& it was like slow motion standing there in my party dress

yeah I got heartbreak that I reminisce about

The noise of the party falls away behind her like a tide receding too quickly, leaving everything just a little too exposed in its wake, and Flora doesn’t slow as she slips into the hallway, her heels clicking sharply against the floor in a rhythm that feels far too loud for the quiet she’s stepped into. For a second it’s just space and shadow and the faint echo of laughter bleeding through the walls, and then she finds Soh, turned away, small in a way Flora has never once associated with her, and something in Flora’s chest tightens hard enough that it almost knocks the breath from her.

"Hey—" The word comes softer than anything she’s said all night, instinctively gentled, already reaching before she’s fully closed the distance, her hand catching Soh’s arm with a familiarity that doesn’t ask permission so much as assume it. She turns her gently, carefully, like handling something that might bruise if she’s not paying attention, and then she’s pulling her in, arms wrapping around her best friend without hesitation, sequins pressing cool against skin, gold rings brushing fabric as she tucks Sohalia in close. It isn’t graceful or measured, it’s immediate and just a little bit fierce, like she’s trying to gather her back into something whole again before the moment has a chance to fracture any further.

"I’ve got you," she murmurs, low and steady against her hair, the words slipping out without thought, her chin tipping down as she holds her there, one hand smoothing instinctively along her back in a slow, reassuring pass. The sharpness from moments ago hasn’t vanished so much as been redirected, folded inward into something protective and certain, her grip firm enough to mean it without ever feeling like a cage.

real big things I still gotta figure out

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

So here's to everything coming down to nothing
Here's to silence that cuts me to the core

Everything was too much, too loud, too happy. The music trickling through the walls, the laughter echoing down the hall - it all stung where it landed, like slap after slap reminding Soh that she was stupid to have thought that she might find a place outside of Flora’s arms, just a silly girl to have felt like she was wanted for anything more than a number. The beat of the drums from the party pressed into the base of her skull. Stupid, they chanted. Stupid, stupid. The walls felt like they were pressing in on her, caging her in, and suddenly all she wanted was to leave before she ruined any more of the party.

She wanted Zavien. His support, his love, the unconditional way he cherished her. Not this… whatever friendship she’d thought she’d had with Colt. Not like she was some scrap to be fought over, some transactional thing to be won.

She hadn’t heard much of the conversation, but it had been enough, enough that mortification and shame and even, perhaps, a little anger had taken root beneath her skin. She’d never wanted this, had never meant for something she’d considered to hurt people or cause drama or anything like that. How has things gone this wrong so quickly?

No wonder she hadn’t led Stormbreak again before the fall. What use was she, anyway?

Fractured, fragmented thoughts swirled, so loud that she barely heard Flora’s gentle hey before she was being wrapped into a hug. Leaning into her best friend’s hold, a few tears leaked free. ”I’m fine,” Soh lied. ”It’s fine. I - don’t want to interrupt your party, it’s your birthday, and you should - you should have a good time.”

But this was Flora, and she wasn’t going to leave, especially not after such a bald faced lie. Soh took a shuddering breath, a bitter laugh huffing from her lips. ”I don’t know why I’m so emotional,” she said. ”It wasn’t like I was dying to go to the desert anyway.” But something about having the choice taken from her still stung. ”I just… thought we were friends, but friends don’t… call each other liars.”

Where is this going?
Thought I knew for a minute, but I don't anymore

Sohalia

yeah I got heartbreak that I reminisce about

Flora doesn’t loosen her hold when Soh tries to brush it off, not even a fraction, because she knows that tone, knows the way those words are meant to slip past her like something harmless when they’re anything but, and it’s only when that brittle little laugh breaks through that she pulls back just enough to see her properly. Her hands come up immediately, instinctively, thumbs sweeping under Sohalia’s eyes to catch the tears before they can drag through carefully done makeup, her touch gentle but efficient, having done this before and will do it again without hesitation.

"I had no idea she was such a bitch," she says, the words landing with a kind of blunt, unfiltered honesty that feels almost at odds with the careful way she’s still brushing away the dampness from Soh’s cheeks, her brows lifting slightly as if the conclusion is both obvious and deeply irritating.

It’s unfair, somewhere in the back of her mind she knows it is, knows there’s more to Colt than the sharp edges she just saw, but that thought doesn’t stick, not when the aftermath is standing right in front of her, not when Soh looks like this. "Literally, I thought she’d be like ‘oh, sorry, I didn’t even think of it like that,’ and then that would’ve been it," Flora continues, her tone sharpening despite herself, frustration threading through the words as her hands fall to Soh’s arms, grounding, anchoring. "But to double down and act like I didn’t deserve a heads up? And then try to twist it around like I’m just forcing everyone to stay around me?" She gives a small, incredulous shake of her head, curls shifting with the motion. “"When this was never about what anyone decides to do, it was about her not bothering to tell me in the first place."

