Children of the Gods [1x1]

[Sway]

Children of the Gods

Spoiler: Katherine Willis

Name: Katherine Gianna Willis
Age: 23
Height: 5' 6"
Power: Ability to see premonitions on what might happen
Childhood:

Grew up in an orphanage and has been blind since birth. Katherine was adopted at the age of 12 where she was raised by her moms.

Spoiler: Phoebe Heliadae

Name: Phoebe Heliadae
Age: 21
Power: Able to heal the sick, procure light (currently very weakly and rarely), talented with bow
Childhood:
She grew up with a mother and father, however unknowing that the father she grew up with was not her actual father. Was an only child. Learned of demigod status at 18.

---
​

Katherine wicked away a bead of sweat on her forehead. It was hot in Miami, which wasn't surprising. Though native Floridians got used to the heat, she'd been told that she didn't sweat as much as the usual person. It wasn't something she could confirm herself. There were many things she couldn't see and confirm herself.

Sitting on a park bench, even if she didn't have vision, she'd learn to appreciate the world with her other senses. It amazed her just how much you could learn from listening. You could hear someone running towards you. Who was present. Maybe who was nervous from listening to the fluctuations of their voice. Feeling and tasting were also things she used to experience the world. Though many pitied her, she didn't need any of it. Sure she was born handicapped, but she accepted that long ago and adapted.

Taking out her phone, she placed a finger on the home button to unlock it. Settling a single earbud in her right ear, she listened to the voice over to figure out what exactly she was looking at. She waited until Siri came online. "Call Phoebe Heliadae."

There was a moment of silence before the phone began to ring. She was meeting up with her bestie today. Though they agreed on the park near where she worked, Katherine wanted to make sure Phoebe knew where she was. She was wearing a green low cut t-shirt to further stand out among the Floridian natives and tourists.

Feeling her long cane with her free hand, she heard someone approach before the footsteps disappeared just as quickly. A vision filled the darkness that'd been her landscape since she was born. She saw a blonde man, quite tall, dancing in a sea of vibrant neon lights. He held a bottle in his hand while a woman danced within his arms. The contact was intimate. She saw no more. Katherine shook her head.

The ringing suddenly stopped as the line picked up. Katherine adjusted her Oakley sunglasses; she leaned towards the earphone mic. "Phoebz? It's Kat. You close?"

 

[mamoru]

Miami was certainly a hot place.

Despite having lived in the sunny state of Florida for quite some time, the heat was something that never left and never could be ignored. But to someone like Phoebe, who was no where near a stranger to the heat rays beaming from the sun, the heat was oh so wonderful. She loved the way the sun would leave her skin glistening and warm and just so beautiful.

Which is perhaps why she chose a job near the beach, where the sun was always in view and there was always the possibility of being sunkissed. Though, today, she wasn't at her usual post by the beach, selling items aimed toward tourists. She had the day off, and was planning on getting together with Katherine, perhaps one of the best and dearest friends she's ever had. She checked her phone, and it was just about that time for her to--

Right at that moment, her phone vibrated in her hand and the screen flashed with Kat's name. Immediately, she answered the call, placing the phone against her ear. She started heading in the direction of the place where they were to meet -- the park. She'd never been there before, but it couldn't be hard to find, right?

"Heeeey, Kat. I'm heading there right now, I'll try not to keep you waiting," She replied, smiling brightly. Although she sees Katherine regularly, she couldn't help the excitement bubbling up inside her.

 

[Sway]

Katherine smiled when she heard Phoebe's voice. Not many took the time to get to know visually handicapped individuals in one of the hottest tourist spots in the U.S. The ones that did Katherine never cared to know. The visions or whatever they were showed her terrifying things to the majority of strangers on the street she met. Sometimes the visions were pleasant. Sometimes she didn't see anything at all. Why would make them stop?

"No problem," Katherine said. She stood up. "I'm standing up, really close to a bench. Green shirt and rocking my Oakley's. Messy bun. Can't miss me. I think?"

