Freeing the Muse (Closed for Serenity30822)

[Lucian_Devine]

https://assets.teenvogue.com/photos/5591a38e18ebf73a682e58aa/master/w_1600,c_limit/01-peter-raven-maben.jpg

Anton Alden sighed as he got off the plane and headed towards baggage claim. He hadn't even left the airport yet, and he already wanted to get back on a plane and head home. As much as he wanted to do that though, he knew he couldn't. Hell, he was lucky that he'd been able to cut the visit as short as it was, down to just the weekend. If he'd cut things any shorter his father probably would have had a heart attack and dropped dead moments after legally cutting him from the will. The thought of being in the will actually made Anton chuckle, something he did actually kind of need as he sent in the online request for his ride to take him from the airport to his father's estate.

The question about his father's estate wasn't a monetary one. The money would be there when the time came. That much couldn't be doubted. Most would then assume that Anton, being the only child of a world-famous writer was a shoe-in for the majority of it, but Anton knew differently. Whenever someone asked him what he knew that others didn't, he told them the truth. His father thought he was a failure, a disappointment, and an all around fuckup, and took every opportunity he could to inform anyone he was talking to of that fact. The reaction to this depended on his surrounding. Some doubted, some chuckled, and some just tried to brush it off. He meanwhile, was refilling his drink. It simply was what it was for him.

Reminiscing about how enjoyable the first 22 years of his life were took up just enough of Anton's time for him to get his luggage, his ride to arrive, and for him to arrive at the huge mansion that was his father's estate. He had the driver drop him off out front only because he knew sneaking in the back was pointless. The staff were nothing if not loyal to his father. So the man would be alerted of his presence the second he arrived. He grabbed his stuff out of the trunk, rang the bell, entered when the maid opened the door, and headed straight up to his room for a shower. Everything was exactly as it had been the past three years, with the only difference being the diploma in his luggage from the graduation his father hadn't attended. Yes, he knew exactly what time everything would be happening downstairs, and had no intention of going down there any earlier than he was expected or staying any longer than he was obligated.

So, when the time finally came to bite the bullet, Anton was downstairs, properly dressed for the occasion, Christmas Eve dinner as it were, and had a fresh glass of rum and Coke that was more rum than Coke if we're being honest, standing with all of the other pompous ass guests and friends of his father, waiting for him to give the toast that would signify the true start of the evening. He meanwhile, had been about to tune it all out, and was halfway through his drink when he heard the sound of breaking glass and cries of alarm. He looked both ways to see people rushing out of the room as staff rushed forward towards...

"Dad?!" Anton shouted the word with so much surprise that he didn't even realize that it was the first time he'd used the word in at least a decade, probably more. "Dad!" He shouted again, repeating himself as he pushed past people he didn't know, people he didn't care about, and staff members to reach his father where he had fallen. "What is it? What happened?" Anton demanded from the staff members that surrounded his father as he knelt at the man's side. Whether or not anybody answered him or not, he would never know. A hand clamped onto the front of his shirt, his father's hand, and jerked him forward with strength that should have been beyond him at that moment.

"A-Anton...lis...ten." The words were barely audible with all the commotion going on around the two of them, but Anton could hear his father's words against his ear. "Listen to what?" He asked, more confused than anything. "Stu...dio...my...writing...studio...wo...man...I...give...woman...to...you..."

"Dad...you're not making any sense. Can we get a god damn doctor in here or what? FUCK!"

Anton had spoken the first bit to his father and then the second bit to the staff as he lifted his head from his father's ear. No sooner did he lift his head though, than his father's hand was moving again, not for Anton's shirt this time, but his own. He struggled briefly with the collar of his shirt, but eventually lifted a fairly thick chain from under his shirt. The small circle of people around him could only sit and watch the spectacle as the beleaguered man pulled on the chain until a thick key popped out from under his shirt attached to the chain. As he watched, his father, with significant effort, pulled the chain over his head and pressed it into his hand.

"Go...now...do...not...fuck...up...or...do...not...come...back!"

