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[mjolnir_retriever]

Thor thought he was leaving his chambers for the palace hallway. (He also thought that the only doors to Milliways seemed to be on Earth, and not Asgard.)

And yet: Milliways.

The Thor that casts a look across the barroom looks notably different than anyone here will have seen him before. He's clad in armor, and carries a large war-hammer easily in one hand. And there's a subtle radiance to him that wasn't there before -- not an actual glow, but as if the light is hitting him differently, so that all the colors of his body and clothing are just a tad more saturated than those of anything around him.

Other things Thor looks: weary, and heartsore.

Thor wouldn't necessarily mind companionship right now, but this -- this brightly lit room full of bustle and strangers and curious faces and lives untouched by his brother's life and his brother's (probable) death -- is exactly what he doesn't want. That one look done, he heads straight for the back door.

You'll be able to find him out back, striding alongside the lake, or sitting on a rock some ways away from the bar with his forearms on his knees and his hammer resting beside him.

Or, perhaps, you'll just see a strangely isolated thunderstorm moving rapidly over the lake towards the mountains, with what the keen-eyed might perceive to be a humanoid form in its midst.

Comments

[themysciran_diana]

Keen-eyed is Diana of Themyscira, by the gifts of Athena and Artemis both, and so she cannot fail to notice the figure in the midst of the storm.

She saw, too, the changed Thor that made his way through the bar, and when he did not return for some time --

She decided to follow. For one who can fly, it is not quite so difficult as it might otherwise be.

Even when mountains are involved.

[mjolnir_retriever]

Thor doesn't want, especially now, to damage another's property uninvited. And all of Milliways is another's property, and the pells that held up sturdily to human strength and a super-sledge won't likely hold up to Mjölnir, or even necessarily to Thor's fists.

Which means no cathartic exercise, right now.

Instead: cathartic flying at the heart of a storm. It's something, anyway.

But there's something at the edge of his awareness, now, gradually coming nearer -- someone, in blue and red and gold. Thor turns, and the winds carrying him along slow a little, some of the dark thunderhead wisping away at the edges.

Someone familiar, he sees now.

[themysciran_diana]

"My friend," Diana says as she gets close, voice pitched to rise over the howling winds.

"Shall you welcome company? You have, I think, been long alone -- at least here."

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen, for her part, hadn't wanted very much from today. She's back in Megaton, and there was a water caravan today, and a fight broke out between the Children of Atom and the Apostles of Eternal Light during the unloading, and... oh, it was all so very pointless that she just had to get out of there, at least for a little while. And so she did, on Shiphrah and Puah's back, with Sheriff Simms looking after little Marie (Ellen's still not asking Scribe Cancio to have anything to do with the fosterling).

Which means that at some point when Thor is near the lake, he might well catch sight of an armored figure- ordinary combat armor like in the icon, nothing powered- coming his way astride a two-headed cow.

[mjolnir_retriever]

Thor's pretty wrapped up in his own thoughts, but not that badly. The cow's worth a moment's notice -- it doesn't look as weird to him as it would to most humans, but it's still unusual -- but it's the human figure on its back that actually catches his attention.

Especially since recognition follows pretty quickly after that.

Thor probably wouldn't seek her out if he were heading the other direction; he's well aware that he's poor company right now. But he's not heading the other direction, and he doesn't actually want to avoid her either, so he continues on towards the cow and its rider.

[aaaaaaaagh_sky]

Ellen raises a hand in greeting and thumps her heels against the cow's sides. One of the heads lows indignantly, but the other just snorts and picks up the overall pace. Brahmin are like that.

"Thor, it's good to see you!" Ellen calls as they draw within speaking range. "Are you... all...."

He's not. She was going to ask 'are you all right', since it's been a good while since she saw him last, but... he's not.

"... um. Maybe I should just say it's been some time, hasn't it?"

[a_bolin_stone]

Somewhere in the distance comes the thud of stone on stone, and a tremble like a localized earthquake.

The light's not wholly gone yet, so it's pretty easy to see a figure -- heavily bundled, because jeez, it's like the freakin' South Pole out here -- tumbling over the ground, rocks raising into the air with each strike of a foot or hand. When he fluidly changes course to direct a punch toward an invisible opponent, the rocks shoot forward to arc over the lake.

One of them plunks into the water not too far from Thor.

[mjolnir_retriever]

Thor watches this process without surprise. (That's about half his mood and half his general familiarity with powers, because on another day he'd at least be intrigued by the method.)

He doesn't react in surprise to the falling stone, either -- Thor is good with trajectories, through very long experience -- nor to the cold water that splashes out, even though a few drops hit him. He does direct a look of curiosity at the kid punching rocks around, though.

It's subdued curiosity, but even Thor's subdued expressions are visible. He's got a mobile face.

[a_bolin_stone]

Whoops.

"Sorry!" yells the kid. It's a bit muffled; once he unwinds the gray-green scarf from around his neck, his next, "Sorry!" is rather more audible. Around him, the levitating stones drop to the ground. "Did I get you?"

[forgottenmotley]

A snowball, trajectory very carefully calculated, goes whizzing by the god of thunder's ear as he sits on a rock. Just close enough to feel the passing but not enough to actually to hit, except maybe graze some stray hair.

[mjolnir_retriever]

Thor doesn't bother to dodge. It wasn't going to hit him.

