11849/Checking on the guy who can't die.

Checking on the guy who can't die.
Date of Scene:	01 July 2022
Location:	Angelo's Carriage House
Synopsis:	Ancient and Modern super soldiers sharing a meal and conversation over wine.
Cast of Characters:	Achilles, Bobbi Morse

---

Achilles has posed:
    It's a Friday evening. Angelo has learned a few things about himself over the eons. One of the most notable was that... while he aspired to do something other than be a soldier, he -sucks- at farming. But as it turns out, he is an excellent cook. Also, he -likes- cooking.

    Today, he has been in his kitchen, preparing some easy food. Just some simple beef strips with veggies and a lemon sauce. He has a bottle of red wine on the table. He wasn't expecting company really, but one never knows. So he pours out the contents of the pan onto a plate, picking it up and heading to the table to sit down. He is juuuust about to dig in and enjoy his meal. Alone.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
Despite being lovingly referred to as 'The Daughter of Darkness' by some of her more... enthusiastic... critics, Bobbi Morse does in fact have a heart capable of emotions under all the Level 7 gristle. And so after a small stop at a Greek pastry shop she knows in the area she makes her way to Angelo's house.

How did she get the address? She is a super spy, so best not to ask. But here she is, dressed casually in civilian gear with a 'SHIELD Varsity Swim Team' tee and jeans, ringing his door bell with one hand while she balances a box filled with something smelling like honey, pastry and walnuts in the other.

Achilles has posed:
    I mean, his address is on file at HQ. He didn't try to hide it from an intelligence organization. That would be rather fruitless, wouldn't it?

    But either way, the first forkful of food is right -at- his lips when the doorbell rings. He freezes... lowers the fork and sighs. Standing up, he pauses, and then takes that bite anyway. He chews as he walks towards the front door. He himself is dressed in a Metropolis Meteors baseball jersey and blue jeans as he opens the door. That first bite of dinner was swallowed just beforehand, and his brows go up.

    Nostrils flare at the smell of the box. "Baklava?" he asks as he catches the combination of scents, "Or at least something very similar. Please, come in Agent Morse." he adds as he steps aside. He maintains formality for now, if only to keep emotional distance and such.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
He'd be surprised by the games some agents like to play... Fake addresses and hidden safe houses are just the start. "Probably a few eons out of date from what you're use to," Bobbi confirms the baklava, as she accepts his offer to enter his house, "But the couple running the bakery are from Greece, so there's that."

Almost immediately, her eyes spot the food and wine, and she raises an eyebrow as she regards the taller man, "Sorry to interrupt your meal, Agent Tampambulos. I just like to personally check up on agents injured during missions I'm running." Her expression goes sardonic, then, as she adds, "Even the immortal unkillable demigod warriors from the Trojan War."

Achilles has posed:
    A grin comes to his face, and Angelo shrugs, "I must admit, every household had their own way of preparing Baklava. And I have yet to find one that I did not enjoy. So you are quite welcome to bring it to my doorstep any time you like."

    A pause, and he inclines his head. "Are you hungry? I have a habit of overpreparing meals. I also find it preferable to eat -with- someone." and a smirk reaches his eyes. "I do appreciate your concern however. How is our displaced gunfighter doing?" he asks as he pulls out a chair for Bobbi. Mild old school manners and all.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
Oh, Bobbi can play the old school manners game when she has to, feminist point of view or not. "If I'm not intruding, I would love to," She says, adding with a smile as she sets the box of pastries on the counter, "And please, Bobbi. Especially if you're going to feed me."

She accepts the chair, and shrugs one shoulder at Angelo. "He is doing well enough for jumping 130 years into the future. Interviewed him last night... He wants to go home, but is willing to drink the kool-aid for now." She chuckles, "I found out he's actually something of an old western folk hero. Dime novel western books, old comics, all that jazz."

She adds, "He was a little horrified when he saw the footage of shooting you. I told him it wasn't as serious as it looked, and you were wearing body armor."

Achilles has posed:
    "Well, you did not lie to him. I -was- wearing tactical armor. Light as it was." Angelo says as he walks over to a cabinet to remove a plate and a wine glass. He sets those on the table... "The shooting wasn't the worst part. The surgical removal of one bullet from my lung after it had all healed up.. that was more inconvenient."

    He then opens a drawer and plucks out silverware to place on the table. Then he gestures to the wine, "Go ahead and pour yourself some wine.." he says as he reaches for his skillet and moves to scoop a bit of his mixture of edibles onto the plate before Bobbi.

