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+---- Thread: Simon says, get the fuck up (/showthread.php?tid=11034)
Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 03-30-2025
Flora
He didn't really know what he was doing. By the time he was on the skyboat and realized that though, it had already left port and he watched his city fade into the throat of the clouds. And so that became his mantra for this solo adventure. It echoed 'round and 'round inside his head, not so quietly asking, what the fuck are you doing?
For someone not well traveled in Caido despite being born here, Kaisel wasn't completely sure where to go and had to stop and ask directions a few times. As new and daunting as it was to set off into the unknown (to him) alone, he'd felt a sense of relief when he'd left Stormbreak. One could argue it was more dangerous for him to spend all his time there, though in his experience Dahlia tended to keep to her towers. Still, you could turn a corner and bump into a violet fuck if you weeren't careful, and more than anything, he was just tired of watching everyone grin and bear it.
He wasn't running though. No, he just needed to understand something, to quiet the droning inside his head. It had been bothering him ever since that night in the Slob Knob, and invasive fucking crawling voice that had slithered into his head and everyone else's, had more or less answered him. Still, he wanted to hear it from her.
[say]"Is Flora here?"[/say] he asked someone as he stepped into the Hanged Man.
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 03-31-2025
Flora was indeed there, tucked into a booth near the back corner of the Hanged Man, looking like the living embodiment of every heartbroken girl stereotype. Gone was the queenly veneer of confidence and carefully crafted allure, replaced by the kind of raw, unapologetic devastation that left no room for masks. Her curls, usually styled to perfection, were piled into a messy bun atop her head, several stubborn strands having escaped to cling damply to her flushed cheeks. Her makeup—if she'd even bothered—was smudged, mascara creating faint trails of black down her cheekbones from recent, furious swipes to clear away tears.
She'd dressed for comfort rather than courtly appearances: an oversized sweater draped across her frame, hanging off one shoulder, her gold jewelry notably absent save for the magical rings on her fingers. In one hand, a glass of rum was held like a lifeline; in the other, she twisted a crumpled parchment, its edges softened from constant handling. Her eyes were red-rimmed and swollen, heavy with exhaustion that went far deeper than mere lack of sleep.
Hearing Kaisel's familiar voice drift through the tavern made her glance up abruptly, her gaze snagging on him in surprise. Her breath caught for a second, shoulders stiffening briefly before relaxing again with visible effort. [say]"Kai?"[/say] she called out, her voice raw and tinged with a brittle, uneven brightness as she attempted—and mostly failed—to conjure up a welcoming smile. [say]What... what are you doing here?"[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 03-31-2025
He had only half-expected to find her here. Given her monarch status, he doubted she had the time to run the bar she owned, but he hoped she dropped in once in a while to ensure it was up to her snobby standards. Fortunately for him, today was such an occasion. The person he asked pointed right as he heard his name drift through the buzz. It wasn't too crowded here yet, though he was certain someone was always here and in need of service. Still, it had been hard to hear her, the voice weighted like fog when she had always been a summer's day, like him. He nodded up at her in response and started towards her.
[say]"Hey,"[/say] he sank into the booth she had claimed, specifically choosing the side she was already on. He bounced faintly as he sat and swung his hips into her playfully, asking her to slide over and not hog it all. [say]"I heard there was a vengeful spirit in these parts that looked liked Flora the Doubletake, except if she'd been drug behind a horse for three days, and it was stealing children away into the sea. Naturally, I couldn't pass up on a ghost hunt lead, so here I am."[/say] He reached to take a swig of rum. [say]"Oh, and sea grapes. Hadama told me I have to try them."[/say] He settled in properly at last, turning to look at her fully. [say]"You haven't seen this sad and sorry phantom anywhere, have you?"[/say] Perhaps he ought to have approached her as one might a skittish horse, but Kaisel tended to handle most problems by punching right through them.
