Telling Tales? Not Us (Callie)

[Eric Jones]

Eric had spent the last ten minutes looking for his damn phone. It wasn't in his bag, it wasn't in his pants (or the hamper his pants were in.. hey, who wore pants when they were home alone? Not winners) and it wasn't down the side of his couch.

But why didn't he call it, you might ask!

Because that would require a phone. That's why.

Throughout the entirety of his search, Balls had been watching him with a very smug expression. The chequered cat-sweater Callie had bought him made the feline look like a hipster. "Screw you, Balls," Eric muttered, giving his pet a little push. With a look that could wither grass, Balls stalked away.

He'd been sitting on his phone, like it was some sort of egg he wanted to hatch. Eric contemplated throwing a pillow at the damn thing, but sank onto the couch instead to message his sister.

[Callie: Mom called. Again. What are you telling her about my new place, because she's threatening to send me table clothes.]

[Calliope Gallo]

Calliope had been doing her best to catch up on some study that she was falling behind on. She was sitting in her room with the door locked, reading along in a book perched in her lap as best she could. But she got distracted quickly, spinning about a few times in her place before promptly plugging her iPod into a set of speakers and turning on some music. Hey, maybe it would help concentration.

The sound of her phone chimed over the low bassline of the music. It was from her brother!

Callie read through the message twice. First time she couldn't suppress her laughter at the thought of their mother's overbearing, well... Mothering. The second time she actually took in the words on the screen. A thoughtful moment to find a reply...

[Eric: Don't worry about it, I just told her it wasn't homely yet... Did Aristoboulos like his sweater? Is he wearing it? If so send a pic. Or it didn't happen and you threw it away again...]

Pause. The worry that etched along her features shifted to clear annoyance. It would not have been the first time one of her purchases for that darling cat had suddenly disappeared.

[Eric: You better not have...]

Another pause. Her fingers flew across the touch screen again.

[Eric: >:\]

[Eric Jones]

With a snort Eric tried, not for the first time, to sound out his cat's real name. Nope, it was like talking with marbles in your mouth. Wasn't happening. And as for the sweater, of course he hadn't thrown it out! He'd only lost that one thing, and only because it had been bedazzled. No cat of his was wearing sequins.

Still, he got up. "Balls! Balls, come out," Eric called, even as he tapped out a reply.

[Callie: Your distrust wounds me.]

Where was that damned cat? Ah! Before Balls realised what was happening, Eric disappeared and reappeared directly in front of him, phone raised to snap a photo. Eric: one, domesticated feline: zero.

[Callie: PXT ]

A pause, then he grinned a little wider as Balls leapt from the counter onto his shoulders and stuck his nose against Eric's ear.

[Callie: See, Calliope? SEE? And it's not homey because I'm not a middle aged woman.]

[Calliope Gallo]

Callie felt her mouth pull into a smirk at the idea of wounding him with distrust. She had found him an amazing cat-shirt that may have had sparkling little jewels on it that may have spelled out an adorable saying with a cat-like pun on it.

Then the picture came through.

Calliope felt herself jump in her seat and bounce a few times. Ooh but he looked so cute~! She saved that picture and sent it through to her email. She was definitely going to print it off. Maybe blow it up on a canvas so Eric could hang it in his apartment or something.

[Eric: Didn't it feel more 'homey' when we set up your shrine to Guitar Hero in the corner of your living room? Just like your old room at home. This is why I still won't live with you :P]

[Eric Jones]

[Callie: The word you mean is 'cool'. Guitar Hero is not homey.]

Eric rubbed a hand over his mouth and glanced towards the set up in the corner. It wasn't even a little homey. Homey meant doilies and knitted stuff. Right? A small crease appeared behind the young man's eyebrows as he squinted at his consols. No, they were cool. It was cool. And a dumb reason not to live with him!

[Callie: Hey I remember the dorms. My place is infinitely better. You're crazy, Callie.]

He'd only had the place for a month and a half, but the argument was already old. A sly smirk drifted across Eric's face as he contemplated the below-the-belt tactic of all sibling debates.

[Callie: You know mom would love it.]

[Calliope Gallo]

Eric's argument was always kicked up a notch if he brought Mama into the equation. He meant well though, at least she knew that much.

