Owner	Pose
Heidi Ingerdottir	While never specifically told she needed to keep Eira away from the Midgardians, the amount of attention she received gave Heidi a bit of pause as to when and where she let the winged horse rest and be seen. This, of course, meant when she was flying it was usually late, high up in the clouds, away from where most people could see. So Heidi and Eira are about, their pace a leisurely one as she enjoys the night and keeps a careful eye out for where there might be anything of particular interest.
Melissa Gold	What the Hel (sic) is that sound!? It sounds sort of familiar, like that weird song Mel sang for Heidi a few days back in a vain attempt to cheer her up. Whatever it is it comes with something glowing red in the night, closing at a high rate.     "HOO YEAH!" Mel screams into the wind, unleashing herself in the sky above the cloud cover. "Let that guitar rip!" Her wings propel her through the night at a good 500km/h linear, though her flight path is anything but. No, her flight path is looping and jinking and generally having loads of fun, pink (seem red at night without context) spears and blobs and other forms forming, moving around her and vanishing in patterns that look very much like ...     Heidi of all people can see an attack and defense routine when it's being done. This looks like someone doing those with magical weapons. Someone's practicing. While playing loud music and screaming like an idiot.     It's probably Mel.
Heidi Ingerdottir	It's not hard to hear what's going on. It's loud enough to catch her attention with her sharp hearing. Heidi braces herself on Eira's back, settling the horse with a hand. It's good practice, making sure that the pegasus is able to deal with different scenarios--battle might be hectic and being ready for anything was important. Whoever it is... they're certainly faster than her. She's interested in finding out, but she's got a hunch by the familiar screaming loud voice. Yes, it /is/ probably Mel. So, to catch her attention, she yells, "HAIL!" in the direction of the sound, letting her voice carry and hopefully pierce the music.
Melissa Gold	Well, all of Mel's enhancements ... and none include better hearing. Heidi and Eiri have to get pretty close before she notices them and reins in her insanity, except for the swoopy-fun flying which she just directs to fly circles around the horse and rider for a bit before finally stopping relative to the pair.     "Heidi! Great to see you up here!" Her face is lit up with joy, lungs heaving with exertion, obviously elated. "Loads of fun up here, as long as you don't accidentally get in the way of a jet liner. That happened once. Did NOT go well. Ever get hit by a flying wall going about two hundred faster than you? Yeah, not recommended."     She swoops in closer, trying not to spook the horse.     "How are you anyway? I hear you and Alexander should have had a bar brawl but didn't for some reason."
Heidi Ingerdottir	Heidi doesn't seem to find the chaotic flight to be much of a problem, her pegasus flying in a pattern around her until she stops. "I can't say I have, but I shall be aware of your 'jet liner'." Yep, that's one she doesn't know yet. Eira is given a gentle pat, but doesn't seem too bothered. She's used to flying creatures of all sorts. "I fair well, Melissa." She pauses. "Or do you prefer Mel?" She never asked before. "Ah! There was a fellow who seemed keen in getting my attention but I politely let him down. He, none the less, was very rude towards Alexander and so he was /going/ to fight him, really, but he ended up putting on a bit more of a show. Alexander got him right on the tip of the nose and scared him off. While I would ordinarily enjoy a good fight and offered to have his back, /that/ was entertaining. And you? You are well?"
Melissa Gold	"Yeah, really I am. I mean days have their ups and downs, but last night with Alexander, he was adorable when a bit drunk. You should make him drunk more often." Mel grins and winks. "And please, Mel. Melissa is what you say if I'm in trouble or something. Or, worse, Ms. Gold. God that gives me the chills!"     Showing off, Mel sits cross-legged in the air on a pink platform, turning off her wings. "Cool, huh? The wings are just style. Sonic force with a kick-ass look. But I can just sit on this if I like. Same diff."
