Sing A Song to the Skies (m)

Draconian · July 30, 2015, 03:43:15 PM

His hand on hers had her stomach flutter and she smiled slightly at the touch. The pain was nothing but she liked the warmth of his hand on hers. Callista placed her hand on his after the bleeding stopped and gently drew her fingers over the back of it.

"I..." Callista dropped her head down, staring at the counter and she sighed, " it didn't look like there was any other way out. He was my friend." Swallowing thickly she turned away from Rembrandt and resumed with her chore. "It's good you left. I... Learned a lot about myself while I was alone." She gave him a brief smile and motioned to the vegetables, "I did a lot of cooking while I was..." A frown, "pregnant."

Lion · July 30, 2015, 05:20:01 PM

"Well, at least it's something you can enjoy," he said. "It's nice to see you again."

Rem returned to the vegetables and fixed them up, and threw them into a bowl. "Teach me, then, the fine points of making the most succulent shepherd's pie."

Draconian · July 30, 2015, 05:46:23 PM

Callista taught him. It wasn't anything special but soon enough everything was made and she pushed the food into the wood stove and dusted her hands off. There was only instructions and little conversation. Finally she put a kettle on top of the stove and turned to face Rembrandt.

"Rembrandt," her voice was small while she busied herself with getting things ready to make them coffee. She didn't then to him, didn't want to face him if he said no. "Can I have a hug?"

Lion · July 30, 2015, 06:24:17 PM

What an unusual request. He eyed her for a long silent moment. Could he hug her after all that had happened? "Do you...thinkits a good idea?" he asked softly.

Draconian · July 30, 2015, 06:29:47 PM

Glad she hadn't turned around so he couldn't see her face, she gave a dry laugh and shook her head. Grabbing a pair of cups she patiently waited for the water to boil. "I suppose not," she said softly, "I don't ever seem to have good ideas." Callista gave a weary sigh and went about making them coffee, placing a cup beside Rembrandt. "And when I think I do it's... All a lie."

Lion · July 30, 2015, 06:36:02 PM

"Then let bad ideas be tonight's theme," he said gently, stepping forth and wrapping his arms around her. He hugged her lightly. He pat her back.

Draconian · July 30, 2015, 06:45:44 PM

The hug was unexpected and she leaned into it slightly. "Don't say that." Callista pulled back from him, her head down still. "I... I don't want you to... To think being friends with me again is a bad idea." Her hands went to her hair and she reached up to gently trace his jaw, "I just... Can I have another chance? Just... I want to be friends."

Lion · July 30, 2015, 07:00:19 PM

"I thought we were still friends," came a quizzical reply. Rembrandt stood over her, letting her go enough. He stared down at the coffee and lifted it to his nose. The smell was strong, bitter and opened his senses like smoke might.

He took a small sip, the liquid scorching his tongue and throat on the way down. Only then did his eyes meet hers. "Why do you doubt yourself?" he asked, curious.

Draconian · July 30, 2015, 07:14:38 PM

"After all I've done to you?" Surprise was in her voice and she watched him sip the coffee. Callista checked on the food, the smells drifting into the kitchen and it smelled like home.

"I don't deserve to be your friend." Callista said quietly, looking up at him.

"But I still want to. I doubt myself because.." She frowne slightly, "you were the only person who was a shadow with me and... I... Want you to be My Shadow again. You still make me curious."

Lion · July 30, 2015, 08:48:22 PM

Rembrandt's expression turned somber. He didn't know if he could. Frankly, he didn't even know if he wanted to. A part of him was still curious about her in turn, to understand why she did what she did, why she was so easily pulled in. Was he manipulating her in turn? Would he only hurt her in the end? He had a feeling, that yes, he would.

"I don't know if things will go back to the way they were," he said soft, reaching for her hand. "But that was then and this is now. A lot as happened for both of us between then and now. We could...start over, maybe. Be friends, and see what happens."

Draconian · July 30, 2015, 10:06:43 PM

Callista sighed and pushed her hair from her face.

"I'd like to be your friend," her voice was soft and she smiled at him. Looking down at their hands, still, she paused for a moment before her eyes brightened. "Oh!" Taking her hand from his she went over to a cabinet beside the entrance of the kitchen and opened it. An unopened bottle of bourbon, "I... I'm not... I'm not free like I thought I would be... But I haven't," she licked her lips, "It's nice not being ordered to... Have sex and kill strangers."

A hesitant look to Rembrandt, "have you been many people since I last saw you?"

Lion · July 30, 2015, 10:52:57 PM

His smile turned crooked, as it often seemed it would in times like these. He sat down at the table and stared into the darkness of the coffee. Straight, with no milk or sugar, or even cream. It was a bitter taste, much like how he felt then. Bitter at himself. Bitter at not feeling anything.

