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+---- Thread: like a staring contest (/showthread.php?tid=11107)
like a staring contest - Calypso - 04-11-2025
“[say]C’mon V, we ain’t gonna be here too long so we might as well, right?[/say]” Comes the sunshine hum of the attuned’s voice, redirecting their path toward this unique little hot springs nestled in the city. She can tell he’s been on edge — she can’t blame him. They both are to an extent, though Caly is doing her utmost diligence of not letting her worry flare enough to ruin any fun that could be had especially when she’d seen the flare of a carnival being set up.
And besides, when they eventually won (there is no other option in her mind), she wants to make sure she’s got an idea of what Stormbreak was like before the Family’s hold crumbled into nonexistence.
So she drags her brother along toward the springs, spinning slightly in her sheer sundress, revealing a rather sparkly golden bathing suit beneath it. “[say]’Sides, I wanted to talk to ya about somethin’.[/say]” Knowing what she knows about her brother, she doesn’t elaborate further as she dips her toes into the spring and feels the warmth immediately shoot through her skin with delight while she paints the picture of their newest full blooded sibling in her mind, awash with caution and a twinge of confusion at odds with the golden content that the spring is delightful.
RE: like a staring contest - Vesper - 04-13-2025
Vesper lets himself be tugged along without protest, though the weight of his silence lingers like a shadow a few paces behind Calypso’s sparkle. He doesn’t resist—never really does when it’s her leading—but his steps are measured, deliberate, as if dragging the thoughts in his skull along with the heels of his boots. The sheer sundress and gold beneath it earn her a quick once-over, though there’s no teasing grin this time. Just a slow exhale through his nose and a faint raise of his brow like, really? before the warmth of the spring finally coaxes a looseness back into his spine.
[say]"Suppose you’re not wrong,"[/say] he murmurs, voice low as the city hum fades behind them. The water glimmers, steam curling soft around the edges like someone tried to paint calm into the air. He crouches at the edge for a moment, fingers trailing through the surface. [say]"Place is nicer than I expected."[/say] But then her thoughts brush his mind—not directly, not fully formed—but enough to prickle. The weight of them hangs in the air between their sentences. Caution. Confusion. Blood.
[say]"That what you wanted to talk about?"[/say] he asks finally, still not looking at her, eyes fixed on the patterns his fingers are making in the rippling gold. [say]"Zen?"[/say] His voice isn’t cold, but there’s something wary curled under the syllables, like he’s already bracing for whatever she might say next.
RE: like a staring contest - Calypso - 04-13-2025
“[say]’Course I’m not wrong.[/say]” She teases back affectionately to her shadowy sentinel of a brother. When he says it’s nicer than expected, Caly nods, her blonde hair bouncing around her face as her thoughts accompany his in agreement – warm content with how far away from danger it felt. Because it probably wasn’t that smart to wander around Stormbreak after Safrin’s warning. But they’re here, and they might as well take advantage of it before they leave, and with Vesper there, she was confident things would be okay.
Shedding the sheer golden shawl and folding it neatly to set it off to the side, she wades deeper until the water covers her shoulders and her mind sparks with a wash of golden comfort, watercolor in sunshine yellow that has a marring of dark blue uncertainty. “[say]Yeah.[/say]” She confirms as she scoots back a little, as if forcing her brother to join her – but the mental threat is there regardless. If you don’t get in, I’m gonna splash you.
“[say]I get mom doesn’t need to tell us about it, but.. it’s weird, right? He seems older ‘n us but just arrived? An’ he doesn’t talk. Just writes in the stars.[/say]” The whine is evident in her tone as she flops her head back slightly so that the water soaks into the ends of her blonde hair.
RE: like a staring contest - Vesper - 04-14-2025
Vesper makes a quiet noise, somewhere between a hum and a scoff, but he doesn’t argue—doesn’t counter her tease, doesn’t insist he’s right more often than she is, though the glint in his eye says he might think it. He watches her glide into the spring, the glitter of gold vanishing beneath the water until only the shimmer on her shoulders remains. For a second longer, he crouches—one final breath—and then he slides in after her.
The heat hits like a low exhale through bone. His shadows flicker, reluctant to retreat, but they curl back eventually, seeping beneath the surface in long trailing ribbons before dissolving. He keeps close to the edge for a beat, arms stretched along the stone lip of the pool, eyes half-lidded as Caly talks and thinks and glows like she always does, even when she’s clearly unsettled.
