287/Runaway in Central Park

Runaway in Central Park
Date of Scene:	04 March 2020
Location:	Central Park
Synopsis:	An overturned truck, some Asgardian lore, and a secret revealed.
Cast of Characters:	Heidi Ingerdottir, Christine Lake, Achilles, Jessica Drew

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Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
The rainshowers have been off and on in New York City today, leaving the roads slick and wet and the large grass lawn of Central Park soaked and squishy. Although the weather might keep most away thanks to the random showers that seem to have no real rhyme or reason to them, there's a good amount of people who are taking advantage of the break in the storm to walk their dogs and get their jogs in. Near the park, cars zip by sending sprays of water into the air and onto passerbyers who happen to on the sidewalk nearby.

Sitting on a park bench, booted feet on said squishy grass, Heidi seems to be watching the sky. The movement of the clouds seems to bore her after a moment and she turns to the much more exciting viewing of /people/. That gets a smile.

Christine Lake has posed:
You can always tell the tourists in New York by the way they walk around looking at everything at the same time, except for where they're going. So, Christine fits the mold precisely. It's her first time in New York, and despite the rain, she's determined to see Central Park. At least she's dressed for the weather, with a black winter coat over a hocky jersey (San Jose Sharks), jeans and a pair of stylish, low-heeled black boots. She's walking and turning and gazing and taking pictures with her phone all at once. Luckily, there's plenty of space in the Park for her to do that without bumping into anyone.

Achilles has posed:
    Again with the park. Well, Achilles does like it here. He's still in town because a contract he was working on is turning a bit more complicated than he wanted. The client is demanding fine print details for NDA's and all sorts of things. But this means that when that day's work is done, he needs to get out and run.
    So we have a man in thin sweatpants, a tanktop, and an underarmor jacket running through the park.
    His blonde ponytail bobs with every step, and he runs along the path leading to the bench. As he runs, he is almost meditating, his green eyes kind of zoning out as he runs past the Valkyrie-to-be.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
The zip of the cars nearby is audible, people speeding far faster than they should given the slick road conditions.

Heidi is people watching, but for the most part, distractedly. As Achilles goes by, she blinks for a second /thinking/ he looked familiar, but she shrugs it off as she looks back around her for someone interesting. She's getting restless.

And then there's a screech of tires nearby.

Christine Lake has posed:
Eventually, Christine seems to have satisfied her need for pictures of Central Park. Or at least this particulat part of it. Smiling happily, she wanders over to the benches to sit down and send some of the choice photos to her Instagram for her friends back on the West Coast to see. As she settles in on the bench, she gives a friendly smile and a nod of greeting to the tall blonde woman she's sharing the bench with. "Hello." She's obviously not a stereotypical Millenial in that she *can* look away from her phone to have basic social interaction with others.

Achilles has posed:
    It makes sense. Achilles doesn't do a slow jog. When he runs, he is trying to push himself. After all, he can't die, can't grow old. But he can lose his fitness if he does not maintain it. But he's not running at top speed, as that would be unsafe.
    It's not very long before he finds a straightaway that is unpopulated, and he uses -that- for a dead sprint to finish off his run of several miles.
    He's just about fifty yards shy of the bench once more when he stops running, lifts hands to hook fingers behind his head and start walking towards a cart that sells a variety of beverages.
    Getting in line, he catches his breath and orders a water bottle before taking a long drink of it and pausing to sweep his eyes about the area. Spotting Heidi, he grins and asks, "What, no Pegasus today?"

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
A jovial smile is offered towards Christine as she sits on the bench, and Heidi seems more than welcoming. "Greetings! You seem a bit unfamiliar with the area? I've only barely gotten to know it myself." She seems about to say more when Achilles catches her attention and she calls, "Eira deserved a break. I took her flying in Asgard following her adventure out here and I figured she had enough training for a while."

There's another screech of tired, this one closer, louder. Those cars zipping down the road made it a lot trickier for what looks like a large shipping truck to stop. It fishtails, knocking into a mailbox and a light post as it careens through the barrier that separates the park from the street. The screeching is the driver's attempt to put on the breaks, but a nearby street was sloped and gave the truck a lot of momentum. If not stopped it will surely hit someone.

Christine Lake has posed:
Christine nods to Heidi as she finishes selecting pictures to upload. "Yeah, this is my first visit to New York," she answers with a smile. Social media update complete, Christine puts away her phone and turns to properly talk with Heidi. "It's pretty cool. Definately a change of pace from San Francisco. Not saying it's better or anything, just different. No hills, for one."

