Flora
Flora’s eyes narrowed the instant Hadama moved like he was about to bow. Absolutely not. Her hand snapped up—not to stop him, but to throw him the most pointed don’t you fucking dare look in her arsenal. The kind that could stop a storm dead and make a volcano think twice. "Don’t do that," she growled, eyes flashing like bottled lightning at his attempts toward cordiality. "There’s patrolling and then there’s descending into claustrophobic void tunnels against two fucking monsters with only Sah and Noah as backup."
Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. She hated this. Hated that her worry had calcified into anger because it was easier than letting it spiral out of her like seawater through broken boards. She took a breath that didn’t help.
At the mention of Jack, her expression twitched, as though she'd bitten into something too bitter. Her jaw tightened, words caught between her teeth, and when Hadama stood—tall and fucking composed in a way that only made her feel smaller—Flora’s whole body bristled.
Tilting her head back just enough to glare up at him, she hissed, "I’m not that fragile." And with that, she balled up her hand and punched him square in the chest; the sharp sound of skin against muscle, against sun-warmed gold rang out flatly, probably doing little to support her point that she wasn't fragile. "You don’t need to hide his name like it’ll shatter me. I’m not made of stained glass."
And then, as the wind stirred the hibiscus blanket and the sky slipped further toward dusk, Flora’s shoulders sagged. Just a little. Her voice, when it came again, was quieter. "If I’d known he was down there with you.." She dragged a hand through her curls, frustration flickering like heat lightning behind her eyes. "I wouldn’t have flagged down his ship like an idiot when I saw it flying away from the island."
Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides. She hated this. Hated that her worry had calcified into anger because it was easier than letting it spiral out of her like seawater through broken boards. She took a breath that didn’t help.
At the mention of Jack, her expression twitched, as though she'd bitten into something too bitter. Her jaw tightened, words caught between her teeth, and when Hadama stood—tall and fucking composed in a way that only made her feel smaller—Flora’s whole body bristled.
Tilting her head back just enough to glare up at him, she hissed, "I’m not that fragile." And with that, she balled up her hand and punched him square in the chest; the sharp sound of skin against muscle, against sun-warmed gold rang out flatly, probably doing little to support her point that she wasn't fragile. "You don’t need to hide his name like it’ll shatter me. I’m not made of stained glass."
And then, as the wind stirred the hibiscus blanket and the sky slipped further toward dusk, Flora’s shoulders sagged. Just a little. Her voice, when it came again, was quieter. "If I’d known he was down there with you.." She dragged a hand through her curls, frustration flickering like heat lightning behind her eyes. "I wouldn’t have flagged down his ship like an idiot when I saw it flying away from the island."
'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my shit
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did
Code stolen from Queen Sky
