distraction."[/say] Flora huffs, playfully admonishing Ronin with a look before crinkling her nose and leaning forward a touch conspiratorily. [say]"I've always sort of had a crush on him...but then...I dunno, lately things have just..changed."[/say] Waves of affection radiate out from Flora's mind, and though Ronin won't have access to her thoughts, her joy is as clear as day. [say]"I love him."[/say]
The mention of Koa does douse the queen's radiance somewhat, leaving her slumping forward slightly. Resting her forearms on the table she sighs softly. [say]"Breaking up with Koa was like...the hardest thing. He did nothing wrong, you know?"[/say] Well, he'd done nothing wrong after he'd promised not to do anything wrong.
RE: but daddy i love him - Ronin - 09-23-2024
Ronin has made a grave error as Flora begins speaking; relaxing as she confirms she's okay, he's grabbed a sip from his glass of water, such that when those three fateful little words leave her lips, he damn near chokes to death. [say]"You love him?"[/say] he manages to grate out, surprise written all over his face as he coughs a few times and tries not to drown on land in his daughter's bar. [say]"How long have... wait, what?"[/say]
He doesn't laugh, because even with the shock that will likely overtake anything radiating from Flora's mind, he knows that's a massive faux pas with how sincere she sounds. And ultimately, gods, that's the killer for Ronin, his brows drawing together as he watches her across the table. [say]"You... I mean, you know the kind of man he is,"[/say] he says slowly. [say]"You know he's my age, right?"[/say] You know, Flora. Dear old dad who gets called old every conversation?
RE: but daddy i love him - Flora - 09-23-2024
Rather animatedly Flora's expression goes from utterly enchanted to aghast as Ronin begins to choke on his water. Rude. All but scowling at him now, the Doubletake widens her eyes emphatically before nodding. [say]"Yep."[/say] She confirms argumentatively.
[say]"Oh right, because you and Dad are such saints?"[/say] Raising her eyebrows, Flora leans back in her chair, folding her arms across her chest. [say]"You and dad have killed so many people, and definitely not all of them deserved it. Sunjata threw my mom into jail after she burned a bunch of things down in Torchline, Dad fake-killed Sunjata just to be an asshole, and Mom staged a coup in Halo. And those are just the stories that I know about."[/say] No doubt things were far more hectic and dicey than any of her four parents would admit to her, but that didn't stop Flora from extrapolating.
As for Jack's age?
Rolling her eyes, Flora huffs a touch childishly. [say]"Age...isn't even real. Not with how the gods can just...make you whatever age you want."[/say] Besides, Jack wasn't old the way Ronin was old.
RE: but daddy i love him - Ronin - 09-23-2024
[say]"Sorry - I'm sorry, I just wasn't expecting you to say that,"[/say] Ronin says, flapping a hand and using a napkin to clean himself up, taking a slow, deep breath to try and ground himself again. Holding up his hands as Flora begins anew, he neither tries to argue nor defend against the (very true, ahem) examples she holds up. [say]"Well aware I'm calling the kettle black here,"[/say] he says gently. [say]"I just meant in terms of how much trouble he tends to bring... you know, everywhere he goes?"[/say] He gestures around, as if this very conversation could well be an example.
And if he'd been privy to Flora's inner thoughts (don't worry, Ronin, Jack is going to laugh about it later) he might have considered his feelings thoroughly hurt to learn he was old but not in the same way as a murderous smuggler who didn't give a fuck about anything but his own agenda. [say]"...Right. Alright, but... you love him, Flora? That's a big step. I don't want you to get hurt."[/say]
RE: but daddy i love him - Flora - 09-23-2024
[say]"Mmmhmmmm."[/say] Flora hums scoldingly, her fingers tapping angrily against the wood of the table.
[say]"Again, look around. You could basically say the same thing about me thanks to what my last names are and the fact that I'm queen of a region that has an alien island on its shoreline."[/say] What was a bit of smuggling and murder compared to all of that?
Scowling at Ronin in precisely the same way she'd seen him do so many times, Flora runs her tongue across her teeth and lifted her chin. [say]"Don't be so condescending."[/say] One might argue that the Knight was merely being a considered parent, but Flora dared anyone to try and make that argument to her right now. [say]"I know how I feel."[/say] She says adamantly, before sighing and waving a hand. [say]"Besides, Mom said that in order to find real love you have to open yourself up to the possibility of being hurt because only being actually vulnerable will let love come in."[/say]
Crossing her arms a touch more tightly around her chest now for support rather than to be defensive, Flora rubs one of her cheeks against her shoulder. [say]"Isn't love worth getting hurt for?"[/say]
RE: but daddy i love him - Ronin - 09-23-2024
[say]"You know what I mean,"[/say] Ronin says with a raise of his eyebrows. The sort of plot level trouble that Flora is arguably responsible for isn't the same as the threads of corruption, manipulation and pain woven into Jack's every step through the region. It's not the same as people, sometimes innocent ones, getting hurt for no other reason than being in the wrong place at the wrong time, for little more than a shipment or a petty feud.
