12952/Proof of Adultness

Proof of Adultness
Date of Scene:	03 October 2022
Location:	Art Studio - Themysciran Embassy
Synopsis:	Aunty Diana gets an update.
Cast of Characters:	Diana Prince, Alexander Aaron

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Diana Prince has posed:
On a Sunday evening, Diana is found within her private Art Studio near the back of the Embassy. Off of the garage, the Art Studio is a lovely little place where Diana can do all sorts of projects related to her career prior to becoming a public figure in 2017. This evening? Diana is sitting on her stool in front of a setup of several items, all statuettes donated to the Embassy by an archaeologist friend who found them overseas in a European dig site. Diana is going through her normal routine of restoring them, soemthing she's done a million times in her years within this field of work, and more-so a hobby for her... with roots all the way back on the island itself, in her art studio within her tree house on the edge of the island's enchanted forest...

Dressed casually, in old blue jeans, simple sneakers, and a black shirt, Diana has her hair tied back, and is wearing latex gloves as she works with her custom-made solvants, and cleaners, the brushes and bowls all gathered up beside her.

She has a television on in the far corner of the room, which is playing a live news broadcast... Her brown eyes focus on one of the statuettes of the Goddess Athena, gently stroking a brush over her right shoulder and up toward her neck...

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    It is a rarity for visitors to be shown in at such an hour. Even a city that never sleeps at the least eases back a little on a Sunday, and those in the embassy likely know that these small times, these few hours... are rare for the Wondrous Woman. Though it is also rare that this particular visitor comes a calling.
    For he is one of those beings held in such esteem that they have statues and temples and artistry all created in their name. Though few in his likeness in particular. Because in the grand scheme of things he is new to the job. Clearly he should hire some sculptors.
    When he is announced it doesn't take long for him to come into view or to arrive with a lifted hand in a wave giving a good greeting. His smile is warm and given easily, then his voice rises as he looks over what she is doing.
    "So when you find ones of my father?" those statues, "Do you just break them immediately or do you restore them then break them?"
    Some might consider those words oh so judgmental, but his smile remains good-natured as he offers them.

Diana Prince has posed:
With the door to the studio being behind Diana's left shoulder, she doesn't see him when he strides through. Instead she just hears his voice, and knows quite well who it is. Knowing her, she likely knew he was there before he even spoke for that matter...

She shows a smile at his question, reserved, as she keeps her work up.

"Depends on the age of the piece, what he's portrayed as doing within it, and who sculpted it..." She responds in her calm, naturally husky, voice.

"Generally, they are all broken before I could even, because your father is so universally reviled..." She quips back at him before performing another stroke of her brush across the neckline of the statue.

"But, that being said, I do eagerly enjoy watching them crumble."

She's teasing. Probably.

When she finishes, she straightens again and dips that brush in to one of the bowls on her tray beside her, she then pays him a look, with a soft smile. "Hello to you, Alexander." Diana tells the young man. "For what do I owe this pleasantry of your visit?" She asks of him then, pulling the gloves off with pinches and rolling motions.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    When she finally turns to face him he's wearing an expression that seems to say with a squinty-eyed glower, 'I so knew it.' But his smile is quickly on the tail of that oh so stern look as he walks further in, moving to the side so that they can converse easily enough while she can still work on her task at hand should she so wish.
    He claims a stool as he approaches, dragging it around and then settling on it once he's suitably close enough that their discussion will be easiest. For him he seems dressed as casually as her. For the Romans it was the toga, for the people of this era it's the blue jeans and t-shirt. He partakes of that custom though his particular flavor of shirt is one that declares simply, 'Something Wicked This Way Comes' and has an image of a rather sinister looking train. Though that t-shirt is partially hidden by a gray and black flannel over-shirt.
    "I thought I'd stop in, update you on things. Life and all. Find out what you're up to. If you've heard from Morgan since last." He hooks his heels up on the stool, then turns his eyes upon the statue she's working on, head tilting curiously.

