▹ destined for greatness▕

REACHING THROUGH THE HOPELESS, HEAVY DUSK.

[impavidcs]

revelations and regrets | achilles + parker

Hands in his pockets, Achilles strolls along one of the less crowded streets, deciding to veer away from the oncoming foot traffic at the last minute. He isn’t in the best frame of mind to navigate his way through the mass of humanity determined to carry him along in every which direction, his mind a little heavier as memories of a life long since gone seep into the frontal lobe of his brain, perforating his mulishness and almost desperate struggle to forget everything that is associated with Achilles, the war hero. It’s usually a simple and easy process — consigning to oblivion the memories of a fallen hero. But some days, it proves a little more challenging, to the point that it exhausts his mental strength, making it so that all he wants to do is return to his apartment to rest his eyes and mind for a bit. Perhaps it’s that very exhaustion that provokes an odd misstep — stumbling over a crack in the sidewalk, quite embarrassing. Exhaling on a tired sigh of chagrin, Achilles finger-combs his hair, the movements slightly exasperated as his gaze absentmindedly slides toward that of one of the few stalls set up on that street — an abundant of paintings and sketches are on full display, the bold lines and dark colors displaying strength of character in the pieces. 

But the one piece to immediately catch his eye is the painting of a particular ship, the Ischyrós, one he commandeered during his third campaign against the Trojans. Only the fifty soldiers under his direct command knew about it.

Staring in bewilderment at the stunning piece of work, Achilles slowly draws closer to the stall, disbelief also vying for the spotlight.    ❛     WHAT IS THIS?    ❜     He mutters to himself, not quite sure what to think.

[impavidcs]

arielangel:

Ariel watched the news report sadly. She couldn’t even do anything to help either. Too weak to truly fight the evils of the world after the project. But the familiar voice behind her made her sit up straighter.

“Achilles?”

She’d known the enochian before, having met him during her years as a messenger. “It is sad, yes,” she added, looking at the screen. “Perhaps she is one of us now though.”

Tilting his head toward that familiar, soft voice, a grin breaks out across Achilles’s face as soon as he recognizes the blonde sitting at the table positioned in front of his own.   ❛   ARIEL, THAT YOU?   ❜    As unnecessary as it is to ask, he almost can’t seem to help himself at this point. He knows it’s her, but still, a verbal confirmation won’t hurt.   ❛   WHEN’D YOU GET HERE?   ❜    Here — as in Las Vegas. Because he’s certain he would have known if she was in the city or not. Enochians are quite skilled at identifying one another and not always by sight — sort of like a homing beacon when needed but mostly singled out by instincts. He’s a little ... disappointed in himself for having not realized she was there until she spoke up.    ❛    THE BETTER QUESTION WOULD BE — HOW’VE YOU BEEN? STAYING HEALTHY?    ❜    He tosses out there, a conversational add-on that will, at the very least, endow him with a sense of relief now that he knows that one of his comrades is safe.

❛   SHE CERTAINLY POSSESSES THE RIGHT QUALIFICATIONS FOR IT,   ❜     Achilles replies flippantly, trying to find a modicum of humor in a situation that is anything but. Because, if anyone qualifies to become part of their cause, a kindergarten teacher is most likely to possess a higher rank than most.    ❛   BUT I DOUBT IT.   ❜     Considering all that the humans have taken from them, there’s even a chance her spirit is stuck in limbo, unable to properly pass on. Poor thing.

[impavidcs]

asimbabbxar:

              “so you say — but the thousands upon thousands of sinners will tell you otherwise,” he replied with a casual shrug, not at all bothered by the man’s dour personality and even dourer outlook on life. “and why do you suppose that is?” sin cocked an eyebrow, finding that he enjoyed conversations of this nature. “maybe that’s because sin is in such high demand.” and in a city regaled for its nightlife and entertainment, was it really that surprising? “but fret not! for every sinner, there is a saint.” they just weren’t as much fun.

             “for me? always,” he added, flashing a winsome smile for added effect. “for you? not so much.” but would a smile every now and then kill mister dour-faced?