Heidi Ingerdottir	"I did let him try some, he seemed like he had a lot of fun," Heidi agrees. "I shall make sure that he comes home drunk for you more often." She laughs at the thought, but gives her a warm smile. "I shall keep calling you Mel, then." She does actually seem impressed at the trick. "I am afraid I have no way to do such a thing, but Eira is very impressive with flying, at least." "He was very complimentary towards you when we were playing our game. I believe he said his favorite thing about you was your wildness. Your intensity. I do not know if he shared that with you when he came home."
Melissa Gold	"He shared a lot, yeah. When he's drunk he talks. It's great. I got his bank PIN too."     Mel casts an impish glance Heidi's way ... then realizes that probably fell on confused ears. "His secret number that lets me steal his money," she says by way of explanation. "And no he didn't. It was a joke I suddenly realized you may not have understood."     She ponders a while. "Most people can't stand me for my wildness. It's cute that this is why he likes me." She pauses a bit. "He likes you too. He was suggestin' the three of us get together more often because you seem lonely or somethin'. Not sure if that was everythin'. I have a habit of losin' interest in a conversation when it ain't 'bout me."     It's hard to tell if she's joking or not.     "But honestly, yer a righteous chick, an' I got no objections to hangin' out with you more often. But the rule is next time some dick don't take 'no' for an answer, we turn it to a ballroom blitz, K?"
Heidi Ingerdottir	It's good that Mel actually explains the PIN as Heidi would be completely lost otherwise. There are some things just too hard to explain. "Well, don't steal all his money or he will not buy me more nachos," Heidi says, giving a wide grin. "I have discovered I /really/ enjoy nachos." She does seem a bit curious as to what Alexander /did/ say. "I am glad that he is fond of me, I believe he is a good friend. You do not need to worry about lonliness though, I am fine in good company." She pauses. "And I would much rather talk about you than me, so I doubt you'll ever lose interest!" She's still grinning. "If the man had been less polite, I would have punched him myself. I responded politely to his advances and he didn't seem to push it. He was just rude to Alexander. I will happily join you in a battle should the opportunity arise. I haven't had a good one in a while and I'm hoping my skills won't become rusty."
Melissa Gold	"Pity. I wanna know more about you ass guards. You seem like loads of fun. And you do that poetry stuff which is way over my head..." A hand-shaped pink thing shows up in the air about two metres over Mel's head, passing over it. "...but it sounds really nice when someone knows how to read it right. So you gotta be real smart, right? Fun. Good fighter. Smart. Ride a pretty horse with wings. And lookin' smokin' hot, meanin' we'd look killer we walk into a bar or club or somethin'. I'd love to know more."     And a crack in her bravado.     "I mean, I know I ain't the smartest candle in the pack, but I'm wild. That makes up for some of it, no?"
Heidi Ingerdottir	"Ah, most don't do the poetry. I simply did a lot of it and got some attention. My poetry is known in Asgard. It is simply something I do to get my thoughts out. Everyone has something they do for that," Heidi says, glancing over at Melissa as she listens to her description. She does look amused, perhaps even a bit flattered. "I am afraid you have covered about all there is to me," she states simply. "But I will agree that we could simply walk in and slay. Not literally." She does laugh at her own joke for a moment. "I do not think you should be so hard on yourself. I do not find you unintelligent. Perhaps never given the same opportunities as someone else, but not unintelligent. I told him what my favorite thing about you was as well. I admire your ability to both care and don't care. You are so easily able to not let things get to you and stop caring about things that don't matter or deserve your attention, but you are also very kind to the people who you believe deserve it. They are nice qualities."
Melissa Gold	"Did he tell you about me, though? What I did back in the day?" Mel stares Heidi straight in the eye. "I used to be a bad ... whatever the chick equivalent of a hombre is. Never did learn Spanish. Like really bad. Criminal bad. Real criminal. Lotta people don't forget nor forgive, and hey, it's fair on them for that. I don't have the right to forgiveness just 'cause I'm suddenly singing a different song." Ironic use of poetic imagery that. "So you OK hangin' out with an ex-con?"
