flora
"No!" The word escapes on a laugh before he even finishes his question, her hand rising instinctively as if to reach out and stop him should he actually attempt to leave. Her voice folds quickly into something lighter, more teasing, but still sincere as she meets the familiar gleam in his blue eyes with the steady tilt of her own. "I'm glad it's you."
It is probably better that it’s Neron actually; easier somehow, simpler. There’s less pressure this way, less risk of the night unravelling into something complicated or awkward. With Neron, it feels like catching up with someone from a chapter long ago, one that ended far too soon and now whose epilogue would have the chance to be read. And maybe Vai thoiught so too, given Neron said he was here for some cheering up. Maybe the witch had seen Kaisel’s absence and thought she just needed some company, rather than Neron's presence hinting at her nonna's disapproval.
Her smile shifts subtly as the talk turns to lanterns; brows lifting, she casts him a curious look, her voice brightening with something nosier now. "Wait—someone else lit one this year?" she asks, the question edged with playful incredulity. "Who?"
She barely finishes the question before Neron glances over his shoulder, and without needing to be told, her eyes follow the motion, curiosity narrowing into suspicion. Remi stands just far enough from the conversation to preserve the illusion of privacy, but the stiffness in his posture and the way his arms are most definitely crossed tell her everything she needs to know.
The sight draws a quiet hum from the back of her throat, amused and unbothered, the kind of sound that says and what of it?. With the faintest flick of her curls over one shoulder, she turns away from her father as if dismissing him entirely from the evening’s narrative, a subtle flare of defiance lingering in the swing of her stride as she begins walking beside Neron.
She’s still carrying that amused confidence when she glances up at him again, until her eyes catch the mark running along his face, that sharp silver line disrupting the otherwise clean edges of his features. "What happened?"
It is probably better that it’s Neron actually; easier somehow, simpler. There’s less pressure this way, less risk of the night unravelling into something complicated or awkward. With Neron, it feels like catching up with someone from a chapter long ago, one that ended far too soon and now whose epilogue would have the chance to be read. And maybe Vai thoiught so too, given Neron said he was here for some cheering up. Maybe the witch had seen Kaisel’s absence and thought she just needed some company, rather than Neron's presence hinting at her nonna's disapproval.
Her smile shifts subtly as the talk turns to lanterns; brows lifting, she casts him a curious look, her voice brightening with something nosier now. "Wait—someone else lit one this year?" she asks, the question edged with playful incredulity. "Who?"
She barely finishes the question before Neron glances over his shoulder, and without needing to be told, her eyes follow the motion, curiosity narrowing into suspicion. Remi stands just far enough from the conversation to preserve the illusion of privacy, but the stiffness in his posture and the way his arms are most definitely crossed tell her everything she needs to know.
The sight draws a quiet hum from the back of her throat, amused and unbothered, the kind of sound that says and what of it?. With the faintest flick of her curls over one shoulder, she turns away from her father as if dismissing him entirely from the evening’s narrative, a subtle flare of defiance lingering in the swing of her stride as she begins walking beside Neron.
She’s still carrying that amused confidence when she glances up at him again, until her eyes catch the mark running along his face, that sharp silver line disrupting the otherwise clean edges of his features. "What happened?"
you don't know that you're living til' you're carrying scars
you're either falling in love or falling apart
you're either falling in love or falling apart
