[SE] nothing lasts forever

Don't know when and I don't know why
One day you wake up and you're living a lie

The skyship ride back to Torchline was blessedly uneventful, and once Sohalia touched foot on the streets of Haulani, she couldn’t help but feel safer. At least here the Void didn’t have a hold. Maybe she would stop having nightmares about the yeti and its claws slashing through her torso, about rubies in the snow, about reaching for friends she was too weak to save. 

She was at least put together as she made her way through the streets, though anyone who knew her well would note the dark circles beneath her haunted eyes. She hadn’t died, but she’d been to the brink, and it was not a place to which she wished to return.

The Luminary pushed open the door to the Hanged Man. It was the middle of the day, and the bar was mostly deserted, but she was only really looking for one person, anyway. Fortunately, Flora was behind the bar instead of out with her captain, and for once, Soh ignored the societal pressure that told her to stay on the customer side of the bar since she didn’t work for the Hanged Man. She said, ”Flora, hey,” as she slipped behind the bar to throw her arms around her friend.

Goodbye love, and goodbye pain
Went to the river, didn't come back the same

Sohalia

flora

Flora barely had a moment to register the sound of Sohalia’s voice before she was moving, her daggers clinking softly against her thighs as she bolted from behind the bar. The sight of Soh—alive, whole, and here—dropped a weight from her chest she hadn’t realized she’d been carrying.

"Soh!" Flora practically yelled, throwing her arms around her friend in a tight hug. The intensity of it was matched only by the flood of emotions she couldn’t quite contain—relief, worry, and the lingering sting of fear that had haunted her since that damned broadcast. She didn’t care about the empty bar, about decorum, or even about how tightly she was squeezing the Luminary. She just needed to feel her friend’s presence, solid and real.

After a moment, Flora finally pulled back, her aqua eyes scanning Sohalia’s face with a mix of relief and scrutiny. "Gods, Soh, you look..." Her words trailed off as her gaze lingered on her friend’s features, searching for any signs of lingering harm, physical or otherwise. "Like shit, actually," she added with a wry grin, though her voice cracked just a little at the end.

She shook her head, her curls bouncing as she released a breath that came out shakier than she would’ve liked. "I’ve been losing my mind worrying about you. That broadcast? Soh, I—" Flora cut herself off, pressing her lips together as if to stop the words from tumbling out in a flood. Instead, she grabbed Soh by the shoulders, her voice softening but still insistent. "Are you okay? Really okay?"

i scream for whatever it's worth
"i love you" ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Don't know when and I don't know why
One day you wake up and you're living a lie

Flora swept her up into a hug that brought tears to Soh’s eyes - not because she was still injured, but because this was someone who genuinely cared about her, and she had almost left Flora again - but this time, it would have been permanent.

The Queen of Torchline pulled away, leaving Soh feeling cold in the wake of such a warm welcome. ”You should see the other guy,” Soh said, but the joke fell flat. Her tone didn’t quite have the bravado she wanted, and she ended up just sounding tired and frail.

Soh made a face. She was sure Flora wasn’t the only one worrying, but she hadn’t had time to consider who all she should write to let them know she was safe. Koa and Lena, probably, and Tal and Hadama and… Jude? Gods, what a mess. ”I’m… Deimos healed me,” she said. ”Or, I guess his companion did, but same difference. So physically? I’m tired, but okay.” Mentally, though… Soh bit her lip. ”Is there somewhere we can talk privately?”

Goodbye love, and goodbye pain
Went to the river, didn't come back the same

Sohalia

flora

Flora didn’t hesitate. Her hand slipped to the small of Sohalia’s back, guiding her toward the door at the back of the Hanged Man. "Come on," she said softly, the teasing edge gone from her voice. She could see the weariness clinging to her friend like a second skin, the weight of whatever had happened in Halo etched in every line of Sohalia’s face.

Pulling a key from her pocket, Flora unlocked the door with a quick glance over her shoulder to ensure no one else was watching. She pushed it open and ushered Soh inside, stepping in behind her and locking the door once more. "This’ll do," she murmured, gesturing to the Thieves Guild’s interior with a sweep of her hand.