With every bit of strength his father had left in him at that moment, he pushed Anton away from him. Anton meanwhile was...stunned to say the least. He barely knew how to process what had just happened to his father let alone what had happened between him and his father. He just sat there on the floor for as his father was further surrounded by staff members, the family doctor was brought in, a heart attack was determined, and his father was moved upstairs, because of course no ordinary hospital would work for them when they had all the money in the world to fly in the best medical care.

So, with nothing left to do, Anton got up, not even bothering to brush himself off or straighten his clothes, went out the back, and headed towards his father's writing studio. The door was closed, but there wasn't a lock on it, making the key he carried pointless. So he went in, turned on the lights, and closed the door. Everything seemed normal enough, and again nothing needed a key, leaving him to wonder what the point of all of this was. Surely this wasn't some kind of joke, right? His father wasn't normally one for jokes. In truth Anton probably wouldn't have known what to look for if he didn't know he was in a writing studio, or at least a studio belonging to a writer. With the little bit of knowledge he did have though, he moved towards the book shelf behind the desk in the center of the room. It was of course filled with books, but only one row of books were written by his father. He again used some of the little knowledge he had and chose a book from the middle of the shelf, rather than from either end, his father's favorite book that he'd written...There was nothing special about the book itself, but the space it had occupied however was another story. He could only just make out the keyhole hidden at the back of the book shelf, and even then it was only because he was looking for it. He held the key in his hand, reached slowly inward, felt around for the hole, felt it sink in, gave it a turn, and felt his heart leap a little when he heard the loud click and felt the entire book shelf jump a little as the lock unlatched.

Only after he pulled the key back from the hole did Anton move to open the door. He intended to move it slowly to not dump any of the books onto the floor, but the sheer weight of it made it all but impossible to move quickly. When he had the door as far open as it would go, he stepped through the doorway into a place that was already lit, albeit barely. It caught some light from further down what passed for a hallway of sorts. He walked slowly, still not knowing what to expect. The area slowly grew brighter as he neared a corner, but even with his father's words, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw when he walked around that corner! It wasn't so much what he saw, which was a cot against the far wall, with a single blanket and pillow, illuminated by string lights strung up along the ceiling, but who he saw, which was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen. She wore a black crisscross tie top that left little to the imagination, especially when it was paired with what looked like an obi belt and sash that left her legs completely bare. As unusual as her clothes were, and her presence as a whole, his attention was caught by and drawn to the wavy shoulder length violet hair that just made him want to run his fingers through it and big violet eyes that looked up at him as he came around the corner.

It wasn't until Anton recovered from the utter shock of seeing the woman in this place that he saw the chain around her ankle. His gaze followed it to the wall which it wasn't hooked to, but rather built into. "What the absolute fuck?!" He cried out loud in shock as he ran over to the woman, dropping to his knees on the ground before her. "He said there was a woman here, but seriously...what the fuck? What's your name, and how long have you been locked down here?" As he spoke and asked his questions, his hands kept moving, finding the key hole on the anklet around her ankle, inserting the key into it, and turning it to let her go.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope's Look (NSFW)
https://www.imgbly.com/ib/bskdp37atw.jpg


Calliope's Outfit
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Calliope had spent a large portion of her life a slave to her gift. And much of that time had been spent in this room, with nothing to occupy her time save her captors.


She was young when she had first been captured, though she looked no different now than she had then. Her medium length hair still the same vibrant shade of violet as her eyes, her body still built the same way. Some of the light had left her eyes over the years, but living in captivity tends to have that effect.


When her skills and body weren't being used, she occupied her mind by singing ~ quietly so as to avoid any additional 'attention' being drawn to herself. She had been a slave to the Alden family for many generations, she could no longer remember just how many.


Her current master had been among the cruelest, much preferring her to be in pain at all times, whether physical or emotional. She hated him more than most.


Hearing the door to her prison being opened, she jumped off her cot, moving herself into the nearest corner and crouching down to make herself a smaller target. She heard footsteps coming down the corridor and was a little confused, the steps sounding tentative, not like the steps she normally heard coming.


