brighter as I burn

please remain calm, the end has arrived. we cannot save you, enjoy the ride.
this is the moment you've been waiting for, don't call it a warning. this is a war

He manages to catch her after the initial drama has died down, slipping from the kitchen back toward the party itself. An attempt to check in with her in a way that hopefully wouldn’t make her feel like she has to choose between talking to him and supporting her mother also in attendance. But he’d gone to the kitchen to be useful initially when Flora dazzles her way through, abandoning his task to snag her attention with the light touch to her elbow.

“Happy birthday Flora.” He offers out at first, steel gaze scanning her briefly to make sure she’s okay given everything that had happened between her and Colt, and while he’s sure he’s not the one she’s excited to see here, the glance she’d shot his way for being here once the surprise had been successful seemed to suggest to him she didn’t hate him nearly as much as he’d half expected her to.

He wasn’t the one who got bounced out of the party, at least. “You okay? Things were a little tense in there for a minute.” The last thing he wanted was her party to be ruined, though with the way it had fell back into place after, he’s sure she has other things to focus on.

SUNJATA

Whether I'm gonna curse you out or
Take you back to my house

Flora doesn’t so much stop as she’s caught, momentum easing just enough to let Sunjata fall into step beside her, her movement still bright and drifting as she makes a quiet beeline for the kitchen like it’s the only sensible place left in a world that’s been a little too loud for a little too long. Her hand brushes his arm briefly in passing, an easy, unthinking acknowledgment as she reaches for a glass and tips it toward the pitcher, the soft glug of water a welcome counterpoint to the echo of music still pulsing through the house.

She glances up at him then, grin flashing quick and genuine despite everything, the kind that still holds a trace of earlier sparkle even if it’s been dimmed at the edges. "Thanks," she says, lifting the glass slightly before taking a sip, her shoulders loosening just a fraction as the coolness settles something unsettled in her chest. "Kaisel really outdid himself with all of this."

At his question, though, something in her expression shifts; not dramatically, not enough for anyone across the room to notice, but up close it’s there, the glitter dulled just a touch as her nose wrinkles, her gaze dropping briefly to the rim of her glass like the answer might be written there if she looks hard enough. She exhales softly through her nose, buying herself a second before she tries to put it into words, which is never quite as easy as she’d like it to be.

"You know when you thought someone was a friend and then they just kinda.." Her voice trails, fingers tightening slightly around the glass as she searches for something that doesn’t sound as messy as it feels, eventually giving up with a small, helpless shrug. She takes another sip before continuing, quieter now, less performative, more honest. "Kinda fucked you over. And maybe not in a huge way," she adds quickly, like she’s trying to be fair even now, even when she doesn’t entirely want to be, "but then the way they act about it just makes it all so much worse?"

flora

I haven't decided yet
But I'm gonna get you back

Table by the bestest Sky!

please remain calm, the end has arrived. we cannot save you, enjoy the ride.
this is the moment you've been waiting for, don't call it a warning. this is a war

Moving along with her as she collects a glass and a pitcher of water to pour, Sunjata is not unlike the water magic in his skin when it comes to finding a space to settle beside her to talk, with each touch and smile a boon that leads him to believe she isn’t opposed to his presence here, even if Hotaru was just in the other room. It’s a breath of quiet relief, one he keeps to himself as he focuses his steel gaze on her, trying to read her to see just how she was holding up after all of it. But she’s right, Kai had gone out all for her, and it was a beautiful thing to see. “Yeah, he really did.” His smile brightens a touch, because everyone deserved someone that loved them that much.

But then, this close to her, he can see that fragility bloom in her face, the way that is quiet and just for those close to her. And while she spends time parsing through what she wants to say – something he recognizes all too closely as something he’d learned to do too, given how terrible with words he often is. “Yeah.” He admits with a slight wrinkle of his nose, one that isn’t that noticeable from far away either. “It’s like twisting the knife, yeah.” He sighs before offering her a small, understanding smile.

