Owner	Pose
Alexander Aaron	Almost midnight and the Post-Prom departures have set in. People have wandered off and gone their own way, couples are around the campus and some are making out now and again though the staff have gone around to shoo people off property now that the social gathering is officially over. But still, like mice, the more you see the more there sekritly are. Since, in truth, there are all kinds of places for people to be around and to 'hide'.     Alexander Aaron, however, is not hiding. Since most of the staff are wrangling around for the hidden nooks and crannies. But him, he's settled on the front stoop, slouched on the second flight of steps up, shoes resting on the step below and his forearms on his knees. Sprawled and with his tie undone, collar unbuttoned, he looks relatively at peace with his eyes lifted upward now and again.     "Alright, this wasn't entirely horrible." He says over his shoulder.
Heidi Ingerdottir	Heidi sits nearby, making herself comfortable sprawled on the set of stairs. She's in more of a lounging position, allowing her to lean back on her elbows and look up at the sky. "I do not see why you would think it would be horrible in the slightest, Alexander. It is merely a party. Aren't parties intended for fun?" She nudges him with her knee. "Were you worried about something? Perhaps angry with someone there?" She's recalled a few times she'd rather not have gone to an event upon realizing someone was there.
Alexander Aaron	"Noooo," Alexander replies, his posture more pent up and leaning forward though he rocks a little from the nudge, eyes distant on the passing of cars rolling on by the school. He looks around a little and he murmurs, "I mean, no more than normal." A hand uncurls as he gestures to the side, "This is my... third prom. First one was when I was a Freshman and this older gal took a shine to me."     Then his eyebrows lift as he murmurs, "Which, I think I've realized has become a trend in my life."     But then he goes on as he waves a hand to the side, the sleeve of his tuxedo flaring a little. "But there's always a bit of a social stigma to it. Who is going with whom, what are they wearing, what happens at the party. With mine, and I think your people it's sorta more relaxed in some ways."
Heidi Ingerdottir	Heidi sits up straight for a moment. "Alexander, you did not inform me it was /that/ kind of party." Her brow furrows. "If that were the case I would have done a much better job making you look impressive, lauding your accomplishments, bettering your social situation..." She almost looks... guilty? "I do not go to /those/ kinds of parties. I do not get /invited/ to those kinds of parties." Her brows knit together in a worried look. "I do hope I have not negatively impacted your experience in some way."
Alexander Aaron	"What? Psh. No." Alexander leans back and grabs her shoe and gives it a squeeze and a pat, "I don't really care toooo much about that. But I do sorta dislike when people try to play those games around me? With me? Sorta like that."     "I was thinking about seeing if Mel wanted to come at least for the pre-prom party, but she didn't seem too into it." He chews on the inside of his cheek thoughtfully then murmurs, "But hey,"     He turns and looks at her, shifting sideways to rest one leg on the landing beside him, now leaning back against the railing pylon, "I sorta won mega points by bringing an Asgardian. Which was technically against the rules since you're a bit older than is allowed."     His smile twitches a little, "Helps though that you look like a teenager. Albeit a tall one."
Heidi Ingerdottir	Heidi laughs slightly. "Perhaps, I was a bit out of place. Besides, it is hard to equate years to experience. Midgard and Asgard are vastly different places. I have seen people who have trained less years than a skill than I and found them my equal. Natural skill must run strong here, or perhaps I am simply lacking." She says that as if it were a run-of-the-mill thought and simply moves on. "I am honestly grateful that I did not somehow..." She searches for the term. "... put my boot in my mouth?" She's trying. "But you are upset over Mel? This does not seem like her sort of event." She pauses. "But it is clearly something that means a bit to you." She tilts her head to the side. "You said there are only a few of these?"
Alexander Aaron	"In your lifetime, sorta. Yeah." Alexander scrunches up one eye, "But I've been to three so that's one more than normal, so hey." He waves a hand to the side and settles back, "But nah, not upset with her. She woulda come if I asked." His lip twists, "More I didn't figure I'd be able to pull it off."     He draws that leg up to rest his shoe on his thigh, like a half-lotus seated posture as he leans back, "And honestly I was thinking of not going, or just going to the pre-party. But I realized I kinda did want to see what was going to go down."     He lets his eyes wander, "And I did sorta have a vibe that Christine's boy wouldn't show. I mean, I wanted to be wrong, but I didn't think I would be. So now I have to be all grumpy at him and make him regret being a jerk."