    "So, I apologize for the immature emotional reaction I allowed to color my behavior the other day. I must admit, you lived up to your namesake and got under my skin in a way I did not expect. It will not happen again."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
While not her preferred Chardonnay, Bobbi is still never one to pass up an offer of wine. She expertly fills a glass with the red, and gives Angelo a nod of approval as he plates the edibles. "I imagine." She replies, regarding the bullet removal, "Even with the tech we have in the medical bay, it'd be brutal."

She takes a sip of wine when he apologizes, both because she does genuinely enjoy wine like any good Cali-girl, and to buy herself time. "You weren't wrong to call me out on it, Angelo." She finally says, "Both the underhanded manipulation to win a stupid sparring match against a friend, and dehumanizing your life and life experiences." She grimaces, adding, "Getting under people's skins, exploiting and manipulating them... it gets to be a habit, and it's why I don't usually do training with recruits or green agents. My ex called me a demonic hellbeast, and he's not entirely wrong." That last is added with a rueful smile.

Achilles has posed:
    Smiling a bit, Angelo sits back down finally. He takes a small bite and uses his fork to indicate Bobbi, "Your ex may have had such a name for you. But in the end... only you can choose whom you will be. You should choose to be the person that you can accept. The person you wish to be. I learned that lesson long ago.... it is why I faked my death after a ten year war to the knife."

    He takes a sip of his wine and another bite of dinner. "Trust me. it is far easier to look outward than to turn your attention inward.... People do not -want- to know who they really are. They'd rather blame others for their own faults."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"Oh, he had every reason to call me that. I'm not an easy person to live with, any more than I am to work with sometimes." Bobbi smiles, ever so slightly, "And for the most part, I am the person that I can accept. which irritates them all the more." She pauses to take a polite bite of the food, and dab at her mouth with napkin like civilized folk. "There's sacrifices we all have to make for the job we do, and I love my job."

She takes a sip of wine, and adds, "This is really good, Angelo."

Achilles has posed:
    "Well, thank you for the compliment. I have had a -lot- of time to improve my cooking skills. Just don't ask me to -grow- the food." Angelo states. But then he inclines his head, "Keep in mind, this job will not be -you- for eternity. The job itself will not last long enough to be all that you are. -You- need to consider what type of person you want to be for eternity, not just the next few years."

    "But, I have lectured enough. What else shall we discuss?" he asks.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"To be honest, Angelo? I'm still not quite adjusted to the idea of 'forever'. Part of my training was accepting that each time I go out in the field, it could be my last." Bobbi toys with a fork full of food, before eating it, and adds, "Part of why I never bothered too much with anything beyond friends. But you're right, if a bit preachy, and I do need to learn to think longer term."

And then he's paragraphing on her, and she grins as she takes a sip of wine, "Well, we've wined and dined. So I guess it isn't impertinent of me to ask what's your life like when you aren't in SHIELD mode. What do you do for fun?"

Achilles has posed:
    Spreading his hands out, Angelo indicates the table, "Well, I enjoy cooking. I also have a love of the cinema. But... live plays are more entertaining for me." He smirks and shrugs, "But that could be because that was all we had back in the day."

    He takes a bite and then adds, "I keep myself in shape off the clock too. And of late, I have learned that the power in my own blood. Power from two -different- gods' lineages could be called upon to perform other magic feats. I learned of the potential, but have no idea -how- to do such things yet."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
Magic. Uuugh. Bobbi takes a deeper drink of her wine when the topic is brought up, a touch uncomfortable with it given her logic-based scientific background and way of looking at things. Even if she is up to her ears in demigods and angelic huntsman and time displaced cowboys. "I can't say anything about magic, but you do have interesting blood." She says instead, a touch awkwardly, "From a biochemical point of view."

When he mentions live theater, she grins. "See Hadestown yet? I bet that one would be a little trippy for you. Although I dare say you've gotten use to us muggles destroying your history."

Achilles has posed:
    "Oh, you've no idea. There's more than my lineage in my blood. When I was a babe, my mother fed me ambrosia. Food that is lethal to humans, but the gods sustain themselves with." A pause, then he adds, "And little known fact, the reason the gods are immortal and undying... at least with the Olympians, is the waters of the Styx. So, after feeding me ambrosia, and me not dying from it... my mother dunked me in the river and because of the ambrosia, and divine blood... it did not destroy me, and made me as immortal as the gods themselves. So it's more than just... blood. I am sure that if you analyzed it... it may defy scientific exploration. But then again, it may not." offers Angelo with a bit of a smirk.

    "You do have a point. But... muggles... oh, that terrible set of stories that so many people swear by. What... Harrison Potter or some such?"