Also, it's a snowball, and he can't really care right now. He probably wouldn't care if it did hit him.

He does direct an unimpressed look at the vaguely familiar guy, though.

[forgottenmotley]

The Fool straightens up like a ramrod for just a brief moment and then ambles carefully over to Thor. Carefully because of the slippery ground, not because of fear. He stops when he comes shoulder to shoulder to the god and then stares out in the same direction.

[electro_kinetic]

It's not that Noriko is particularly looking for trouble--on the contrary, she's got a lot to think over, and so on her circuits of the lake (yes that is plural, yes she can move fast) she's been pretty quiet. But seeing someone hunched over like that does get her attention. Cautiously, she approaches; just gloss over the bright blue hair and metal arms, and all the accoutrements of being a mutant, we promise she won't do anyone any harm.

"You look like you could use company," she says softly.

[mjolnir_retriever]

It's safe to say that Thor Odinson is not worried about harm! Not from a mutant, and not from electricity, and not from... very much at all, really.

He does remember her, though. The young maid with the lightning, and few teachers in its use.

"I fear," he rumbles, "I am ill company for any right now."

[electro_kinetic]

"Does that really ever stop anyone?" she asks, before edging onto the rock with him. She not being overly large in stature makes him just seem kinda huge, truth be told.

"So I guess asking if you're okay is kind of pointless." Judging by the body language he's putting off right now, at least.

[katyafeline]

There's something new, when Katya emerges from the woods picking red tufts of fur off her jacket. A someone new, even - with that feeling of depth she used to only associate with Others.

...

And she really can't fault him on the bling.

She learned a long time ago not to sneak up on anyone who either didn't know her well or looks like they could have the possibility to throw her through the nearest wall (or both), so she's purposefully walking up the rocky shoal, each footstep crunching and loud.

[mjolnir_retriever]

And this isn't even his fancy armor!

He doesn't know (or notice) that the noise she's making is deliberate, although he'd appreciate the courtesy if he did. (He's not all that hair-trigger most of the time, now included, but courtesy is courtesy.)

But he does glance over when she's near enough. The look is somewhere between greeting and inquiry, although a subdued version of both compared to Thor's usual.

[katyafeline]

"Dobryj dyen'!" She calls cheerfully once within range, "I thought I should make sure the rabbits did not enact vengeance upon another while I taught them manners elsewhere."

This is only slightly a cover story.

She's like any other feline. Curiosity may kill the cat, but satisfaction will definitely bring it back.

[moonandstar]

Garyn has found himself wandering by the lake as well. Gods only know the reason - it certainly isn't because he's enamored of the climate. The Imperial City never got this cold, much less Leyawiin. He'd say archery practice if he were asked - it wouldn't be a bad place for it, if he'd thought to bring his bow.

It's probably cabin fever more than anything else, Garyn reflects. Or maybe the Old Man. It's been what, six weeks? Garyn supposes that's not quite long enough yet. If anything, it probably hasn't been on his mind enough. He still isn't sure how he feels. Or over which part of himself he should be less proud of: the part that feels bad about it or the part that feels good. Well, it isn't a bad place to light up a hackle-lo, at any rate.

He reaches into his pocket. He almost doesn't notice the enormous Nord-like man walking the other way. Nearly bumps into the man, even.

"Oh. 'Scuse me."

[mjolnir_retriever]

Thor sidesteps slightly; for all his current apathy, courtesy is well ingrained, and Thor believes in only shouldering people aside when you actually mean to. (Or don't notice you are, but that one's not so much a belief.)

"Of course," he responds gravely.

Huh. That's a new species, he thinks.

[moonandstar]

"Thank you," he mutters.

Garyn begins sidestepping around him. Then his brow furrows.

"Y'know, I...just realized I don't even have anyplace to be right now."

[callipygos]

As a goddess, Aphrodite fears no static, not even the Asgardian variety.

There are soft footsteps on the grass behind him.

[mjolnir_retriever]

Thor turns, though he doesn't know what he's expecting--

(Well, he didn't know, until his heart fell at the sight of who this wasn't.)

But: "Lady Aphrodite," he greets, courteously enough despite his heavy heart.

[callipygos]

"Hi there, sweetie."

Her arms are wrapped around herself, as if to ward off the night chill.

"This a bad time?"

[tased_lightning]

Darcy wanders outside when she comes into Milliways, messenger bag slung over her shoulder.

Wanders outside, and sees a small thunderstorm with something in it -- and then realizes who, and what, it probably is. Well. Thunderstorms are a pretty effective way to keep Darcy from saying hi, from sheer fear of being lightningbolted (which would be ironic, and thus she feels likely to totally happen) if nothing else.

On the other hand, hopefully this means Thor's actually alive.

She tromps back inside, unwilling to sit and watch him brood when she can't intervene, and tears out a piece of paper from her notebook.

Hey, Thor!

I saw you outside but you looked a little pre-occupied. I'm not going to ask you anything stupid, like if you're okay, but if you could update me on general aliveness and also likelihood to want to drink some beer and watch more stupid movies, or play MarioKart, that'd be awesome.

She hesitates for a long moment, before signing:

Consider this a letter-hug,
Darcy Lewis

She leaves it with the bar, and then leaves. She'd been looking for sunshine -- she can always go hang out in the park.