Simon says, get the fuck up

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

Flora makes a half-hearted noise of protest as Kaisel slides in beside her, his playful nudge earning a faint, reluctant smile despite the state she's in. Her glass is relinquished without a fight, a sure sign that something truly is amiss, though she wrinkles her nose at his teasing and elbows him softly in the side. "Har har," she drawls, the attempted sass cracking on the edges of her hoarse voice. "If there was a ghost haunting the place, I'd have charged her rent already, so joke's on you."

She leans back heavily against the booth, pulling her sweater sleeves down to hide her hands, the crumpled parchment still twisted loosely between her fingers. Aqua eyes flick toward him sidelong, uncertain and wary beneath swollen lids. Flora's quiet for a beat, one knee drawing up defensively as she looks away, studying the worn tabletop like it's a priceless artifact. "No children stolen yet, so I think your ghost-hunting gig might be a bust."

Another pause, her voice dipping quieter, more hesitant, tracing the edge of something raw. "But sea grapes are gross, so jokes on you twice. Also, it might be a euphemism for merman balls." A weak attempt to deflect—one that fails almost as soon as she says it. With a slow, unsteady breath, Flora finally looks back up, clearly debating whether to dodge or face the obvious question. In the end, she tilts her head toward Kaisel with a forced lightness that can't fully mask the tremble beneath.

"So...did you actually come all the way here just to tell me my face and life are a disaster, or were you like, in the neighborhood for something else?"

flora

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

Table by the bestest Sky!