When the blonde runner speaks up and asks about a pegasus, Christine looks confused. Then Heidi talks about flying around Asgard, and her eyes go wide.

Wait...Asgard? Like in Thor's Asgard?" That would make Heidi...she turns her attention back to the runner, staring at him. "Wait...do you guys know Thor?" She sounds rathr excited at the posibility that she's talking with superheroes or Asgardians. Maybe even both!

Achilles has posed:
    Lifting his hands in defense, Achilles states, "Thor? I only know -of- the man. But what I have heard is.." and the screeching crunching crash sound makes his eyes flicker upwards. "Damnit." he mutters as he starts striding forwards. He's not strong. Can't stop the truck. But he starts trying to divert people potentially in its path. "Come on people! Move!" he yells.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Ah, I imagine this 'San Fransisco' of yours must be a beautiful land?" Heidi doesn't seem to surprised when Christine seems interested in Asgard. "Ah, Prince Thor? I have never met him personally, though I wrote a poem about--" She looks up at the sound of the truck, genuinely surprised. "Is... that supposed to come this direction?" Midgard is weird, she can't always tell what's normal and what isn't.

But as Achilles yells for people to get out of the way and they scramble to do so, it's not the people nearby that are in trouble. The truck, fishtailing, hits another lamppost with a resounding crunch, and tips over, landing on its side with a loud crash. While no one nearby is hurt, it looks like, it's hard to see the fate of the driver, the passenger side against the ground and the driver's side door smashed in. There's still the familiar rumble of the engine... it's still rumbling. And smoking.

Christine Lake has posed:
So wrapped up in the possibility of meetin actual superheroes, Christine didn't notice the sounds of the impending crash. But once the truck hits the lightpost, her fangirling ends abruptly and she looks over to the scene, just as shocked as the others. "Oh my God!" she gasps. Achilles is guiding people to safety, and Christine feels the need to do something; especially since she has powers. her first instinct is to grow so that she has the strength needed to handle the truck. But since Heidi just talked abour *Prince* Thor, she probably has enough strength for that. And it looks like the running engine might make things worse...

Christine takes off running towards the gathering press of onlookers. Suddenly, she seems to disappear. But she's not invisible, just very, very small. Now at a fraction of an inch high. She's able to manuever and leap onto the crushed door of the truck without anyone seeing her. And she's easily able to get inside the cab. Even in her small size, she still has her normal strength, so she gets behind one post of the ignition switchand works at shutting the engine off.

Achilles has posed:
    As the individual with the least amount of powers present, Achilles is on crowd control. He knows how to pitch his voice to carry over the din of battle, and how to give that -look- of authority. This man has spent time in leadership roles for sure.
    But... when the crash finishes, he turns and starts to approach. A walk at first, and then a run as he moves to try to find a way to get whomever is inside the truck out of it.
"Hold on!" he calls out, "We're coming!" He has no costume. And no real powers for this. But... he has one of the most important powers to this situation. He... can't... die. So he is fearless about running in where a truck may explode. He jumps up onto the framework and peers down into the truck, having no idea there is a pint sized superheroine with him. He peers inside to try to save whomever might be there.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Okay, I am very certain it's not supposed to do /that/..." Heidi gets to her feet, ready to do what's necessary. She doesn't rush in, however, mostly because she's uncertain of the dangers of what's going on. So she approaches cautiously just as the engine is shutting off. Well, it's not making noises now, just smoking. Oh, hell. She runs forward towards the side of the truck, looking briefly to Achilles. She's not sure where Christine went, so she'll figure that she's fine.

"I'm going to push this back up, you might want to hold on to something." Achilles might be able to get the man out, but Heidi is going to push the truck up where it's easier to move it out.

Christine Lake has posed:
With her small size, Christine isn't seen as she jumps off the steering column and lands on the driver's seat. The man is unconscious, so she pushes the mechanism to release his seat belt. To Achilles, it's like the belt decided to release on it's own. And without much else to do there, Christine climbs back out of the cab and jumps away.

Finding a secluded spot away from the crowd, Christine returns to her normal height, crouching behind a large bush. She runs back to the scene, breathign heavily from all the exertion and running she's done. Then, she takes out her phone and starts recording the rest of the rescue; this is going to make her friends back home so jealous if a real superhero shows up!

