Summary:A chance encounter in a park between a ex-valkyrie and Silk results in a discussion of why one should be a hero. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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It's not necessarily the case that Brunnhilde is /always/ inebriated. Or at least, not always in a bar or pub or other drinking establishment. This doesn't mean she isn't drinking, but there's those annoying laws about public intoxication that she often runs afoul of, especially the whole open container law, considering how much she goes through.
On the other hand, you don't necessarily come to Washington Square for drinking, but people watching, and perhaps to enjoy the evening with the weather being warmer. Which is what Brunnhilde is sort of doing as the evening joggers and dog walkers and start to filter through the paths.
Of course, this is also when the muggers and less savory types also come out to play for those unwary.
It says something about Hilde that she's sort of hoping she might run into someone like that. Instead, she gets a purse being stolen a bit down from here and the culprit running roughly her way as there are shouts from behind him.
From that same direction, from behind the mugger there's a figure that is closing distance. Fast.
Not on the ground, like the purse-snatcher. But, in the air.
Not flying but - swinging? As she gets nearer, Hilde's clever eyes will be able to see the figure is casting lines from what looks like her hands, wrists, or fingers.
And then she's calling, "Not so fast, jerk!"
Silk sticks to the side of the building and casts one more webline, yanking the purse-snatcher back, and hard, and off of his feet.
Another webline is cast at him, and she pulls him directly at herself, to the side of the building of which she then jumps off of, does a full-on flip in the air, and proceeds to web-stick the thief directly to the side of the building.
"You've got an interview with the police," she tells him, cheerfully.
Brunnhilde was sort of debating if it was worth stopping him. Really, purse snatcher does not scream 'epic battle for the ages', but really…she's more interested in the person who catches up and webs the person in question. A brow raised, before she pushes herself up from the bench she's sitting on and daunters over to peer at the ma on the wall. "Hmm. That's a handy trick." she says, reaching out to carefully snag the purse in question and pull it free from the webbing then hands it off to the woman in question as she catches up with her friends. "You do not look like the friendly neighborhood spiderperson I usually would expected."
Silk turns her brown eyes towards Hilde, and her tone is warm, conversational. "Probably not. I think I did alright, though. Nobody got hurt. Still kind of new at this. Sort of helping Spider-Man out, I guess. I owe him."
She pauses a moment, adds a, "Thanks, though!" Suddenly remembering she'd been complimented. "And thanks for getting the purse back to her. I'm Silk." The young woman extends her mostly gloved hand to the taller woman. Mostly. The tips of the gloves from the first knuckle forwards are designed to be open.
"I'm happy to help."
Brunnhilde hehs. "I did little enough, you were the one who caught him. Handing a bag to a woman is hardly worthy of note, by comparison." she says simply, studying the younger woman thoughfully. "You owe him, hmm?" She holds out a hand, taking it in a firm grip. "Brunnhilde.' she says simply. "Silk is a good name….more…simple, but effective." she says thoughfully.
Pause. "Wait. Brunnhilde? Like, Brunnhilde, the Valkyrie?" Silk looks curious. Afterall, she's met several Asgardians, and well, Brunnhilde isn't the most popular modern name like Cindy or Jack. It's one of those 'forgotten' names, like Eustice or Rhea that nobody uses anymore.
She explains, "I just started reading about Norse Mythology." She doesn't, however, go into 'why', despite the fact the Asgards do have an Embassy here.
"Ex-valkyrie." Brunnhilde corrects automatically, apparently taking the question at face value and assuming you /actually/ mean her…not just that Brunnhilde is a archaic name. She does wrinkle her nose at the idea of reading about Norse mythology. "Oh, that. You should take a lot of those stories with a grain of salt….after all, they're there to make the Aesir look great. Not necessarily what actually happened." There's a faint tinge of bitterness to that, before she shakes it off.
"You may call me Hilde, Silk, if you prefer. It's shorter. Simpler. Like your name." She grins, flashing a white grin at that briefly.
There's a mix of emotions that cross Silk's features - one? confusion. Two? Curiousity. Relief. Joy. Interest. And, a bit of disappointment too. Slowly, she nods, "I kind of figured that already."
There's a long pause, and she asks, then, "Are you a friend of Hod?" SHe knows, of course, that Hod an exile, and it sounds like Hilde is too. But again, there is interest in her eyes.
"I am." She doesn't seem afraid to declare either, despite what Hod told her about his father likely to smite him someday.
The tall woman scratches her cheek absently. Up close, while she's obviously athletic, there are some telltale signs of mild personal neglect. Hair that's not quite braided, with reddish strands falling free down her back and over her shoulder. A worn looking Motorhead sleeveless top, ripped black jeans, battered motorcycle boots. NO makeup or such, but she doesn't really seem to need it either. "Hod?" she says after a moment, her eyes narrowing.
"I wouldn't say we're friends, but we are not enemies either. I have some sympathy for him, at least." She shrugs her shoulders, folding her arms over her chest as she studies the shorter woman. "If you're a friend of Hod, well, it's spitting in the eye of Old One-Eye and I'm pleased to know you for that alone."
