february: catch-all |〈 i've been looking at the sky 〉

[godnotlord]

WHO: Thor Odinson & You.
WHERE: Various locations, mostly Heropa.
WHEN: Through-out February.
WHAT: Fauxhalla opener, Thor to be found around Heropa's streets & bars.
ETC: Open starters under the cut, any closed threads will be in comments. If there's something you'd like to have Thor for, lmk! Hit me up on plurk (valleyheart) and I'll do my best to get things rolling.



i. fauxhalla

[Thor doesn't have a dominating presence at Fauxhalla, though he does periodically stop in from time to time to be around his faux-family in their natural habitat. He does tend to bring with him something small most every time he comes, just out of a happy desire to bestow gifts upon his niece and her partner and all others staying there. On this most recent of visits he brought with him a large cut of meat that he carries with ease over one shoulder while looking the part of a lumberjack as you'd expect him to.

What else will Thor be up to on visits to the tree house? Maybe taking to some chores politely, like wood cutting or stacking or just lingering around to marvel at the peace and tranquility. That or you know, wrestling and sparring with his shape-shifting niece and eating dirt a few times. He's got a bit more of a grasp on Midgard technology, too, thanks to some trial and error both here and in the presence of Jane back home. He can make scrambled eggs and smoothies, both of which he'll gladly make in the mornings he's around.]

ii. after work (Heropa)

[He is by no means properly trained for this job, but it doesn't seem to matter. Sure, he can make it rain to always make his forecasts read properly but he rarely does - instead he just puts on a friendly smile and reads from the confusing teleprompter. It appears that it doesn't quite matter how accurate the script he reads from is, viewership is up and it may just be because of his slightly unbuttoned dress shirts and a not so subtle hashtag that begins trending every day when Heropa Channel 4 News puts on their weather segment. The #Thorst is real.

Today he's just finished up a segment that was filmed on the street and is quickly unburdened of his microphone and wiring to step aside as the film crew puts away their tech and he carries on idle chatter with someone nearby or shrugs off his suit jacket to carry it over his arm on a particularly warm day of filming in the Florida sun.

Maybe you stopped to watch or tried to photo-bomb or maybe you just happen to be passing by as Thor accidentally steps into your way and offers a tall Asgardian apology. But if you were someone interviewed for the segment about the rise or fall in temperature, the recent unexpected rainfall or particularly vibrant lightning in the last month - Thor will smile you after filming is concluded and lean in a little.]

That last storm really was pretty cool and impressive, wouldn't you'd say?

iii. (really) after work (Heropa)

[Thor has found himself fond of a pub in Heropa by the name of the Hog's Ear which serves a hearty spread of food and good ale. He's there again this evening with a pint in front of him and a rack of lamb, unwinding after a long day's work. He's changed into more casual clothes than the suit and tailored shirts he wears on air, swapping in for a t-shirt and jeans with a leather jacket draped over the seat next to him by the bar.

There are several people playing at a game of darts that he's admiring, in between drinks from his glass. After long enough he speaks up, gesturing with the hand holding his glass toward the action. He speaks generally, maybe at the bartender or those close to him:] I used to play a game like that as a child.

Only the targets were taped to the backs of giant oxen. And we threw axes, not these... [he's gesturing with his hands before he examines a dart with a scrutinizing frown] tiny things.

[After a beat, he laughs heartily with a reminiscing smile.] Ah, yes... those were good times.

Comments

iii) Pub

[cadbane]

[Bane, in lean human form, has also been seated at the bar and observing. His steely-eyed gaze moves toward the muscular man when Thor remarks on the game. Darts is not a game he's familiar with but he can grasp the concept quickly enough. He speaks up.]

You sound like you can appreciate a good weapon.

[godnotlord]

[Thor tilts his head to the side thoughtfully.] Well, yes... but in this case, it was more the sport.

Axes are much more conductive to throwing, and just as precise if you know what you're doing. But these... little darts? They seem so... light and flimsy. Nothing you really need to put your strength towards. [He claps himself on the bicep to emphasize his point before returning to a hearty drink of ale.]

Anyone can throw them.

[cadbane]

I suppose it depends how much damage you want to do to the target.

[He remarks thoughtfully.]

I never had much interest in sports unless somebody was making a sure bet.

[godnotlord]

[Thor gives a gentle shrug - the oxen were big, the targets too.] Asgard had a way of being go big or go home, I'll admit.