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"You know, I wrote the book on the super soldier serum." Bobbi grins across the table when Angelo goes into the complexities of Olympiad immortality. "Most of it was classified by SHIELD but I was able to get enough published to earn my PhD. Maybe I should start some postdoctoral work on Olympians and bloodlines." She takes a bite, daintily eating and dabbing her lips. "You aren't the only demi-god I know. Hercules is running around with the Avengers, and the son of Ares, Phobos, is a friend even if he claims he hasn't fully embraced the role of God of Fear because he has to die or some shit."

She leans back, consideringly, and adds, "Harry Potter. It's almost a cult to some people." She shakes her head, ruefully, "I had to take the damn test to get placed in a house when I did undercover work with AIM. It was surreal."

Achilles has posed:
    "Now that would have been torture." admits Angelo with a smirk. "And for the record, Heracles... his original name, my Great Uncle in an odd way... ascended to ful godhood well before I was born."

    He scoops up the last bite of his plate and forks it into his mouth before continuing. "Phobos." he remarks with a shrug, "God of fear. Yes, he and I have had some run-ins over the centuries." A brief pause and he goes on, "Would you -like- a blood sample to analyze?"

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"Latest Phobos is a little bit of a dork, to be honest." Bobbi chuckles with a fond smile, finishing her wine, "I've known him since he was in high school. Him and his father are under SHIELD protection and I handled the case for a while. He's studying sports medicine at ESU." She shakes her head, adding, "He's got a good head on his shoulders, considering he was raised by Ares. Hell of a fighter."

And then Angelo is offering blood, and she laughs, even as she finishes her own plate off. "I'd love a blood sample sometime. And even if he has already... ascended?... I'll have to try for your Great-Uncle's blood. Good baseline on a full god. I'd try Ares, but he's such an asshole."

Achilles has posed:
    "Asshole. That is quite a good description of Ares, yes." Angelo shakes his head, "But a fully ascended god will be different biologically. They have truly left the physical aspects of humanity behind." A pause and he shrugs, "That is part of why I refused it when it was offered me."

    Then he stands up and picks up his plate. "May I take yours if you are finished?" he asks like a good waiter, or host. "And then you get to tell me how you spend -your- downtime."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"I'd hope they'd be different biologically." Bobbi replies, shamelessly refilling her wine glass. It's a good red, okay? "The trick would be analyzing the differences and seeing if there's any similarities; Recessive genes that require activation kind of like how the super soldier serum usually requires gamma radiation to be activated..."

She shakes her head, ruefully, and offers him her plate. "Oh, thank you, Angelo. And my down time? It's fairly boring. Training, of course, but also keeping up to date on my field with journals and research papers. I haven't had a good sink-my-teeth-into-it project since I helped stabilize the proto-Infinity Formula in Chief Carter."

Achilles has posed:
    Smirking, Angelo shakes his head, "I mean leisure. True downtime. What you do to unwind and relax. Perhaps swimming? Peoplewatching in the city? Tom and Jerry cartoons?" he asks as he moves to set the plates in the sink, and then runs water to rinse them off.

    "Maybe you read seventeenth century French literature? Or your have a guilty pleasure that involved watching Tom Cruise movies?"

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"Downtime? What's that?" Bobbi jokes, although there's a bit of an uncomfortable tinge to it that suggests her joke is a little close to the truth. "I was on the SHIELD swim team during my academy days. Still one of my favorite ways to unwind when I can't find sparring partners."

She then considers his question fully, sipping the refilled wine glass. "Tom Cruise is overrated, and trying to watch him just makes my teeth hurt because of the inaccuracies in his approach to espionage. Honestly? I like reading trashy romance books over a bottle of Chardonnay. People watching when I have the time free during the day."

She shakes her head. "SHIELD keeps me busy, although I've had more free time and less long-term assignments since I got enhanced."

Achilles has posed:
    "I see." remarks Angelo with a shrug. He turns and leans his tailbone against the kitchen counter. He smirks and nods his head, "Well, another piece of advice... you are going to -need- downtime. You are going to need to find time to just -be-. There will be times when that is -all- you have. A secret to retaining sanity as an immortal... finding a balance between downtime and having something productive to do. That's why I had my security company before.."

    And he chuckles, shaking his head, "You may recall my first contact with SHIELD was Daisy calling my personal phone and demanding private company records without a warrant. She was -so- pissed when I hung up on her."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"God bless her." Bobbi shakes her head ruefully at the reminder of Daisy's introduction to Achilles. "She's a good agent, but still a little rough around the edges. Lots of potential, though. And one of the most brilliant hackers I've encountered."

