velvet covered brick

Ace

When people see good,
they expect good

Flora's sarcasm makes his smirk sharpen for an instant before he smooths it over, giving her an innocent look that speaks of his 'genuine' intentions behind the invitation. Meanwhile, he chuckles down the bond at Soh. You still don't see it? She's practically murdering me with her eyes. But before she can respond, the Queen slips seamlessly into the loyal role of cockblock. 

It doesn't discourage him too much, but he frowns with disappointment at the rejection. Only his eyes flare at the mention of dancing, glancing to Soh in an attempt to imagine her - the one who ran off after sex - dancing seductively in the middle of a bar. It's easier to picture than he'd thought it would be, having seen the way her body moved beneath him. She'd been quite the natural talent.

Tilting his head, Ace lets out a hum of regret. "Hm. What a pity." He leans in to hear Flora's next words, smile tilting up towards his dimple as he places a pained hand against his chest. "There's no need to rub it in. My pride is already wounded, ma'am." Although it would take a lot more than that to injure his ego. But he adds to Soh, nonetheless, I hope you know I won't be able to stop thinking about you tonight. 

Placing his hands in his pockets, he releases a long, resigned sigh. "I suppose I can't pull you away from such a fun girls night. If you change your mind though..." Or want some extra company... Ace leans forward to whisper towards Soh, making sure Flora can hear him just fine. "You can find me drowning my sorrows in the little bar by the Bodega." Winking, he stands straight again, his smile an open invitation to both of them. He would never push a woman into something she didn't want, but he'd absolutely leave the door open if she had a change of heart.

and I don’t want to have
to live up to anyone’s expectations.

Sohalia

Dinner and dancing, huh, Flora? And when have we ever seen Soh dance?

Shooting her friend a look that was grateful and bemused all at once, Soh nodded along with Flora’s exaggerated plans. Okay, maybe she doesn’t like you, Soh’s admitted to Ace. After all, she could absolutely see her bestie inviting him along just to see what happened - if, that is, she’d actually thought that Ace and Soh might have a chance. Soh quirked a brow at Ace. Anything I should know about? Not that it was any of her business, of course, but if the Queen of Torchline had it out for you? Well, what exactly did that say about your character?

”We’ll keep that in mind,” Soh said quickly, before Flora could say anything else. With the interaction seemingly drawing to a close, the Luminary could breathe a silent sigh of relief. Perhaps she’d get out of this without turning into a tomato, after all. Maybe I’ll find you later, she offered to Ace before she could think better of it. Aloud, she simply added, ”It was nice to see you, Ace.” Because it was, in a way; the meeting had solidified Soh’s knowledge that she knew nothing about the other Attuned, and she wasn’t sure yet if that was a good or a bad thing.

these aching memories still dance around me

flora

With a carefully concealed smirk, Flora leans comfortably back in her chair, perfectly aware of the subtle undercurrents drifting between Sohalia and Ace; they're both attuned after all and the queen has grown up with parents prone to silent conversations in an effort to exclude her. Still, it's clear enough that Ace isn't entirely put off by her interference—if anything, it only seems to have sharpened the playful glint in his eyes.

When Sohalia accepts his offer to "keep it in mind," Flora tilts her head thoughtfully, a smile pulling mischievously at the corner of her lips. "Mm, yes," she hums agreeably, though her gaze slides knowingly between them. "No one likes a man prone to wallowing, Ace."

Taking another sip of tea, Flora watches Ace rise to leave before flashing Sohalia a bright, triumphant grin. "Well," she whispers conspiratorially, raising her eyebrows, "I think he likes you. Or wants you, anyway." Setting her cup down, Flora adjusts it just so, before fixing her friend with a stare. "He uh...certainly has quite the reputation in Torchline. I'll say that about him."

I can't stop you putting roots in my dreamland

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Ace

When people see good,
they expect good

Chuckling through the bond at her final admittance, Ace expertly avoids her question. Nothing you should be concerned about. Because his job doesn't influence his ability to show a woman a good time. If anything, it makes him better at it, sometimes adding some extra... umph to the experience, but Soh doesn't seem like that kind of girl, and he's more than happy to pretend he's just a stud racer and not an illegal drug runner just to get in her pants again.

