Loukas Makris

Just like his sister had done earlier, Loukas repositioned Akemi so that she now stood where he had moments before in front of the couch. Loukas had no idea if he’d get the spell right on his first casting attempt, but he’d hate it if he did and his sister fell on the hard floor; she probably wouldn’t be too thrilled either. The last thing he needed was an angry elemental spellcaster after him! He quickly tried to “re-remind” himself of everything she’d explained over the last several minutes. It wasn’t that he hadn't paid attention to any of it, he was just excited that it was now his turn to try it out. Loukas was usually a restrained and quiet child, but also a very curious one and when he got curious he got excited. Growing up this got him in trouble quite a lot from his very stern no nonsense father.

Standing a little ways away from Akemi he paused, taking in a deep breath before letting it out, practicing the breathing technique Shadow had taught him. He didn’t exactly know any Latin so instead he racked his brain for a good Greek equivalent. Settling on one he stood his ground, bracing himself to feel whatever physical side effects the spell might cause, pointed, and said “Pagída!” as the magic released towards Akemi.

[GM rights to Dusk to "grade" how effective the spell was]

Loukas heeded Shadow’s feedback. This mind manipulation was serious business and he wanted to make sure he got it right, he could only imagine the trouble that could come from botching this spell. The repercussions to both the caster and target sounded like they could be deadly. He wasn’t quite sure he understood Shadow, but he’d figure it out soon enough as it was his turn to try and attempt the spell.

Still learning how to tap into the magic Loukas considered combing how he tapped into the mist with some minor adjustments based on everything Shadow had tried to explain to him tonight. Taking a deep breath he then slowly let it out, releasing any negative emotions (frustrations, nerves, confusions) along with it; anything that could cause him to let his guard down. Picturing an apple in his mind, the texture, smell, any and every detail he could think of, just like he had to when he made flowers. Then, he attempted to anchor his emotions, thinking of his affection towards his older brother. His mentor and the reason he could feel brave enough to try and learn magic in the first place. Without Shadow, none of this would have been possible! With the happy emotions keeping him grounded, and the idea of an apple firmly in his mind he sent the idea of an apple in Shadow's direction.

@ Sage Roberts

Thanks for being my best friend and always having my back. Our relationship has grown so much and I can't wait to see what it evolves into this year.

@ Akemi Lancaster

I know you don't love the spotlight so I'll keep this quick. Thanks for being a really cool sis who gives me cookies.

@ Shadow Moore

Shadow, thanks for being the best older brother and mentor I could ever ask for. Can't wait for all the new magic you'll teach me this year!

Loukas wasn’t expecting to get his first lesson right away, he assumed his older sister would prefer to keep practicing the magic she was working on. So when she said she had something for him now his curiosity and excitement grew in tandem. What element would she teach him to control he wondered, a little confused as she re-positioned him in front of the couch. Ligare? Well he knew it didn’t mean freeze, but what could it mean? An approximation of the answer came when he felt his entire body go stiff as he tipped over onto the couch. Thank the gods she had moved him somewhere comfy!

With no way to move, Loukas’ only option was to listen to Akemi explain the magic. This was fine for Loukas anyways as he’d already planned to pay close attention. In fact it was pretty cool to experience the first hand effect of the spell while simultaneously learning about it; a binding spell was much more preferable than getting splashed with water! It was good to know the thought process behind its casting, it wasn’t too much different than what he’d be learning with Shadow, just with maybe a more physical toll. He really would need to reach out to MK for some PE training, thankfully she was a bit of a night owl like himself.

“So what’s next?” he blurted out as soon as she released the bind. “Do I practice that spell myself? Or do you demonstrate another one on me? I don’t mind you know!” Loukas was willing to show his eagerness to learn more and have a mentor in addition to Shadow. Between the two older siblings there was a lot he could learn.

“Famous Sage recipe huh? Well now I just have to know more! What about a hint? Plllleeeesssaaeeee?” Doing his best impression of puppy dog eyes as he pleaded. Loukas typically wasn’t one to beg or be goofy in general, but he felt like he could be around Sage. He felt comfortable to be silly around her, knowing he wouldn’t be judged for it but that she’d probably escalate the goofiness. Her kooky personality had rubbed off on him over the years and even more so since their first date. He could tell that she had put in a lot of preparation into today’s date and it felt satisfying that someone cared enough about him to come up with a whole activity they could do together.

A second date, Loukas thought to himself. This had to be a good sign that the feelings between them were headed in a serious direction! The more he found himself developing stronger feelings towards Sage the more he began to worry that something could go wrong. What if this was the date she realized she didn’t want it to go further? He knew he could probably just admit his fears and ask her, put it to rest for good, but would he make her feel rushed to make a decision if he asked now? No, better to wait and score a successful second date first, but Loukas knew the real reason he delayed asking was because he was scared to lose her.

Shifting back to the here and now, he tried to catch on the last thing she said…”Ummm that’s nice. Wait, why are you thinking about my bedroom?” What was that girl imagining in her head?? All Loukas got in response was more silly Sage giggles. Oh well, he yawned, arms stretching up. “Heyyyy I can’t help it, it’s like supppppper early in the morning” he whined, “Don’t worry though, you’re worth being out in the sun for” he teased, blushing a bit when she kissed his hand. The feeling of her lips on his skin releasing memories of the previous night.

Loukas had planned to focus in on Shadow’s next words so that he could continue to learn how this magic worked, but what he didn’t plan on was suddenly slipping off his seat entirely! Instinctively he shoved his arms back to try and catch himself, worried at how he could have been so clumsy plus just genuinely embarrassed overall to have slipped in front of his mentor. Only…he never seemed to hit the ground, not like he expected given his slip…wait…was he still on the log or on the floor? His hands gripped either side of his log as if to reassure and ground him back to reality. “I…I did…but I didn’t? Wow this magic is really believable.” He paused, accessing everything he had just learned and experienced.

