Owner	Pose
Alexander Aaron	The door to the apartment jangles and jostles as the keys work in the lock until it's pulled open. A few quick steps carry the youth into the room, his backpack dropped unceremoniously and left to fall near the door with a crumpling thump. Then goes the overshirt, thrown off and to the side to land on the back of the couch as he strolls into his fairly austere apartment. Oh it's fine enough, with nice utilities and all. But there's no decorations, nothing that offers a hint about the youth as he strolls on in.     A quick glance into the fridge as he passes through the kitchen, snaring a water bottle and tossing it in one hand. He steps to the counter and scoops up his phone that he had left behind for the day.     Strange that some of his professors didn't allow them into their lectures, but it was kind of nice to be away from it for most of the day and to come back to scroll through the messages. Which is what he does when he drops onto the sofa and spraaaawls there, swiping the screen to life with his thumb and humming to himself.     "Who loves Alex? Let's find out." Said in a sing-song tone of voice, though it causes a smirk at the end of it as if knowing how silly that small phrase was considering where he picked it up from.     And yet... no messages.     Furrowed brow. Frown.     More swiping and still, nothing, no mails, no messages, no words of greeting for the day.     "Hrmf."     A sip of the water is taken as he goes through some headlines. Then he swipes through some more information made 'just for him'. Until he casually flits through his most recent contacts and...     A twist of a half-smirk slides over Alexander's features as he then stabs the tab to indicate an acquaintance he made recently. The phone rings and when it picks up.     "Hi."     "I'm bored."
Amanda Sefton	"Hi. I'm bored." Standing on the balcony outside Pepper's Upper West Side apartment, Amanda stares at her phone. The voice... takes a moment to place. She never got a number for the owner of that voice. Only gave him her number. Only... gave him... *her* number. Face, meet Palm. "Phobos?" she says, a hint of incredulity in her tone. Oh, good. The God of Fear is bored. Her mother was right. When the gods have your number, Fate puts you on speed dial. "You're bored. Really? Did you finish the book?" The Crucible of Winter. Richard Dean. She remembers.
Alexander Aaron	"Alex, please. Phobos still sounds weird."     Sprawled on the couch, feet kicking off the side lazily, he turns to loll a bit and his head hangs off the edge of the couch so he contemplates the world in an upside down manner.     "Enough of it," Is his response to the question.     "I could read some more, but I don't know."     Elaborate enjoyable conversation assuredly. His voice perks up a little, "Did you find out anything more on your corner of the world's crazy?"     She'll hear the shift and rustle of movement as he trades the phone from one ear to the other. "I was meaning to ask if you went to ESU, but I forgot when we got all wrapped up with that."
Amanda Sefton	Alex... Alex? Okay. "Alex," Amanda echoes. 'Alex' works for her. She shakes her head, even though he can't see it. Wait. He can't see it, right? No. Of course, he can't. He's Krampus, not Santa Claus. Amanda settles back on a deck chair and looks out over the lights of the city. "No, I haven't found anything else out about the Wound. Not yet." And, yeah. She's been looking. "Makes the regular woowoo a whole lot more woo, though." Yeah. Nothing like a city full of upset spirits and remnants. And she figures it'll only get worse before it gets better. So, for the moment, she'll concentrate on the easier question he asks. "ESU? No. But I did make acquaintences with Professor Staunton from Cambridge in England. He was visiting the ESU faculty, this week."
Alexander Aaron	"I... don't think I've met him." His voice does sound a little funny. It could be just that it's the first time she's heard it over the phone. Or could be the fact that he's upside down. But he chats along amiably.     "Summer courses don't lend one towards a lot of socialization." He had discovered recently. "Very few frat parties or college shenanigans. I am disappoint." He actually says it that way, emphasizing the 'disappoint' with an upward lilt.     "I was expecting everything to live up to all the wildness that you see in movies and all that." Slowly he turns over and sits up, settling into the arm of the sofa so his voice shifts again slightly.     "So are you grumpy that I called without like. A reason?"     A beat.     "I mean. I can make one up if that'd help you feel better."
Amanda Sefton	Amanda laughs now. "I wouldn't bother about it now, no." Nope. The godling was bored. "You're well on your way to godhood, I assure you." There's *almost* a teasing hint to her tone. *Almost*. She's not quite that familiar, yet. She flips one ankle over the other, the chair shifting a little with the motion. Idly, she considers whether or not Pepper would appreciate a cat as a housewarming gift. Somehow, she feels this place needs a cat. "Though, I daresay if you're missing the wild parties and shennanigans, you're either looking in the wrong spot or college life in America is vastly different than in England." And she's not been out of uni *that* long...
Alexander Aaron	"It's Summer," Alexander answers with an easy manner. He has no qualms about speaking to her openly, even though he just met her. Perhaps an effect that he has no fear, and in turn... no social anxiety in some ways. But his lip twists up a little, amused. "Most of the people on campus are old. Like almost thirty."     If she could see his smile she could tell that he's having her on a bit, yet perhaps she has enough of a read on him that she can hear the hint of teasing in that tone of his voice.     But then he takes a breath and shifts the conversation oh so subtly, "So what do you do when you're not running around the city hassling polite quiet Olympians who are just minding their own business?"     Very subtle.     "Wait, let me guess. You..." His eyes lift upwards and then he suggests, "Sell potions out of a small thatch hut down by the river?"
