(2018-04-11) No Fly Zone
No Fly Zone
Summary: Callisto and Daxton butt heads again, and not necessarily about what is found in a derelict park.
Date: 2018-04-11
Related: Brief talk of events in logs 'The Heart', 'The Book', 'The Hotel'.
NPCs: NA
Scene Runner: NA
Players:
daxton..callisto..

Old City Park, Shady Cove
Wed Apr 11, 2018


This area used to be a more prominent area of the town, when the local warehouse was active and the abandoned houses were filled with people. Now, it's just an eyesore, a blight on the town. The concrete basketball court has cracks and greenery poking up through it here and there, the goals are still in place, but the nets are long gone. Bleachers on one side are missing a few slats, but are generally safe to sit on. There is a large tractor tire that serves as a sandbox. Or a litter box for stray cats. A swing is rusted, the chains holding strong despite the rust, and the wooden slats faded from red to natural wood. A jungle gym and monkey bars, teeter totters, and a very squeaky merry go round complete the playground equipment. Surrounding everything, amid everything, there are vines and greenery, overgrown grass, it looks as if the local forest has taken over and engulfed the area in greenery.

A small pond where fishing is possible is tucked away amid some trees, a bridge spanning across it, though the rails and some of the foot boards are missing in some places. This too is overgrown with flora, vines, plants, greenery abounds. It's a derelict park, but somehow, kids still find it useful now and then, but mostly the older ones, while parents choose to take their younger kids across town to the new park.

===

There are so many lovely parts of Shady Cove that folks choose to visit and/or loiter in. What teenager worth their salt wouldn't pick a roller rink or a youth club, or that snazzy new mall? Simple: a 'teenager' who abhors noise and commotion. There is a definite beauty in silence and dilapidation in the neglected burgh of Maple Drive. Save for delinquents, few people of substance stay here at length amidst the overgrown sidewalks, mournful empty houses and the bric-a-brac of desertion.

Then there's Callisto.

She is seated upon one of the old, yet surprisingly functional swings, it's rusty chains protesting softly with the motion of her body. A slow, methodical swaying on a leg, setting the fae girl to moving back and forth, back and forth. The hinges of chains create a sort of 'warbling' sound which disrupts the unnerving stillness of the woebegone park.

It is the early evening and the days have become longer, illuminating the space with a chilly, red-gold light. Clad in a classy-looking powder blue ladies' longcoat and black tights, with an classical black cloche hat, Callisto looks to be deep in thought. Mesmerized. A duffle bag sits just alongside the crotchety old swingset.. she must have come here after her volunteering shift.

Daxton's not allowed to work for the rest of the week. He's also been grounded from speed running, which has the speedster on edge. It's how he clears his head. So after promising it was just a. Walk, he finds himself here, to the old playground he used to meet the Unit at when he was in school. Lots of memories here. Some good, some bad. He's limping, although it' not super noticeable as he comes up near the swings, "Need a push?" No, he won't touch her, he's just announcing himself so she doesn't sleep whammy him or something.

Scary thing is Callisto has the ability to sleep whammy someone. No no it's not as fun as it sounds; one mental push and someone whose mental defenses are down will find themselves face-down-ass-up asleep. It's actually quite a humane way of defending herself. c.c

Anyway, she's sitting there, perfectly content in her solitude and not-at-all unnerved by these surroundings. She is aware of a great many things around her, and to look closer is to see that her hair is still damp, hanging in a pearl-like sheet down her back. She reeks of chlorine. There is the barest puff of breath through her nostrils as the presence of another registers, and her eyes open quickly.. no longer half-closed and distant. Callisto glances over a shoulder at the speedster, looking genuinely surprised to see him here.

"You may." She concedes to the push, "Thank you." Is added quickly, though she goes on looking at him with a gaze that is still a bit murky. She hadn't seen him limp up, "Whatever brings you to this place?" Callisto asks, her tone curious.. maybe a bit concerned. "Is something the matter?"

