flora
Maybce I could have stabbed him in the eye, Flora thinks with a sugar-dusted sigh, the thought blooming wild and ridiculous for just a moment—bright, cinematic, like something from an over-budget stage play (or Game of Thrones). Or shouted it was me! across the sand like some kind of glittery vigilante. The fantasy flickers and fades, slipping back into the corners of her mind where all the indulgent daydreams go to simmer.
Her grin, though unseen, radiates like sun-warm water. That’s perfect, she chirps. I’ll feed him a bunch of sugar so he stays up all night like a good little watchdog while I sleep. A pause, gleaming with mischief. Of course they both knew that Bastian would likely crash within an hour and end up wrapped around Flora like a weighted blanket—but hey, safety’s safety, right?
For a heartbeat, the laughter lingers, floral and warm and easy. But when Jack makes his next suggestion, her mood shifts—not sharply, but inevitably. He'll feel it first in the way her thoughts draw inward, then push out with a familiar, fond little scowl. Vox can go anywhere, she thinks, and the undercurrent of tension resurfaces. Even if I stayed hidden, I think he’d know. And it’s not just me, Jack. The next thought flickers more quietly. You know how many people that would put at risk. Jack chiefly among them.
I’m staying out. I’ve got my ring and my compass. If I need to move, I will.
Her grin, though unseen, radiates like sun-warm water. That’s perfect, she chirps. I’ll feed him a bunch of sugar so he stays up all night like a good little watchdog while I sleep. A pause, gleaming with mischief. Of course they both knew that Bastian would likely crash within an hour and end up wrapped around Flora like a weighted blanket—but hey, safety’s safety, right?
For a heartbeat, the laughter lingers, floral and warm and easy. But when Jack makes his next suggestion, her mood shifts—not sharply, but inevitably. He'll feel it first in the way her thoughts draw inward, then push out with a familiar, fond little scowl. Vox can go anywhere, she thinks, and the undercurrent of tension resurfaces. Even if I stayed hidden, I think he’d know. And it’s not just me, Jack. The next thought flickers more quietly. You know how many people that would put at risk. Jack chiefly among them.
I’m staying out. I’ve got my ring and my compass. If I need to move, I will.
Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price
You know that I bought it
You know that I bought it