Turning about, Katherine shielded her eyes from the Sun. Even with the sunglasses and not being able to see, she could still feel sensations. The Sun was no exception. "I'll keep standing. See you soon!"

Hanging up, Katherine waited patiently as she heard maybe half a dozen runners storm past her. She sighed. Though she was over it, sometimes she wished she could see. People always spoke of beautiful landmarks and described supposed jaw dropping men and women. What would it be like to see? It was a question she often pondered about.

 

[mamoru]

Phoebe pocketed her phone after the call ended, her focus now on figuring out where to head to next. She had been to that particular park once before, but she wasn't the one leading the way to said park. Much like how passengers don't pay attention to the streets and directions while driving, she didn't recall the exact street names and whatnot. All she had to go off of was similiar sights that she had noticed last time.

She kept up a fast pace, not wanting to get lost or leave Katherine waiting. Those without any disabilities, much like herself, were damn jerks to people like Katherine. Although she knew Katherine was able to be independant and live on her own, she couldn't help the nagging fear that Katherine was vulnerable, too vulnerable to the world around her. People unintentionally hurt her, and it wasn't impossible that she was intentionally harmed as well.

Phoebe recognized a fountain, a beautiful piece of stone work that was the ciruclar center of the park. It sucked to know that Katherine couldn't see things like this. The way the light hits the water makes it sparkle like stars and jewels, it was breathtaking. Phoebe couldn't imagine a life shrouded in darkness, unable to see the brightness of the sun, the sparkling fountain water, the beach, the sunsets and sunrises... But if she could give anything to Katherine, it would be her sight.

She wandered around some more, keeping her eyes peeled for the familiar figure in the green shirt. A few minutes of mindless wandering later and there she was! Phoebe jogged over to her, stopping once she was about a foot in front of her.

"Kat, it's Phoebz." She greeted with a smile. "You didn't wait too long, right?"

 

[Sway]

Maybe a couple minutes passed before Katherine heard a very familiar voice. She turned in the direction it came from as she heard her name. She smiled. Turning to grab her long cane, she placed her phone into her pocket. "Hey you! Not long at all. Gave me a chance to soak in the Sun. It feels really bright."

Making sure she had her purse, Katherine tapped about as she took a step forward. "Sorry for the last minute hang out. Hope you weren't that busy?" she said. "I wanted to take a trip down to the beach. I don't think we're that far away? I remember this park being super close."

Hearing several pairs of footsteps walk nearer, Katherine tilted her head ever so slightly.

A woman walks with her friends into the evening. They sit and laugh at a table. The woman, a brunette, looks at a waiter. He's well built. Then she receives a call. Playful to anguish and disbelief. Who was the true cheater in her fragile relationship? The others try to console her. She's drowning. Suffocating--"

"-- he blew me off again! He's being such a prick!"

Katherine listened in as the crowd passed. The one advantage to being blind was others underestimated you. Even though she couldn't do things the typically person did, she fought to adapt. She didn't want anyone's pity. But what did she just see? Katherine pursed her lips.

Clearing her throat, she turned towards the sound of the fountain. "Do you wanna go? If not, we can do something else. Kinda want this to be fun for you too."

 

[mamoru]

"It's noon, so the sun's pretty much at it's peak right now," Phoebe replied, waiting patiently for Katherine to get everything in order before starting to lead the way, but keeping pace with her as well. "Nah, I had the day off today. Would've been cleaning my house or something if we didn't make plans -- and the beach is super close. I just came from it,"

When the group neared them, Phoebe's hand lightly grasped Katherine's forearm, and with the gentlest of tugs, pulled her out the way of the group. With how large the group was and just how rude people were in the first place, the two of them would have to move out the way of everyone else. She felt like a nag, having to pull Katherine this way and that sometimes when they went out like this, but it was unavoidable.

