[By the river felt like a better place to apologize than where Chiron had initially been standing during that entire...whatever just happened. The shadow of Notre Dame seemed suitable enough, and that was where he stood, loitering along the Seine in order to just give a proper face to face apology.]
[ He'd intended on finding Chiron eventually; it had just so happened his teacher managed to find him first through the network. At the call of his teacher, he'd immediately dropped all of what he'd been doing to rush to the place he said he'd be at. He takes his horse along in tow, pulling at the reins and steering the animal towards the river once they reach the magnificent church.
Above the stairs, he can see his teacher standing along the cement ledge, facing the water. Leaving his horse to stand at the top of the stairway, he proceeds to descend down to Chiron's level, calling out to him. ]
Hey, teacher!
how have we not gotten quasimodo as a servant yet anyhow
[Chiron wasn't surprised that Achilles had found himself a horse to get around Paris in. It was natural, based not on class but on his very nature of just being Achilles.
Once he was there, standing next to Chiron along the river, he was given a very small smile.]
[ The small smile is met with a look of regret, though it's subtle enough that it probably doesn't look that severe given the distance between them. Unless Chiron is using his freaky eye magic to see --
As he approaches, the remorse will flicker in his eyes, fleeting as he tries to curb the guilt in favour of the joy of being reunited again. And under better circumstances than when they had originally met in the Holy Grail War. ]
I should've left you with a goodbye. They didn't leave me time to do that before I was sent away for a different mission.
But I'm here now. It's good to see you again, didaskalos.
[Chiron's own gaze remained across the river, letting Achilles approach in his own time. The body of water isn't so great as anything back in the mountains, in regards to clarity. It's for transport, more than anything else.]
If there is no time given, then one can hardly hold you at fault for not giving any kind of farewell.
[It's the most overly elaborate no hard feelings in a while. But those words would sound too foreign coming out of Chiron's mouth.]
[ He keeps a respectful distance away from him, keeping his eyes trained on his teacher and his teacher alone. He'll wait patiently for his gaze to be returned. ]
... Relieved, are you? [ It's a word he hadn't considered before coming here, knowing that he did feel something at the idea of fighting alongside his teacher rather than against.
Yeah, he supposes he's relieved too. ]
Are you not a little disappointed? [ Then, with a bow of his head, he lets out an amused breath. ]
I wanted to show you my strength. I spent a lot of time thinking of ways to defeat you.
Then you and I came to the same conclusion: there was, and is, no one else in the ranks of those summoned to that particular fight better suited to fighting one of us than the other. I am sure that we dedicated our time to those thoughts equally.
[If not equally, then very near to it. Chiron shifts his weight from one leg to the other, noting that Achilles is yet to actually stand beside him. If he has to spell it out, well, that's more than a little embarrassing.]
It is a shame to not see a full show of your strength and what you developed after you left my charge. I trust to see it in time.
[ It'd be great to embarrass his teacher, but Achilles is relatively well-behaved under his care. He should appreciate it, given that no one else is granted Achilles' compliance to the extent in which he gives Chiron.
His words enthral him. He relishes the praise, however subtle, invigorated by his teacher's pride in him. He couldn't have asked for anything more of him.
He notices the cue and obligingly steps forward to his side, turning his gaze towards the river and what lays across. ]
To fight by your side will be a sacred honour. I have no reason to complain.
[Chiron would have no patience for sitting in tents. But he was long dead before Troy was an apple in Eris' eye, and none can say if that is for better or worse. It simply is.]
Your presence is always known, that much is for certain. It is a greater challenge to ignore.
[There. That was the greatest compliment he could think to give, and Chiron let it hang quietly in the air.]
[ It's what he wants to hear, honestly. Chiron has taught many famous heroes, after all, and had been around to hear of his other students' exploits and accomplishments.
He never got the chance to prove his growth to his teacher, so it's reassuring to be told that he'd left a lasting impression with him and that he had somehow earned his respect.
He beams unabashedly, smiling to himself and baring his teeth. ]
I wouldn't let you ignore me.
Are you enjoying Paris...? [ It seems like just the place he'd feel right at home in, with all of its culture (in certain areas). Though, he's always been more of a recluse. Maybe he's longing for the seclusion of the Mount Pelion. ]
[The idea that Achilles had to earn respect was something that Chiron would have laughed at if the idea was voiced. It was automatically given, not something to be re-earned time and again. But without it being said, there's no opportunity for correction.
As for Paris, that is given a contemplative noise.]
It has proven an interesting place in a very interesting time. I find myself wondering how the kings that we know well might take to the revolution and the concepts thereof.
Other cities...? [ He echoes him. ] Haha...! It's no Athens or Aegina, but it certainly has its charm. Knowing that that tyrant of a king will be stripped of his power soon brings me great joy.
I'm eager to bear witness to the upheaval that is to happen. I hope that it will be satisfying.
[ He turns to him finally. ]
These people deserve all the privileges that have been withheld from them.
[Achilles and his rebellion against authority has always given Chiron a feeling of, well, reassurance does not feel like the right word but it is close enough, reassurance that Chiron truly did not do poorly as a teacher. There was never any real dislike in their time together, nothing that would provoke this level of disdain for Chiron's authority as a teacher and temporary parent.