[Eric: I know Mama always worried when you lived in the dorms. Especially if you didn't call every day like you promised...]

This might have sounded crazy to someone else, but that was the way of the Gallones family. Constant communication between each other... Skipping a day or two meant a verbal thrashing from their mother and a tentatively stern look from their father. Gia was as protective as ever now that Niko was staying in Greece for months with relatives.

[Eric: Got a job interview at that donut place you love so much. How cool is that? If it all goes well we might share a lunch break <3]

[Eric Jones]

Oh well played, little sister! Even the memory of Gia's righteous anger was enough to make Eric wince and make a note to call her and dad later that afternoon. Oh, and Nik would be on Skype later... Poor guy. Their aunts sent Gia daily updates on what he was doing. Some people might consider that a bit intrusive, but Eric couldn't imagine not communicating with his family daily.

[Callie: I bet she installed a camera in Balls. Or has him report back to her. Even more reason to move in.]

He reread her second text, one eyebrow raising as his expression slid into something all together more suggestive. The woman who ran that stall was smoken', all blonde hair and sharp eyebrows and smoulders. That outweighed his love of deep fried pastry. The two together? Match made in heaven. AND he now could use the 'I'm a fantastic brother, aren't I?' move, which was awesome.

[Callie: Nice one! You'll smash it, just use the Jones/Gallones charm, smile lots and remember that they don't need to see how you can dislocate your own shoulders. How'd you set that up?]

He paused, scratching his head as Balls climbed down his sweater to sit on his lap. [Callie: Make sure mom and dad know it won't get in the way of school, yeah?]

Being responsible? Hey, it was always easier from the other side of 16.

[Calliope Gallo]

[Eric: I think you're just jealous because your cat likes me more than you...]

It made her laugh as she shifted in her seat, placing the book on the nearby desk and moving to sit cross legged. Callia assumed that no one would really like to be called Balls due to pronunciation failure.

[Eric: I just rang the place one day. The manager who's always there with the accent answered and she seemed really nice. You remember her, right? I promise not to dislocate any joints. I wouldn't want to ruin the sweet set up you're going to get from this!]

She'd obviously seen Eric checking the manager out and trying his best not to get caught by either one of them. Callie would stay silent about that though. But maybe if she actually got the job, she could help him out with her. Was that weird? It wasn't any kind of reason for trying to get the job. Just a possible bonus.

And there, Eric was playing his usual responsibility card.

[Eric: Dad said that I don't need to worry about the money. He'd up my allowance if I wanted but... I don't know. I kinda like the idea of having some responsibility.]

[Eric Jones]

Eric scoffed, looking down at Balls to strach him under his white chin. "You don't like anyone, do you?" he said in the babyish voice he always seemed to end up using with his cat. "You're gonna take over the world, aren't you?" His free hand tapped out a reply even as bright green eyes looked up at him, slit pupils alert. In a heartbeat they vanished and reappeared in Eric's room just over his bed.

[Callie: Balls is a supervillain and if you think he likes you it's part of his evil plan.]

The teleporting didn't even bother the cat now. And Eric chuckled a little as Callie subtly brought up the manager. Had she noticed? Probably. Eric wasn't the best at being subtle, though he tried extra hard around his baby sister.

[Callie: Yeah, I remember. She's a brit. And yeah but YOU want the job, right?] Sometimes, he worried Callie could sort of turn what she thought what other people wanted to what she did. It was probably nothing, but best to make sure.

The last response made him sigh as Balls got up and wondered over to steal his pillow by taking his place in the middle of it and settling down to sleep.

[Callie: People usually dont want to have responsibility If it's what you want, do it. Seems decent. Make sure to wear something 'responsible' for the interview. ]

[Calliope Gallo]

A single tapped off reply.

[Eric: Aristoboulos. Ah - rihst - ah - byoo - luhs.]

Because he never could pronounce the Greek name of his cat properly. So he just eventually twiddled it down to Balls. Despite that, Callie always called him by his full name. There was a short lul between messages for a while before she got an extensive one.

She really did want to work. Was that strange?

[Eric: Yeah, I do. Don't worry!]

"Ilithios." She called quietly, turning in her chair to reach across her desk and retrieve her iPod. Idly she would shift through the shuffle option to find something better to play.

