all it takes is gas to burn a city down with matches

I need you like god needs the devil, honey

Vesper’s steady gaze hardens the moment he catches Nova ’s whispered accusation. His eyes, cool and measured moments before, now flash with barely contained fury as he processes her words—she's the mean one—and the weight of what that implies. He turns sharply toward Nova, his voice low and edged with protective anger.

"Mean one? You mean the one who tried to kill you?" he demands, though her thoughts more than answers for her, his tone carrying a dangerous calm that belies the storm building beneath his skin. His mind races, and without a word, he scans the bustling crowd for any sign of Melita. He knows all too well that the red-haired demigod is a member of the Ark’s crew, and any confrontation with her could erupt into chaos if not handled properly.

Glancing quickly around, Vesper’s eyes narrow as he spots a familiar figure— Jack —tangled up in his girlfriend's affections. A silent signal passes between them as Vesper reaches deep into his telepathy, his thoughts stretching like a hand knocking on a door. He brushes against the static, starbright mental shields that Jack maintains. The gesture is intimate, a rare dropping of his own defences, and it pulses with the cool promise of retribution.

Vesper’s voice drops further, even as he keeps his tone cool. "Maybe I'll go and have a chat with her," he murmurs.

someday soon this dust's gonna settle

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

JACK

Cool retribution is preferable to the impulsive fire of bad decisions, but whether or not this is a good idea is still on the table. Having peeled himself away from Flora to step across the packed snow bordering the dancefloor, Jack finds himself at Vesper's side with an expectant raise of his eyebrows. His hands don't leave his pockets, and the casual tilt of his head belies the fierce spinning of cogs in his mind.

"Who are we chattin' with?" he wants to know, blue eyes narrowing a fraction. He doesn't need to say it given how alike aware they are of the other's skillset, but his magic remains open like an outstretched hand for any context Vesper wants to provide, even if the walls remain just as high around his own mind. It must be a considerable deal for the boy to lower his defences, and so Jack would quite like to know whose day they are going to ruin.

romancing yourself is possible, narcissistic
and recommended

I need you like god needs the devil, honey

As Jack subtly straightens and peels himself away from Flora, Vesper similarly parts from his sisters. When he reaches the captain, his voice is low and even, though edged with an unmistakable tension. "Melita." The festival’s lights twinkle around him, but all he can see is the image of the demigod as it had come from his sister's mind; her red hair, her cold demeanour, and the needless violence she unleashed on his sister. He brushes a stray lock of platinum hair from his eyes, his mind churning with a steady, controlled fury.

He allows a moment of silence before continuing, "Nova mentioned a week or so ago about how she got jumped—no, attacked—for no damn reason but because she's, well, Nova." His eyes harden as he speaks, his usual detachment strained by protective instinct. He leans in a touch, the light from the festival catching the shifting constellations on his skin. "She could have just left her be. Instead, she chose just to go after a kid." In ability if not merely in age. His gaze searches Jack’s face for understanding, for agreement; anything that might confirm whether or not the captain was inclined to give a shit about the welfare of his kids or if Vesper was just barking up the wrong tree.

The demigod's eyes narrow for a pulse before he reaches deep into his telepathy, opening a silent window into the memory of that chaotic moment. The memory begins with Nova’s carefree laughter amid a storm’s fury, her eyes bright as she dances with the lightning in the Levinsward. Then, without warning, a harsh, cutting voice slices through the chaos followed by Melita's quick judgement and casual cruelty toward a girl just having fun.  It's then that things take a turn, and, unable to lie while his mind is held bare to his father, Vesper willingly admits that it was Nova who threw the first punch. Err, claw, given that she'd been a tide jaguar at the time, but that didn't soften the fact that as a demigod herself Melita was capable of wiping Nova clean off the face of Caido with just one poorly aimed arrow. 

All because Nova wasn't inclined to listen to the Honeybee.

