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+---- Thread: [RA] porch light (/showthread.php?tid=12779)
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porch light - Flora - 04-21-2026
Flora sets the molten pineapple smoothie down in front of Ronin on the Northaven’s deck, angled toward the hand he isn’t using to hold the newborn, before dropping into the chair across from him with an easy, familiar plop, bare legs stretching out under the table as she settles. The air’s cooler with Leafchange, but not enough to matter; her shorts and sun-warmed skin don’t so much as hesitate against it, and she hooks one arm over the side of the chair while the other rests loosely in her lap, attention already fixed on one of her new siblings.
Spice perches along the railing just behind her shoulder, a small, pale presence Flora doesn’t bother checking on, because she knows exactly where the dragon is without looking. Instead, her gaze stays on the baby in Ronin’s arms before lifting back to his face with a grin that doesn’t try to hide how pleased she is by the whole situation. [say]"And how are my two new favourite siblings doing?"[/say]
RE: porch light - Ronin - 04-21-2026
[say]"My hero,"[/say] Ronin groans out as the smoothie is brought into reach, the Knight accepting it with all the gratitude of something reverent, and he raises it in a toast before taking a long, sweet sip. In his arms the newborn isn't sleeping like he should be, but he also isn't screeching the house down, and given that Remi and his twin are tucked up inside, that is nothing short of a miracle.
[say]"I think we're finally getting into a routine,"[/say] Ronin says, not trying to sound anything short of relieved about it. [say]"No idea how long that'll last before they try to change it up again, but..."[/say] He shrugs, smiling down at the infant. Good enough for now, he thinks.
Glancing back to Flora, he gestures towards his assigned twin for the day (he's almost 90% certain it's Carlo at this point). [say]"Do you want to hold him?"[/say]
RE: porch light - Flora - 04-21-2026
Flora’s brows bounce up at Ronin’s praise, the look she gives him bright and smug before her attention drifts right back to the newborn in his arms. [say]"Have you ever thought of asking Vi or Mort to make it so they don’t cry?"[/say] she asks, tone light, almost offhand, like she’s offering something genuinely useful. Her mouth curves faintly as she glances up at him. [say]"That’s what I’d do if—"[/say] The thought stalls out on its own, her words tapering off without ceremony as she leans forward instead, abandoning it like it hadn’t mattered in the first place. Her grin returns quick and easy as she reaches in without hesitation, slipping the baby out of Ronin’s arms with a confidence that ignores any possibility she shouldn’t, pulling him in close against her chest as she settles back again.
Spice lands neatly on her shoulder a second later, small claws finding their place as the dragon leans in, curious and intent, and Flora tilts her head just slightly to allow it without looking away from the baby now tucked against her. She adjusts him with a small shift of her arms, before flicking her eyes back up to Ronin. [say]"Which one is this?"[/say]
RE: porch light - Ronin - 04-22-2026
Ronin arches an eyebrow at Flora's question, the expression having to substitute an answer for a moment as he takes another sip of his smoothie. [say]"Mm... no, I can't say we have,"[/say] he says through a chuckle once he's free to speak again, easily surrendering the boy to his sister as she comes to scoop him away. [say]"How would you know when it wore off? Or if it ever did?"[/say] He furrows his brow. [say]"Imagine never being able to cry because your parents wanted some peace and quiet."[/say]
The baby gurgles his apparent agreement (or potentially objection?) in Flora's arms, Ronin meanwhile slouching back to relax and enjoy having both hands free for once. [say]"Besides, you can't say you wouldn't have been a bit resentful if you found out Remi and Hotaru did that to you when you and Enzo were babies."[/say]
Grinning to see Spice swoop over to say hello, the Knight barely realises it when Sugar descends from her sentinel atop the boat to take advantage of no baby, merely glancing sidelong at her as she settles around his shoulders. [say]"That is Carlo,"[/say] he tells Flora, with all the confidence of someone who truly has no idea if that's the case. [say]"Though I wouldn't blame you for checking the nametag on his clothes."[/say]
RE: porch light - Flora - 04-25-2026
Flora wrinkles her nose at Ronin’s answer, the expression quick and unconvinced as she shifts Carlo—probably Carlo—higher against her chest, one hand spreading warm and steady across his back. [say]"Why would it need to wear off?"[/say] she counters, glancing up at him with a smirk. [say]"Are you really telling me you think you were better off listening to me scream tantrums until I was five?"[/say]
The thought earns a soft huff of a laugh under her breath as she looks back down, her thumb brushing idly along the baby’s side while Spice leans in closer, curious and uninvited and entirely tolerated. Flora adjusts her shoulder just enough to keep the dragon from getting too bold, attention flicking between the two of them before she exhales, the fight already slipping out of it. [say]"Okay, well, then why not just make it so they can talk right away?"[/say] she adds, tone shifting into something more thoughtful, if only by a shade. [say]"Then the crying’s actually for something real, not just because they’ve got no other way to say anything."[/say]
Her gaze drops again, studying the small, shifting face tucked against her, and her grin easing into something quieter as she tilts her head slightly. [say]"Hey, little C,"[/say] she murmurs, hedging her bets about which twin she was actually holding, before lifting her eyes back to Ronin, brows bouncing. [say]"So other than the crying, both of them are good?"[/say]
RE: porch light - Ronin - 04-25-2026
[say]"You mean you'd have your kid never able to cry in their life?"[/say] Ronin asks, amused. [say]"That feels really unfair. There's nothing like a good cry every now and then."[/say] He takes a haughty slurp of his smoothie to accompany the point. [say]"Not to mention, if you couldn't have had tantrums, I bet you'd have found another way to express yourself. And it might be worse than crying."[/say]
Settling back again, Ronin doesn't try to hide the warm smile that spreads across his face at the sight of Flora with her baby brother, comfortable and at ease. There don't exist many people in Leafchange that the Knight can relax around, and this is a much needed and much appreciated break.