Oh, he was just joking! Uh.. "That's not gonna cause Mommy Dearest to launch another attack?" Or is it bare skin? Dream people are weird. He limps the next couple of steps to get behind her, "Just out for a walk. You're not the only one that looks for places like this to chill out in." He doesn't answer about anything being wrong, instead, "You okay? You look about a billion miles away from here."

"Mommy Dearest…?" Callisto blinks, looking a bit confused. "There is nothing… or.. t'is sarcasm, no?" There ya go, she got it. The girl clears her throat and shakes her head gently, turning to face forward again. "No, it shall be alright. I shall be, too. I do not feel her scrutiny quite so heavily.. her attention must be elsewhere, upon one of the… others." Her nose wrinkles slightly. "T'is a brief reprieve.. I go where there is stillness and quiet, so as to not attract her interest. She cannot quite see through my eyes, but only… when I feel something strongly. You may push me if you wish. I've not been pushed upon a swing in quite some time." She says so gravely; cripes, she is talking like an old woman looking back on a span of decades.

"Worry not about myself. Why are you limping?" She asks with a degree of intensity… oop, she saw.

Daxton should have known, he nods, "It's a movie about a bat-shit crazy mother." He lets her decide and then starts to push her. He's strong, it doesn't take much to get her moving. Luckily she's looking away when he rolls his eyes at her old woman impression. "I got stabbed in the leg on the mission yesterday." Oh, that's all? "I'm grounded from running or working for the week. It sucks."

Suddenly the fae girl laughs, a low and throaty sound. While she can be expressive, she's not loud, and something that Daxton said amuses her. "A.. bat-shit crazy mother? Hah! T'is precisely what she is… I should like to see this… movie.. to make comparisons. I have not watched many movies." She says frankly, odd duck that she is. She silences as she is pushed, surprised at how much more enjoyable it is when she doesn't have to do too much work with kicking. Just as well, her legs are a bit wobbly from solid lengths… though it's her arms that are really burning at the moment. Pools are hard work.

Then she freezes in her reverie, looking over a shoulder at the boy again. "Mission—-oh! Vegas?" Callisto asks abruptly, and there is that first note of worry. "The cult…? Are you certain that t'is a wise notion to be walking on an injured leg…?"

Ooookay then. He snorts, "I'm sure it's on Netflix. I'll check nd pulpit up for you, if you want." She didn't know video games, she's not going to know Netflix. He keeps pushing, what else is he supposed to do? "Yeah, the bat shit crazy crocodile cult." He shrugs, "I got bored. I'm not going to just sit on the couch for the rest of the week." Boring.

Her foot kicks out and she scuffs to a slow stop, and with a quick leaning motion she twirls the swing 'round to face the speedster. This may very well make the poor dude a bit uncomfortable given the proximity and how she latches her gaze onto his face. Now she may have looked out of it when he found her; now she's clear and watchful and.. concerned?!

"Take care, then. Have you increased durability to go with your speed? Take care to avoid it getting infected." Nag nag nag. Huff. She leans back then, eyes him, fingers wrapping around the chains. Her tone may be imperious but her expression is earnest in it's flitting displays of care. Hey, he's been good to her, helpful.. she's allowed.

"How did everything go? Was the mission a success?" Callisto tilts her head, still watching Dax. "What constitutes a… success? What was the end result?" She wasn't there, she wants to know!

Daxton's hands super speed to his side o he doesn't grab a hand full of something he shouldn't. He blinks that's crystal blue eyes at her, and then smirks. And then laughs, "Oh my God. I'm fine, it was just a stab. I've had worse." Is that supposed to make this seem better?!? "All the objectives were achieved." Maybe not how everyone wanted, but they were gotten! "I think halve the students that went slept the rest of the day toady. You guys need to toughen up!"