[say]"Yeah,"[/say] he says at last, voice low, roughened slightly by the heat and weight of it all. [say]"It’s weird."[/say] Vesper lifts a hand and flicks water lightly in her direction; not a splash, not quite, anyway. More of a punctuation mark. Then he drags his palm back through the surface, watching the ripples before his gaze lifts to meet hers.
[say]"It’s not just the talkin’ thing, for me,"[/say] he adds. [say]"Or the fact that mom didn’t say anything. It’s... somethin’ off. Not bad. Just... off."[/say] His brow furrows slightly, like the words aren’t coming easy. [say]"He doesn't seem the type to take a joke, and said he wasn't plannin' on stickin' around in Torchline."[/say] Which, given the nearness of Starfall and the fact that all of Zen's siblings resided on the island, struck Vesper the wrong way.
RE: like a staring contest - Calypso - 04-15-2025
He was right more often than she was – which is why she did use him like a guiding light. That doesn’t stop her from the playful threats of forcing him to indulge in the hot springs with her, sure that he’d rather listen to the mental threats than having her pout after if he didn’t indulge her. But neither of them have to worry about that, either, as she watches with delight as he slips into the warmth and relaxes.
Dodging the light flick of water toward her as she sinks into the springs, she takes on the appearance of a sunset in Torchline, peeking over the ocean in the distance as she hides her smile below the water before rising to let the rivets of water slip from her shoulders. “[say]Maybe he’s not meant to be here for us?[/say]” She suggests, her head tilting enough to let the wet ends of her blonde hair submerge into the springs like a paintbrush in water. “[say]Did kinda startle the shit outta me when I was walking through Haulani and suddenly my name was in front of me all sparkly.[/say]” Sighing a touch dramatically, she drifts closer to her brother so they could continue to talk before she slips onto her back to peer up at the sky above them. “[say]I dunno what t’do about it or if we just pretend everythin’s all normal?[/say]” Spreading her arms out to give her a trajectory of going forward, it has the added benefit of splashing a little wave toward the demigod.
RE: like a staring contest - Vesper - 04-16-2025
Vesper doesn’t dodge the splash. He lets the wave wash over his chest, eyes narrowing just slightly in a look that’s half fond, half warning—though the corner of his mouth betrays the twitch of a smirk. [say]"Keep that up and I’m dunkin’ you,"[/say] he mutters, voice lazy with warmth and veiled threat. He doesn’t move right away, just shifts enough to let the water rise higher around his shoulders, soaking into the edges of his hair and scattering the illusion of his freckles beneath the rippling surface.
At her words, though, the edge of amusement fades a little. [say]"Maybe,"[/say] he allows, gaze drifting skyward, matching her posture without copying it—he stays seated, but tips his head back until the stars come into view. [say]"Could be he’s for somethin’ bigger than Torchline."[/say] His tone isn’t bitter, but it isn’t entirely neutral either. The idea of not being part of something that involves his family clearly doesn’t sit right, but he’s chewing on it all the same. Jealousy isn't a feeling the demigod is altogether familiar with, but there's reason to think that his dislike for his new sibling is rooted in some sort of demigod rivalry, whether he knows it or not.
[say]"Still doesn’t mean we gotta trust him just 'cause he shares our blood."[/say] There’s a soft splash as he lifts a hand again, trailing fingers through the water like it might stir the right answer. He glances at her then, brows raised just slightly. [say]"But if you wanna play nice, I’ll back your play. Long as you’re careful about it."[/say]
RE: like a staring contest - Calypso - 04-18-2025
It's a veiled threat, because she knows that if he does she’ll scream like a banshee and disrupt the entirety of the peaceful calm surrounding them. Not that either of them would care, of course, but someone around here might. And it’s that thought that has her lips curving into a playful smirk that she flashes over at him, as innocently as possible.
Amusement fades though, with the reality that they’re facing. And Caly wades through the water with surprising ease while they talk and her mind flares with curiosity, confusion, and warnings. “[say]Yeah, maybe.[/say]” Which was also kind of annoying.
Or maybe it wasn’t. Maybe the three of them were here for love, while their fourth was a soldier?
She thinks she’d be okay with that. “[say]Oh, V, I don’t trust ‘im.[/say]” She chirps with a laugh, smirking as she straightens up a little and twists back around in the water, the movement splashing a small warm wave against her brother. “[say]And when am I not careful?[/say]” She teases, flashing him a sunny smile. “[say]Ain’t no harm in playin’ nice until we figure out what he’s here for, yeah?[/say]” Brows bouncing playfully, Caly shrugs casually.
RE: like a staring contest - Vesper - 04-25-2025
Vesper lets the little wave break harmlessly against him, the warmth of the spring soaking into his skin, his shadows gone lazy and stretching like long, black reflections in the golden water. Calypso's laugh bubbles between them, bright enough to draw a soft huff of a sound from his chest—something just shy of a laugh, but no less real.
