Indeed, Thalia recall the day with a remarkable clarity. It was a languid summer afternoon, the summer after the incident had occurred, an incident that almost led to a tragedy, and her pendant had to be fixed. The air was heavy with the promise of warmth and blooming flowers, the sun hanging lazily in the sky, casting dappled shadows across the landscape, while the temperature soard to a balmy eighteen degrees Celsius.
Thalia lounged in the outdoor pool of her family’s estate, her legs idly kicking beneath the surface like a child as she basked in the soothing coolness of the water. Her sisters, in the meanwhile, seemed quite indifferent to the world around them, perched on the wooden beach chairs nearby, their attention consumed by their phones. The environment was quite peaceful, but of course, with having Kaeltih as a sister, that did not last long, for Kae had rose from her chair and headed towards the pool, launching herself into its depths with a joyful splash. The sudden onslaught of water, causing Thalia to recoil, a startled hiss escaping her lips as she instinctively shielded herself from the unexpected deluge.
“What the hell?” Thalia exclaimed, her voice tinged with annoyance as she hastily rose from the pool, reaching for a nearby towel to dry the water from her hair. Yet Kaelith, undeterred by Thalia’s protests, erupted into peals of laughter, her laugh echoing through the house.
Calista, lifted her gaze from her phone, her expression a mix of exasperation and amusement as she observed the unfolding spectacle. “Seriously, Kae, act your age.” Calista had said, shaking her head.
“Not my fault i’m the youngest” Kaee had defended herself
“You’re 22, and it’s by some minutes,” Thalia remembered retorting, “We are all triplets,” Thalia muttered,
Kae had shrugged, “Still counts.” she had said as she swam. “A-” Thalia began but she was cut short, by her grandmother, who had come inside, followed by a sun kissed, dark brown eyed female, who looked no older than her early 20s.
“Desdemona,” Her grandmother had introduced. “Meet my granddaughters,”
It was surprising, surprising how quickly they seemed to have hit it off, their bond going beyond mere acquaintance. There was an ineffable quality to Desdemona, an enigmatic allure that drew Thalia in like a moth to a flame. In Desdemona’s presence, Thalia felt understood, truly understoo, in a way that transcended the superficiality of everyday interaction.
Though, Desdemona was undeniably strange, maybe, just maybe that was why she understood Thalia quite well, and why they had gotten along quite well. There was a comfort in Desdemona’s presence, a sense of acceptance that Thalia could not quite place her finger’s on, but everything seemed ok with her around.
Yes, Thalia would say, she was glad to have met Desdemona. She was truly glad. “Slow down,” Thalia laughed, her eyes widened slightly as Desdemona ran over to her, her arms wrapped around Thalia tightly, but Thalia did not complain. Instead Thalia had began to talk, asking Desdemona how she was, to which Desdemona had pulled away, to answer. So, good! she had said, as if she were a puppy, making Thalia’s lips curved to a fond smile. Laughing to herself, as she shook her head, Mona was quite adorable, often reminding Thalia of the spring season. "That’s- Thalia squinted her eyes slightly, trying not to show the fact that there was something wrong with her- such as the throbbing headache, “Lovely. That’s lovely,” Thalia commented, happy that at least someone’s day was going well. Moreover, Desdemona began to speak, looking down shyly, before she said something that caught Thalia slightly off guard. “Are you flirting with me?” Thalia teasingly asked, a small grin on her face.
She knew Desdemona was not flirting—well, at least she thinks. Thalia had never been the best at identifying flirting signs; sometimes they were undeniably obvious and hard to miss, and other times they were quite confusing, and Thalia wondered if she would second guess herself, but still, she knows Desdemona was not flirting; she probably did not even know what her words could imply to someone else because, well, she was Desdemona. “You’re so adorable,” Thalia commented, pinching Desdemona’s cheeks.
Thalia had then gone on to say that Des looked quite well rested, to which Desdemona had replied that indeed she was well rested, then had asked Thalia if she was just as well rested. “Well…” Thalia had began. She was definitely not well rested, the headache, the worries, the thoughts to North and the person she had come hear to find, the fears, and a lot of other things clouded her mind, but Thalia did not say that, no, no instead Thalia had said. “Could be worst,” She had chuckled, looking away slightly not wanting to say anything else. “Have you eaten this morning?” Thalia had asked, changing the subject, “I was just heading to the cafeteria, want to go together?” Thalia asked, pointing towards where the cafeteria should be. “Or we could walk around the building, until morning classes start.” Thalia said checking her watch, still some good minutes left.