Feb 06 05:39:34 106 PA

From Chronicles

A small one bedroom apartment with a den; the walls are painted white, with a few pictures hanging here and there. The living room is joined with the kitchen; there's a sofa and loveseat made of black leather, and a decent entertainment system put up against one wall with the windows and balcony beingon the left side of it.

       The den contains a couple of small bookshelves with books, with topics ranging from a few children's books and novels to advanced calculus, algebra, and compilations of known monsters. A few maps round out the collection. A small computer terminal is placed upon a desk which is otherwise kept clean.
       The bedroom contains a large bed as well as assorted furniture such as a nightstand, dresser and so on. A large closet (almost walk-in sized but not quite) is on one side, with the sliding doors mirrored from top to bottom. A picture of a grassy field in the mountains hangs on a wall where it can be easily seen from the bed.
       The floor is covered in a cream colored carpet everywhere.

Like any recent evening, it's a nice evening for being indoors. Alistair has prepared for Caliopa's visit, having set the table with food, and a candle. He's even gotten a bit of music playing, and now he's just waiting for her arrival.

She finally arrives, a little later than planned but she is clean. Out of work clothes, and into clean jeans and a soft sweater of dark blue. She has her hair loose, and possibly might have a brush of lipstick over her lips. "Sorry I'm late..."

"That's alright" Alistair smiles, motioning her to the table. "Hungry? Or if you like, you can look around" he offers, tilting his head a little as he reaches for her hand to hold. "You look nice."

Caliopa does take his suggestion of the table, taking his hand as she sits. She tilts her head back to look up at him. "Thanks. I'm starvin'." The latter is in the nature of a confession, given with a quick smile. "Your place is real nice."

Alistair blushes faintly, "I try to keep it tidy" he explains, sitting beside her. On the table there is a bowl of spaghetti, and meat sauce to go with it, as well as assorted condiments. There's also lighter fare to be had - some salad, bread, some deli. PLenty enough things to make a choice - and of course, a bottle of wine. "How is your hand?" he asks, reaching for the bottle to pour into the glasses.

Caliopa glances at her hand, which bears no sign of the injury. "Sage is real good with her healin'." She speaks uncomfortably, awkwardly, as if that is an unusual thing. She reaches out, taking a piece of the bread, pulling it into small pieces to butter as she talks. "It has more stuff 'n' mine." She comments, glancing around.

"Oh ... " Alistair blinks his eyes, looking at her hand as well. "I'm s'posed to learn how to heal some time" he murmurs, and hms softly. "It does?" he smiles, a little sheepishly. "I try to decorate just a little, it's not for show" he explains.

She turns her hand, inviting his as she eats the bread slowly, her smile slow but sweet. "What things can you do?" She asks softly, giving him a thoughtful look, her forehead wrinkling. "Sage said she could see your aura was different..." She murmurs quietly.

"O-oh...sneaky" Alistair smiles faintly, he doesn't appear too upset though. "I can ... mostly lift things that are too heavy for normal" he does take her hand and squeezes lightly. "Push things, shut others out of my head ... I can protect myself a bit" he explains, "But I am supposed to learn a lot more."

"Lift things, like bein' real strong?" She turns her hand in his, meshing the fingers together. "You move things?" She seems to be exploring that, her face thoughtful. Caliopa dips her head, gently dropping a kiss against his hand. "Bein' vague." She comments quietly.

"Yeah ... like, see, if you had a two-hundred pound engine, I could lift it, barely, but then I can make myself lift more" Alistair explains, his cheeks coloring at the kiss. He smiles, and mms softly, "Oh, I'm sorry. Look, sort of like this ... " he takes a spoon and holds it up, towards the couch. It then flies out of his hand and hits the couch - just out of the blue. "I can also will myself to not need food or water for a while, and not feel tired."

She jumps at the flight of the spoon, her eyes widening, before she turns back towards him. "I can make myself not get tired..." She comments softly, her mind ticking over to compare the powers they have. Caliopa speaks slowly, her innate fairness making her tell her own powers. "I can put my mind into the machine, get the machine to tell me what it does 'n' what's wrong with it. Can see where thin's been, or whose it was."