But it does make Chiron wonder about paths not taken. By all rights, if Troy had not played out as it did, Achilles would have eventually inherited his father's throne. How does one rebel against authority when they become it?
Chiron finally turns as well. His eyes are curious, the rest of him stoic. Human bodies, he's found, are less expressive.
Not having a tail's got a lot to do with it.]
And what do you imagine they'll do, once such things are rightfully returned?
The question comes as a surprise to Achilles, who thought this was about making idle conversation. He hadn't really thought about the future of these people, or cared to think about it. He's always had that lack of foresight that way. ]
I'd imagine bring order back to their society, somehow.
Revolution brings swift change, doesn't it? And once power is released, someone is bound to try to grab it for themselves.
[ He knows this all too well. ]
Whatever happens, that's all these people want. A change.
If there's only one person taking those powers again, how is that change?
[Achilles isn't speaking of republics or democracies, at least, he isn't phrasing it in that way. So the question is a simple follow up, and meant to provoke further thought.]
One can re-style the concept of monarchy, but if it's still single-man rule, then the motions have been pointless. As it is, we are in a city, and the needs of those in the countryside are always different. How are those not present represented?
[Right is regarded with a soft hm.]
I don't believe that this falls into right or not.
[ He lets out a breath of a laugh, smiling fondly. That's so like his teacher -- and this is the man he learned logic and reason from.
He's read the philosophical works of this time. Some of them. Partially. He skim-read them, and he finds himself wondering what his teacher would think of all this. ]
Mankind generally wants to preserve the status quo so long as they're benefitting from it.
We know what is to become of this, in the distant future, anyway. [ Fuckin' capitalism... ]
We're here to make sure that all goes accordingly.
Mm, then I believe that it's more appropriate to speak in longer terms, rather than any immediate concepts of freedom for a populace that I don't believe we will have the luxury of truly getting to know.
[Not that Chiron did that in life. He had his home and it was away from the rule of any men.]
Of course, it also means we are also preserving the status quo of history itself.
There's a hint of irony, I feel, that lies in contrast to the matter in Trifas.
[A Grail War is a way to change fate, after all. This? This is the active preservation of it.
But Achilles isn't wrong either. It is a different era with different definitions to values held most dear.
To speak of heroes, however, brings a different question to mind.]
Do you imagine that any of our actions will register the same κλέος as they would in our own time?
[In the end, this is undercover work. Unspoken and unsung. Something to be kept secret because to give it voice would be to suggest that for a moment, history went in a way it shouldn't have.]
... [ Ugh. That is something that's been on his mind lately. Of course his old master would pick up on that. ]
I've already preserved my name in history. My κλέος is eternal now.
This? This is for the benefit of mankind. [ And not himself. ] What action we take here will be unknown, but doing the right thing is also necessary for a hero.
[How can it not be? Chiron is genuinely curious if the matter has come up for Saber as well, but...the matter is delicate, and Saber is very much not. It'll pop up when it does, and he has no doubts that her response will be interesting.
Achilles' own thoughts bring a smile to his face. There's nothing else to remark on. The only thing Chiron can do is nod in approval, pleased at the genuine thought that's been given to the matter. It's a reflection on Achilles, and one of the best Chiron's seen. One that can't and shouldn't be attributed to anyone but the man himself.]
And here I am wanting that last sentence preserved in the records for all to read.
[Maturity in death sounds more like just having time to process grief and not act irrationality because of it. It explains the softer heart at their first meeting in Trifas too.]
Mmm. There's a certain power in being anonymous, as we're forced to be at present.
[As for the actual question, there's an easy shrug.]
Nothing terribly exciting. I was invited to go roof hopping with your side's Saber.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
in person
Notre Dame... https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1f/a4/ec/1fa4ec721909cb3b99df8d99e0e0e5fe.jpg
Above the stairs, he can see his teacher standing along the cement ledge, facing the water. Leaving his horse to stand at the top of the stairway, he proceeds to descend down to Chiron's level, calling out to him. ]
Hey, teacher!
how have we not gotten quasimodo as a servant yet anyhow
Once he was there, standing next to Chiron along the river, he was given a very small smile.]
And here I had thought we parted ways again.
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As he approaches, the remorse will flicker in his eyes, fleeting as he tries to curb the guilt in favour of the joy of being reunited again. And under better circumstances than when they had originally met in the Holy Grail War. ]
I should've left you with a goodbye. They didn't leave me time to do that before I was sent away for a different mission.
But I'm here now. It's good to see you again, didaskalos.
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If there is no time given, then one can hardly hold you at fault for not giving any kind of farewell.
[It's the most overly elaborate no hard feelings in a while. But those words would sound too foreign coming out of Chiron's mouth.]
I am relieved that we're not opposing each other.
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... Relieved, are you? [ It's a word he hadn't considered before coming here, knowing that he did feel something at the idea of fighting alongside his teacher rather than against.
Yeah, he supposes he's relieved too. ]
Are you not a little disappointed? [ Then, with a bow of his head, he lets out an amused breath. ]
I wanted to show you my strength. I spent a lot of time thinking of ways to defeat you.