Phoebe noticed a slight change in Katherine's expression but made no comment on it. Perhaps she had a sour thought about the group passing by or something. No matter. "The beach sounds perfect, I don't know what the hell you're thinking. I work right on the sand and surf, did you forget that?" Phoebe replied, teasingly. Her hand stayed lingering on Katherine's forearm, just in case another group as before decided to pass by again, and for the fear that she'd accidentally lose Katherine in the crowd. Miami was no stranger to tourists, and a lot of them did this place get.

"But if you don't want to stay at the beach, I'm open to suggestions," She later added.

 

[Sway]

Katherine felt a light touch on her arm. Phoebe's. Without being able to see, you had to find other ways to recognizing people. Be it their voice, their scent, their touch. The way she was gently guided away was also a telltale mark of Phoebe. The woman had always been patient with her where others weren't. Her adopted parents were the only ones who treated her like Phoebe. Everyone else rushed her.

She laughed at her friend's response. "Just offering you a way out. In case you got sick of the place. You do work there after all. But let's go. I want to dip my feet in the ocean. I wonder if it's as big as everyone says."

As they walked, Katherine lifted her long cane off the ground. She held Phoebe's hand. Something she wasn't comfortable with doing with just everyone. There was that one time where a group misunderstood the gesture. Thought they were a couple. She didn't care to correct them that she couldn't see and having another guide her was easier than patting about with her cane.

While the noise from the city never seemed to cease, she heard another sound. Unlike the cacophony of the city, the sound of waves crashing upon the sand slowly grew louder. The sea's salty-mist scent filled her nose gradually. "We're close right? I can hear it," she said. "But so far so good. I haven't tripped yet."

Hearing her footsteps crunch against sand, she smiled. "We're here. I can feel the shift. Cement to sand. Pretty distinct." Katherine looked around to chameleon in with the crowd. "Sounds like a mob. Is it beautiful today, Phoebz? The ocean."

 

[mamoru]

"Are you sure we're best friends? You should know I'd never get sick of the beach," She retorted with a light laugh, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth. At the feel of Katherine's hand at her own, she didn't question or pull her hand away; she merely let their fingers twine together and gave a gentle squeeze, mostly out of habit, to reassure Katherine that she was still there and wouldn't be leaving any time soon. After the couple incident, Phoebe learned to just accept whatever crap people thought about them. She was helping Katherine, something most people wouldn't give a single shit about. Plus, holding her hand was comforting and nice to have always there. She couldn't always keep her eyes glued on Katherine, but she knew Katherine was always there if they're hands were clasped together.

"Damn, aren't you perceptive," Phoebe teased, looking out to the sea. The feel of the sand beneath her feet was a wonderful feeling. She was glad she chose to wear sandals today. They're easier to clean sand out of. "It is beautiful. Clear, blue skies over an even bluer ocean. Crappy to say to someone who doesn't know what any of it looks like, though," Her voice grew quieter at the last sentence and her smile faltered a bit.

"Let's find a spot to just chill at. I brought a bag with some snacks and a towel," She later said, leading Katherine down along the beach, searching for a spot a bit ways away from the bustle of the beach. After a bit of a hike, a spot was easily spotted. She gave Katherine's hand a squeeze before letting go of her hand. "Gonna set up the towel. Feel free to take off your shoes," Phoebe told Katherine, crouching down into the sand and slipping her bag off from her shoulders.

 

[Sway]

Katherine frowned ever so lightly. She didn't take it to heart though. Phoebe was right. It was crappy to not be able to see it. She made up for it by having a vivid imagination. It was fun. To an extent. She figured the ocean were these great monstrous waves. Katherine never had the bravery to go too deep. Waist deep was enough for her. She forgot which way to go when she was a kid once.

Nodding at Phoebe, she followed her best friend. She was about to ask how much further until they stopped. She felt Phoebe's hand leave hers. Bending over, she slipped off her sandals and lined them neatly next to each other. She placed her cane right at the foot of her sandals.

"Can I help?" she asked, following the sound Phoebe made as she set up.

A sudden gust of wind rammed into her. Katherine yelped as she fell onto the ground. Her face grew warm; she was embarrassed. Where did the wind come from? She'd never experienced the gales going from zero to sixty that quick.

