[SE] my fingerguns don't betray me

Theea

Yla

I glance down when Soh’s hand touches my arm—just a light gesture, but it settles something in me. I nod quietly at her words, letting them sink in.

“Yeah,” I say after a moment. “My parents weren’t perfect either. But they tried. Gave up a lot to keep me safe.”

I don’t say more than that. There’s no need. Some things are just understood.

When she lifts the cloth again and dunks it, I watch the water ripple in the bucket. Her eye looks worse in the light now—puffier, darker—but she’s still smiling. Grinning, even. I can’t help but laugh.

“Honestly?” I grin back. “If you commit to the sideways thing, I think people would just assume you’re fashion-forward. Trailblazer of asymmetrical movement.”

I stretch my legs out and glance toward the windows, where the light is starting to drift lower, warm and slanted. The air smells like worn wood and leather—grounding in a way.

“Auden’s a good name,” I say eventually. “Sounds steady.” I glance her way again, more thoughtful now. “Did they teach you anything you still carry with you? I mean, not magic or fighting anything—I know not everyone has that in their pocket. But just… the kind of stuff that sticks. The way you talk to people, or how you decide who to trust.”

I shrug lightly. “Most of what I know came from my mom. But she’s more fight-first, talk-later.” My grin tilts wry. “I try to remember my dad’s level head a little more.”

let go of your fears, and jump into the river
as the starlight bleeds out, let it be your new route

A black eye would heal (ask her how she knew), and it bothered her rather less than the last time she'd been injured like this, which had been far more traumatic. It helped that Theea was easy to like - and very clearly not trying to injure the Luminary. Soh grinned in response to Theea's joking. "Okay, but only if we're in it together."

She placed the rag back on her eye. It really wasn't that bad. No doubt the swelling would go down, and the bruise would fade, and this would become a funny story to tell Flora next time they saw her.

"Ah, that explains the black eye, then," Soh teased, trying to imagine an older version of Theea who would be the type to fight first and ask questions later. Then she leaned her head back against the wall, falling into memory.

"Auden was steady," she said, her voice faraway. "They were always putting me first, even if I didn't realize it at the time. And they taught me that actions speak louder than words." Auden had never been the affectionate sort - rather grumpy, in fact - but they had always shown Sohalia what she'd meant to them. "I've always tried to remember that. I haven't always succeeded, but the way you treat people... that's what sticks, you know?"

When memories fade we've got each other
When time and confusion collide

Sohalia

Theea

Yla

I let out a short laugh. “You caught me,” I say, tilting my head with mock guilt. “I was just too jealous of you and Flora. Had to take you out of the picture.”

It’s clearly a joke—completely unserious—but there’s a flicker of something under it I don’t examine too closely. Not jealousy of them, exactly, but of what they have. That easy closeness. The kind of bond that feels lived-in and unshakeable. I haven’t had much of that outside my parents. But Sohalia makes it feel like maybe I could.

I glance over as she talks about Auden, her voice softening, drawing inward. There’s a stillness to the way she speaks—like she’s not just remembering, but carrying something. I don’t interrupt. Just listen.

“I get that,” I say when she finishes. “My parents were like that, too. Always thinking three steps ahead, but only when it came to me. Every move they made—every place we stayed, every risk we didn’t take—was because of me.”

I lean back, letting my head rest lightly against the wall beside hers.

“And yeah,” I add, a little more wryly, “I like to think my actions are good ones.” I hold up my hand, flexing my sore knuckle. “Well. Until I punch my roommate in the face, anyway.” I should really stop making jokes about it. Humor is just how I survive just about anything. Usually. I play with the ends of my hair and make myself move on.. “If you’re in the mood to share… was that what all the dramatic ex-avoiding at the BBQ was about?” I grin, tilting my head slightly. “Because that definitely had a story behind it.”I let out a short laugh. “You caught me,” I say, tilting my head with mock guilt. “I was just too jealous of you and Flora. Had to take you out of the picture.”

It’s clearly a joke—completely unserious—but there’s a flicker of something under it I don’t examine too closely. Not jealousy of them, exactly, but of what they have. That easy closeness. The kind of bond that feels lived-in and unshakeable. I haven’t had much of that outside my parents. But Sohalia makes it feel like maybe I could.

I glance over as she talks about Auden, her voice softening, drawing inward. There’s a stillness to the way she speaks—like she’s not just remembering, but carrying something. I don’t interrupt. Just listen.

“I get that,” I say when she finishes. “My parents were like that, too. Always thinking three steps ahead, but only when it came to me. Every move they made—every place we stayed, every risk we didn’t take—was because of me.”

I lean back, letting my head rest lightly against the wall beside hers.

“And yeah,” I add, a little more wryly, “I like to think my actions are good ones.” I hold up my hand, flexing my sore knuckle. “Well. Until I punch my roommate in the face, anyway.” I should really stop making jokes about it. Humor is just how I survive just about anything. Usually. I play with the ends of my hair and make myself move on.. “If you’re in the mood to share… was that what all the dramatic ex-avoiding at the BBQ was about?” I grin, tilting my head slightly. “Because that definitely had a story behind it.”

let go of your fears, and jump into the river
as the starlight bleeds out, let it be your new route

When talk turned to ex-boyfriends, Sohalia groaned dramatically, channeling her inner Flora. "Gods, it's a mess," she said, throwing an arm over her eyes and wincing as she smacked the bruised one by accident. "Ouch," she groused, but it was a good-natured complaint - she dipped her rag back into the water and returned it to her eye. It might not be doing a whole lot of good, but at least it felt nice.