The scene continues in Vesper's mind: Nova’s desperate yowls, the clash of claws and fangs, and Melita’s savage counterstrikes that nearly leave nothing but shock and blood in their wake. The memory is unfiltered—a storm of anger, fear, and betrayal etched into every moment. Vesper’s telepathy does not soften these details; instead, it captures every biting word and violent gesture as if it were happening again.

someday soon this dust's gonna settle

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

JACK

Melita's name causes Jack's eyebrows to raise a fraction further; the fiery demigod has always been a force of chaos both on and off the Ark, and as the image of her flashes through Vesper's mind and into his own, there's no mistaking her for anyone else. It makes sense that the Marin boy has come looking for him, given the tangential relationship between them all, but he's still unsure quite what Mel could have done to piss him off.

Except, as it happens - and really Jack should have seen that coming - Vesper isn't acting on his own behalf at all. And kudos to him for not sugarcoating anything, from Nova throwing the first punch to being attacked because she's, well, Nova (because yes, he can see her personality getting her into all sorts of trouble by itself), the captain frowning softly as he glances across the festivities towards the Honeybee.

Slowly, Jack takes his hands from his pockets, grateful for the snow on the ground and the way it will disguise the frost that coats the leather covering his fingers. "Very mature of you to approach me first," he remarks. "Do you want me to talk with her, or...?" Do you just want me to be there? Are you just telling me to be polite before you deal with it yourself?

romancing yourself is possible, narcissistic
and recommended

I need you like god needs the devil, honey

Vesper takes a slow, measured breath and fixes his cool gaze on Jack. Without his usual shields in place, his thoughts spill unguarded: a raw mix of protective fury, quiet resolve, and a sickly lack of experience when it comes to navigating these sorts of waters. "It ain't about maturity, I'm just not a moron" he drawls, shoving his hands into his pockets as he fiddles absently with a matchstick to keep his fingers busy.

"Offerin' you a ring to smooth the waters early is one thing, but goin' around and bribin' any idiot who looks at the girls sideways ain't a precedent I really want to set." Vesper murmurs.  "And since she's on your crew.." Vesper pauses. It isn't easy for him to ask for help, least of all when it feels like he's groping blind without the usual confirmation he's come to rely on from the thoughts of those he's talking to. Then again, mayhap having daddy fight his battles for him is the wrong way of going about this—and though this won't be the first time the demigod finds himself at a loss for what to do next—but Vesper is looking for advice as much as for Jack's support.

"Hearin' it from you might go farther with someone like her, but I get if..." If Jack wasn't willing to have his name or rank aboard the Ark used as a shield for the Marins.

someday soon this dust's gonna settle

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

JACK

In ordinary circumstances, Jack might have raised his eyebrows as if to say are you sure? as Vesper declares himself not a moron; alas, the mood is ruined by the whole near-death situation Nova had gotten herself into. Humming a soft sigh as the boy continues, both in voice and thought, the captain falls quiet to mull it over and sort the individual threads of this suddenly tangled web he's certain Melita has no idea she's become involved in.

"Let me talk to her. If nothin' else, she's at risk of pissin' Safrin off. Not that your temper ain't due it's credit, kid, but as Ludo's demigod, I got a feelin' that'll fly a little higher than you squarin' up on your sister's behalf." Clapping Vesper on the shoulder, he nods towards the Honeybee. "You're welcome to stay here or come and lurk," he says, knowing the boy has plenty of tricks up his sleeves to remain unseen if he needs to.

With that done, Jack sets off across the festival and whistles to get Melita's attention. "Hey," he calls. "Bring your liquor - we gotta talk about a thing."

romancing yourself is possible, narcissistic
and recommended

I need you like god needs the devil, honey

Vesper sets his jaw, fists clenching at his sides before he forces himself to relax. "I ain't that small a fry either, y’know. I’m a demigod, too." His voice is quiet but threaded with a stubborn edge that's all youth and testosterone, the matchstick still flicking back and forth between his fingers. "And yeah, I know Melita's stronger right now—but it ain’t just that Nova's Safrin's kid factorin' in is all I mean." And they both knew that if push came to shove, Safrin was more than petty enough to fight Ludo on her family's behalf, and to do a whole lot worse had Melita actually killed Nova.