Her jaw tightens, a flicker of that earlier fire returning as she exhales through her nose, shoulders drawing in slightly before she pushes the tension out again. "And you didn’t even lie to her," she adds, more quietly but no less firmly, her gaze searching Soh’s face like she’s piecing something back together. "You did think about it. That’s not lying, that’s..being a decent person who doesn’t want to shut someone down harshly." There’s a faint, bitter edge to her next breath. "Though I guess we’ve clearly seen Colt only thinks about herself, so no wonder she doesn’t get that."

The anger drains as quickly as it flared, leaving something softer, more tired in its wake, Flora’s shoulders sagging just a touch as her hands slip from Soh’s arms, lingering for a moment before dropping. Her voice, when she speaks again, is smaller, quieter, stripped of all the glitter and sharpness she’s been wielding like armour all night. "I really did think we were friends."

real big things I still gotta figure out

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

So here's to everything coming down to nothing
Here's to silence that cuts me to the core

Flora's words startled a soft, incredulous laugh from Soh, even as tears still prickled at the corners of her eyes, even as she wasn't sure the shape of them was entirely fair to Colt. "Seriously," she hiccuped. "I spent way too long on this makeup to have it ruined by tears." The joke, such as it was, fell flat, but no more of said tears fell, wiped gently and carefully away by Flora's care.

Soh sniffled faintly as Flora gave more context for the conversation that she had missed out on, but she still felt like she was reading every other page in a book, like someone had stolen half the words before handing it over with a good luck, enjoy and a smile. What seemed like it was black and white to Flora felt to Soh like a page written in screaming color, and she wasn't sure anymore what her opinion was on the matter - not that now seemed like a good time to debate it, when Flora had just done her best to defend Soh, and had come rushing after her like she always had when her best friend needed her.

Still, Flora was right about one thing: Soh had never lied. She had maybe made a mistake in how she'd gone about telling Flora about Colt's offer, but everything she'd done, everything she'd said, had been truthful - to both women. Gods, in all her life, her honesty had gotten her into more trouble than anything else, when all she'd ever tried to do was be open and truthful - and look where she'd ended up, again.

"I'm so sorry, Flora," Soh sniffled at last. "I should have just told her no to start with, then this never would have happened. And, oh, your party! Kaisel worked so hard to make it perfect, and now -" Now she'd ruined it.

Where is this going?
Thought I knew for a minute, but I don't anymore

Sohalia

yeah I got heartbreak that I reminisce about

The laugh that slips out of Flora is almost surprised, like it catches her off guard on the way up, but it’s real, warm in a way that loosens something tight in her chest at the sound of Soh sounding even a little bit like herself again.

The apology hits and Flora’s head is already shaking before Soh can even finish it, immediate and firm, her hands coming back to settle on her arms with a quiet insistence. "No, no, none of this is your fault," she says, not sharply but with certainty, like she won’t even entertain the idea long enough to let it take root. "And I’d still have been pissed at Colt for trying to poach you without at least saying something to me first even if you'd told her to fuck off right then and there." It isn’t about ownership, not really, not the way Colt had tried to twist it into something territorial and small, but because Flora had believed—had trusted—that what existed between her and Colt was something that came with the basic decency of a heads-up, the kind of unspoken understanding that sits beneath friendship like a foundation you don’t realize you’re relying on until it cracks.

At the mention of Kaisel and the party, Flora lets out a low groan, dragging one hand briefly over her face before digging into the pocket of her dress, producing a folded bit of parchment. Reading it, she scribbles something quick and messy, barely pausing to think before tucking it away again, the motion brisk and purposeful, like tying off a loose thread before it can unravel anything else. "No way are we letting Colt ruin the night," she says, shaking her head, the words carrying a flicker of stubborn resolve that feels far more like her.

Then she exhales, slower this time, letting the rest of it fall away as she refocuses entirely on Soh, her expression softening, the sharp edges receding into something quieter, more careful. "You know I’m not forcing you to stay here, right?" she asks, voice gentler now, searching her friend’s face as if she needs to see that understanding reflected back. "If you wanted to move to the desert—" she huffs a small breath that almost turns into a laugh, shaking her head, "I mean, I’d think it was crazy because Torchline is better in, like, every conceivable way, and I’d miss you like crazy and probably tell you every day how nuts you are, but…" Her words trail slightly as she frowns, her hand lifting to rub absently at her arm, the motion small.

