[SE] Um, what?

Koa

You keep telling me to live right

"Let's take a walk."

As soon as the bazaar ended and everyone dispersed Koa grabbed Flora by the arm, leading her down the beach and away from whatever the fuck that was. Still on edge from Vox's proximity, it takes him a while to come to a stop; he wants to put as much distance as he can between himself and the weird eldritch horror, as though that will quell the way his blood feels like it's suddenly begun to run in reverse.

Only when they're far enough he can no longer see where the table had been (or sooner, if Flora decrees it) does the Dragoon finally stop. letting the Queen's hand go in favor of rubbing his throbbing head. "I-- um, okay, what the fuck was that?" He waves an arm in the direction they came from, painfully aware of the jar in his pocket - the one that apparently holds his mother's dying breath.

You don't gotta pretend, baby, now and then

flora

"Mhmm." Trying desperately to remain cool and calm on the outside, to saunter away with Koa's hand in hers as if they were nothing more than a cute couple who were going to go compare their prizes, it was likely only the too-tight grip of the queen's fingers around the dragoon's that might have otherwise given her away. Flora had gotten very good at faking it, over the years.

Turning towards Koa, as Flora gazed up at him no small part of herself wanted to kiss the concern off of his lips so that they could let their combined nervous energy build into something far more pleasant than the proceeding few minutes had been. However as Koa released her hand all Flora could think to do was rake her fingers through her hair and glance nervously up the beach to make sure they weren't followed. "He's infected." The queen whispers, her tone urgent and her blue eyes wide with what the fuck. Giving her head a quick shake to stop the question that surely was on Koa's lips, Flora sighed a touch reluctantly as she explained.

"I met with Dahlia a few days ago. It...it was a thing. It was fine, but yeah. He's infected. Like with a capital I."

My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Koa

You keep telling me to live right

"Fuck." Flora might have expected surprise at this revelation, but as far as Koa is concerned it's just confirmation of what he already suspected. Lacing his fingers behind his head, the Dragoon begins pacing, his body desperate to let off some of the anxious energy tearing through it like a nine-volt battery to the brain.

It's the next bit of information that has him freezing, alarm frank on his handsome face as he spins back around to face Flora. "You what?" In a quick stride he's closed the gap between them, his copper eyes raking her with open concern. "Are you okay? Did anything happen?" Calloused hands grasp her shoulders before running down her arms, seeking tactile confirmation that the Queen is unharmed. They end on hers, cupping them within his, his grip tight as he brings her palms close against his chest. "What did she want?"

You don't gotta pretend, baby, now and then

flora

Chuckling under her breath to see Koa begin to pace, it being precisely the sort of boyish and testosterone-fueled reaction that she might have expected from him, the Doubletake has to stop herself from reaching out and dragging him to a halt if only because it was kind of hot to see him so worked up.

Widening her eyes and looking equally bemused as amused as Koa drew near to her like a magnetic, his hands trickling down her arms before clasping her hands into his. "No Koa, I died and I'm actually a ghost. Boo." The queen teases with an affectionate roll of her eyes. After the lecture she'd received from Jack, Koa's concern had a smile trying to run away with one side of her face as Flora fought to retain control over her mouth that she might answer the rest of the dragoon's questions.

"We just had a few drinks. I was the one who asked her to chat, actually." Flora explains with a slight raise of her brow; she was a leader after all, and wasn't half bad as one either, if she did say so herself. "As the only two queens in all of Caido I thought it made sense for us to talk, especially with Stormbreak and Starfall so nearby. Also, there was like, this whole thing just before the Midwinter Ball. I don't know how much you heard about it, but Dahlia showed up and everyone pretty much lost their fucking minds, Hadama included, so I wanted to smooth that over a bit."

My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Koa

You keep telling me to live right

The levity acts like gentle fingers, massaging the knot of stress in his chest. Koa's lips quirk in half a smile as his heartrate slowly begins to ease. "Explains why my heartbeat rises whenever I see you," he chuckles softly, wondering if she can feel the pounding of his pulse. "Though I thought ghosts were supposed to be freezing. You've never been anything but hot." Perhaps not the most appropriately timed flirtation, but what's a boy supposed to do, faced with a girl like that?

His jaw flutters as she continues explaining, still tense with worry at this bit of news. "You asked her to chat." Koa repeats the words with a mix of awe and resignation, shaking his head in quiet wonder at the brazenness of the move. "If anyone could handle that it's you, but please tell me you had backup at least?" I should have been there, he betrays with his eyes, with the teeth that worry his lower lip. But he'd been in Stormbreak, trying to assess the status of the Dragoons, to do what he could to help the people there. Trying to stay focused on home, despite the way his thoughts drifted endlessly to her.

