the fact that elysium goes through these lengths is probably more offensive than anything else. while any normal, well-meaning person may have given in due to how ridiculous this all is, callisto also refuses. equally stubborn.
if he does make it to his actual room, callisto will just be sitting there with a book on his lap and tea. unsurprisingly for two. ]
[ jk i guess we're just throwing every ridiculous trope out there. why is callisto such a voyeur. but this is how they work because elysium would find it funny, winking in the direction of the camera like he's got some main character syndrome going on.
the least callisto could do is get the door for him? hello? is he going to have to climb through his window too?? ]
the one favor he does offer is the fact that on his balcony, he does leave the double doors unlocked. that's his one sign of grace. or elysium can try and squeeze through one of the smaller windows that have been left ajar.
while still watching— ] What a pathetic display.
This is why I said to input the number. But, I suppose being difficult had always been your specialty.
Shouldn't you be thanking me for exposing the holes in your security? If it can't keep a pathetic guy like me out, I wonder what it says about the guy who invested money into it in the first place.
Your manners are as terrible as ever, I see. Meeting someone halfway can't be that dead to you.
[ he shifts, arms now akimbo, gaze flicking toward where callisto presumably stands. hellooooo. ]
Let's get the record straight, Sir Elysium. [ why is he talking like this when this is supposedly modern au. ] I allowed you those holes you so thoroughly enjoyed. [ yikes. ]
If you want to be thrown a bone so badly even after all that.
[ from his position at the window: ] Are you quite done playing now?
[ if callisto hadn't shown his face he would've had the pleasure of enjoying a single lol—but, alas. callisto rears his head, or rather, he hears the echo of footsteps the moment his fingers are about to hit the keyboard, so he merely pockets it as his mouth quirks into an easy smile. ]
Lucky you—having a dog that can perfectly verbalise everything it could ever want or need.
[ he snorts, a sharp little punctuation to his words. as if bored now that he has callisto's attention, he crouches down to one of the guard dogs he'd made friendly with and scruffs its chin. ]
[ callisto turns his gaze back to the security dog (who has inevitably betrayed him), before turning back to elysium. ] Considering the one who can speak never says anything I want to hear, I might have preferred him to bark instead. [ can he get a wan wan please? ]
I didn't realize you needed a warmup just to see me. Had I known you put forth so much effort into our relationship, perhaps it wouldn't have ended the way it had. [ except, that's not true at all. once toxic... always toxic. ]
[ neither callisto or elysium come from fantasy japan stop that. and as much as i would like to say that elysium dismisses callisto's words entirely, he doesn't. instead, he flicks gaze over, locking eyes wiht him.
he holds it for a beat. then: ]
Woof.
[ the flattest, most unenthusiastic bark known to man. but a bark nonetheless. his smile tilts, curling into something a little sharper, a little more snide. ]
I just got here and you're already nagging me? Man.
[ he sighs, stretching to his full height, fingers laced lazily behind his head. ]
If I knew you were going to be this annoying, I never would've come. Don't you have something to throw me? A bone? A ball? A treat? At this rate, I'm gonna get bored.
in spite of himself and his ever-changing shift in moods, he does crack the smallest hint of a smile at that. how can an act be equal parts aggravating and endearing at the same time? apparently, elysium was an expert in teetering between that line, not unlike a tightrope walker in a circus. hi, it was this or basket-weaving.
but, while elysium's words may have been sharp, callisto's is oddly carefree. ] Isn't seeing my face already the treat? [ lol. although, he does hold his hand out, loosely. yeah from the window or whatever, i guess. ]
[ still, he takes callisto's hand, gripping it for leverage as he pulls himself up. callisto could just as easily let him drop, but there's a strange trust in the gesture, one he doesn't care to examine. eyes flicking briefly to callisto's face before he looks away, he slips back into a similar nonchalant and careless demeanor.
by the by, callisto should be the unrepentant asshole elysium's mind likes to paint him as. unfortunately, those rare glimpses of the man he could've been if not for his family's legacy or whatever baggage he's dragging around are just as aggravating as they are telling. he clicks his tongue. ]
If you were gonna be this much of a mess without me, you should've called sooner.
