funny how true colours shine in darkness and secrecy

Koa

Don't you just wanna wake up dark as a lake
Smelling like a bonfire, lost in a haze?

"Happy tree thoughts," Koa repeats weakly, a tight-lipped smile stretching his face at the absurdity of it all. Happy tree thoughts isn't really in Koa's forte; he really, really doesn't like it when plants do things they're not supposed to, and based on everything Flora's saying that's exactly what's happening behind his head. Some sort of plant monstrosity is misbehaving so egregiously she's considering channeling Ludo to stop it, and the images that thought conjures are enough to make him seriously regret having eaten lunch.

But he keeps his breathing largely even as she leads him backwards, their hands clasped and their steps in sync - the skewer facsimile of a dance. Once it had been the most natural thing in the world, walking toward Flora, following where she led; even now a part of him still aches for her, like a sunflower cast too long in shade. A tether exists between them, faint and sharp as piano wire now but still there, still strong, ready to be strummed into haunting music- or used to cut a throat.

Koa's eyes flicker to the path behind them, the invisible trail Flora seems to pick by instinct alone."Left," he whispers, copper gaze snagging back into aqua, head jerking infinitesimally in indication of the path that seems to be widening open, despite a lack of movement from the trees. "Right foot. Duck down." It shouldn't be this easy for them to fall into this collaboration, not with all the broken things between them. But somehow it works, and that in itself is marvelous.

Marvelous, and even more terrifying than whatever tree monster is lurking in the woods.

If you're drunk on life, babe, I think it's great
But while in this world I think I'll take my whiskey neat