Achilles has posed:
    The definition of Superhero is a variable one, one that is defined differently from one person to the next. Achilles muscles the guy up and out the window just as Heidi says she will be righting the truck. So he holds the guy and braces his own arm around a support strut. "Go!" he calls out to Heidi and once the truck ends up back on its wheels, he says, "Take him." as he leans out and holds the man out. It does take effort since.. you know.. not super duper strong. But once the Asgardian has the guy, he'll jump down and look back at the truck to try to see if he thinks it might be exploding.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi certainly doesn't consider herself a superhero. She is, however, promptly moving to the side of the truck and slowly pushing it back up onto its wheels. At the very least it /looks/ impressive. Once it's righted, she moves and takes the unconcious man almost effortlessly from Achilles. She moves to the grass, laying him down after giving him a quick look over to make sure he's fine. "He'll be alright, he seems unharmed."

The truck, thankfully, doesn't have a running engine anymore which certainly reduces the risk of being on fire. Fuel doesn't seem to be leaking either. There's a little smoke, sure, but it doesn't seem to be actively creating more. Heidi glances at the truck, then back around. "Whose job is it to clean up these messes?"

Christine Lake has posed:
Christine dutifully films Heidi righting the truck, gasping at the display of strength. She joins in the cheers as the driver is set on the ground, unharmed. The sound of sirens grows louder s emergency services start to arrive, answering Heidi's question. Christine runs up to the blonde woman, phone still recording. "Hey! What's your name? You said that Thor is your Prince, so does that mean you're an Asgardian as well?" So many questions...

Achilles has posed:
    Happy to let Heidi be the hero on site, Achilles jumps down and brushes his hands off on his sweatpants legs. He steps away and pulls his phone out with the intent of dialing 911. But...
    Then he hears the sirens. "Oh good, emergency personnel are almost here." he says. His voice has just the hint of an English accent. He moves to crouch beside the unconscious man, reaching to feel for a pulse as if to just confirm the truth of what Heidi said.. not a lack of trust, just wanting to be able to say he checked later. He nods then and smiles up to Heidi. "Well, your Prince would be proud of you. You saved this man's life."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi almost seems confused as to them making her out to be the one who really helped, but she's distracted by Christine's questions. "Ah, yes. Heidi, daughter of Inger, of Asgard." She introduces herself. "I am here as part of my pursuit to become a Valkyrie." She does give a glance towards Achilles though, looking amused.

"Perhaps it is as you say, but I do not find thois so impressive a feat for me to have done." She gestures in his direction. "You got him out of there, it should be you whose praises they sing."

Christine Lake has posed:
NYPD shows up and starts their crowd control proceedures, telling everyone to move back. Meanwhile Christine continues to gush over the Valkyrie-In-Training. "Well, yeah. He helped get the guy out. But you turned over a whole truck by yourself! You could have ripped the door off and gotten the driver out." She's still filming this, although she is moving the video between Heidi and Achilles. "What's your name?" she asks the blonde man. "And did you know Heidi before all this happened? You were asking her about her flying horse."

Achilles has posed:
    Standing back up, his running outfit now a bit stained, the jacket unzipped to reveal the thin tanktop he is wearing beneath it, Achilles glances towards the camera and -almost- sighs. But, he restrains it and offers a smile. In that lightly accented voice, he says, "I am Angelo. Just a bystander who ran into the Vlakyrie to be twice before today. Once was the other day when she had her flying horse here in the park. Beautiful and majestic creature." he adds.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I suppose I am unused to how difficult things are for Midgardians. It seems as if I have done nothing yet I am lauded as a hero," Heidi laughs suddenly. "It's not as if I mind the attention, it is still just a strange thing to me." She glances towards Achilles as he proclaims himself 'just a bystander'. Yes, he's certainly getting a /look/ for that.

"I did bring Eira here the other day, yes. I may have startled a few residents of the city, but I think everyone took it well."

Christine Lake has posed:
Christine returns her focus to Heidi, continuing to film. "Maybe it's strange to you; but humans once worshiped you as Gods because you're so much more powerful by your nature. And you're using your power to help people. That what makes you a hero. But, are you going to try and join the Aveners or the Justice League? When you said you were trying to become a valkyrie, what do you have to do to achieve that? even if you become a valkyrie, are you going to stay on Earth? Midgard...whatever you call the world."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Jessica can't claim spider sense tingling or extra special psyche powers when she sees, a. A knot of people congesting the street, b. Police cars, c. An overturned vehicle, and comes to the conclusion that someone with powers that most people don't possess are about. It's daytime, working hours so Jessica conforms to the norm, perhaps leaning towards the chic in skinny black jeans, brown knee high boots and a camel hair coat over a cabled sweater. Her working gear is in an oversized bag.