“I thought she was a friend of mine, too, but then we got into an argument before she left King’s End, so..” Presumably speaking of Colt, that is, because she’d been the one to leave the party and it was not unnoticeable by anyone attending to watch it all unfold, even if he’d tried to down as many blue torchers as he could to feel a bit of a buzz. "What happened between you two?"

SUNJATA

Whether I'm gonna curse you out or
Take you back to my house

Flora exhales softly, nodding once like the motion might settle something restless under her skin, and for a second she has to stop herself from reaching up to rub at her shoulder, the phantom echo of something sharp lodged there making her shift her grip on the glass instead. "Yeah," she murmurs, almost under her breath, before tilting her head toward Sunjata, curiosity slipping in through the cracks of her own frustration. "What was your argument about?"

At his question, her attention drifts back inward, the thread of her own thoughts tugging her along as she takes another sip of water, letting it sit on her tongue for a second like it might cool the irritation simmering there. "It was about her new region or whatever," she says with a small shrug, though the dismissal doesn’t quite hide the edge beneath it. "I told her I’d help however I could, because...I mean, we were friends, so of course I'd help her," she adds, glancing briefly at him before her gaze flicks away again.

Pulling in a breath, she steadies herself, but it doesn’t quite smooth out the hurt that creeps into her voice anyway. "And then I find out she tried to poach my best friend," Flora continues, the words landing sharper now, more defined, "and just now she made it sound like I was trying to control everyone and not let them leave?" The exhale that follows is heavier, more frustrated than she means it to be, and she blinks quickly as that familiar sting presses at the back of her eyes, shaking her head as if she can physically dislodge it. "But it wasn’t that at all," she insists, quieter now, more earnest, like she needs him to understand the shape of it properly. "Obviously people can go wherever they want. I’m not—" She cuts herself off with a small, helpless motion of her hand, searching for something that doesn’t sound defensive even though it feels like she’s being backed into it.

"But if you’re going to, like, intentionally sweeten the deal to get my best friend to move to your region, a heads up would’ve been nice?" Flora says, looking back at him now, something imploring in her expression, frustration and hurt tangled together in a way that refuses to sit neatly. "I mean, Sohalia isn’t just anyone. She’s my best friend, and Colt knows that." Her brows knit slightly, disbelief creeping in at the edges again. "Like, of all the millions of people in Caido, you try to poach her without so much as saying anything to me first?"

flora

I haven't decided yet
But I'm gonna get you back

Table by the bestest Sky!

A sharp flutter of wings announces itself far too close overhead, followed by the scrape of talons and the unmistakable sense that something has landed where it absolutely should not have. A Hel perches nearby, head cocked, eyes bright and calculating as it sizes up the scene.

It hops closer with a series of quick, impatient movements, letting out a short, grating call that sounds suspiciously like a demand, right down to the way it cranes its neck toward packs, baskets, or anything that might reasonably contain food. If ignored, it only grows bolder, wings flicking open as it makes a half-hearted lunge toward anything unattended.

When shooed away, the Hel takes to the air in an indignant spiral, only to settle again moments later a short distance off, clearly unimpressed and entirely unconvinced that the matter is settled. It watches with unwavering focus, occasionally edging closer, testing boundaries with the persistence of a creature that knows it doesn’t need to be threatening to get exactly what it wants.