"I'm alright. I'm alright," she said more so to herself. Getting back to her feet, she felt around. The wind continued to build then decline. Like a crescendo straight into a decrescendo. "Talk about crazy. God."

 

[mamoru]

Phoebe pulled out the towel from her bag, setting the bag aside next to her before rolling out the towel. "Yeah, I could use some help," She replied, about to hand Katherine the opposite two corners of the towel to the ones she held in her hands right now. The explosive and sudden gust of wind nearly made Phoebe crash and barrel directly into Katherine , and her bag rolled away a few feet but luckily the contents inside didn't spill out due to the sudden harsh wind.

When the wind finally quelled to a stop, Phoebe coughed a bit to get some sand out her throat and mouth. Gross. She then looked to Katherine to see if she was okay, and she let out a long sigh of relief when she saw that she was all ok and didn't blow away from her in the wind. She retrieved her back from where it had blown to and went back to work trying to set up the towel.

"Tell me about it. You're ok, right?" Phoebe asked in confirmation, looking over at her again. "No part of you blew away in the wind, right?"

 

[Sway]

Katherine nodded. "It'll take more than wind to do me in." She felt over her body. "Well, I think everything's here."

She eventually found her way back to the towel as she stumbled around. Her sandals had shifted from the gust somewhat as she rearranged them neatly again. Her cane was still there thank goodness. While Phoebe could've easily told her if her things were still, Katherine hated being dependent on others. Sometimes that mindset was a strength and sometimes it was a weakness.

Not knowing whether Phoebe was done setting up or not, Katherine sat down on the sand. She wiggled her toes in its hotness. "So I just found out that I qualify for a home aide. Something about insurance and getting somebody to help you with stuff. Not sure if I want to do that yet. My mom's trying to convince me to take it. My other mom's against it." She laughed. "I don't need someone messing up my apartment. You remember Rachel from school? She moved my floss when she visited. Not far. Took me a while to find it though."

Clasping her hands together, Katherine turned towards the sound nearest to her. She hoped it was Phoebe. "I'm kinda sorta thinking about a guide dog. I was talking to a friend who's sister has one. Supposedly, they're suppose to be really smart. Way easier than using a cane from what I hear," she said. Katherine smiled. "I've always wanted a dog. Maybe I'll get lucky, and they'll have a German Shepherd. Had one when I was kid."

She sighed. "I'm spewing. Can I help?" Katherine got to her knees. "Hopefully no more surprise gusts. That was not cool."

 

[mamoru]

Phoebe noticed that Katherine was unsure if she was finished or not setting up the towel when she simply sat in the sand nearby. She was pretty close to finishing, so there was really no need to have Katherine get up and moving after just planting her butt down into the sand. She smoothed out the crinkles and wrinkles of the towel, making sure no sections were folded over by some light rolls of breeze or anything, listening to Katherine's ramblings as she did so.

A home aide, huh? Phoebe knew better than to think Katherine was unable to live alone and not hurt herself, but the fear and worry was still there. Katherine was disabled, after all. The threat of accidentally burning herself, tripping and falling in an awkward way, dropping something on her feet and breaking one, and being left unable to move to the phone to call for help.... God, the scenarios ran wild in Phoebe's mind and it made her heart clench tightly. Katherine needed someone to help her in case of situations like that. It felt wrong thinking Katherine needed to be babied like that, but if it prevented dangerous things like that, it's for the better..

"Spew all you want, Kat. I'm your bestie, spill everything." Phoebe replied with a small smile. "Whatever you choose, I'll support you. Hey, maybe I could be your home aide. Wouldn't that be cute, me and you living together?" Phoebe suggested, a small laugh accompanying her words. She shook her head, and sat down on the towel. She knew Katherine couldn't see her body language, but... it was simply to easy of a habit to let go. Plus, she knew better than to reply to Katherine in only a nonverbal way.

"No, the towel's all fixed. Move over to the left, there's space on the towel for you. Feel for my hand," Phoebe added, placing her hand on the empty space as she said.