flora
Flora’s brows shoot up so quickly they nearly vanish into the damp curls at her hairline, and then she laughs, bright and delighted enough to scatter the last of the heavier conversation like steam off the surface of the springs. "Oh my gods," she says, already picturing it: a mountain wedding with dragons circling somewhere safely far away, starlight and wind for an aisle, and a bounce house full of adults behaving with less restraint than the children. "We could have judges who give out points for style, or maybe a competition to see who can bounce the highest."
Her grin turns even wider at that, because the second Kaisel enters the thought, she can already see exactly how little dignity he would bring to any of it. There would be no such thing as one polite turn in a bounce house for him; there would be declarations, challenges, elaborate attempts at tricks that cannot possibly be good for anyone’s knees, and an immediate refusal to accept losing at something so gloriously stupid. The thought warms her more than the water does.
Turning her smile properly toward Melita, Flora nods with emphatic approval. "That would be epic." Her eyes gleam as the idea grows legs, and Flora adds, "Do you think Iskra would be the sort to join in, or would he be more of the setup-and-judge type?"
Her grin turns even wider at that, because the second Kaisel enters the thought, she can already see exactly how little dignity he would bring to any of it. There would be no such thing as one polite turn in a bounce house for him; there would be declarations, challenges, elaborate attempts at tricks that cannot possibly be good for anyone’s knees, and an immediate refusal to accept losing at something so gloriously stupid. The thought warms her more than the water does.
Turning her smile properly toward Melita, Flora nods with emphatic approval. "That would be epic." Her eyes gleam as the idea grows legs, and Flora adds, "Do you think Iskra would be the sort to join in, or would he be more of the setup-and-judge type?"
The rumors are terrible and cruel
But honey, most of them are true
But honey, most of them are true







