Flora
Flora feels it before Soh even says anything, that quiet shift in her, like the way the air changes just before a wave breaks. It’s subtle—just a slight tightening, a softness turning inward—but Flora’s known her too long not to recognise it. Her smile fades a touch at the edges, not disappearing so much as settling into something gentler, more careful. She nudges Soh lightly with her shoulder. "Hey," she says softly, her voice easing into something more deliberate. "I don’t mean to rain on your parade." Her mouth quirks, a small, apologetic smile pulling at one corner. "If you’re happy, I’m happy for you," she adds, the sincerity in it immediate and unguarded. "But I’d be a shit friend if I didn’t say anything."
Her gaze lingers on Soh for a moment, soft but steady, before her expression brightens just a fraction with fondness. "I’d way rather you come back and rub it in my face that everything’s perfect and that I was way off base," she says with a quiet laugh, "than watch you get hurt again and wish I’d said something."
She bends then, scooping up a few scattered shell fragments, turning them thoughtfully between her fingers before dropping them into the basket with a soft, uneven clatter. When she straightens, her lips press together briefly, shaping her thoughts before she lets them out. "Okay," she says, glancing sideways at Soh, her tone shifting into something more considered. "Let me put it this way." She exhales lightly, shoulders lifting and falling in a small shrug. "Things with Kai have always been amazing, but that doesn’t mean they’ve always been easy. We’ve been through some really messed up shit already, mostly because of Jack, but also just..Life. Running Torchline, drama with my family and friends.. Her mouth twists faintly, not quite a smile.
"There’ve been times I’ve completely come unglued," she continues, not shying away from it, "times I wasn’t on his side when I should’ve been, times I absolutely was not my best self." She glances at Soh then, her expression open, unguarded in a way that isn’t often visible beneath her usual sparkle. "And you know what?" she says quietly. "It didn’t break anything. If anything, it made us stronger. Because at the end of the day, it was still us. But if something had broken, if he'd walked away or if he made me feel like I was walking on eggshells I'd have known it wasn't right." She lets that sit for a moment before her head tilts slightly, her gaze intent but gentle.
"I know the instinct is to protect something good, especially at the beginning," she goes on, softer now, "to keep it in this perfect little bubble where nothing can touch it." Her nose wrinkles faintly. "But that’s exhausting. And it means you don’t get to actually be yourself." Her shoulder brushes Soh’s again, lighter this time. "And it also means it never really gets stronger," she adds. "Because strength doesn’t come from everything being perfect, it comes from seeing what happens when it’s not, and choosing each other anyway."
Her gaze lingers on Soh for a moment, soft but steady, before her expression brightens just a fraction with fondness. "I’d way rather you come back and rub it in my face that everything’s perfect and that I was way off base," she says with a quiet laugh, "than watch you get hurt again and wish I’d said something."
She bends then, scooping up a few scattered shell fragments, turning them thoughtfully between her fingers before dropping them into the basket with a soft, uneven clatter. When she straightens, her lips press together briefly, shaping her thoughts before she lets them out. "Okay," she says, glancing sideways at Soh, her tone shifting into something more considered. "Let me put it this way." She exhales lightly, shoulders lifting and falling in a small shrug. "Things with Kai have always been amazing, but that doesn’t mean they’ve always been easy. We’ve been through some really messed up shit already, mostly because of Jack, but also just..Life. Running Torchline, drama with my family and friends.. Her mouth twists faintly, not quite a smile.
"There’ve been times I’ve completely come unglued," she continues, not shying away from it, "times I wasn’t on his side when I should’ve been, times I absolutely was not my best self." She glances at Soh then, her expression open, unguarded in a way that isn’t often visible beneath her usual sparkle. "And you know what?" she says quietly. "It didn’t break anything. If anything, it made us stronger. Because at the end of the day, it was still us. But if something had broken, if he'd walked away or if he made me feel like I was walking on eggshells I'd have known it wasn't right." She lets that sit for a moment before her head tilts slightly, her gaze intent but gentle.
"I know the instinct is to protect something good, especially at the beginning," she goes on, softer now, "to keep it in this perfect little bubble where nothing can touch it." Her nose wrinkles faintly. "But that’s exhausting. And it means you don’t get to actually be yourself." Her shoulder brushes Soh’s again, lighter this time. "And it also means it never really gets stronger," she adds. "Because strength doesn’t come from everything being perfect, it comes from seeing what happens when it’s not, and choosing each other anyway."
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
