[SE] spike the punch

when rome's in ruins, we are the lions

Vesper raises an eyebrow at her—the way she curls inward, sequins snagging her attention like maybe they’ll shield her from hearing the truth. It tugs at something quieter in him. He’s still leaned back against the bar, but the intensity in his gaze hasn’t cooled; if anything, it settles deeper, like coals banked just beneath a velvet smirk. "Nova," he says, soft enough not to draw the attention of the few early patrons drifting about, but firm in a way that leaves little space for illusions. "Everyone lies." His fingers toy with one of his rings, twisting it idly. "I lie all the damn time. Not to you or Caly, sure. But to most people? Constantly." Told 'em what they wanted to hear, mostly, but also bent the hell out of the truth when it suited him.

He sighs, not out of annoyance, but the slow, heavy kind that comes from caring too much and not knowing how to stuff it back inside. His voice lowers, losing some of its dryness. "Not everyone in the world’s good. Not like you." There’s no sarcasm in it—just a kind of worn truth. "And that makes you easy to love, yeah, but also easy to use. You just gotta...keep that in the back of your mind, is all. Don't stop bein' bright. I just want to be sure you can still see in the dark."

When she brings up Mateo, though—her voice all soft edges and questions—his expression shifts. A grin ghosts across his face, all teeth and mischief, the kind she’s used to, the kind that breaks tension without erasing what came before. He bounces his eyebrows once, smug. "I like havin’ sex with Mateo," he corrects, dry as bone, one corner of his mouth lifting higher. "Especially while on SnapDragon." 

His point, however, returns with the undercurrent that follows. "That’s why it ain’t just the drug, Nova. It’s who gives it to you. Koa might pray to Safrin and smile real pretty, but if he’s willin’ to hand you something strong as that without so much as a second thought? He’s thinkin’ about a lot more than just worship."

He tosses the bar rag over his shoulder again and leans in slightly, not crowding her, but making sure she feels the steadiness in his next words. "I ain’t mad. Just want you to be sharper than they are."

free of the colosseums

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Nova

Here's to alcohol,

If everyone lies, how is she supposed to know what's true or not? She's not a telepath or a cynic like Vesper, and Nova clings to the hope that it can't be as bad as he says, but there's no way for her to know. There's only one person she knows for sure and her head hangs a little lower as she admits, "I don't lie." At least not in the ways that matter. Is she all alone on her little island of truthfulness? Is that why he thinks people will take advantage of her? They'd already been the result of a bargain, could there be anything worse?

His words keep her heart heavy, the shimmering of her thoughts somber and serious as they weigh against the bright personality that begs to burst from beneath, to be free in its naivety and unencumbered worldview. She tries her best to understand - she really does - but the idea feels so dark that it's nearly suffocating. The pink of her sleeve looks dimmer that before, the sparkles not as bright, the enjoyment of it dampened by the question of whether people will ever be real. 

The grin on his face briefly breaks through the shadowy veil, her eyes lifting cautiously to meet his. Sex still isn't something she's tried, but Vespy's comment stirs a patch of glitter in the back of her mind, a curiosity despite the small wrinkle of her nose. The return of his playful tone eases some of the tensions, a glint of a smile trying to peek through before he's rushing back into all the reasons she'd been wrong - the overwhelming weight slipping back into place, her eyes falling again. 

His reassurance is enough to give her space to breathe, even as she still feels the pressure of the conversation still pushing against the back of her eyes. "I am sharper than them. I have claws and teeth - and wings now, by the way - and my magic is getting stronger, and I know how to punch..." Each addition bolsters her confidence a little more, her shoulders steeling like the stubborn internal supports have been erected again. "And I'm not dumb." There's a wobble on the last bit, a shred of uncertainty that she does her best to clamp down with an angry pout.

the rose-colored glasses of life.

when rome's in ruins, we are the lions

Vesper doesn’t speak right away. He just watches her—not just with his eyes, but deeper, the way only he can. She’s an open book in a language only he reads, all fluttering pages and smudged ink. Glitter thoughts dimmed by doubt. Pride sharpened by hurt. That streak of stubborn sparkle that keeps trying to shine through the fog. He sees the wobble before she speaks it. Feels the tension tremble behind her eyes like a held-back tide. There’s too much in her chest and nowhere safe to put it.

"Yeah," he murmurs, and there’s something softer there—not pity, not quite, just quiet understanding. "You don’t lie. Not even to yourself. That’s rarer than wings, Nova."

As her pout deepens and the words pile up inside her like kindling looking for flame, Vesper lifts one hand and calls his shadows to curl into a flat disc of dark beside their drinks. With a flick of his wrist, the centre bulges, a ring forming with a small glowing target in the middle. He slips his fingers behind it like a shield. "Go on," he drawls, one brow quirking. "Hit me with your best shot."

He lets her gather herself, lets the air between them still and settle. Then, quieter: "No one said you were dumb. And if anyone ever does..." His silver rings glint faintly as he turns his hand just slightly behind the target, eyes flashing star-sharp as he looks back at her. "I’ll make sure it’s the last thing they ever say. Or do." The smile that follows isn’t quite a smile—it’s something older, weightier. Not a threat. A promise. One only a brother like him can make.

free of the colosseums

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Nova

Here's to alcohol,

She knows he can hear every fluttering thought and flickering doubt, can sense the burden of his words, can feel how she tries her hardest to reconcile the truth he spins with what she wants to believe. Some might think she'd be embarrassed or horrified at being so exposed, but Nova finds comfort in knowing that she doesn't need to speak - that he just knows. It's one of the many benefits of having a telepath brother, being so completely understood without the possibility for miscommunication or awkward words. 