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 03-31-2025
Flora makes a half-hearted noise of protest as Kaisel slides in beside her, his playful nudge earning a faint, reluctant smile despite the state she's in. Her glass is relinquished without a fight, a sure sign that something truly is amiss, though she wrinkles her nose at his teasing and elbows him softly in the side. [say]"Har har,"[/say] she drawls, the attempted sass cracking on the edges of her hoarse voice. [say]"If there was a ghost haunting the place, I'd have charged her rent already, so joke's on you."[/say]
She leans back heavily against the booth, pulling her sweater sleeves down to hide her hands, the crumpled parchment still twisted loosely between her fingers. Aqua eyes flick toward him sidelong, uncertain and wary beneath swollen lids. Flora's quiet for a beat, one knee drawing up defensively as she looks away, studying the worn tabletop like it's a priceless artifact. [say]"No children stolen yet, so I think your ghost-hunting gig might be a bust."[/say]
Another pause, her voice dipping quieter, more hesitant, tracing the edge of something raw. [say]"But sea grapes are gross, so jokes on you twice. Also, it might be a euphemism for merman balls."[/say] A weak attempt to deflect—one that fails almost as soon as she says it. With a slow, unsteady breath, Flora finally looks back up, clearly debating whether to dodge or face the obvious question. In the end, she tilts her head toward Kaisel with a forced lightness that can't fully mask the tremble beneath.
[say]"So...did you actually come all the way here just to tell me my face and life are a disaster, or were you like, in the neighborhood for something else?"[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 03-31-2025
He laughed loudly, shaking his head at her. [say]"Ever the business woman,"[/say] he commended, lifting the stolen drink up to the bar she'd created in salute. As they continued, he averted his gaze slightly, careful not to trace every teartrack that marked her face.
He used the glass as a distraction; something to look at so he wouldn't let his surprise drift through. He took another sip, ready to relinquish it even if he didn't think she should have more. It didn't make it past his lips though, not one she said sea grapes were merman balls. Kaisel spat mid-swallow; rum sprayed all over the table. He roared out in burning laughter, fighting for a breath as he doubled over the table and slapped his palm against its top. [say]"W H A T!?"[/say] he rasped in a choked demand, tears collecting in the corner of his eyes, whether from the alcohol's bite or the strangle of humor, it was hard to say. [say]"Hadama does not eat merman balls... does he!?"[/say] All the grand illusions Kaisel had formed about the man were instantly dashed, replaced with a newfound awe for the masterful prank.
He inhaled deeply, a cough threatening to erupt again, but he fought it back as he shook his head and pushed the rum away from him. [say]"Ah shit, that was good."[/say] He dabbed his knuckles at the corners of his eyes, wiping away the mirth. His gaze skipped over the paper she fidgeted with before landing on her face, holding her there with a tight smile. [say]"You can trust that I'll always take time to point out when you look like a disaster, but I came because I heard... the broadcast."[/say] His answer didn't seem half as important now as whatever was worming its way through her mind, but at least he was pretty sure that worm was no longer the Family. [say]"That night, when we were in the Silk Houses, were you infected by the Family?"[/say] Blunt, but he needed the honesty of it.
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 04-01-2025
Flora snorts quietly at Kaisel's reaction as she sits back away from the table, a faint smirk tugging reluctantly at the corner of her mouth despite the heaviness that weighs down every line of her body. She leans in conspiratorially, voice hushed and teasingly scandalized. [say]"Kai, seriously. Look at Hadama—are you honestly gonna tell me you don't think he'd enjoy a little something salty in his mouth?"[/say] Her brows arch dramatically, a flicker of her old mischievous spark resurfacing for just a heartbeat.
But the fragile levity quickly crumbles at the mention of the broadcast. Her expression shutters immediately, that playful spark dimming like a flame doused by rain. [say]"Yeah,"[/say] she murmurs, fingers tightening unconsciously around the crumpled parchment. Flora nods, her gaze fixed down at the table as if she can find some answer etched into its worn surface, rum-soaked as it now was. [say]"I was infected then."[/say]
The silence stretches, heavy and brittle, punctuated only by the soft rustle as she finally folds away the paper, tucking it out of sight. Drawing in a slow, uneven breath, she forces herself to turn fully toward him, bracing for whatever storm is coming. [say]"But it was only for like, a week, and I had a plan to get cured the entire time. It wasn't—"[/say] She swallows tightly, faltering.
