Feels like forever even if forever's tonight

// Got something inside, don't hide it, like dynamite ignitin' //

She's terrifying. Like a little dog that might go for your ankles if you move too fast. So he makes each movement count, makes sure to stay the fuck out of her way so that his help is actually helpful. Luckily Kaisel is used to being bossed around and told he's trash, that's just a day in the life of military, especially for someone so low in the ranks as he. Her instructions are clipped, but he heeds them—chat, he locks tf in. He's not gonna fumble this baddie tonight.

Her hand on his chest feels like it could swing the planet out of orbit. The gravity of it pushes him against the counter, and it'd do or die time as she stares him down like she's half a mind to eat him, in the less desirable way. At her question that isn't a question he nods, a glint finding his eye at the challenge of having to win her back to good graces. She relents, and he takes the space back, pushing off the bar and grabbing for her hand like it belongs in his.

"C'mon," he says with a grin, leading her out from behind the bar, from the Hanged Man as a whole as Flora shuts it down.

The fresh air hits like a slap, and he feels the perk of it instantly as he inhales salt and the promise of a night that should be ending, but isn't. "First," he announces to her, "We're getting some burgers. Nothing hits better at 2am after drinking." He might not know his way around Torchline as well as her, but he's been here a bit recently, and he knows the smart businesses would set up near the bars for this exact occasion. So he guides them towards the nearby burger joint with a newfound need to prove himself, and all the confidence in the world that he can.

He prefers it this way. He's had a taste, but now he wants to know her, wants to run the risk of falling for her if he's going to have her, because that's the only way that's worth it.

Kaisel

// Take the music, learn to use it, turn it up 'til your speakers blow fuses //

suddenly i'm spinning like a ceiling fan, around and 'round we go

She aims to be at least a little terrifying. Like the kind of girl that’s way out of your league but you shoot your shot anyway and are surprised when she says yes, but the whole time you’re still terrified you’ll fuck it up one way or another. And somehow, she thinks she succeeds as he is, in fact, a good boy and does exactly everything she tells him.

But then the bar is closing and he’s snagging her hand and her fingers lace with his as her amber gaze lifts to him as he guides her out of the Hanged Man, her golden dress shimmering as they depart from the lights of the Hanged Man out into the streets of Haulani with only the moon and warm night air to keep them company as everyone else parts their separate ways.

“You takin’ me on a date already?” She teases, though she isn’t upset by it in the slightest. It was kind of charming, actually, that his version of making it up to her is to really treat her out on the town and not just a quick fuck in a broom closet. She follows his lead, her heels clicking against the stone as she tucks herself into his side toward the stand still selling and grilling up burgers.

Taking a deep inhale, she hasn’t realized how hungry she was, and the young attuned flashes a feline smile up at Kaisel before immediately taking the lead to place her order — a ramphire burger for her and a side of fries, before she steps back and peers over at Kaisel to make his order. Then, once done and fully expecting him to pay for them, Caly squeezes his hand. “What’s your favorite kinda burger toppings?”

Calypso

suddenly i will never be alone

// Got something inside, don't hide it, like dynamite ignitin' //

Can't be anything more attractive than the clack of heels, he thinks with unrepentant attraction as Caly follows alongside him, a midnight sun for the world to behold. The slip of her fingers in his, the way she sidles up alongside him, it's enough to make a man bark. She teases the question, but he's utterly serious when he glances down at her, "yup!"

The burger joint shimmers like an oasis, the fire from the grill and the heat wafting off in waves that inspire the delicious aromas to drift. She bounces up with all the glee he could hope for, and there's a curl of satisfaction in him that he's guessed right. Like him, she's starving, and he'd much rather she chow down on a burger than wind up biting off his head for saying something dumb (an inevitability for him, honestly). He leans in after her, requesting the same, because it sounds good. She had a good eye for the drinks earlier when he'd asked, so no need to start doubting her now, but he does add in a cola.

