And then there were four

Bask in the Light of the Stars

Zen would be heading to Halo soon but before he left Torchline, he wanted to meet Calypso and Nova. Just like with Vesper, Zen knew their names and faces faces, but that was as far as his knowledge went. The Demi-god had refrained from spying on the triplets while he was in the stars, unwilling to damage a possible sibling relationship before it could even begin.

But where to find them? Zen almost regretted his respect for their privacy now. He didn't know where they lived and was only vaguely aware of some of the places they had visited in the past few weeks. Sitting at a cafe and sipping on some bizarre purple latte that the barista had excitedly urged him to order, the Demi-god considered his options. Taking a sip, his brow furrowed in surprise. Why was it spicy?

His mother must have been looking out for him at the moment because as he turned to watch the people walking by, a familiar face appeared in the crowd.

Stars sparked to life in front of the young woman. Blues and purple swirling with white and into words, forming a brief message. (Hi, Calypso. It's good to meet you.)

Or be burned by their light

Zen

I wanna be touched, be loved

Completely taken by surprise to see the stars that pop up in front of her, it draws Caly to a dead stop in the middle of Haulani’s streets, immediately reading the note scribed in the air. It’s a strange sensation, one that the young attuned isn’t quite sure what to make of it – first of all, it screamed like something blessed in part by her mother, so of course she looks.

She looks for anyone in the vicinity that seemed like they might be either related or blessed by the goddess of the stars, when she spots Zenith . immediately twisting on her heel to drift over toward him, a brilliant smile on her face. “Was it you writin’ with the stars?” She asks bluntly, leaning on the table toward him. “That's a neat trick.”

Calypso

I wanna heal, be hugged

Bask in the Light of the Stars

Zen's mouth quirked as Calypso instantly clocked him. Her positive reception was a relief. Vesper had been far more guarded, and the new Demi-god hoped that this introduction would go more smoothly. Looking up at her as he took another sip of his drink. A small smile on his face as the stars reformed beside him. (Yes.) Vesper had seemed to be aware of him beforehand, but Zen wasn't sure if the sister before him was also in the know.

Studying her for a moment as she leaned over the table, he hoped for the best as the stars coiled and reformed. (I'm Zen. Your other brother.) He waited silently for Calypso's reaction, hoping that her cheerful demeanor wouldn't turn to scorn. Even if Zen didn't intend to stay in Torchline, he wished to maintain some kind of relationship with his siblings.  A positive one, preferably.

Or be burned by their light

Zen

I wanna be touched, be loved

Glancing away from him as her question is answered via another dazzle of stars, Caly tilts her head toward him curiously as he studies her. She keeps her hands on the table, still leaning toward him as the stars form again – brows lifting in a bit of surprise. “Huh.” She says at first, because she isn’t really sure what else to say as she starts it.

“Same mom, obviously, given the stars. Dad?” Her gaze sharpens as she looks back to Zen, trying to parse relation between them further. Not that it really mattered who Zen’s father was, but she was curious. Can’t help a girl from wanting to cut to the chase, she supposes. Though what it means, too, she isn’t sure.

There were siblings, yes, but they didn’t harbor the same bond that she did with Vesper and Nova. There was a certain extra bond triplets had.

Calypso

I wanna heal, be hugged

Bask in the Light of the Stars

Calypso's reaction was neutral, but Zen would take it over a negative one. She clearly hadn't been aware of his creation and the Demi-god didn't blame her for being caught off guard. At the very least, she was reacting to the news better than Vesper had.

Zen's stars sparked into existence, their light taking on a deeper blue. (Same father.) He had yet to meet Jack, less inclined to seek the man out then his siblings. He was well aware that he was the result of a deal, even if he didn't know the details of it. Zen wasn't sure what to make of the man. From Zen's understanding, the triplets were also part of a transaction. The Demi-god was well aware that his mother loved him, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to deal with what he predicted would be apathy from his father.

Or be burned by their light

Zen

I wanna be touched, be loved

Golden brows lift as the stars come to life again, the blue reflecting sharply against the sheer gold that Caly always bore. “Well I wasn’t expectin’ that, to be honest.” She admits with a soft laugh, shifting slightly from where she’s bent over the table to take a seat opposite of him, shifting in her seat to lean back and prop her legs up on the corner of the table, she regards Zen a little more closely.

“You met him yet?” She asks, wondering whether or not Zen had the pleasure of meeting the captain. If not, she might tell him to not get his hopes up, even if Caly did find Jack to be quite inspiring, all things considered.