---

Hels Areas Found: Torchline — Common Hels look vaguely like a species of seagull, but are quite friendly. Should one sit on your shoulder, you will find yourself suddenly able to walk on water! Be careful though, these birds are easily bored. Should they abandon you during an ocean-stroll, you will find yourself sinking into the water potentially hundreds of feet from the shore! Challenge Rating: Easy HP: 38 | To Hit: +26 | Dmg: 9 Movement: Fly 60 ft.; Walk 10 ft. SPECIAL SKILLS Waterwalk Bond: While perched, grants the bearer the ability to walk on water; Boredom Curse: If the hel leaves its perch during waterwalking, the bearer immediately loses buoyancy and begins to sink

TRAITS Friendly Companion: Inclined to approach and perch on willing shoulders; Light as a Feather: Nearly weightless, they do not hinder movement or balance; Ocean’s Familiarity: Innate understanding of currents, tides, and sea weather ACTIONS Peck: A quick tap with its beak, used more in play than aggression

please remain calm, the end has arrived. we cannot save you, enjoy the ride.
this is the moment you've been waiting for, don't call it a warning. this is a war

He’s almost tempted to tell her what it wasn’t about just in case the list was shorter, but the Heartless eventually decides on explaining it as plainly as he can. “Oh not much, just how apparently I didn’t do enough to stop the wildfires in King’s End or help her enough that her ranch didn’t burn down.” He shrugs a shoulder, nose wrinkling because after chatting with Melita about it, it was unlikely for him to really believe it was his fault, no matter how much the voices in his head tried to agree. “She kinda apologized after when she told me she was leaving, though.” As much of an apology as Colt could give, he supposes.

But he settles in, leaning against the edge of a counter to give her his full attention as she starts to explain the issue between Flora and Colt, his steel gaze scanning her face and nodding as she continues – because yeah, he would’ve helped too had she not gone and blamed him for it. Now he figures she can figure out how to manage it on her own.

“Oh shit.” He mutters when she tells him Colt tried to steal her best friend, putting words in her mouth rather than seeing it objectively. So, he nods and works his jaw. Flora wasn’t one to try and keep people from doing the things they needed to – he knew as much from her with his situation and her advice on the subject. And it all just boils down to communication – something Sunjata had tried to work on over the last few years, with plenty of success he thinks. But there was always work to be done.

So he nods, and as she mentions Sohalia, he can imagine the young woman caught up in it, and Flora standing on the side of what could be considered an enemy as Flora’s frustration and hurt crosses her face. “Yeah that’s fucked up.” He sighs, wrinkling his nose. He reaches out for her, then, hoping to tug her in for a hug, imagining that she might want it but giving enough space for her to decide not to if she didn’t want one. “I’m sorry, Flora. Do you think Sohalia’s still going to go or..?” He's cut off by the sight of a hel in the window, pecking incessantly at the window as if it might be able to slip into the kitchen to snag all of the goodies on display.

SUNJATA

Whether I'm gonna curse you out or
Take you back to my house

Flora’s brows lift immediately, incredulity flashing across her face so quickly it almost interrupts whatever she’d been about to say next. "Wait—how is that your problem?" she asks, turning toward him more fully now, the confusion in her tone sharp and genuine as she tries to follow the logic and clearly can’t. Her nose wrinkles faintly, a soft huff leaving her as she shakes her head. "I mean...I guess that’s good, at least," she adds after a beat, conceding the apology with a small, uncertain shrug, even if it doesn’t seem to redeem much in her mind.

She exhales again, slower this time, nodding faintly as if piecing together a pattern she doesn’t particularly like. "I mean, I know Colt’s not really a girl’s girl or anything, but.." The thought trails off into a quiet tsk under her breath, her head shaking slightly like she’s brushing the whole thing aside before it can spiral any further.

When he pulls her in, she doesn’t hesitate, the tension in her shoulders loosening as she melts against his side, arms wrapping around him with a familiarity that feels easy, her cheek brushing briefly against his chest as she exhales. "No," she says, glancing up at him with a small shake of her head, the answer coming without hesitation. "Sohalia said she didn’t want to go and live in the desert."