Vesper draws in a measured breath, taking Jack's shoulder-clap for what it is: understanding, agreement, or something like it. ""Alright," he murmurs, expression cooling a fraction. "I appreciate it." For a moment, Vesper stands there, tension roiling under his skin. Then, with a huff, he snags a deck of cards from his coat pocket, absently riffling them against his palm.  Watching Jack head toward the Honeybee, Vesper too steps away, rifling the cardds into a practiced shuffle as he heads back toward his sisters.

someday soon this dust's gonna settle

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

Melita

yes, yes, I am wild
I am the wind that makes breathing hard

Ignorant, and probably indifferent, to the tides churning and turning around her, Melita kept up her discussion with Rhiannon for a while, munching on the variety of snacks on her plate, before Jack appeared nearby. Turning her head and arching her brow, she heaved a sigh, gesturing a goodbye to the Halovian soldier, and rising from her chair. She at least followed the key directions – bringing her liquor – while heaving a childish sigh. “Did…something happen?” Her first assumption was Flora – but based on her quick glances to the Doubletake – nothing seemed awry. Next was the Ark, but she was fairly certain the Captain would’ve been racing off to fend whatever occurred upon or to the ship.

I am the ocean and the battered shore
I will be the passion of thunder, a howl of fury

JACK

Saying nothing, because for ain't that small a fry, Jack the only-non-demigod-in-the-room is still the one going to have this conversation, the captain watches Vesper stalk away back towards his sisters and instead turns his attention to Melita. "It did, but not at the festival," he says to the Honeybee, lingering by a table to pour himself a large measure of liquor as well, before gesturing over to the Marin siblings nearby.

"That blond slip of a kid is one of Safrin's demigods, and those two girls are his sisters. Heard you went to town on one of 'em." He doesn't directly indicate towards Nova, but he's sure Mel will be able to recognise her out of the three well enough. "Wanna tell me what happened?" From her own mouth, and the thoughts and opinions that form the words.

romancing yourself is possible, narcissistic
and recommended

Melita

yes, yes, I am wild
I am the wind that makes breathing hard

Melita’s brow arched, but she followed Jack’s gestures towards the cluster of younger individuals – two of which she recognized, but mostly one for being a giant pain in the ass. “Not really to town,” she scoffed, rolling her eyes – both Honeybee and Captain would know that had she been truly in the midst of her incandescent, and often blistering rage, the kid simply wouldn’t be around anymore. That she was a child of Safrin made her wrinkle her nose further, but given Jack’s affiliations with said goddess, she steered clear of making a remark.

Wondering why all this mattered to Jack, her eyes narrowed. “Saw her at that lightning place in the Grounds. Asked her why the fuck she was dancing around out there – she could’ve -,” well, been killed, much like Ludo’s demigod had been pummeled and mauled and simply dead. “I was trying to be helpful,” in Melita’s own way – which was to say it backfired quickly. “In the end, I was probably overwhelmed,” and traumatized, “but I told her to fuck off and she didn’t. Came after me.” She shrugged her shoulders, then took a long drink. “I used her own abilities against her – I think the worst was a bite.”

I am the ocean and the battered shore
I will be the passion of thunder, a howl of fury

JACK

"Where then?" Jack drawls around a sip of liquor. "Took her to a small village?" Raising his eyebrows, he settles his gaze on the Marin siblings so he might sift through Melita's thoughts and associated feelings about what had happened, knowing that Vesper is well within range to be hearing it all as well. "Helpful?" He scoffs at that, but honestly, with Mel it certainly does track, and he runs mental fingers along the ragged bolts of trauma associated with static and lightning bolts.

