304/Food is the Bestest

Food is the Bestest
Date of Scene:	05 March 2020
Location:	Bronx
Synopsis:	Two Nosy Valkyries hassle Alexander
Cast of Characters:	Alexander Aaron, Sif, Heidi Ingerdottir

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Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Later that same evening...

    "Alright," Alexander Aaron starts his life lesson with a casual tone, there in the mild hustle and bustle of Minero's Brazilian Barbecue. It hadn't taken long to get over there, to find that small restaurant's storefront with the look of a butchery to it with all sorts of cuts of meat in the window. Then it was down the steps and into the place itself, meeting the hostess and standing there with a slight sardonic smile, while the two Asgardian women /towered/ behind him. "Three please."
    Off to their alcove in a booth with a pair of curtains there which allow it to be closed off from the restaurant in general. It's there in that booth that Alexander Aaron, Olympian Extraordinaire, regales Sif and Heidi with the proper etiquette of the Brazilian BBQ.
    "So, we're getting all you can eat, which is what it sounds like. They'll keep bringing us food until we tell them to stop. Also if we want salad fixings and things..." He leeeeeans out of the booth and points toward the salad bar which also has some entree bits, "We go get it ourselves. But here is the key to all this." And that's when he reaches across the table to grab the small pair of flags on a wooden mechanism.
    "So, we're hungry. And we want meat, right?" He flips a switch with a green button and a green flag pops out to extend into the aisle, clearly showing a likely server that they're hungry.
    "Now once we get full we hit this button." He taps the red and a red flag trades places with the other. "And that's to say we're done for now. We can hang out here as long as we like and it's pretty nifty."
    That having been said he hits the button and the green flag pops out. "So yeah. That's how it works." And through that all the courtly manner of the youth was no longer there, more his natural voice as it were. But hey, who can blame him?

Sif has posed:
Seated as comfortably as can be managed in her silvery armor, Sif does have to angle her sheathed sword off to one side in order to not have the scabbard jab at shins or ribs accidentally. Admittedly, she'd still been dubious about the entire affair, but Alexander's offer had seemed kind and couched in the propriety of courtly honor. That, and Brazilian BBQ did sound intriguing. Her eyes follow where directed to the salad bar and then to the two little wooden signaling blocks.

"That is simple and yet effective. I approve," she says with a glance over at Heidi. Her eyes return to Alexander quickly enough, cool and pale but not unfriendly. "Are they aware of the volume of food we might consume? Mine own favored restaurant knows to stock up on certain days. This seems a nice establishment; I would dislike leaving them feeling as it they were not prepared."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Certainly a convenient way to get your meal," Heidi agrees as she seats herself, thankful that her armor is just a touch less unweildy than Sif's. "Lady Sif has a point. We Asgardians have an appetite that exceeds the average Midgardian. It would be unfortunate if there was a shortage merely from our presense."

She looks between Alexander and Sif. "It is certainly good to share a meal with friends, though, is it not?" Apparently she's already considering Alexander a friend. Or... she just calls everyone friend until proven otherwise.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    In truth the hostess had sort of given the eye to the two Asgardians, garbed in armor and ready for battle as they were. And if the horses were hitched up outside that might be an even more interesting thing for them, for assuredly there will be people taking pictures and videos and posting them up on social media.
    But inside the restaurant, with the alcove as it is, they have the freedom and privacy needed so that they're not being stared at constantly at least. That having been said, Alexander looks between them. "Well. I sort of know the owner and his family, just because." Their daughters are fairly cute, "But don't worry. My dad used to eat here and at times he'd really put it away." And he'd pay extra, but still.
    The waitress, of course, chooses that moment to appear and smiles to them, asking in accented English for their drink orders even as she deposits several plates there for them. Then she's off once again to fill their orders as Alexander rolls to his feet. "C'mon."

Sif has posed:
Sif, at least, had left Typhon on a nearby rooftop and deigned to descend via fire escape ladder as to spare him the stress of unknown bodies nearby -- and potential injury to overly curious unknown bodies, given a war-pegasus is no one to trifle with.

""Ah, good then," replies Sif as to the restaurant owners being aware of supernatural stomachs. "I am not concerned at this point." When the waitress arrives, the Aesir warrior asks after a pitcher of water rather than anything alcoholic, and the pitcher to herself alone.