Diana Prince has posed:
The Princess continues her work of settling the brushes in to cleaners of their own now while Alexander settles in not too far away. His words have her smiling faintly while she does this, and she nods her head two small times. "Morgan is back living in the dorms at school. He's playing sports, and having fun, as far as I know. He even has a girlfriend, so he's busy, as I'm sure you can imagine." She says then as she picks up a towel to wipe her hands off then before dropping it to the counter, and her hands to the top of her thighs. "They're supposed to come by for dinner this weekend, actually. You are welcome to be there as well, if you would like. You know how much he looks up to you, even if he'd never admit it." She says with a little grin for him.

Her head tips forward some then, her slim chin angling down a little. "And what of you? I assume you have been 'mostly' keeping out of trouble, I hope?" She inquires of the Godling.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "That might be nice," Alexander says as his eyebrows rise.
    Though his smile turns a little wry as he shakes his head, "Ah man, the next few years for that kid are going to be insane. Either turn him into a great guy, or a total... jerk." Which has him giving a nod as if he were some elder statesman who has lived so long and seen so many years. Though, to be fair, he did just pass through them not too long ago.
    "A girlfriend, man." That just continues on as he shakes his head a little more, though he turns to follow her as she moves, gaze drifting to her hands, to the towel, back to her face as he watches with that rare openness.
    "Well as to that," His smile widens a little.
    Away he looks then back before he adds, "I thought I should catch you up a little. Since I had been considering doing something with my time more than..." A look past her, eyes distancing as he encompasses his time at Empire State, "Playing at getting something of an education."
    One hand uncurls as he gestures while he speaks, "I got a job offer that was interesting, but ended up pushing me toward pursuing a possible career at SHIELD. So I've... been doing that. Lately."
    Another pause, "Only they... well some of them do, but not all of them know like. That I am me. Who I am."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana's eyes are on the young man as he starts his response. She holds a faint, warm, smile for what he says, and gently nods her head a few times to his words. "I see..." She says when the information about SHIELD comes out. "Well, that might be wise. Although my work with SHIELD has been limited, I do question some of their tactics in achieving the goals that they achieve. I feel there is likely more to that Agency than we could possibly know on the outside. But, that being said, they seem to have a net positive for what they are doing to help keep things ... safe." She says.

Her eyes drop back to the table beside where she is seated upon that stool, and she adjusts some of the brushes from one bowl of liquid to another.

"So, you are finally gainfully employed?" She asks, looking back to him then with a sly grin. "Oh, how the winds of change ever keep flowing..." She says in a more dramatic tone to her husky hued voice, shaking her head a bit at him too, always happy to tease her nephew, the young man being far more ... appreciated around here than his parent is, to say the least.

"Are you excited for this new direction?" She has to ask him as well.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A short double scoff comes from him as he exhales twice, right as she teases him about having a job. It's just giving voice to a little 'heh heh' as if not quite giving enough oomph to a laugh and tinging it with sarcasm.
    "Yes, I get a pay check and everything." He says in an overly exaggerated tone of voice, just widening his eyes as if he were truly some naive ingenue at her first cotillion. But that doesn't stop him from lightly thumping her stool with the toe of his sneaker, as if punishing her for her rudeness.
    "But, yah. I've worked with some of their agents before and thought it would be good to go... an official route. Though sort of..." His pale hazel eyes distance as he nibbles on his lower lip with thought, "Trying to keep on the down low, try to make it on my own merit without the whole..." He gestures to one side with one hand, encompassing the entirety of their Greek background in that one movement.
    "Though not sure how successful I'll be since some of the higher ups know. Just would be nice to have that... normalness. I guess." Which she might understand, though her fame has grown rather high these last few years.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana smirks at him when she feels the bump to her stool's base. His explanation has her smiling again, but she wills it away after a little nod. "Well, I am proud of you." She admits to him then. "You have needed to take a step like this for awhile, and though I am not entirely sure that it needed to be SHIELD... that you stepped in to, at least it is a group aimed toward doing good. Just make sure that you help them do just so. I am sure that many of them will quickly learn what you are capable off, as well. Do not let them exploit that, not that I really... need to warn you. Even in your young age, like Cassie, or Donna, you have been through a lot. It has shaped you well, I believe. Just as I believe Morgan will turn out rather well, and not too much of a 'jerk'." She states with a little grin.