Groaning under his breath as Flora plays her next card and lands on condescending, Ronin's hand ruffles through to the front of his hair, leaving it a boyish mess. [say]"And I'm not saying you're wrong. You say you're in love with him and I believe it. And your mother is right as well."[/say] Credit where it's due, what Hotaru has told her daughter is the truth - he and Remi have walked those circles around one another enough times, have lived it enough times.
[say]"Of course it is."[/say] He sighs, even as he hates it. [say]"So... you two are together, then? Exclusive? You love him, and he loves you too, and you trust him?"[/say]
RE: but daddy i love him - Flora - 09-23-2024
[say]"Yeah, well."[/say] So fine, she did know what Ronin meant, but so what? So what if Jack wasn't some upstanding white knight? [say]"You of all people should know that you can love someone despite the things that they've done."[/say]
What feels like a victory is quickly overshadowed by the Knight's series of questions, which has Flora nodding her head in vague not-quite agreement. [say]"I mean...like, not in so many words, but..."[/say] Defensiveness flared like a shield around her thoughts as Flora unfolded her arms in order to draw rings on the table using the water the napkin hadn't quite soaked all the way up. No Jack hadn't said he loved her, but he did say he'd work on things, and that if she wanted to make a go of things, he would too.
[say]"Besides, it isn't like being in love with someone just means everything magically falls into place, but...we'll figure it out."[/say]
And that was good enough, right?
Right?
Glancing over her shoulder and very much wanting this conversation to be over, Flora looks toward the bathroom before shifting back to Ronin. [say]"Where'd Dad go, anyway? He's been in the bathroom forever."[/say]
RE: but daddy i love him - Ronin - 09-23-2024
[say]"I won't disagree with you there,"[/say] Ronin admits with a small smile and a shrug of his shoulders. He hasn't been easy to love at times in his life, and the same can be said for Remi, but they'd always muddled through. They'd always wanted to - and he doesn't think that would have changed even if their parents had been around to have this exact talk with them whilst it was all going on, either.
And he's about to concede that to Flora, too, that as long as she and the captain were on the same page then he'd have to give his grudging acceptance, only, as it happens, they are not. [say]"Flora..."[/say] He says her name almost like an apology, rubbing at his forehead and huffing out a long, hard sigh. [say]"Alright. Alright. Listen, I won't say anything more on the subject for now. Just... you know where I am if you need me, okay? Not just for weird life-or-death panther monsters. For anything."[/say]
Following her gaze over her shoulder towards the back of the bar, Ronin gives the Doubletake a guilty look as he shakes his head. [say]"He didn't go to the bathroom."[/say]
RE: but daddy i love him - Flora - 09-23-2024
Shooting the Knight a warning glance, her name rolling off of his lips as if it were about to be the start of a speech, Flora accepts his backtracking with a very humble roll of her eyes. [say]"Fiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiine,"[/say] Humming out the word, she leans back in her chair with a sigh feeling a good bit of tension disappear from her shoulders.
Only to immediately be replaced.
Sitting up straight, the queen glances sharply over her shoulder just in time to see someone exit her bathroom, leaving the door vaguely ajar. [say]"What,"[/say] hissing the word, she spins around, already moving to stand up. [say]"If he did anything.."[/say] Flora threatens, glaring at Ronin before shoving her chair back hard enough with the back of her knees to have it skidding across the floor.
Jack—?!
[say]"DAD."[/say] About to march her way toward the supply closet the sudden appearance of Jack has Flora's breath stuttering in the back of her throat. Concern coats her thoughts followed by righteous fury as she takes note of the frost, the sparks, and worst of all, the darkening red mark across his throat. Running to him the Doubletake throws her arms around his neck, the gesture as much as a fuck you to both of her Dads as one of relief that Jack didn't appear to be mortally wounded. [say]"Fuck, I'm so sorry,"[/say] she whispers softly against his neck, before twisting in his arms and glaring at Ronin over her shoulder.
[say]"That was sneaky and shitty of the both of you."[/say] Narrowing her eyes but softening as she turned back to Jack, she nodded her head over her shoulder. [say]"Come on, let's go."[/say]
~FIN