[ whether the words carry weight or not, he's only saying it to be annoying. ]
I suppose when one is lacking in so many ways, it's natural for them to cling to the single merit [ medals ] they do have going for them. [ he's not denying that elysium is objectively attractive, especially because now i, bijou, can go in-depth to how youngand strapping of a fine feathered man he truly is.
callisto keeps his eyes on elysiums's, not breaking this point of eye contact as if his pride depended on it. he's not blind to the implication of elysium trusting him with his hand. so he doesn't let go. at least not until elysium's feet make it past the threshold of the window's entrance, and not until he's settled. ]
A mess? Ridiculous. [ he releases his hand finally. ] Clearly, I am better than ever.
[ i'm going to kill you if you do that. except, you might actually kill me first. enough… no more medals…
he pointedly ignores the weight of callisto's gaze. a quip's sits on the tip of his tongue, something about callisto wearing his face out staring like that, but it never leaves. instead, he just looks away, eyes falling to his now-empty hand as his fingers curl around nothing.
he sighs. then, almost on instinct, he lifts that same hand again, reaching out to gently brush a stray strand of hair from callisto's eyes. the trajectory of the movement is deliberate; callisto could stop it in his tracks if he really cared. ]
We couldn't celebrate our days gone by even just a little before arguing?
[ it's weird how in focusing on the weight of his own emotions, he misses any inkling of elysium's. he doesn't catch the way his eyes fall to his empty hands, for example, and so all he can do is release a small, pointed sigh.
when he's about to open his mouth to try and kill whatever tension may have existed in the air between them, he catches sight of a hand coming towards him. if it had been anyone else, he may have caught their wrist, and yet... he remains still. letting the fingers brush against his hair and almost instinctively he nods his head forward.
just a little.
and like catching himself in the midst of a misstep, he eventually brings a hand up to take hold of elysium's. it's not at all strong. ] Considering that mouth of yours, you're in luck if our discussions haven't escalated to anything physical.
[ he's still holding elysium's hand as he speaks.
does that count as physical? he seems to (comically) think about that as his eyes look back to their joined hands, before he shoots elysium his usual smile. ]
[ when it's been so long i can't remember what was happening
but, well, i guess we're doing lawless h*nd h*lding now. flicking his gaze briefly to their hands, almost instinctively, he twines their fingers together. he meets callisto's grip with effortless ease, like it's the most natural thing in the world. ]
Holding back on my account? [ a narrow of his eyes, and a more pointed smile. he tugs callisto a little closer. ] That isn't like you.
I'm just sparing the dogs the sight of your blood. [ he says this as if the words come easily to him. this probably isn't the grand joke he thinks it is. ... as it often isn't. still, he has a feeling that elysium could probably read between his empty threats.
or that's what he wants to believe when he can feel elysium's finger intertwine with his own. ]
[ he lets out the longest, most theatrical sigh. then, with all the casual detachment of someone far too tired to argue, he digs into his messenger bag, hand emerging with a mid-sized and unassuming box. plain, but clearly deliberate in its simplicity, he presses it firmly into callisto's chest without forewarning. ]
Your return gift.