The girl is so intent that the motion of the boy's hands — always intriguing anytime he moves fast — go unnoticed, as he keeps them respectful. He blinks at her and Callisto goes on watching him for another five seconds or so before her gaze is hooded briefly by silvery lashes, and she nods curtly. He's laughing so he must be okay, right? Stabbings aren't fun; she's seen some pretty grisly stabbings in her long-short lifetime and they were often within the fae court. Maybe she jumped to conclusions a tad. Still, her pale gaze flits down to look upon the leg that Daxton had favored and she's satisfied.

"I regret that I could not be of assistance. I've not the… physical power upon which to rely, to fight." Callisto frowns delicately, but it's fleeting. She twirls again so her back is once to the speedster, and a little swaying motion indicates that she wishes to be pushed again~ … ~_~

"You know this park, then? Had you known of it, before it fell into neglect?" She switches tacts a bit, curious.

Daxton agrees, "Yeah…I don't know how much sand manning anyone would have helped." More eye rolling, but he'll comply. She gets more pushes. "Nope. It's always been like this since I found it." He shrugs, more to himself since she can't see it, "I like it though. Everything doesn't have to be shiny to serve a purpose."

The fae girl seems to be focusing upon something, closer to the old rubbish bleachers. "I've other skills, of which I am not often proud." She says simply, not self-consciously, just… matter-of-fact. A brief peering over her shoulder, then she looks surprisingly… mollified.. when Daxton pushes her again. She caught that eye roll, dude. She saw it. Cripes, it's enough to even prompt Callisto to attempt a smart-ass zinger to be sent his way but she thinks nothing of it. Whyfor must these boys roll their eyes like that?!

"I have been here a few times.. I thought to explore some of the residences, but…" A soft sigh, "I thought it might be disrespectful." That might earn another eyeroll. Why does it seem as if Callisto is making some manner of small talk to skirt something else that she could be saying? Harumph. She'll just get right to it.

"I am glad the mission was a success. I am glad in knowing you are alright." So there. Eye roll that. Though she squints again at the bleachers. "… there is something beneath those seats…" Hey, she's not trying to dance away from the subject; something moved!

It's a teen thing, really. Not just a. Boy thing. She doesn't get an eye roll so much as a confused look, 'I'm glad too?" Jesus this girl is bad at small talk. His hands stop pushing though as he focuses in on the bleachers, "Yeah?" He might not be able to run over there…well, he's not supposed to, but he's stepping around her to look. Maybe to start running over. Maybe.

Poor Callisto. She can wax lyrical whenever she must; write poetry in a few languages; create art with words. But small talk, she's horse shit at it. Poor Daxton. But then there's something over by those bleachers and it could be a hobo or a rabid animal or.. what, exactly?! Callisto releases the chains and slides out of the swing seat, leaving her duffel bag containing her towel, toiletries and swimsuit… and electing to pad along in Daxton's wake. He may be 'okay' and being all Monty Pythonish with the 't'is a flesh wound' bit but the girl isn't going to let him check out this interloper on his own.

All it will take is a look; Callisto had been meditating, so if something lunges out, she could try to zap it's mind—-

Whatever is in the shadows isn't moving to attack. It's dark in there, the low sun affording little to no light.. it smells musty and dirty and something can be heard thrashing in the gnarly overgrown foliage in an attempted escape. Look closer, it's… furry? Orange? It's a terrifying, vicious, //bloodthirsty/… kitten!

Daxton didn't need to speed after all, "Congratulations, Strawberry. It's a vicious kitten." He doesn't seem to impressed and turns to leave and go back to the swings. It's a dirty cat, whatevs. Maybe he'll sit on the swing this time.

Well, the swing has been vacated! Snag it! Because Callisto is padding over to those bleachers… did her steps just hasten a little bit when Daxton announces what's there?!

"Oh.." The girl exhales, trying to seem nonplussed but there is a look about her now. The very same look she had worn when she was DEEPLY fascinated by old video games and trying not to let on. Could 'Strawberry' be a closet-cat-lady?