The sudden movement at the window pulls her attention sideways, her expression darkening into a quick scowl at the Hel, persistent and entirely too bold for her current mood. She watches it for a second like she might actually consider throwing something at it, before dismissing it with a flick of her gaze and turning back to Sunjata instead. Still tucked against him, she tilts her head up, something softer returning to her expression as the edge fades just a little. "Sorry if it was weird seeing mom tonight," Flora says, the words quieter now, more careful, her fingers shifting lightly against his side. "But I really appreciate you coming."

flora

I haven't decided yet
But I'm gonna get you back

Table by the bestest Sky!

please remain calm, the end has arrived. we cannot save you, enjoy the ride.
this is the moment you've been waiting for, don't call it a warning. this is a war

“Who knows.” Sunjata says with an accented huff of a laugh, a shrug of his shoulder. “I let it beat me up for a little while before I realized it wasn’t my fault, she just knew where to hit me where it’d sink in.” His nose wrinkles. It was the hard part of letting someone in, letting someone close, whether they knew it or not. They’d learn the soft spots where a blade would sink in far too easily and he’d unwittingly allowed it to happen.

As the mention of Colt not being a girl’s girl, he huffs a soft sigh of agreement and reaches out to hug her, feeling the tension leak from her shoulders as his arms tighten around her like he might be able to absorb some of the tension and worry that lingers in her being. “That’s good, then.” He doesn’t say whether or not it’s because of the ordeal tonight, that even if Sohalia wanted to go it would look bad given the whole event that had gone down.

It could’ve gone down differently, though much of Sunjata’s own life could have the same thing said about it. Least of all when she tilts her head up to look at him and his steel gaze meets hers, soft and easy and understanding even as her apology comes and the gratitude he’d made it anyway. Shaking his head and laughing lightly, he gives her a gentle squeeze. “No, no. I’m glad she’s here.” He means it, too, it had been exactly what he’d wanted for Hotaru when they’d made their parting. “I wasn’t too sure if you did want to see me after everything, but, I’m happy to be here. And I'm always going to be here for you if you ever need me.” For a man less than stellar with words, he’s trying to convey the point that he’s here for her and not because of who she’s associated to.

And he doesn’t intend on that changing unless she chooses for it to.

SUNJATA

Whether I'm gonna curse you out or
Take you back to my house

Flora’s expression doesn’t smooth out so much as it shifts, incredulity lingering in the crinkle of her nose before it gives way to something more openly displeased, a quiet, unhappy sound slipping from her at the back of her throat as she processes what he’s said. "That’s...really shitty," she murmurs, softer now, her brows knitting faintly as she looks up at him, something protective flickering there before she can quite stop it. She hadn’t realised he and Colt had been close enough for that kind of damage, hadn’t known Colt had gotten near enough to find the soft places in him and press, and the thought lands heavier than she expects, settling somewhere low and stubborn in her chest. "Well," she adds after a breath, "I’m glad you aren’t letting it beat you up anymore."

His next words hit differently, though, slipping past the surface of the conversation and landing somewhere far deeper than she’s prepared for, and for a second it’s like the ground under her shifts just slightly, enough that she has to steady herself without quite knowing why. She hadn’t said it out loud before—not properly, not like this—but the fear had been there all the same, quiet and persistent in the background: that he’d only ever stayed because of Hotaru, because of the parent he'd almost been, and now that that’s gone, he might drift with it, leave her behind as something incidental rather than chosen.

Instead, he stays, and the realisation pulls something tight in Flora's chest, sharp and sudden enough that her breath catches, her arms tightening around him before she even consciously decides to move, pressing in closer as if proximity might anchor the moment in place. She tucks her face against his chest, curls brushing against his shirt, her grip firm around him. "I’ve thought of you as family for so long," she says quietly, the words muffled slightly but no less certain for it, her voice threading something more vulnerable through the usual brightness she wears so easily. "And I was worried that with everything that you..." She falters there, the thought unfinished but understood, her arms tightening around him instead of trying to force it into something neater than it feels. "I don’t want things to change between us."

flora

I haven't decided yet
But I'm gonna get you back

Table by the bestest Sky!