"It's hard to keep track sometimes. Especially when it can last for as little as a few days, or as long as six months," he murmured, then turned his eyes back to her. "Have you ever loved anyone? I don't mean me, I mean, anyone, or anything. A pet perhaps, an animal that you care for and they keep you company in turn. I'm only asking out of curiosity."

Draconian · July 30, 2015, 11:10:47 PM

"Love?"

Callista closed the cabinet door and took her own coffee and sat at the table across from it. Staring down at her own bitter liquid, she didn't drink. A tilt of her head and she brushed her fingers at her cheeks for a moment.

"I... No. I'd know if I had loved someone, wouldn't I?" For a moment she looked concerned, what if she didn't know? Her hands moved to rest at her lap and she stared down at her fingers, staring at the new fresh cut, red at the edges but no longer bleeding. "I wasn't allowed pets. I tried to keep a cat but..." She shook her head, "they made me kill it. I learned to not grow attached to anything."Callista gave him a minute smile before she looked back down at her lap. Carn. She'd grown attached to Carn. And what a price it was to pay for it.

"You can ask me anything, you know," She said, still facing her lap, "You deserve to ask questions."

Lion · July 30, 2015, 11:57:45 PM

"Do you love Carn?" he asked, curious, still. He'd just about finished his coffee, but he couldn't think of too many other questions to ask. Asking questions meant getting more involved than he wanted to. And he was involved enough as it was.

Draconian · July 31, 2015, 12:09:59 AM

Callista stood up and grabbed a clock, frowning at Rembrandt before she opened the stove door to pull out dinner. It smelled delicious and she made a happy humming noise after a moment. She set it on the counter to cool before she went to a cupboard to grab two plates and utensils, not ready to serve the food yet but letting it cool.

"No."

Giving a tilt to her head, "That's a silly question. What makes you think of all the things I could love it would be Carn." Callista gave her head a shake, not being able to imagine such a silly idea. Carn was bad. Carn used her.

There was just no where else for her to go, so she stayed.

Lion · July 31, 2015, 01:17:46 AM

"Why stay then?" he asked. "Why wait? This...this is what I don't understand. Are you still somehow bound to Carn? To serve him still? You already gave him what he wanted."

Draconian · July 31, 2015, 01:25:07 AM

All the questions she wasn't willing to ask herself because the answer made her feel.

Callista plated their food, putting his on the table in front of him with a fork and her own down gently before she took a seat again.

"Where would I go?" She asked softly, "I have no where. I have no one. I have no skills beyond sex and killing and even the former of the two I'm not skilled at. I don't want to... To work in a brothel to make my way." Callista sighed and was quiet for a moment, eating a few forkfulls of food.

"I don't stay because I want to. I stay because there's no where else for me to go."

Lion · July 31, 2015, 01:37:58 AM

"Better to be out in the wilderness, making your own way than to be stuck here cooking for some thing that tricked you into giving it life!" Rem hissed, feeling more impassioned than he ought to have. He looked down at the pie and immediately lost his appetite.

"I still don't understand. You wait for someone else to change your circumstances as if the wind would somehow throw you in the right direction. Perhaps...it is merely the fault of my upbringing. I had no skills...other than the one I was given to make my own way. I left as soon as I was able. I cannot fault you for how you were brought up, and the only things you were taught. But...perhaps there's hope yet in a career in baking."

Draconian · July 31, 2015, 01:52:48 AM

Callista slammed her hand onto the table, the plates rattled and she stared at him.

"You haven't been through what I have! You don't know what it's like to have someone beat everything that makes you you out of yourself. You try to hide behind other peoples faces. Live other peoples lives because you're miserable and lonely." A quick shuddering breath, "Your skills are to steal peoples lives." Tears welled and she let her hand fall from the table, "That's my only skill too but I don't get to keep it! I don't get to pretend to be them! You think I'd still be here? Cooking for some thing that tricked me into giving it life I could leave without becoming a prostitute? Without killing people for money?"

Pushing the plate away she angrily undid her braid, and stood away from the table, her head down. Hiding behind her long black hair. "Teach me then. Help me." Her voice was small and there was a desperate tone, "Please."

Lion · July 31, 2015, 11:57:36 AM

A chuckle erupted from him at her outburst. "Anger," he said. "Finally a more useful reaction in comparison to all thay whimpering you were doing before. Better to be angry than to be wallowing in your misery."

At that he stabbed into the shepherd's pie, and ate a few bites. "And what exactly is it that you wish me to teach you? How to live on your own? How to survive?" He gave it some thought and looked her over. "All right. I'll give it a try. First, we eat. There's much to be learned in eating alone, how not to look like a pig is one of them. And making conversation is another. How you interact with others is going to be a big factor in how one survives, Calista. Few people can make it in this world without speaking to another soul."