flora
Flora’s grin falters for the barest moment at the mention of Koa, her fingers drumming lightly against the bar as a flicker of something unreadable passes through her aqua eyes. It’s gone just as quickly, replaced by a carefully maintained smile. “Mmm, well, Koa’s got good instincts,” she says breezily, though there’s a faint edge to her tone, the kind that might have gone unnoticed if Tal wasn’t so perceptive. “But don’t let it go to your head, Courier Extraordinaire.” She winks at him, leaning forward on her elbows against the bar as if to push past the moment entirely.
When he mimics her drumming with a flourish, she chuckles, her gaze narrowing playfully. “About your payment...” she drawls, her voice warm with mischief. Reaching beneath the bar, she retrieves two items: a small velvet bag and a rolled piece of parchment. The velvet bag jingles faintly as she places it on the counter, and with a dramatic flick of her wrist, she sets the parchment down beside it.
“Option one,” she begins, tapping the velvet bag with a manicured nail, “a lovely collection of dragon scales and manticore feathers. Rare, valuable, and likely to fetch a tidy sum wherever you decide to trade it.”
Then, with a coy tilt of her head, she unrolls the parchment, revealing it to be blank. “Or option two: a no-questions-asked favour, redeemable at any time. Just my signature here to make it official.” Her aqua eyes sparkle with challenge as she leans closer, her curls brushing against her cheek. “Choose wisely, Tal. You only get one.” Her gaze lingers, as if daring him to pick. The careful weight of her smile doesn’t waver, but the faint tension in her fingers where they rest on the counter might betray that Koa’s name still lingers in her mind, unspoken but not forgotten.
When he mimics her drumming with a flourish, she chuckles, her gaze narrowing playfully. “About your payment...” she drawls, her voice warm with mischief. Reaching beneath the bar, she retrieves two items: a small velvet bag and a rolled piece of parchment. The velvet bag jingles faintly as she places it on the counter, and with a dramatic flick of her wrist, she sets the parchment down beside it.
“Option one,” she begins, tapping the velvet bag with a manicured nail, “a lovely collection of dragon scales and manticore feathers. Rare, valuable, and likely to fetch a tidy sum wherever you decide to trade it.”
Then, with a coy tilt of her head, she unrolls the parchment, revealing it to be blank. “Or option two: a no-questions-asked favour, redeemable at any time. Just my signature here to make it official.” Her aqua eyes sparkle with challenge as she leans closer, her curls brushing against her cheek. “Choose wisely, Tal. You only get one.” Her gaze lingers, as if daring him to pick. The careful weight of her smile doesn’t waver, but the faint tension in her fingers where they rest on the counter might betray that Koa’s name still lingers in her mind, unspoken but not forgotten.
Flexing like a goddamn acrobat
Me and karma vibe like that
Me and karma vibe like that