You're a betting man though, are you?

ii) After work

[fireandhoney]

[That you can actually turn on television and get a report on what the weather is going to be like seems like magic to Finn. Back in Skyrim you just went outside and crossed your fingers that it wasn't going to rain. Of course, Finn has been tempted at least once to screw around with the weather report and use the Storm Call or Clear Skies Shouts, but those only work for a short time and only in a relatively short radius. Not to mention Storm Call can be dangerous.

Finn is mainly here because he was out doing things and got pulled in to ask his opinion on the weather. At some point he said something to the effect of 'I can change the weather with my voice'.

He smirks up at Thor.]

I'll say it was.

[godnotlord]

[Thor's not exactly used to people stealing his thunder, literally or not, so he did make a casual note about what Finn said in the watch out for that way. Because he is so over people surprising him with things. Surprise, I'm still alive! (Again.) Surprise, I'm dying! (Again?) Surprise, I'm your sister! (Never again, hopefully.)

He's unbuttoning the sleeves of his shirt to roll them up to his elbows, tiring of the constrictive nature of Midgard's favored clothing. Something he doesn't tire of, on the the other hand, is some gentle admiration toward the storms that tended to follow in his wake.]

Storms around here could learn a thing or two from it, that's what I'm saying.

[fireandhoney]

[Finn is certainly not dressed to be on the news, in his jeans and denim jacket, over a t-shirt that has the logo of some band he's never heard of but he liked the design.]

Oh, definitely. The other storms should be super jealous of that last one.

ii.

[spacerhyme]

[ He responds to his quick man-on-the-street interview segment with the sort of weather-authority that's entirely unwarranted from someone who's only been in this universe a handful of days. Of course he knows all about the storms, definitely saw that lightning. Global warming, you should really all be absolutely terrified right now, he says as he waves them off.

His eyebrows slowly climb, though, when Thor leans in. ]

Was it? Did I miss something cool? [ he almost sounds disappointed. ]

It wasn't supersonic molten-glass rain, or sentient ball lightning... or frogs, was it?

[godnotlord]

[Note to self: Look up what global warming is.]

Nooo... but it was an epic display of lightning, some of which almost could've been perceived as an attempt to spell something out.

[spacerhyme]

[ The corner of his mouth quirks up. ]

Ah, well, that's only almost impressive, then. Have we got a semi-literate thunder god here?

[ —he asks, jokingly. ]

iii

[cigarbribery]

[The Hog's Ear is not really Foggy's usual type of haunt—he tends to prefer little holes in the wall in Maurtia Falls, where people know who he is and have at least begun to warily accept him, but today he's talking quietly with a bartender, flashing a business card. It takes a minute or two, but eventually the bartender agrees to at least take a message over to the owner, about someone willing to help out with some legal troubles in exchange for a drink or two.

Drink acquired, Foggy turns to watch the dart game, and his eye catches on—oh, yeah, he knows that face. It's changed significantly since the Incident, because at some point the guy lost an eye, but Foggy'd recognize Thor pretty well.

He drifts over, avoiding getting in the way of the game.]

Yeah, that's probably because not everyone here has arms like you presumably did at, like, eight. Or—whatever age you were when you were throwing axes at oxen.

[godnotlord]

[Heh. Thor chuckles because, that is true, he does and has always had astonishingly strong arms.]

Alright, that's true. But you all could go for a little training. Even you could be capable of hitting a bullseye with an axe, if you worked for it.

[cigarbribery]

[Foggy, in contrast, is not that strong, and at this point he's just happy to leave the feats of strength to Thor and Matt and everyone else who's got a build to die for.]

I could be! I just don't feel like putting in all that work. Waking up early to go to the gym, lifting weights to, god, I don't know, build up upper arm strength or whatever—[he gives a one-shouldered shrug.] It's just too much work. [He's pretty cheery about admitting this, actually.] I'll leave the cleaving poor innocent cows in half to you.

iii

[flowerette]

[ This certainly isn't a place Raina normally spends her down time (she prefers a more classy establishment), but she needed something away from Maurtia Falls and away from De Chima. A place to get away and think where no one she knows will bother her. And well, this is probably the last place anyone would think to find her.

She's seated alone with her laptop and a light beer, working on a few things when she hears Thor's boisterous voice over the crowd. He certainly does have a commanding presence, doesn't he? How obnoxious. But it fits the theme of Hog's Ear.