Armor rings quietly as she rises after picking up a plate and pauses as not to leave Heidi behind. Then, following along, she persuses the salad bar with the rest of the small group. A broad variety of vegetables is dotted here and there with ribs glazed in sauce and chicken shredded as well as some rice samplings. Sif takes a bit of everything in what appears to be a heaping plate for a standard human being: this is a small serving for her, in the end. "This rice smells of an herb used in the gyros," she notes to Heidi in particular. "I believe it is called oregano. I do enjoy it."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
As caretaker of the pegasi, Heidi had made sure both of the steeds had been made comfortable before they made their way there. She does, in fact, look a little out of sorts figuring out what everything is. It's easier seeing ingredients separately and determining what she does and doesn't recognize, but for the most part she's still getting used to a lot of Midgardian cuisine. She shoots Sif an almost grateful glance at the simple explanation. She's got no words to explain the taste of things yet. Now she has one. /Oregano/.

She takes to the salad bar to fill up a plate, trying a little of everything, before she returns to her seat and peering between Alexander and Sif. "A good choice, I'd say. I have been enjoying Midgardian cuisine a lot more than I expected. The brief times I've come down before were too brief to catch a meal."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Yeah, I like this sort of food because it's fast, fairly inexpensive, and there's a lot of it. Also, it's tasty." Alexander comes back with a plate mainly having some curried chicken and rice, and a good side bit of the salsa as well as some plantains. He skids back into the seat and unwraps the paper napkin from his fork and knife, setting the napkin in his lap. For a brief moment Alexander smiles, getting a small mischievous look in those pale blue-green eyes. A glance is flitted between the two of them as he asks, "So, you guys have beautiful mounts. Pegasi right?"
    He takes up his fork and digs into the rice and curry as he asks, "So, isn't that like cultural appropriation?" As he asks with a grin, perhaps not serious, perhaps teasing, but curious all the same.
    Then the server comes by with a gigantic skewer with a large shank of beef on it seasoned, sizzling, with fat dripping down its side. "Hey, Miguel. Just assume each time you bring something by we all want two slices?"
    "Sure thing, Big Al." Says Miguel who sets the skewer partly on the table and starts to shave off some good cuts of beef. Then he'll move on.
    And Alex sorta peers after Miguel, brow furrowed. "What is it with the short jokes today?"

Sif has posed:
"It is difficult to find time to sit and appreciate it, yes. Many a time, my stays here too were brief, errands to find an individual and speak to them before returning to Asgard, or to see that my Midgardians friends were well without causing a stir. I have been very lucky as of late to find time to spend hunting out proper cuisine," the Goddess of War replies in light of Heidi's words. A fork taken to her plate means she begins sampling each serving with appropriate expressions for like or dislike of the taste.

"We do have the mounts, yes, they are of great size and display." Sif frowns. Miguel, however, arrives with meat and patiently, the Lady waits until the server departs before noting blithely, "Given the pegasi have existed for longer than both of our cultures combined, I disagree. One cannot claim to have invented art or music without appearing as if they move to buffer their own self-esteem." Her smile is small, but present in return.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I've only briefly visited before, but I believe my time has been well-spent, then and now. I have aided some and I have learned a lot. I am certain I could spend many years simply trying all of the things Midgard has to offer," Heidi says, taking a chance to try a few bites of things. She seems to appropriately like everything. The mention of pegasi gets Heidi's eyes to light up.

"I was telling the other Olympian that I was not entirely certain their exact origins, but he said he thought that they had all died out. He seemed quite excited to see one." She pauses. "I would offer his name, but he seemed quite uncomfortable with others knowing his identity and while I do not agree with the idea of hiding one's true self, I respect his privacy." She then pauses, that glint in her eyes again.

"Those steeds are the most majestic creatures I have seen in my life and I have seen some /majestic/ creatures. It is my honor to train them."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Even though Alexander is playing a small game with Sif, Heidi's good humor is infectious. He takes a moment to look across the table at her and then says, "Don't worry, a lot of us Olympians sorta have... a not so positive feeling about other Olympians. So it's ok."
    Then his attention turns to Sif and what is a little wordplay at dinner, "As to that, Lady Sif," Alexander says with a casual aplomb, smiling happily into his curry as he lightly stabs a piece of chicken and imbibes, then adds, "I was perhaps more thinking the particular breed. My grandfather made some noises at one point about granting them as a gift to Odin some ages past."
    He stabs a piece of the sirloin cuts off a piece of it, then tosses it in his mouth and... just takes a moment to savor it, chewing and swallowing and making a small 'mmmm' of sound as truly it's sooo good. Perfectly seasoned, fatty, and seems to just melt away upon the tongue. Delicious.
    So much that it's able to sidetrack Alexander's train of thought as he shakes his head and returns to the moment.
    "Though, perhaps, you are comfortable calling Zeus a fibber." Which, to be fair considering the myths surrounding the being it wouldn't be too far of a stretch. But the pure mirth and mischievousness in Alexander's eyes might give them some insight into his motives, laying this too casual verbal trap before them.