Her eyes went wide as the man came around the corner and she looked him over while he looked around the room before his eyes settled on her. Her mouth dropped open in surprise, her full lips parting silently as her eyes met his, her attention drawn to the deep honey brown of his irises.


She flinched at the sudden cry from him, not expecting the noise or the volume. When he stepped forward, she curled into herself a little more, not sure what he was going to do, watching his every move as he approached her. When she saw the key her brow furrowed and she watched and listened as he unlocked the chain around her ankle, the skin beneath it raw and irritated.


Once her leg had been freed she immediately pulled it beneath her, looking at him intently, curiously, though the expression on her face was a clear mix of fear and apprehension.


"Thank you, sir..." She murmured quietly, turning her gaze to the floor and waiting to be told what to do. Her mind raced as she wondered why she was being released, and by whom considering she had never seen this man before to her knowledge. She didn't move or say anything more, worried that it was some sort of trick.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Though the woman quickly drew her freed leg beneath her, Anton caught sight of the red, raw, and irritated flesh before it disappeared from view. When his gaze lifted to her violet one once more, her found her staring at him with a clear mix of fear and apprehension. He could understand both of course, given the conditions he'd found her in.

Hearing the woman speak, thanking him, actually caught Anton off guard. It wasn't so much what she said as it was the lovely voice itself, almost like a song's melody, especially when it was combined with her unique and beautiful accent. As he continued to look though, and try not to stare, he was surprised to see her lower her gaze to the floor.

Anton's mind was practically spinning with everything he was experiencing, and with the woman's timid reactions, he knew that he was going to have to be careful with her. So he swallowed hard before he eased himself backwards a couple steps, still crouched, and then actually lowered himself the rest of the way to the floor, sitting down, crossing his legs, and resting his hands on his legs in front of him. Every one of the woman's reactions so far was one of fear. So he put himself in a position to be as nonthreatening as possible and to have to look up to meet her gaze.

"Can you tell me your name dear, and maybe tell me how long you've been down here?" Anton asked slowly and clearly.

 

[Serenity30822]

Watching his feet move back, she raised her head a little more, her eyes going wide as he sat on the floor.

What is he doing? Who is this, my master would never... - she thought to herself, the thought abruptly cut off when he spoke again. She hesitated, focused on the gentle tone to his voice, the timbre of it.

"My name... My name is Calliope." Her voice is quiet, timid. She pauses, unsure how to answer his second question.

Lifting her gaze slightly to meet his, she speaks again, a look of almost regret briefly flashing across her face as she does, "I don't know how long I've been here... I barely remember being free, sometimes there's these little flashes..."

Trailing off, she gets a kind of far off look in her eyes, as though she's lost in a memory. With a little shake of her head she snaps out of it, her gaze dropping a bit to his hands as she speaks again. "May I ask your name?"

 

[Lucian_Devine]

"Calliope..." Anton mouthed her name softly to himself while trying not to interrupt her, making sure that he'd be able to pronounce it correctly when it came time to do so. It didn't pass his notice though that she didn't offer up a last name. The more regrettable thing though, was of course what she said next.

While a question came to Anton's mind at Calliope's answer, or more specifically lack of an answer to his second question, when her lovely voice trailed off and she got a distant look in her eye, he politely left her to it, in case it helped her remember something more about her situation, on the off chance that there was just something she was forgetting. When she gave her head a bit of a shake though, and seemed to snap out of it, she followed it up by asking his name. It was then his turn to be quiet and timid.

Anton lowered his gaze from Calliope's in shame, swallowing hard as he did so. "My name is Anton...Anton Alden, but I swear I didn't know about you or this place until tonight! I'm nothing like my father, and I probably hate the bastard almost as much as he hates me!" He knew he was shouting now, and that it probably wasn't helping the situation, but he felt a strong need to distance himself from whatever the fuck had gone on between his father and Calliope.