The room smelled faintly of leather, salt, and the faint tang of something floral—likely the charm of those decorative but deadly plants that adorned the walls. Warm light from the secondary bar flickered over the worn terracotta floors, and the soft murmur of the discreet canal at the back gave the space an almost serene undercurrent. The couches looked inviting, and Flora led Soh to one, her aqua eyes scanning her friend again with unrelenting concern.

"Don’t worry—no one’s gonna bother us here." Flora said, sitting down beside Soh, her voice low and warm. She leaned forward, her elbows resting on her knees, her fingers laced together as she fixed her friend with a steady gaze. "Now," she began, her tone soft but insistent, "what happened out there? You don’t have to give me all the details if you’re not ready, but..." She hesitated, her lips pressing into a thin line before she added, "I just want to make sure you’re okay, Soh. Really okay." Flora knew what it was both to fight the void and die from it, so if anyone would understand what it had been like to be out in the Tundra, Flora thought she was as good a candidate as any, all the moreso given that both queens had now been specifically targeted by the Family.

i scream for whatever it's worth
"i love you" ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Don't know when and I don't know why
One day you wake up and you're living a lie

Soh allowed Flora to guide her towards the door at the back, hardly registering her friend’s caution. The room that they entered was private, and that was all that mattered to Soh. She was reminded of the sea, somehow, as the scent of salt and leather washed over her, adorned with something brighter that she couldn’t quite place. There was a comfortable couch, which was where the pair headed, and Soh took a seat, collapsing against the back of the furniture with a soft sigh of relief.

It was quiet here, and somehow soothing, and Soh sighed again before she met Flora’s gaze. ”I went to Halo to help against the Void,” she said. ”And we succeeded - but I guess you heard about that from the broadcast. I don’t even know where to start.” She fiddled with the hem of her shirt, her gaze roving restlessly around the room, taking in the various plants and the secondary bar and the canal without really noticing any of it.

”There was this yeti,” she started. ”And at first things seemed to be going okay. Melita’s - well, she’s a badass, and her fire arrows were great, and Zavien channeled Safrin and she helped a ton… but then it all went to shit. I got too close, and the yeti -“ She shuddered, memory assaulting her with visions of searing pain and blood spattering the snow. ”It almost killed me. If it had hit just a little higher, it’d have taken off my head.” She pulled down the shoulder of her shirt, showing the new scars that ran diagonally up from her right hip to left shoulder.

”I really thought I was dead. Zavien told me to run, so I shifted and flew, but I don’t know how I even made it to the Citadel. Deimos found me and his unicorn healed me, and… here I am.” She laughed mirthlessly. ”With a price on my head, I guess. We should form a club. We can make jackets and every-“ But as she spoke, her voice grew higher and higher, and her attempt at a joke fell flat as her throat closed, tears threatening.

”I just couldn’t sit by and wait anymore,” she whispered, her voice thick with unshed tears. ”But I couldn’t do anything, either. I ran when it mattered. Just like last time.” Now the tears were falling in earnest. She’d run after being kidnapped, when she should have fought back for her region. She’d run when battling the void yeti on the tundra, when she should have died instead of leave her friends. Gods, was this what she was reduced to? Was this who she really was at her core?

Goodbye love, and goodbye pain
Went to the river, didn't come back the same

Sohalia

flora

Flora's heart clenches as Sohalia's voice cracks, the tears glistening in her friend’s eyes threatening to spill over. All the questions and confusion swirling in her mind—the why, the what ifs—are swallowed by an overwhelming wave of empathy. Sohalia wasn’t just anyone; she was one of Flora’s oldest friends, someone who’d been through enough trauma to last a dozen lifetimes. Without hesitation, Flora reaches out, wrapping an arm firmly around Soh's shoulders to pull her close. "Hey," she murmurs softly, her voice thick with emotion as she tucks her friend against her side. "Soh, listen to me—being a hero is not worth your life. Not even a little. The demigods have immortality for a reason." Her aqua eyes flicker as if searching Soh’s face for some spark of recognition, for any sign that her words are landing; the point was, this fight was for those who'd been gifted the tools to handle it, not those like she and Sohalia who were laughably killable.