Turns out having your heart in two places is hard.

Koa nods at the story of the Ball, eyebrows slightly knit. "I heard she came, but not any details." Only that tensions had been high, and the Reaper's visit a surprise. "So Ever's infected. I'd suspected, but..." His throat bobs, not sure what to do with this confirmation. "Did she say anything else? Like, about her plans?" For Stormbreak? For the world?

You don't gotta pretend, baby, now and then

flora

"Does it?" Flora wonders as she fits her fingers between Koa's and gives them a little squeeze before rolling her eyes with a huff of laughter. "Oh, I think I've been more than a little cold to you over the years." She points out despite being utterly disarmed by the re-emergence of their easy banter.

"Yeah. Of course I did." For as dangerous as Dahlia was, Flora really couldn't see the big deal. If the Reaper had wanted her dead, she could have killed her easily at the pre-Ball meeting. She could have killed them all, really. Letting her head loll gently to the side, the queen smirks up at the dragoon before her smile falters ever so slightly. "Yeah, I had backup. And a plan to get out of there if I needed to." She reassures him softly, not necessarily wanting to go down the road of who was it she'd been with or entertain thoughts of why hadn't it been Koa? Whatever it was she and the dragoon were doing with their personal lives, their respective responsibilities to their regions had to exist separately. Then again, at 21 and 22 quite how the pair were going to manage that, Flora had absolutely no idea.

"Uhm...I asked about Stormbreak and Torchline staying allies since we always have been and she said she was fine with that. Mostly I just asked about Torchline-related stuff, though." Flora's tone turns a touch apologetic then as if she should have foreseen the need to ask more far-reaching questions than she had. "I was infected before, I don't know if you remember, and she offered it to me again." Knowing the question that was likely going to have his lips tensing with questions, Flora stands on her toes in order to brush the tip of her nose delicately against his. "I said no. I did ask her what the benefits of it really was, which is how we started talking about Ever."

My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Koa

You keep telling me to live right

"That's true, maybe you are a ghost." He lets his eyes go wide in simulated shock, hand flying to his face to hide the gasping 'O' of his mouth. Then his demeanor shifts to one of mischief: lips pursed in exaggerated contemplation, fingers stroking at his chin. "You know, I've heard a kiss can bring the dead back to life," he suggests slowly, eyebrows raising over twinkling eyes. "Perhaps we ought to try? For science, of course."

And so he does, quick and cheeky, his lips brushing comfortably over hers.

For science, of course.

Then it's back to the unpleasant present, complete with god-like demagogues and harrowing news. Koa nods his approval to learn she had backup, trying to hide the flicker of disappointment that it hadn't been him. He assumes, of course, she means Remi or Ronin: both better candidates for any sort of conflict, more capable of protecting her than ever he could. Still it stings that chip on his shoulder as surely as salt in a wound, the fear of inadequacy never too far from his thoughts. He tries to redirect it by squeezing at her fingers, reminding himself that a bruised ego matters less than ensuring Flora is safe. That Torchline is safe, and Stormbreak, too, even if its protection has him torn in ways he never expected to be.

Koa does indeed tense like a wire at the idea of Flora becoming infected, alarm bells ringing in his eyes and the way his hands tighten on hers. But she anticipates it well, soothing him before he has a chance to react (and oh, isn't it amazing, having someone who knows your reactions before they occur?), the press of her nose and the heat of her breath making him catch and steady his own. "Good," Koa growls, dropping his neck to press his forehead into hers. "Even if Ever seems okay so far, we don't know what the long term effects might be. And I don't like the idea of sharing you with Dahlia," the Dragoon adds, not quite playful enough to cover the very real possessiveness in his voice.

You don't gotta pretend, baby, now and then

flora

"Have you?" Flora wonders, her smile growing slightly crooked around the edges as a bubbling playfulness builds up in the back of her throat. Koa's kiss catches her by surprise, and when he pulls back, the queen's aqua eyes widen slightly before narrowing in girlish disappointment at how brief it was. "That's all I get? For science?" She teases, her voice playful, though the lingering warmth from his kiss still tingles on her lips and across the bridge of her nose, before the heat of it descends in a swell that finally settles in her belly.