After a couple of steadying breaths, Anton tried to bring things back around to Calliope. "Do you by any chance know what...year...you were taken?" Anton shivered at the thought of Calliope being stuck down here for a year or more, but he still had to ask the question.

 

[Serenity30822]

Hearing his name, her face changed, emotions flying across her face, anger, worry, joy, hurt, back to anger. She almost felt betrayed by his kindness, knowing now he was just a new master, that she'd been handed off once again. Why else would he have the key. His father had died, and now she was his.

As he raised his voice she shrunk back into the corner a little more, her expression softening as he continued on. She could hear the sincerity of his words, the outrage at her situation.

She watched him breathing to calm himself and she sat up a bit, hugging her knees to her chest with her chin perched atop them. She listened to his newest question, noticing him shiver as he asked it but answering rather than questioning it.

"I don't remember the year, but... Father to son, I have had thirty three masters... Thirty four now I suppose." She glances at his face before looking down once again. "I have been in this room since this home was built. Another room before that, another before that..." She trails off, lifting her head to look at him, a sad smile tugging at her lips.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Seeing Calliope's reaction at his outburst made Anton try that much harder to get himself and his emotions under control, because no matter how mad or annoyed he was, he knew that she had to be feeling worse. He of course had no way of knowing how much worse until he heard her answer to his question.

Anton's gaze snapped up to find Calliope's the second he heard her answer his question, only to see her look down once more. He kept looking though, so that she'd find his gaze when hers lifted once more. "Thirty four generations..." He started, letting his words linger between them for a moment. He swallowed hard once more as a question formed on his lips, the words not wanting to come out, but he did finally force them out. "Who are you Calliope, truly, and why would they keep you so?" His tone was more serious now, noting that he knew that she was serious, even though that what she was saying sounded both crazy and impossible.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope's smile widened a little bit at his newest question and she couldn't help the quiet giggle that escaped her. "You really don't know? He didn't tell you anything? You didn't learn in school? Or reading on your own? Surely you've heard of my father, Zeus?"

Her demeanor had changed drastically, genuinely amused and appalled that he really didn't know who she was. She began to relax as she spoke, her arms dropping from around her legs as she sat up.

"I'm a muse. A Greek goddess of inspiration, the arts. How do you think your... Father... Managed to write so much so well and so fast?" She stumbled over the mention of his father, a flicker of hatred passing over her face for a brief moment before she continued.

While more relaxed, her emotions were still all over the place as she talked. "As far as why I'm here... While it's not necessary to... Capture? A muse to receive the benefit of their inspiration, it is possible. Not unlike a djinn or genie. One of your ancestors, a long time ago, decided it would be better to keep me, to continue receiving inspiration. I've been given to the next generation over and over so many times, to bring your family name recognition and fame and money."

She stopped abruptly, realizing she'd been rambling a bit, her cheeks flushing a light shade of pink. "Sorry... I don't get many visitors."

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Despite the slight teasing that came with Calliope's questions and his own general ignorance on the topic, Anton was all to happy to just let it slide off his back. It was due in part to the fact that the topic change, and his ignorance of it seemed to put her in a better mood, and because the smile it put on her face, and the quiet giggle it elicited, only served to accentuate her already inhuman beauty. So he just leaned forward as she sat up, his gaze locked on hers as she continued to speak.

Just as Calliope's posture had sat up as she'd realized how little he knew, the more he listened her story and connected some dots, Anton slumped back more and more. His eyes darted to and fro as his head slowly shook back and forth. Despite the thoughts going on in his head though, he didn't miss a word of what the muse said. In fact, it was her apology that pulled him out of his head. He blushed as well, bowing his head. "There is no apology needed Calliope, at least not from you. If anything it's me who should be apologizing to you for everything my family has put you through..."

Anton leaned backwards, placing his hands on the cold cement behind him, his honey-colored eyes staring at the ceiling before he remembered something. His eyes opened wide and he staggered slowly backwards, literally crab walking backwards until his back hit the opposite wall, and even then he used it to rise to his feet, but only so that he could get as far from Calliope as he could in that moment. His eyes lowered to the ground at her feet, searching for the foot that had been marred red by the chain, but slowly rose to try and find her gaze once more.