Callisto kneels at the edge of the ramshackle bleachers, peering in, and there a hand pokes out with fingers moving. Her smooth brow has now lifted into a concerned furrow. Her lips move around little 'whispers' of exhaled breath, that typical 'pss-pss-pss' often used to entice felines. "I would like to see it. Come, kitten, come now." Said softly, so soft.

Ugh, cats. Dax isn't a pet person anymore, but whatever. He lets her go over as he heads back, calling over his shoulder, "If you get rabies, I'm not carrying you to the hospital." Making it to the swing feels like it takes forever (It doesn't) and he sits, facing Call and the kitten. His hand rubs his calf a few times while she's distracted.

It isn't long until the hungry little mite crawls out, a ball of orange fluff with a tail spiking straight up as if the thing stuck it's tongue into an electrical outlet. Callisto collects the creature, looking down at it's fluff. Okay, so don't gush… DON'T. She wants to but she won't, and her blue eyes flit up from the ginger kitty and toward the boy on the swing. Did she just see his hand lift from his calf? Is it paining him more than he's letting on?

"Do you not like kittens? Cats?" Callisto asks levelly, walking near-soundlessly toward the swingset.. she does not look ready to release the kitten. This could be bad. As it squirms lazily in the bowl made by her slender hands, it seals the deal by pressing it's snout into her fingertips. Oh damnit all. Callisto looks down at it, the corners of her lips twitching, before she looks back to Daxton. "I shall not contract rabies. T'is a healthy little hungry thing. You do not like kittens, afterall, do you not?"

Gasp! She's looking outright at his leg though.

Instead of answering her, Dax just says , "Don't get too attached, you can't bring it home. It's bad enough we have a dog running around the Estates." Unit 23 wasn't asked, the dog just showed up with the students. He's not a complete monster though, "We can take it to the pound though, if you're worried about it." His own moth twitches before he replies, "That's just what it wants you to think. One minute normal, the next minute, zombie rabies." He just ignores the look to his leg and starts kicking to push himself on the swing.

Her face falls… falls! No no she's not upset, but the girl had entertained the thought briefly. This is a rare look for Callisto, perhaps one of the most earnest expressions that she exhibits rather rarely to the world. "T'is… too bad, but understandable. But oh," She looks down at the kitten, looking troubled. "I should not wish to leave it here," Nevermind it's one of many many stray cats in the area. Just looks at the 'sandbox' that perhaps has more pellets of cat shit in it than actual grains of sand. For now all Callisto sees is this wary ball of orange fluff. She looks from the kitten, to Daxton, to the old playground at-large and the great any threats just waiting to scoop up and eat kittens!

The corners of her lips twitch again and she says with a sniff, "I-I shall do just that," What 'ho?! A stammer? Is Callisto affected? No she's not, don't look at her. "This pound. I shall pay them to see to this kitten." Said imperiously, faltering, soft again. She holds the creature close to her chest and watches the speedster swing. ".. who does not have rabies!" She thrusts the cat out in Dax's direction but not to be in the way enough to be struck by his swinging body. The orange furball stares at him much as she does. "There is not a sniff of madness to it, a—-zombie rabies? What are you getting at?"

Daxton just watches, feeling a touch back for the girl, but not enough to ok having a cat at the estate. Now he openly rolls his eyes, "Jesus. Okay." He stops swinging, so much for a nice walk. "It's a few miles away, on the other side of downtown. We should get walking." Unless she wants him to run the kitten. He stands up, most of the amusement he had gone.

Hugging the kitten close again, Callisto watches him outright, as Daxton—-wait wut? She blinks quickly, the kitten blinks, her head tilts…. it's head tilts. Weird.

"You can give me directions. T'is a long walk—" Clears her throat, scritches the kitten beneath the chin gently. Yes she fully intends to walk along the whole bloody way carrying this scrawny critter. She can kinda see the intention here and Callisto briefly feels sorry for him, once again watches his leg.. back to his face. "You do not have to walk that far." She says gently, "Especially if you do not like cats."

