[DROP] the true strongman

enemies to lovers, but you'll never own my heart

The weight as she slams the hammer down goes up far higher than it had the time before, and it’s a boon for the young attuned as she practically beams, vibrating with the golden sunlight of a sunrise. But she settles easily – because how is she to know it isn’t just beginners luck? She does happily hug her sister back, though, murmuring the soft thanks under her windchime of a laugh.

Ah, but then the game is changing, and she watches as everyone steps up to take their different approaches. When it’s finally her turn, she takes the hammer and curiously stares at it before looking to the flare of purple and warped numbers on it. And unlike some of those that came before her, the attuned slams the light hammer down as hard as she can, waiting to see if it makes any difference in her swing.

---

Caly plays round three!

Calypso

one-sided, it's pathetic how you think you're being smart

Pierce

“That’s not a fair question, huh?” Pierce challenges Thalassa back with a smirk before everyone takes their rounds. With the third one soon underway, though, he watches as she approaches once more and he hands her the hammer – watching as she tests the weight and chooses to treat it differently, lightly tapping the hammer on the weight. It doesn’t quite have the effect she’s hoping for as the hammer plunks down onto the weight with a featherlight tap – shooting the weight up halfway along the bar before it falls. Snorting, he gives Thal a shrug before handing the hammer to Nova, next.

The hybrid steps up to the plate and Pierce watches as Nova inspects the hammer, flashing her an amused smirk as he crosses his broad arms across his chest. “Take your pick, kid.” Comes the low rumble, watching as she slams it down and uses magic on top of it. The purple lights on the machine ripple out, warping the numbers briefly before they settle again, sparkling in the reflection of the air of illusion magic Nova has sparked as her attempt shoots and zips up the line to ring the bell with a loud prrring! “Nice job.” Had he been expecting that outcome? Nope. But it was here anyway.

Taking the hammer to hand it to the next participant, his gaze lingers on Zavien’s disinterest in participating in the game. But at least he plays it, testing it out, making it like a little show, even if it burns against Pierce’s mind with a flare of annoyance. The swing occurs and he watches as it rises only a quarter of the way up the line. Close to the high number, opposite of the bell. It’s either a bell game or a numbers game, and so far Zavien’s running on the lowest rung of the brackets.

Shrugging with his own in difference, Pierce takes the hammer and hands it off to Vesper next – complete interest in the shadowy demigod’s attempts to ring the bell again. The flare of shadow magic is a fun twist, even if he’s fairly confident with Thalassa’s attempts to make him jealous that there’s very little for Pierce to be jealous of as he watches the kid’s form. As Vesper swings down, the weight lifts up most of the way into the low number section but close to the bell.

Kaisel is next, and the young Dragoon’s light tap lands him with the highest number so far with the lowest rung on the machine. Still quite far from the bell at the top, though. Still, it was amusing to watch everyone take their attempts with the strange hammer and the fun little magical twist.

As Koa steps up and takes the hammer, Pierce watches curiously, keeping his eye back on Koa from the last attempt. This one, as it comes down in a normal arc, launches up the line as the numbers grow smaller. A small number but closer to the bell. Pierce clicks his tongue and snorts a little, taking the hammer from the dragoon to hand it off to his sister.

When Noe steps up to the game, Pierce watches as she also tests it, as everyone had before, and when she swings it down just the same as she had before, the very same flashiness that occurred when Nova had hit the plate sparkles into place. The lights flicker, the weight swings up sharply and nails the bell with a prrring!. “Nice job, Noe.” Pierce chuckles, before the hammer is handed off again.

Last but not least, the young attuned steps up to the plate in all her golden glory. Calypso, treating it not unlike the other rounds, will find as she slams the hammer down it shoots up the weight toward the low numbers at the top and falls short of the bell – falling just below where Koa’s number had been. At any rate, each round now complete, Pierce takes the hammer from Calypso and steps back with a deep rumble of a laugh, like thunder pouring down an empty valley.