"Ooh .." Alistair bites his lower lip and smiles, "That is interesting, I can't even imagine how that might be. I can ... sense some powerful presences and magic too" he murmurs, and then he blushes a little, his smile widening just a touch, "I guess being able to not become tired might explain a few things."

Caliopa's gaze flies up to his face, and the blush is crimson and effusive. "Al!" She ducks her head, glancing away, before she speaks again. "Guess mine ain't so useful with people. All I do are machines..." Her voice is low, her face thoughtful. "Is yours from your parents?"

Alistair's brows hike up a little, and he blushes more as well. "They are ... I think, I mean ... they too are Psi-Warriors, but I think our skills are a little unique in that we are taught them, while others seem to find them innately. But the ability must come from the parents to begin with I think" he muses quietly. "You're great with people" he smiles, "Mine are all for fighting I think ... not very helpful to others. You can use your abilities to help people with their every day things."

Caliopa extracts her hand from his, reaching to help herself to food. She listens as he speaks, her face thoughtful. Then when she speaks, she speaks slowly, thoughtfully. "My pa used to do the same as me. Taught me that it ain't imaginings, 'n' that I weren't goin' mad the first time a machine spoke to me." She hesitates, her forehead wrinkling. "I ain't great with folks. They don't make sense to me the way machines do."

"You say that, but ... " Alistair's brows hike up a little, and since she's taken her handa way, he leans in and wraps an arm about her shoulder to pull her close gently, without impeding her eating. "The place I'm from is full of people like us" he whispers.

She lets him draw her into him, snuggling her shoulder into him. "Place I'm from tags folks like us, or kills them. Takes them in the night, leavin' folks wonderin' where they went, if they're dead or not." Caliopa speaks softly, her face pinching a little as she speaks, turning her face away as she eats slowly.

Alistair nods his head a little. "And they want to know where the place I'm from is ... that's why I don't like telling" he explains. "They'll do anything to get there. Not just them ... and not just to me" he murmurs. There's apprehension there, he really doesn't like the idea of either being forced to reveal the place himself, nor someone hurting a loved one to force him into it. "Does it scare you that I can do these things? I'll soon be able to do more" he murmurs, that intself causing a bit of apprehension. "I ... don't want you to be afraid. Don't want you to leave."

She hesitates, turning her face back to him to study his face. Caliopa returns a look to him with the apprehension in her eyes reflecting his. "Ain't no need to tell me where." She comments quietly, "You don't scare me." The careful phrasing is clumsy, a poor attempt to reassure without hurting and the flush suggests she knows that. "I ain't good with psionics." She gives up the concealing, speaking bluntly. "Somethin' happened 'n' it made me real afraid of them, but I'm tryin', I am."

Alistair bites his lower lip, looking back at her and listening. He nods his head slowly and takes a breath, "I wouldn't hurt you" he says softly, "There's another thing - I forget because it happens naturally, I mean - I'm used to it. A lot of people from there ... you can just sense their feelings" he explains. "Um. It's like .. a leak" he tries to explain, his face showing a bit of frustration as he tries to figure out how to explain this one.

Caliopa watches his face, twisting in her seat, the movement putting her legs between them. The explanation doesn't help and her face becomes troubled, her forehead wrinkling. "Can you sense mine? Or would I feel yours?" She speaks calmly, her brown eyes showing the same look as when she is faced with an engine to work out. "I mean,... if you get in my head, I ain't gonna be comfortable."

"Oh .." Alistair's frown dissolves at the questions. THat helps. He turns a little too, his leg brushing up against hers. "You would feel mine, I think - I can't get into anyone's head and I wouldn't" he explains. "Even with my own, I try to keep them in check 'cause it makes people uncomfortable here" his brows hike up a little, his gaze on her eyes. "I have to guess all your feelings" he smiles sheepishly.

Caliopa's gaze moves across his face, her eyes thoughtful. "So long as you ain't in mine, I can handle it, I reckon." She is still speaking in that low voice, still carefully. "I can't make my feelin's go anywhere." She lifts her hand to brush her fingertips over his cheek. "Reckon it'll be fine if we keep tellin' each other stuff."