Sif has posed:
"Privacy is to be respected," the Goddess of War agrees. "I thought I had heard tales of their great loss, but to have it confirmed...we are blessed to have the pegasi." She looks over at her fellow Asgardian with a pleased curl of lips. "Lady Heidi is responsible for their training, yes, and they are the pride of the Valkyriad. They arrive in their riders' hands with only the most personal addendums to be learned, those which their rider prefers. Typhon was a handful, but I adore him so." That sassy stallion, man. Sif drinks deeply of her water, directly from the pitcher, and then glances up at Alexander again.

"You seek to put words in my mouth, young Alexander. I am reminded of someone dear to me." Her eyes narrow whilst her lips pinch against a grin.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Maybe Heidi is unaware of the game going on. More likely, though, she doesn't care in favor of having a pleasant meal with pleasant company. So, given that, she carries on without fully playing into the game at all. "I have not fully studied the history of the Olympians, though from what I can tell both cultures go back millenias, it may go so far back that it is impossible to tell where /anything/ originates." She pauses. "I think I will need a book on Olympian history, if I am to be a proper friend to its people."

She is doing a remarkably well job of shoveling food into her mouth but managing to look quite graceful doing it. How she does is a mystery, but she's able to pack quite a bit in a short period of time. "You know, one thing I really appreciate about Midgard is just how forthcoming its people are." Wait, is that supposed to be sarcasm? It doesn't sound like it, not even remotely, but it's a statement she certainly doesn't agree with.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    There's a touch of the formality that returns to Alexander's voice as he replies to Sif, "You grant me a kindness." And as easy as that the verbal sortie is over, dispatched as quickly as a foe who dares raise hand against Sif. It allows him to look over toward Heidi and tell her, "You're very lucky. I've encountered many creatures in my short lifespan so far, and your mounts are indeed beautiful." His lips part as if about to say something else, but then he stifles it...
    And is saved by Miguel again this time with an entire skewer of chicken wings wrapped in bacon. He starts taking off six of them and sets two on each of their plates before making his way again.
    When Heidi makes her foray into sarcasm or what appears to be such, Alexander looks at in a puzzled way. "Who have you been talking to?" He asks, legitimately biting on that conversational foray offered there.

Sif has posed:
Sif can't help the knowing side-glance at her fellow Asgardian. The purling of her lips breaks to something quick and dimpled, enough to perk her cheeks, before her more reserved mask returns.

Alexander gets a nod in return, just deep enough to insinuate a fencer honoring the end of a bout. "And you grant me one in return, young Alexander," she replies with a softer edge to her own formality. The chicken wings wrapped in bacon are absolutely novel and she plucks at it at first to see what the color of the meat is beneath the outer porcine coating.

Mmm, bacon. Sif now has a new favorite place to eat. The raven-haired Valkyrie decides to remain quiet rather than chime in about Midgardian sarcasm. Instead, wearing a serene mask, she glances between Heidi and Alexander, curious to see what this discussion will evolve into given the young man's earlier conversational foray.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi blinks. She blinks again, scrunching up her face before she realizes that her attempt at humor fell flat. "What? Oh. I mean the opposite. Midgardians are very good at hiding things and it's incredibly frustrating at times. I am not very fond of it."