[say]"See, now that's a good idea,"[/say] he says of them being able to talk straight away. [say]"Though I bet you'd never get any peace and quiet then. At least crying stops."[/say] Mostly. Sometimes. When you figure it out.
The Little C in question seems more than comfortable with his big sister for now at least, and Ronin nods with a relief he doesn't try to hide. [say]"They're doing really well. We all are. It's exhausting, but these are the sorts of days you always look back on and wish they had been longer. Remi and I aren't taking it for granted this time."[/say]
RE: porch light - Flora - 04-25-2026
Flora pulls a faint frown at the Knight's argument, the expression exaggerated just enough to make it clear she’s not conceding anything despite not taking this very seriously, as she adjusts the baby slightly higher against her chest, her hand steady at his back. [say]"No, not forever,"[/say] she says, glancing up at Ronin with a look that lands somewhere between defence and mischief. [say]"Just, like...when it’s unreasonable and annoying."[/say]
Flora huffs out a small laugh at his point about never getting any peace and quiet, shifting one shoulder as Spice noses in closer, her fingers lifting absently to keep the dragon from getting too involved without ever looking away from the baby. [say]"Now who’s being unfair."[/say]
Ronin's next words settle differently and as her gaze lifts to him, something quieter slips in at the edges and for just a moment it presses somewhere she doesn’t linger. She lets it pass as easily as it comes, her mouth curving again as she leans back into her chair. [say]"Well, look at you. Old dogs and your new tricks."[/say] Her attention drops back down, voice softening without losing its edge as she tips her head slightly toward the small face tucked against her. [say]"Don’t make it too easy on them,"[/say] she murmurs, the words pitched low and conspiratorial. [say]"The might be old, but they still deserve some trauma in their lives."[/say]
With a laugh, she'll lift her eyes back to Ronin. [say]"Melita and I fired the new cannon. Works super well."[/say]
RE: porch light - Ronin - 04-25-2026
Ronin laughs at that, the sound boyish and carefree, and he winks and raises his smoothie in concession. [say]"Alright, you got me with unreasonable and annoying. But that goes beyond just babies and toddlers, I think we could expand that out to everyone we dislike."[/say] He tips his head back to accept a nuzzle from Sugar which is actually her attempt to sneak lower on his shoulders to keep a proper eye on Spice and her baby-watching.