Neverminding all the stares for his get up, Kaisel fishes around in his pockets, which hang lower than the bottom edge of the low-cut shorts, for the money to pay the cook. Passing over the coin, he glances back at her squeeze, and easy smile meeting her as they linger and wait for the grill. "Nothing fancy," he admits with a shrug. "Cheese, pickles, onion, ketchup—oh I have had banana on it once and that was actually...weirdly good?" he tilts his head with the memory, as if the taste of it has to be shaken free. "Nothing beats a good batch of fries though. What about you?" he lets the edge of his thumb trace a line against the side of her hand, light and lazy. "Lemme guess, you're a bacon girl?"

Kaisel

// Take the music, learn to use it, turn it up 'til your speakers blow fuses //

suddenly i'm spinning like a ceiling fan, around and 'round we go

It was charming in a way she wasn’t expecting – that the first thing he decided to do to make it up to her was to immediately spring her onto a date. Still slightly drunk but certainly beautifully put together enough for said 2am date, Caly is content to go along for the ride and see just what else Kaisel might have up his sleeve. Her wine dark lips curve into a small smile at the edges as they make their order, and when he pays and she asks her questions, her amber gaze lingers on his face in quiet delight.

“Bold.” She touts playfully before her shoulder rises a touch coquettish and she smirks. “Bacon, cheese, onion, ketchup, and a dash of mustard.” She winks, squeezing his hand with a softer hum of a laugh. “I reckon pineapple might be decent with a sweeter kinda sauce. I’ll take your word on the banana, though.” And would absolutely not be trying it in the future.

Waiting by the grill, she takes in the sweet smoky scent of the food being made as she gives her complete focus on Kaisel – taking him in and scanning his face as if she might commit it to memory. To anyone else, it might seem like an innocent, adoring look from a girl with her date, which is a bit of the point. But she’s calculating. “Fresh fries are good. I’m a big fan of onion rings too, personally.” She points out, brows bouncing playfully as she shifts her weight a touch, leaning closer to him.

Calypso

suddenly i will never be alone

// Got something inside, don't hide it, like dynamite ignitin' //

"I fucking knew it!" he exclaims with a bright victory, as if he's managed to conquer something mighty by pegging her as a bacon eater. He bumps against her with a laugh as she lists her toppings, bacon among them. "Hmm, ok ok, so if I was like a tarot card reader but instead read hamburger toppings, I think that means you like it a little bit spicy and sour, but a pinch of sweet to keep it balanced." At the mentioned of pineapple he grows thoughtful, seeming to weigh the idea heavily. "The pineapple tracks, it seems sweet but it's actually tart. Eat too much and you're gonna be beat up by it." A warning maybe, that she's got more teeth than he might be used to, but he's a sucker for trying anything once, even if it's risky.

If he perks up a bit under her apparent look, it's because he's got no shame (in case the tiny jorts and woman's bikini top didn't clue you into that). He wants her to look and leave with that same hunger he saw in the bar. He's feeding her now, but it's only a part of her appetite, and it's the same for him. He grins, unabashed, as she leans in. He pulls their threaded hand around, slipping behind her instead, arms draping over her shoulders as he leans down to set his chin on her shoulder, their hands still linked over her chest. He tilts his head against hers, inhaling the residue of the party and the liquor that's trapped on her skin. "Now the onion ring card," he murmurs, voice low so close to her ear. "That one means you're dangerous to eat too fast, gotta take it slow and savor each," he brushes a kiss against her neck, "and every bite." He intends to do just that.

Except, the food is ready, and the cook's waving for his attention with a shout. Kaisel's gaze drifts from the slope of her shoulder to the man wreathed in grill-smoke, reluctantly untangling himself from her, for now. "I got the food, grab us a seat, yeah?" he asks before fully releasing her to gather their order.

