with each love i cut loose i was never the same
Flora clocked the neutrality in Deimos’s voice and expression—the even-keeled way he processed everything—and wasn’t surprised in the least. But she appreciated the way he tried to thread a silver lining through it, anyway, without sugar-coating the cost. That alone earned him a flicker of a smile, faint but sincere. "Yeeeaaah," she said softly, watching Erebos bounce along with enviable resilience. "In the grand scheme of things, what’s one lost love compared to a whole region’s safety?" She exhaled, not quite bitter, just…tired. "Still sucks, but. Perspective."
A few more steps and she glanced his way again, the corners of her mouth quirking ruefully. "I probably came across like a brat in that meeting. I didn’t mean to. I just…" She shook her head, snow crunching beneath her boots. "I’ve seen a lot of shit, but apparently I haven’t seen quite enough to count as experienced when it comes to ‘war with an alien race.’" Her voice twisted with dry humour on the last part. "Learning curve’s been steep."
The childlike squeal from Erebos dragged her gaze forward just in time to catch sight of the slope and the snowmen beyond. The sight made her blink, then snort softly. "Okay. Either we’ve found the memory snow," she said, tipping her head at the ragtag collection of frosty horrors, "or someone needs to teach Halo’s kids what symmetry is."
As she stepped after Deimos, careful in her footing, she hummed at his comment about tradition. "It was a boat or a shack on the beach," she admitted, brushing melting flakes from her thigh. "And I didn’t want another house, not really. I want my house back one day." Then, more lightly, with a small smirk, "Living on a boat takes some getting used to, but yeah. The freedom’s kind of addictive."
A few more steps and she glanced his way again, the corners of her mouth quirking ruefully. "I probably came across like a brat in that meeting. I didn’t mean to. I just…" She shook her head, snow crunching beneath her boots. "I’ve seen a lot of shit, but apparently I haven’t seen quite enough to count as experienced when it comes to ‘war with an alien race.’" Her voice twisted with dry humour on the last part. "Learning curve’s been steep."
The childlike squeal from Erebos dragged her gaze forward just in time to catch sight of the slope and the snowmen beyond. The sight made her blink, then snort softly. "Okay. Either we’ve found the memory snow," she said, tipping her head at the ragtag collection of frosty horrors, "or someone needs to teach Halo’s kids what symmetry is."
As she stepped after Deimos, careful in her footing, she hummed at his comment about tradition. "It was a boat or a shack on the beach," she admitted, brushing melting flakes from her thigh. "And I didn’t want another house, not really. I want my house back one day." Then, more lightly, with a small smirk, "Living on a boat takes some getting used to, but yeah. The freedom’s kind of addictive."