Heidi Ingerdottir	Heidi looks at Melissa simply. "You do not have ill intentions towards me, nor Alexander. You have done nothing wrong to me personally and I haven't seen you do anything that would cause alarm from me." She smiles slowly. "We have all done things in our past and will things in our future that are not so great. It is a matter of your intentions. Those people you hurt do not have to forgive you, but at some point it is important to forgive yourself."
Melissa Gold	"Yeah, well, I figure I got a few more decades of guilt to ride out. Like, say, five or so." Mel's voice is heavily ironic, for reasons which are probably unclear to a goddess. "After that I can probably afford to forgive myself."
Heidi Ingerdottir	"Ah, that is not so many years," Heidi says, well aware that Melissa does not have the same longevity of life that she does. Is that a joke? Probably. "Live your life for your future and capture what you love in the present. If you do not live your life, you waste it. When you feel that forgiveness creep up on you, don't let it sleep away."
Melissa Gold	"I'll try. But I don't know if it'll happen. I'm just fine with plodding along righting my wrongs and to fuck with whether people forgive me or not. Or if I forgive myself. Important part's doin' right, no?"
Heidi Ingerdottir	There's a nod from Heidi. "As long as you move forward, you're alright. The rest can come when, or if, it comes." She grins slightly. "Chasing your mistakes will do no one any good. Keep yourself going and you'll be fine." She winks. "Besides, I believe that Alexander will help you on whatever journey you want to go on. He cares very deeply."
Melissa Gold	Mel looks down at the city below. "Yeah, he does. And I don't understand why. Sometimes it bugs me. Someone loves me, it don't feel right. Feels ... unclean, almost, if you know what I mean? Like somethin's where it don't belong." She ponders a bit. "Sort of like someone putting ... I don't know, roast chicken on pizza. It tastes fine, but it's just ... uncomfortable."
Heidi Ingerdottir	There's a slow nod, and Heidi smiles, but it's a little bit of a sad one. "Feels like you don't deserve it? Like maybe they don't know what they're doing, they're somehow mistaken. It feels nice but you can't let yourself just enjoy it, because you're afraid it'll all just be over, just like that." She looks over, patting Eira's neck. "Something like that sound right?"
Melissa Gold	Mel stares at Heidi with widened eyes behind a frown. "Do you ass guards read minds too? I've known a couple of mind readers and they nailed shit just like you did right there." She looks away. "So yeah. I'm afraid someday he'll wake up, realize who he was giving his heart to, and ... then he'll be gone. I try not to show him that, but ... he's ... real good with fear. He smells it on me."
Heidi Ingerdottir	"No mind reading, it was simply me recounting how I have felt in the past, how I feel every time someone tries to even come close in any way," Heidi does smile, though it's kind of a soft one. "Be careful with that. If you stay closed off about it too long, they may end up leaving because they don't trust you. At some point you have to open up to that trust. It is a good opportunity to see what it is they like about you and learn to love those things." She grins sheepishly. "I should learn from my own advice, but that's one of the hardest things to do. I believe he honestly loves you, though. I can see how happy he is. You cannot fake that kind of happiness. I have seen a lot of people try."
Melissa Gold	Mel is taken aback, visibly, eyes wide again, but this time without the frown. "What the fuck you got to be scared of?" she blurts. "Yer hot like fire, yer talented, ye got a badass winged horse...like, yer a poet an' everythin'. Why wouldja feel like, unworthy? That's just ridic!"
Heidi Ingerdottir	"I came from nothing. I am only where I am today because I keep trying, I keep moving forward. I started just working in the stables. You make it sound as if I'm amazing, but I can tell you I have spent at least one of your lifetimes doing nothing but mucking out stables. I am no noble-born Asgardian. I have to work hard for everything." Shaking her head, Heidi looks back over. "Not everyone likes poetry or finds it an accomplishment. But what you see in me is not what I see in me. I see someone who is overlooked and ignored, someone who needs to work twice as hard to even be noticed. If I were to list things about you that deserve attention for their merit, you would simply think I was crazy too."