“Coulda been worse. We got a tie for this round. But, seein’ as it’s the last round and all fun’s gotta end at some point, we can finally figure out which one of you gets to leave with the coveted prize.” His brows bounce playfully as he steps back toward a tent that’s been hiding any potential prizes. A quick and brief chat with who was keeping track, the brawler steps out of the tent with a big grin and a box decked in purple and black with a stringy bow that in the right light almost seemed to be moving on its own. Or maybe that was just the mind?

His eyes immediately slide to Vesper – stepping down from the little platform where the game had been set up, weaving through the crowd and participants to stand before Vesper with a crooked smirk and a challenge in his gaze. “Congrats, kid. Hope your sister likes it.” He winks, pushing the box into Vesper’s arms with all the force of a promise that he could do so much more, like he isn’t aware of his own strength. After the handoff, his hand lifts to pat the demigod’s cheek patronizingly (and admittedly, a bit rough) before he steps back to vanish within the carnival, leaving the machine running as it flickers and each number becomes a series of eyes staring back at the crowd.

---

The winners of round 3 were Nova and Noe in a tie!

However, after tabulating all the rolls for each of the rounds, the winner of the drop goes to Vesper !

You’ve won a cheek pat and if you open the box you’ll have quite the dreadful flower crown exuding such a horribly draining and menacing aura. Congrats, I think??

The thread will be finned in 2 days, if you have closing posts, feel free to add them in before then!

Contemplatin', beg your pardon

"Depends on the criteria." Thal's voice is thick with suggestion, the kind that says strength might be less important than certain 'skills' on her grading bracket, especially as she flippantly throws the round, not even watching as the hammer strikes the weight. With another mischievous wink in response to his shrug, she moves away to see how everything plays out. 

It goes exactly how she expects - except for the tiny firecracker hitting the bell, but who saw that coming? - with Vesper taking the grand prize. He'd certainly proven something to her, Thal's eyes continuing to appraise him as she lounges in the shadows, somewhat pleased that if it isn't her, it's him. It's not until the two men stand face to face that she stops her approving gaze, a thrill of excitement sparking as she watches them. A small part of her hopes they might argue or have a pissing contest or -

She stiffens slightly as Pierce's hand reaches menacingly towards Vesper, a flash of concern rushing through her mind - wondering if she had somehow pushed them too far, not feeling very much like it's a game anymore. However, as it ends in an albeit aggressive pat on the cheek, she allows herself to breathe again, her playfully casual expression having faltered for nothing more than a heartbeat, unnoticeable to any but a mind reader. 

Restructuring her composure, her eyes linger on Vesper, unsure whether the words - or the prize - are all that they seem. She's curious enough to want to follow him, to ask, to - who knows - but she doesn't, seeing how close his sisters linger and believing that he'd rather convene with them, to bask in his victory. 

Thal turns to leave, the same direction Pierce does, a dangerous invitation in her eyes as she passes. 

---

Thalassa OUT!

Thalassa

But there's a part of me that recognizes you

Zavien

He walked through the competition in a haze, more concerned with the safety of the participants than his own standing in the ranks - in fact, he couldn't care less. Instead, he kept his eyes on Pierce, on the surroundings, on the people he was trying to protect. His eyes followed as the 'prize' was doled out, narrowing in suspicion at the strange interaction, certain that nothing good would come of today, even if Pierce appeared to leave without any sign of conflict. 

Zavien didn't know Vesper, but he'd proven himself capable enough to win whatever screwed up contest this was, and he obviously had people he cared about. So, as the Dragoon moved to leave with the others, he paused next to the man, whispering cautiously under his breath, "Whatever he gave you... be careful." He let the shadowed green of his eyes add weight to his words along with a flare of hope that the man and his sisters might not find harm. 

His hand still on his sword hilt, Zavien gave a departing nod to Koa before walking slowly back into the crowd of the festival. Still uncomfortable with the entire experience, he monitored for any other signs of threat before heading home.

---

Zavien OUT!