[say]"You?"[/say] he says, slow and dry, arching a brow at her sunny grin. [say]"Careful?"[/say] He tsks quietly, the side of his mouth tugging upward in a way that's both fond and exasperated. [say]"You ain’t careful. You’re lucky."[/say] A difference he’s well aware of, given how many times he’s had to trail after her, shoring up whatever trouble her golden charm got them into.
Still, he doesn’t argue with her plan—doesn’t poke at the worry he can feel twitching beneath all that sunshine in her mind. Instead, he stretches an arm out lazily across the water and nudges her, a ghost of a smirk flickering across his face. [say]"Fine. We’ll play nice."[/say] His voice drops into a conspiratorial murmur. [say]"For now."[/say]
Straightening slightly, Vesper cocks his head to the side. [say]"Speakin' of playin' nice, anyone you been playin' nice with lately I ought to know about?"[/say]
RE: like a staring contest - Calypso - 04-28-2025
The look she gives him is nothing short of absolutely offended even if she knows that he’s right. Its the audacity of saying it aloud that has her debating whether or not her attuned shift might be able to make a large enough wave to suck him under. Realizing it wouldn’t get far and that his shadows likely would make it worse, Caly scoffs a little sound and flips the wet end of her pony tail over her shoulder, precisely so she can slap him with the water trail that falls from it instead.
Ah, but then they’re softening, and Caly exhales a soft hum as she leans into the comfortable touch of her brother. The plan made, playing nice until they know intentions - not that they had to go out of their way for the fourth sibling, but if they ere together they wouldn’t actively go and cause problems - has her relaxing.
His question earns him a shake of her head. “[say]Nah, not lately.[/say]” She murmurs with a soft sigh and a roll of her eyes. “[say]Been spendin’ a lot of time at the Hanged Man, though.[/say]” In which, when she gets back there, will likely become a space she’ll frequent nonstop given that she’ll become the new proprietor of it. "[say]What about youuu?[/say]" She chirps, turning suddenly on him with her wet hands propped under her chin, gazing at him with her honey eyes to hear all about whether or not he's been playing nice.
RE: like a staring contest - Vesper - 04-28-2025
Vesper snorts as her ponytail slaps cold water across his cheek, his hand lifting lazily to flick a few droplets right back at her with a roll of his wrist. The offense doesn’t even dent the easy warmth between them; if anything, it deepens it, the water and the lazy haze of the springs wrapping around them like a second skin. He catches the way her shoulders loosen when she leans in, and even though she’s trying to play it casual, the flicker of pride—the good kind—blooms soft in the back of his mind.
The Hanged Man, though. Interesting.
He files that away without comment, not yet teasing her about it (though the temptation coils like a cat ready to pounce). Instead, he shifts in the water so he’s facing her a little more fully, elbow propped up on the stone edge of the spring. Her honey-bright gaze under those wet lashes nearly drips you can tell me, and despite himself, a real, if small, grin quirks across his mouth.
[say]"Me?"[/say] he drawls, slow and faux-innocent. [say]"Depends what you call playin’ nice."[/say] His fingers trail idly through the water, sending little ripples outward as he considers. Then he lifts a shoulder in a languid shrug. [say]"Been seein' a bit of Thalassa."[/say] His voice is unhurried, but there's a gleam in his eye that suggests it's anything but boring. [say]"You’d like her. She bites."[/say]
A pause, just long enough to let that land, before he arches a brow at Caly with a mockingly angelic look. [say]"You gonna be a good sister an' not grill me, or am I gettin' the twenty questions treatment?"[/say]
RE: like a staring contest - Calypso - 05-01-2025
It’s good he doesn’t comment about it – because she’s still coming up with just what his portion of the Marin Flight would be. There’s still time to make it a dreary affair if he teases her too much about it. But her focus is totally, wholly on him as she asks her question with all the glint of a sister’s potential shock and awe.
“[say]Y’know what I mean.[/say]” She interjects immediately, because if anyone did know, it was him. She ignores the ripples in the water for his face, to see if she can pick up any twitches or body language that might suggest something he isn’t saying. But when she mentions that he’s been seeing someone named Thalassa and that she’d like her, the young attuned’s mind flares with a golden protectiveness, a flicker and flare of possessiveness which she’s certain he felt the second he picked up any of her particular thoughts.