A glimpse of blond hair tells her she is on the right track. Winding her way through the crowd, she saunters up to Heidi and Achilles and greets them both with a knowing up nod that turns into a smile. "Busy, are we? Greetings Heidi, Angelo. What happened?"

Achilles has posed:
    Just a -bit- of rankling in Achilles's mind comes with the.. -as- gods. It's not that they were treated -as- gods.. they -are- gods. They -were- gods? Either way, he is a demigod so yeah. He knows better than to dismiss such beings as just powerful and not divine. Either way, he stands up and steps back from the situation.
    As Jessica approaches, he grins impishly and says, "Well, look who's here." as he offers a hand, "How are you Jessica?"
    For the most part, he moves to try to guide Jessica away from where the emergency personnel will be surrounding with tape and such. In reality, he's -trying- to not be the focus of attention here.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi seems puzzled at the suggestion. "Join a team?" She offers Christine a smile. "Ah, I see, you are confused. Lady Sif, Prince Loki, Prince Thor... those are Asgardians of a much higher station. They are fierce and strong and certainly ones that poems are written about." She gestures to herself. "While I have trained for hundreds of years in my quest to become a Valkyrie, I have yet to become one. I train the pegasi of Asgard. I am certain that my skills will pale in comparison to many of the mighty warriors here."

She looks back to Jessica, then to Achilles, then back to Jessica, then to the truck. "It fell over, I put it back."

Christine Lake has posed:
"Well, Angello showed that to be a hero, you just need to want to help. You seem to want that too. And even if you're 'just' an Asgardian, that's still a bit more powerful than a normal human. And I think with all that training, you'd be a great addition to a team." At any rate, Christine stops recording and lowers her phone, smiling at Heidi. "I really mean that, you know. Maybe you're not the strongest Asgardian or the best fighter, but you still have more power than an average human. And you can do more good in a group than you can on your own, right?" She smiles and shrugs. "Just something to think about."

Jessica Drew has posed:
"When problems are tough on the level of alien invasions, let say. Groups have their place," Jessica's posh English accent slightly toned down from living on the west, is friendly. "But some of us are loners or prefer to only team work when the need arises. Though, I must say, the Angelo and I, and Heidi working together of late has been efficient and fun!"

Achilles has posed:
    "As a former soldier, I can tell you that teamwork is an important thing for accomplishing any task. But there are times when a team will not be there and if you cannot trust yourself, then you won't get anywhere." admits Achilles.
    "I believe that when a team is like a family, that is when it is more than -just- a team. And friends are the family you choose."
    That said, Achilles shrugs his shoulders and looks to Christina, "Are you by any chance studying Journalism?"

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi tilts her head to the side, looking at Christine with a look of confusion, amusement, and joyful exciting. "I shall certainly take your suggestion into consideration." She's no Thor, but she'll go where she can help the most. "Although, while I did say I am not the best I mean that in that I am not /yet/ the best. We all have room for improvement."

She nods once at Jessica and Achilles each. "I will admit that it has been very enjoyable. I have been very impressed at the skill I have witnessed. I wasn't sure what to expect of some Midgardians... but I have enjoyed what I've seen." On the subject of teams, though, she grins. "You should see what it's like when the Valkyries come together as one, flying down from the skies upon our enemies..."

Christine Lake has posed:
The question from Achilles/Angello catches Christine by surprise, and she blinks and laughs. "What? No, I'm just a high school sudent. And this is just, you know...for YouTube. Something to make my friends a bit jealous. We all hear about superheroes and see footage on TV, but we really don't get to see them up close out West. And this is my first time ever in New York, and I run into an Asgardian and a trafic accident." She smiles and shrugs. "I don't think taking video to make your friends all jeally of your luck really counts as 'reporting', you know?"

Jessica Drew has posed:
"Hello," Jessica directs the greeting with a nod to the young woman talking to the two tall blond beauties that garner looks from people as they pass by. "Are you a member of a team then? Watch out you don't make them go viral."

A thoughtful look softens her smile as she considers Achilles a moment, "A soldier who carries a shield..." She seems on the verge of saying more but stops herself before saying to Heidi, "A host of your kind would be breathtaking, to say the least."