"I...I...I know how long it's been c...c...Calliope..." Anton said softly in words barely above a whisper. His eyes reflected a deeper and truer sadness than he ever thought possible as he held her gaze, his bottom lip quivering, his arms wrapped around himself, and his head slowly shaking from the shame of the realization. "I only ever saw my grandfather once, on my thirteenth birthday, and he told me that for six hundred years there had been a writer in every generation of the Alden family, and that being the first and possibly only child of my father, that legacy passed to me."

Anton bowed his head, not being able to bring himself to meet Calliope's gaze, but forced himself to put his thoughts to mind. "You've been enslaved for thirty four generations and roundabout six hundred and ten years Calliope, give or take. Is there a way to put a stop to it?"

 

[Serenity30822]

Her smile faltered when he said he should be the one apologizing, and she opened her mouth to protest, but quickly snapped it shut when his head tipped back, her eyes drawn to the long line of his throat.

She thought he must favor his mother, he looked nothing like his father. For one, his hair and eyes were dark where his father had been blonde haired and blue eyed. His hands were notably different as well, his fingers long, like he should have been a brilliant pianist.

When he moved away from her and stood, her eyes followed him, concern the predominant feeling in her mind, both for herself and oddly enough for him. She saw his eyes move to her ankle and barely resisted the urge to cover it with her hand, then met his gaze as it searched for her own.

Calliope listened intently as he spoke, trying her best to keep her expression calm. She knew it had been a long time, but being locked away as she was she really had very little clue about the passage of time.

Her mouth dropped open at his last words, not expecting him to even be interested in freeing her at all much less so quickly. She immediately felt apprehensive, concerned once again that she was being tricked, but as she closed her mouth she put the thought from her mind. Calliope didn't want to believe Anton was like his father, that he could be that cruel.

She moved slowly, standing up in the corner and unconsciously mimicking his stance by curling her arms around her midsection. "An... Sir, I... Can't tell you... I've never been freed before."

The words fell from her mouth, and it felt like rocks were sinking into her stomach. She knew she was toeing the line of lying but really it was more omission than blatant lie. Of course she knew how to end her servitude, but she couldn't help the nagging feeling in the back of her mind that this was some elaborate trick being played by Anton's father.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton let out a soft and disappointed sigh, his head shaking as he heard Calliope's words, but there was more than just disappointment. His head lifted, his eyes brightened, and he actually took a couple of confident steps towards her before lowering himself to sit where he'd been sitting before. This time though, when he leaned forward, it wasn't the lean of a man exhausted by defeat, but rather the lean of a man caught with curiosity.

"Alright then, Calliope, can you remember back to the day you were captured, and the events leading up to it? I can't even begin to imagine how unpleasant those events must be, but if you can remember how you were captured, maybe we can work out how to free you."

 

[Serenity30822]

"I don't remember much of it. It was a long time ago, after all." She says, relaxing her stance a little but staying standing in the corner.

"I remember being free. Going about my day like I had each day before. I came to the aid of a man, your ancestor, who wanted to write poetry but was struggling. I helped him, instant success for him. I moved on." She began to fidget with her fingers, her gaze dropping down to the floor once again as she went through the memories.

"It was some time later, I can't remember how long, but he found me again. I was in the woods, I think. I remember there were trees all around us when he came..."

Calliope trailed off, moving a step or two closer to Anton and crouching down, closer but just out of reach. "Muses have a symbol associated with them. Each unique to its muse. He found out mine somehow. Had marked it on a paper, and with the help of a witch figured out some sort of... Incantation. He held the paper while he said it and I was bound to him. And given to his son when he grew old... That's all I remember from.. when it happened."