Flora's statement draws his eyes again, scanning at her almost playful jab. He glances between the two women, as if giving them both the opportunity as he says, "Then hopefully someone will come save me." There's a teasing 'distressed' look on his face as he places a hand on his chest to bow his head like he might just beg them. But then he's drawn back to Soh and the way she leaves the door cracked just enough to tempt him. His blue eyes glitter with something between mischief and desire. I sure hope so.

Shifting his pack over his shoulder, Ace gets the sense that things could have gone better but also could have gone worse. Satisfied with the outcome, he gives them a dimpled grin as he starts to back away. "If I don't see you ladies tonight, dance an extra song for me." With a small wave, he steps back into the crowd, easily melting into the throng of people. Before he disappears into another alley, he glances back to Soh with a suggestive wink, his voice deep and sultry. It was nice to see you again, Sohalia. Her name was a caress of his mind against hers, gently but lingering. 

And then he's gone.

and I don’t want to have
to live up to anyone’s expectations.

Sohalia

Ace’s voice slid along the Attuned bond, just deep and sultry enough to send a shiver along Soh’s spine, and then he was gone. Her gaze followed him until he disappeared into the crowd. Maybe she really would find him later. What was the harm, after all?

Turning back to her friend, Soh raised her brows. ”And what kind of reputation would that be?” she asked, curious but also wondering whether or not she wanted to know. Maybe, if Flora’s tone was any indication, Soh was better off not knowing. Maybe she could learn to have fun without worrying too much about the details.

But then again, this was Sohalia, and she was as addicted to the idea of romance and love as any young woman, and if she let herself… well, she would probably develop feelings for Ace. And she knew enough about the world to know that Ace didn’t seem like the type to develop feelings back.

these aching memories still dance around me

flora

Flora hesitates for a brief moment, one finger tracing absent patterns on the tabletop as she chooses her words carefully. When she finally looks back up at Sohalia, her expression has softened into something gently protective. "Wellll," she begins slowly, tilting her head to the side. "He's good at what he does—drug-running, racing, charming people out of their better judgment. And Torchline loves a good rebel." She pauses, aqua eyes bright with quiet seriousness beneath their playful sparkle. "He’s not bad, exactly. But he’s..." Flora trails off, wrinkling her nose slightly. He was Torchline, through and through, which the queen suspected was not something Sohalia would want in large quantities.

"Complicated. Always mixed up in something shady. Always a little bit in debt, a little bit in trouble—but he always seems to talk his way out." This of course she knows mostly second-hand from Jack's dealings with the man and his escapades; luckily he hadn't crossed her path in an official capacity.

Her expression softens into a sympathetic smile. "I mean, he’s the type that’s really, really fun—until it’s suddenly not." Flora shrugs, lifting her teacup and sipping thoughtfully. "Just be careful, okay?"

I can't stop you putting roots in my dreamland

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Sohalia

Sohalia listened, her face unreadable as she fiddled with the teacup in front of her. She hadn’t known what she expected, but to find out that Ace was essentially a criminal was decidedly not it. She’d all but given up on the desire to have lost her virginity to someone she loved (even if a tiny piece of her regretted it), but to have had her first time be charmed out of her by someone like that? She wasn’t sure how to feel about that.

”I mean, we’re not dating, or anything,” she pointed out after a moment’s though, forcing what she hoped was a breezy smile. She wasn’t sure she wanted to delve too deeply into her feelings out in public, where Ace could reappear at any moment. No, she’d wait until she was in private to consider what she’d done, and whether she wanted to keep doing it, consequences be damned. Swallowing hard, she added, ”It could’ve just been a one-time thing.”

Could’ve been, sure. But the reality remained to be seen.

these aching memories still dance around me

flora

Flora's smile softens further, something rueful flickering briefly across her features as she watches Sohalia attempt nonchalance. "Yeahhhhhh," she drawls lightly, swirling the tea absently in her cup. "The thing about one-time things is they tend to happen more than once." There's a gentle humour in her voice, an understanding born of experience rather than judgment. "I mean, that's exactly how things started with Koa. And Jack."