Amanda Sefton	'Like almost thirty.' Amanda rolls her blue eyes expressively at the heavens. She can just detect that hint of teasing. And given the jab she just made at him? Okay. It's fair. Thus, she chuckles at his suggestion. "I have never sold potions out of a small thatch hut down by the river." A small vardo in the middle of the Black Forest is another matter. "But, in point of fact, I'm a travel agent and corporate event coordinator." That's a good way to put it. Even if all her clients to date have largely been folks Pepper has recommended. Or, rather, folks to whom Pepper recommended her. Either way, it works. "So, just what is your major, anyway? That can totally affect your party scene, you know."
Alexander Aaron	Ugh, always comes around to /that/ question. She can likely hear his reaction audibly in a short exasperated 'uck' of sound that comes from him but then his lip twists. It's only fair though, the proper rejoinder to a student asking someone what they do... is to ask that student their major.     "Haven't decided yet. Leaning toward something connected to the classical era since I have an angle on that already. Archeology? Maybe? I mean I know it's kind of lame to go after what you've learned about most of your life. But still."     She can hear his voice trailing off as his thoughts drift inwards, contemplating his future. "That or maybe something in phys. ed. I guess? I vaguely thought it might be nice to teach fencing but..." There's a pause as for some reason he doesn't let those thoughts continue. He shuts down that angle and instead pushes another.     "So you're a party planner. Who is the most famous person you've worked with?"
Amanda Sefton	"Easy credits, I should think,"Amanda agrees. "You wouldn't be the first guy to do that." She shrugs and flips her hair back over her shoulder. "Theatre, Engineering, and Communications have the best parties, in my experience. But as for a major? Find something you actually find *interesting*. Fact is, whatever it is, it likely won't lead you to your dream job..." A beat. "At least, that's been my experience." Maybe she should have gone the easy route and taken Fine Arts instead. Trapeze artist was a pretty good gig, as she recalls. Though really, nothing quite beats the whole 'Heroic Witch' thing. That, however, isn't something she's comfortable putting on a business card. She considers his last question. "You mean in the whole six months I've been doing this," she laughs. Six months, give or take a couple. "Pepper Potts at Stark Industries." Not that she really worked with her, mind. But, hey, it's a swank apartment. And everyone knows Tony. Pepper's... orbital to that, right?
Alexander Aaron	"I have no idea who that is."     It is said with a hint of a grin in those words, but then he gives a nod that she cannot see. "Though I imagine that does give you an excuse to travel and to visit places out of the norm. Give you a good cover for your own extra-curriculars." Since she apparently has some.     He casually kicks one leg over the edge of the couch, just lifting his shoe and letting it thump against the end of the sofa, hearing the slight /whumpf/ of it against the fabric.     "I sometimes let my thoughts wander that way. What I would do. Or like, should do. For the future. If I take the whole... everything that I am and try to do something. I don't know. Productive with it. Would I need to keep who I am quiet? Or would I need some adopted cover?"     He lets his eyes wander, then back toward the phone as he shakes his head. "If I get a clear idea though I'll let you know and you an be my sidekick." Again his lip twists up, a smirk... that she's learned to pick up on in his tone again assuredly.
Amanda Sefton	Amanda laughs. "I didn't think you would," she says. What college kid is really gonna care about some billionaire's Girl Friday? She nods, and pulls herself from the chair, heading back into the apartment to pour herself a small glass of wine. "It does," she admits. "Travel has always been a good cover. I was a flight attendant for a while. Free airfare is definitely a perk." As his thoughts, rambly though they may be, take a more serious turn, Amanda takes a sip of her wine and returns to the balcony. "That's a bridge you'll have to cross when you get to it. Take Iron Man, for instance. Everyone knows who he is. But, he's also got a multibillion dollar corporation to back him up." Not to mention self-insure him. "But Superman? Who knows who that is, right? Same schtick, kinda, right? Fly around, save the world, probably shake a few shingles loose in the process." And then she laughs. "Yeah, I don't do the sidekick thing. Now, team-ups. That's another story."
Alexander Aaron	"That's the thing," She can likely hear the rustle of him sitting up on that sofa, feet planting upon the ground as he turns and curls forward, holding the phone to his ear. If she could see his posture she could see that it's his best 'shit just got real' posture of talking about life events.     "Most of the cape crowd, they run around with masks because of like, fear that somebody will hurt their loved ones or family."     There's a pause as he ponders then gives voice a bit more, "But I mean, anyone who tries something with my family is kinda gonna get the short end of the stick, right? I suppose... I mean, for my friends and all I should be careful. Which, to be fair, my friends do put up with more crap and is normal."     There's a pause then as he takes a breath and then says, "Which, by the way, I should mention. If we become friends, well I figure your life is already fairly out there. But it might become moreso if we hang out."     Always good to give fair warning.     "So I don't know. I should maybe do it for my friends, but... there are a lot of people that have a mad on for me and it's not hard for them to figure out things about me even if I ended up wearing a mask or a body suit or whatever."