[ unlike the stuffiez it will not be threat-coded. if he chooses to open it now, whether by releasing elysium's hand or managing it one-handed, he'll find an ornate switchblade nestled inside. it's unmistakably hand-crafted: solid wood and steel, no embellishments save for the clean lines of its construction. there's no maker's mark, not really, only the image of a lone bird etched at the base, wings spread mid-flight. ]
at his words, his lips remain in a slight quirk. unlike the usual smarmy smirk he's usually wearing, it's far closer to a genuine smile. is it a comfort to hear the man's quips as opposed to any usual hint of dishonesty he could have expected from literally anyone else? he isn't sure, but he feels like he comes just a little closer to understanding it before elysium drops a gift into his free hand.
while he's sure elysium would love him releasing his hand, he stubbornly doesn't let go.
he holds the box up to his mouth... and basically uses his teeth to pry it open. he drops the box on the floor, before he's just left with the knife in his hand. he isn't sure what his own expression looks like, and he's not all too curious. it'd be a lie to say that he wasn't affected by gestures like these, even coming from someone who should theoretically want nothing to do with him. despite how he acts, he isn't actually that obtuse. ]
Is this meant to be a metaphor? Or your desires? [ he flicks his wrist to expose the blade.
... and now it's a question of how he repays a gift to what wasn't really a gift??? ]
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the fact that elysium goes through these lengths is probably more offensive than anything else. while any normal, well-meaning person may have given in due to how ridiculous this all is, callisto also refuses. equally stubborn.
if he does make it to his actual room, callisto will just be sitting there with a book on his lap and tea. unsurprisingly for two. ]
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the least callisto could do is get the door for him? hello? is he going to have to climb through his window too?? ]
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the one favor he does offer is the fact that on his balcony, he does leave the double doors unlocked. that's his one sign of grace. or elysium can try and squeeze through one of the smaller windows that have been left ajar.
while still watching— ] What a pathetic display.
This is why I said to input the number. But, I suppose being difficult had always been your specialty.
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Your manners are as terrible as ever, I see. Meeting someone halfway can't be that dead to you.
[ he shifts, arms now akimbo, gaze flicking toward where callisto presumably stands. hellooooo. ]
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If you want to be thrown a bone so badly even after all that.
[ from his position at the window: ] Are you quite done playing now?
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Lucky you—having a dog that can perfectly verbalise everything it could ever want or need.
[ he snorts, a sharp little punctuation to his words. as if bored now that he has callisto's attention, he crouches down to one of the guard dogs he'd made friendly with and scruffs its chin. ]
Not really. Wasn't that just the warmup?
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I didn't realize you needed a warmup just to see me. Had I known you put forth so much effort into our relationship, perhaps it wouldn't have ended the way it had. [ except, that's not true at all. once toxic... always toxic. ]
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he holds it for a beat. then: ]
Woof.
[ the flattest, most unenthusiastic bark known to man. but a bark nonetheless. his smile tilts, curling into something a little sharper, a little more snide. ]
I just got here and you're already nagging me? Man.
[ he sighs, stretching to his full height, fingers laced lazily behind his head. ]
If I knew you were going to be this annoying, I never would've come. Don't you have something to throw me? A bone? A ball? A treat? At this rate, I'm gonna get bored.
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in spite of himself and his ever-changing shift in moods, he does crack the smallest hint of a smile at that. how can an act be equal parts aggravating and endearing at the same time? apparently, elysium was an expert in teetering between that line, not unlike a tightrope walker in a circus. hi, it was this or basket-weaving.
but, while elysium's words may have been sharp, callisto's is oddly carefree. ] Isn't seeing my face already the treat? [ lol. although, he does hold his hand out, loosely. yeah from the window or whatever, i guess. ]
Here.
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[ still, he takes callisto's hand, gripping it for leverage as he pulls himself up. callisto could just as easily let him drop, but there's a strange trust in the gesture, one he doesn't care to examine. eyes flicking briefly to callisto's face before he looks away, he slips back into a similar nonchalant and careless demeanor.
by the by, callisto should be the unrepentant asshole elysium's mind likes to paint him as. unfortunately, those rare glimpses of the man he could've been if not for his family's legacy or whatever baggage he's dragging around are just as aggravating as they are telling. he clicks his tongue. ]
If you were gonna be this much of a mess without me, you should've called sooner.