Moving to her duffel, Callisto opens it up and looks at the contents. It's a bit chlorine-smelling still but not terribly damp or filthy… come on, it's Callisto. With a free hand she opens the top flap of the bag, arranges the towel within into a sort of 'U' shape, and deposits the kitten into the makeshift nest. "There you are, darling," She coos to the thing, before looking up at the speedster again. ".. if you wish to walk this far with me, I shall treat you to something to eat in thanks."

Well damn it. Now he has to go. If not, she may com back with the entire pound. Inferno will kill him. Pulse all kill him. Afterthought would probably like having a cat, but he'd be dead. "I'm not gonna make you walk it alone." He can only imagine the tears and people stopping her to ask if she was ok. He doesn't need kitten nightmares tonight. "You don't need to bribe me."

Pfft.. does Daxton think her a flimsy, weeping thing?! Okay she did respond strongly when told of Winbarry being a no-pet-zone. Maybe there was a strong thrum of panic; was it the stammer? Crying women are scary; so too are crying fae. But damnit Callisto isn't crying or will not… because there's danger in weeping. It attracts Mommy Dearest's attention… she's already inwardly dreading what her spike in anxiety has done already. But no tingle in her mind.. no awareness.

Malachite must really be occupied. Maybe her equally hateful father is 'home'.

Daxton speaks and Callisto is wrenched from her thoughts, "T'is not a bribery. It's gratitude." She says firmly, head tilting. She kneels again to dig in the bag — mindful of the kitten — for a hair tie. As she leans the kitten bats at her hanging strands of damp hair. "Pick a place after, any place, and you shall eat well." OMG that could be a challenge.

Daxton snorts, offering before accepting that challenge, "Have you seen me eat?" Maybe he'll just get a milkshake. Make her feel better, but not empty her wallet. A deep breath and his chest expands impressively, "Alright, let's get going."

Oh ho ho ho… Daxton does not know Callisto's wallet. Something occurs to her then… she has not seen him eat but suddenly, she wants to. Yes, to 'repay' him but also, the family funds are 'shared'… the boy has been invited to gorge himself on Malachite's dime.

Her lips curve into a slight smile, "I insist." She implores, looking up a touch beseechingly, even. "Speed takes energy, so too does healing. T'is a long walk—" She pauses as he takes in a breath, her eyes flit back down to the kitten a touch shyly. She keeps the bag open of course as she lets the creature rest there, and gently she picks up the bag and slings it by a strap over one shoulder. It is perhaps for the best to be out of this neck of the woods before nightfall, anyway.

Daxton's eyes narrow, not really sure what that look is all about, "Okay." He's not going to argue. He starts walking, even his normal walking is fast, but he is clearly trying to keep it reasonable for Calli. "I hate it. I feel like all I do is eat." Maybe that's why he speed eats so much, get it done and over. The kitten is given another glance, maybe making sure it's not going to tumble out and then eyes scan the area as the walk. He's a soldier, that's what they made, instinct is to make sure they're safe.

Now that is a surprise. Callisto is by now keeping in-step with Daxton's reduced pace… but this pace is yet brisk! Huh! Good thing she has a long-legged gait of her own, and needn't run to keep up. "You hate it?" Her brows raise, "The eating.. or the speediness?" She pauses, remembers that nightmare. The needles, the reactions felt to such awful instruments… Daxton's getting of 'speedster status' was not a good process. Her features soften then, "You would relinquish these abilities in a heartbeat, would you not, if it were to absolve you of the suffering experienced to in getting them?" She hazards the guess.

It has only been within the past few decades that Callisto has developed true empathy… no no, not the power, just.. a sense of understanding. "If it makes you uncomfortable, you needn't eat. How about milkshakes?" She echoes his earlier consideration.