Amanda Sefton	Amanda senses the change in tenor. She adjusts her own seat, setting her wine aside and straightening a little. "I can take care of myself," she assures him. Though, if there are full-on gods gunning for her... well, that's why she has friends -- friends with superpowers. There's a pause, as she considers him for a moment. "Do you feel fear?" she asks now. "The way you talk... like it's not something you think about from a personal perspective." Huhn. She smiles thoughtfully. "I guess you wouldn't feel fear, would you? It would make your 'job' harder." She purses her lips and pulls herself to her feet, beginning to tread lightly around the small circumference of the balcony. "For you, then, it becomes a value proposition, I would suppose. How much do you value the mortals you call friends? Would you be sad if something happened to them? And is that sadness something you wish to avoid? And if not sadness, what would you feel. And would it matter to you?"
Alexander Aaron	"Mmm," She just hears that sound from the other end of the line. It's a sound of hesitation, when a question is asked that has no easy answer. And it covers for him as his thoughts wander.     "I remember what it was like to be afraid. So I have a... frame of comparison." Since he has only embraced his destiny some three years out.     She'll likely hear a shift as he gains his feet as well and without knowing it mirrors her posture as he walks across he room, not exactly pacing but moving to the wide bank window that is there for his apartment, pulling it open with one hand and letting in the fresh air of the evening.     "But no, I don't feel fear anymore." A pause then he adds, "Nor anything that is connected to it." Though he does not voice further on that.     "I've been in relationships, I have people that I... hold dear. But if something happened to them..." He shakes his head as he looks out the window, perhaps in part to a similar tableau as she observes as well.     "I'd be angry, yes. And I would be sad on some level. But also accepting. There... isn't grief. I don't fear loss."     Then he tilts his head and murmurs louder, as if trying to convince her, or himself. "I'd protect them. Of course. But that may just be me being selfish. And I've struggled with the idea of morality."     "But like, if we dated. And something happened to you. I would... be accepting. Unless someone was to blame I suppose. And not a lot of people can deal with that."
Amanda Sefton	Amanda isn't most people. However, she's also not going to be dating a guy quite that much younger than her. Still, the theoretical point stands. "I get it," she says. "I may not experience it, but intellectually, I get it." She considers his words and inhales a deep breath through her nose, which is probably only just audible through the phone. It's a thoughtful sound. "Anger. Sadness. Grief encompasses those, but it's more than those, yes. So, maybe there is more selfishness involved for you than for the rest of us. That doesn't invalidate the question of value." That said, she doesn't have an answer for him. She understands, perhaps with insight he hasn't yet gained, that his recollections -- his basis for comparison -- will fade as time goes by. Especially once he has fully transitioned from human to divine. She suspects his transition isn't nearly complete, yet. And she realizes that she will need to be cautious with him -- not because he means harm, but because he may not realize he's brought harm until it's too late.
Alexander Aaron	There's a moment of quiet, and then a slightly subdued tone as he murmurs, "Hard not to come across as a jerk when things are like that." But he shifts the phone to the other hand, "And easier to talk about it with someone with your frame of reference." Someone who knows his nature, has their own secrets, and their own difficulties.     But then there's a hint of a smile in his words as he adds, "I mean being so old, you must have a large sweeping swath of life experiences to draw on to offer such sage advice."     That jerk. Though it is a touch of humor, perhaps more used to change the topic or to deflect from the topic in that instant.     "Bah, no idea why I'm talking your ear off about this."
Amanda Sefton	The last thing Amanda expected to be come is a passing mentor to a godling. Best not tell her mother about this. Or her brother. Or maybe anyone. She chuckles, now, as the moment passes -- perhaps silently relieved. She takes another swallow of wine. And nearly chokes on it as he pokes at her. "Watch your mouth, twerp," she laughs. Guess she's gotten more comfortable with him, now. "Don't ask me," she grins. "It's your dime." Is that even a saying anymore? Maybe she is old. Or, you know... maybe she's just hung out with weird people all her life.
Alexander Aaron	She can't see the smirk but she can hear it, "Okay, well that does it. I'm heading off since you're being so staggeringly rude. Twerp, indeed." And is that... is that a hint of an English accent to his voice? That little jerk!     But his smile is heard easily enough in the tone of those words as he casually leans out that window and lets his gaze drift up and down his own particular street in Greenwich. A small chuckle comes from him, "Anyways. I should probably let you get back to your Bingo or Shuffleboard or whatever it is that you do before you go to bed super early for the early bird special at Denny's."     A pause, then he adds with less wry casual meanness as he says simply. "It's nice to talk to you, Amanda-person. Thanks for answering."
Amanda Sefton	Amanda shakes her head, and chuckles softly. "Any time, Alex." 'Cause that's just how she rolls. Though she's sure she'll regret it later. "Good luck, Twerp. And good night." With that she thumbs the phone off... and picks up her wine. Oh, yeah. Fate. Speed dial. All the way.