"I just hate how she made it seem like I was controlling everyone," Flora admits, quieter now, the frustration still there but softened by something more vulnerable beneath it, her gaze flicking away for just a second before returning to Soh. "All because I want you all here? I mean..who wouldn't want that?"

real big things I still gotta figure out

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

So here's to everything coming down to nothing
Here's to silence that cuts me to the core

Flora's quiet insistence that she wasn't in the wrong went a long way towards soothing Soh's wounded soul, even though she wasn't entirely sure that she believed the Doubletake. Somehow, somewhere, this was her fault - even if only in a small way - and even that was too much to bear when it had hurt someone she cared about.

Still, she offered a small, crooked smile that fell away too quickly as Flora softened, offering an explanation that was completely unnecessary. The frown that crossed her face was neither angry nor resentful, but full of a quiet certainty that permeated her tone as she replied. "Flora, you've never done anything except support me," she said quietly. "If I wanted to fly to the moon, I'd fully expect you to force me to use my pegasus shift so you could come with me."

Reaching out, she tugged Flora into a firm hug. "You're not controlling anyone, least of all me." Breathing in her friend's sea salt and floral scent, she pulled away just enough to meet Flora's gaze. "You tell me when I'm crazy, and you make me think things through when I'm too excited to talk straight, and if I actually wanted to move to Hak Etme and live like a sand flea, you'd be there cheering me on. I know that. All of us that love you know that."

Softening, she took a deep breath. "I don't know what my future holds, exactly, but who does? All I know is that I can count on you to be a part of it. At least after today, we know it won't be in the desert."

Where is this going?
Thought I knew for a minute, but I don't anymore

Sohalia

yeah I got heartbreak that I reminisce about

The laugh that escapes Flora this time feels different, fuller somehow, like she hadn’t realized she’d been holding her breath until Soh’s words gave it somewhere safe to go, her grin breaking wide and bright across her face as she shakes her head, curls shifting with the motion. "That does sound exactly like something I’d do," she admits, the fondness in her voice unguarded now, before one shoulder lifts in an easy shrug. "Or maybe I could make the Sugartide fly that high so you’d have somewhere to land and wouldn’t have to carry my ass the whole way," she adds with a grin.

She leans into the hug without hesitation when Soh pulls her in, arms winding back around her best friend and this time when she exhales it’s long and heavy, the last of that tight, prickling tension finally loosening under the steady weight of reassurance. "Okay," she murmurs into Soh’s shoulder, "well, so long as it was just Colt trying to be hurtful, that I can deal with," adding a small, dismissive shrug even as she lingers there a moment longer than necessary, like she’s making sure the feeling sticks.

Pulling back just enough to look at her, Flora’s mouth curves into a crooked, conspiratorial smile, something warmer and lighter settling back into place now that the storm has passed. "As for the future," she huffs, rolling her eyes with theatrical disdain that feels much more like herself again, "fuck Colt and fuck the desert. Whatever comes next for you is going to be a billion times better than sunstroke and sand fleas."

real big things I still gotta figure out

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

So here's to everything coming down to nothing
Here's to silence that cuts me to the core

Grinning in spite of herself, Soh wrinkled her nose. "Oh, now that's just insulting to both of us," she joked. "You're not that big, and I'm not that weak." Never mind that Soh wasn't as strong as she should be - she could still carry Flora to the moon and back if pressed to do so.

The hug lingered, but Soh didn't mind. She wasn't in a hurry to let go, determined that Flora should feel the full weight of her reassurances. Whatever had transpired at the party, Soh couldn't say whether or not Colt had been purposefully trying to cut with her words - but she'd certainly left behind a few scratches bleeding out in her wake. Maybe the intent didn't matter as much as the outcome. "Promise. I know you have my back, always." No matter what the future held, no matter what their disagreements, Soh had never questioned what Flora would or wouldn't do for her. It was an unspoken promise between them, the kind that transcended all else.

Pulling back, Soh offered a conspiratorial grin, feeling far better than she had to start. She still had questions, still felt guilty, but now she could at least see past all of that to the other, much less sunstoke-y, side. "Gods, it would have been terrible on my complexion, anyway," she said, tossing her hair playfully over her shoulder. "Can you imagine the peeling after I burned?"

Linking arms with Flora, Soh tugged her back towards the party. "Okay, so I think you still have cake and presents and dancing waiting for you," she said. "So I'll stop hogging you and we can go get this party started for real."

fin

Where is this going?
Thought I knew for a minute, but I don't anymore

Sohalia