is this the end of all the endings?
For a moment, Flora only stares at Ronin, and it would be easier, maybe, if the hurt came prettily, if it slipped into her eyes as tears or softened her mouth into something pleading, but there’s nothing soft about the way it hits her. It goes through her like glass beneath bare feet, and then, just as quickly, it hardens into something bright and cutting, something with edges she knows how to hold. "I don’t know if you know this," she says, her voice low enough not to wake Carlo and Calan but sharp enough to leave marks, "but you don’t actually have to say the first thing that pops into your head."
Her gaze flicks between Ronin and Remi, aqua eyes glittering. When Ronin says he’d still be sad for her, something ugly twists across her mouth before she can stop it. Sad. Not proud first, not scared and proud, not worried but hey if anyone can make this work, kiddo, it's you, just sad, like Safrin’s hand on her life is already a grave they’re lowering her into while she’s still standing right in front of them. Like it's impossible for her not to make the same mistakes that they had, like they're the godsdamn blueprint.
Her lips curl into a sneer as she shoves her plate onto the couch and rises, arms folding tight across her chest. "And I definitely know you both don’t know this," she says, looking from one to the other with her eyebrows lifted in a pointed, unforgiving arch, "though I would have hoped you’d learn by now, that actually instead of sad or judgemental, or disappointed or whatever this is, you could just be supportive parents." The words scrape on the way out, too hot and too fast, but Flora doesn’t pull them back, because if she starts editing herself now, there won’t be enough left to keep her standing. "For once." What was done was done, and they both knew that from experience. The disappointment radiating off of them served only as some unhelpful I told you so, and nothing more.
Flora turns toward the door before the room can close around her, before Ronin’s pale face can make this feel like something she’s supposed to sit through politely just because everyone is tired and everyone has history and everyone has reasons. "Actually, I take back what I said about not offering parenting advice." Her eyes cut to Carlo and Calan, sleeping tiny and untouched by all of this for now, before snapping back to Remi and Ronin. "Maybe deal with your fucking trauma so it doesn’t bleed through into everything before you add chips to the shoulders of all your kids."
Marching towards the door, Flora’s hand curls near the handle, rings biting lightly against her fingers, her breath held tight behind her ribs like a wave right before it breaks, before grabbing it and stepping out. Much as she'd like to slam it and ruin the fragile peace within all the more, she does let it softly click shut behind her. Her twin brothers would have to inevitably pay for the sins of their fathers, but there was no reason to start today.
~FIN
Her gaze flicks between Ronin and Remi, aqua eyes glittering. When Ronin says he’d still be sad for her, something ugly twists across her mouth before she can stop it. Sad. Not proud first, not scared and proud, not worried but hey if anyone can make this work, kiddo, it's you, just sad, like Safrin’s hand on her life is already a grave they’re lowering her into while she’s still standing right in front of them. Like it's impossible for her not to make the same mistakes that they had, like they're the godsdamn blueprint.
Her lips curl into a sneer as she shoves her plate onto the couch and rises, arms folding tight across her chest. "And I definitely know you both don’t know this," she says, looking from one to the other with her eyebrows lifted in a pointed, unforgiving arch, "though I would have hoped you’d learn by now, that actually instead of sad or judgemental, or disappointed or whatever this is, you could just be supportive parents." The words scrape on the way out, too hot and too fast, but Flora doesn’t pull them back, because if she starts editing herself now, there won’t be enough left to keep her standing. "For once." What was done was done, and they both knew that from experience. The disappointment radiating off of them served only as some unhelpful I told you so, and nothing more.
Flora turns toward the door before the room can close around her, before Ronin’s pale face can make this feel like something she’s supposed to sit through politely just because everyone is tired and everyone has history and everyone has reasons. "Actually, I take back what I said about not offering parenting advice." Her eyes cut to Carlo and Calan, sleeping tiny and untouched by all of this for now, before snapping back to Remi and Ronin. "Maybe deal with your fucking trauma so it doesn’t bleed through into everything before you add chips to the shoulders of all your kids."
Marching towards the door, Flora’s hand curls near the handle, rings biting lightly against her fingers, her breath held tight behind her ribs like a wave right before it breaks, before grabbing it and stepping out. Much as she'd like to slam it and ruin the fragile peace within all the more, she does let it softly click shut behind her. Her twin brothers would have to inevitably pay for the sins of their fathers, but there was no reason to start today.
~FIN
my broken bones are mending