Heidi Ingerdottir	"If you would like someone to stand nearby with crossed arms looking terrifying, I would happily volunteer. No one should be left alone on a day that they consider special," Heidi says, giving him a warm smile. "It is good that you want to be a good friend to her. Many people seemed to care for her there, so I am hardly worried for her well-being." She leans back a bit again, seemingly comforted that the whole prom thing was not as big a deal as she had thought. At least, it seems that way. "It is nice, though, to go to a party like that. It was a different experience and I appreciate that you allowed me that."
Alexander Aaron	"Mmm," Alexander lifts his eyes upwards, "That's the thing." He extends his other leg and streeetches, pushing his toe against the far railing and lightly tapping on the metal with a ping-ping-ping. "She's ok, don't think I really like her that much. She's... normallish. Though it's like..."     He rubs the back of his neck and looks, "You see two people, and you know it's going to end in tears. But you want to be wrong. So you hope you're wrong, but when you aren't, it makes the world seem just a little more trite and shitty. So do I care about Lake? I dunno. Much as I can care about anyone in some ways. Sure. But I resent that her boy has made me view the world as a little crappier. And for that he must pay."     Those last few words are uttered with a slight malevolent tone of an evil scientist or monarch, but then his smile returns. "But hey, m'glad you enjoyed it. This was my last one though. You'll have to find some other teenager to hassle and convince to take you to your next one." His smirk flickers to life.
Heidi Ingerdottir	Heidi frowns, both at his assessment of Christine and the actions of Christine's amour. "I hope you will find that what you find 'normallish' may just because you are only observing from one angle. I know you seem to praise me highly, but in Asgard I am..." She shrugs. "You could throw me in a crowd of people and I would do nothing to stand out. Unless I honestly try, which is why I do. Trying is a lot of effort, though. So perhaps you misjudge her because you do not know which angle to view her from." As for that other kid... "I do not think it sounds as if he has done much good to you. I cannot say what I think of him as we have not met, but I will say it troubles me that he changes your worldview so easily." She does give him an odd look for his tone, but then she sits up as sharply as she did the first time. "This was your last one?" Now she looks doubly guilty. "You may joke, but it seems as if this is significant."
Alexander Aaron	Turning to the side, Alexander just sort of sprrrraaaaawls on the stairs, pillowing his head with his hands, the tuxedo's lapels flare out and he sort of just lies there for a time, looking up at the sky with a tilt of his head. "I don't... know. I don't think so?"     He pushes his head into his hands so he can sort of look at her upside down, "In the greater scheme of things it won't matter. If I live to be a ripe old age probably won't be a big deal. And hey, I have good memories of this one."     Then he takes a deep breath and says, "Also, you need to stop talking shit about my friend Heidi or I'll kick your ass." Since that seems the best way to deal with when she trash talks herself.
Heidi Ingerdottir	"You do?" Heidi is entirely uncertain that anything that happened in the evening was /that/ memorable. But he seems to be enjoying himself, so she'll let him have that. "Well, as long as you are happy with how things are. I was worried I might have to rush out and find some amusing activity so you could feel as if you did have those sort of memories." Really, she has no idea what they would do, but every Midgardian deserves a good prom, right? She does chuckle at the mention of talking shit. "I /am/ allowed to be honest, Alexander."
Alexander Aaron	Crinkling his nose, "Yeah keep on keepin' on an see what happens." That said he takes a deep breath and holds it, then exhales after a bit of time. "So sidenote." He offers as he looks up at the sky, "I am reasonably certain that Mel and I are not going to see each other anymore. Romantically at least."     He gives a nod as he looks up to the heavens and lifts his hands, framing a section of the galaxy with thumb and forefinger of each hand as if taking a photo. "So that's a thing." He scrunches up one eye and frowns a little, then twists his face up and chews on the inside of his cheek.     "But I think she'll do alright without me."
Heidi Ingerdottir	There's a long pause from Heidi and a bit of a concerned look. He's trying to play it cool. "Alexander, I..." She pauses. "I am going to be honest. I do not know if it is better to not poke at the topic because you would rather not speak on it and would enjoy moving on, or if I should poke at the topic because you are hurting and would like to express yourself but are unsure of how to ask." She's certainly honest, at least. "So... perhaps you can tell me which is the better option so I can feel useful and perhaps be of use? I would rather not pick the wrong one and upset you." There's a sheepish but warm smile.