Kaisel

// Take the music, learn to use it, turn it up 'til your speakers blow fuses //

suddenly i'm spinning like a ceiling fan, around and 'round we go

Snickering a bright sound, Caly rolls her amber eyes. “Calm down, soldier.” Comes the soft tease, one that has her grin brightening as she flips through the options she often preferred on her burger, not minding the bump he lands against her. Her gaze never leaves his face while she listens, as if the idea that she wasn’t looking at him meant she could miss something unsaid when he speaks of being a tarot card reader and gods if she isn’t intrigued to see what kind of bullshit he comes up with.

“Maybe you’re onto somethin’. I am a triplet, after all.” She teases, thinking for a moment on the idea of spicy, sour, sweet, as if they were apt descriptions of her and her siblings. “Which outta the three do ya reckon I am?” Bouncing her brows playfully, she settles if only to be spun around in his arms, settled as her hands remain in his and her back is suddenly warm from the press of his chest and the heavy weight of his head on her shoulder. It’s sweet in a way she wasn’t expecting - one that has her melting a touch more into his embrace, leaning back against him so that he can be sure to feel each curve of her body beneath the gilded dress.

Snorting and tilting her head to brush her cheek against his own in a soft and luring touch only after he’d pressed his lips to her neck. It’s a playful game, one that she’s sure she’ll have him eating out of the palm of her hands later if she wished it. But for now, happy to play along and pretend to be the fool, her smile is one and the same. “That’s pretty apt.” She touts, right as her amber gaze finds the cook with their food ready, untangling herself from him equally as reluctantly. “I know just the spot.” She murmurs, flashing Kaisel a wink before she’s gracefully stepping away to snag a seat with a view closer to the moonlit water, a dual seat so he can sit beside her should he wish to while she waits for his approach with their food as she watches the waves, head propped on a Longheat tanned hand.

Calypso

suddenly i will never be alone

// Got something inside, don't hide it, like dynamite ignitin' //

"A triplet?" he says with raised 'brows and a slightly ajar mouth forming the shape of an 'o'. The first idea that comes to mind is three of her, which is both salacious to imagine and utterly, unequivocally, scary to think about as well. Using a little bit more brain power though, Kaisel pieces together the other two figures that had been with her behind the bar. "Vesper and Nova?" he asks for confirmation, not having spoken expressly to either, but they'd been a presence at the party, names adrift on various lips. He taps a finger to his chin in thought. "Nova's definitely the sweet one," he says quickly, recalling her easy smiles and penchant for glitter in drinks, even ones that didn't call for it. "Vesper's sour," he says after a moment, grinning as he glances at her. "So you're the spicy one." Vesper seemed like maybe he had some kick to him too, but his face suggested a lot more pouting occurred, indicative of the more sour foods.

Talks of toppings and the feeling of her body fades as he's picking up the order, balancing the burgers and fries in each hand, the cola pressed between his wrists like a fizzy manacle as he glances around for her claimed seat. Since it's 2am so the place isn't exactly poppin', and because she's nearly incandescent with hotness, he finds her easy enough perched by the water. He slides next to her, brushing against her arm as he carefully sets their meal down and the cola in-between. He scatters some ketchup and mustard cups too, along with some napkins, like a magician emptying his pockets after a night of performance.

He glances out at the waves that hold her attention, the moonlight dancing against the motion with a pale gleam of splintered light. "Torchline is a lot prettier than Stormbreak," he admits with a soft smile. "Home is all...stone and efficiency. Not like here, where it still feels a little bit wild, like you guys live with the place instead of on it." Seems to raise an equally untamed people, no less breathtaking than the scenery, from his experience. "Alright, lemme know if I forgot anything," he says with a glance towards her as he sets about to coating his fries in ketchup and popping two bloody ones in his mouth with a pleased sigh.

Kaisel

// Take the music, learn to use it, turn it up 'til your speakers blow fuses //

suddenly i'm spinning like a ceiling fan, around and 'round we go

“Yup.” Caly says with a bright grin. “That obvious, huh?” It’s sarcasm that drips in her tone - because yes, it wasn’t a secret. They all harbored the same star tattoos under their eyes. But she’s silent as she waits to hear his answer, pleased enough to see that he’d picked up exactly what she was suggesting. And while she won’t give him too much of a benefit of the doubt of being smart, he wasn’t entirely stupid. Even though the burn from earlier still lingered within her, it softens as they part and he collects their food and she finds a place to sit.