Melissa Gold	"Well aside from the killer bod and the fuck you attitude, I'm not sure I got anythin' to be worth payin' attention to," Mel says. "I'm trailer trash from outer buttfuck. A street whore made good." She doesn't seem to be saying this with shame. More as a challenge, if anything. "Not much there to be proud of, 'specially since makin' good was hurtin' others."
Heidi Ingerdottir	"So what I'm hearing is you've been mucking the stables and you've made it somewhere because you tried to get out of it," Heidi seems to be grinning. "You and I have plenty in common, Mel. You are strong, you make it through everything thrown in your path and you are still standing."
Melissa Gold	Mel points at the pink circle. "Sitting. I'm sitting. You need glasses?" She grins and laughs. "But yeah, I guess there's a parallel. Only you didn't take the easy way out, did you? You go steal from people? Hurt people? All to get money and buy a high life?"
Heidi Ingerdottir	"I went into battle and ended lives. Too many to count. All because I was defending my realm and striving for the highest honor I can think of. To get to where I am recognized for my accomplishments in a proper way," Heidi glances over. "I killed people. They were on the wrong side, but many of them were still /people/. We all take paths to get to where we are going, they just look different."
Melissa Gold	"Defendin' my people's what I do now. And if it comes to it, I'll end someone, though it ain't my first choice." She makes a variety of pink objects that look like maces, knives, spears, etc. around her, moving them around a bit. "I got a few extras that give me options that don't involve killin', though."     She cracks her neck and looks at Heidi. "So I don't see the problem. Someone comes at you or yer own, you deal it back, more."
Heidi Ingerdottir	Heidi nodes in firm agreement. "That is very true, yes. It is unfortunate to see the fallout of your battles at times, though. I often remember that it could have been me on the wrong side, that they are still people who may not have deserved it. Who will know their stories." She shrugs. "I don't dwell on it /too/ much though."
Melissa Gold	"I guess I'll burn that bridge when I come to it," Mel says thoughtfully. "Not been in a place where I might have to kill while protectin'. Not sure how I'll deal." She shrugs. "I'll have to figure it out when I'm there."     She looks over at Heidi. "You know, I'm glad we had this talk. Tell you what, you feel bad sometime, call me. I'm there fer you. And next time I feel like an utter piece of cow shit I'll dump it all on you and you can tell me that I'm more like dog shit, K?"
Heidi Ingerdottir	"I will call that equal, should the need arise," Heidi smiles warmly. "You can always call me if you need anything else as well. I am a friend, after all. And I am learning how to be better at being a closer friend to people. Alexander is obnoxiously good at that."
Melissa Gold	Mel rolls her eyes. "Try being his lover now!" she exclaims with a bark. "He's so obnoxiously loveable it makes me wanna puke sometimes. Except I'm too busy screaming at the top of my lungs. Shit, he makes me come like a hurricane!"     She pauses. "Hey, I wonder how strong my sonics would be if ... No, never mind."
Heidi Ingerdottir	Heidi looks /way/ too amused by that. "It sounds like a good time," she teases. "He does have a way of getting under one's skin." She huffs out a breath. "But I am trying the be a better friend thing and letting people be closer than just something very casual."
Melissa Gold	"Well, let's get together sometime at a biker bar. Let the grease monkeys hit on us, politely tell them to fuck off, and then we'll be right to just pick up the two heaviest ones and use them to beat up the rest, K? You an me, girlfriend, against the world!" She smirks and adds, "Then we call Alex to the dump and watch his reaction."     And with that the wings are back, the platform gone. "And I gotta get back home before Alex realizes I'm two-timin' him with an ass guard or somethin'. Keep me in mind. I don't mind close. And I think yer a thousand times bettern' me so I'll be great for your ego!"     With a fancy loop, then, she's off, screaming straight down at the ground, laughing all the way.
Heidi Ingerdottir	"Feel free to tell him hello for me," Heidi says with a grin. "Make him wonder what we talked about. He'll be dying to know." She does look amused at the prospect. "If you think that I am so great, Mel, then trust I am a good judge of character and I would not be your friend if you were not someone worthwhile." She watches as Mel goes flying off, just shakes her head, and brings Eira back around to finish her flight.