Calypso

I wanna heal, be hugged

Bask in the Light of the Stars

Zen nodded, the colors of his stars shifting into gentler hues as his eyes softened. (I wasn't sure if any of you had been told.) It was looking like some of their immediate family had been made aware while others hadn't. When he finally met Nova, the newer Demi-god would know for sure. 

Something eased in his chest as Calypso sat down, choosing to stay despite the revelation. At her follow-up question, Zen shook his head as he took another sip of his drink. The stars in the air shimmered, (No. Should I?) He was curious to hear what she had to say about their father and if reaching out was worth his time. Or even if it was something that Jack would want.

Or be burned by their light

Zen

I wanna be touched, be loved

“Nope.” She informs him confidently, shrugging a slender shoulder before she readjusts her sweater a little and watches him curiously. The stars shimmer the air faintly, and while there’s comfort in the reminder it brings of her - their - mother, she finds it a little flashy. But, it isn’t her place to say or question anything, so she leans back in the seat and crosses a leg over the other.

She clicks her tongue thoughtfully as she reads his answer and her smile is almost serpentine when she shrugs yet again. “Up to you. Depends on if you’re lookin’ for a real fatherly connection.” Because if he was, he wasn’t going to find it with Jack.

Calypso

I wanna heal, be hugged

Bask in the Light of the Stars

Zen's lips thinned. So, it was he'd suspected. (I'm sorry.) The stars that formed were slightly dimmer and he wasn't sure why he was apologizing in the first place. It wasn't his fault. Still, if the roles had been reversed, the Demi-god would have been less then pleased to have been left out of the loop. Calypso seemed at ease, and he didn't know her well enough to read if it was false.

Her counter point had a smirk stretching across the Demi-god's face, (No.) Every scrap of information he had on the man make it clear that Jack wasn't the fatherly type. This conversation was only further enforcing that conclusion. In terms of parental bonds, Zen only needed their mother. The only familial bonds he'd wanted to pursue since coming to Caido had been with his siblings. Though Zen wasn't keen to avoid Jack entirely. (Perhaps I'll say hi, if I run into him.)

Or be burned by their light

Zen

I wanna be touched, be loved

The dimming stars don’t affect her any, if anything she feels a little indifferent toward it. Sure, there’s the slight annoyance of having been out of the loop, but Caly isn’t involved wholly into the actions her mother does, and since she’s been down here she hasn’t been able to speak to her as regularly as they had up there. So it’s with a casual shrug that the attuned flashes Zenith a sunny smile, hiding any of the thoughts in her head. “Ain’t your fault.”

On the subject of Jack, though, the young attuned nods as he says he might say hi if he runs into him — though a part of her wonders how Zen would say hi if all he did was write. But she realizes she’s being pedantic, so she keeps it simple. Nodding before rolling a slender shoulder in a shrug. “He’s pretty hands off, which is kinda nice.” Better than having a helicopter parent down here in Torchline. She’s seen some of them around and was eternally grateful for not being a part of a family like that.

Calypso

I wanna heal, be hugged

Bask in the Light of the Stars

Zen nods, letting the matter drop. He doesn't fully believe her, but prying would be counterproductive to his goal. Beyond that, he trusts that their mother had a reason for keeping his creation a relative secret. There was no hiding from the Family's eyes in Caido, but perhaps they couldn't see the heart of his mother's domain. The epicenter of starlight and cosmic energy that had raised all four of them.

Calypso's assessment of Jack brings minor relief. The stars in the air shift as he replies, (That is preferable.) The Demi-god doesn't need someone breathing down his neck or judging his actions. Either would be a nuisance. From his brief encounter with Vesper, Zen doesn't doubt that an overbearing parent would have been received poorly. Calypso seems to share her triplet brother's independent nature as well. It'd be interesting to see if Nova was the same.

Or be burned by their light

Zen

I wanna be touched, be loved

Whatever the reasons were, Caly isn’t going to get into the specifics of everything her mother does. She wasn’t her mother’s keeper, after all. What she does know are the facts, and the facts are that her and her siblings, Zen included, had been put here for something. Whether it be a larger purpose like a blade, or simply something to love after all of the losses.

Who is she to question that?

As for Jack, Caly watches as the stars flicker again, scribbling out an answer to her mention that the captain is relatively hands off. It was preferable - something else they have in common. So the young attuned flashes Zen her golden smile, so nonchalant and casually, before she’s straightening up and rocking back in the seat at the table before the front two feet fall with a quiet thump. “Well, I should get goin’. Nice meetin’ ya Zen.” She hums as she stands, smoothing out her clothes and winking to him with the eye that harbors the star tattoo, before she steps out of the little cafe and rejoins the crowds passing through - easily disappearing under the Torchline sun.

- FIN

Calypso

I wanna heal, be hugged