Exhaling softly, Flora steels herself visibly, shoulders squared despite the unsteady tremble beneath the surface. [say]"But if you came all the way here just to yell at me about it, can we like—"[/say] she gestures weakly, voice strained, eyes bright with unshed tears, [say]"—just get it over with?"[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 04-02-2025
Yeah
Relief floods through him. He can feel the prickle of it as a quiet roar in his ears, one that subsides quickly and drains, pooling in his toes, which briefly feel like pins and needles. He'd been tense without realizing it, expectant, but cautious too. Now he knew though, and that was a weight off his chest. He reached an arm up and around, hugging into her, tight as his other hand came around to trap her for a moment in the embrace. The rest of whatever she was saying, whatever reasons or nonsense she was muttering, it didn't matter.
[say]"Gods, I'm glad you're safe now Flora. That must have been so hard."[/say] Reluctantly he loosened his hold before she'd suffocate in his grip. He instead slid his arm against the table, propping up his head on it as he chuckled faintly while looking at her. [say]"You're something else. Brave, and a bit crazy. I'm just glad to know you're not so crazy as to actually think all this was your fault and not the fucking Family's."[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 04-03-2025
As Kaisel’s arms tighten around her, Flora chokes back a sob, the unexpected warmth cutting straight through her brittle defenses, the cracks she’d plastered over so carefully splintering open in an instant. She melts softly against him, her head bowing to press into his shoulder, curls trembling with the effort it takes to keep the tears at bay. When was the last time someone had hugged her like this, instead of the other way around? She can't remember.
His laughter—gentle, quiet, understanding—breaks something inside her, the sound coaxing a faint, watery laugh from her own lips as she finally pulls back, blinking fiercely to clear the tears that stubbornly cling to her lashes. [say]"You might be alone in thinking that,"[/say] she whispers, voice raw and a little thick. Her smile is faint, tired, but genuine, even if it doesn't quite erase the redness around her eyes. [say]"Everyone else thinks I'm an idiot, stupid, or just a complete and utter fuckup."[/say]
She sighs, reaching out absently to twist the glass Kaisel had pushed away, staring at its amber contents as though the answers might be hidden within. When she finally looks back up at him, there's a fragile sort of determination shining through the dampness of her gaze. [say]"Kai..if you had a chance to protect Stormbreak—even if it pissed everyone off, even if it made people think you were being reckless or crazy—would you still do it?" [/say]She holds his gaze, eyes searching desperately for validation. [say]"Wouldn't trying to push them back be worth whatever it cost you personally?"[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 04-04-2025
[say]"Yes,"[/say] he said without hesitation, steel in his voice—sharp and unyielding.
He sighed a bit then, and though he kept his head propped up on his hand, his expression muted from awe to quiet contemplation. [say]"I think, if people are confused by your decision, it is because you put yourself at risk. It scared them. They love you."[/say] He fisted his cheek. [say]"Love, it can make us hold on a bit too tightly, worry more about all the terrible possibilities that could exist. Because each potential threat to that love is one where it could be lost, and losing what you love? That's worse than dying."[/say] He smiled faintly, the grin pressing into his knuckles with a dimple. [say]"So sometimes you gotta wiggle free of that loving grip to get shit done. We can't walk in the shadow of fear every day, because that's not living either."[/say]
Although he'd never had his heart personally gripped in anyone's hands, or crushed under anyone's boot, he had seen what that give and take had been like between his parents all his life. They had dangerous jobs, and their sense of duty constantly warred with their desire to keep each other safely behind the city walls. It had been part of why they'd leashed him so tightly for so long, and why he snuck out at night, shrugging off their protective worry with resolve to progress. It would never be easy to love someone.
