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+---- Thread: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip (/showthread.php?tid=12700)
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RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Jack - 04-03-2026
Jack's eyes don't bother to flick up towards the server as Vesper asks for another round; between the two of them they know they've been seen and understood, so the Captain continues to sit in easy, idle conversation. Not something he thought he'd find with the demigod across from him, not when he'd first come down from the stars anyway. [say]"Mm? Yes an' no,"[/say] he says of The Ark. [say]"She suggested a new headin', I realised I hadn't checked in with the Blackfox in near a year. The little message in the stars happened while we were there, believe it or not."[/say]
Snorting down at his empty glass, he still can't really decide how he feels about the oFFiShUL engagement between Kai and Flora, other than mildly amused. [say]"Ain't like you're banned from the region. Could always move back,"[/say] he tells him. It's no lie that Jack feels the same - there really isn't anywhere like Torchline - but for him it isn't that easy. And that conversation has already been had once.
[say]"It went well,"[/say] he says openly. [say]"Prolly gonna be spendin' more time there on an' off as the seasons change. Carve space for business, test the waters, make a nuisance of ourselves. The usual."[/say]
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Vesper - 04-03-2026
Vesper listens, though part of him has already slipped a step ahead, curiosity brushing sharp and bright against the edges of his thoughts at what the Ark's mind might feel like, before a brief flicker of consideration has him wondering if she had her own mental shields, or if Jack had put some in place on her behalf. Either way, he'd find out soon.
The image that follows, though—of Jack and the Ark in Torchline when the stars twinkled out Flora's little message—draws a reaction out of him before he can quite smooth it away. His nose wrinkles faintly, something almost boyish in the expression as his eyes roll, a quiet huff of amusement escaping him as he cuts a glance across the table. [say]"Just think,"[/say] he says, dry as ever, [say]"could’ve been your name up there."[/say] It lands like a near miss rather than a compliment, the ghost of a grin tugging at his mouth as if Jack’s narrowly avoided something catastrophic.
He tips his head from side to side, weighing the idea of moving back with a casualness that doesn’t quite hide the way he’s already halfway decided, and by the time the next round arrives his fingers are already curling around the glass, lifting it just enough to watch the dark liquor shift and catch the low light. [say]"That’s true,"[/say] he allows, the corner of his mouth twitching, [say]"but I reckon Nova’ll line my throat with glitter if I tell her I’m movin’ somewhere new again without the whole family."[/say]
He takes a sip, letting it sit for a second before swallowing, then glances back up at Jack with something settled behind his eyes now. [say]"Well,"[/say] he says, lifting the glass slightly in a loose, confirming tilt, [say]"count me in next time you go."[/say]
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Jack - 04-03-2026
He certainly will find out soon, and given that Vesper and Jack are the only telepaths likely to be around The Ark for the most part, he'll likely be surprised at how open her mind is. (All the better to draw you in and drown you, my dear). The next round arrives just as Vesper's dry remark hits the air, giving Jack the perfect opportunity to fish an ice cube out of his glass and throw it at the boy. [say]"Don't you put that evil on me,"[/say] he tells him with a curl of his lip that's entirely ruined by the amusement in his eyes.
[say]"Bein' docked in Torchline wasn't exactly a well-kept secret. Reckon most've the islands knew we were back within a couple hours. Maybe that's why the message appeared when it did."[/say] Jack smirks into his glass at the thought. Quick, here's an engagement to distract you from the Captain!
Scoffing and lifting his drink to his lips for a slow pull of liquor, Jack hums his agreement about Nova and her glitter-based homicide. [say]"Mm, she was already designin' treehouses when we came into the skyport,"[/say] he agrees. [say]"Best nip that in the bud before she moves here."[/say]
Lowering his glass, but not before tipping it in an absent cheers, the Captain makes a mental note to keep Vesper in mind. [say]"You gonna be wantin' your old bunk?"[/say] he asks. [say]"Or you gonna find somewhere else in King's End to stay?"[/say]
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Vesper - 04-03-2026
Vesper doesn’t so much as flinch when the ice cube hits him square in the chest, though there’s more than enough time for him to have done something about it—shield, shadow, anything at all—but instead takes it like some sort of badge of honour. The smirk that follows is slow and satisfied, blue eyes catching the low light with a spark of amusement as he adjusts slightly to let the ice cube slide onto the ground.