It's not that she doesn't like word games, it's more that she doesn't like ones that aren't /fun/. "But that's another matter entirely unrelated to this delicious food." She goes for the food that's presented to her as if nothing out of the ordinary was said moments before.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Perhaps Alexander shares a glance with Sif, but it is a kind one, aided in its gentle approval with a warm smile that likely conveys the message to the Goddess of War, 'I like your friend.' But then he turns back and says, "I'm glad you're enjoying it, Heidi. This is like..." He looks up and around at the place, then back towards the two Asgardians, "My favorite place to come to when I'm feeling down or grumpy."
    At that he gives a nod and eats some of the chicken, when Miguel makes his third appearance.
    "Pork sausage?"
    "Please."
    And several links are deposited on their plates on the table before the server is off once again to spread more food about the place.
    After chewing for a good bit of time and swallowing, Alexander asks. "So what brings you both here? A visit or do you have duties?" Then there's a quirk of his eyebrow, "I hope I'm not keeping you from something important."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Do you often eat when you are in an unpleasant mood? I just tend to eat when I am hungry. I can imagine that it could be useful, should you be both hungry and in need of something that you enjoy for comfort," Heidi does seem to understand the general concept. "I like to write when I feel like that. It helps."

She chews on a piece of sausage before she looks back across the table. "If it were important, we would not be here," she points out, a grin touching her features. "While I cannot speak to Lady Sif's own personal intentions, I am here to pursue the chance to become a Valkyrie... and to help where I am needed."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Not so much the food." Alexander says as he leans there as Sif makes her way back towards the buffet. He leans back against the wall and props one of his feet up on the benchseat next to him. "More the people here are nice, and they know me, and don't mind that I have weird friends." His lip twitches a little at having just maybe called the two of them weird.
    His lips part as if he was about to say something else, yet then his thoughts are caught on something she says. So he asks, "What is it you write?"
    For now the thought of his own line of inquiry is forgotten. The idea of observing the needed forms of etiquette to inquire and extract the most information from another? Lost by the wayside as he tilts his head one way, almost like a curious canine.
    "Poetry?" He hazards a guess.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"So when you are down or feel grumpy you seek out those around you who make you feel at home," Heidi concludes, gesturing around her. "I, too, understand that feeling. Although sometimes those people are horses." If she caught the bit about being weird, it's not commented on. Perhaps she relishes being weird.

"Ah, yes, you've got it," she says after a moment. "I /happen/ to be fairly well known in Asgard for it. The poetry I've written about adventures in Midgard are well-loved. Prince Thor and Prince Loki have been the subject of many pieces. Lady Sif as well."

There's a wide grin. "So prolific is my work they started to call me 'Saga'. I am both pleased and terribly embarrassed about it. Being known for poetry is far different than being known for you skill in battle, or even your skill with pegasi."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A small 'hnh' comes from Alexander as he smiles down at his plate, cutting up a sausage into pieces as Miguel brings some garlic steak to the table, shaving off pieces and depositing them with no sign of stopping anytime in the near future. Off into circulation he goes leaving Alexander and Heidi to chat.
    "You struck me as a poet." Though after having said those words he lifts his gaze up and across the way. "Though I've only known..." His eyes lift and slip to the side as he considers his memory and he says, "Two? No three I think. One is a kid at this school I go to." He offers that small bit of insight.
    "My uncle said once that he loved poets. That they were..." Again his eyes distance as he tries to recall. "Musicians with words? Or Magicians with words? Something along those lines."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I play the lyre too," Heidi offering at the mention of musicians. "I like to think of poetry as a painter with words, or maybe a weaver. A great tapestry of words that slowly move a thread through to the end to create something beautiful that you might only see when you step back."

She peers over. "Perhaps you should encourage your friends in their art, then. I have not seen many poets in Midgard. It sounds like society here does not appreciate art in the same way as in Asgard. Not that it is all gone, just... not as commonplace."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "I think," Alexander pushes around some food on his plate, apparently Olympians don't have quite the same appetite as Asgardians. Or perhaps just Alex doesn't. But he turns to the side and leans back in the booth, settling in with one foot on the seat beside him. Occasionally he takes a sip from his drink and perhaps a bite from the plate of really staggeringly good buttered garlic bread. "That Midgard has sort of left poetry behind in lieu of more modern things. Moving pictures and all, or rapid information things with the internet."
    He smiles a little, "Poetry here can be great, there are some poems that I kind of enjoy. But it's..." He tilts his had, "A sort of lost art form, nowhere the prominence it once had I think."
    "Spoken word, to me, sort of feels different. I feel differently when I read a poem than hear that same poem. Since in my head it is in my own voice, inflections, and I bring more," He pauses and looks over at his plate, "More of myself to it?"
    Alexander looks back at her, shrugs.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"It seems sad, to lose an art form that's..." Heidi's trying to think of a world without poetry and it's making her sad. So she stops thinking about it and moves on. "When you read a poem, you're experiencing what the writer did, even when the words are not the ones you penned yourself. It has deep meaning. Sometimes secrets are shared between writer and speaker that no other will ever know."