[ whether the words carry weight or not, he's only saying it to be annoying. ]
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callisto keeps his eyes on elysiums's, not breaking this point of eye contact as if his pride depended on it. he's not blind to the implication of elysium trusting him with his hand. so he doesn't let go. at least not until elysium's feet make it past the threshold of the window's entrance, and not until he's settled. ]
A mess? Ridiculous. [ he releases his hand finally. ] Clearly, I am better than ever.
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he pointedly ignores the weight of callisto's gaze. a quip's sits on the tip of his tongue, something about callisto wearing his face out staring like that, but it never leaves. instead, he just looks away, eyes falling to his now-empty hand as his fingers curl around nothing.
he sighs. then, almost on instinct, he lifts that same hand again, reaching out to gently brush a stray strand of hair from callisto's eyes. the trajectory of the movement is deliberate; callisto could stop it in his tracks if he really cared. ]
We couldn't celebrate our days gone by even just a little before arguing?
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when he's about to open his mouth to try and kill whatever tension may have existed in the air between them, he catches sight of a hand coming towards him. if it had been anyone else, he may have caught their wrist, and yet... he remains still. letting the fingers brush against his hair and almost instinctively he nods his head forward.
just a little.
and like catching himself in the midst of a misstep, he eventually brings a hand up to take hold of elysium's. it's not at all strong. ] Considering that mouth of yours, you're in luck if our discussions haven't escalated to anything physical.
[ he's still holding elysium's hand as he speaks.
does that count as physical? he seems to (comically) think about that as his eyes look back to their joined hands, before he shoots elysium his usual smile. ]
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but, well, i guess we're doing lawless h*nd h*lding now. flicking his gaze briefly to their hands, almost instinctively, he twines their fingers together. he meets callisto's grip with effortless ease, like it's the most natural thing in the world. ]
Holding back on my account? [ a narrow of his eyes, and a more pointed smile. he tugs callisto a little closer. ] That isn't like you.
[ steers this back into ecats ]
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I'm just sparing the dogs the sight of your blood. [ he says this as if the words come easily to him. this probably isn't the grand joke he thinks it is. ... as it often isn't. still, he has a feeling that elysium could probably read between his empty threats.
or that's what he wants to believe when he can feel elysium's finger intertwine with his own. ]
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Yeah, yeah. How considerate of you.
[ he lets out the longest, most theatrical sigh. then, with all the casual detachment of someone far too tired to argue, he digs into his messenger bag, hand emerging with a mid-sized and unassuming box. plain, but clearly deliberate in its simplicity, he presses it firmly into callisto's chest without forewarning. ]
Your return gift.
[ unlike the stuffiez it will not be threat-coded. if he chooses to open it now, whether by releasing elysium's hand or managing it one-handed, he'll find an ornate switchblade nestled inside. it's unmistakably hand-crafted: solid wood and steel, no embellishments save for the clean lines of its construction. there's no maker's mark, not really, only the image of a lone bird etched at the base, wings spread mid-flight. ]
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at his words, his lips remain in a slight quirk. unlike the usual smarmy smirk he's usually wearing, it's far closer to a genuine smile. is it a comfort to hear the man's quips as opposed to any usual hint of dishonesty he could have expected from literally anyone else? he isn't sure, but he feels like he comes just a little closer to understanding it before elysium drops a gift into his free hand.
while he's sure elysium would love him releasing his hand, he stubbornly doesn't let go.
he holds the box up to his mouth... and basically uses his teeth to pry it open. he drops the box on the floor, before he's just left with the knife in his hand. he isn't sure what his own expression looks like, and he's not all too curious. it'd be a lie to say that he wasn't affected by gestures like these, even coming from someone who should theoretically want nothing to do with him. despite how he acts, he isn't actually that obtuse. ]
Is this meant to be a metaphor? Or your desires? [ he flicks his wrist to expose the blade.
... and now it's a question of how he repays a gift to what wasn't really a gift??? ]