Huffing out a breath, she said, "It's a long story, and you have to promise not to judge me." Then she waited for an affirmative before launching into the tale.

"Gods, I don't even know where to start. Basically, years ago I briefly ended up dating two guys at the same time - Koa and Jude - and when I broke it off with one, I picked the wrong one." Sorry, Jude. "There was more to it, but basically... I messed things up with both of them because I couldn't decide between the two. Even after I thought I'd picked... I still had feelings for the other. I'm not proud of trying to date them both, but that's what I did. And it ended badly with them both.

"At the time, I was ruling Stormbreak, and the Family kidnapped me when they took over, and then I ran when they finally let me go. Koa spent all that time looking for me, and when he found out I'd run away, he was furious with me.

"So then fast-forward to last season. I ran into Koa in the Greatwood and finally got to apologize for everything, and I guess he was finally in the place to hear it. So we started hanging out, and then... he said he couldn't be friends with me, because he wanted more. But he wanted me to think about it before I gave him an answer.

"I should probably mention that Koa also dated Flora, while I was kidnapped. It was... pretty serious. So when Koa said he wanted more from me, I went and talked to Flora about it, and she said I should go for it if it was what I wanted. But then when I tried to tell Koa I wanted to be with him, he'd changed his mind."

She huffed out a breath, sighing heavily at the weight of it all. She had to admit, when she put it all out there like that... it wasn't a good look for her. "It's just... it's all messy and complicated now. And I don't really know where to go from here."

When memories fade we've got each other
When time and confusion collide

Sohalia

Theea

Yla

I stay quiet as she talks, giving her space to say all of it. There’s so much more than I expected—layers of past and pain, of decisions that must’ve felt impossible in the moment. Her voice stays steady, mostly, but I can hear it—what’s underneath. The weight. The regret. The exhaustion of trying to do the right thing and still ending up hurt.

I don’t know what I expected when I asked, but it wasn’t this.

And then she says it, like it’s just another piece of the story: ruling Stormbreak.

It hits me.

I blink once, then again, almost sure I’ve misheard. But I haven’t. My thoughts stutter to a halt. Because this isn’t just some kind, quick-witted woman who offered me a place to stay. This is the Luminary. How did I not know that? And she’s here. Sitting next to me. Wincing over her bruised eye—the one I gave her—and a warmth in her voice like we’ve always known each other.

It’s too much and exactly enough, all at once.

When she finishes, I don’t speak right away. I need a second just to take it in. Then I let out a long breath and a low whistle, shaking my head.

“That’s… gods, Soh. That’s a lot.” I lean back against the wall again, watching the lanternlight flicker across the ceiling. “Even without the heartbreak stuff, just—Stormbreak. The Family. Losing your home. That’s already more than most people could handle.”

I pause, trying to find the right words. Not the comforting ones, but the true ones.

“You didn’t deserve anger for leaving.” My voice is steady now, anchored by something sharper than sympathy—conviction. “Not when it comes to the Family. You deserved compassion. A soft place to land. Not judgment.” I look at her, really look, and there’s no pity in it. “My mom always said: never pick the person who treats you like an option.” I let it hang there for a moment before I speak again, softer this time.

“You’re not an option, Sohalia.” Her name feels deliberate on my tongue, and it has to be. She’s got to hear me. “You’re someone’s certainty. Their peace. Their once-in-a-lifetime, if they’ve got any sense at all.” I glance back at the water bucket, then down at my scraped knuckle, suddenly feeling very small and taking up too much room all at once. “And if someone can’t see that… then they were never the one to begin with.”

I scoff a little laugh and I try not to let the ghost of a new sort of loneliness creep up on me. “Not that I’d know anything about it.” I’ve never even had that with a friend. I wonder if I will now, between Soh and Flora.

let go of your fears, and jump into the river
as the starlight bleeds out, let it be your new route

Sohalia couldn't look at Theea as she spoke, too ashamed and afraid of what she might see in her new friend's gaze. She knew all the ways that she'd messed up - and there were so many - and she couldn't bear the thought of sending Theea running for the hills. After all, who would want to get tangled up in the Luminary's web, after seeing the skeletons in her closet?

But then Theea spoke, and what she said was something that Sohalia had never heard before, had never even considered. Never pick the person who treats you like an option. The young woman looked up sharply at that, blinking, ready to argue that that wasn't what was happening - but wasn't it? She bit her lip, looking away again, her brow furrowing as she considered this new perspective.

Then Theea scoffed a laugh, and Soh joined her, bumping her new friend's shoulder affectionately with her own. "You're very wise, you know that?" Soh said, meeting Theea's gaze with an intentional smile, recognizing the kind of loneliness that she'd once felt when she'd left the Grounds. Then, huffing a sigh, Soh got to her feet, reaching to tug Theea along with her. "Come on, I think I'm all worn out for today. Let's go find somewhere to get something to eat. Or we can grab takeout and just go home. Your choice."

fin

When memories fade we've got each other
When time and confusion collide

Sohalia