As she spoke, she drug her index finger through the light layer of dirt on the floor. It was a simple design, a rudimentary lyre. She stayed crouched there, staring at the symbol for a moment before lifting her head to look at his face, trying to discern his thoughts.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton listened intently as Calliope started to talk, and leaned close as she stepped forward, yet made no move to touch her, or even reach out to do so. He wanted the way her fingers fidgeted and her gaze dropped to the floor, always to the floor. He hated that part the most. He knew it was a learned behavior, knew it because his father's staff did it too. The other things she did were more worrying, crouching and huddling in corners. She was a goddess for fuck's sake, not meant to be caged and shackled.

"Such simple and rudimentary things binding a goddess to a man..." Anton said softly, reaching his towards the lyre, but not touching it. In the end all he could do was let out a defeated sigh and shake his head. "I mean I could do the design and the incantation, but is the witch necessary?"

Anton shook his head again and leaned back, this time actually going as far as to lay back on the ground, with only his curled arms behind his head preventing his hair from touching the dusty ground. "How do I free you, Calliope?" He mused aloud to himself as he just stared up at the flawlessly dull ceiling, knowing that she'd probably stared at this exact ceiling thousands of nights wishing for this exact freedom.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope smiled when he spoke, finding it amusing. "I don't believe the witch is necessary. She wasn't there. She just helped him with the incantation." She swiped her hand across the dusty drawing before sitting where she stood, just out of his reach but closer than before, her legs tucked underneath her.

She watched as he laid back, blushing faintly when he spoke again, knowing he was wondering aloud more than asking her. She felt bad for hiding the answer, but still wasn't ready to just give in. Her life had been hard, after all. Why should this be so easy?

Her fingers played with the hem of her skirt, such as it was. "So... Anton Alden. The next in a long line of writers... What do you write, if I may ask?" She tried to change the subject, wanting the trick to end if indeed it was a trick.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

"That's good at least..." Anton said softly back to Calliope about the witch without lifting his head. "Otherwise we REALLY might have been in trouble."

When Calliope asked about his writing though, Anton couldn't just let that question go. If the question were coming from any other person and in any other place he wouldn't really have thought much of it. Given the person and the place though, she was also indirectly asking if he intended to do to her what every one of his ancestors had... He shivered at the thought of that, even before he sat up, but forced himself to sit up all the same, bracing his hands behind him and pushing himself into a sitting position just across from the destroyed lyre drawing.

"I write fantasy, as it were, which is one of the reasons dad has all but disowned me. The family made their fortune, as I suppose you already know, writing noir novels, but they just aren't my thing. I'd rather write about fantasy heroes fighting fantasy creatures with swords and magic instead of guns, but Dad says there's no money to be made in it. He says that it's all just a fad and that I'm doomed to fail. Though the whole thing is almost laughable knowing that he only succeeded because..."

Anton blushed when he realized what he'd been about to say. "I'm sorry Calliope. I didn't mean to...well...you know...but thinking of him trying to criticize me when him and all the others only succeeded because of you just pisses me off all the more. It also just makes me want to free you all the more just to spite them and their stupid fucking legacy.

 

[Serenity30822]

When he sits up, she notices the slight shift in his demeanor, nodding a bit as he spoke, listening to every word. She smiles softly when he blushes, blushing as well.

"It's alright, I understand. Um. I have one more question, if that's okay." She fidgets with her skirt some more, testing the waters so to speak. "Could I... Would it be okay for me to go outside? I miss the trees, and the sky..."

She trails off, being completely honest despite using her honesty as a shield of sorts, wanting to know how he would respond to her asking for a small taste of freedom.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton nodded in response to Calliope's first question, happily welcoming the conversation, and when she asked to go outside he immediately started to stumble to his feet.

"Oh, god yes, of course. I wanted to offer, but didn't want you to assume anything or take it the wrong way...My ancestors left a lot to be desired, leaving me a rather large hole to dig my way out of.

"It's just this way..." Anton started as he started moved towards the hallway. "If you'll be good enough to follow me, we'll be out of here in less than a minute." He led the way down the short hallway, through the secret bookshelf door, and then out of his father's writing studio without looking back, simply trusting that Calliope was going to follow, being as it was her idea after all.