And the best part is that he just accepts it. He doesn't tell her she's wrong or overreacting. He doesn't ignore or belittle her feelings. He just absorbs it as fact and helps her through it. 

Watching his shadows coalesce into a punching pad, her feet resume a slow swing. She finally releases her shirt sleeve from her fidgety fingers along with a soft breath that whispers into a smile. "I know." Because even if the world turns against her, Nova knows that Vespy will always stand at her defense. The triplets are more than just siblings, they're soul bonded in a way that no one else could understand, that no one else could come between - and if anyone turned against Caly or Vesper, they'd be at the wrong end of her arsenal, facing down the wrath of glitter and chaos. 

Nova takes another deep breath before her fist is striking out, snapping with the vicious speed of a viper and the brutal impact of an icy barrier over her knuckles, not holding anything back.

the rose-colored glasses of life.

when rome's in ruins, we are the lions

Vesper doesn’t brace for the hit—he doesn’t need to. The shadows curl in tighter like petals folding protectively over a bloom, absorbing the full force of Nova’s strike with a whispering crack of impact. There’s no recoil, no sound of surprise from him, only the slight shift of his jaw as her punch reverberates through the black construct and into the stillness between them.

His pale eyes glint, admiring and amused, as they flick from her fist to her face. "Well damn," he murmurs, pushing off the edge of the table with the easy grace of a cat stretching between sunbeams and shade. The shadow target dissolves into mist at his side. "Guess teachin’ you to pull your punches would just be a disservice to the world."

There’s no mocking in his voice now, only warmth—dry, understated, and undeniably proud. Her magic had laced the blow, subtle but sharp, and he felt the difference. She wasn’t just growing stronger. She was learning to aim it.  He tugs on the sleeve of his jacket like brushing off some invisible wrinkle, and though his expression stays cool and composed, there’s no hiding the flicker of pride in his eyes. He doesn’t say what it means to him, not really—how much he trusts her strength, how fiercely he believes in it—but it’s there in the space between the words, as steady and certain as a star.

Then, with a sly lift of one brow and that flickering grin that dances somewhere between encouragement and mischief, he adds, "Hope whoever gets in your way next has good reflexes."

free of the colosseums

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3

Nova

Here's to alcohol,

Her hands snap back to her face like Jack had taught her, the lesson having been properly downloaded to her brain. The space between her fists lets her see the smile that spreads across Vespy's face, and it's like the moon finally appearing from behind a cloud, lighting up the darkness with a cool, shimmering glow that doesn't burn or blind, but brushes against her like a velvet hug, soft and soothing in ways that fill in the cracks of her glittery heart. 

Nova visibly relaxes, the weight easing from her shoulders as she lets the praise ring as truth in her mind. There's a thin veil that slowly falls down, a filter that she manually places like a mosquito net for pesky lies. It's flimsy and untested, but there nonetheless where nothing had been before. 

Puffing her chest a little, a thin-lipped smile does it's best to push through the dark emotions that cling to her - a sparkle caught just beneath the tide. "Jack says it'll take a few years of practice, but I think he's underestimating me." There's part of her that wonders how much their father has lied to her - a tremble of doubt through the pride that washes her thoughts in a light pink.

But when Vesper smiles again, fanning the fiery chaos within, her returning grin is brighter, finally making a full appearance when the mischief catches. "I'd still hit them." Even if she has to go for a second strike, or burn down the house down around them. Not even the fastest reflexes in the world would get them away from her. 

For now, Nova can't think of anyone that deserves her ire, and she's content to resume their lessons with another small sniffle and roll of her shoulders. Flashing her brother a playful smile, she turns her affectionate attention to the wine spider huddling off to the side. "I think Jeff needs a job around here. Can he be our resident taste-tester?" Perhaps even for future drugs that he finds suspicious.

the rose-colored glasses of life.

when rome's in ruins, we are the lions

Vesper watches the way Nova resets her stance, the sharp tuck of her hands like muscle memory now, and lets out a soft whistle under his breath. "Look at you," he murmurs, pale eyes tracing the movement with quiet appreciation. There’s pride again—subtle as always, but unmistakable. He doesn’t need to say she’s learning fast; it’s written in the way his gaze lingers a moment longer, the way his smirk tugs slightly higher at one corner.

At her comment about Jack, he huffs out a short laugh, low and dry. "Jack doesn’t underestimate anyone, Nova. Not even on accident." A beat, and he rolls one shoulder in a shrug that’s almost lazy. "But he does know how to light a fire under people. Mighta told you that just to make sure you proved him wrong."

Her thoughts dim for a flicker, and though she’s not broadcasting them, Vesper can feel the edge of her doubt from the way her sparkle falters. He sighs, softening. "Yeah, he lies too," he admits, pushing a hand through his pale hair. "Plenty. But when it comes from him?" He glances over with a faint tilt of his mouth, wry and warm. "Even a lie can be worth somethin’. Might be all kinds of twisted, but I don’t think he’s ever not wanted us around, so I wouldn't worry about it."

He lets that settle between them a moment before reaching behind the bar, casting a look toward the small, spindly shape of the wine spider nestled in the shadows nearby. "Fine," he drawls with mock severity. "But if Jeff’s gonna taste-test, I’m openin’ a bar tab in his name. And if he starts orderin’ top shelf, you’re coverin’ it."

The grin he flashes Nova is all trouble and affection, the glimmer in his eye brighter now as he pulls a few bottles from beneath the counter. [asy]"Alright, c’mon," he says, nudging her with an elbow. "Time to learn how to shake without lookin’ like you’re churnin’ butter." And with that, their lesson continues, shadows curling lazily at their feet as the night at the Hanged Man rolls on.

~FIN

free of the colosseums

Code 100% taken from the queeeeeeen herself, Sky <3