She's got an amused grin. "Perhaps you should read some of the old ones written about Olympians and see how they make you feel."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Ah," Alexander's smile is there, a little wry as he lifts an eyebrow, "I've..." He brushes fingertips across the table and then streeeeeetches out his arms, "Sorta never read them. I've read summaries." He looks to the side, "I am of conflicted emotions in their case." He seems about to start to tell more, his lips parting, a breath drawn. But then he stops, "None of it super interesting."
    That said he tears off a little more of the garlic bread, twisting it between two fingertips before popping it into is mouth. "But Asgard, you are a people, a culture. You spread your history by tales and poems. You are a living thriving culture."
    He uncurls his hand to her, "My family, we are Greek yes. But we are not /the/ Greeks, if you get my point. We're just..." He crinkles his nose, "A bunch of jerks that sit on a mountain and act smug."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi's smile is amused, but it's not the kind of smile that reeks of finding someone funny as much as enjoying the situation. "Perhaps we are a living culture, yes. We're connected because we continue to be. Because we /try/ to be. You said yourself you've never read them. You have never thought to see what the people you are somehow connected to are like? It seems strange to me not to have the desire to know something that helped create the very person you are even in some way."

She takes a sip from the water glass in front of her. "I am no Prince Thor. No one has written a poem about me and likely no one ever will. My battles will only be remembered by my allies and my friends after I am dead. But who is to say that Midgardians don't remember their heroes in some way? Your legacy is what you make it."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "I still have a good chunk of time, most likely, before I can worry about my legacy." Which then causes the youth a little bit of a hesitation as his eyes distance. Then he sort of slips his eyes to the side a little, then back. "But, I'm familiar with the myths. I've listened to my family tell the tales, which..." To be fair, was one of his favorite times in Olympus. "But then," His smile rises, "There's this phrase 'unreliable narrator.'" He nods slowly and grins. "That's usually what springs to mind when my family sometimes shares their point of view."
    He straightens up and leans forwards, "But enough about my stuff. With the way you fought I am sure there are people on Asgard who speak well and have great tales to weave of Heidi Ingerdottir. At least here on Midgard when I relate the tale I'll try to do you suitable honor."
    A smile is given, gently, but then he clears his throat and adds. "I mean, naturally I'll be the star of the story since I did most of the fighting. But still. A little mention there."
    He holds up a hand, fingers barely an inch apart, "And lo, Alexander Son of Ares slew the creature." Then he lowers his voice to a squeak, "And Heidi Ingerdottir helped."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Your legacy isn't something you do at the end of your life to achieve status, it is the story of your life, the great things you have done for people and learned about yourself," Heidi says, proudly, though she does frown at the 'unreliable narrator'. "People often exaggerate. People would like to seem great. People enjoy the thought of others pleased with their accomplishments. It doesn't mean we cannot learn something from them."

The Asgardian seems a little surprised to have the conversation turned back to her, but she smiles slowly, growing it little by little. "You should know, young Alexander, that if all that history remembers of me is that 'Heidi Ingerdottir helped' and nothing beyond that... it would be the most worthy honor I could ask for."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A small snerf comes from him, a laugh that sort of slips through his nose but without a huge amount of strength behind it. He shakes his head and then looks back toward her sidelong before he murmurs. "You are a credit to your people, Heidi." He takes a deep breath then leans forward against the table a little.
    "I should tell you, before this evening I did not have a positive opinion about your people." He looks down at the plate of depleted garlic bread and pushes it around a little, dabbing his fingertip into some of the butter and then tasting it before continuing. "My experiences were limited to battle. A few years ago while with my father. They were..." She can likely see his features shift a little, drawing inward as if trying to find the right word to perhaps not offend her.
    "Not pleasant. And when the battle was done they were exuberant in the aftermath." He tilts his head to the side, "And that stuck with me. And when I'd see things, like your royalty on the television doing this or that. It just made me feel like they were hiding something. But at least..." He gestures with a nod, "With you, and perhaps Lady Sif. I do not feel you are hiding things. You seem to be genuinely good people."
    He straightens up and smiles a touch, "So I am pleased to have been proven wrong."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
Heidi grins at him. "I always feel like it is worth getting to know more about a person or their people before entirely judging them. I promise I did not judge your people due to your reluctance to accept aid in battle." The last bit is clearly a tease--it's hard to mistake her joking smile from her regular one. "If there is anything I am glad for people to say about me, it is that I am a genuine person. I am not fond of lies or disguises. I do not particularly agree with the way some heroes hide their true selves but I understand their desire for privacy and protection."

