i'll rig the game for you

Flora

Flora touches down at Stormbreak’s Skyport with all the wobbly grace of a seabird learning to hover. Her stained-glass sails catch the last gleam of daylight as she coasts—more drift than docking—toward an open berth. Two dock workers in sky-blue coats jog alongside, tossing enchanted lines that snake up and secure themselves to the cleats on the outside of her ship's hull. A third worker, spotting the boat’s colourful overload of trunks, hat-boxes, and Mateo’s carefully labelled plant crates, whistles low.

"First time flying her?" he guesses, easing a fender between hull and quay. "You could tell" Flora quips, hopping down in shoes utterly impractical for a dock. A lilac sundress flutters against her legs, the hem snagging briefly on a coil of rope. She tugs it free with a sheepish grin. "She corners like a drunk whale, but she tries her best."

At her nod the crew begins off-loading: crates of lavender starters marked M TALIESIN (THIS SIDE UP), a garment trunk bursting with sequins, and an entire basket of pillows Sohalia insisted were “non-negotiable.” Spice circles overhead, puffing cool air whenever a worker grunts under a particularly ridiculous hat-box.

'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my shit
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Mateo

”Sorellina!” Mateo trills from somewhere just beyond where the workers are dealing with his sister’s (AKA his) many, many trunks and boxes of clothing and accessories. Marching forward through the crowds of travellers like a biblical figure parting a sea in some primary colour, Mateo’s arms are already spread wide to welcome Flora into his embrace. ”It is so nice to see you - and all of my belongings - up here in Stormbreak. Though not for long, or so I imagine, not with the magic you are whipping up.”

Dressed in a pastel blue tank top and wrapped in a shawl decorated in curling waves and leaping fish, he gathers his sister up into his arms and gives her a squeeze. His hug will leave a lingering scent of jasmine and peppermint, and he’s evidently still not as wary of the region as he probably should be given its ruler, based on the dimpled smile on his face. ”Shall we? I had Ever give me a refresher of La Verbena and her equipment - though she is looking quite homely compared to this lovely thing!” He gestures to the bright sails behind Flora.

i've told you time and time again
i'm not as think as you drunk i am

Flora

Flora melts into Mateo’s hug with a genuine smile, the rush and clatter of the skyport falling away for a moment. He smells like jasmine and peppermint and something brighter still—like the sky itself had been caught and bottled for him. When he pulls back, she flicks a glance at the mess of boxes behind her with a dramatic little flourish of her hand.

"Honestly? They’re probably happier here," she says, her voice light but warm. "The Sugar Tide has no idea what she’s in for once I start trying to organize storage properly." Her gaze skims affectionately over the glint of her stained-glass sails before dropping back to him. "Thank you, by the way. For letting me stash some of it at yours. Even if half of it was technically yours to start with." She bumps her shoulder lightly into his, teasing, but there’s gratitude stitched through the words all the same.

Linking her arm through his with easy familiarity, Flora tugs them into motion away from where many, many trunks are being unloaded. "I figured if I’m going to sail across Caido without getting pancaked into a cliffside, I’d better take lessons from the best." Her grin curves, bright and sharp. "But seeing as Ever isn't available..." Laughing, she wrinkles her nose affectionately at the botanist before she allows her smile to politely sip away.

"How's he doing, by the way?" She's heard, of course. The rumour mill on Torchline was second to no other.

'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my shit
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Mateo

"Far be it for me to question how you take care of our shared belongings, but I am inclined to agree," Mateo admits. Granted, he believes the clothes will be happier here because he plans to wear them very frequently to become reaquainted (perhaps several outfits in one day, even), and his eyes rove over the boxes and then up to the colourful sails of the aptly named Sugar Tide. "A moniker as sweet as my sister," he declares, giving her a final squeeze before dutifully linking his arm with hers so he might lead them towards the lavender cascade of La Verbena in the near distance.

"I do not even consider that an insult," he says when it comes to the disparity between his sailing skills and those of his best friend. If anything, a glint of pride shines in Mateo's eyes, one only slightly coloured by guilt and worry as the topic of conversation turns properly to Everest Hart. "I have never seen him this bad," he admits, "though of course I would never say as much to him. I daresay he already knows - that is the problem, right? Knowing what it is he has lost?"

Sighing and shaking his head, he gestures towards the little gangplank that will take them onto the deck of his schooner, letting his sister go first. "I think I am ready to return to Frey about it all, though. I had petitioned for something to help him, a long time ago. But then of course he became infected, and the problems disappeared for a time."

i've told you time and time again
i'm not as think as you drunk i am

Flora

Flora’s fingers tighten gently on his arm at the confession, her chest squeezing in a way she tries to pass off as the wind catching them as they cross onto La Verbena’s gangplank. She doesn’t call him on the way he tries to brighten the edges of the truth—it's something she does too often herself to ever judge.

"Yeah," she says quietly, stepping onto the deck and letting the boards thrum reassuringly under her feet. She glances back over her shoulder at him, the sunlight catching on the waterfall of lavender draped over the ship. "The knowing is the worst part, isn’t it? You can’t outrun it once you’ve seen it."