At the thought of the timing, his brow lifts, consideration flickering through before it settles into something easier, a quiet huff of laughter slipping out. [say]"Y'know,"[/say] he admits, tilting his head slightly, [say]"I bet you’re right."[/say] His shoulder lifts in a loose shrug. [say]"She ain’t one to let anyone steal the spotlight."[/say]
The mention of Nova’s treehouse ambitions earns a brief, theatrical wince, though there’s a thread of something more genuine tucked beneath it, something almost guilty as it passes through him. His gaze dips, then flicks back up, sharpening just slightly. [say]"Hey,"[/say] he says, as if the thought’s just occurred to him, [say]"you don’t have any illusion magic now, do you? Last thing I need before I turn in a quest to Mom for Nova is to fight somethin’ that ain’t what it seems."[/say] Maybe finishing off Nova’s gift would smooth over whatever frustration she felt at him for changing up his plans again.
Vesper draws in a slow breath through his teeth after that, letting it sit for a second as he studies Jack. [say]"So the Ark..."[/say] he begins, tone easing into something more measured, more careful, [say]"she feels and hears everythin’ that goes on aboard her?"[/say] His gaze narrows just slightly, not suspicious so much as weighing, calculating where the boundaries might lie, because if that’s the case, it isn’t a small thing to consider. Not for a telepath who quite enjoys his privacy.
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Jack - 04-03-2026
[say]"Which is funny when you think about it, since I never went to Torchline with the intention of takin' the spotlight away."[/say] Jack's shrug is easy, nonchalant almost, the Captain smirking around another sip of liquor before he sets the glass down. He'd known it would happen, of course, but the pull of the sand and sea and mismatched rooftops had been more important than anything Flora had felt about it.
He's just created a new ice cube in his glass to replace the one he'd thrown when Vesper speaks again, and he arches and eyebrow across at him. [say]"Ain't one of my tricks yet,"[/say] he confesses with a shake of his head. [say]"There's plenty around that might fit the bill, though. Heard of clamics? You can find 'em here I think. Look like normal shells, but they'll try'n take a leg off if you get too close."[/say]
By the time the conversation turns back to The Ark, Jack is idly freezing the condensation around his glass, watching it spider out in glittering patterns. [say]"She always has,"[/say] he drawls, as if to say the answer to Vesper's question is very obvious. [say]"An' I can see why that'd be an issue, so if you wanna stay elsewhere, ain't like she'll be offended. Meet her first, though - she might surprise you."[/say]
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Vesper - 04-03-2026
Vesper snorts softly, the sound edged with easy disbelief as his brows lift. [say]"Oh sure,"[/say] he drawls, rolling the words like they barely deserve the effort, [say]"you thought you and the Ark’d sail real subtle into Torchline and no one’d bat an eye?"[/say]
At the mention of clamics, he tilts his head slightly, considering, before a crooked half-smile pulls at his mouth. [say]"Sounds lovely,"[/say] he murmurs, tone dry enough to make it clear he means exactly the opposite.
But it’s the shift back to the Ark that really focuses Vesper's interest; not in anything obvious, not in a way he’d bother to comment on, but in the quieter spaces between words. He’s seen Jack with Flora—seen the edges of that, the tension, the way things had splintered when it all came undone—and this..this is something else entirely. He can hear it in the confidence threaded so casually through Jack’s voice, in the easy way he invites Vesper to meet her like there’s nothing there to second-guess, in the quiet certainty that she’ll hold her own without needing to be managed or softened. There’s a steadiness to him now, an ease Vesper doesn’t think he’s ever quite seen before, or maybe it’s just the contrast; the memory of how sharp and fractured things had been before set against this calmer current. Either way, he marks it, lets it settle somewhere behind his eyes without picking at it too closely.
