Flora
Flora’s grin widens almost immediately when Sohalia gushes that it was incredible, the reaction drawing a soft, pleased hum from somewhere in her throat. It doesn’t surprise her in the slightest, especially since the last (and only) time Soh had had sex, it had involved losing her virginity to a complete stranger in public, which hardly seemed like the sort of conditions designed for anything resembling a glowing review. Hearing that it had been different—better—with someone Soh knew, someone she trusted, feels about as predictable as the tide coming in.
Still, the delight on Sohalia’s face is contagious, and Flora finds herself beaming back, her expression shifting through a dozen small reactions as the story unfolds. When Soh describes Zavien kissing her, Flora inhales sharply through her teeth in a quiet, delighted little gasp, her eyes lighting with recognition of the feeling. The memory that rises in response is immediate and warm, full of the dizzying spark of that first kiss that suddenly rewrites the entire shape of the world; her thoughts drift briefly to Kaisel and the way those moments with him had always felt like stepping into sunlight after wandering through shade, and how she revisted them often.
At the mention of Zavien spiralling about betraying Koa, Flora’s mouth tilts sideways in a small shrug that carries more opinion than she bothers to voice aloud. Koa has always had an annoying way of leaving invisible fingerprints on the women who’d once been part of his orbit, like some lingering claim that refused to fade properly with time, and as far as Flora is concerned neither she nor Soh had ever belonged to him enough to justify that sort of lingering ownership. The thought passes through her mind like a brief ripple before her attention settles again on Sohalia’s bright, breathless explanation that she and Zavien were dating.
Flora blinks, then a laugh escapes her in a startled burst, bright and delighted. "Holy shit." She reaches out without hesitation, tugging Sohalia against her in a quick, tight hug that smells faintly of rain and salt and damp fabric. When she pulls back she doesn’t let go completely, her arms still loosely looped around her friend’s shoulders as she studies her face with a fond sort of scrutiny before her nose wrinkles slightly. "Okay," she says slowly, tilting her head as if testing the shape of the thought before letting it go. "This could just be because you basically said all of that in a single breath, but…" Her smile softens, though the curiosity in her gaze doesn’t fade.
"You do like Zavien, right?" she asks, squeezing Soh lightly where her arms still rest around her. "Because the way you just said it kinda sounded like you mostly liked having someone who wants you. Which—honestly—completely makes sense after all of Koa’s bullshit." Which, Flora wouldn't blame Soh for one bit. She lifts one shoulder in a small, sympathetic shrug before her expression turns a little more searching.
"But you actually want it to be Zavien, right?"
Still, the delight on Sohalia’s face is contagious, and Flora finds herself beaming back, her expression shifting through a dozen small reactions as the story unfolds. When Soh describes Zavien kissing her, Flora inhales sharply through her teeth in a quiet, delighted little gasp, her eyes lighting with recognition of the feeling. The memory that rises in response is immediate and warm, full of the dizzying spark of that first kiss that suddenly rewrites the entire shape of the world; her thoughts drift briefly to Kaisel and the way those moments with him had always felt like stepping into sunlight after wandering through shade, and how she revisted them often.
At the mention of Zavien spiralling about betraying Koa, Flora’s mouth tilts sideways in a small shrug that carries more opinion than she bothers to voice aloud. Koa has always had an annoying way of leaving invisible fingerprints on the women who’d once been part of his orbit, like some lingering claim that refused to fade properly with time, and as far as Flora is concerned neither she nor Soh had ever belonged to him enough to justify that sort of lingering ownership. The thought passes through her mind like a brief ripple before her attention settles again on Sohalia’s bright, breathless explanation that she and Zavien were dating.
Flora blinks, then a laugh escapes her in a startled burst, bright and delighted. "Holy shit." She reaches out without hesitation, tugging Sohalia against her in a quick, tight hug that smells faintly of rain and salt and damp fabric. When she pulls back she doesn’t let go completely, her arms still loosely looped around her friend’s shoulders as she studies her face with a fond sort of scrutiny before her nose wrinkles slightly. "Okay," she says slowly, tilting her head as if testing the shape of the thought before letting it go. "This could just be because you basically said all of that in a single breath, but…" Her smile softens, though the curiosity in her gaze doesn’t fade.
"You do like Zavien, right?" she asks, squeezing Soh lightly where her arms still rest around her. "Because the way you just said it kinda sounded like you mostly liked having someone who wants you. Which—honestly—completely makes sense after all of Koa’s bullshit." Which, Flora wouldn't blame Soh for one bit. She lifts one shoulder in a small, sympathetic shrug before her expression turns a little more searching.
"But you actually want it to be Zavien, right?"
There's somethin' warm about the winter when you come around
there's nothin' boujee 'bout you cozy as a hand me down
there's nothin' boujee 'bout you cozy as a hand me down
Code stolen from Queen Sky