As they part, Flora's smile is bittersweet as she settles back onto her heels with a soft sigh. She keeps their hands entwined, though, her soft fingers a stark contrast to Koa's calloused grip that she's finding she enjoys more and more. "Sharing?" Another pirate-smile parts her lips as she gives the dragoon an incredulous look. "And before he's even made good on his promise of dinner already he's talking like I'm something he has."

Though she rolls her eyes the words alone have a gravity-defying thrill racing up from her spine before bursting in the back of her throat. "Besides, if nothing else, confirming that Stormbreak and Torchline are still allies hopefully means Dahlia won't mind if I use her dragoons from time to time." She says in a singsong tone as if it was entirely inconsequential, and not actually a means of justifying Koa's continued presence within her own region.

My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Koa

You keep telling me to live right

"We can experiment more later," he's quick to promise, a wicked smile flashing lightning-bright across his face. Don't get me wrong - were the situation different, Koa would absolutely be down to do more science right at this very moment in time (and any other, who are we kidding?). But there remains a looming, more serious issue which cannot be ignored, even if all the Dagoon wants is for them to be encased in a bubble of youthful lust and affection, hot-blooded and foolish and always hungry for more.

Koa raises his hands in self-defense, which means Flora's go up, too. "Hey, we can do dinner whenever you want - right now, even!" Never mind that it's nowhere near dinner time. "I was simply trying to respect your time. You're the one I have to share with an entire kingdom, Your Highness." He laughs, then lowers his voice to a smolder, copper gaze glittering as they grasp for blue, their intertwined hands coming to his mouth. "Though I'd like to imagine at least a little of you belongs only to me," Koa adds in a low murmur, his lips on her knuckles in a spoken kiss.

Truth be told they've both been busy, and the distance only makes matters worse. Flora's next revelation stirs something within him, souring his adoration into a grimace and sigh. "If I'm even a Dragoon anymore," he mutters darkly, turning to stare at the distant clouds that shroud Stormbreak from his view. He's curled in on himself almost visibly, frustration obvious by the clenching of his jaw, the way he glares at the sky. Pain, too, tightens the skin on his face, dulling the Dragoon's copper eyes to a hazy shade of rust as he loosens his hold on Flora's hands. "Anju made it seem like... well, like I may not have a place there. That a Dragoon's loyalty isn't to his people, but to his Queen."

You don't gotta pretend, baby, now and then

flora

"You say that, but who really knows how long a ghost gets to just haunt around for?" Flora points out, and though there's no part of her that isn't eager to set Koa's theory to a bit more rigorous testing, she too knows that there's (unfortunately) a time and place, and this failed on both counts.

Leaning back slightly if only to allow for the dragoon's theatrics, Flora raises a mischievous brow before rolling her eyes affectionately up at him. "Time for dinner but not for science? Suuure Koa." It's a nonsensical argument but the queen doesn't care. She'd strip the dragoon of his shirt and use it as a towel upon which they could eat pretend food if it meant finally having their date, but then, after so many years of getting it wrong, maybe they deserved better than hurried gestures and make-believe. "Your Highness, though...that I could get used to." She says, her laughter melding against his own as he lifts her hands yet again.

Biting hard at the inside of her lip if only to keep herself from screaming with girlish joy, Flora's cheeks grow rounder and rounder with her delight the longer she gazes into Koa's golden eyes. "Maybe just a little." She agrees in a quiet voice, if only because all the air in her lungs seems to have disappeared to make way for the steady stream of butterflies making her feel unsteady on her feet. "Gods you're the worst!" Flora chastises him playfully, her fingers giving his a little shake as if to admonish him his charm and boyish good looks.

"Hey." Letting one arm slip around him, Flora tucks herself against him. Glancing towards Stormbreak only for a moment before turning her aqua stare back upon him and trying to smooth away the feathering muscles of his jaw with the pads of her fingers. "Anju's a good woman. We trained together, a time or two actually. " Had she also flirted with the older woman? Mayyyybe, but who wouldn't? "And you remember what it was like with Cian and the Order...she...she probably understands the longevity of this stuff better than either of us does. Besides, she has to say she's loyal to Dahlia, right?" Same way Flora had to smile and joke with the Reaper about how she'd kicked her dad's ass all while silently plotting her downfall.

That was politics, bby.

My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Koa

You keep telling me to live right

"You mean I'm the best", Koa counters brashly, his face only made more dahsingly handsome by the flush of an ego inflated by the flirtatious exchange. Delighted self-satisfaction glitters like ivory in his smile, smugly affectionate and just as pleased as the cat who got the cream.