[say]"Whatever feels broken right now. Whatever's on that note you just keep on repeat in your head. It'll get better, once the fear subsides."[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 04-07-2025
Flora listens quietly, her grip on the empty glass easing slightly as Kaisel's words wash over her, smoothing over the sharp, painful edges she'd been carrying around since Jack left. There's a flicker of relief in her eyes, fragile but real, her shoulders slowly relaxing beneath the comforting weight of his reassurance. [say]"That's...that's exactly how I saw it too,"[/say] she murmurs softly, her voice barely audible over the distant buzz of conversation from the other patrons. Her gaze drifts to some spot just past Kaisel’s shoulder, eyes unfocused but clearer now, as if the fog of self-doubt had thinned just enough for her to see through. [say]"Even if I died again—like, properly died and didn't come back—it would still have been worth it. Because it's not just about me, y'know? It's Torchline, and everyone else who lives here."[/say]
Her voice fades, catching softly in her throat as a flush of embarrassment stains her cheeks, her fingers fidgeting anxiously with the parchment she still clutches in her other hand. [say]"My—uh, boyfriend didn't exactly see it that way, though."[/say] Flora laughs, the sound brittle and a little forced, gaze dropping to the folded away parchment, suddenly self-conscious. [say]"Once he found out, he left. Like, completely, I think. Even though I wrote him and told him I had it handled, that it'd be fine."[/say] She bites her lip, shoulders rising in a helpless shrug as her voice lowers, quiet and uncertain. [say]"Jack said he couldn't trust me anymore. That I'd turned Torchline into a prison, and he didn't feel safe with me anymore."[/say]
She exhales shakily, daring to glance up at Kaisel again, her eyes holding a fragile, wounded question as she searches his face for some sign of understanding—or maybe validation that she wasn't as horrible as Jack's words had made her feel. [say]"So... yeah. Not my best week."[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 04-08-2025
He nodded along with her explanation, understanding it as clearly as if it was his thought and not the reasoning behind hers. Unfortunately solidarity could only staunch so much in the wound her heart now bore. It was just an attempt at smoothing a folded paper, but there was no way to take the crease back out. She'd bear the marks of this for the rest of her life, one of many alongside all the rest that made her. It was unfortunate that she'd been crumpled up just for doing what she believed to be best, for being brave enough to take the risks.
A derisive snort escaped Kaisel as he did his best to contain the ire that grew with each deeper explanation of her current state. He didn't know Jack, and he was biased on the matter since Koa had always been the better choice, but Kaisel could hardly stand the very idea of him at the moment. [say]"Trust goes both ways and sounds like he didn't bother to give any to you."[/say] Kaisel leaned back up and slapped his hands on the table, a bit louder than expected as his fervor rose too. [say]"He just expected you to go along with what he wanted, what he thought was best, but fuck that. You're a boss bitch Flora and you have a kingdom to consider, and your move was a bit off the wall but look! It paid off didn't it?"[/say] Kaisel gestured around them, as if the evidence was obvious. To an extent, it was. Flora was alive, she was cured, and she'd made important steps forward. [say]"Sounds to me like he's used to calling the shots and he's too fucking beta to handle you."[/say] Nearly growling out the last of his words, Kaisel settled deeper into his seat, holding her stare with a righteous anger. [say]"Don't you shed another tear over this shit. You're stronger than this."[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 04-08-2025
Flora visibly flinches at the sharp slap of Kaisel’s hands against the table, but the bold, passionate fervour of his words sweeps through her like a bracing sea breeze—cleansing, refreshing, exactly what she hadn’t realized she’d needed. Her brows rise in faint surprise at the sheer force of his support, a fragile laugh bubbling up and escaping her lips despite herself. [say]"Oh my gods, Kai,"[/say] she breathes, a smile tugging at the corner of her mouth, small but growing steadily stronger beneath the heat of his indignation. [say]"I don’t think anyone has ever called Jack Barclay beta before."[/say] The mental image is almost enough to make her genuinely laugh, her expression softening as she meets Kaisel’s fierce gaze, drinking in every ounce of his righteous anger as if she might soak it into her bones and shore up all her cracked and crumbling edges.
[say]"I...thank you,"[/say] she finally says, quieter but it feels more sincere than anything she’s said in weeks. Her eyes drop momentarily, fingers smoothing carefully over the parchment as though she can somehow straighten her heart out along with it. [say]"You’re probably right. About the trust thing, I mean. I just…"[/say] She sighs heavily, letting the thought trail off with a small shake of her head. [say]"I wish I’d realized it before, y’know? Before I—"[/say] She gestures vaguely at herself with a wry, helpless little shrug, encompassing every tear-stained disaster she's allowed herself to become over the past few days. [say]"Hindsight is a bitch."[/say]
Slowly, Flora straightens, drawing strength from Kaisel’s words and the determined blaze behind his eyes. [say]"But you’re right. Torchline will be safe, I’m alive, and I can’t…I mean, what's done is done."[/say] The words come out firmer this time, braced by the fire Kaisel’s support has sparked within her, even if every other thought was still of Jack.