Offering a blase shrug at his being unfair, Ronin notices but doesn't say anything at Flora's initial silence. Not until the apology starts to burn, swift and immediate on his tongue, but before he can give it breath she's moved on, and the baby in her arms seems to be taking her word very seriously indeed based on the way he intently watches her face. [say]"Hey,"[/say] Ronin says through a chuckle. [say]"No trauma, please. I'll take trouble aplenty, but I've already got enough trauma for one lifetime."[/say]
Finishing his smoothie and setting it down on the table, he raises his eyebrows at her news about the cannon. [say]"I thought I heard the sound of gunfire and some spirited whooping,"[/say] he says with a grin. [say]"Glad to hear it. It might be worth training up some new soldiers now that we've got it, maybe. Extra hands to fire cannons and whatnot. Although, things did get quiet suddenly around Rae's Fingers, so maybe we don't need quite as much extra help."[/say]
RE: porch light - Flora - 04-25-2026
Flora tips her head back and then snaps it forward in an exaggerated, emphatic nod, curls bouncing as her grin sharpens. [say]"Oh my gods, perfect,"[/say] she declares. [say]"Maybe one day I’ll ask Safrin for the power to just silence anyone who’s being unreasonable and annoying around me."[/say] The idea lingers in her expression a second longer before it breaks into a snicker, her attention dropping back to the baby in her arms as she leans in slightly, voice lowering just for him. [say]"Don’t listen to him Little C,"[/say] she murmurs, conspiratorial and pleased with herself. [say]"Without trauma he'd just end up a boring old man and he says he doesn't want that, but really he does."[/say]
She lets out a quiet laugh, easing back into her chair again as her gaze lifts to Ronin, the amusement still there as she shifts her grip on the baby. [say]"I did offer Sohalia’s new boyfriend a position working with you, actually,"[/say] she says, as talk turns to soldiers. [say]"I dunno if you know him, Zavien? Ruled Stormbreak for a half a minute before it fell?"[/say] The mention of Rae’s Fingers cuts across that thought before it can settle and Flora stills for a beat, the shift subtle but real as her eyes flick away and then back, her mouth pressing briefly before she exhales through it. [say]"Jack was in Torchline not too long ago,"[/say] she says, the words coming out lighter than they feel, carried on a shrug that doesn’t quite match the weight behind it. [say]"I know he met with the Blackfox, and then he went back to King’s End."[/say] Presumably, anyways.
Her gaze drops again, not avoiding so much as buying herself a second, her thumb brushing absently along the baby’s side. [say]"I dunno what to make of it, really."[/say]
RE: porch light - Ronin - 04-25-2026
[say]"She'd accommodate you, I bet,"[/say] Ronin agrees, his grin fading into something softer but his amusement remaining in full force. [say]"She could give you some celestial tape to just slap over people's mouths, maybe."[/say] And whilst technically Flora should only use her powers for good (aka against people she dislikes), it might also be nice to occasionally use it on Mateo or Enzo for talking too much.
[say]"Who said I didn't want that?"[/say] Ronin groans, stretching his arms above his head and accepting his nip on the ear from Sugar for jostling her about. [say]"My kingdom to be a boring old man. I'd work on the docks and build sandcastles and yell at whippersnappers from my rocking chair on the deck."[/say] And oh, what a glorious life it would be.
He brightens a bit at the mention of Zavien, tilting his head and relaxing once more, scritching Sugar behind the wing as she comes to settle herself in his lap where it's safer and there's a better view across the table. [say]"We've met a few times, actually. Sometimes in better circumstances than others, granted... What did he say?"[/say]
The good humour vanishes immediately when Flora drops Jack's name into the mix as well, Ronin scrunching his nose. [say]"Ugh, that better not be why things have calmed down,"[/say] he mutters, much as he can't deny that it's been good for Torchline overall. [say]"Maybe he was here for business, if he met with the Blackfox. Or maybe he just came back to fuck with you. And if that's the case, don't let him. He's not worth it."[/say]
RE: porch light - Flora - 04-25-2026
Flora’s eyes go wide at the idea, her gasp sharp and delighted as she leans forward in her chair, the baby held steady against her as if this is now a serious planning discussion. [say]"Yes,"[/say] she says emphatically, grinning at Ronin with a kind of wicked approval. [say]"Slapping it over their mouths would feel so satisfying, too."[/say]
She eases back again with a small roll of her eyes, the motion exaggerated but fond as she adjusts the baby slightly higher against her chest. [say]"You say that, but you literally just had magical plant-twins,"[/say] she points out, arching a brow at him. [say]"Not very boring-old-man coded, if you ask me."[/say]
At the question about Zavien, she shrugs, the movement careful so as not to jostle the small weight in her arms. [say]"I’m not sure,"[/say] she admits, glancing down briefly before looking back up. [say]"Sohalia said she’d mention it to him. I know he settled in King’s End, but..there aren’t any soldiers there."[/say] Her mouth tilts faintly, not blaming Sunjata at all for being able to rely on the Refuge and his skills as a demigod to keep his region in line. [say]"Hard to imagine that’s where someone who was a dragoon wants to stay long-term."[/say]
As for the Fingers and Jack's potential smoothing of them, Flora will give her head a little shake. [say]"Okay, but what if that is why things have settled down?"[/say] she says, the question landing more carefully than the ones before it. [say]"Things have been rough since he left, and maybe it’s a coincidence, but..."[/say] She hesitates, not long, but enough to be noticeable. [say]"It also might not be."[/say] Her shoulders rise and fall in a small, restless shrug, the motion at odds with the steadiness she keeps for the baby in her arms. [say]"Do you think it’d ever be worth it to ask him to come back?"[/say] she asks, quieter now, the words chosen as she goes. [say]"Or to, like...I dunno, make it easier for him to?"[/say]
She glances at Ronin then, searching his face, her head tilting slightly as if that might soften the question. [say]"You’re down there way more than I am. Is that a crazy thing to even consider?"[/say]
RE: porch light - Ronin - 04-25-2026
[say]"Maybe the magical plant-twins were my last hurrah before retirement into boring old man times,"[/say] Ronin retorts, waggling his finger at Flora. [say]"If I dont get a pipe and slippers for my next birthday, I'll know you don't really believe in my dreams."[/say] Chuckling to himself, he returns to his fussing over Sugar and tilts his head as she continues about Zavien. He's both surprised and not to hear about the ex-dragoon, the Knight nibbling on the inside of his cheek.