It shifts, we know, falls away as harsher realities creep back into their perfect spring. Gentle fingers do little to soothe the tense angles of Koa's face; if anything the description of Anju as a good woman has him stiffen even more, his conflicted emotions regarding the Captain a rolling sea inside his gut. "She was my mother's best friend," the Dragoon confirms softly,  face still turned to the distant sky. "I've known her as long as I can remember. And after, when my mom died, she was always there." Further commendation, or furious condemnation? It's hard to say.

He's angry, wants to stay angry, because it's easier than being hurt. "I know, and you're probably right. My mom was a Captain under the Order, and it was like that. It's just..." Koa sighs, hands clenching into fists. "She called me a traitor. And I know - I know she didn't mean it, not like that, but still..." He trails off, swallowing down the bitter tang of betrayal that rises in his throat.

You don't gotta pretend, baby, now and then

flora

After the war Flora had been too consumed by the grief of her twin's death to have thought much about what Koa was going through—had she even known? even asked?—and just as it had been selfish of her then, it was just as selfish of her now to feel a flush of guilt for having not thought more about what Stormbreak's takeover might mean for the dragoon on a personal level. Unlike with Jack, though, at least the queen could hide those feelings behind a carefully curated series of expressions and touches.

Letting her palm fall away from the scruff of his cheek to land upon his shoulder and then caress his upper arm, the Doubletake nods silently as she watches the emotions flare across his face the way one might watch a summer storm far out on the ocean. It was as beautiful as it was worrisome, but she couldn't look away, nor did she want to. "I'm sure it hurt, even if you knew she didn't mean it." Flora murmurs in the silence that descends. Wishing she could just tug him against her, to kiss away every frown and blot away his hurt and anger with laughter or passion, the queen instead takes a slow breath and forces herself to stop swimming against the conversational current they were both caught in.

"If you were in her position, what would you do?" She asks, glancing up at the dragoon. "If there was someone you wanted to protect, but knew that everything you said was being heard by someone else?" As with most men, Flora was fairly certain she couldn't just reason Koa through his feelings, but perhaps he could do it himself.

My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Koa

You keep telling me to live right

She doesn't know the half of it, because the other part - the worst part - Koa cannot bring himself to say. That's the part that has truly damaged him, an extracted promise he desperately prays he will never have to keep. How is he supposed to reconcile the Captain's condemnation with his aunt's request? To carry the weight of a future decision, while holding his balance on the edge of a knife?

But then he looks at Flora, caring and concerned and beautiful and perfect, and he thinks that maybe he understands a little better how Anju could say the things she had. Sighing, Koa wraps his arms around the Doubletake, bending down to rest his forehead gently against hers. "I would do everything I could to keep them safe," he admits, eyes drifting shut as he slowly exhales, letting the familiar smell of her perfume and skin still his anxious mind. "Even if it broke my heart to do it." As he has no doubt it had broken hers.

At last he lifts his head up higher, enough to sit his chin on her crown. "So," Koa muses, running idle fingers up and down the Doubletake's arms. "Stormbreak and Torchline are allies. Maybe it's finally time to see about setting up a Dragoon outpost here." Drawing back, he raises a brow, waiting to see the Queen's response.

You don't gotta pretend, baby, now and then

flora

Curling one arm around his torso and tugging him close, Flora let the other comb through his dark hair, her fingernails scratching affectionately toward the tense muscles at the top of his neck. "And...do you think that's maybe what she's doing? The broken resignation in Koa's voice very much suggested that he did, but perhaps hearing himself say it would help ease some of the self doubt that still seemed to want to brew behind his dark eyes.

Pressing her cheek against his chest and enjoying the familiar feel of his body, Flora let her eyes fall closed. The drumbeat of his heart nearly tricked her into thinking that music had started somewhere far off such that only the bass was reaching them. Indeed, she twitched unconsciously in response as if her body was convinced that they out to be dancing given the low him of the beat and the way they were already wrapped up in each other's arms.

Feeling Koa draw back, Flora straightens as she peers up at him, her expression immediately growing wry. "I think that sounds like an amazing idea." She hums before standing on her toes to press a brief but sweet kiss against his lips. "As long as you don't mind me overseeing its construction." Flora adds, mischief twisting her smile on one end. "And that it doesn't delay our date any longer." Lifting her eyebrows, her blue eyes full of laughter, the queen grins. "Unless you'd prefer Ronin to do it." She says with a shrug, maybe meaning overseeing the construction of an outpost, maybe meaning the date, both of which she assumes might rattle the dragoon somewhat.

My house of stone, your ivy grows
And now I'm covered in you

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!