flora
Flora watches the strainer tumble free and land forgotten, the moment oddly loud in the quiet that follows, and she straightens just a fraction, squinting down at Kaisel as if trying to trace the strange path his thoughts must have taken to arrive at the smile now twisting his lips behind his hand. The relief comes first, fast and loosening, the tight coil in her chest easing as she realises she hasn’t accidentally cracked something open and left Koa exposed to a truth that could have burned him alive. It leaves behind hesitation almost immediately, heavier and slower, her mouth pulling to one side as the idea of telling him on purpose settles in her bones and refuses to sit comfortably. Being the only one still wearing a fighting hat suddenly feels earned, a small, stubborn justification to hold her ground as she tightens her fingers where they lace through Kaisel’s, gathering herself before she speaks because this is one of those things that needs care, not volume.
"It isn’t just Jack’s telepathy," she says finally, choosing each word like it might bruise if mishandled, her grip firming as if to keep him with her while she walks this line, not wanting to seem like she was protecting Jack. "That day on the beach...I think it would have gone the same way even if he hadn’t known you were trying to bait him into throwing the first punch." The memory flickers sharp and unpleasant, and she sighs, shoulders dipping as the weight of it presses down again. "If anything, telling people makes it worse. Right now, keeping his secret might be the only thing stopping him from going full scorched earth on me or on Torchline." She leans in, peering into his copper eyes to be sure he’s really hearing her, not just waiting for his turn. "I don’t think we’re helping him by staying quiet. I think we’re keeping people safe. If it gets out, what’s to stop him from coming after Torchline? Ronin and Remi could hit back, sure, but that doesn’t undo the damage he can cause before anyone even knows what’s happening, especially if he feels like he has nothing left to lose.." Her voice trails, the implication heavy and ugly, because they both know exactly who would be at risk, and Flora had heard from Jack's own lips that if his secret was revealed, that's precisely how he'd feel.
The guilt crests then, rolling through her in a slow, suffocating wave, her face falling as the rest tumbles out. "All the mageglass he has, has come from me," she says, the words tasting bitter now. "And I gave him a revivify feather." It feels like a confession even though it isn’t new, her thumb rubbing anxiously over Kaisel's knuckles as if she could scrub the past clean with enough pressure. A breath shudders out of her, frustration and fear tangled tight. "Saying nothing, staying quiet, maybe getting all of our friends rings like mine...that feels like the only defence we actually have. Not because it’s right, or fair, but because it’s the option that keeps people safe. And—" Brightening, Flora sits up a touch straighter. "We could quest for it together. I'll do one for Soh, you can start with Koa. My savings are a little low because of our wedding rings, but I'll be able to afford more later, for Noe and Mel, and everyone else."
"It isn’t just Jack’s telepathy," she says finally, choosing each word like it might bruise if mishandled, her grip firming as if to keep him with her while she walks this line, not wanting to seem like she was protecting Jack. "That day on the beach...I think it would have gone the same way even if he hadn’t known you were trying to bait him into throwing the first punch." The memory flickers sharp and unpleasant, and she sighs, shoulders dipping as the weight of it presses down again. "If anything, telling people makes it worse. Right now, keeping his secret might be the only thing stopping him from going full scorched earth on me or on Torchline." She leans in, peering into his copper eyes to be sure he’s really hearing her, not just waiting for his turn. "I don’t think we’re helping him by staying quiet. I think we’re keeping people safe. If it gets out, what’s to stop him from coming after Torchline? Ronin and Remi could hit back, sure, but that doesn’t undo the damage he can cause before anyone even knows what’s happening, especially if he feels like he has nothing left to lose.." Her voice trails, the implication heavy and ugly, because they both know exactly who would be at risk, and Flora had heard from Jack's own lips that if his secret was revealed, that's precisely how he'd feel.
The guilt crests then, rolling through her in a slow, suffocating wave, her face falling as the rest tumbles out. "All the mageglass he has, has come from me," she says, the words tasting bitter now. "And I gave him a revivify feather." It feels like a confession even though it isn’t new, her thumb rubbing anxiously over Kaisel's knuckles as if she could scrub the past clean with enough pressure. A breath shudders out of her, frustration and fear tangled tight. "Saying nothing, staying quiet, maybe getting all of our friends rings like mine...that feels like the only defence we actually have. Not because it’s right, or fair, but because it’s the option that keeps people safe. And—" Brightening, Flora sits up a touch straighter. "We could quest for it together. I'll do one for Soh, you can start with Koa. My savings are a little low because of our wedding rings, but I'll be able to afford more later, for Noe and Mel, and everyone else."
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