Achilles has posed:
    "Well, a true soldier should fight to defend, not to attack." admits Achilles with a shrug. "So a military could be referred to -as- a shield. But.." he glances to Heidi and nods, "Us Midgardians.. or just mortals, are not as strong -or- tough as you and yours. At best, I think the world record for lifting strength is something around a thousand pounds.. or five hundred kilograms... ish. So..." he gestures at Heidi, "None of us could have righted that truck."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi looks at Christina, nodding along for a moment. "Ah, I don't know half of those words, but I do understand the importance of making your friends envious of your exploits." She shrugs. "So if my chatter has helped your social endevour, I am certainly glad to be of assistance."

There's a quick look to Jessica. "Well, I'll have to see if I can do something about that sometime." She's not sure /how/ she'll accomplish it, but the motivation is there. Achilles is also given a look. "But Midgardians can be fast and capable. Strength is /not/ my strong suit, I have not trained in particular in that area other than what is necessary as any warrior wanting to defend Asgard."

She gestures at the truck. "That... not what I'm good at." Which begs the question... "I am far better at a bow."

Christine Lake has posed:
"Well, I was on a cheerleading tem," Christine responds to Jessica. "And i'm sure that's not the kind of team you meant. Lilke I said, I'm just a high sschool student. Nothing special." Pause, "Okay, I need to go. But it was an awesome experience! I hope you guys stay safe here!" And with a wave, Christine runs off towards her hotel, anxious to get her video edited and uploaded.

Jessica Drew has posed:
"High school students," Jessica comments shaking her head midway between admiration and disbelief. "You understand wanting to make your friends jealous?" Her gaze moves between the two, "Did you go to high school, Angelo? I didn't and I don't believe Heidi did either unless Valhalla has schools and cheerleaders. I didn't understand cheerleaders until someone explained them to me." Gesturing to the crowd, "Want to get away from all the noise?"

Achilles has posed:
    "In her culture.." Achilles says, gesturing to Heidi, "Bragging and one upmanship is a good thing. It is a part of the entertainment and ingrained into their behavior. There is nothing wrong with it. It is just not how modern America thinks of doing things." he says before shrugging his shoulders and glancing towards the departing Christine.
    "Huh." he says, not voicing his inner thoughts. But then he slides his eyes to Jessica and gives his best smile, "I did attend school in London before relocating here to the States. Yes. But cheerleaders are a truly American thing."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Ah, but Valhalla is where heroes are brought when they die. Sometimes Valkyries are sent to escort one to its Halls." Heidi chuckles. "It would be silly to have a school there. But in Asgard there were schools. Nothing like what you have here. I don't believe they even teach everything they should."

Seconds later, though, Heidi grins from ear to ear. "You think I don't like to brag about the fact that I am the only one /other/ than the Valkyries who gets the honor of being atop a pegasus? Hard to train them without riding them, and it certainly makes most anyone envious." She nods towards Achilles. "You have the right of it. Celebrating in your achievements and challenging others to keep up with you."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Narrowing her eyes at Achilles, Jessica jams her hands into her pockets. Socially awkward Jessica may be but it doesn't preclude hearing obfuscation. She can't pin it down. Heidi forthrightness is much simpler and she returns that brag with a grin. "I hope I get to see Pegasus, is it? And, my mistake, Asgard not Valhalla. I was brought up to believe that bragging is not 'done.'" She shrugs, "I didn't think they had that right."

Achilles has posed:
    Nodding to Heidi with a grin, Achilles shrugs his shoulders. "Valhalla, but also Folksvang, yes? Freya's hall?" he asks. "The stories say that Odin and Freya -share- the valiant dead. Are they correct?" he asks, trying to keep the focus on Heidi or rather... OFF of him. That's all.
    But the look he gives Jessica is a smile, but the eyes are saying silently, 'what?'

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I am certain if you hang around me for long enough you will certainly see a pegasus," Heidi agrees, looking at Jessica. "I suppose I could understand how bragging might be looked down upon by Midgard. But it is with the spirit of the thing that matters. If I were to tell you my accomplishments, it is with the hope that it will inspire you to bigger and better things, to ensure that you share in the joy with what I have achieved. It is not to inflict some harm upon another."

Perhaps Heidi is noticing that Achilles is dodging /something/, but she's been asked a question and so she dutifully answers it. "You are correct. All-Father and All-Mother." She then crosses her arms over her chest, looking between the two of them. "You know," she starts. "I often find I feel wonderful when I... what's the Midgardian term... 'get something off my chest'."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Angelo receives an eye roll and a scoffing, "What?" Horses, horses that fly in the middle of New York City stand more of a chance of receiving a straight up answer, her averted gaze from Achilles seems to say.