She lifts her glass in salute to his advise, adding, "I'm trying to work on balancing things better... Especially if they're going to have me haunting HQ instead of infiltrating HYDRA or some other shadow organization." She laughs, ruefully, adding, "I mean, I can't tell you the last time I had dinner with someone and didn't use it as an opportunity to gather intel or assess them as a potential asset."

Achilles has posed:
    Lifting a single brow, Mister Spock style, Angelo smirks, "You can't tell me that you haven't been... in the back of your mind, adding to your file of intel on me as we ate." he says before moving back towards the table and turning a chair around backwards to sit in it.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"Guilty." Bobbi chuckles, taking a sip of the wine without an ounce of shame or remorse at getting called out the way she has. "But it becomes a habit after a while. You analyze your surroundings, the people around you, and assess potential dangers and points of leverage both physical and mental."

She cocks her head, "Let me rephrase and say *intentionally* pumping you for information. Point being this is the closest to normal social interaction I've been in a while. Even with Hunter, my ex, there were usually power games. Especially towards the end."

Achilles has posed:
    "Well, it just so happens that I am secure enough in my own identity that I feel no need to play dominance games with coworkers and potential friends. So that is something we can avoid." Angelo states as he leans forward, forearms resting on that reversed chair-back.

    "So, it feels weird, doesn't it?" he asks, "For the record, the door behind me leads to the bedrooms. No exit that way without busting a window. Behind me and to the left is the kitchen, where the back door is. So that's a good way out if you needed one."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"What, no handcuffs and shock collars?" Bobbi teases Angelo when he talks about 'dominance games'. "And here I heard you Olympians were into the weird stuff. Or is that just Zeus?" More wine, although it's clear that the alcohol isn't affecting her. Huzzah for custom couture superhuman serums.

She chuckles, when he offers a tactical analysis of his house. "I'll have you know I didn't even pull up floorplans before I came over." Although the temptation was there.

Achilles has posed:
    "Well, you must keep in mind, what you might consider weird is just the current cultural trend. Take it from someone who has seen so many different approaches to normalcy that those trends can change from year to year. The Roman orgies, and then centuries later, super conservative monotheists who thought that everything I grew up thinking of as normal was... indecent." Angelo shakes his head.

    "Most Americans would be scandalized if they got a glimpse of what life was -truly- like three thousand years ago."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"I know some anthropologists that would literally commit murder for an hour with you regarding that." Bobbi laughs, when he talks about cultural trends. "It was never my strong suit in college, although I took a few courses in the social sciences. But I'm old enough to have seen it in microcosm, even if I am just a spring chicken."

She shakes her head. "Scandalized and probably horrified. Even people as liberal and open-minded as they are back home in Cali. I mean, we can barely comprehend other modern cultures much less a pre-Christianity civilization."

Achilles has posed:
    "For example. Intellectually, I am sure you realize some of this but think about it on an emotional level... about this being the norm." offers Angelo as he leans in. "Imagine a hundred athletes gathered to compete in what you refer to as your.. Olympic games. Now, imagine all of those being watched by thousands.... and now imagine those athletes competing proudly, entirely naked."

    He leans back a bit, lifting both brows. "The body was art, and not something to be ashamed of."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
Emotional level isn't exactly Bobbi's comfort zone, so when asked to imagine something at that level she takes a deep drink of her wine, and then goes for a refill. "Part of me wants to make a glib comment about being able to understand the appeal of a bunch of naked athletic men performing for my amusement." Bobbi finally says, wryly, "But that's part of the point you're trying to make; That there was no inherent eroticism to the human form or if there was it wasn't anything shameful."

She's relaxing, moreso than Angelo has probably ever seen from her in the Triskelion. It's like a glimpse at Bobbi-the-Person, not Bobby-the-Superspy. "I can sort of understand; I learned during my studies in biology and martial arts to appreciate the body as a work of art the way most people would a well engineered machine." She gazes at the man across from her, consideringly. "So I can sort of see how it would be the same aesthetically."

Achilles has posed:
    "Exactly. It was not remotely sexual. It was appreciation of the form and the skill and athleticism. I imagine a modern homophobe watching two naked wrestlers and being truly uncomfortable with it." says Angelo with a chuckle.

    "And yes, I see that you truly do grasp the difference. At least on the surface. Now imagine living in a culture where that is a normal everyday thing. And being entirely unashamed." He reaches for the bottle and finishes it off into his glass before lifting a brow, "The serum does wonders for your inebriation levels, doesn't it?"

Bobbi Morse has posed:
Bobbi Morse says, "Most modern homophobes wouldn't exist in that culture, given what I understand about sexuality back then." Bobbi replies, raising one eyebrow. "Again, not my field of study but I've fallen down a rabbit hole or two. Especially after meeting you." She lifts her glass in salute.