"But, without official military training, or law enforcement experience, are they making you do a lot of training?" She inquires of the SHIELD position.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "I have trust in some of the people, and they in turn trust the organization..." Alex pauses, then he adds with a small smile, "To an extent." Since he knows that the SHIELD friends he has aren't entirely trusting.
    "But yeah, I hope it'll be something that keeps me grounded but also lets me do things that aren't... that are good." Which might be a simplistic way to put it, though in this case it is as his mind works.
    When she speaks about the others, however, he nods along and follows with her words. A hand lifts to push his hair back then he turns on the stool causing it to creak slightly. "Yes, last four weeks, and another eight coming up before we get split into specialties. If we graduate." Which has his eyes widening a little, "Which is not guaranteed. There was some drama with my team, one of the members made a misstep that hurt all our grades. Still some tension in people because of it."
    He looks over at the statue of Athena she was working on then looks back, "I had been trying to just get... middle of the ground scores but after that I've had to pick it up a bit."

Diana Prince has posed:
An even-toned expression falls across the Princess' visage as she watches him while he speaks to her. She glances at the statue when he does, but she doesn't linger her stare on it as she's been staring at it for hours already this evening. Instead, Diana rises up to her feet and steps over to the main counter area where she starts to run some water in the large basin sink. She rinses her hands off, and dries them with a soft plush white towel. "Well, I have faith that you won't suffer any failure from the training. You're just as capable of any of their best students, I'm sure, if not far superior to them." She says, encouragingly to him before setting the towel aside and turning to face him then. She shoots him a wide smile.

"I'm excited for you though, this should be a fun new pace for your life. Admittedly... I would have likely extended an invitation to the Justice League training regiment soon, if you had not found yourself in to SHIELD's good graces now. It has been on my mind for some time, something I extended to Cassie in fact. But, I always felt you would desire a different direction, and so it seems to be the case."

"So, we should celebrate some time soon. Perhaps a celebration dinner, or some ice cream?" She asks with a light laugh. "Or, we wait to see if you actually DO pass the training first... just in case." She teases him with those last few words whispered in pitch.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Diana," Alexander rises as well, hands on the back of his hips for a moment as he looks still at the statue, then back over toward her. He then smiles a little wanly as he starts to walk toward her, sliding a hand over the displays of a few other statues, as if he was looking at their artistry, but more buying time as he chooses his words.
    Then he gets over there near the sink where she's drying her hands, "That's a really nice thing for you to say, but you guys in the league are... really nice." He smiles a little, as if being nice were a thing to stop someone from joining.
    "And I'm kinda not? I dunno if I'd fit in well. Unless you mean it in a sort of, 'we'd kick your ass into shape' sort of way." He crinkles his nose a little.
    But then he pushes past and laughs a little bit, "Maybe after I pass that might be smartest. I mean who knows? Maybe I'll be all flaky and decide I want to take up volley ball professionally, or knitting."

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana places her hands on either sides of her hips as she leans back against the granite countertop. She watches him as he raises up, and meanders about while replying to her. Her head tilts to the left a little, she smirks at what he says of the League, and himself, then she straightens her head again as she shakes it just a little from right to left.

"Do not lump yourself in to a category because you feel that you 'have' to." She advises him. "You have never been anything but a kind person, since as long as I have known you, Alexander." She says with honesty behind her words. "Yes, we would beat you in to proper form within the Justice League, but it would not be moulding something that wasn't already there. The potential is already there, we would not be changing that in any capacity."

Another smirk is afforded to the young man then. "Well, not a /lot/ anyway." She chides him again. "But, if volleyball is where you end up, I mean... at least it's one of the more fun sports out there to play. So, I will celebrate with you, should that be your ultimate direction too." And yet once more the Princess is affording the Godling another playful smirk.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    She gets him to chuckle again as he shakes his head, "You're such a goof." He says, but affectionately with a sigh as if not understanding how someone like her could be someone like her. Madness.
    "But thanks." He finally offers as he looks askance at her, turning back to lean against the wall with his arms folding over his chest. There's a tilt of his head given away then back. "I mean, volleyball is fun. There's no harm in that." Just in case that is where his path would lead him.
    "I think SHIELD is good for me in some ways, and I know you might not find this a good thing. But it reminds me of some of the time I spent with my father. All drill sergeanty and everything." He takes a deep breath, then nods. "But no, no ice cream celebration. Jeez. If we do have a celebration it needs alcohol. I'm not eight years old, sheesh."
    Such stern admonishment comes from the God of Fear.