"Yes, I heartily agree. A frank brag and the full truth are much better ways of going about things. I feel much better when I get something off my chest." Jessica's chicly booted foot taps the sidewalk.

Achilles has posed:
    For a long pregnant moment, Achilles is silent. He shifts his eyes from one of the ladies to the other, and then skyward. After a moment, he chuckles before it turns into a full on belly laugh. A laugh that has an interesting sound with his baritone voice.
    But he ends up shaking his head and then sighs as his laughter ebbs, tears sparkling his eyes from the humor of it all. "Forgive me." he says, "I am not laughing at either of you. Just at the hilarity of it all. I have been working on a way to announce myself to the world. But doing it for two lovely young ladies in the park like thieves in the night... was not my plan."
    He rolls his neck, and then activates his bracers with his will... shield manifesting, and then helmet.. breastplate, greaves, armored skirt, and spear. "When I say young ladies, I mean it. My name is Achilles of Pithia."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Ah!" Heidi is all smiles, joyful and jubilant. "See, is it so hard to let it all go? Being forthcoming and honest is a good way to make strong friends and allies." She glances back towards Jessica, then at Achilles again. "Well then, well met, Achilles of Pithia." She looks around for a moment, as if to check to see if someone is around. "If I may ask... why so secretive?"

She shakes her head. "I am not fond of how many seem to hide who they are, afraid to be their true selves. Would it not be better for friends and allies to meet, stripped of secrets so all are equal? Perhaps this is a Midgardian thing."

Jessica Drew has posed:
Already of imposing height and build, Achilles in full armor leaves Jessica gaping for a moment. "Achilles of Pithia? The Achilles? It..." She massages her temple a moment. "It explains a lot. Also, why you were so secretive. Rightly, so." Closing the distance between them, she quite uncharacteristically slips her hand under his cheek guard and looks up at him then smiles. "It suits you but will create quite the hubbub. Thanks for trusting us." Looking back over her shoulder at Heidi, "I believe he trusts you. You bring it out in people."

Achilles has posed:
    Nodding to Jessica, Achilles turns his helmeted head towards Heidi. "I tried to hide my identity because.. well I have done it far more successfully in the past. For three thousand years that is. I must say, were my heel truly a weakness, I might fear your archery my lady." he says to Heidi, a half smirk visible through the helmet.
    "But... the man I once was, was utterly consumed with the seeking of battle for the sake of battle, glory for the sake of glory, and foes for the sake of killing to earn the glory that he sought so desperately." He shakes his head. "After ten years of nothing but killing, I had enough. But... how do you show yourself and claim that you were the mythical man who killed so many defenders of a city whose only crime was for their prince to love a woman who loved him back?"
    He sighs and re-activates his armor and gear, withdrawing them back into his bracers and leaving him clad as he was before. "How do you make up for being a murderous glory-seeking killer? How many centuries of fighting only to defend, of helping resist tyrants... of seeking redemption, will it take to forgive... myself?" he asks.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi moves in Achilles' direction for a moment, simply to get a better look at the armor. After all, the implications were that he was /rather/ old. She nods slowly in agreement with Jessica. "Your trust is treasured, friend. I am not sure what I have done to earn it from you, but I am honored all the same." Even when she's serious there seems to be the tiniest look on her face as if she were just on the urge of smiling.

It remains there, some kind of hopeful look as she listens to the story he tells. "I have learned, friend, that regardless of one's past there can always be redemption. There are times we all fight on the wrong side. Sometimes for the right reasons on the wrong side, or the wrong reasons on the right side. But life is not cruel enough not to grant us second chances. It matters not your deeds in the past, but your desires and how you carry them into the future."

There's a long pause. "As for forgiveness, forgiving yourself is a long road. I find, however, that good friends and allies lighten it for me as I walk that road. Perhaps the same will be true for you."

Achilles has posed:
    "I must admit that all of my life, I suffered from an entire inability to stand on the sidelines as Americans say." Achilles shrugs and looks from one to the other. "In the end, I believe that the struggle to find forgivenenss is more important than the destination. Seeking it eternally is all that matters." he says softly.

Jessica Drew has posed:
One arched eyebrow slides into a suppressed smile as Jessica looks between the two. Stepping back, the young woman, mere mutant and not the stuff of gods or demi-gods, cants her head to one side, "She's not wrong. You've been on a long lonely road towards atoning for that pride. If you ask me, it's a moot point. Now, could you live with yourself if you weren't helping people?"