He lifts a shoulder in a small, conceding shrug, fingers tapping once lightly against his glass before stilling. [say]"Guess there’ll be plenty of time for that on the trip back south."[/say]
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Jack - 04-03-2026
[say]"Stranger things have happened,"[/say] Jack drawls, though of course the knowing glint in his eyes suggests that yes, he'd been well aware of exactly what impact his return to the islands would have. But it's still true that he hadn't dropped anchor in Kaiholo specifically for that. It had just been something of a happy accident. [say]"Mm, Caido is full of that sort of lovely, in my experience,"[/say] the Captain agrees, though he doesn't push the matter. Boooooo. Vesper will figure it out, he's sure. And in the meantime who knows, maybe Jack will wake up with illusions at his fingertips.
It's an odd feeling, to be observed by Vesper without any of the accompanying symphony of thought, and Jack only catches the boy's gaze out of the corner of his eye. Arching a brow, he considers asking him to spit it out before deciding that he really no longer minds what thoughts and feelings Vesper chooses to keep locked away. Quite when that happened is beyond Jack, but it's probably a sign of growth somewhere down the line. And so instead he takes the boy's words at face value, inclining his head and reaching out to clink his glass against his own.
[say]"Just in time for Deepfrost to show its ugly face again,"[/say] he says cheerfully. [say]"Still, we're better prepared for it than we were last year."[/say]
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Vesper - 04-03-2026
Vesper narrows his eyes slightly at that, the look he gives Jack hovering somewhere between agreement and quiet disbelief
A quiet chuckle follows, low and brief, before he shakes his head, because whatever else might be true, he’s not stupid—he’d known better than to fuck with the Ark when she’d been a galleon, and he sure as hell isn’t about to start leaving marks on her now.
He lifts his glass as Jack’s meets it, the soft clink punctuating the moment as his mouth curves faintly. [say]"Surely no one could blame us for takin’ a few trips into Torchline during Deepfrost,"[/say] he says, tone smooth and entirely reasonable. Taking a small sip, he lets it settle before lowering the glass again, his gaze drifting back to Jack with a flicker of idle curiosity. [say]"So other than a ranch burnin’ and a river bein’ made, anything else I missed in King’s End?"[/say]
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Jack - 04-03-2026
[say]"You know, I bet she would,"[/say] Jack says with easy agreement, however much of a joke it might be on Vesper's part. [say]"She's got a whole host of magic, I can tell you that much. She's still figurin' it out herself, so if you wanna be the one to play target practice, I'll happily watch on the sidelines."[/say] For his own amusement rather than to ensure their self-preservation, obviously.
The clink of their glasses echoes only briefly in the twilight of the Bodega, soon swallowed up in the hum of voices and quiet thunder of footsteps on the boards. [say]"Only seems natural if you ask me. Lotta shit becomes a commodity when the rest of the world freezes over,"[/say] he agrees, a catlike smile on his lips as he considers the melting ice in his drink. [say]"Especially shit from Torchline."[/say]
Maybe their next venture out to the region will be sooner rather than later, in that case.
As for King's End, Jack can only shrug his shoulders a bit. [say]"Not really,"[/say] he says. [say]"You pretty much covered it with the fire an' the river. Still full of ghosts, still mostly unproblematic."[/say]
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Vesper - 04-03-2026
Vesper’s brows lift at that, a flicker of genuine surprise slipping through before he smooths it back into something more composed. Magic, too. For whatever reason he hadn’t quite expected that, though thinking on it now, it fits well enough. Tilting his head slightly, as if weighing the idea rather than dismissing it, he lets a faint, crooked smile settle in. [say]"Well,"[/say] he says, easy and thoughtful all at once, [say]"maybe if we hit a stretch of smooth sailin’, I’ll see if the crew wants a show."[/say]
He snickers quietly into his glass at Jack’s comment, nodding with a touch more emphasis this time. [say]"Especially sun from Torchline,"[/say] he agrees, the word carrying just enough weight to make it clear he means every bit of it, his expression briefly warming with the thought before it slips back into something more neutral.
At the update on King’s End, his brows rise again in a small, acknowledging gesture. [say]"Yeah,"[/say] he murmurs, almost to himself, before glancing back to Jack. [say]"Might track Sunjata down, see if tendin’ bar at the House of Midnight’s still a possibility."[/say] There’s a faint tilt to his mouth as he says it, something quietly intentional behind the idea; it’d give him a steady vantage point, a place where words slip easier than they should, and thoughts follow not far behind.