There’s a brief, sharp echo of herself there—the way it feels to lose something you didn't even know you were about to miss until it’s too late. Her mouth tilts, a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. "I’m glad he's got you, though." Flora bumps her hip lightly into his. "And if he ever wants to go bartend at the Hanged Man, I'm sure the triplets will be happy to have him."

Spice glides overhead, a glittering pearl against the wide sky, and Flora shades her eyes for a second to watch before her grin flickers back into something brighter as she gestures grandly across the deck. "Alright, professor. Where do we start? How not to crash into Stormbreak’s cliffside would be an excellent first lesson because that may or may not have nearly happened on my way up here."

'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my shit
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Mateo

"Mmhm," Mateo hums his agreement, glancing back at his sister as they arrive on the deck of his boat, as if seeing through the false light in her eyes. Reaching out to snag her back briefly against him, he smooches an obnoxious kiss to her forehead before releasing her again. "You have me as well," he reminds her, "in whatever capacity that looks like. And I will mention the Hanged Man to him, though I daresay even if he was feeling good enough to try, the change in ownership would alter everything."

Following her gaze - and her smile - up towards Spice freewheeling overhead, Mateo actually glances over his shoulder as Flora calls him professor, scoffing out a laugh and beckoning for her to follow him up towards the area of his skyship normally reserved for Everest Hart. "Oh, I have also done that," he trills. "It must run in the family. Anyway, Ever always tells me that I should start to turn far earlier than I think I need to, and that I should probably not go so fast." Which is true for every part of his skyship piloting, not just turning, but whatever.

Pointing out the components Flora is likely already familiar with, though with comparatively whimsical names (the round thingy, the left-right thingy and the bit that tells you where north is are common terms), Mateo gestures to the comparatively empty dock. "Shall we learn while doing?"

i've told you time and time again
i'm not as think as you drunk i am

Flora

Flora doesn’t pull away when he tugs her back—just sinks into the brief pressure of his arms with a quiet kind of gratefulness that doesn’t need words. Her forehead still tingles where he kissed it as she murmurs, "So I take it you’ve heard about Jack." She doesn’t phrase it as a question. There’s no point. Torchline’s rumour mill worked faster than most postal services. "And now Koa and Sohalia are…" Her hand flutters vaguely in the air before dropping back to her side, her mouth tugging into a wry, resigned line. "Together? I guess?" Her voice is light, a little too airy to be careless; just Flora, aching and trying not to be.

Still, her fingers brush the controls with the care of someone handling a lover’s diary, reverent and curious all at once. The left-right thingy earns a raised brow, and she hums thoughtfully. "Gonna need a glossary at some point. Maybe flashcards? Illustrated ones. Maybe Everest could make me some." Despite the grin curling at her mouth, there’s real attention in the way she studies what he shows her, the pieces starting to click together in the way they always do when she’s given space to learn at her own chaotic pace.

'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my shit
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Mateo

"I did hear about Jack, yes," Mateo confirms with a small, sad smile. "I quite liked him - shame he turned out to be an asshole." He wants to say shame our dads were right about him but gods, the effort it would take to dig for such humility isn't energy the botanist can spare. "I was considering sending him something poisonous or itchy, but I thought it would be best to check with you first. Offer still stands, though." He winks.

But gods, apparently the rumour mill isn't that quick or efficient, because this is the first he's hearing about Soh and Koa, Mateo's eyes widening. "They are not," he quips, quickly tamping down on his need to gossip to spare his sister's feelings. Instead, even as she starts talking about a glossary and flashcards and things Ever could make that would likely do them both some good if he's honest, he's already turning to crush his sister in another hug.

"That sucks," he tells her emphatically. "I mean... good for them, obviously. But it still fucking sucks. I am sorry."

i've told you time and time again
i'm not as think as you drunk i am

Flora

Flora melts into the second hug without hesitation. She buries her face briefly against Mateo’s shoulder, letting the comfort of him—jasmine, peppermint, the steadfast hum of family—soak into the bruised places she’s been holding too tightly. At his offer to sabotage Jack, though, Flora huffs out a half-laugh, shaking her head. "Nahh," she murmurs, a hand running through her curls to push them back from her flushed cheeks. "I don’t want to fight with him anymore. I’m tired." Her fingers tap absently against the rail. "If I really wanted to hurt him, I could’ve burned him to the ground with everything I know, but.." The words are soft, matter-of-fact, without heat—but even saying them aloud leaves a bitter taste on her tongue. "Sending poisonous plants would probably just blow up in my face anyway," she adds, flashing Mateo a tired, crooked grin. "He always was better at winning the ugly fights."

As for Sohalia and Koa, the Doubletake bounces her brows in confirmation. "Yeah it super sucks, actually," she says quietly, though she squeezes his hand before letting go and straightening, brushing invisible dust from her knee with a theatrical little flourish. "But whatever, I didn’t come up here to crash and burn all over again. I came to figure out how not to crash at all." Her grin sharpens into something fiercer, stitched together with stubborn hope and sheer will.

