flora
"SOLD," Flora says immediately, flashing him a grin full of delight and reckless agreement. "I’ve got a whole list of places I wanna see, but—" she leans forward slightly, curls brushing her shoulder as excitement lifts her voice, "—way out past Halo? Apparently the sky turns colours. Like, whole northern-light shit lighting up the snow. If there’s ever a time to go west, it’s definitely LongHeat. Less frostbite. More fun."
And then his hands are on hers again—rubbing lotion into her skin, tracing warm spirals across the backs of her palms—and Flora has to sip in a quiet breath, biting down on the sigh of pleasure that nearly slips from her mouth. It’s not that kind of massage, but gods, with how touch-starved she’s been, it’s enough to make goosebumps shimmer up her arms all the same with how good it feels.
She smirks despite herself, letting her lashes dip with a little amused groan. "Of course you think an appreciation event sounds fun. You would thrive in a compliment battle." Still, when he tosses his next question at her—utterly ridiculous and weirdly endearing—Flora pauses, delighted. "If I were a cupcake?" she repeats, tapping her nails gently on the table in mock-consideration. "The obvious answer is the surprise bit in the middle, because duh. But I think..." Her eyes narrow, mischief curling at the corners. "I’d be the secret ingredient. The thing you can’t name, but that lingers on your lips for hours after. And you?" she counters, one brow arched as she reaches for her drink. "If you were a condiment, what would you be?"
Her toes press into his stomach, then, gently but deliberately, the movement lazy and teasing as the conversation circles back to Koa. She shrugs, but there's a subtle tightness in her shoulders that doesn't quite ease. "Back then, Soh and Koa were playing the same will-they-won’t-they dating game they're playing now. So when they both disappeared? It seemed obvious. They didn’t tell anyone where they were, didn’t leave a note. And there are only so many reasons two people vanish together—" she lifts her water glass in mock-toast, nearly dropping it because of the lotion, "—pregnancy was at the top of the list." Besides, of all the people she knew, Soh and Koa seemed the most likely for an accidentally pregnancy.
The humour fades as she looks at him, quieter now. "And as for a do-over?" Her toes press a little more firmly into his stomach, not hard but weighted with meaning. "There isn’t one when someone tells you they're in love you and then picks someone else." Her voice doesn’t waver, but there’s something fragile just behind it. "Besides, I would never do that to Sohalia. Not when she doesn't just have a crush on Koa like she did back in those days." Now that the Luminary was properly in love with the dragoon, certain pathways were just...gone.
And then his hands are on hers again—rubbing lotion into her skin, tracing warm spirals across the backs of her palms—and Flora has to sip in a quiet breath, biting down on the sigh of pleasure that nearly slips from her mouth. It’s not that kind of massage, but gods, with how touch-starved she’s been, it’s enough to make goosebumps shimmer up her arms all the same with how good it feels.
She smirks despite herself, letting her lashes dip with a little amused groan. "Of course you think an appreciation event sounds fun. You would thrive in a compliment battle." Still, when he tosses his next question at her—utterly ridiculous and weirdly endearing—Flora pauses, delighted. "If I were a cupcake?" she repeats, tapping her nails gently on the table in mock-consideration. "The obvious answer is the surprise bit in the middle, because duh. But I think..." Her eyes narrow, mischief curling at the corners. "I’d be the secret ingredient. The thing you can’t name, but that lingers on your lips for hours after. And you?" she counters, one brow arched as she reaches for her drink. "If you were a condiment, what would you be?"
Her toes press into his stomach, then, gently but deliberately, the movement lazy and teasing as the conversation circles back to Koa. She shrugs, but there's a subtle tightness in her shoulders that doesn't quite ease. "Back then, Soh and Koa were playing the same will-they-won’t-they dating game they're playing now. So when they both disappeared? It seemed obvious. They didn’t tell anyone where they were, didn’t leave a note. And there are only so many reasons two people vanish together—" she lifts her water glass in mock-toast, nearly dropping it because of the lotion, "—pregnancy was at the top of the list." Besides, of all the people she knew, Soh and Koa seemed the most likely for an accidentally pregnancy.
The humour fades as she looks at him, quieter now. "And as for a do-over?" Her toes press a little more firmly into his stomach, not hard but weighted with meaning. "There isn’t one when someone tells you they're in love you and then picks someone else." Her voice doesn’t waver, but there’s something fragile just behind it. "Besides, I would never do that to Sohalia. Not when she doesn't just have a crush on Koa like she did back in those days." Now that the Luminary was properly in love with the dragoon, certain pathways were just...gone.
I want to be when you fall on me like night
I wanna kill the lights
I wanna kill the lights