❛     I CAN’T IMAGINE WHY.    ❜    Feeling strangely amused by the direction the conversation has gone in, Achilles laces his fingers behind his head and nods toward the alleyway on the other side of the street, the private space giving sinners quite a lot of wiggle room to ply their craft.   ❛    I’M PRETTY SURE SOMETHING SHADY IS GOING DOWN RIGHT THIS VERY MINUTE.  ❜   He can almost guarantee it.   ❛    FROM MY EXPERIENCE, THE SINNERS OUTNUMBER THE SAINTS.    ❜    Five to one.    ❛    BUT THAT DOESN’T STOP ME FROM ROOTING FOR THE OTHER TEAM.    ❜     Someone ought to; otherwise, the poor saints will get trampled by the hordes of sinners.

❛    AH, THEN YOU WON’T ARGUE IF I DECIDE TO LEAVE THE WINSOME ATTITUDE AT YOUR FRONT DOOR, RIGHT?    ❜      Some people simply have a knack for winning over other people, even if all they do is flash a smile. But Achilles has never been one of them.

[impavidcs]

krataiis:

  “Disillusioned?” Keto inquiried from one table over, chin cradled in the palms of her hands as she looked from the television screen to its somber viewer. “Good’s supposed to always triumph over evil, you know – I’ve read the books.” Okay, that was a bald-faced lie. But seeing how downtrodden the man looked, she’d felt the need to say it. Her method of attack had always been to poke at a festering wound until it finally opened, and blood oozed out of it. And emotional wounds were the worst. 

  “Do you honestly think you could have changed the outcome of that travesty?” How positively … human of him – but also self-righteous and conceited. “You could always look for another job.”

❛     I WISH IT WERE THAT SIMPLE.    ❜    Good versus evil – it’s such an abstract concept that very few people take into account the fact that one cannot exist without the other. They may duke it out a few times, but the idea that good always triumphs over evil is a callow viewpoint.    ❛    THAT’S THE THING ABOUT BOOKS – THEY’RE REAL GOOD AT EXAGGERATING IDEAS, OFTEN IN THE MOST ENTERTAINING WAYS.    ❜    He’s read quite a few books over the years, enough to fill at least a hundred libraries, so he can definitely attest to that, especially since his own story has been exaggerated to the point of ridiculousness.

❛     HONESTLY? ... NO. NO, I DON’T,    ❜     Expelling a big sigh of regret for having to speak such a harsh truth, Achilles regards the woman with something very close to curiosity.     ❛     THIS KIND OF JOB ISN’T SOMETHING I CAN JUST QUIT.    ❜      Even if most days, he wishes he could.

[impavidcs]

potniaxtheron:

Living among the mortals, it was natural to, at the very least, try to keep up with the current happenings - but their news could be quite depressing at times, especially if someone decided that the best way to stay up to date on everything was to religiously tune into their news channels. Perhaps it was a good thing then that she only did so once every few days. “It’s astonishing what the mortals will willingly do to one another over jealousy and greed,” Artemis murmured with a sad shake of her head, taking a sip of her sweet tea as she waited for the waitress to return with her chef salad and a side order of sriracha shrimp rolls; she’d been dying to try them since her arrival. 

“Job?” She glanced over at his table then, curiosity swelling. “What do you do - if you don’t mind me asking?”

❛     A SAD, INESCAPABLE TRUTH,    ❜     he replies quietly, hands splayed out across the table, palms facing the ceiling, as his gaze shifts from the television screen to the woman sitting at the table next to his. There’s something about her that strikes a cord of familiarity within him; he just can’t seem to put his finger on what it can possibly be.     ❛      BUT THE SADDEST TRUTH OF ALL IS THAT MORTALS AREN’T THE ONLY ONES WHO SUFFER FROM JEALOUSY OR GREED.    ❜    It’s not solely a human concept — proven numerous times by the gods who enjoy tampering with the fate of mankind. They may no longer possess the power required to do so, but that doesn’t change the fact that if they did, they would undoubtedly resort to trickery to get their way ... as they so often did in the past.     ❛     AH!    ❜    He exclaims, snapping his fingers when it suddenly hits him. Now he knows why she seems so familiar.     ❛     ARTEMIS.    ❜    She’s one of the few goddesses he doesn’t mind being around, as she never did anything particularly evil or intolerable whilst in his presence. But that’s more than he can say for her brother.