'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my shit
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Mateo

"Well, I am always ready to fight on your behalf, even if you do not want to right now," Mateo informs his sister, smiling wickedly against her curls and pressing a few kisses there for good measure before he draws back. "So if you ever change your mind, just let me know. I do not think this would blow up in your face, given that I am very good at poisons, and even better at sending gifts." Less so anonymously, but y'know, Mateo can learn. Probably.

With a final smooch to Flora's cheek, he steps back only to raise his eyebrows high enough that they creep into his curls. Burn him to the ground, is it? "Flora," he whines, turning back to the helm and huffing as he nevertheless prepares to take La Verbena on a little flight. "I am not just anyone, you know. I am your big brother and we share a wardrobe. If anybody deserves to know your shitty ex's secrets, it's me."

Passing her a neatly folded note with what Flora will recognise as Everest's handwriting, it's a thoroughly detailed and easy to follow guide for the basic handling and navigation of the schooner. "I am at step 4, I think. Could you read them out?" he asks.

i've told you time and time again
i'm not as think as you drunk i am

Flora

"Ugh, trust me, you don't want to know," Flora huffs. Quite why she was still protecting Jack wasn't a question that she could readily answer other than to say that at least while she'd fucked up, she'd never intentionally been an asshole the way he had.

Plucking up the folded note with a mix of reverence and dramatic flair, Flora holds it up to the light as though it might reveal some ancient secret rather than the aviator's painstakingly neat instructions. "Ever’s handwriting is so tidy it stresses me out," she mutters affectionately, unfolding it with care. "I can already feel it judging my life choices."

She scans the page quickly, brows lifting as she finds where Mateo left off. "Step four: Confirm rudder calibration using the side dial until resistance matches the wind gauge average. Gods, Ever, could you sound more like a sea captain crossed with a maths tutor?"

With a huff, she locates the side dial, adjusting it with careful fingers. "Okay. Resistance is... resisting? I think we’re good." A pause. "Wait, is it supposed to feel like this? Mateo?" She glances over her shoulder, curls whipping in the breeze as she casts him an arched-brow look.

'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my shit
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Mateo

"Ugh, trust me," Mateo counters with the same tone and a roll of his eyes that Flora won't see, "yes I fucking do." Still, he doesn't press the issue any further, merely huffing and focusing on not crashing his own skyship - which is probably the better idea, if they're all honest. Humming some little ditty under his breath and chuckling at his sister's complaints about Ever's handwriting, he waves a hand towards the cabin. "You can doodle on it if it will make you feel better," he says. "I usually do when he gives me notes."

Pulling a face at Step 4 as if Flora is speaking an entirely different language, he nevertheless turns to watch as she adjusts the side dial - a dial he's never seen before in his life, and yet he has definitely been shown it dozens of times by Ever in the past. "It feels good!" he confirms with a wild grin - and yes, odds are he'd have said that regardless of what it felt like or if it seemed normal. "Step 5, let's gooooo!"

i've told you time and time again
i'm not as think as you drunk i am

Flora

Flora makes an exaggerated show of squinting at Ever's precise script, tilting the page dramatically and muttering, "Oh look, Ever wrote 'DO NOT GET DISTRACTED MID-AIR AND START TALKING ABOUT YOUR EX'—how weird," she deadpans, pretending to be utterly absorbed in the parchment rather than digging into the wound any further.

Pressing her lips together to smother a grin at Mateo’s let’s gooo, Flora clears her throat and moves on with a flourish. "Step five," she announces in her best announcer voice, "Perform primary safety checks: inspect rigging tension, verify altitude buoyancy crystals are stabilized, and confirm sail locks are disengaged." She rattles it off in one breath, eyebrows climbing higher with every impossibly tedious task listed.

Lowering the paper to eye Mateo over the edge of it, she shrugs with a helpless little smile. "That's all probably been done, right?" She wonders, already drifting toward the nearest sail lock, giving it a half-hearted but passable inspection.

'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my shit
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did

Code stolen from Queen Sky

Mateo

"Uh huh, did he now?" Mateo grins. "That is very strange, because the note is for me and I do not have any exes." All of Mateo's partners are arguably currents, if you think about it - which he rarely does. Anyway, back to the good part sailing instructions. Turning as she lists off the next few tasks, at that the botanist at least has a bit of recognition in his blue eyes, and he nods. "Ever did the sail-locks and the rigging before he left, so I think it is probably still fine," he says, before rooting around to check the stabiliser crystals he's just learned existed. "These seem fine too!" he confirms, popping back up.

"Please tell me that Step 7 is to sail the ship, because if I find out that there are any other parts of the helm I did not know about, I may cry." His dimpled grin is still as cheerful as ever, at least, so nobody can say that Mateo Taliesin is not good under pressure. "You know, though, I thought that having a magically flying ship meant that it all just happened by fucking magic."

i've told you time and time again
i'm not as think as you drunk i am