flora
Flora lets out a soft, incredulous laugh, her head tipping slightly as she looks at Soh, something warm and fond threading through it even as she shakes her head. "You’re being just as bad as he is!" she says, not sharp, just gently calling it as she sees it. "That’s like saying, okay, well what if someone held a knife to his throat, or Safrin came down and demanded he tell, then what would he do." Her brows lift, the point landing with a light, almost teasing emphasis. "Like, obviously in completely insane situations you’d do something different, but in the most realistic version of events—where Koa asks and Zavien says, ‘I think you should talk to your cousin’—we both know Koa wouldn’t just keep pushing like that." As she'd said to Zavien, if he had to keep adding more and more details to make his version of events at all plausible, that only showed how crazy it had been to start with.
Flora exhales, softer now, her shoulders easing as she shifts slightly in her seat. "And honestly? No, I don’t think it would work like that with us either," she adds, giving a small shake of her head. "Like, if Zavien said he was dying or had to go away for years and told me not to say anything, and you came to me like ‘hey, do you know why he’s being so weird?’ and kept asking, I'd probably put your ass on the Sugartide and take you straight to him so he could tell you himself."
Her gaze flicks back to Soh, steady but soft. "I wouldn’t lie and say I knew nothing," she says, "but there are absolutely times where you’re just not the person who should be the one telling something, even if you’re asked."
The tension finally gives way properly then, something loosening in her chest as she lets the conversation settle where it’s going to settle, not resolved, maybe, but no longer pulling at them. She releases Soh’s hand only to loop her arm through hers instead, shifting closer as she leans her head gently against Sohalia’s shoulder. With a small, breathy laugh, she nudges her lightly. "Well, we did say men were idiots when it came to their feelings when we first sat down," she murmurs, her voice softening into something lighter again. "So yes, I absolutely think we can chalk it up to that." Another gentle nudge, more affectionate this time. "I’ll love you always, Soh."
Flora exhales, softer now, her shoulders easing as she shifts slightly in her seat. "And honestly? No, I don’t think it would work like that with us either," she adds, giving a small shake of her head. "Like, if Zavien said he was dying or had to go away for years and told me not to say anything, and you came to me like ‘hey, do you know why he’s being so weird?’ and kept asking, I'd probably put your ass on the Sugartide and take you straight to him so he could tell you himself."
Her gaze flicks back to Soh, steady but soft. "I wouldn’t lie and say I knew nothing," she says, "but there are absolutely times where you’re just not the person who should be the one telling something, even if you’re asked."
The tension finally gives way properly then, something loosening in her chest as she lets the conversation settle where it’s going to settle, not resolved, maybe, but no longer pulling at them. She releases Soh’s hand only to loop her arm through hers instead, shifting closer as she leans her head gently against Sohalia’s shoulder. With a small, breathy laugh, she nudges her lightly. "Well, we did say men were idiots when it came to their feelings when we first sat down," she murmurs, her voice softening into something lighter again. "So yes, I absolutely think we can chalk it up to that." Another gentle nudge, more affectionate this time. "I’ll love you always, Soh."
Bad, bad boy, shiny toy with a price
You know that I bought it
You know that I bought it