"I can't either, I mean ... they just do on their own" Alistair's brows hike up. He's still a little worried. "Yeah ... I like talking with you" he smiles his head tilting a little into her touch. "Great company" he blushes.

Caliopa opens her hand, curling it against his cheek gently. "Why're you lookin' like that?" She asks softly, her brown eyes traveling over his face, the worry moving to her expression.

"Me?" Alistair blinks his eyes, and exhales a little. "Oh, see - just ... " he pauses a moment. "It's a little scary, you know, you're uncomfortable with the psi stuff and I'm taught its all normal and natural. I just hae to be carful not to do things that might seem normal to me but would make you feel bad" he explains. "'Cause I really ... really like you and I wouldn't want to do something that would make you afraid of me, or ... " this part is always hardest to consider, "Or leave me. Maybe it's a bit selfish." His fingers play on her shoulder lightly; he definitely like to touch and her touch. His eyes close for a moment and he turns his head to kiss her hand.

Caliopa's smile fades entirely and her forehead wrinkles into a frown. "No. I don't want you to hide nothin' from me." The words are blurted out, shaking her head. "That... that thing that got in my head, that ain't havin' control over me forever. It made me scared of takin' help from my friends, lettin' Sage heal me." There is an anger in her voice, the words almost spat out. "I don't want you to be else than you."

"I'm not hiding .. I already know that" says Alistair, and blinks his eyes at what she blurts out now. "Huh?" he blinks again. "Thing? Oh" he blushes, realizing that maybe he just shouldn't ask questions right now. He reaches for her hand and takes it, squeezes it, and places it over her heart. "And I want you to be with me because I'm me" he nods, "And I like you because you're you. I'm yours so ... "

She answers the questions slowly anyhow, the unasked ones. "I don't know what it was. We were lookin' at the junk yard, 'n' then I started gettin' missin' bits, findin' myself in places I didn't know how I got there." Caliopa hesitates, her gaze skittering away from his, her cheeks paling. "Doin' things that I weren't never in a million years gonna do." She slants a glance at him, a plea not to go deeper into that in her eyes. "Don't want to lose you neither."

Alistair frowns, though it isn't directed at her - his disdain that is. "It isn't nice to play with people's minds" he murmurs, that put far more politely than it is meant - especially since it involves Caliopa. He hugs her closer, and doesn't ask, his expression relaxing; the last comes a bit of a happy surprise. It's always nice to hear such a thing; he smiles at her and bites his lower lip. "So um. How is the food?" a change of subject might be useful.

Caliopa glances down, her plate full of food, but cold. "Uh, it was nice, honest." Guilt shines in her face, and then the hug gets a response, the girl twisting in her seat and throwing her arms around his neck. She buries her face in his neck, her body pressed against his. "It ain't nice." She agrees softly, her breath against his skin.

Alistair hugs her a bit tighter still, his hand moving to the back of her head to stroke slowly. "Don't worry about the food, I'm happy you came. Want me to play you a piece? I'm not really good at it but I can ... mmh, no promises of miracles or spectacular performance" he blushes and smiles.

She stays snuggled, hugging him for a long moment before she moves back. "You play?" She asks softly, giving him a small smile. "Reckon it'd be better than me playin' it." Caliopa leans over the table, taking a piece of bread, buttering it and tearing it to pieces before offering him half of it.

Alistair holds her there, actually happy to do so. His hands stroke and pet gently, comfortingly, until she moves away. "Oh - yes. I have a keyboard here, because packing a piano is hard" he blushes at the obviousness of that statement and smiles at her, taking the piece of bread from her and eating it slowly. He stands up and heads into the bedroom, a hand brushing against her shoulder. He returns with a wire-stand and keyboard which he brings with him, and he sets it up fairly quick.

Caliopa eats her bread slowly, pulling tiny pieces off it to nibble at. "Didn't know you played." She comments softly, uncurling from the chair, to move to the sofa, a moments hesitation over the loveseat. She kicks off her shoes, curling her feet beneath her, watching him as he sets that keyboard up. Her mouth curves into a smile that is soft, that touches her eyes, warming them to honey brown.

