[RA] [SE] The Evening Report

Hadama did not look smug. That would be unbecoming of a King and demigod. Besides, his expression was hidden by his bow, so even if he had looked far too pleased with Flora's compliments there was no way to prove it by the time he straightened again, only his eyes revealing his laughter. His lessons in flirting only continued the gentle humor, though Flora's additions did have him tilting his head curiously. "The last two I have heard of. Though I have not heard of 'love bombing.'" An admission made in all seriousness and with genuine curiosity. The name alone did not give him an immediate clue.

But the teasing could not last forever. He had fought one battle already that day but already they planned for the next. He could promise no help but his own, but that he could give without reservation as he offered his co-ruler the Lucky Ring that had been made from Torchline's resources. Even as she asked her question she had accepted it, and emerald eyes softened as she wrapped her arms around him and he returned the hug. This moment, this safety, was fleeting, and all the more precious for it.

"I am sure." And there was no levity in his tone as he spoke, quiet and certain as the rising moon as he enfolded her into strong, gold-scarred arms. "And thank you. For letting me know what you intend. I will support your however I can." She was warm against his chest but he could feel the breadth of her shoulders that way. The steel in her, however much she hid it beneath fashion and reputation. Young, still, but no longer untested. And she had already given so much to their region. "You are Torchline's Queen, and my equal, Flora. I am sorry that I have not always seen that."

Flora

Flora leans back enough to tip her head up at him, her curls sticking a little to his shoulder with sweat and salt. "Love bombing’s when someone drowns you in attention," she explains softly. "Big gestures. Gifts. Constant affection. It’s not always bad, but...sometimes it’s used to manipulate people. To trap them. Make them think what they’re feeling is love when it’s just pressure dressed up in roses." Her voice fades out toward the end, nose wrinkling.

Still nestled close, her arms give a last squeeze before she draws back, brushing her hair from her face as she does. "I appreciate you, Hadama," she murmurs, voice steadier now. "Even when I go flying off like a loose cannon. It means a lot knowing you're always there when I come back down." Her smile tilts sideways with quiet affection. "Even if you do get mad sometimes. You still stay." Which, as Flora was coming to learn, was a rare and valuable trait indeed.

There’s warmth in her voice, gratitude that flickers before something more pragmatic takes its place. With a small, deliberate breath, Flora turns to look out across the ocean, letting the wind toss her hem as she gathers her thoughts. "Soooooo," she begins, voice shifting toward something more official, "what do you think we should set our sights on for the season? Region-wise." Her thumb taps against the shell of his ring as her other hand settles on her hip.

'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my shit
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did

Code stolen from Queen Sky

He listened and learned, and some of the gentle amusement left his eyes at Flora's quiet explanation. "Thank you," he rumbled, low and thoughtful as he studied her expression and drew, perhaps, some conclusions of his own. But he released her when she was ready, and when she spoke again he understood the desire for a little space. Some words were more easily spoken if one could see the person they were meant for, and Hadama's expression softened to hear her gratitude.

"You have been there for me." He found his own smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he let his hands rest at his sides. "When I have needed a friend. It is a point of..." He paused, seeking the right word before settling on "...joy," with a warming of his smile. "And pride. To return the favor." Yes, even when he was angry. Perhaps especially then.

But beyond their bond of friendship was their connection as rulers, and he sensed the shift in the wind as she turned away. His warmth remained in his eyes but his smile faded to solemnity as she spoke. He nodded slowly, turning the question over as his own eyes looked up to the top of the lighthouse beside them.

And then out across the ocean to the violet streaks marring the stars on the horizon.

"The tax," he answered, and this time his words were firm as he considered their foe. And their future. "Before, you asked us to plan for the worst scenario. To not pin everything on our battles." And he and Deimos had gone off to fight, leaving Flora alone to make a deal with the Reaper. He drew in a deep breath of salt-laden evening air, clean and cooling from the day's heat, if humid. "You were right." He slanted a glance at her, a flicker of fond amusement in his eyes in spite of the seriousness with which he spoke, though it vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. "The Wyrm remains. The battles grow more difficult with every level we descend. Our warriors grow weary. So. We plan for the worst."

His eyes returned to the distant island, expression going from merely solemn to grim, his voice growing soft enough to barely be heard above the quiet hush of the waves lapping the shore. "Something of the Void nearly destroyed Safrin. And we know that something with the power of a god is growing within that place. Perhaps they are not the same. But if they are..." He grew quiet for a short time before reluctantly putting his fears into words. "It will take more power than She has to protect Torchline from it. I would have us be ready to make the offerings to Vi if what sleeps beneath that island is beyond our power to end before it wakes."

Flora

Flora turns her gaze from the horizon to Hadama, her gold-ringed fingers rising to push her curls from her brow, though the gesture does little to smooth the storm behind her eyes. The hush of waves is too soft to drown out the words he’s just spoken—about the void, the battles, the sheer weight of what might be coming—and for a moment, all she can do is breathe through the knot forming in her throat.

"I hate it," she admits finally, voice low and honest, without the usual shine of performative deflection. "The tax, I mean. The way it feels like we're turning against our own people. Like we're making them pay for something that wasn’t their fault and isn’t theirs to fight." Her teeth press gently into the inside of her cheek. "But...you’re right."

The words taste bitter, but she says them anyway, because she means them. "If there’s something down there that could take out a goddess—Safrin of all people—then it’s not just Torchline that’s at risk. It’s everything. And we can’t afford to sit back and pretend good intentions are enough anymore."

Turning fully toward him now, her expression settles into something quieter. Not resigned, exactly, but resolved. "We’ll implement the tax. If anyone’s going to get mad about it, maybe I'll fly them over to Starfall on the Sugar Tide and ask them if they're really sure about it."

'Cause I'm a real tough kid, I can handle my shit
They said, "Babe, you gotta fake it 'til you make it" and I did

Code stolen from Queen Sky

He did not speak. There was no need. He simply listened while his co-ruler worked through her own thoughts and feelings on his suggestion. He glanced down to note how the fading fire of sunset gleamed from golden hair, and then up to see how it painted the lighthouse into a towering flame. He took no pleasure in being told that he was right, but inclined his head in acknowledgment of the admission that had not come easily.

She drew his gaze back with the strength of her resolve, and her met her eyes with gratitude. "Thank you. We have taken the burdens of this battle on ourselves. Together, and separately. But we are not alone, Flora. Many may be unhappy. But I believe that there are those who will support us." Those who had not forgotten the death and terror of Starfall, when it had swamped their shores and drowned their friends and families, destroying homes and businesses. Those who had been bitten or scratched or frightened by Void creatures until those had been swept from their region. Those who still had loved ones in other regions that were still threatened. Most of their citizens had neither the strength nor temperament to fight directly, but they might still wish to contribute to the battle.

He took a deep breath and then let it out slowly before offering his co-ruler his hand. "Now. Will you join me for dinner? And tell me of your day?" Hopefully a less eventful one than his had been.

~Fin