Staring at the water as the moon dances across its surface, the low rumble of waves from the tide a beautiful background as he sidles in beside her and sets everything down as if well practiced in the art of it. He brushes against her when he sits and she leans into him a touch, craving the warmth despite the night air being enough of a comfort on its own. “We do live with it.” She confirms, letting her amber gaze scan his face and the smudged lipstick still clinging to his skin. “Torchline’s alive. I’ve only ever been to Stormbreak once ’n it felt pretty cold in comparison.” Not just weather wise, but it definitely didn’t add to the appeal.

Either way, the food is in front of them and her stomach immediately feels as though it’s an empty pit waiting to devour her burger. Leaning forward, she inspects her burger for all the toppings she’d just informed him she liked, and with a pleased little chirp, the young attuned flashes him a feline smile. “Looks perfect t’me.” Already lifting the burger to her lips, she takes a bite and sighs with content at the taste. It’s a few more bites before she’s snagging a fry and dunking it into the ketchup just as he had, lifting it close to her mouth as she swallows down the bite currently in her mouth, elbow propped up on the table. “Have you always lived in Stormbreak?” She asks curiously.

Calypso

suddenly i will never be alone

// Got something inside, don't hide it, like dynamite ignitin' //

Glancing sidelong at her, satisfied that he can feed some part of her into satiated contentment, he nabs a his own burger and toasts it against hers with a grin. He takes a bite, but sets it down for now. You gotta go fries first, otherwise they get cold and then they become real shitty. So they vanish, two or three at a time, soft, crunchy, plain, swathed in ketchup, all manner of fry consumption to be had.

"Yeah," he says after a minute to chew, one fry spinning between his fingers in thought. "Born and raised, and kinda cooped up there. Just now getting to see more of what Caido has to offer, it's the nice part of being a Dragoon, I get sent out on missions to different areas." The mission for tonight had been to get drunk and have fun, which admittedly he had failed part of. Two shots and a half a mojito had created a buzz only, and it had long since died, but he'd take the work behind the bar with her again in a heartbeat. Maybe not the edge of her anger though, and maybe not Koa vanishing with his ex girlfriend that last Kaisel knew, he did not want to be vanishing with. Eh, people say shit they don't mean though.

"Same for you and Torchline?" he asks with a tilt of his head, popping in another fry, while his other hand dropped to her leg under the table (aaaafter wiping it off on a napkin of course).

Kaisel

// Take the music, learn to use it, turn it up 'til your speakers blow fuses //

suddenly i'm spinning like a ceiling fan, around and 'round we go

The toast is adorable as it is a little cheesy (literally), and snickers a bit as she works at her burger mostly - having to decline if she knew the thoughts in his head. She preferred older fries, the kind that were soggy at the bottom from having soaked up all the salt and oil. The kind you could bend without it snapping. So she’s content to nab a few fries here and there, but her attention lingers on the burger, downing half of it before he’s answering her question.

Her attention flits to him, charmed by the little quick TLDR of Kaisel she gets to hear, smiling softly at him from her wine red lips - slightly less red now thanks to the burger she’s still working on, off and on. Reaching for the soda in between them, she takes a sip from the straw before she nods. “So you’ll be back ‘round here, then?” She probes softly, before he’s flipping the question onto her.

And it’s her turn to let her smile grow a little more feline, a little casual despite the news being everything but. “Nah, not really.” She admits, peering out at the ocean that felt as much of a part of her as the stars, before she’s inclining her head toward him and letting her amber gaze flit back to him, the blonde curls of her hair brushing against his shoulder with the movement, her leg leaning toward him some more as his hand burns a comforting warmth against her thigh. “I grew up in the stars. Though I studied Torchline a lot while I was up there.” It’s why it was home as much as Safrin’s domain.

