(2018-04-21) Finding Control
Finding Control
Summary: Loukanos aides Callisto in her mental battle against a cruel matriarch. The tides now turn.
Date: 2018-04-21
Related: NA
NPCs: NA
Scene Runner: NA
Players:
callisto..loukanos..

Back Lawn, Winbarry Estates
Sat Apr 21, 2018


A large swatch of green that goes in all directions. To the east and northeast, the lawn goes from the green of grass to the yellowish-brown of sea grass and then sandy beach, the blue-green of the ocean spreading out as far as the eye can see. In the center is a tall overgrown hedgemaze, with dormant flowering bushes at the corners.

===

<FS3> Loukanos rolls Weather Control: Good Success.
(Sunny!)

Common misconception: dark faeries will burst unto flames and/or generally shun sunlight. Yeah no, sorry, that may be more vampire'esque… because Callisto is finding this gloriously sunny spring afternoon to be more than sufficient. Heavens above, it therapeutic after the night she had prior; the lack of sleep, the tripwire dreams that surfaced in those broken moments of slumber. It's a good thing Saturday followed such a terrible night because to mull through another school day just…. ugh.

Since the bit of playtime in an abandoned hospital, and in that time attracting her mother's attention in ire, Callisto hadn't found peace. She cannot even hope to comprehend how much longer she can handle this terrible mental waltz, night after night.

So here she sits, out on the expansive back patio, resplendent in a champagne-colored maxi dress, loose and flowy, the sunlight catching notes of silver in the hem and in the fine threads interspersed throughout the skirts. Her hair is long and loose, hanging over the back of her seat as she settles in a sunny patch, a cool glass of iced tea held in one lithe hand. The girl watches the sea beyond the lawn, the hedges, the beach; she's transfixed in it's sighing omniscience.

Callisto is tired.

In stark contrast to the fae girl, Loukanos is looking positively energized in the beaming sun. It would seem that the godling's moods, in part, correspond to the weather. Who can say if it is the weather that bends to his temperament or the other way around? Whatever the case, the spring sun shines pleasantly on his bronzed skin and golden locks.

Both of which are in the process of drying…yes, it would appear that the blonde boy decided to go for an ocean swim and is heading back to the estate. Clothed now, he wears a white pair of thigh-length cotton shorts and a cyan blue t-shirt. A towel is draped over his shoulder, and within it, flashes of that monstrous amulet he carried with him the past few days can be seen.

"Callisto!" He greets the girl with more energy than their initial meeting. Frowning as he gains upon the girl, he asks, "What is wrong?"

Her lashes have fluttered closed, so long so as to nearly touch her cheekbones. Is she meditating? Asleep, upright?! Is there much of a difference BETWEEN the two!? Hard to tell with Callisto… it had to have been a semblance of the former because the moment she hears footsteps ascending the steps leading up to the patio those eyes are open, spying Loukanos in his cheerful, brilliant approach. She does not envy the godling his exuberance in the sun; Callisto only wishes it could be so catching. She watches the boy approach, her head tilting, moonpale hair quivering behind one tapered ear.

"Loukanos." The fae girl offers in her eloquent, accented way. She notes his attire and the slung towel, and one brow quirks gently. "How is the water? I've been longing for an ocean swim, but feared it to be too cold." Then he indeed notes her slightly wan state and asks of her wellbeing.

"Weary," Said gently, feeling a small tingle of discomfort in her head. The barest, barest wince. "T'is a sin, truly, to feel like this on so beautiful a day." Curiousity nonetheles draws her pale gaze to the amulet that the godling carries with him.

"Weary," Loukanos repeats, tilting his head and studying the girl. Could it be a result of the telepathic punishment Callisto receives from her mother? He can only guess. "Greater sins have been committed. You are out here, basking in the glorious sun. That is enough for me most days." He shifts his weight from one leg to the other and looks down to his bare feet.

"Cold? Yes but not unbearably so. I can handle it and have been itching to be in the water for some time," And he has not discovered community pools yet. "It was nice…I rather enjoy the waves." He looks up at Callisto and follows her gaze to the amulet. "It is a good thing I found you. You mentioned troubles you have had in your life due to…evil kinsmen. Could you elaborate on it? I have only heard bits and pieces second-hand."