Diana Prince has posed:
Diana remains casually leaned back against the counter in front of that basin sink. She hears what he says,a nd she just smirks at it before she pushes her hands against the counter to step away from it. "Ice cream is superior to alcohol." The Princess responds in a continued calm tone of her arguably soothing voice. She pushes the sleeves of her shirt up to her elbows again as she steps back over to what she was working on, and starts to put the tools and bowls away where they belong.

"And your father's martial skills were never what ... my people, and I, disliked about him. It was... well... that is irrelevent here. I am quite glad that you're getting a bit of structured training from SHIELD. I am not sure that they will really test your physical abilities, but, they may test your mind. So for that, I think this is a good choice that you have made." She tells him before picking up a folded white sheet that she starts to unfold and place over the statuettes she was working on.

"I am eager to hear how it all plays out, one month in, and two more to go, you said?" She asks then with a glance over at him. "And then what? Do you know what part of SHIELD you hope to contribute to?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "I'm not sure yet," Alexander says as he leans a little more to the side to make sure he's out of her way as she tidies up, clearing things and putting them in order. "First was a series of tests to gauge aptitude and some basic skill level, then from there I went into a Tactical Response Team training, which from what I can discern is for their primarily security groups. From there sometimes you go to specialties or one of the sub-divisions. Though seems like every now and again I hear about something else."
    He lifts a hand to scritch the back of his neck, "I think they might keep it vague in some ways if only to confound counter intel operatives." Though he shrugs at that.
    "Though if they put me into something because of my heritage than I guess all of that is out the window." He scritches the back of his neck thoughtfully, though he smiles a bit. "I like my team though at least. I like making friends."

Diana Prince has posed:
The white sheet is draped over the statuettes, though Diana does step around them to make sure to tug it down over them securely. As she does this, she hears his comment about making friends which has her smiling again. "Well, that is good. It gets harder the older you get, ya know?" She says back to him with a sly grin.

She looks away then, picking up two bowls to carry toward the sink to clean them out now.

"I do not think they would assign you to something based on your heritage. I have not heard of any such things from that Agency, but they may put you to work as a martial trainer. I imagine that you can take most all of their existing Agents in a matter of close quarters combat." She states while running some water through the bowls, along with the proper cleaners she has on-hand.

"Or, perhaps they'll have you working in the computer labs? Maybe you will learn to code, as they say." She says over her shoulder at him with a grin.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Hah!" That single short barking laugh is all the answer Diana gets to the suggestion he learn to code, but it's a laugh that has more life inside his chest as he chortles to himself a little bit more. Starting forward he says, "There are some people in there that are better than me, from a skill standpoint. I mean of course if it was a real fight I'd win. Since I'm great."
    He confides that humble attitude with a nod as he starts to walk after her, mirroring her movements about the art studio. Though he does pause now and again to just lean where he is as they chat.
    "Honestly I'll be happy doing whatever so long as like..." He shakes his head, "My being who I am doesn't cause extra trouble for them. It would suck to show up one day to work and have like Zeus be there hitting on Black Widow while asking where his grand son is."
    There are few things in the world that would mortify Alexander Aaron. That is one of them.
    "Though I also thought it was best to tell you. Since I know you work with a lot of people in your job. Figured the chances were not zero that we might be in a situation where you'd come bounding over all happy and be like, 'Oh hi, Alex!' and then I'd have to explain."

Diana Prince has posed:
Much of what he says there as the Princess smirking at him. She even says "So funny...." in a dry tone of her voice while washing the bowls. Once she turns the water off she dries them and sets them to the side with the towels. Her eyes look over to him then. "But yes, I do work with SHIELD from time to time. They are included in the active groups at the Atlantic Starport project, in fact." She explains.

"But... I imagine you have come to learn more about them in your first month, than I have in my many years of little moments here and there..."

Diana steps to the side then where she gathers up a bottle of tea she'd brought with her, she uncaps it and takes another sip from it before shaking her head.

"Whatever comes of this, I just hope that you are happy with it, and enjoy the work put in. I believe it could be a rewarding job, far more than just some random entry level position near your apartment."

And that is said with another little smile for him.

"So, do not screw it up." She then says with a light laugh at his expense!