“I’ll give ya three guesses t’guess how that works.” She says, fully turning to him and scrunching up her nose with the smile she flashes his way. Because she’s absolutely being generous, given her nature and the star tattoo under her eye, the way she’d watched the stars play against the surface of the ocean. All signs that would more than likely point to Safrin.

Calypso

suddenly i will never be alone

// Got something inside, don't hide it, like dynamite ignitin' //

Her smile is like a snare, and his focus is held there for a moment. Too long, perhaps, as he rather finds he prefers the way her lipstick has faded, even smeared. It feels a bit more real now, and it looks like she'd had a night of fun, and wonders idly if he might be able to kiss the rest of it off for her.

Ah shit, she said something. What was it? She's looking at him, fuck. "Yeah!" he answers with a confident smile, figuring he had a high chance of guessing right. Hopefully she didn't just ask if he likes kicking puppies or something.

She grows a bit more thoughtful and quiet, just for a minute, and he gets to peek in at a new side of her that isn't quite so shining, but no less bright. Her answer is...confusing, to say the least. She looks at the ocean heaving under the night sky with a world of affection, like she knows it as a friend, but she denies it being home. "The stars?" he echoes, his confusion muffled by the drift of her hair, the subtle shift of her closer to him that lets the heat of her better mingle with his.

The smile she turns on him is sly, something with a secret that she dangles on the edge for him. Like a cat with a laser light, he'll gladly play along, but the chances of catching it are wildly unlikely. "Uhhh, you can fly?" he asks with lifted 'brows and a glance towards her shoulders, as if expecting her wings might sprout suddenly for display. His gaze narrows a bit after a moment, a second guess forming after a moment of consideration. "You lived on the tallest mountain before, and had the best telescope? Like Stormbreak has one to see into the stars, but you had one to see down." Somewhere in the wilds, he assumed, had the largest peak. Taller than Stormbreak though? Wait, "you're from Stormbreak!" it floats, perfect to look down on and says you've been with the stars.

Kaisel

// Take the music, learn to use it, turn it up 'til your speakers blow fuses //

suddenly i'm spinning like a ceiling fan, around and 'round we go

He answers with all the gusto of someone that seems distracted. Either he didn’t hear what she said prior or he’s very excited with coming back to Torchline. So she hides the soft snicker behind her sun tanned hand, nose scrunching as she peers at him with those warm yet still calculating amber eyes, switching the subject to see whether or not he could figure it out.

And she wonders if he’s going to lose his shit if she tells him her mother’s Safrin, given he’s offered every other possible option that seemed more.. mundane, if she’s being honest.

But as a beacon or a boon, she watches as she remains tucked against him, leg tilted toward him for his hand to rest against her warm and soft thigh, the fabric of her dress shorter here but softer, leading little to the imagination in terms of curves and smooth skin beneath it. “Can’t fly, baby. I’ve got a jaguar shift.” She winks, because if he was wondering if she had literal claws?

She absolutely could.

But it also explains the feline nature to her slyness, her curiosity that gets the better of her, and she scans his handsome face as he rattles the brain cells together in his mind hoping it strikes on something halfway good.

And he reasons with so many varying options that her laughter bursts out of her chest, her smile soft as she shakes her head to each and every answer. But rather than give it up so flippantly, she figures she can take him by surprise, so Caly twists in her seat, curling up against his side to his ear, beneath the slight curl of dark hair at the nape of his neck. It has the added boon of putting his hand directly into her lap in the process, though it’s clear the attuned doesn’t mind at all. Maybe it was part of the plan.

“My mom’s Safrin. I actually got t’grow up in the stars.” Punctuating the comment with the brief brush of her lips against the shell of his ear, she withdraws, a coy and playful look overcoming her face as she waits to see his reaction.