Knowing she won't be able to finish much of what she's working on, Raina closes the laptop and speaks up. ]

And these oxen were still alive at the time? Seems a bit cruel...

[godnotlord]

They were. Hearty creatures, though? Most survived without a scratch. [Asgardian oxen were even more hearty than their Midgard counterparts, too.

Thor does tip his head to the side in thought.] Those that didn't were an honored meal. It worked out.

[flowerette]

Are Asgardians notoriously barbaric? Or just the ones you call friends?

[ Raina's tone is light and teasing. It's not the sort of thing she would call entertaining, but when you consider a lot of the stories about the gods, most of them enjoyed these sorts of activities. And orgies. But how closely true life aligned with mythology, well, that was anyone's guess. ]

I do recall some of the creatures who came to our world. Midgard. I suppose if you live with that sort of beast on a regular basis, you must adopt a different way of living. A more volatile way.

iii)

[halfblaked]

Axes? Why axes? Was this some sort of... training ritual?

[ David was deciddedly not there by mere happenstance. He was there because he'd sought Thor out. He even had a pen and paper, as well as a small voice recorder, which sat next to his pint. He was on his...what? Third? Somehow, for a man around fifty, he seemed to be holding his liquor really well. He only smiled somewhat serenely. ]

If you...don't mind me asking? It's just so... fascinating. [ Was he babbling? Maybe, he even clutched his pen a little tighter, one finger a little more stiff than the rest. ]

[godnotlord]

[Thor has long since stopped bothering to count his own pints in Midgard, so he hardly pays attention to those of others - and even if he did, good on you there, Dave? He's happy to have someone to drink with and regale with stupid stories of axes and oxen. It only makes him more pleased to talk when he noticed notes were being taken.]

Mm, no. They're just easy to throw? Some used knives, but hammers didn't really work for obvious reasons.

[...] Though that would've been cool. Better than knives anyway.

[halfblaked]

Well, I suppose you could make a sport for accuracy that way... See who can knock them out the best?

[ David asked it, but his pen scribbled across the paper, a complicated and illegible scrawl. ]

But what was the purpose of it? I mean... was this just for sport, or did it have a meaning? I know that seems silly, but in my experience, so many of these things have a purpose.

Fauxhalla

[plasticbow]

[Hearth has been here about a month now, and in that month, he's mostly avoided Thor during his visits to Fauxhalla - which he realizes isn't really fair. Although Hearth does have some negative associations with the name (and isn't this guy supposedly the same God of Thunder or what have you?), he is also beginning to finally wrap his head around the idea of all these alternate realities and universes existing simultaneously (somehow). He also realizes that he hasn't even properly introduced himself to the man (God?) yet, and so, one morning when he finds Thor in the kitchen - he appears to be making eggs? - he approaches, tapping him briefly on the shoulder and then taking a few steps back just in case he ends up startling him (he doesn't want to get smacked in the face with a frying pan or anything). And then he waves - it looks like a simple enough wave, anyway, though it's actually the official sign for "hello" in ASL. It's not like he couldn't probably guess that even without Hearth's projection power, though.]

[godnotlord]

[It's hard not to notice one of your niece's home world companions disappears or avoids you when you come to visit, but he's been trying to smoothly avoid the matter - no need to ruffle feathers. But it's a pleasant surprise today to turn around in the kitchen and see him, offering a smile before setting the pan on the burner with some eggs popping away in heated butter.]

Good morning. Hearth, yes? [Magnus gave him some heads up about the ASL, but Thor is still - well, Thor.]

[plasticbow]

[Hearth nods, still looking a bit reluctant as he signs back:] T-H-O-R? [He's really trying to control that less-than-amused expression on his face, but. Then again. That is sort of what his face looks like all the time.]

Haven't met. [And then another short "hello".]

[morethan084]

[Daisy is in the pub too, with her laptop in front of her, although clearly she isn't getting much work done right now. Especially with the game of darts and people cheering a lot. Honestly, she just wanted to get out of the house. Looking over at Thor when he spoke up, Daisy gave him a look that made it clear she didn't quite believe him.]

I can't tell if you're actually being serious, or if you're just screwing with me.

[godnotlord]

Oh, I'm being one hundred percent serious. [He laughs - why would he lie about axes and oxen.]

What part seems beyond believing?

[morethan084]

I mean, that sounds way more messy than just throwing darts.

[All the blood she means.]

You should have a go at playing a round. Might be a bit more of a challenge for you.