The fae girl is used to studying, not being studied. For certain reasons Loukanos can get away with it because there is something there in the boy's gaze that speaks to Callisto of…. what… benevolence? Hard to say; this is their second meeting since she outed herself as a troubled immortal in the library. She does not overlook Lou's shifting of weight and she indicates a patio chair opposite her own, drenched in sunlight. "Would you like to seat yourself, to dry off?" She nonetheless offers.

"I love swimming… I anticipate a bit more warmth to be had, before I try this ocean. I do so miss the open water. In the meantime, the public pool shall have to suffice." She doesn't even outright suggest the pool because how could that beat swimming in nature?

Then, Loukanos mentions… that he was looking for her? Callisto is surprised, and she indicates the warm chair once more. "T'would be in your best interest to sit, then.. I shall tell you more. I promise to not keep you for too terribly long." She drains her drink, sets down the glass, and folds her elegant hands into her lap.

Pushing wet strands of richly bronze hair from his forehead, Loukanos nods and accepts Callisto's offer. "Thank you," He takes a seat facing the fae and leans forward over his legs resting his elbows on his thighs. He certainly looks benevolent, though aren't most immortals blessed with youth and beauty? At least, his sapphire eyes and smile speak of compassion.

"There is a…public pool in the town?" His head tilts ever so slightly. "Is that similar to a bathhouse?" He is more familiar with that concept, but this culture is more reserved about nudity. Of course, it does not compare to swimming in the ocean, but Louk looks interested.

"Feel free to omit anything you do not wish to share. I do not wish to cause you any discomfort like our last encounter," He pauses. "It is only that there is a quiet darkness around you that I recognized as potentially malevolent." He says this with an open mind and no judgment at all. Just curiosity. "I would like to know more…and help if possible."

Compassion: Callisto has not been on the receiving end of such a look in quite some time. Save for one, but that person is gone from her forever. The downside to falling in love with mortals. Callisto is momentarily at a loss for words as to why this godling is interested in her plight… but she is not so stymied as to not offer answers to his questions. She is no prude; mistakening a public pool as a bathhouse does not bother her or fluster her at all. Though.. her lips curl in the barest amusement, "I am afraid not. T'would not bode well to stride into a public pool as the Gods made you, lovely as you are. The public has become rather prudish these days." She explains, relishing the sunlight upon her back.

Callisto continues, "T'is a place where you don a swimsuit or shorts, much as you are now. There are options such as a large tepid-water pool in which to swim, do lengths… there are steam rooms and a sauna, and a hot tub." A pause, "T'is downtown, a little ways from the main street. I can give you bus directions if you wish.. I volunteer there as a lifeguard a couple times a week."

Hopefully that suffices. Callisto is not one to fidget, but talk of her kith and kin always make her WANT to. She does not flinch at the discerning of her 'darkness' because she knows that is of her makeup. "T'is malevolent.. I was meant to follow in the footsteps of my mother, who rules our brood. The females are typically far more dangerous than the males… Mother has existed since before the 1600s. Off and on, with my father and other dalliances in between, she has produced upwards to sixty of us. Her offspring. My.. line.. can be a prolific one, for we can choose when to take seed and deliver children." Here she looks embarrassed, her gaze dropping down to her knees.

"There is no love. We are her subordinates and we are meant to serve and 'feed' her. Three have been slaughtered already for not obeying, and as I am one who does not obey, she may very well do the same to me."

A grin tugs on his lip at the subtle compliment. "Noted," Loukanos says with a quirk of his mouth. "Still, I think I should check the place out. I hear that in junior year all students have to fulfill hours of community work…and then again in senior year." He listens intently when Callisto explains her family woes. Even the part about procreation only elicits a slight raise of the brow from Louk…the women in his family can perform a similar feat. "Do you…do you have a way of evading her?"