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[If not equally, then very near to it. Chiron shifts his weight from one leg to the other, noting that Achilles is yet to actually stand beside him. If he has to spell it out, well, that's more than a little embarrassing.]
It is a shame to not see a full show of your strength and what you developed after you left my charge. I trust to see it in time.
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His words enthral him. He relishes the praise, however subtle, invigorated by his teacher's pride in him. He couldn't have asked for anything more of him.
He notices the cue and obligingly steps forward to his side, turning his gaze towards the river and what lays across. ]
To fight by your side will be a sacred honour. I have no reason to complain.
In battle, I hope that your eyes will be on me.
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Your presence is always known, that much is for certain. It is a greater challenge to ignore.
[There. That was the greatest compliment he could think to give, and Chiron let it hang quietly in the air.]
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He never got the chance to prove his growth to his teacher, so it's reassuring to be told that he'd left a lasting impression with him and that he had somehow earned his respect.
He beams unabashedly, smiling to himself and baring his teeth. ]
I wouldn't let you ignore me.
Are you enjoying Paris...? [ It seems like just the place he'd feel right at home in, with all of its culture (in certain areas). Though, he's always been more of a recluse. Maybe he's longing for the seclusion of the Mount Pelion. ]
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As for Paris, that is given a contemplative noise.]
It has proven an interesting place in a very interesting time. I find myself wondering how the kings that we know well might take to the revolution and the concepts thereof.
[He does miss the mountains though.]
How does it compare to the other cities you know?
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I'm eager to bear witness to the upheaval that is to happen. I hope that it will be satisfying.
[ He turns to him finally. ]
These people deserve all the privileges that have been withheld from them.
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But it does make Chiron wonder about paths not taken. By all rights, if Troy had not played out as it did, Achilles would have eventually inherited his father's throne. How does one rebel against authority when they become it?
Chiron finally turns as well. His eyes are curious, the rest of him stoic. Human bodies, he's found, are less expressive.
Not having a tail's got a lot to do with it.]
And what do you imagine they'll do, once such things are rightfully returned?
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The question comes as a surprise to Achilles, who thought this was about making idle conversation. He hadn't really thought about the future of these people, or cared to think about it. He's always had that lack of foresight that way. ]
I'd imagine bring order back to their society, somehow.
Revolution brings swift change, doesn't it? And once power is released, someone is bound to try to grab it for themselves.
[ He knows this all too well. ]
Whatever happens, that's all these people want. A change.
... Right, teacher?
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[Achilles isn't speaking of republics or democracies, at least, he isn't phrasing it in that way. So the question is a simple follow up, and meant to provoke further thought.]
One can re-style the concept of monarchy, but if it's still single-man rule, then the motions have been pointless. As it is, we are in a city, and the needs of those in the countryside are always different. How are those not present represented?
[Right is regarded with a soft hm.]
I don't believe that this falls into right or not.
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He's read the philosophical works of this time. Some of them. Partially. He skim-read them, and he finds himself wondering what his teacher would think of all this. ]
Mankind generally wants to preserve the status quo so long as they're benefitting from it.
We know what is to become of this, in the distant future, anyway. [ Fuckin' capitalism... ]
We're here to make sure that all goes accordingly.
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[Not that Chiron did that in life. He had his home and it was away from the rule of any men.]
Of course, it also means we are also preserving the status quo of history itself.
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... And that's fine, isn't it?
We're from a different age. These people's values differ from ours. Perhaps their concept of freedom is different than ours.
So we should fight for it regardless, because that's what we do as heroes.
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[A Grail War is a way to change fate, after all. This? This is the active preservation of it.
But Achilles isn't wrong either. It is a different era with different definitions to values held most dear.
To speak of heroes, however, brings a different question to mind.]
Do you imagine that any of our actions will register the same κλέος as they would in our own time?
[In the end, this is undercover work. Unspoken and unsung. Something to be kept secret because to give it voice would be to suggest that for a moment, history went in a way it shouldn't have.]
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I've already preserved my name in history. My κλέος is eternal now.
This? This is for the benefit of mankind. [ And not himself. ] What action we take here will be unknown, but doing the right thing is also necessary for a hero.
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Achilles' own thoughts bring a smile to his face. There's nothing else to remark on. The only thing Chiron can do is nod in approval, pleased at the genuine thought that's been given to the matter. It's a reflection on Achilles, and one of the best Chiron's seen. One that can't and shouldn't be attributed to anyone but the man himself.]
And here I am wanting that last sentence preserved in the records for all to read.
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Only you'll know what I've said today.
And I'm fine with that.
My glory is my own. And I can do with it as I wish; the only person affected is myself anyway.
... What have you been doing since you were brought to Paris, teacher?
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Mmm. There's a certain power in being anonymous, as we're forced to be at present.
[As for the actual question, there's an easy shrug.]
Nothing terribly exciting. I was invited to go roof hopping with your side's Saber.
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And you didn't invite me? [ He's affronted, but not severely so. ]
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We can timeskip to when they find lyres... and wine
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LMAO
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