Alexander Aaron	Once again he tilts back on his head to look at her upside down. "Mmm, I don't mind talking. And in some ways it stinks, but in others I can understand why she would need to do other things." He looks at her for a time, then eases the muscles in his back so he can lie there again looking up at the stars. "I sort of feel like I should be upset. But I'm not. And that annoys me on another level."     He uncurls a hand to the side, "I tried to feel fully, and be how I thought I should be. But I just... don't care?"     He then sits up, pushing himself upright and rests an arm on the stairway railing. "No that's not right. I sort of do care in that if someone hurt her I'd probably want to kill them. Or I would do a lot to prevent her from dying. But..."     He uncurls a hand toward Heidi, "But I don't /feel/ anything. I don't know if I can. Maybe I don't want people to hurt her because in some ways I feel she's my property? Or that it'd be an insult to me for people to think they could do what they want to something I consider mine?"     A deep breath is taken, then he crinkles his nose. "More I'm just unhappy in knowing that this wasn't what I should experience if I'll experience love."
Heidi Ingerdottir	"That's a lot of complicated feelings," Heidi admits. "I admit, there are people who do act like that, like people are possessions. I do not believe that is the case for you. Perhaps you were people who wanted two different things and were too different to really come together in a way that worked with each other." She shakes her head. "You worry about her because you do care. It's not a selfish thing. It is the opposite of that. It is knowing that perhaps your own actions will bring you nothing, but it will bring happiness to someone who you would like to see happy. Your only selfishness is you want that moment of seeing them happy." She certainly seems to be speaking from experience in that one. "I cannot tell you if what you're experiencing is what you /should/ be experiencing, but I can tell you that, as in everything, you learn from the experience."
Alexander Aaron	"Mmm," Alexander looks sidelong at Heidi and murmurs, "This sorta feels like when you tell me you're just average and I'm all, 'hush up' and you obstinately don't accept my point of view. And here you are and I'm all, 'This is how I am,' and you're all, 'no you're not..."     The Olympian smirks and shakes his head, "I am more trying to say..."     He places his foot flat on the railing and pings it with his shoe, "When I became who I was, I don't feel fear, I don't worry about things. I feel very... fatalistic. So it's hard to care. And maybe that's just... how I'm going to be forever."     A small shrug is given, "But if you're asking about the why, I think it was sort of connected to that. Mel was wonderful, but she had a low self-image and never felt she was worthy of things. I dunno, sometimes she'd take her own self doubt and turn it outwards or whatever." Another shrug as he /dings/ the metal of the railing again.
Heidi Ingerdottir	"I hope you understand, when I tell you this is how I am, Alexander, it is not who I /will be/," Heidi seems to be thinking on how to explain herself. "When I am hard on myself it is not because I feel miserable or sorry for my experiences, it is because I know that they are not what shape me and that I can use them to make me stronger. I told you that I will join the Valkyrior. I am not yet a Valkyrie. There are times when I feel ashamed of that, but I am /always/ striving towards my goal. Sometimes we all lack the confidence to move forward and are weak in that, but we have others to pick us up." She grins. "It is not that I don't accept your point of view, it is that I don't know how to see it from that far down. You are shorter, after all." It's a quick little barb. "But I do not know what it is you see when you look at me."
Alexander Aaron	The answer given is wry and delivered with a smirk as he says simply, "A pain in the butt?" He offers as he shoots a glance sidelong, but then he shrugs a little and waves a hand to the side, "In any case, now you're all caught up." He sits forward and then starts to pull his arms out of his tuxedo coat, shaking out the sleeve a few times to get his arm to clear through, then pulling the other free. Once it's off he folds it up and sits it down beside himself upon the cement stairway.     "See there's another difference. You're going to become things. I sort of already am the thing I'm going to be."
Heidi Ingerdottir	"That's not very forward-thinking of you, Alexander," Heidi chides. "In fact, I think that's a terribly naive outlook." Her tone is pleading, as if urging him to understand. "Just because you cannot look past yourself doesn't mean there isn't something for you to become, to grow and change into. People aren't just static beings. We are constantly evolving in different ways. Every person, place, thing, can change the way we look and think and act." She pokes a finger at his chest. "You get to choose how to react to that. Are you annoyed? That changes how you look at me. Do you find it funny? That, too, is a change. Your reaction and the outcome change things. You will now be a slightly more annoyed or amused Alexander. You didn't see that coming, did you? Or was that entirely part of your 'I am the thing I'm going to be'?"