please remain calm, the end has arrived. we cannot save you, enjoy the ride.
this is the moment you've been waiting for, don't call it a warning. this is a war

“It is what it is.” Sunjata says with a soft smile, not letting it get to him anymore. He’s trying his best to not internalize everyone’s issues even when they’re directed at him. So as she takes a breath and tells him she’s glad he isn’t letting it beat him up anymore, he has nothing but agreement writ on his face. “Yeah, me too.” It definitely makes things easier to be a little less apologetic, especially when he’s realized it’s been ages since he’d done anything questionable intentionally. So why continue to let it haunt him?

And everything that had happened since, even with the break up with Hotaru, he’d had his reasons, had thought them through, had been sound with his logic because that’s what he promised himself he’d work on. And even if the result wasn’t what she wanted, it had aligned with his own growth.

It’s just like now, when he pulls her in and tells her that he wasn’t sure if she’d wanted him here, but that he’d wanted to prove to her that he wasn’t going to leave regardless of whether or not Hotaru was her mother and they weren’t together. That he was there for her and that’s how he intends on everything staying, even if things were a bit rocky outside of it. He doesn’t want it to affect their relationship.

But he can’t deny the relief that he feels in his shoulders too as she presses closer, tucking her head against his chest and he holds her close like the daughter she never quite got to be for him, happy to continue trying for as long as she’ll let him. “I’m glad, because I also don’t want things to change between us.” He admits with a soft laugh, giving her a squeeze that comes off more like a promise than anything else. “You’re like the daughter I never really got to have.” There’s something soft in the tone, reminded of Kamaria for a brief moment, before it passes and he withdraws from the hug and adjusts one of the curls trying to stray free from the chaos of the party and the tightness of their hug. “So, you want me to grab anything in here to bring out? Or.. do you need anything at all, I guess?” He asks, lips quirking into a boyishly lopsided smile as he softens the chuckle escaping his throat.

SUNJATA

Whether I'm gonna curse you out or
Take you back to my house

Flora feels it before he says it—the shape of something finished but not quite exhausted, the way silence settles when there’s nothing left that needs saying but a thousand things that still could be—and she exhales softly, the sound quieter now, gentler, her fingers lingering for just a moment longer against him before she pulls back enough to look up. "Hey," she says, not sharp, not urgent, just steady, like she’s placing something down between them with care, "if there’s ever anything I can do...tell me, okay?" Whether as a psuedo adopted daughter, or a leader, or even just as Flora.

But when he says that she is like the daughter he never had, it hits like sunlight breaking through something she hadn’t realized had been overcast, sudden and warm and a little bit blinding. For a second she doesn’t have words for it, just the feeling rising up too fast, too bright, something like a laugh and a shout and a holy shit all tangled together behind her ribs. When she finally looks up at him, it’s all there anyway, in the starshine of her eyes and the crooked, almost disbelieving smile tugging at her lips, her heart too full to be subtle about it even if she tried. "Well," she says, voice catching somewhere between amused and something softer, "both of my dads kinda were forced into having me, so.." She huffs out a small, breathy laugh, shaking her head just slightly. "You have no idea how nice it is to feel chosen by someone."

The moment lingers just long enough to settle into something she can carry with her before it shifts again, lighter now, easier, and when he pulls back she lets him, beaming up at him like she hasn’t just had her entire chest quietly rearranged. "Yeah," she agrees quickly, the energy returning in a brighter, more familiar way as she glances toward the counter. "Let’s bring out some water." She laughs under her breath, eyes widening in exaggerated emphasis as she adds, "Those Blue Torchers were strong," already reaching for a tray and beginning to gather glasses, the motion easy and purposeful as she slips back into the rhythm of the party without quite letting go of what just passed between them.

~FIN

flora

I haven't decided yet
But I'm gonna get you back

Table by the bestest Sky!