"Make yourself at home ... " Alistair blushes - he seems to mean it quite literally. He smiles at her and licks his lips, focusing on his task a little, looking a bit excited over it. He begins to play slowly, probably a piano rendition of some old popular song. His play isn't terribly rich in chords, but the melody comes out correct.

The blushes are catching, her own cheekbones being covered lightly with a pale pink. She listens, leaning back against the sofa cushions, her mouth curving into a smile. "That is real nice." She murmurs, closing her eyes to listen better. The last week has taken its toll on the woman and her face begins to relax a little.

Alistair glances to her every few moments to check on her; encouraged by her enjoyment he continues to play with a smile for her; he moves onto another song as soon as this one is done, taking care to play reasonably slow and upbeat melodies.

She listens, resting herself against the arm of the sofa, slowly snuggling down into the cushions as she listens. Soon, she has snuggled into the corner, her arm bent on the cushions, her cheek against her arm, her eyes closed. Her lips stay curved into a smile, even as her face relaxes into sleep.

There's no stopping to the music, he plays even past the moment she falls asleep for a while. One done, he comes to the sofa to fetch her carefully and carry her to bed, as gently as he can; if she doesn't protest or, better yet, if she doesn't wake, he'll get her clothes off of her, and tuck her in under the sheets; a little time will be spent on cleaning up then before he comes to her side in bed, snuggling her as she sleeps.

Caliopa barely stirs at being moved, just snuggling her cheek against his chest, a soft murmur, unintelligible. She curls herself in the centre of the bed, taking up a tiny amount of it, her hair red against the pillows. When he comes to her, she has drawn a pillow into her arms, hugging it in her arms.

Alistair eyes the pillow. Traitor. It'll be whipped for its impudence later. He eyes the situation on the bed, trying to decide what to do with this - he smiles, apparently having figured it out as he slips in under the covers with her and ... spoons her. Things just seem to work out naturally this way, that and he'll have to deal with his nature in that position - but lust can be satisfied another time, and he just presses his body lightly against her back, her bottom ... his arms wrap around her to hold her close.

She doesn't help the lust stay down, snuggling back into him as soon as he is behind her. The grip on the pillow eases, and she moves her hand to the the arm he has around her, curling her fingers around his forearm. She makes a small noise of contentment, her body utterly relaxed in his arms.

Alistair exhales, his eyes rolling up slightly; there's a soft groan as he considers people who might have said one they'd die happy in such circumstances. More likely they'd just die frustrated. He bites his lower lip and exhales again. He leans in to kiss her shoulders and the back of her neck, slowly, softly - none of that frantic stuff. He'll bear with his hardon pressed between them, as frustrating as it is - his Cali needs affection right now, so far as he can tell.

His Caliopa makes a tiny noise, pleasure in the curve of her lips, the sleeping woman responding to his gentle touch. The slight movement of her hips, pressing back into him, comes before she sighs in her sleep, rolling into the pillow she hugged, her body utterly relaxed in deep, frustrating sleep. The movement throws her hair over her face, her eyes closed, face relaxed.

Of all the moments - he can't even ask her if she wishes for him to do things to her. Of course, being young means having hormones override one's better judgement; he caresses her back, kisses it; at some point his hand slips down to her rear, caressing and slipping inbetween her legs, to tease her. Is her body being excited the same as her wanting him to be with her in that way? He starts getting the feeling that she needs him, just like that, and his fingers make a few bolder movements across her nether lips - though still gentle enough.

His attempts meet with a soft protest as he begins to wake the girl, and even a brief swat at his hands, before she snuggles down against him again, the movement teasing, frustrating for a man just told no in silent body language. Then, she stills, her breath deepening once more. She is clearly deeply asleep.

Half amused and twice frustrated, Alistair at least has his answer. That helps him control himself a little better, though that raging hardon will still be there for a while - and likely again in the morning. But Cali will be held close, warm and safe ... from the world, and right now from him, too. He grinds his teeth for a moment, considering a bathroom run, but that somehow ... feels wrong at the moment. He licks his lips and closes his eyes, trying to fall asleep also. It takes him a little longer than normal for sleep to take hold, his body tense.