[say]"Well, is he still being a soldier?"[/say] he wonders. [say]"Maybe he's in King's End to do something different. I needed a break from that life more than once, especially after big events."[/say] Stormbreak falling might have made him reconsider. [say]"If not, I promise not to take it personally that he didn't want to move here and work with me,"[/say] he says through a laugh.
Ronin's expression doesn't change this time as the conversation circles back around to Jack, but the dragon in his lap chitters her annoyance and huffs out a cold breath. [say]"As part of your council, I'd say it's certainly not a bad idea. It's not as though Torchline doesn't cast a long shadow, even without him. Having control over the people under that shadow is no bad thing. But if he is responsible for things calming down, you know he could also be responsible for riling them up even more than they are right now?"[/say]
It isn't a simple and clear positive. Nothing is, with men like Jack Barclay.
[say]"As your father, though? Fuck him and fuck whatever he might bring to the table with him. We can handle it without him dredging up the past for you every time you hear about the Fingers."[/say]
RE: porch light - Flora - 04-25-2026
Flora glances down at the baby in her arms, her mouth curving as she shifts him slightly closer, voice dropping just enough to make it feel like a secret she’s letting him in on. [say]"Hear that, Little C? It’s in your hands whether or not he gets to retire,"[/say] she murmurs, before flicking her eyes back up to Ronin with an eye roll that’s all fond dismissal. [say]"Okay, Vi."[/say]
She settles again, her shoulder angling just enough to keep Spice from creeping too far forward. [say]"I dunno,"[/say] she admits of Zavien, shrugging carefully. [say]"I know they were talking about going up north to the desert, helping Colt start a region or whatever, so I think they want to do something, but.."[/say] The thought trails off as she glances back up, a snicker slipping out as she nods once. [say]"Oh no, I think you absolutely should take it very personally."[/say]
The humour fades a touch as she bites lightly at the inside of her cheek, the motion small but there, her gaze dropping before lifting again. [say]"I can’t really see it benefiting Jack to rile the undercity up,"[/say] she says, a little quieter now, the certainty not quite landing. [say]"But I have no idea. I don’t think I ever knew him as well as I thought I did."[/say] Her expression softens when she looks back at Ronin, appreciating the line he was taking on her behalf. [say]"I mean, I know I need to get over it,"[/say] she says, not defensive, just honest, her thumb brushing absently along her brother's side. [say]"At least if he was here, I wouldn’t be jumpscared every time I saw the Ark in the harbour, but.."[/say] She exhales, the rest of it falling away as she shakes her head.
Her gaze lifts again, sharper now, practical where it needs to be. [say]"So you think we should work on our soldiers right now, then?"[/say]
RE: porch light - Ronin - 04-25-2026
[say]"As Vi's demigod, I take that as a compliment,"[/say] Ronin informs her, shooting a smug smile in her direction. Meanwhile, the baby rewards Flora's attention with a pointed gurgle, as if to agree with her sentiments (though what his decision is on his father's retirement is yet to be determined). He finally seems to have noticed the dragon trying to hunch closer, too, eyes fixed on Spice with a mix of wonder and complete bewilderment.
[say]"Start a region...?"[/say] Ronin tilts his head at that, racking his brain for anywhere north in the desert that might be a good place to establish a new settlement. [say]"That's a brave choice,"[/say] he says eventually, but he's hardly one to sway people away from their big ideas. [say]"Well, the desert will definitely need soldiers, I think. So I'll try not to be too butthurt that he prefers sand bugs over me."[/say]
As for Jack, he winces and shrugs. [say]"It would only benefit him in that it would make your life difficult,"[/say] he points out. And who knows if that's worth it to the Captain these days? [say]"If he was here, you could be jumpscared a lot more, though,"[/say] he continues. [say]"At least right now, when the Ark isn't in the harbour, you know you can rest easy."[/say]
But whatever she decides about it ultimately - as queen rather than his daughter - Ronin will of course accept. [say]"I think so,"[/say] he says of their soldiers. [say]"Build our ranks to go with our big new weapon, and next season we can see how things are looking?"[/say]