you know, you'll always know me

Soh could see the flash of hurt on Flora’s face, and a part of her longed to rush to her friend, to scoop her into an embrace and smooth away any pain that lingered. But the Doubletake had made the first cut, and Soh hung back, her arms crossing over her stomach as though to protect herself from whatever excuses her best friend had to offer. She swallowed hard as Flora spoke, taking a few steps closer to where Flora still sat, seemingly frozen in place.

”Yeah - yeah, no, I know -“ she said, except what had Flora expected when she’d handed the Luminary those letters? That Soh would walk away unscathed? Flora had made her a part of the plot from the moment she’d asked to meet, and there were no apologies or excuses that could change that.

But this was Flora - her best friend, the woman who had stood by her through thick and thin, and through all of her own monumental mistakes. And didn’t Soh owe her the same courtesy?

So the Luminary dropped to her knees in the grass beside Flora, wrapping her friend into a hug so tight that she was sure she could hear Flora’s bones creak. ”Just - gods, Flora, what were you thinking?” she asked thickly, her eyes bright with unshed tears. ”How could you - why would you - you could have died. Again. And what if this time you didn’t come back?”