 ❛     I SEEK TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE IN NEED OF IT ... I SUPPOSE YOU CAN CALL WHAT I DO VOLUNTEER WORK.    ❜     He offers a shrug, readily providing an answer despite figuring out who she is. But considering what has happened since his death and revival as an enochian, past animosities, tribulations — even identities — no longer matter.

[impavidcs]

unseeliexlinnea:

“It’s chaos,” Linnea replied, hiding the sense of glee that came with hearing the story. She knew of retribution, it was the way of her childhood. Of course, the attack was cruel, but what in this world wasn’t? There are few ways to strike things even that weren’t. “Most everyone gets work out of events like this, you’d be surprised how few don’t. How will you capitalize on this family’s tragedy?”

❛   THAT’S ONE WAY OF PUTTING IT,  ❜   he mutters, a sarcastic note in his deep tenor — not enough to be categorized as rude but enough to showcase just what he thinks of chaos and what it leaves in its wake. “AND I WOULDN’T NECESSARILY CALL IT CAPITALIZING ...   ❜    How can he when enochians don’t get paid to protect humanity? And since his human job — lead firearms instructor — doesn’t have anything to do with preventing or cleaning up tragedies ... 

Well, point made.  

❛   WHAT ABOUT YOU?  ❜   A quick change in subject — away from him. Not that he’s feeling ashamed of anything ... particularly. But it can at least distract him from that one pattern of thought he’s hoping to avoid.    ❛   DO YOU INCLUDE YOURSELF ON THE LIST OF THOSE WHO COULD POSSIBLY CAPITALIZE FROM THIS TRAGEDY?  ❜

[impavidcs]

asimbabbxar:

           “afraid so,” sin interjected, watching with a sort of indifference as the events of the deplorable news story unfolded on the television screen, showcasing humanity at its worst. unless the male was other. but he very much doubted he was anything but an accursed, wicked human. still, they weren’t all bad. some of his best customers were human. “that’s the beauty of sin — you can never have enough of it.” only a fool would think it possible to wash away all the sins of mankind. 

          “but at least you’ve found your silver lining. can’t really get by on just good looks and a winsome smile anymore.” and gods know, he’d tried.

❛  THERE IS NOTHING REMOTELY BEAUTIFUL ABOUT SIN,  ❜   He counters soberly, absently placing folded arms on top of the table as he considers the stranger’s word with all the seriousness they are due — but then he forces a congenial half-smile for the sake of politeness.   ❛  AND YET IT STILL MANAGES TO SLITHER ITS WAY INTO EVERY SITUATION IT CAN,  ❜   If anyone would know, Achilles would — or at least he likes to think so.

He doesn’t know what to make of that last comment. Is he being serious, or is that not meant to be taken with a grain of salt?   ❛  WAS THERE EVER A TIME WHEN SUCH A THING WORKED?  ❜   As a warrior, a winsome smile was rarely part of his armory.  

[impavidcs]

❛   — IT’S NEVER-ENDING, ISN’T IT?  ❜   Achilles murmurs into the crowded bar, the steady stream of conversation around him filling the atmosphere with a feeling of pleasantness that is sometimes hard to find on one’s own. Or it would have been if not for the six o’clock news — man in his mid-thirties storms the family home of a newly hired kindergarten teacher who coincidentally took his place yesterday.  ❛   BUT I GUESS I WOULDN’T HAVE A JOB IF THESE KINDS OF THINGS DIDN’T HAPPEN ON A REGULAR BASIS ...    ❜    He adds in a somber tone, eyes narrowed on the television screen. 

Is that not why Enoch created him in the first place? To combat evil?

[meiselr]

I feel like I could eat the world raw