All this hate, and fear for Odin. She both does, and doesn't understand it. But, she also doesn't have all the backstory. So Silk nods, just a little, and offers instead, "It looks like you could use a friend, too," observantly. Behind her red veil, she smiles some. The warmth reflects in her tone, and her eyes. "And I can use all the friends I can get. You never know when you'll need help. Or, what someone can do for you."
Her mouth twists, adding, a bit more quietly, "I'm sorry, though. It must be hard to be separated like that. I can relate. A little bit. I was sepearted from the world, entire world, for almost two years. It was hard," she admits.
Then, she offers her hand to shake, "Friends, Hilde?"
Hilde has a lopside smirk on her face, studying the younger woman, a definitely flicker of banked anger in her eyes briefly, though it doesn't seem focused towards her. "It is not hard at all. Fuck 'em." she says. Bluntly. A bit tightly. "I'm well rid of the lords of the Aesir and their 'glory' and plots."
After a moment, she takes the hand again, shaking it. "And I think you could not relate to it as you think, because of that, for I have no love of Asgard or their rulers. My exile is my choice."
Hilde frowns, then adds, slightly belatedly. "…I am sorry if you were separated from those you cared more for, however." she adds politely. It's hard to picture a two year separation as…long. For an immortal. But she's no reason to be mean about it, after all.
"I've only really met Hod. And Sif. However, they are both - very nice. Kind." She exhales, and promises Hilde, "I won't bring it up again. But, I'll be glad to count you as my friend, Hilde. It's good to find people who want to do the right thing. There's too many of the others. I guess that's why I do what I do. Part because he, Spider-Man, I mean, asked me to. But, because people need to know there are good people out there, too."
She looks back to the thug on the wall, admitting, "It's also really fun to travel that way."
The tall ex-Valkyrie makes a face at the mention of Sif. "Old stick up her ass herself." she mutters, then mmmms. "I am not upset that you bring it up. I tell you so you know how it is." she says steadily. She shrugs her muscular shoulders. "Hod is nice enough, I suppose."
She considers Silk thoughfully at that, then says. "…you act a hero because you were asked to be a hero?" There is a questioning tone in her voice. now. "That seems a odd reason to join a battle…that you are asked, but have no desire to win glory or fight to defend those around you?"
Cindy Moon says, "
SIlk shakes her head, "That's not quite it. I probably would have done so anyways. I like helping people, a lot. But no, I don't need any glory, or my name in the paper. I just need, well, validation sometimes from the people I help that I'm doing the right thing. Like I said, new." She gives Hilde a sheepish look.
"I owed Spider-Man something, and I asked him what I could do to repay him, and he told me just to be a hero for the people here in this city. So. That's what I'm doing. Because he asked me. And, because I enjoy it. I just sometimes wish I wasn't needed? If that makes more sense."
ANother sheepish look. "I'm doing terrible at explaining myself, aren't I? Really good with the fighting. Not so good with the talking about it. Or, always making the right decisions of what a hero would do." A bit harder on herself, perhaps, than she needs to be. "But I'll figure it out. I'm still a rookie."
"
The amazonian woman tilts her head a bit at that. "Validation…" she says, tasting the word. "Approval from those you save, you mean?" Brunnhilde hmms, then shrugs. "No warrior who defends the weak from evil wants to be needed. I prefer to hunt evil over reacting, myself." She smirks. "Monster hunting is much more satisfying that way."
Another shrug. "You explain fine. Though if you wish, we could find someplace less public to chat. You are getting looks." she points out, as there are some people nearby who have pulled out their phones to film a heroine at work, so to speak. "As for making right decisions…do what you believe is right. You will choose wrong. That is normal. You learn through your mistakes, as long as you survive them. The trick is to try and make sure no one suffers from your mistakes but you yourself."
"And the police are coming," agrees Silk. "How do you feel about rooftops?" SHe points upwards, and slings a web, and then offers Hilde her hand. There's an glimmer of mirth in her eyes. "Nobody will bother us up there."
Brunnhilde smiles impishly. "I have traveled the rooftop road more than once." she says, stepping in to take the hand then closer to slide her arm more securely around Cindy's waist, seemign to know how to properly hold someone who's about to be swinging on a rope. Or a web. "Lead on…"
There's a sudden rush of air and Cindy pulls, hard, on the webline. There's a bit of odd freefall moments, since her opposite hand is clinging fast to Hilde that she'd otherwise use to keep her momentum, but the girl is exceptionally fast, fluid, and quite at ease with her abilities. And, a few swings later and they're each standing on the tallest building in the block.
"I like it up here," Silk says. "Good viewpoint to keep an eye on the city. Great view to look out at everything. Pretty sky. And, nice and quiet. Good place to eat lunch."
She walks over to a backpack she'd clearly left here, unzips the backpack and offers Hilde a sandwhich, taking one for herself.
"I've fought some monsters, too." And, the two, then, will likely share stories - at least, some. Silk having far fewer by a landslide than Brunnhilde, but it's a good aspect for the two to bond over the next few hours.
Friendships are borne out of the strangest circumstances, sometimes.