Her expression grows quietly thoughtful, memories flashing briefly behind her eyes before she refocuses on her friend with a helpless little shrug. "One time became many times, and then suddenly I was catching feelings really hard, really fast—both times." She offers Soh a slightly crooked smile, almost apologetic. "Really good sex can do that to you, babe. You don't even realize you're falling until it's already happened."

Leaning back slightly, Flora wrinkles her nose, attempting to lighten the mood. "Just, you know... consider yourself warned. If you end up sleeping on some pirate's boat in the middle of the harbour like me, I'll absolutely say I told you so."

I can't stop you putting roots in my dreamland

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Sohalia

Maybe there was a tiny part of Soh that clung to the idea that Flora’s relationship seemed to be working out for her, and if that was the case, then why couldn’t it be true for Soh, too? That maybe, no matter how rough Ace’s edges, she could be the one to smooth them out. She could fix him (no really, she could). But a greater part of her knew that that was a pipe dream; if she’d learned nothing else from her own failed relationships, it was that she wasn’t cut out for love, and if she couldn’t even figure herself out, how could she be expected to do so for someone else?

So instead of pointing out that Flora seemed to be doing just fine (barring whatever drama she’d been about to divulge before Ace’s appearance), Soh sighed. ”Maybe I should just leave it alone.” After all, she could hardly catch feelings after a one-night stand, right?

Shaking her head, she narrowed her eyes at Flora. ”Speaking of your captain, I thought everything was going well. What did he do?” Because in no world was Flora to blame for whatever relationship issues the couple were having, at least in Soh’s mind. She was nothing if not loyal.

these aching memories still dance around me

flora

Flora sighs softly, reaching up to push a loose curl from her face, her gaze softening again as she offers Soh a gentle, encouraging smile. "I mean, you can absolutely have fun with him—I'm definitely not telling you to swear off him forever or anything," she says, a playful smirk flickering across her lips. "Just, y'know... eyes open, that's all." One corner of her mouth quirks up teasingly, though there's genuine warmth beneath her tone. "Because, babe, now that you've had sex once, chances are you're not gonna wanna stop anytime soon." Cackling, Flora lifts her teacup to her lips, laughing.

But then Sohalia's question redirects Flora's attention, and she groans dramatically, resting her forehead on one hand for a moment before glancing up again with a frustrated grimace. "Ugh, gods, it was just so stupid." Her lips purse into a sulky little pout as she picks at the edge of the table absently. "We got into this dumb fight because he suddenly decided he was going to get all heroic and protective and single-handedly take down the Family or whatever." She waves her hand dismissively, not quite remembering the fight correctly, but confident enough in her memory of Jack suddenly deciding to play hero. "And he just disregarded everything I had to say about it, saying he was just going to do what he wanted and I shouldn't try and stop him. And before that he bought me this sparkly lace gown as a DeepFrost present, then acted like a real bastard about it when thought it was maybe a hint toward...y'know, a very specific time you'd wear a dress like that."

She wrinkles her nose in annoyance, tilting her head back up with an irritated huff. "So I came up here for a while and guess who doesn't even care that I'm gone." Flora shrugs helplessly, fixing Sohalia with a look of exasperation. "Men are exhausting."

I can't stop you putting roots in my dreamland

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Sohalia

Torn between amusement and mortification, Soh reached for her tea with hands that shook slightly, though whether from laughter or embarrassment, it was hard to say. The thing was, she knew exactly what Flora meant - as was clear by leaving the door open with Ace. She'd always viewed sex as something special, but maybe she'd been wrong. It was fun to let loose and live a little, even if it was completely out of character for her. Maybe she was changing, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing.

Soh listened as Flora explained what had happened with Jack, her brows raising as she listened to the captain's supposed heroism. Honestly, Soh didn't see what Flora was so fussed about - it was kind of romantic, even if it was a terrible idea to go up against the Family alone - but seeing as this was her best friend, she was staunchly on Flora's side. "Ugh, sounds terrible," she said, sympathy in her gaze. "Well, maybe we should find some dancing tonight. Have a little fun and forget about dumb boys."

Whether or not they would successfully distract themselves in the Greatwood of all places, however, remained to be seen.

fin

these aching memories still dance around me