yeah I got heartbreak that I reminisce about
The laugh that slips out of Flora is almost surprised, like it catches her off guard on the way up, but it’s real, warm in a way that loosens something tight in her chest at the sound of Soh sounding even a little bit like herself again.
The apology hits and Flora’s head is already shaking before Soh can even finish it, immediate and firm, her hands coming back to settle on her arms with a quiet insistence. "No, no, none of this is your fault," she says, not sharply but with certainty, like she won’t even entertain the idea long enough to let it take root. "And I’d still have been pissed at Colt for trying to poach you without at least saying something to me first even if you'd told her to fuck off right then and there." It isn’t about ownership, not really, not the way Colt had tried to twist it into something territorial and small, but because Flora had believed—had trusted—that what existed between her and Colt was something that came with the basic decency of a heads-up, the kind of unspoken understanding that sits beneath friendship like a foundation you don’t realize you’re relying on until it cracks.
At the mention of Kaisel and the party, Flora lets out a low groan, dragging one hand briefly over her face before digging into the pocket of her dress, producing a folded bit of parchment. Reading it, she scribbles something quick and messy, barely pausing to think before tucking it away again, the motion brisk and purposeful, like tying off a loose thread before it can unravel anything else. "No way are we letting Colt ruin the night," she says, shaking her head, the words carrying a flicker of stubborn resolve that feels far more like her.
Then she exhales, slower this time, letting the rest of it fall away as she refocuses entirely on Soh, her expression softening, the sharp edges receding into something quieter, more careful. "You know I’m not forcing you to stay here, right?" she asks, voice gentler now, searching her friend’s face as if she needs to see that understanding reflected back. "If you wanted to move to the desert—" she huffs a small breath that almost turns into a laugh, shaking her head, "I mean, I’d think it was crazy because Torchline is better in, like, every conceivable way, and I’d miss you like crazy and probably tell you every day how nuts you are, but…" Her words trail slightly as she frowns, her hand lifting to rub absently at her arm, the motion small.
"I just hate how she made it seem like I was controlling everyone," Flora admits, quieter now, the frustration still there but softened by something more vulnerable beneath it, her gaze flicking away for just a second before returning to Soh. "All because I want you all here? I mean..who wouldn't want that?"
The apology hits and Flora’s head is already shaking before Soh can even finish it, immediate and firm, her hands coming back to settle on her arms with a quiet insistence. "No, no, none of this is your fault," she says, not sharply but with certainty, like she won’t even entertain the idea long enough to let it take root. "And I’d still have been pissed at Colt for trying to poach you without at least saying something to me first even if you'd told her to fuck off right then and there." It isn’t about ownership, not really, not the way Colt had tried to twist it into something territorial and small, but because Flora had believed—had trusted—that what existed between her and Colt was something that came with the basic decency of a heads-up, the kind of unspoken understanding that sits beneath friendship like a foundation you don’t realize you’re relying on until it cracks.
At the mention of Kaisel and the party, Flora lets out a low groan, dragging one hand briefly over her face before digging into the pocket of her dress, producing a folded bit of parchment. Reading it, she scribbles something quick and messy, barely pausing to think before tucking it away again, the motion brisk and purposeful, like tying off a loose thread before it can unravel anything else. "No way are we letting Colt ruin the night," she says, shaking her head, the words carrying a flicker of stubborn resolve that feels far more like her.
Then she exhales, slower this time, letting the rest of it fall away as she refocuses entirely on Soh, her expression softening, the sharp edges receding into something quieter, more careful. "You know I’m not forcing you to stay here, right?" she asks, voice gentler now, searching her friend’s face as if she needs to see that understanding reflected back. "If you wanted to move to the desert—" she huffs a small breath that almost turns into a laugh, shaking her head, "I mean, I’d think it was crazy because Torchline is better in, like, every conceivable way, and I’d miss you like crazy and probably tell you every day how nuts you are, but…" Her words trail slightly as she frowns, her hand lifting to rub absently at her arm, the motion small.
"I just hate how she made it seem like I was controlling everyone," Flora admits, quieter now, the frustration still there but softened by something more vulnerable beneath it, her gaze flicking away for just a second before returning to Soh. "All because I want you all here? I mean..who wouldn't want that?"
real big things I still gotta figure out