Be like a solid tower
whose brave height remains unmoved by all the winds that blow.

i'm a lost cause, do it the way I want

Vesper catches the box without flinching, arms tightening instinctively around the weight as if the strange, shifting bow might try to wriggle free. His jaw flexes at the cheek pat, but he doesn’t pull away. Doesn’t rise to it either. He just meets Pierce ’s gaze, shadow-laced eyes steady and unreadable. There’s no sharp retort, no flare of bravado—only a quiet, dangerous calm, like a sea gone still before the storm.

"Appreciate the hospitality," he says, voice flat and dry as old paper, though the gleam in his eye suggests otherwise.

Only once Pierce turns and walks away—vanishing back into the velvet of the carnival with the finality of a curtain drop—does Vesper shift, eyes scanning the flickering machine behind him. The numbers have become eyes, each blinking with uncanny synchrony, watching, waiting. The box in his hands hums softly, exuding a weight far deeper than what it should physically contain.

He feels the moment Thalassa ’s attention slips away, feels the way it drags like a tide receding, even as her thoughts leave a heatprint on the inside of his skull. He lets her go, not ignorant of the way she'd followed almost precisely in Pierce's wake.

Zavien ’s warning lands quieter than it should, but it hits nonetheless. Vesper’s gaze doesn’t shift to meet his, but the pulse of tension in his shoulders softens, just a touch. "I know," he murmurs back, low enough that it’s barely more than breath. "Thanks."

And then he turns, finally, toward Nova and Calypso —his arms still full of suspicious gift box and rainbow fluff. "Alright, queens of chaos," he mutters, dragging up the semblance of a smirk as he approaches his sisters. "Who wants to help me open the cursed carnival prize box?"

---

Thanks, ig >.>

Nova

Clever as the devil

Running off her high of lingering sugar and a prringing in her head, Nova jumps with excitement at Vesper's victory, clapping and cheering loud enough to be a crowd all on her own. She grabs Calypso's hand, sharing a vibrant grin at their brother's amazingness, equally as eager to see what he might have won. 

The exchange seems a little odd, and Nova can't really explain why she doesn't like the tap on Vespy's cheek, but she pushes it aside in light of prizes, especially as the man specifically tells him to share with her and Caly. Skipping forward, she lifts on her tippy toes to see the box, curiosity sparkling in her eyes as her hands reach for the lid.

What she finds makes her freeze, pure panic icing her veins. 

It's a crown of purple flowers that make her heart skip a beat - or five, their dark aura like a siphon for her brightness, achingly similar to what she'd seen in the desert only weeks before. Nova shakes her head vehemently, color and joy leaching from her face. "Nope nope nope nope nope. Give it back." She slams the lid closed, stepping away as she takes a shaking breath. Logically, she knows that the feeling of her magic being taken was just a nightmarish illusion, but whether it can actually steal magic or it just feels like it can, she has no desire to relive the experience. Her arms wrap around herself as she frowns, trying to self-sooth the uncomfortable feelings in her chest, the ones that set her hairs raising and a shiver running down her spine. As if the box might burst open in a flurry of gnashing teeth and shadows, her eyes stay glued to the lid, refusing to move until it's safely discarded - or better yet, burned.

and twice as pretty

// Ring around the rosie - Pocket full of posie //

The bell ring, so quickly from Nova , dampened Kaisel's spirits, even when his attempt proved fruitful.  However when Noe also got the ring, Kaisel let out a loud WHOOP and clapped loudly, yelling out "YEAH NOE!" Between her and Koa, they would win this!

At least, that's what he was thinking, grinning as he stood near them, eager to see what kind of tiebreaker or final scoring system the gameskeeper would use. Which proved to be, whatever the fuck Pierce wanted, as far as Kaisel could tell. He might as well have called out eenie meenie minie moe over the tops of their heads and settled on Vesper . What, he had the easiest hammer!" Kaisel balked, complaint and injustice bristling in him. "This is bullshit," he muttered under his breath at his cousins, hands folding over his chest. He seemed to pause for a moment, then slapped his usual smile back on his face. "Well I'm gonna hit up the rides if you guys wanna join me." Kaisel arched a 'brow at them, but he knew they'd been whispering something together earlier, and either with or without them he was going.

[FIN]

Kaisel

// I'ma fucking blow all the ashes down //