She, too, leans in to the table. "Lady Sif is a very good person. She is honorable, strong, and certainly more noble than I'll ever be. Me? I suppose I'm okay."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "A smidge," Alexander says, hand waggling a little bit, "Maybe just a smidge better than okay." He lifts a hand to rub the back of his neck thoughtfully, eyes drifting to the side as he ponders something that from his expression might seem a touch difficult. "Though now, on Monday. I'm gonna have to go back to school and admit to people that I was wrong. Do you realize what that can do to a person's street cred with teenagers?" He nods slowly as if this was some dire heinous thing.
    "Buuut, I suppose it's the honorable thing to do." His nose crinkles as he looks off to the side, not able to see Sif /still/ at the buffet after all this time, those poor poor people. He looks back, "Are you going to be running around Midgard for long or are you heading off back to Asgard soon?"

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I have often found that honesty goes a long way. I have also found that a gracious attitude to a change of heart goes a long way. Perhaps you might try explaining /why/ your mind and heart were changed rather than focusing on the fact that you 'were wrong'. You could brag about how you met the very impressive Lady Sif and her equally impressive companion whose name has been forgotten to history." Heidi is joking again. "But I do not believe you should see it as 'being wrong'. There often is no right or wrong in situations. You based your believe on an event that happened to you personally and had no reason to believe otherwise. You were /misguided/, not wrong."

She shakes her head a little at him. "I am on Midgard for the time being. Granted, I must return to Asgard frequently to oversee the training of the pegasi, but I am spending more time here. I find it enjoyable even if enjoying it is not my purpose here."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A breath is taken as Alexander just smiles while she speaks, lowering his eyes as his smile twists to a smirk when she teases him so casually. He takes a breath and uncurls a hand in her direction as he speaks, "I would, in truth, relate this tale. But to many of them there I am supposed to be just Alexander Aaron, and without my heritage. For they are trying to cultivate an attempt for people of abilities to be brought into the fold. I suppose you'd say. I swore to my father I would obey by their rules..."
    A pause as his eyes lift and slip to the side a little, and to be fair he obeys /most/ of them. Then he looks back to her, "And that includes keeping somewhat a low profile. So for now I cannot tell them of the two wondrous valkyries I met, and their wry attempts at humor about my height. But... I can at the least tell them my opinion changed."
    His eyebrows lift as if offering that middle ground. Then he smiles, "And well if you're here more often, then there's more of a chance we shall run into each other I imagine."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"It is a shame, young Alexander, that you will not tell my tale to your friends. Perhaps just write a poem in secret, to tell of Lady Sif and I," Heidi's joking tone now only sounds half joking. "I understand the need to obey certain rules placed upon you. I do hope, then that they take your confession of 'being wrong' in good faith and understand that you had a good reason for changing your mind."

The broad grin comes back "Do not worry. You shall certainly see me again."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    For a moment Alexander's pale hazel eyes follow along with her, shaking his head a little at the prospect of such a poem composed. He looks away while rubbing a thumb over his chin thoughtfully, then cocks an eyebrow as he looks back.
    "Yes, let me compose my first poem ever about the twin beautiful valkyries and their rushing steeds, flashing swords, and sardonic wit." Alexander leans back and to the side, arms folding over his chest though his expression is crooked and amused, foot settling back on the seat beside him. "Who leapt to my defense in my hour of need, riding forth with battle in mind and steel in hand, their cries both lyrical and imposing, shaking the resolve of those that dared raise hand against them."
    He chuffs and shakes his head, but cheerfully, looking away as if to espy Sif in her efforts, then back to her. But then she mentions he will see her again and he quirks an eyebrow. "Oh?" He reaches forward and grabs the last piece of garlic bread, oh so selfish. "Is that a threat, Lady Ingerdottir?"

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I think that sounds like a wonderful start to an epic poem of adventure," Heidi looks over at him. "You could pen the first poem about my rise to becoming a Valkyrie. None will have come before you, and you would be the only one in all of history to do it. Claim your title, young Alexander." Now she just sounds like she's really having fun.