Once they were out that door, they'd be standing in the garden between the writing studio and the main house, standing on the stone walking path with flowers on either side, and large pine trees lining the rest of the yard around them.

 

[Serenity30822]

His response startled her slightly, and she smiled, a small smile of relief, some of the worry slipping away.

Calliope stood with him, listening as he spoke, almost feeling bad that he was in this position. It felt odd to think that he knew nothing about it, and was genuinely appalled at what he had learned.

She moved along behind him, her footsteps silent as they made their way down the hall and out into the study. She took in her surroundings, not having been out of her room in so long she'd quite forgotten what this room looked like.

Following Anton out of the room, she kept looking around, being sure to keep close on his heels to not be left behind.

Once she stepped outside, her eyes filled with tears of joy, feeling the cool breeze as it whipped around her, breathing in the fresh air. She could smell the flowers, the trees, feel the dirt and stone beneath her bare feet. She looked up at the night sky, able to see a few stars but not many due to the light of the house around them.

Calliope took a couple steps forward, moving to the side and reaching down to touch the flowers. She crouched down and gently dug her fingers into the soil, for a moment worried this is a cruel dream. She shivered, partly from the chill of the breeze, and partly just from the overwhelming emotions flowing through her at that moment.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

After he stepped out the door of the writing room, Anton simply stepped aside and let Calliope do as she wished. He could only imagine the rush of emotions flowing through her, and he did his best to keep his distance, keep still, and keep silent, so as not to intrude upon her moment. He couldn't see much from behind, but he smiled all the same.

When Anton noticed Calliope shiver before the chill of the breeze, his hands immediately moved to the buttons of his suit jacket, undoing them so that he could pull it off. The hard part of course came next, approaching the muse. He didn't know if he should announce his presence or not, do it slowly or quickly, etc. So as it was he had to go with his best judgement. He approached her crouched form as quietly as he could, and draped his jacket about her shoulders as carefully and fully as he could, while also making sure that his skin didn't touch hers. He was trying to help, but there was a line he was trying to be careful of right now, for her benefit.

Once his coat was draped around her shoulders, Anton crouched down beside Calliope, and actually went one step farther and leaned his clothed shoulder against her clothed shoulder. "Convinced that it's real yet?" Anton asked her softly as he followed her lead and reached down and dug his fingers into the dirt beside hers.

 

[Serenity30822]

Calliope jumped when he dropped his jacket onto her shoulders, clearly not having expected it, her head snapping around to look at him as he crouched beside her.

The hand that wasn't pressed into the soil moved to hold his jacket around herself, feeling the residual heat from him having worn it just moments ago. She felt him lean into her shoulder and smiled, turning her attention back to the ground as she nodded and spoke softly "Thank you for this..."

She looked at their hands in the dirt, her mouth curled into a smile as she lifted her gaze to his face, then further, looking up at the night sky.

If this is a trick... She thought to herself. It can't be. He's not like his father.

Withdrawing her fingers from the dirt, she looks at him, letting herself feel hopeful for once.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Anton had seen Calliope jump when his jacket fell around her shoulders, but try and he might, he couldn't not see why she jumped. He knew that her life had been full of nothing but so much misery that she was shocked by things like chivalry. He also saw the way her head snapped around when he crouched beside her, likely an indication that the men she was used to interacting with would never do something like this, let alone with her.

Everything about when he was doing with Calliope in this moment felt so surreal for Anton, and the entire experience left him at a loss for words. He felt like he should say something, or at least try, but thankfully she beat him to it. He heard her words and turned to face her, meeting that lovely violet gaze, and even following her gaze to the night sky when it left his. "You're truly welcome, with my only regrets being that I can't do more and..." He turned his gaze towards the house before them. "that the worst is yet to come."

Anton rose slowly to his feet, still honeyed gaze still staring at the house. "I've always hated this fucking place, even when I was a boy..." He said softly, cursing the house that had always been anything but a home. When he did tear his gaze from the house though, he lowered it to Calliope, and dared to take a chance, turning his hand upside down and offering it to her to help her stand. He made no mention of the hand or demand that she take it, but simply left it to her to either take or leave as she saw fit.