Calypso

suddenly i will never be alone

// Got something inside, don't hide it, like dynamite ignitin' //

The way she says baby does something to him. Even if it's not just for him, even if it doesn't mean anything special, it lands somewhere that could belong to him. His hand flexes firmer on her leg at the sound of it, sliding higher up the span of her thigh like he just might not be able to stop himself if she breaths out another one of those damn nothings. "Jaguar, huh?" Explains a lot, honestly. "Guess I better not piss you off then," he smirks, all too aware that her claws could reveal themselves if he manages to do so. Hell, they might come out one way or another tonight.

Her laughter maintains a steady, lopsided smile on his face, and though it's a clear indicator of his failure, he'd take that bright sound over most anything else. When she twists and leans in to give him the answer, he's even more delighted that he didn't manage to guess correctly, not when he can have the heat of her lap radiating against him, the drift of her lips along the edge of his ear dripping her secret like honey. His fingers twitch, coasting along the new slope of her, but it's short-lived as her revelation sets every part of him into stillness.

She leans back, and as if tethered by something unseen, his head follows her movement, mouth slightly ajar. "What!?" he blurts, eyes wide. "Like, the actual star stars?" he gestures vaguely towards the sky, unable to pull his eyes from her now. Not really waiting for an answer, his smile breaks like a sunbeam. A laugh slips through it, disbelieving and full of awe. "That's so awesome. No wonder you're so fucking hot—you're literally heaven-sent." (And yeah, her mom’s hot too, so… checks out.)

Still not sure how she expected him to guess that, he doesn't much care anymore, not when she's wearing that playful smile, not when he can still smell her from when she pulled in close to him. Fuck the burger, he wants something better. Each hand finds a place along one of her thighs, sweeping down to her knees. "So, you're telling me..." he says, tone dipping low as he tugs—quick, certain—and hauls her onto his seat, onto him. "That I get to taste the stars?" His voice is rough now, rich with the kind of want that’s been coiling in him since the moment he laid eyes on her. He brands her with it as his mouth presses into the curve of her neck, the contact a sigh of relief inside him.

Kaisel

// Take the music, learn to use it, turn it up 'til your speakers blow fuses //

suddenly i'm spinning like a ceiling fan, around and 'round we go

She does have claws - that much she’s made very apparent. But without being strong enough yet to partial shift them for emphasis, Caly hopes he simply takes her at her word. So far, though, his smirk is met with one of her own. A yes, followed by a don’t fuck with me Kaisel, I bite.

But it all drops away for the grand reveal, the way she leans into him to give him exactly the answer she’s sure he isn’t expecting from how he’d answered them previously. The bomb is dropped, her mom’s name dropping from her lips like a well concealed weapon before she leans away, confident and cocky, arrogant and beautiful. And as he tracks her, her answering smile is a knowing smirk. “Actual star stars.” She practically purrs, shoulders wiggling in a playful movement.

His smile after, though, is just as sunny as her own and she’s captivated for a brief moment by the vibrance of it. Her owns mile twists a touch softer, gentler, until he’s complimenting her in all the ways that a boy would and Caly can’t help but to let the golden chime of a laugh escape her throat as she nods. She almost has half a mind to tell him that she’d given up diving into the stars for whatever commitment he had to make back at the Hanged Man.

But she remains silent, because his hands are warm as they find her thighs and she leans into him, craving the warmth and closeness when she’s suddenly hoisted into his lap. Practically melting into him, relishing for a moment in the strength in his arms, her own loop around his neck and thread up the nape of his neck to drag her fingers through his dark hair. “Sure do, baby.” She breathes a little pleased sound as his lips find her neck, her fingertips tightening in his hair as she tilts her head. Her dress, hitched up around her hips now that she’s straddling his lap, is forgotten almost immediately as she arches her spine to press against him, keeping him close and her pressed in tight but malleable like the feline shift under her skin. "What's it like?" She teases in a lower, sultry tone of voice, pressing the side of her cheek against his temple.

Calypso

suddenly i will never be alone