maybe smoking one more cigarette won't turn your lungs to ashes
Vesper’s hands move on muscle memory alone, flicking a sprig of mint into a pair of mojito glasses as Calypso slinks away from behind the bar. "Keep it classy," he murmurs to her with a wink, catching her bright affection for the stranger—Kaisel, was it?—like a gold-tinted flicker in the corner of her mind. Theea ’s order rings in before the drinks can settle, and Vesper gives her a once-over—not leering, just appraising. Confident posture, nerves feathered under dry humour. The request was Flora’s doing. That tracks.
"One Torchline Float, heavy on the pineapple, coming up," he says, already reaching for the coconut cream and rum. "Flora tends to be right about most things." He tips his head towardTheea as he starts layering the drink, filing away her scent of nerves and the sudden spark of curiosity aimed at Nova ’s glittering orbit.
To Maea, his gaze flicks up mid-pour with a flicker of amusement. What are you, some kind of mindreader? "Nah, just good at my job," he murmurs with a dry smirk, watching her sip and watching her thoughts react even faster. Asta’s name burns like a brand beneath her ribs. "Glad it hits the mark. First one’s on the house. The second’s just bad judgment." Her smile catches like smoke in his chest before she drifts off toward Liam andHadama, and he marks the ache in her shoulders even as she masks it.
Koa ’s shout for shots draws his attention next, and Vesper doesn’t miss the way the Dragoon lights up around people. Charisma is one thing, but Koa wears connection like a second skin, easy and real. "On it," he calls, already lining up shot glasses with a dancer’s precision. His shadows coil just faintly with the rising noise.
And finally, Mateo.
Vesper’s gaze lingers on the botanist longer than most. The curve of his mouth quirks just slightly at the coin-shirted chaos. Smells like citrus, glitter, and trouble, Vesper thinks, catching the sliver of heat in Mateo’s mind aimed at him like a hook. He leans over the bar slightly, shadow fingers sliding a new pour toward Mateo without breaking eye contact.
"One for you too, sunshine. Though if this is how you help people get drunk, I’m gonna need to pace myself."
His voice is velvet-laced teasing—but there’s heat beneath it now. Not from the crowd. Not from the alcohol. But from the game they’re all playing, and the handful of cards Vesper still hasn’t shown.
"One Torchline Float, heavy on the pineapple, coming up," he says, already reaching for the coconut cream and rum. "Flora tends to be right about most things." He tips his head toward
To Maea, his gaze flicks up mid-pour with a flicker of amusement. What are you, some kind of mindreader? "Nah, just good at my job," he murmurs with a dry smirk, watching her sip and watching her thoughts react even faster. Asta’s name burns like a brand beneath her ribs. "Glad it hits the mark. First one’s on the house. The second’s just bad judgment." Her smile catches like smoke in his chest before she drifts off toward Liam and
And finally, Mateo.
Vesper’s gaze lingers on the botanist longer than most. The curve of his mouth quirks just slightly at the coin-shirted chaos. Smells like citrus, glitter, and trouble, Vesper thinks, catching the sliver of heat in Mateo’s mind aimed at him like a hook. He leans over the bar slightly, shadow fingers sliding a new pour toward Mateo without breaking eye contact.
"One for you too, sunshine. Though if this is how you help people get drunk, I’m gonna need to pace myself."
His voice is velvet-laced teasing—but there’s heat beneath it now. Not from the crowd. Not from the alcohol. But from the game they’re all playing, and the handful of cards Vesper still hasn’t shown.
But all it takes is gas to burn a city down with matches
☆ has a pale star tattoo beneath his left eye, and freckle-sized constellations move across his skin
☽ hair changes from bleached blonde to brown
☆ telepathic: Sunlit Shadows | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 60ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
☽ hair changes from bleached blonde to brown
☆ telepathic: Sunlit Shadows | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 60ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