"Running doesn't make you weak," the queen continues, her tone steady but unrelentingly gentle. "It makes you smart. You survived, Soh. You made it out of that nightmare alive, and that’s what matters. You’re here. You’re alive. That’s what matters to me. That’s what matters to all the people who care about you." Gods help her, but she was positive that were Koa here, he'd be saying the absolute same.

Her fingers lightly brush Sohalia's hair as she leans her cheek against the crown of her friend’s head. "I get it, though," she admits after a moment, her voice quiet but tinged with the weight of her own scars. "I get wanting to do something." Flora pulls back slightly, her eyes locking onto Soh’s tear-filled gaze. "But babe...they killed me for interfering. You already got away from the Family once..." Shaking her head, the Doubletake falls silent for a moment, unable to find the words. Had it been Stormbreak that was attacked she might have understood more, but Halo? Specifically the fucking nothingness of the Tundra?

i scream for whatever it's worth
"i love you" ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Don't know when and I don't know why
One day you wake up and you're living a lie

Soh let Flora pull her closer, her head falling onto her friend’s shoulder as she shuddered with the memory of the battle. Gods, how stupid had she been to think she had any prayer of reclaiming her throne, of holding out against the Family if they decided they wanted to take an area for themselves? Tears eked out from closed eyes. She was never going to be able to save Stormbreak. It was better she recognize it now, before her idiocy got herself - and her friends - killed.

But the reality of her situation still rankled, and she opened her eyes to find Flora watching her intently. She wasn’t sure what she’d done to deserve this kind of friendship, to be privy to a relationship that had lasted through thick and thin, but if nothing else, it was a relief to simply be herself for a moment.

And herself was a hot fucking mess.

Soh had known what she risked when she went to Halo, but she hadn’t known. And now, having stared death in the face and come away alive… she very much didn’t want to die. ”It’s infuriating,” she admitted, her voice small. ”They’re always one step ahead. We won back the tundra, but the Void is just going to crop up somewhere else. We’re fighting a losing battle, and there’s nothing I can do to help my people.” And even less she could do to help herself.

Goodbye love, and goodbye pain
Went to the river, didn't come back the same

Sohalia

flora

Flora exhales sharply, her fingers still lightly tracing soothing circles against Sohalia’s back. As much as she hates to admit it, her friend isn’t wrong. The Family is always ahead, the Void is always spreading, and even when they claw back some semblance of a victory, it’s temporary at best. It’s fucking exhausting.

"Yeah," she murmurs, because there’s nothing else to say. Because for once, there’s no easy fix, no clever quip that will make it better. Flora tilts her head back against the couch, staring up at the ceiling for a long moment before sighing. "Maybe there isn’t anything you can do," she admits, the words tasting bitter on her tongue. "But I mean...maybe that's just because it isn't your job, you know? And not just because you aren't the Heart anymore, I mean...we have demigods for a reason, right? This is...sort of exactly the point of them." Maybe it was a cop out, but maybe it isn't. They were gifted strength, abilities, immortality; who the hell were the rest of them in comparison with those literally divinely picked?

Even so, her lips twist, knowing that’s not what Sohalia wants to hear. It’s not what she would want to hear if the roles were reversed. So, offering a softer alternative, she shrugs. "All your people can come to Torchline, you know," she says lightly, though there’s no humour in her voice now. "No drama, no bullshit. If they need a place to go, I’ll make sure they’re safe." It’s an offer she knows will go nowhere—Breakers are nothing if not stubborn, and Flora can’t see them willingly abandoning their crumbling city. And yet, she means it.

She leans in slightly, nudging her shoulder against Sohalia’s. "You don’t have to have all the answers, Soh. Sometimes, surviving is the answer." Her tone is softer now, quieter, an unspoken I need you to be okay laced beneath the words.

i scream for whatever it's worth
"i love you" ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Don't know when and I don't know why
One day you wake up and you're living a lie

Flora’s hand traced soothing circles on her back, and Soh shot her friend a grateful look despite the feelings of despair that seemed to be so prevalent across Caido these days. If they were always a step behind, what was the point of fighting? Would they ever find a way to prevail over the Family, or where they destined to keep failing, clawing back piece by piece only to lose them all over again?

