Flora
Soh’s reaction hits her like a second sun. Flora’s laugh breaks free, bright and unguarded, the kind that comes from somewhere behind the ribs rather than the throat, and when Soh yanks her off the floatie she goes willingly, splashing into the pool with a delighted sound and wrapping her arms around Soh’s neck without hesitation. She holds her there, cheek pressed into damp hair, joy humming so loudly through her that it almost feels unreal, like she’s stepped slightly out of her own body and into something lighter.
When she pulls back, it’s only far enough to grin at the Luminary properly, wild and unchecked and very nearly glowing. "It’s inside," she says breathlessly, nodding toward the house. "I’ll show you. It—" A small, helpless laugh escapes her. "It basically looks like a flower, made out of a bunch of different stones." In gold, of course. Her voice softens, awe slipping in around the edges. "And every morning it has this magic so that there's a flower beside my bed," she adds, quieter now. "Always a different one."
The words land with a sigh, giddy and unabashed, because yes, maybe flower things are corny when your name is Flora, but waking up every day with something living and beautiful left there like proof of Kai's love feels like magic she still hasn’t adjusted to. Her smile turns a little dazed as she shakes her head, curls clinging wetly to her shoulders.
"And yeah, Safrin. It was super romantic." She lifts her left hand, water beading along her skin, the sparkly orange hair tie looped around her wrist catching the light. "We used hair ties for wedding bands," she explains, clearly still a little in awe of it. "I'd told Kai that I'd marry him with nothing more than a hairtie before, so it kinda fit. Then Safrin made them sparkle. We figured this way we could wear them all the time and still keep it a secret."
The floaties bump insistently at their sides, nudged by well-meaning spirits, but Flora ignores them entirely, too far gone to care. She exhales, long and dreamy, shoulders sinking as if the feeling itself might carry her. "I’ve literally never been this happy before," she says, shaking her head again in disbelief, the grin refusing to be contained any longer.
When she pulls back, it’s only far enough to grin at the Luminary properly, wild and unchecked and very nearly glowing. "It’s inside," she says breathlessly, nodding toward the house. "I’ll show you. It—" A small, helpless laugh escapes her. "It basically looks like a flower, made out of a bunch of different stones." In gold, of course. Her voice softens, awe slipping in around the edges. "And every morning it has this magic so that there's a flower beside my bed," she adds, quieter now. "Always a different one."
The words land with a sigh, giddy and unabashed, because yes, maybe flower things are corny when your name is Flora, but waking up every day with something living and beautiful left there like proof of Kai's love feels like magic she still hasn’t adjusted to. Her smile turns a little dazed as she shakes her head, curls clinging wetly to her shoulders.
"And yeah, Safrin. It was super romantic." She lifts her left hand, water beading along her skin, the sparkly orange hair tie looped around her wrist catching the light. "We used hair ties for wedding bands," she explains, clearly still a little in awe of it. "I'd told Kai that I'd marry him with nothing more than a hairtie before, so it kinda fit. Then Safrin made them sparkle. We figured this way we could wear them all the time and still keep it a secret."
The floaties bump insistently at their sides, nudged by well-meaning spirits, but Flora ignores them entirely, too far gone to care. She exhales, long and dreamy, shoulders sinking as if the feeling itself might carry her. "I’ve literally never been this happy before," she says, shaking her head again in disbelief, the grin refusing to be contained any longer.
I hope you're sweating the bigger stuff,
finding some peace in an honest love
Hope you stop when you've had enough & throw the towel in
finding some peace in an honest love
Hope you stop when you've had enough & throw the towel in
Code stolen from Queen Sky