“A letter? Yea I guess I can see how it would work that way. I journal a lot, maybe I can try and tap into that same kind of mental space?” As he listened to Shadow describe the process, using Sage as an example, he began to imagine what that would be like. Being in a relationship with someone who you could control and implant ideas into. Sure, everything in the relationship would always go your way, but the removal of free will would mean the relationship was never really real in the first place; Loukas grew uneasy. “So while learning this, how do you make sure you also don’t abuse it? Like, take it too far? I can imagine you can use this power to protect people you care about, but it also sounds like a slippery slope too.” Loukas was interested in how Shadow would respond.

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“Ohh, well that makes sense then. An enemy who can’t understand what you’re going to cast can’t prepare for it as quickly” Loukas thought it was a very clever tactic as they could all pick up Greek but Akemi had found a way to make her spell casting unique and deadly. He continued to listen attentively as she explained the rules around elemental manipulation. “Sounds a lot like the side effects of mist manipulation. I start to get fatigue and aches when I overextend myself in practice” he admitted. Loukas had gained much in his private lessons with Shadow by heeding all his instructor had to say, and he was currently enthralled with everything his older sister had to share as his eyes followed the finger that landed on his forehead.

“Really!? You’d teach me how to do this?” He was truly excited at the opportunity to learn more magic, and a very different kind than what Shadow had been teaching him. “If I’m being honest this does sound cooler than what I’ve been learning lately. I’m not super comfortable with magic that allows you to control other people. But Shadow says it’s very important I master it. I wouldn’t mind a change of pace and a chance to learn something more offensive.” Though he did admit he would probably need to improve his physical prowess if he wanted to get better with this new kind of combat; maybe his friend MK could help with that?

“Friends?” Was that really all she wanted out of this? It seemed like a good exchange to him. “Deal!” he said, sticking out his hand to shake on it. “Besides, Shadow never gave me any cookies in our lessons” he teased, savoring the taste as he took a bite.

Any thoughts or concerns Loukas might have had about relationship labels melted away at the sight of Sage. It was a funny feeling, he had always enjoyed seeing her ever since they’d first became friends, but now it was a separate feeling, a mix of new and old emotions. And if he was honest with himself, a growing desire for physical connection with her. Simply holding her hand had taken on a whole new feeling after that first date, not to mention the remembrance of her lips on his had been seared into his mind as a core memory. “Absoutlety!” he responded. Loukas absolutely loathed mornings, but he had lately found himself making exceptions for Sage; another sign of his growing affections for her!

When she kissed him on the check his mind couldn’t help but travel back to their previous date when they had had their first kiss. He hoped maybe these cooking lessons she was about to give would allow for some more of that. Taking her hand he allowed her to guide him into the kitchen which, other than the fridge and pantry, was mostly foreign territory for Loukas. Like magic, cooking had also not been a big priority for his first couple years at camp. Again, another thing he was willing to do if it meant more time with Sage. “So what do you have planned for us today?” he asked eagerly, observing what she had setup.

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Loukas tried to quickly reach out and snatch the thrown towel, just barely catching it in-between two fingers as his other hand was still wiping bits of water out of his eye. “What has to happen to someone in order for that to be their first reaction?” he asked as he dried himself off. “It's all good though, occupational hazard of living in the Hecate cabin I guess” he joked. Akemi was a sibling he’d always been curious to get to know better but she was even more reserved than he had been so their meaningful interactions could probably be counted on one hand. Maybe this could be an opportunity to change that?

He watched intently as she demonstrated her skill over the element again. This time he made sure to be extra quiet so as to avoid being target practice again. “My-sto-ki-ne-sis” he said slowly, trying the word out. “Well, it certainly looks impressive! How difficult is it to learn? And what does Duratus mean?” he asked a bunch of questions in short succession, this usually indicated that his curiosity had been peaked. “What have I been practicing?” he repeated, “Well, just the basics I guess. Mist control mostly and we’re beginning to work on manipulating people’s thoughts with images and such and…well that’s about it…” He started to feel a little silly now about his accomplishments, they didn’t seem quite as impressive as controlling the elements. And frankly, had he not had so many personal blockers to overcome, he probably would have been a lot more advanced in his abilities than he was currently.

Loukas was flying high on life, an unusual but very welcome sensation for him. In just a short span of time so many wonderful changes had occurred. He had made peace with himself in regards to his magical abilities, confident he would not make the same mistakes as his father. Because of this, he had started training with Shadow and Akemi, quickly catching up on the many years he’d half assed his way through classes. Even greater than breaking through his magic blockers was the social barriers he had been working to tear down. He’d still remain the quiet kid at camp, but now he felt positive in interacting with the campers he did choose to befriend. And speaking of those, there was Sage. He let out a happy little sigh, as just the thought of her name brought on so many new and delightful feelings. Sage understood him, pushing at his boundaries in just the right ways to make him a better person. And what had started as this friendship had grown into something much more; culminating in the two briefly making out by the lake! It had been a short kiss but had felt like an eternity of euphoria for young Loukas. Ever since then he just could not get her out of his mind and he earnestly hoped it wouldn’t be much longer until he got to kiss her again!

That was when he’d received a message from Sage to meet her in the Athena cabin’s kitchen mid day when most campers (especially Sam!) would be away and they could have some alone time for a second date! She had promised him in their last one that she would help improve his cooking skills but honestly all Loukas could think of was seeing his girlfriend….errr wait what were they exactly? They hadn’t yet put any new label on the relationship. Loukas was curious about how that would unfold as he walked up to the cabin door and knocked.

@ Sage Roberts

I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!

Loukas Makris