milliways_bar | (no subject)

Thor blinks at the barroom, which in the time since he last visited has become covered in small plastic blocks and similar accoutrements. Since it doesn't seem to be bothering anybody -- and anyway, he remembers this occurring some time ago too -- he shrugs amicably and makes his way over to Bar.

Where he receives, along with his requested beer, a screen. It contains four options: what looks to be a female-bodied version of himself, a large golden cat, a gleaming golden creature a little like a Destroyer, and a large dog covered in golden fur. (There's a theme, yeah.) Also, of course, an explanatory paragraph or two.

Thor regards them with amusement. "Why not?" he says. "It seems an entertaining custom."

He rejects the dog immediately; the others take a bit more thought. However, soon enough he decides. (Thor isn't a man given to long deliberation.) "A moment," he says, and deposits Mjölnir safely in an out-of-the-way corner. Then he drains the rest of his beer and presses a selection.

There is now a rather shiny lioness in the middle of the bar. It seemed fun!

[OOC: Going to bed, but I'll pick up these slowtimes in the morning!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

X shifts to lean her knee against his side, just for a second.

"I like this me."

She shrugs, one-shouldered and quick.

"It is okay."

"Well enough."

Well, it is.

"I prefer my usual self as well. But this is fun for a time."

"There are things you want to do?"

X tilts her head, studying Thor's new shape.

"Like this."

This is the lion equivalent of a grin: the forward prick of the ears, the slight gape of the jaw.

(When you're in another kind of body, you have to let it use its own instincts enough for things like body language to take over. Otherwise you'll get all tangled up trying to walk.)

"Merely to experience the world."

"I'll stretch out these legs soon."

"We could go outside. I do not know if you would like the forest. Like this. But there are places to run."

X knows she cannot keep up, but.

Still.

WORKS FOR HIM.

(He won't outstrip her, at least without looping back. That'd be just rude!)

Thor pushes back up to all four paws, bumps his head against her hand again, and begins to pad towards the door at a leisurely pace.

X moves just a little faster.

Someone with thumbs has to open the door, after all.

Thor is sure he would have managed -- but this way is rather easier and more dignified, yes.

Outside, his head lifts a little, and his whiskers prick forward. Having a lion's sense of smell out here is really interesting.

(Also there are big herbivores over thataway. Thor isn't hungry, and he's not going to listen to the lioness body's instincts that much, but all the same he picks a direction that's away from the horse pastures. Easier for everybody that way.)

X will appreciate this later, when it occurs to her to think about it.

She breaks into a light jog, just until she sees what happens next.

If Thor were a measured, reasonable person, he would start off similarly: trot along a little, gradually try out his paces, work up to sprints and springs.

But... he's Thor.

He does pick up an easy trot, but only so he can glance up at her with a lioness's version of a conspiratorial grin and rumble, "Shall we race?"

X considers that for a second -- or maybe less.

"Yes."

Her response is quick and easy, and immediately after she breaks into a sprint.

If only she had two more legs . . .

If Thor were in his normal form, he would be laughing.

As it is, he gathers himself -- a little clumsily, but he catches the knack almost instantaneously -- and springs forward. TIME TO PROVE YOURSELF, LION-BODY.

They didn't actually set an end goal, but that's not really the point.

It really, really isn't.

X pushes herself faster, and faster yet.

But while she can run tirelessly for quite some time, her top speed is a lot less than 40-60 mph.

She would say that, but running is much too entertaining. Even if Thor can easily outpace her.

X can run a lot longer than a lion.

But a lion who's really an Asgardian... has some more stamina reserves than the standard model.

He sprints past X, loops around, comes back; rushes past her again, spins as fast as he can reverse momentum (oh hey, that's how this body handles for that, cool), dashes back; keeps pace for a little while, darts forward again.

When he gets bored with that -- which doesn't take too very long -- well.

They're far enough clear of the main bar and potential passersby. Incoming lioness tackle, X!

(He's not actually aiming to hurt her. X will probably get some bruises, but not a broken neck or anything.)

X is good with either.

Because wrestling. With a lion.

A lion she does not have to kill.

It is a nice change.

Thor would appreciate her not trying to kill him, yes.

Granted, she'd have to work pretty darn hard to manage it, anyway.

But: wrestling! ALWAYS FUN. He remains stronger than X, but she's sneaky and good at leverage. This body wants to do more springing about than Thor's usual style, but that's fun too.

And with his new generally-horizontal body position, Thor-as-lion is more useful for springboarding than he ever has been before.

Life cannot get much better.

Maybe later, they will have ice cream. (Or something.)

But for now: bounding about play-fighting! It's pretty excellent.