[Eric: Wouldn't it be better to wear things that make me look like me? I mean... Clothes that are my clothes. Do I wear things that aren't 'responsible'? What does that even mean?]

[Eric Jones]

Rolling his eyes, Eric tried to mouth out his cat's full name. It was too long for such a small cat. "Naw," he finally said, scratching him behind the ear. "You'd never get laid with a name like that."

Another buzz to check. Don't worry? But that's what big brothers did! It was his job, hell, his right to worry about her. The next buzz just made him smile. Oh Calliope... Always trusting that the world worked as it should, rather than how people made it. Nothing wrong with being trust, as long as there were people to help make sure you trusted the right people, and to let the unsavery types know they would not be tolerated.

[Callie: It means clothes that say 'give me this job, because I am responsible and mature'.]

A pause, as he tried to remember what he'd worn to his job interview. Jeans and a collared shirt. Casual, but smart. Girl's equivilant would be....

[Callie: Jeans or slacks and a blouse. Easy. Nothing too bright.]

She would think he was talking out of his ass, Eric felt. He had read articles on how to dress. He was very fashion conscious. Hell, he'd even done the skater thing when he was younger, until he realised that as an untrained teleporter the minute his body felt he was going to tip he teleported away.

[Callie: Trust me. There are doughnuts riding on this.]

[Calliope Gallo]

Callie turned her attention to her closet, tossing her phone to the bed and looking through the clothes she had. Lots of jeans. Lots of shirts. She opened one of the lower drawers to find a stack of shirts; some folded and others tossed in. She idly lifted one to search across with her eyes.

Then another message came through, one asking that he trust her.

[Eric: Hey, do you think they do those Christmas ones we race with every year?]

It was like a strange sibling family tradition; every December they would each get six of those candy cane donuts and race to see who could eat them first. But this year she doubted Niko would be around to win by a mile...

[Eric Jones]

[Callie: If you work there it is your duty to make sure they do.]

Eric glanced to his computer, a frown tugging down on his handsome face. He couldn't know that a few miles away Cali's thoughts had arrived at a similar place. He missed his younger brother. The thought that he might not be there to partake in one of the many Gallones family traditions. No doughnut eating contests, no making that sticky pastry with Gia and throwing flour at Callie..

Well, he would still do that. He just wouldn't have back up. Maybe the no powers rule could be put aside for just this one christmas...

[Callie: And we have to send Nik photos when you work there. He'll be spitting]

Out of the three of them, Niko was the biggest eater. In their family however, this was celebrated. He was the only one who didn't have to worry about being told they were starving to death.

[Calliope Gallo]

[Eric: I'll make sure to find a way to subtly ask during the interview.]

Callie was never the best at being subtle, but she would see how she went either way. She tossed her phone down onto her vibrantly printed bedspread, turning to her desk to change the song again on her iPod. She moved to sit on the end of her bed, leaning back on her elbows and looking across the photographs she'd stuck to the wall.

Eric standing with that know-it-all grin on his face, wearing the santa hat that Gia forced onto his head. Niko with his usual screwed up face because he hated all the photos. Calliope in the middle smiling as wide as ever, an arm from each of her brothers looped her shoulders.

[Eric: Niko can't miss Christmas, aderfos. Mama would fly to Greece and drag him back by his ear if he told her he wasn't coming home.]

Despite the sadness within it all, Callie laughed at the vision as she fell back to rest on her bed and look at the ceiling. Callie drew the phone over her head with both hands to send another message.

[Eric: Take the table cloths and say thank you! You could always make a table cloth fort in your apartment.]

[Eric Jones]

Eric rolled his eyes as he rolled onto his side to tug his laptop over. Callie's idea of subtle was... well, she was sweet and good natured enough that no one was offended but it was about as subtle as a.... as a candy cane.

[Callie: Yia Yia will hang on kicking and screaming. You know she wants Nik to meet a nice greek girl while he's with her.]

While he himself wasn't Greek by blood, Eric was very well aware how much his YiaYia loved playing match maker, and planning the weddings of all three of her grandchildren.

[Callie: I'm too old for blanket forts!]

A quickly sent follow up message was tapped out. [Callie: Might build one for Balls. Want to help?] The college student glanced at his cat a little sheepishly. "I am," he repeated. "But you might like one. Swingen pad for you to invite all the sexy lady cats over to."