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Jack - 04-03-2026
[say]"I know,"[/say] Jack drawls; even without telepathy, Vesper's surprise is evident enough, and he'd felt much the same when he'd first encountered The Ark's magic (and not even the more siren-coded nature of it). [say]"I reckon I can arrange for a stretch of smooth sailin', providin' The Ark is on board."[/say] Which he has no reason to think she wouldn't be, especially given that Vesper is the last of the Marin triplets for her to encounter since she'd started walking on two legs.
Shooting back the last of his drink with a crooked smile of agreement at his next point - sun from Torchline would sell better than anything else if you could only bottle it, he thinks - Jack settles back in his seat to enjoy the strange and relative tranquility of the Sidhe Village, the way the world seems to wrap itself around and through them from their little spot out here.
[say]"You've belonged behind a bar since you dropped outta the sky,"[/say] he says after a beat of quiet, surprising himself with his own agreement. [say]"An' I reckon you know it, too."[/say] Smirking, Jack gestures around them. [say]"Maybe it's why you keep showin' up at 'em even when you ain't workin'."[/say]
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Vesper - 04-03-2026
Whether Jack meant the pun or not, Vesper’s gaze snaps to him, flat and utterly deadpan, the kind of look that just sits there. It’s not irritation, despite the attempt to look like it is; it’s the silent, pointed acknowledgement of a dad joke, which would be unremarkable from anyone else and is instead deeply suspicious coming from him. Between that and the ice cube, Vesper can't help but think how playful Jack has been.
The look breaks a second later into a quiet chuckle under his breath, his shoulders lifting in an easy shrug. [say]"Maybe,"[/say] he allows, the word stretched into a dry drawl that doesn’t bother confirming or denying anything. He tips back the rest of his drink after that, setting the glass down with a soft tap and raising his brows slightly, like that’s about all he’s got to offer on the subject.
His fingers drum once, twice against the table before stilling as his attention shifts forward again. [say]"The Ark moored in the skyport?"[/say] he asks, tone slipping back into something more practical, already moving a step ahead. [say]"Should be able to take care of what I need to in a day or two and then come meet you."[/say]
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Jack - 04-03-2026
Jack, of course, says and acknowledges nothing, least of all how likely it is for him to use nautical terms unintentionally. Instead he lets the joke and its parentage linger between them like it's always been there, and had he known what Vesper was thinking he might have fired another ice cube at him for his audacity, irony be damned.
But if that is all Vesper has to offer on the subject, then with their plans cemented and everything setting into motion the way Jack likes it best (quietly, without fanfare, and likely to devastate more than one person along the way), he doesn't bother calling for another round. [say]"She is,"[/say] he confirms of The Ark. [say]"We're like to leave around sunset, an' I doubt the girls'll let us set off without you."[/say]
Scooting out his chair, Jack rises slowly to his feet and glances around at the twinkling lights and good-natured chit-chat nearby. [say]"Shame this place didn't make the cut,"[/say] he says. [say]"But then it ain't the only region out there you could rule."[/say]
RE: i crack the sky like a god-damn whip - Vesper - 04-03-2026
Vesper doesn’t move when Jack stands, lingering a moment longer in his chair with his glass empty before him, gaze tipping upward through his pale lashes. His eyes narrow slightly, thoughtful in a way that lingers just a beat too long to be idle, as if weighing something that doesn’t quite belong to the words they’ve been trading. And then—because there are always ears, always minds drifting too close for comfort—he shrugs, loose and roguish.
Without ceremony, without drawing attention to it, he parts his own mental curtain just enough to let Jack through, the thought sliding across with the same crooked edge that tugs at his mouth. Queen’s reign gotta end sometime. The grin that follows is brief, sharp, and gone almost as quickly as it came.
He nods once, easy and decided. [say]"See you at sunset, then."[/say] And before the moment has time to settle into anything more, he’s gone in a slow pooling of starlight.
~FIN