The girl nods once, jumping tacts for a moment. "Indeed. T'is why I'm there… though I work minimally at another job as well. But the pool happens to be my community service. T'is a nice place, really, though I find myself having to rescue a significant amount of swimmers." Said in a huff. Oh, she knows the reason.. some boys can't help themselves. Callisto merely plays dumb. With a flutter of silvery eyelashes she, unfortunately, must delve back into the topic of her awful parent. She looks back up at Loukanos, her brow knit slightly. She needs to keep her emotions measured, not attract her. Now she looks as if she is concentrating while explaining her plight.

"To truly evade her is to destroy her. I've not the years behind me, or the skill, to have a hope in that. We would all be freed, then, for not all of us are awful. To guard myself against her is to strengthen my mental defenses… shields, as some other students call them. She communicates with me.. us.. via telepathy, and appears when I sleep, and dream. There it is harder to deal with her. So I try not to sleep." Therein lies the problem as to why her lovely patrician face looks so wan today.

"Goodness, kindness, and light deter and disgust her." How predictable, but how right. "Fear and loathe, rage and sadness, feed and empower her. We," Herself and her siblings, "Were birthed to sabotage the dreams of others, to disturb and betray in the waking world… to displease others. All to feed her and keep her strong."

Oh, Loukanos can guess too…he's an observant one. He lets out a boyish chuckle, "Somehow I don't think I'd have to save nearly as many people…" Or he would and 'rescued' would just be disappointed. The emotional turmoil is noticed, and the blonde boy reaches out to place a gentle hand on the girl's arm. There is even a comforting squeeze before he pulls away.

"Can she be defeated by the same means she slaughtered your siblings?" While it may sound as if he is suggesting that Callisto kill her own mother, he does not say it outright. He knows that he would not want harm to befall on his darling mother, even if she neglects him harshly. Kindness and light? "I think she may not like me very much then. You must not give into her." He watches the girl carefully before reaching over for his towel and offering, "I may have a way for you to regain some control over your life."

Touch. Callisto goes out of her way to avoid physical touch; the spiking of 'something' in her mind is completely unlike that which she has experienced to date. Could Mommy Dearest, as Daxton had coined her, be intimidated? Startled? Callisto watches Loukanos outright as he touches her arm to offer the comforting gesture… she looks for all the world to be a girl who is not used to this manner of kindness. She does not shy away however, though her lips press together into a tight, sad little line.

"She.. it could be possible, I suspect. I cannot go too far into it, lest I.. attract her." She draws a deep breath. "She is always there.. always suspecting. I feel her 'tune out' for a time, as she cannot keep up with all of us.. but seeing as how I am trying to stake out on my own, I am given more regard." The graceful fae girl explains, head tilting. "Her manner of killing my kin was not pleasant, and I… know naught if I could have the strength, the malice, to do it that way. For she destroyed their minds before taking their lives. If I could… just… find a way to block her. She does not see fit to come to the places where we physically reside. To block her until I am strong enough to face her.."

There, the first notes of fear in Callisto's face. She is so very, veyr young compared to a much older, much more diabolical faerie. She can feel Louk's eyes upon her and at his lattermost statement, she looks up with sad, tired eyes. "H-have you…? For I wish not to live like this. I cannot do her bidding, I should like to fade before I continue to feed her."

There is a pause as Loukanos considers…the discomfort is observed, but he takes it as someone unaccustomed to physical contact rather than outright irritation. Soon, he admits with a shrug, "I had a similar relationship with my mother before she left me on my own. Do not mistake me…she is not nearly as malevolent as how you describe your own, but I know a little of what it is like to never be…'alone'," Not that that was always a bad thing, but it certainly wasn't always a good thing either.

Unraveling his towel and hanging it on the arm of his patio chair, he pulls out a leather necklace with a pendant that bears the depiction of a woman's face surrounded by snakes. The ancient Gorgon. "When you told me of your trouble with family, I thought of this talisman - it was constructed to be an apotropaic talisman with the capabilities of cloaking you from those that would do you harm…negative spirits and entities…and protect you if they do find you." Pause. "And well, I could go on, but essentially, I believe your mother could not reach your mind if you wore it or, at the very least, kept it around your person.