“[say]Bites you or in general?[/say]” She teases, though she does scan him for any lingering marks from potential dalliances he may have had recently. Finding satisfaction for the moment, she captures his gaze with the mocking look and rolls her eyes hard enough that they seem like they could roll out of her head. “[say]Bit’ve both. When’d ya meet? D’ya like her? I mean.. Obviously you do, but like.. You know what I mean.[/say]” Is he as protective of her as he is of herself and Nova?
RE: like a staring contest - Vesper - 05-02-2025
Vesper’s smirk returns in full as Caly’s thoughts flare gold-bright and bristling, brushing against his senses like a sun-warmed tide crashing too fast up the beach. He doesn’t block it—just lets the feeling roll through, amusement flickering behind his eyes as he watches her try to play it cool. [say]"Okay, fine,"[/say] he drawls, stretching the words out like taffy. [say]"We’ve been playin’ nice."[/say]
He flicks a bit more water in her direction, casually cruel in the way only an older brother can be, then shifts so he’s lounged more comfortably against the edge of the spring. The warmth seeps into his ribs and spine, but it doesn’t dull the glint in his eyes.
[say]"And to answer the real question…"[/say] He lets his fingers trail through the water again, ripples blooming out like the aftershocks of mischief. [say]"Both. Bites me and in general."[/say] He lifts his hand to inspect an old, faint bruise near his wrist, the way someone might admire a particularly interesting piece of jewelry. [say]"Met her in the desert—some rainbow-scaled snake thing popped out of the oasis and tried to take my head off."[/say]
There’s a pause as he tilts his head at Caly, catching her eye, his voice turning more conversational now. [say]"Do I like her?"[/say] He shrugs one shoulder, unbothered. [say]"I like havin’ sex with her."[/say] Then, with a crooked smile that cuts through the water like moonlight on glass: [say]"I don’t like-like her, Caly. If that’s the version you were after. It ain't that serious."[/say]
He bumps her foot gently under the surface, grin flickering into something almost fond. [say]"There's also a guy up in Stormbreak if you wanna get real specific about what I've been up to."[/say]
RE: like a staring contest - Calypso - 05-03-2025
As he flicks the water back toward her, Caly has a momentary thought of spitting some water back at him in retaliation – but the second the thought is there she knows that it wouldn’t land the effect she wants it to if he knows it’s coming. So she rolls her eyes instead, arms pushing water back at him. Her nose wrinkles as he answers her real question, a chime of golden laughter that accompanies a thought of okay, TMI.
But when he continues she really does splash him with all the effort she can muster with the chime of laughter accompanying it that’s more akin to a shriek. “[say]Ew V, I get it.[/say]” She laments, her dramatic whine breaking into a laugh because the last thing she wants to think about is her brother getting laid. So she blocks that out with all the darkness of an eclipse before it gets any further than that.
“[say]I was askin’ if it was that serious.[/say]” She mutters, but all of her ruffled feathers seem to settle when he bumps her foot under the surface and announces a guy up in Stormbreak, and her amber gaze finds his moonlit ones with curiosity. “[say]I wanna get specific but not too specific.[/say]” She warns him, sticking her tongue out at him before settling again. “[say]What’s his name?[/say]”
RE: like a staring contest - Vesper - 05-03-2025
Vesper catches the flicker of thought just before Caly decides against it, and his grin crooks wider, sharp as a hook. [say]"Good call,"[/say] he says, tipping his head toward her like he’s offering some benevolent wisdom about not spitting water at his face.
He lets her splash hit him without protest, just lifting his chin above the wave like a cat too proud to get ruffled. Water slides down his throat, caught in the shadows tracing the dip of his collarbone, but he doesn’t wipe it away—just keeps smirking as she shrieks and laments and tries to shield her brain from the mental imagery.
[say]"TMI?"[/say] he echoes, all faux-innocence. [say]"Caly, you asked."[/say]
Still, when she mutters her clarification, he relents, tilting his head. [say]"His name’s Mateo."[/say] The syllables stretch easy, unrushed, as if he’s tried them out in his mouth a few times already. [say]"Stormbreak botanist. Walkin’ kaleidoscope. Smarter than he lets on. Has this whole... sunshine-and-snark thing goin’ on."[/say] That Mateo also happened to be their dad’s ex-girlfriend’s brother didn't seem especially relevant.
He glances her way again, more thoughtful now, voice cooling into something real beneath the warmth. [say]"But no. It’s not serious. Neither is Thal. I don’t have time for serious."[/say] The water shifts gently around him, stirred by some current deeper than just heat. [say]"Only ones I make room for are you and Nova. Everyone else?"[/say] His shoulders roll back against the stone. [say]"They’re just passin’ through." [/say]