 

[Serenity30822]

She couldn't help but feel a bit off about his statement that worse was yet to come, but she was used to worse so she let it roll off. She felt him stand beside her, listening to him voice his disdain for his father's home, and turned her head to look up at him.

Seeing the offered hand, she hesitated a moment, her mind racing - but then, surprising herself even, she reached up and placed her hand in his. She stood beside him, looking up into his eyes while her other hand still held his jacket together in front to shield herself from the wind.

"Your... Your father... Is he..." She trails off, not daring to utter the word for fear of undoing whatever magic had allowed her this small freedom.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

Even though he wasn't looking directly at her or his hand, but rather at the house in front of him, Anton saw Calliope's hand lift up to rest within his own. Her skin was so was soft and smooth that it almost distracted him from helping her to stand up. Afterwards, he knew that he should probably let go of her hand, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. His grip did loosen, but he didn't pull his hand from hers as the two of them stood there and stared at the house.

Calliope's question hung heavy in the air between them, and Anton forced a hard breath into his lungs before he finally spoke. "Full disclosure? I'm not sure." He paused there, swallowing the lump that formed in his throat before he continued. "I think he was about to give the Christmas Eve toast when he collapsed from what was determined to be a heart attack." His eyes glazed over as he told the story, as though it had happened days, weeks, or months ago instead of just minutes. "I rushed to him, calling him dad for the first time in...I don't even know."

Anton's head lowered for a second and his head shook as he tried to clear his thoughts. "He must have thought he was dying, because that's the only reason I can think of for him giving you up, and to me of all people. He's tried everything he could with any number of mistresses to get another child, but nothing took. As far as I know, he's upstairs being tended to and waiting to hear if I fucked up." He finally turned his gaze from the house to Calliope when he spoke those words. "Those were his last words to me after he gave me the key before he pushed me away. "Do not fuck up or do not come back." He gave the hand he still held the gentlest of squeezes as he offered up a small little half smile. "I guess it's a good that I hate this place then, isn't it?"

 

[Serenity30822]

When Anton admits that he isn't sure of his father's current state, she nods her head slightly, looking at him while he continues. She thought to herself, Could it be true? Could I finally be free again?

The soft squeeze to her hand brought her attention straight back to him, and she smiled in return, noting the way his mouth curved as she studied his expression. "I suppose it is." She replied, her tone light with amusement at his last words.

"So... What now?" She asks, still full of worry and doubt but calmer now, grateful for this small freedom even if it was just a ploy and she was to be locked away again. She toyed with the idea of just telling him how to free her, but decides to hold onto it a while longer, wanting to see how things would play out.

 

[Lucian_Devine]

One might think that it would be Calliope's words, her gaze, or even her beauty that gaze Anton the strength to continue, but no. In truth it was the fact that she hadn't pulled her hand from his after she'd risen, and that she'd chosen to put her hand there at all that gave him the strength.

Anton turned his body fully towards her, going a step further to reach down and take her other hand with his before speaking. "What now indeed..." He started, trying to figure out just how to describe what awaited them in the house. "I don't know what's gone on since my father's heart attack, but what I can tell you, is that everyone in that house is loyal to my father, be it due to employment, family, or greed, they are loyal all the same." He paused, his tongue flicking across his lips as he tried to hold her gaze and steel himself. "I have things I need to get from my room before we can leave, and odds are likely that we, or rather I, will be questioned about this, that, or the other thing, not the least of which might be who the strange woman on my arm is.

It was here that Anton paused, his gaze intensifying as he stared into Calliope's violet eyes, and his thumbs brushed across the tops of her hands. "I'm probably going to have to say...things...unsavory things, but I need you to know that once we are free of this place, the demons within it, and this cursed night...I...no, we, will find a way to free you. I just need you to trust me. Please just forgive me for what I must say and do for this one night and trust me. Can you do that, Calliope?"