THe fae girl listens with interest now, hair set to glowing as she is backlit by that wonderful sunlight. Loukanos sympathizing with her plight warrants a softening of her expression, though her defensiveness has nothing to do with the godling's proximity and previous touching of her arm. She listens to him speak of his own mother, "Whomever was your mother, if I may ask?" She can't help herself, wanting to know more. Loukanos intrigues and puzzles her, right down to his desire to help her.

She watches then as he unravels the towel and reveals this necklace. Callisto's eyes round significantly at the sight of the Gorgon's features… definitely nobody's idea of a chic accessory, but the usage is far more important to Callisto. The look upon her face speaks of the fae girl's recognition of that face, surrounded by snakes. She knows who, and what this means.

But it is not the face of a Gorgon that causes tears to spring to Callisto's eyes, then. It is this effort and what it can possibly do for her. She looks up at the godling then, and perhaps the appearance of emotion reveals precisely how tired Callisto truly is. "H-however long… did you work on this? Did you fashion this precisely for me?" She asks in a near-whisper, looking touched and weary. A hand reaches forth to accept the talisman if Loukanos passes it over.

"Demeter," Loukanos reveals nonchalantly. "Goddess of agriculture and the seasons. I did not come from her womb, but she served as a mother in every other function…when it suited her." There is a soft sigh as he explains. "She is no longer interested in caring for me, though, and I am not sure if she will ever be again." He chews on his lower lip for a moment before smiling again albeit wistfully. "No matter. I am nearly a man grown."

Oh, he will definitely pass the talisman over to Callisto as he goes on to explain, "I am in the possession of several artifacts. Most are 'inactive' and require incantations and prayer to power them. That took several days and then the rest were spent testing." How he went about testing something like this was much more dangerous, but he offers nothing on it.

"Amazing.." Callisto exhales, though she doesn't gush about it. This girl does not 'gush' persay, but the admiration shows in her eyes. No wonder Malachite is chafing a bit, she doesn't quite know the level of aide that her daughter seems to have stumbled into. "I am sorry that it is such, that she no longer sees to you. T'is admirable of you to extend care unto others… I know naught of how I could truly repay you…" She is now the one to gnaw upon her lower lip, looking touched. Awed.

Accepting the necklace, Callisto handles it almost reverently. She reads between the lines, too.. she looks up from the Gorgon's face to seek out Louk's sapphire gaze with her glacial blue one, "Testing…" She draws breath, "Did you risk danger upon your person in order to see that this works?" Asked quickly, "I pray not. Y-you shall have to speak to me of what I can do in exchange for… for this…" She looks down again and despite herself, one of those rare, stubbornly shed tears drops from her chin. This is almost too good to be true.

"I do not need anything in return for helping; it is what I must do. If one has the ability to aid others and does not, then why are they here?" Loukanos means it too. "The talisman works. As such, I did not come to any harm during my test." He does not want to worry her or make this about himself, so he just gives a reassuring smile as he continues, "I pray that Hypnos delivers you into a peaceful slumber tonight." The tear trails down, and now Louk feels an urge to fix the pain. He cannot, but the need is there. And so if accepted, he leans over to wrap his arms around the girl in a hug.

Sleep.. sleep…. an unfettered sleep, devoid of cruelty and awful visions and emotions that can be felt powerfully, leading her to awaken in horror. Could this be a temporary solution for Callisto? She near cradles the talisman in her palms, and slowly she will move to slide the leather length of it over her head so that it rests against her neck, the Gorgon's head at her breastbone. She tucks it into the front of her shirt, does not startle at the feeling of the material against her skin. Were it fashioned of iron that would be another story. But it's warm from having been in the towel, close to Loukanos.

Callisto draws a deep breath, fisting at her eyes in efforts to remove the brief crack in her composure. Typically resigned to compose herself, Callisto is taken off-guard when the godling offers to hug her. He is not rebuffed; the stiffening in her body is solely due to a lack of such, for Callisto has not been hugged since 1970. Sound melodramatic? Perhaps, but it's a sad truth.

When she feels no pain in her head, her expression crumbles in earnest and she hugs Loukanos in return. For now, she just has no words.

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