Reading by the River ((open))

[Odin]

"Not a 'but,' a 'because,'" ::Odin said, returning her smile with an amused one of his own.:: "Because that's your decision to make, just as participation is mine."

[Aqua]

"Well, that's generous of you," Emily said, not in a sarcastic way, but merely making a remark. "I make plenty of stupid decisions. All the time." Had she been to decide the fate of human- or mutantkind...

[Odin]

::Odin detected no sarcasm in her tone, and he responded as though it were merely a comment. Her other remark caught his attention.:: "What do you consider a stupid decision?"

[Aqua]

"Well, for instance, one that comes from a poor judgement of any kind," Emily suggested. "Generally, any decision that results in a negative outcome as opposed to a positive one." She tried being general and strictly abstract since she didn't want to draw any examples from her personal experience. She knew she tended to trust people around her and share personal details, and while it had been okay back at Xavier's school, she thought it was something to avoid here in the city.

[Odin]

::Odin inferred from that a reluctance to go into personal details. He was similar, although in the past, that wouldn't stop him from pressing the matter. However, he was no longer in a position to ignore questions turned back towards him, and thus he had learned to back away from confrontations he would have once led.:: "And you find yourself making those often?"

[Aqua]

"Let's put it this way," Emily glanced towards the river, "I really-really wish I made them less frequently."

[Odin]

::Odin made such mistakes less frequently, as he knew his strengths and preferred to be in control of situations. However, he had glaring personality flaws which inhibited that sense of control, and although his mistakes were fewer in number, they were far worse. Getting involved with Laudine Piercefield's mutant-hating operation due to curiosity and mutant superiority was at the top of his list.:: "Have you learned from them?"

[Aqua]

"It's hard to say," Emily said honestly. "I've learned to avoid doing things that lead to bad consequences. Considering I make mistakes often, that leads to avoiding more and more things every day." She chuckled, although, of course, there was hardly anything funny in that.

[Odin]

::Odin nodded in comprehension. That was how he'd come to develop his routines.:: "I've found that life is about finding balances."

[Aqua]

"That sounds like the next level," Emily said, "and I think I'm still not through with the one I'm at now."

[Odin]

"You need a foothold before a balance, you mean?" ::Odin queried, although it wasn't quite a question.::

[Aqua]

"Yes," Emily nodded, "precisely." It was a very good analogy. She liked it.

[Odin]

::A more common problem in life; Odin had gone through it, as he suspected everyone did at one point or another.:: "That's more of finding an inner path, unfortunately."

[Aqua]

"Yes," Emily said. "At the moment, I'm doing it alone. Although ideally, I've heard, it helps having a mentor or a guru."

Her mind instantly jumped to Pietro - he seemed to have been the only person that helped her find steady ground and strengthen her inner self, yet she had fallen out of contact with him. His absence was starting to show in the way she was trying to deal with everyday stuff. Her being completely on her own in the city wasn't helping things, either.

[Odin]

::Odin was a man who had benefited from having a mentor in his life. To the extent that he kept in contact with his mentor, when he otherwise ignored the rest of his past. As such, he could only agree with the statement she made.

Her thoughts then appeared to drift, perhaps to a lost mentor or to her own childhood. It wasn't his affair, not if he wanted to keep his own to himself, as she asked questions. He chose not to comment on her drifting.:: "Mentors do help, and if you have someone who can serve as one, I'd recommend it. But it's possible to get along without one."