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little did you know - Flora - 05-08-2024
Despite the way Deepfrost had brought snow and ice to most of Caido, Torchline remained blissfully untouched. The presence of Starfall hadn't changed that, at least, and though it still loomed ominously on the horizon, if you turned your back to it and walked the opposite way down the coastline, you could almost pretend it wasn't there.
Almost.
Truthfully, there were lots of things Flora wished that she could ignore these days. She wished she could ignore the ongoing hostilities between her mother and her step-father, wished she could ignore the fact her best friend had disappeared (or, been kidnapped?), and that Koa had returned, and honestly, she would probably have kept ignoring Seren's return as well if her step-sister hadn't been at the tournament. But she had, and gods she'd come across like such a bitch if she didn't at least reach out.
So it was that as dusk began to fall and the sky turned a brilliant ruby-red, that Flora waited by one of the little drink stalls by the shore. Wearing an oversized sweater (one of her twin's, actually), the queen ordered herself a shot of something and downed it smoothly, hoping it would soothe her already frayed nerves.
RE: little did you know - Seren - 05-10-2024
She arrived with the first kindling of stars, bringing a piece of night with her that did not fade in the brilliance of the sunset. She could have been anyone, with her raven hair tousled by the ocean wind and her hands half drowned by the oversized sweater that rode low on freckled shoulders. Barefoot out of habit, still wearing her white sun dress in stubborn defiance of the season, with a dreamy smile lingering as an afterthought about her lips as she drifted towards her little sister. Could have, but was not; not with those weightless steps or the starlit aura that clung to her limbs.
[say]"Hello, Flora,"[/say] she greeted warmly, any nerves buried deeper than might be perceived. She opened her arms to the young woman, with a curious tilt of her head. [say]"Are you a hugger? Hope I did not keep you waiting too long."[/say]
RE: little did you know - Flora - 05-10-2024
Indeed, Seren was a sight to behold. With all of her father's humanly good looks and with her mother's ethereal aura literally clinging to her skin, it was impossible not to recognize the demigoddess for precisely who she was. Flora, who had always been overly concerned with her looks and how she appeared to others had obviously taken note of her step-sister's appearance, though as Seren approached, the Doubletake was rendered a touch speechless at just how deep her beauty truly ran.
[say]"Hey!"[/say] The queen chimed brightly as she set down her shot glass. Glancing into Serens' open arms, Flora grinned and nodded. [say]"You bet."[/say] Slipping into the demigoddess's arms and wrapping her own around Seren in turn, Flora gave her sibling a quick squeeze. [say]"This is weird, huh?"[/say] She mumbled as she pulled back, offering Seren a lopsided smile.
[say]"Drink?"[/say]
RE: little did you know - Seren - 05-18-2024
Her sister was warm and bright as the Torchline sun. Seren held her tightly for as long as Flora allowed, and would have lingered close for far longer still. But she understood the awkwardness, even if she didn't feel it, and returned the crooked smile with one that was warm and reassuring.
[say]"A bit, yes. Don't feel like you have to act like we know each other - as long as you are comfortable, I will be too."[/say] After all, they were strangers. That their fathers were married made them sisters, and Seren's friendship with Hotaru was another connection that tied them together - but those were extraneous things that didn't matter unless they both chose to let it.
[say]"Please. Do they have any good wine?"[/say] Willing to let herself be guided to something suitable, Seren made herself comfortable next to her younger almost-relative.
RE: little did you know - Flora - 05-30-2024
Laughing at that, Flora could only nod, her eyebrows raised until they disappeared beneath her bangs. [say]"Well someone is wise beyond her years."[/say] The Doubletake praised before pausing slightly and regarding Seren with her head tilted to the side. [say]"Or...I mean, I guess you are older than me."[/say] Flora corrected with a shrug; it likely had only seemed that way because Seren hadn't been around for so much of Flora's life, but then, it wasn't as though time had just stopped for the demigoddess.
Had it?
[say]"Not as good as my bar, but yeah, it's drinkable."[/say] So saying, Flora nodded to one of the barkeeps and ordered them each a chilled glass of sweet white wine. Once the stem of her glass was between her fingers, the queen immediately raised it toward Seren's own in a toast.