Daxton shrugs, "I guess it's the needing to, all the time. I mean, I'm a teenage dude, I like to eat, but…" His head shakes, his hairs not long enough to flop. His head twitches, a blur, but then he's drowning, and shakes his head, "No. I wouldn't" He wouldn't? Does he like the speed that much? "If it wasn't me, it would have been someone else." And he knows who, and that's not acceptable. "No…I should eat." She as right, healing takes energy too. Although he does smirk, "As long as you don't end up wearing them…"

The fae girl remembers something… twins. In that nightmare that Mommy Dearest (sorry that's her name now) tampered with, Daxton's awful father was there and he spoke of twins. Callisto's eyes round themselves; she looks as if she has happened upon a rather strong vein of thought. But then in the realization that it is perhaps not her place to mention it, her expression falls again.

She looks as if she has something else to say, very much so, but clearly switches tacks. "I… yes, I understand. T'is a noble way of looking at it, but a sad one. You are wise to make do, the best you can. Eating is wonderful," Says the willowy girl who is often seen drinking smoothies and eating fruit and very rarely poised in from of a huge sitdown meal. Pah.

If she saw the 'twitch', Callisto does not let on.. though she looks at him a bit more frequently, now. Then he goes and pokes fun at her. Of course.

"Pah! T'was one moment of ignorance! One!" She snorts.. between the nickname 'Strawberry' and the smoothie slip n' slide in the kitchen, she won't live certain things down.

Daxton snorts, "Yeah…that's me in a nut shell. Noble." He doesn't sound very convinced, but he drops it. He holds up two fingers, he counts the smoothie as one, and the milkshake trip. Nope, no living that down, Strawberry! He doesn't stay focused on her, blue eyes always taking in where they're going.

He doesn't sound convinced and Callisto, well, they're still in this rather out-of-the-way part of town without risk of being heard. May as well go the whole hog.. he didn't get standoffish or aloof with her, yet, after even breeching the topic of the experiments that brought him to this point. There is a heavy silence as they walk, Dax's eyes roving, Callisto's straight ahead.. the kitten fast sleep in her belongings.

"You have siblings. Younger ones. Were it not you, it… would have one of them, correct?" Callisto finally asks softly.

That's….not the way to get Dax to open up. Poor Calli. His body tenses as he walks, he feels like he's going to take off. There's an almost kinetic energy about him. "I'm not talking about that." None of the warmth is there isn his voice anymore, like the very idea of the twins getting hurt just sucks it away. In fact, he raises a hand pointing, "You're going to go down Maple till you get to 3rd. Take a left and then you'll start seeing signs for the shelter about 2 miles down." He must really not want to talk about it.

She's no empath, but there is yet a current to which Callisto is attuned. It's hard to explain and so very minimal, but something kinda… spikes. Maybe it's not Callisto's sense to be had because it's sparking, a tad, around the boy she walks with. Her gait slows as she looks at him and she knows immediately that she said the wrong thing. Or walked into a very, very classified, guarded arena of thought. Well, bollocks!

The fae girl looks startled then, "Then you needn't. I am trying to understand—" Nope. He's shut down.

She listens to his directions wordlessly, looking apologetic in her gaze but her lips are pressed into a tense line. Callisto is not used to this, treading so readily into sensitive topics and 'lo…. feeling things about them!

A clearing of the throat, her brow furrowed, and she nods once. "Of.. of course, then. Thank you." She says with a touch of fluster, before shouldering her bag again. "D-do walk carefully, then. I am sorry for my uncouth words." Is offered next, before she marks her direction and makes to set off with the sleeping, oblivious little cat.

Daxton just nods, but yes, he's clearly shut down. "Careful on 3rd, half way there's some potholes." A speedster would know such things! And then he turns and heads in a different direction, not towards the estates, and not towards the park. Just…away.

The fae girl will have continued along the suggested route, though her mind became a write-off. Does she feel guilt? Indeed. Anger? A little bit, not just at her own indiscretion but overall. It's a cocktail that serves to… pique some unsavory attention. But shh, shh.. that's another story!

Even the act of turning over the kitten to the shelter with a sum of money that left the staff floored will have not bolstered Callisto's pleasure any. Though, she is relieved to know that the creature will be safe. Callisto.. needs to think.

.. Malachite loves it when Callisto needs to think.

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