all I wanted was proof / that you understand sonder

The moment the words leave Finch's lips, Calliope's fur bristles. Hanging in the precipice of that regretful silence, she knows she has a decision to make. Now that she's in charge of her new Little Bird, it would only make sense to keep the girl in line. A true master wouldn't allow their thrall to make such claims without punishment. Yet, a piece of her admired Finch for such a bold statement. The fact that she had the fucking audacity to insult her captor was astonishing. Calliope's true thoughts only revealed by the surprised raise of her eyebrows and piercing glare downward at Finch.

At first, she doesn't respond. Leading Finch closer to the spires for inspection. Once their paws stop, both of them shoulder to shoulder, Calliope reaches the paw closest to Finch out and in front of her to hold her back from walking forward. In the next second, Calliope curls her neck tightly so that Finch is encase by her larger form, her jaws snake toward Finch's outside cheek, her teeth clacking together loudly to drive the threat home. "The next time you think you have the balls to say rude shit like that to me again, you better have the fight to back it up," there is a warning in those words that Calliope knew Finch was smart enough to understand.

Releasing a disappointed huff from her nostrils, Calliope straightens back up. Her paw returns back to the softly churned dirt as her fur smooths back down along her spine. Rising back to her full height as a reminder to who's in charge, she watches as Finch moves closer and around the spire. Keeping her lips in a thin, unamused line, she doesn't speak her thoughts. Allowing Finch to explore, to observe, to investigate the peculiar shape that has broken through the earth to rise up toward the reddened sky.


Cocking a brow up as Finch digs, Calliope continues to watch with indifferent curiosity. Now that she had someone else to risk their life instead of her own, she wasn't as worried about what was happening. As the carving begins to reveal itself with more of Finch's digging, she takes a cautious step forward. "Carving seems about right," she says quietly, her tone a natural rumble as she meets Finch's nervous stare. "Little Bird, it's probably having its intended effect on you right now," a teasing smirk lights her lips as she leans down to also get a closer look. She too saw the horror that was etched into the expression of the unknown animal's face. Deep down, she's unsettled by it all, but it was far too early in this new relationship of theirs for her to allow Finch to see such an emotion.

Returning her face back to indifferent boredom, she steps back and lifts her head back up. Glancing around a moment before settling back on Finch, Calliope takes a moment to ponder before speaking. "Well, is there anything else?" Her tone is almost impatient as she nods her muzzle toward the base of the spire where Finch revealed the carving. If the spires came from underground and there were carvings to be revealed, perhaps there was more?

"Speech"