Alexander Aaron	His nose crinkles, "Well," He catches that finger and holds it for a bit, threatening to twist it around a little but then just lets go with a harumph. "I was more thinking in regards to my legacy. It's hard to get past being the God of Fear. That'll be what I'm always known for no matter what. Everything else will be just a little asterisk afterwards."     He mimes printing out a typeset headline in front of himself, "Alexander Aaron, God of War. Also not a bad player of billiards, was also kind to dogs."
Heidi Ingerdottir	"You know, in Asgard we pride ourselves on titles. They make you look very impressive. The fact that you only see yourself having /one/ title is disappointing." Heidi, of course, is not counting billiards and dogs as real titles. "Your life has /barely/ started. Granted, your years of life have given you many more experiences than I had when I had your years, so it is not a tiny drop of experience. But you have the potential for so much more and to limit yourself to just that as your legacy is insulting to you." The finger jabs again, but this time it's accusingly. "Don't you go being unkind to my dear friend Alexander. He is worth more than you know." She pauses. "But what's to stop you from being more than that? You get more powerful... then you get to change the rules. Who would stop you?"
Alexander Aaron	A snort is given as Alexander boots her foot with his shoe as if in punishment. "That's the problem with you Asgardians, not us Olympians." He leans against the railing and snorts, "Thor has like thirty titles, he's god of thunder, and war and horses, and goats, and chariots and tons of stuff."     He then points back at Heidi and /pokes/ her in the chest. "But see that just ends up with diluted power and focus. Dad? He's The God of WAR. Thor is a god of war." A solemn nod is given, "See the difference?"     "I'm sure I'll keep growing and developing though, you know. I'm not saying I won't. Or that I'll stagnate. More just that... everything beyond this is to add to my story, sure. But the headline's writ large already."
Heidi Ingerdottir	Heidi smirks, nudging him back with her foot. "So what is to stop you from achieving higher than that? Or /changing/ what you want to be?" She laughs. "Become a poet. Show them you're the god of poetry. /The/ god of poetry. When I become a Valkyrior... that is not the end of my story. Will I stay on Midgard? Will I return to Asgard and simply raise horses and fight? Will I travel the Nine Realms with my fellow sisters in the Valkyrior protecting everyone? Will I set off on my own somehow?" She looks up at the sky. "Valkyrie is just a goal. I am much more than that. There are a few who have helped me realize that, you included." She pauses. "But why are you so worried about a legacy? You have a /life/ to live. And I didn't expect you to be one so eager to seek fame after death that you become /sullen/." Another nudge. "Do not let it get to you. You are much stronger than that. You are worth more than that. You are better than some mere title. You are Alexander. Just that. You need no title."
Alexander Aaron	A small laugh comes from him, "Yeah, even my name is derived from a great man that my dad loved more." He winks a little, but then holds up his hands to hold her off from protesting, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I know my dad loves me, he just..."     He laughs and shakes his head, "If you ever meet him, ask him about Alexander the Great. You'll see him almost shed a tear." Which, to be fair, is pretty darn true. "But yah, don't get me wrong, Heidi."     He waves a hand to the side, "I like me, I like who I am. I think I'll like who I become. I think in some ways that the reason I'm not sad about things with Mel is that I feel it doesn't diminish me. People get mad about breakups because it's like you're not good enough or something was wrong. I don't feel that way."     Then he lifts his chin, tapping his fingertip there, "Then again maybe that's hubris."
Heidi Ingerdottir	"No, I do not think that's hubris, I think that's a very solid way of thinking about things. Perhaps it makes it easier, but just because you are not swinging from the rafters drunk and stupid from loss does not mean it wasn't meaningful and that you didn't care." Heidi doesn't poke him this time, instead putting a hand on his shoulder. "Sometimes it doesn't work. Life is like that. All we can do is try and learn from each thing put in our path. Hopefully, we enjoy it along the way." She's trying to be both optimistic and realistic at the same time. It's not the easiest thing to do.
Alexander Aaron	"Ehn, we'll see." Alexander rest his hand on hers and gives it a squeeze, "Anyways, let's get going. I think I see the security guards over down near the football field." He pushes himself to his feet and leans out on the railing, casting his gaze further down the way, then looks back.     "I still have a few months to go here, don't wanna get kicked out for trespassing." That said he grins at her and then starts to hop down the steps, and on into a casual stroll along the sidewalk.
Heidi Ingerdottir	Heidi laughs. "That would be an unfortunate reason to get removed from your place of learning." She pushes herself off the stairs and rather smoothly to her feet, moving down them to the sidewalk to walk along side him. "Besides, there are much more interesting places to trespass if you are going to do that."