"Do you want it to be a threat? I could make it a threat. Or a promise. Or a threat and a promise." She reaches over, quickly ripping a piece off his garlic bread and shoving it into her mouth before he can do anything about it. She looks positively /triumphant/.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A snort is given at that prospect, of Alexander becoming a truly terribly great poet or somewhere in the middle there as he shakes his head, "I am afraid I would not be able to capture your unique..." Alex's eyes shift over to her with one eyebrow raised and his lip twisted with a wry smirk as he teases her right back, "Your unique /youness/ in so many words. For that you might need a historian, a biographer, perhaps even an artist skilled in interpretive dance to capture the madness that is Heidi Ingerdottir."
    At that he grins and starts to pull apart the piece of garlic bread only to have it /stolen!/ He just sits there, eyes wide and mouth open as if so entirely stunned, then he looks across the way at her, "And thus started the fourteenth Olympus Asgardian War." He grins and then pops his last bit of bread into his mouth, letting her have her ill-gotten gains.
    "Though I don't know, Heidi. I cannot imagine a sincere threat from you. You are... too nice." There, condemned for niceness.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I am glad to see I have made an impression so powerful that now words cannot be used to describe me," Heidi seems just as amused as before, only distraced by her water glass for a moment as he continues his mention of all of the people required to explain her. "I suppose, young Alexander, that you had better start training to be a historian, biographer, and 'interpretive dancer'. I imagine there is a long journey ahead of you." She sips from her water, casually.

"Sincere threats from me are saved for my enemies, not my friends. Should you receive a threat from me, you will certainly know that it is a /threat/. It is unlikely you will ever see that act in your entire lifetime."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Young Alexander," He repeats, lips twisting around those words as if they were ever so distasteful, "I'm not that young, I'm eighteen." The Young Alexander says, perhaps knowing that Asgardians are long-lived, but not exactly how old this particular one may well be. "You seem around my age. I am going to commit the horrible faux pas in reprisal for having my bread stolen and ask you how long you have lived yourself."
    But then he draws up short and lightly dabs a fingertip in the remaining butter to taste it again and says, "Though, if it's some ludicrous number and I'm really talking to an antediluvian ancient being of some repute, then let me down easy."
    At that he smiles and then pushes that plate away, "Alright?" He asks, then he nods as if she agreed, "Alright."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
The look on Heidi's face is the epitome of amusement. Never before has she been given the gift of humor this perfectly presented to her. She doesn't even laugh. She just /smiles/. "I will, if you are offended by the title, stop referring to you as 'Young Alexander', though I appreciate that you admire my youthful appearance," she says, smoothly. "I shall not let you down easy and I shall simply break it to you."

She seems about to speak, then stops, counting on her fingers for a moment. How much of it is playing up the reveal is questionable. For this, she has a good poker face. "The year is 2020, is it not? Then that would make me... 1247."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    A small laugh slips from him as Alexander shakes his head and turns to look away, then back toward her. "Well..." His lip twists as he murmurs, "You don't look a day over 1237." The obvious joke away he snerks and takes a deep breath, then lets his eyes distance a little, then returns his gaze back to her. "But that is kinda nice to know in a way."
    He straightens up and rests his feet on the floor, back straightening as he hrmms to himself. "That someone who has lived that long can maintain such a vibrance of spirit and happiness. I can only hope that when I reach that age I'm able to keep that sort of... connection. To people."
    For a moment Alexander chews on his lower lip thoughtfully, then looks across the way toward her. Then, any hint at composure is lost when he laughs and just says, "Ohmigod so old!"
    Of course he leans back to make sure he's out of punching range, just in case.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Truly, when you are as old as I am, you learn what it is you value in life, what you treasure, what you want to be. I don't want to live a life where I am not... /this/," Heidi gestures to herself. "Why would I want to be someone about whom words can be used to describe? Why would I want to lose my connection to people when people are to be treasured. /Life/ is to be treasured. There are many beautiful things in the world and people make up some of them. A life without that kind of beauty is a life wasted."

She doesn't seem to make any gesture to swat him for the comment, just leaning on the table, elbows on it, resting her head in her hands. "Oh, I almost forgot for a moment you were a mere eighteen, I apologize Young Alexander. You almost sounded /wise/. Thank you so very much for reminding me." There's that amused twinkle in her eye now.