[say]"Cheers. To sisters."[/say]
RE: little did you know - Seren - 05-31-2024
[say]"A bit older, yeah. But not as much as I should be,"[/say] Seren acknowledged. [say]"To sisters!"[/say] Accepting the glass she raised it in turn and tapped the rim against Flora's, leaving a silvery tone humming in the air between them. Sipping tentatively, the wine was cool and sweet on her tongue, bringing to mind a number of things that Seren could barely place. Fruits, flowers, something barely remembered - she sipped again and smiled, pleased with the sensation.
[say]"Your bar must be amazing if this is only 'drinkable',"[/say] she laughed. [say]"What made you decide to do that?"[/say]
Finding a bench for them, she sat down and patted the wood next to her in case Flora wanted to get off her feet. A salty breeze kept tousling her hair, but it didn't seem to bother the starchild; she merely smiled and watched as people milled back and forth, sometimes stopping to buy drinks and sometimes slipping away down towards the beach, to melt into the shadows between bonfires and torches. It felt good to be there. Felt good to be home again, with sand beneath her feet and ocean music in her ears.
RE: little did you know - Flora - 06-01-2024
[say]"Ohmygods, right? My twin and I went to a shrine when we were kids and then just...boom. Teenagers."[/say] It made the question of how old are you sort of impossible to answer; really, she was...what? 6? Which, if that was the case, it made a good deal of the activities she regularly got up to straight-up illegal.
[say]"Oh, it is. You'll have to come one day."[/say] Flora agrees proudly. As for the why? With a slightly self-deprecating roll of her eyes, the Doubletake grins over her shoulder. [say]"Welllll, to be honest, I wanted to be Torchline's queen for a while, but lost the election the first go around. When that happened, I sort of just poured myself into the bar because it felt like I had nothing else, you know? My twin had died, my parents all lived somewhere else, and I was just here trying to make a name for myself that didn't rely on being a Taliesin or a Katio."[/say] Eventually, she'd leaned hard into her familial relations, but for those few seasons, Flora had been deadset on doing things on her own.
Sitting down at Seren's side, Flora twists somewhat so that she could peer at her sister. [say]"Do you ever feel like that? Y'know, being Ronin and Safrin's daughter?"[/say]
RE: little did you know - Seren - 06-05-2024
[say]"I can imagine,"[/say] she nodded with feeling, because her own aging was less than normal. [say]"I grew in stages, and the skips were both overwhelming and painful. I think I caused a good few of father's gray hairs over that."[/say] Shaking her head ruefully, Seren shifted to see Flora better as she launched into the telling.
And found herself both impressed and inspired by what she heard. [say]"Oh, all the time. And since I am my mother's demigod, it isn't something I can truly step away from. But that is also why I came back. To figure out who I am beyond that."[/say] Scuffing the ground with her bare soles, Seren gazed up at the sky. Surrounded by so much light, the stars seemed pale and distant. Sometimes that bothered her, while at others it felt very necessary.
[say]"Do you know if there are any artisan guilds around these days? I've been thinking I want to try painting more. Or maybe sculpting. It would be fun to share ideas with others."[/say] Educational too, in a way that working on her own couldn't quite offer.
RE: little did you know - Flora - 06-07-2024
[say]"Hah! You should point every single one out to him. He loves it."[/say] Flora said with a sarcastic laugh; nothing sent the Knight into quite the tailspin like pointing out that he was getting old. Something the Doubletake took it upon herself to do often.
Letting her smile fade, Flora takes a sip of her wine before spinning the step of the glass between her fingers. [say]"That sounds...honestly, impossible."[/say] With no small amount of sympathy, the queen offers her sister a crooked smile. [say]"Especially with it being Safrin. People sort of love her or hate her. I imagine that's hard to get away from."[/say]
As for guilds? Closing one eye and staring off toward the horizon, Flora found herself coming up entirely blank. [say]"No idea. I know Remi started one in the Grounds back in the day. I think it might still be going? But the only ones I know of are the Adventurer's, Monster Hunters, or —"[/say] Pausing, Flora eyed her counterpart for a moment, deciding that perhaps her first outing with her sister wasn't the best time to mention the true nature of Flora's own guild. [say]"—the Lost and Found. But maybe you could start one?? I'd totally join, and I'm sure Ronin and Remi would too."[/say]
RE: little did you know - Seren - 06-08-2024
The sigh Seren let out was heartfelt and not just a little exasperated. [say]"I know, and she won't listen to anyone who even hints at her being wrong. I can suggest it once but more than that then I'm in trouble... Even Vi can't reason with her, not that I think he ever would... So I've just decided I'm not going to get involved. Mother's relation with each person is between them, I wash my hands!"[/say]
Raising her hands as if to literally avoid even touching the subject, her rueful smile at Flora held a touch of guilt. [say]"I suppose that's not what I should be doing, right? I ought to champion her and say she never does anything wrong ever."[/say] But while her love for her mother was unconditional... it would be a stretch to say Seren thought her goddess and parent to be without flaw.