The implication there, that she has done research to try and understand Angelo, is another chink in her persona. When he brings up the serum, she chuckles. "Among other things, some of which we still don't understand." She takes a sip of wine, "The cocktail I was injected with was a hybrid of several different strains, including some research into Inhumans from HYDRA that..." She cuts herself off, with a hint of a grimace. "Well. It's a unique situation. I sometimes miss getting drunk, though. Usually takes a couple of bottles to even get a buzz.""

Achilles has posed:
    Nodding slowly, Angelo indicates that he understands. He doesn't appear offended. But it would take some truly monumental shit to actually -offend- this guy. Upsetting is one thing. He chuckles and nods, "Well, if you have questions, I am happy to answer than as openly and honestly as I can." he states.

    "HYDRA also huh?" he asks, "Ironic that their goal was an immortal empire or... reich." he states with a shake of his head.

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"They have some solid research into the Inhumans." Bobbi replies in defense of HYDRA, wryly, "The method they acquired the data is very unethical and inhumane if you can forgive the pun, but there are aspects of how an Inhuman's metagene is activated that..." She shakes her head, cutting herself off again, "It's complicated."

She nods when he offers to answer any questions she may have, and she adds, "I'll try to keep the questions from being too intrusive. Flaw of my spy training: I'm endlessly curious and bad at restraining it."

Achilles has posed:
    Nodding his head, Angelo thinks for a long moment. "So this Inhuman thing. I understand from my reading that it was a result of aliens tampering with the genetics of -some- humans long ago. Like.. before my time even. Is that correct?" he asks.

    "If so, I wonder if it is possible that any of that genetic material passed down through the human parentage of any of the demigods in history. That could be something very odd to check into."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"It's a little more complicated than that." Bobbi temporizes regarding the Inhumans, tucking a bit of hair behind her ears. "And our understanding of the Inhumans is still pretty sparse. Which is why I have some defects from the serum I was injected with. Near as we can tell, there's only an tiny percentage of people that bear the Inhuman genome markers, less than 1 percent possibly."

She takes a sip of wine, eyes focusing inward consideringly, "Wouldn't surprise me if one of the necessities for an successful hybrid between Gods and baseline is the presence of the Inhuman gene markers. Or the lack thereof, depending on if it really is an artificial phenomenon and what the nature of the experiment was."

Achilles has posed:
    "Seems I recall stories my mother told me of some other people that were altered. But you know stories. Those myths are never based on facts." remarks Angelo with a shake of his head. No, he doesn't know about the Eternals. His family members might, as they had a deal with those weird modified humans.

    "But yeah. Anyhow, the next time I am at the Triskelion, I will have the medical staff take a few blood samples and leave them for you to use at your leisure. Remember, there may not -be- a scientific designator of a biological difference. But there might be too. Who can say?"

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"You'd know all about that," Bobbi teases when he mentions myth never being based in facts. "I bet some stuffy anatomists and biologists somewhere would have kittens if they knew the entire concept of an 'Achilles' Heel' was faked."

And then he's willingly offering blood samples! Bobbi grins, and tips a non-existing hat at him. "Much appreciated, my good sir. I'll let you know what I find... or don't find, as the case may be. I'm sure something'll show with chromosomal mapping, if it's like the metagene."

Achilles has posed:
    "Well, as for the heel, yeah, it was an unfortunately timed bad joke and excuse to start fresh." replies Angelo with a look into the distance in those green eyes of his. "But as for the blood... keep in mind... my mother was a nature spirit, minor sea goddess... otherwise known as a Nereid. Dad was the grandson of Zeus so... you might find some amazingly inbred bollux too. After all, most of the pantheon was -crazy- inbred by modern standards."

Bobbi Morse has posed:
"Makes you wonder what other myths and legends are like that." Bobbi murmurs into her wine glass, consideringly. "Look at that cowboy we saved. He said a lot of what was in the comics wasn't exactly wrong, but wasn't right either. And that's only a 130 year drift." She shakes her head.

And is about to make some other undoubtedly profound, witty statement when there's a beeping noise. Out of her pocket the blonde pulls a SHIELD card pager, and checks it. "Well," She gets to her feet, "Looks like there's no rest for the wicked. Thanks for dinner, and the chat." She smiles, and knocks the wine back. "I'll return the favor, although I'm not nearly as good a cook."

Achilles has posed:
    And Angelo nods, sees Bobbi out and then gets to the task of the cleanup. Ah the ancient immortal warrior in domestic bliss. Gotta love it.