What was the point of it all?

She listened as Flora offered her people sanctuary, and she smiled sadly as she considered the offer. If she thought they’d come, she’d gladly take the queen up on it; but Stormbreak’s citizens were nothing if not loyal to their home, and she doubted they would leave it so easily, no matter who was in charge. ”Thanks, Flora,” she said softly, leaning against her friend and wrapping an arm around her in a half-hug. ”Can I… stay here? While I figure out what to do? I don’t… think I can go back to Stormbreak now, but I can’t just wander forever, either.”

Goodbye love, and goodbye pain
Went to the river, didn't come back the same

Sohalia

flora

Flora’s expression softens, her arm tightening slightly around Sohalia’s shoulders. "Of course you can stay," she says without hesitation, because really—what else was there to say? As if she’d ever turn her away. "You can stay as long as you need, babe." There’s no teasing lilt to her voice this time, no playful quip to undercut the weight of the moment—just quiet, unwavering sincerity.

Still, she tilts her head slightly, considering. "But..if you want some space, we can find you your own place too," she offers, knowing that while Sohalia might need stability, she might also need to feel like she wasn’t completely dependent on someone else. "Maybe something on my street? That way you can have your own space, but still be close." There’s an easy sort of fondness in her voice, an unspoken I want you nearby that she doesn’t feel the need to say out loud.

Flora nudges her friend gently. "No rush though," she adds, giving Sohalia the time and room to figure out what she actually wants. "Just… whatever you need, we’ll make it happen, okay?"

i scream for whatever it's worth
"i love you" ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

Don't know when and I don't know why
One day you wake up and you're living a lie

While Flora was quick to assure Soh that she could stay in Torchline, a part of the Luminary hesitated all the same. What if she brought the Family down on her friends by staying with them? She wouldn’t wish death on Flora again, and she would hate for Hadama to be harmed if he got caught in the crossfire. Still, with nowhere else to go, and with Torchline relatively protected against the Void…

”Thank you,” Soh said softly, leaning her head back against the couch and closing her eyes. ”Something on your street would be great.” At least that way she could get out of Flora’s place and stop imposing on her generosity. Especially since Soh now no longer knew how long she’d be in Torchline for. She crooked an eye open. ”Have any suggestions?”

Soh paused, then sat up. ”Oh! I know this is weird timing, but I almost forgot. I have something for you.” She dug around in a pocket, pulling out a small box. ”I didn’t have a chance to wrap it or anything, but… happy LongNight?” When Flora opened it, she would find a dainty silver bracelet set with small aquamarine stones. It was a pretty bangle, and one that Soh had hoped that Flora would like.

Goodbye love, and goodbye pain
Went to the river, didn't come back the same

Sohalia

flora

Flora blinks as Sohalia pulls out the small box, her head tilting slightly as curiosity flickers across her features. "You got me a gift?" she asks, surprised but undeniably delighted. Reaching for the box, she lifts the lid, and the moment her eyes land on the bracelet inside, her expression softens into something warm, something fond.

"Oh, Soh," she breathes, gently lifting the bangle from the box, the aquamarine stones catching the light in a way that reminds her of the ocean, of home. Of herself. It's thoughtful—so much more than just a pretty piece of jewelry—and that only makes the guilt twist a little sharper in her chest. "This is gorgeous," she murmurs, slipping it onto her wrist immediately before flashing her friend a sheepish smile.

"But now I feel like an ass, because I didn’t get you anything." Her lips curve into a teasing smirk, but there's a genuine twinge of regret behind it. "Seriously, what kind of friend am I?" Flora huffs in mock offence before shooting Sohalia a more mischievous grin. "Guess I’ll just have to make it up to you somehow."

She tilts her head, considering. "Maybe I’ll help you find the best place to live," she muses, glancing toward her friend. "Or maybe I’ll just take you out for drinks and get you stupidly drunk on Torchline rum. Whichever you’d prefer." She grins.

"Hopefully both."

~FIN

i scream for whatever it's worth
"i love you" ain't that the worst thing you've ever heard?

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!