Sipping her wine, the idea of forming her own guild was a new one. It wasn't something Seren had ever been interested in, but if there wasn't something out there that she could simply join in with... [say]"Is it difficult? I never tried to lead anything before. What would I need to do?"[/say] Flora should know; at this point the girl had done more of leading than Seren ever even attempted, and she was full of admiration at the competency her sister displayed at such a young age.
RE: little did you know - Flora - 06-09-2024
[say]"I mean, I really like her."[/say] Flora says with a small shrug, not wanting to say anything that might cause the goddess to suddenly descend down upon the two sisters. [say]"And honestly, people are so wishy-washy these days, it's kind of refreshing to have at least one of the gods just, like, be who they are?"[/say]
Grinning over her shoulder, Flora takes another sip of wine before giving her head a shake. [say]"She can read thoughts though, can't she?"[/say] She laughs. [say]"Pretty sure you'd still be sent to your room if you lied to her face about always thinking she was doing the right thing."[/say] Then again, Safrin did seem to be more a fan of actions rather than intentions, so honestly, who knew.
[say]"Uhhh, I mean, not really?"[/say] Flora answers before taking a beat to put a little more thought into it. [say]"I guess you get what you put in. If you work really hard and care a lot about it, I think other people would too. If it's just a building that you, like, are the owner of, then..."[/say] She shrugs; that was life, though. You got what you put into it.
RE: little did you know - Seren - 06-25-2024
Seren laughed and nodded. [say]"True enough! And sure she can, though I doubt she does it all the time. There's something to be said for allowing people to prove themselves, and whether someone chooses truth or falsehood when placed in a difficult spot says a lot about their nature."[/say]
Wriggling her toes and warming one foot against the ankle of the other leg, Seren gazed over at her sister and nodded slowly. It made sense, and it was an approach to dealing with life in general that she rather enjoyed.
[say]"Are you getting back enough?"[/say] she wondered, thinking of the massive undertaking it must be to lead a whole region. [say]"You have been working so hard on restoring this land, and the city... Has anyone remembered to thank you yet?"[/say]
RE: little did you know - Flora - 06-25-2024
[say]"Mmm, fair enough."[/say] Tempted as Flora was to argue (and honestly, when wasn't that the case), she wisely shrugged her shoulders instead of continuing on. If anyone knew what it was Safrin was prone to do or not do, surely it was her daughter.
Thanking her? Biting at the inside of her cheek to keep from braying laughter lest her sister think she was being mocked, Flora just twisted her lips into a smile as she gazed out toward the water. [say]"I guess I've never really thought of it. The way I was raised...you just kind of get stuff done and do what needs doing."[/say] At least that's how it had been with Ronin and Remi, and where Hotaru and Sunjata were concerned...being thanked wasn't really the word she'd use to describe what sentiments people had towards them.
[say]"Pretty sure Hadama has said thank-you before, though."[/say] Puzzling at that, Flora raised her glass to her lips and took a sip. [say]"But...I don't know that I've ever thanked him. Fuck."[/say] Flora's look of confusion melted into laughter as she glanced over her shoulder at Seren and playfully rolled her eyes.
RE: little did you know - Seren - 07-05-2024
Laughter was unlikely to hurt the starchild, who would rather see people's teeth over their tears even if it was at her expense. Sipping on her drink, she watched Flora with a mild gaze as the young queen fumbled with the question and smiled easily as their eyes met.
[say]"Yeah? I am sure he knows it already. I am glad you feel fulfilled in what you do - it's the saddest thing when what we want is more draining than rewarding."[/say]
Leaning over, she nudged her shoulder lightly against her sister's, as brief or lingering a touch as she would permit. [say]"I know I've only been here for a brief time... but I see what you have accomplished already. I'm so proud to be able to call you my sister... "[/say] Rubbing her nose bashfully, Seren laughed softly at the sentimental twist this had taken. Was it the wine? She honestly was not used to drinking much at all.