Humming something non-commital, Jack seems to decide on something before letting out a long, slow breath. "I did hear that she threw the first punch. You're big an' ugly enough not to go pummellin' kids you don't know, though." Never let it be said that Jack is against that sort of thing, only that it's better to beat up the devil you know rather than one who might have Safrin as a mother.

"Their brother is out for your blood right now," he continues. "Look at him real close an' you might catch the resemblance between us. All that's to say that you'll prob'ly see 'em around a lot more than you might think, an' an apology could go a long way into smoothin' things over." He knows, he knows. Diplomacy? Melita?

Stranger things have happened, though.

romancing yourself is possible, narcissistic
and recommended

Melita

yes, yes, I am wild
I am the wind that makes breathing hard

Considering the brief volleys had involved her missing a shot with her arrow, turning invisible, booping, and then a subsequent bite, yeah, Melita didn’t consider it as big of a deal as everyone else was making it out to be. “More like a mediocre park,” she scoffed. As for being ‘big and ugly’, Jack also knew the Honeybee well enough to realize she didn’t draw too many lines at bullying – though usually if the other individual deserved it. She’d also instigated multitudes in her youth and paid some dear prices for it. Her eyes went back to those in question, eyes narrowing, not seeing them as ‘kids’ at all, given their heights, abilities, and what not. “Maybe she should learn about starting fights she can’t finish.”

As for the other one being out for her blood, she hesitated on rolling her eyes again. Given the way the Family was already gunning for her, it would probably be wise not to make more enemies, but no one would catch the demigod admitting it out loud. The other information though – because she could at least snag at those portions made her eyes briefly widen – glancing back and forth between said connections – before snorting. She wasn’t about to ask how all that had happened – she knew Sunjata’s stories with Safrin well enough – her inklings about Flora still being fine with all of it briefly surfaced and then was shut down. Something about not picturing Jack as a parental figure did meander in surprise; but given her own father, the bar was quite low.

Instead, she took another long, long drink to ward off a thousand responses, before tilting her head. “Oh, an apology? Will I get one too?”

I am the ocean and the battered shore
I will be the passion of thunder, a howl of fury

JACK

Mediocre park or not, Mel had certainly taken Nova somewhere that had caught her brother's attention, and here they are, like it or not. "Pretty sure you taught her that lesson," he says with a raise of his eyebrows; you know, what with the beating and all. "An' don't give 'em those squinty eyes. They are kids, whether they look or act like it or not. Only been around seasons compared to the years we've been stompin' through Caido."

Following suit and shoving a hand in his pocket before using the other to finish off the liquor in his glass, Jack scoffs out a laugh and shrugs. "Maybe, maybe not. Up to you if it's a hill you wanna die on. I'm just sayin' it'd be a fine start towards mendin' somethin' I didn't know was broken until a few minutes ago, especially if they're gonna be faces you see semi-regularly."

The ball is in Mel's court though - Jack has just tossed it towards her.

romancing yourself is possible, narcissistic
and recommended

Melita

yes, yes, I am wild
I am the wind that makes breathing hard

Oh, Jack wouldn’t want to get on the aging side of things – she’d be pointing at Flora again real quick. As for lessons taught, perhaps it would all surmise and suffice until the next ridiculous shitshow, of which Melita had no intention of participating in (unless it was one of her own making – you get the picture).

As for whether or not she wanted to mend anything, she made a face and downed the rest of her liquor. “I’ll think about it.” Which was all she’d grant for now – it’d take a fine amount of mulling over, and probably more alcohol, before she’d readily admit to much more. “Thanks for the heads-up.” She supposed.

Then, at the very least, they could go back to ringing in the next season or a long threshold of endless evenings.

[FIN]

I am the ocean and the battered shore
I will be the passion of thunder, a howl of fury