[say]"Anyway, how have you been since I saw you last? You do anything life-changingly stupid?"[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Kaisel - 04-09-2025
Some of the outrage ebbed at her reaction, quieted by the ghost of a smile twitching at the corners of her lips. There she is. Kaisel muttered something about Jack needing to be called it sooner, but he didn't bother to rouse the words to any actual height, preferring not to give the man more of his breath than necessary. He wanted to save his energy for her. Time might be the only true remedy, but if he could help lift her to her feet, he would. And if she needed it, he’d crawl into the pit and sit with her. That’s what friends were for—to share the weight of the world when it got too heavy to carry alone.
[say]"Don't blame yourself,"[/say] he said sternly, the usual easy-going joy still buried just below the surface. [say]"You made the best decisions you could at the time with the knowledge you had."[/say] He nodded along with her sentiments, shoving his hands in his pockets as he listened and equally cut in. [say]"Hindsight is a bitch. A manipulative one. You'll sit here, tracing every path you could’ve taken—or avoided—and each one cuts at your confidence. Suddenly you’re convinced you can’t trust yourself, even though none of those paths were visible before. We don't fuck with such deception."[/say] He spoke from experience, as someone who’d sat in this same place, tearing himself apart over past mistakes. He was sure it wasn’t her first time either. [say]"Yeah, learn from your mistakes. Don’t be dumb. But don’t torture yourself over choices you never truly had."[/say]
He tilted his head back and to the side, continuing to hold her gaze with an unflinching resolve. She could be in her feels. They could be vulnerable and raw, as long as they were real. He would not hold anything against her, and he would not fault her for her flaws, they all had them.
He mustered up a breathy laugh at her question, ruffling his hair with a free hand in a lazy, boyish way. [say]"Nah, I would hate to steal your thunder by showing you up."[/say] He grinned genuinely at that, always able to find humor in endlessly teasing her. [say]"But I'm still cookin'. Was thinking of paying the shrines a visit and begging for a weapon I can use to kick Koa's ass next time we train."[/say]
RE: Simon says, get the fuck up - Flora - 04-09-2025
Flora doesn’t interrupt him this time. She just listens, soaking in every word like warmth after a storm, her expression gradually loosening as Kaisel speaks the sort of truths she'd been desperate to let herself believe. Her smile falters and steadies again as he cuts so cleanly through the mess of guilt and second-guessing she’s been dragging behind her like a weighted train. When he tells her not to torture herself over choices she never had, something in her eyes goes wet again—but it doesn’t spill. This time, it feels less like breaking and more like softening, easing the tension she hadn’t even realized she was still clinging to.
[say]"Gods, you’re annoying,"[/say] she mutters, voice thick with something fond and aching and grateful all at once. [say]"You just… say all the right things and then expect me to keep functioning like I haven’t just been emotionally drop-kicked in the heart."[/say]
And then she’s moving—not dramatically, not in that practiced, poised way she usually performs exhaustion—but bonelessly, genuinely, slumping sideways against Kaisel with a sigh that deflates her like a balloon losing air. Her head lands on his shoulder, and she makes no effort to straighten or sit up. [say]"Of all the idiots to wander into my bar tonight,"[/say] she murmurs, her words muffled slightly against the fabric of his shirt, [say]"I’m really fucking glad it was you."[/say]
She closes her eyes for a moment, breathing in the scent of sweat and salt and whatever faint soap he used, something grounding and familiar in all the best ways.
Then, without lifting her head, she adds dryly, [say]"If you wanna borrow my invisibility ring next time you spar with Koa, just say the word. I think a phantom punch to the jaw would really make your point."[/say] One arm snakes lazily across his chest in a lopsided hug as she snorts softly. [say]"Though he'll absolutely accuse you of cheating."[/say]