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Well," Alexander leans back and rests his arms on the table, tilting his head to the side curiously as his pale blue eyes that slip towards jade irises hold her gaze. "Perhaps it's important I play to type in some ways, lest you start thinking I am some so terribly deep and staggeringly amazing product of my upbringing and heritage. Totally ruin your opinion about us Olympians and make you realize how wondrous we are even in such a slender time as my youth."
    There's a bob of his head as he grins and again dabs at the butter and tastes it. "So you see, tis a favor I grant you. Well thought and true." There's a tilt of his head as he meets her eyes, grinning in those depths and upon his lips.

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"Young Alexander, you are not a very good actor. Perhaps a few hundred years of study in the theater would do you some good." Heidi points a finger at him. "You would also do good to remember that you are your own person. Do not let your heiritage define you simply for the sake of your heiritage. I am an Asgardian, I am the daughter of Inger, I train to be a Valkyrie, I train and raise the pegasi... but beyond all that, I am Heidi. There is a core there that is important, and even with all of the trimmings that belong to me, just as important, they do not negate who I am."

Her water glass is picked up in one hand. "So are you Alexander or are you hiding as an Olympian?"

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    "Ah," He leans forwards a little, looking down thoughtfully. Beneath the table his legs swing slowly as his mind wanders. A turn of his head is seen as he crinkles his nose a touch while looking out towards the main dining area, perhaps to the window beyond. "That is the rub is it not?"
    Alexander looks back and tilts his head at her. Easy to confide in a person you have just met, unburden in some ways with an individual who is beyond your normal social circles. "I am good, and I know I am. Perhaps this may seem a boast but I do not mean it like that."
    He takes a deep breath, "But there is part of me that reflects and wonders if I did not have this heritage, or did not have this connection, would I still be..." He uncurls a hand. "As I am? Would I still have the same confidence? Would I still be myself? Or has my heritage and all I have experience overwritten what is there normally? Would Alexander Aaron son of a mortal man still be a worthy soul. It has troubled me at times."
    But then he blinks and seems to come back to the here and now. "But, I am sure it is something you have puzzled over and solved over your time living."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I believe that everything shapes us, certainly. An event that hurts you becomes something that you fear, perhaps. Had it not happened, would you still have begun to fear that thing? To a certain extent, we will always be different. But you think about the Alexander Aaron that is not you. Who can say what his experiences may be. That is not the Alexander Aaron you can /shape/. You are who you choose to be."

Heidi leans forward, as if to tell a secret. "Regardless of how long your lifespan is, you will never solve these mysteries. That is what life is... a pursuit. In knowledge, in friendship, in love, everything we take forward with us. We learn new things as we go, and we grow... we always grow. Do not be troubled by who you would be if things were different, know that life has shaped you to be what you are and you shape your own future."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Eyes peering up with his head still bent down, looking up with slightly hooded gaze, Alexander's lips twist wryly as he tells her, "Wise words I imagine." His head tilts to the side as his hazel eyes slip away, "Though..." His eyebrows lift as he offers, "I do not feel fear, in truth." A small side-note offered as he reflects then, "Though perhaps that fact in and of itself has formed me too."
    Then he looks back and his grin is gentle as he offers, "Did I not only moments ago ask of you stating that we had talked enough about me and mine, only now here we are again, talking about my favorite subject?" Himself of course.
    He straightens and lightly touches a fingertip to that plate, gently pushing around some of the herbs, that hint of oil, some of the butter and tiny crumbs from the bread. Then he takes a taste and murmurs without looking up at her, "I have a long way to go, though, however it turns out."

Heidi Ingerdottir has posed:
"I think, you will find, I am much more interested in others than myself," Heidi grins. "I am fascinated with the way the clay comes together to form a person. You will have to try much harder to keep me talking about myself if that's what you truly want to do." She smiles at him, this one more of a compassionate look.

"I do not think you should let the fact that you have a long way to go bring you down in any way. Think of it as an adventure... and you are young yet, plenty of time to grow and learn. One step at a time, Alexander."

Alexander Aaron has posed:
    Alexander chuckles a little and shakes his head, perhaps accepting her words but not fully absorbing them or taking them to heart for whatever reasons. He looks up and nods, "As you say, Heidi Ingerdottir." And as he says that his smile warms then he turns and waves for the server.