2013.06.23 - In The Hall Of The Thunder King

The day has bloomed into a perfectly warm summer afternoon. Armed with address, Keith takes teh few flights of stairs up to Thor and Sif's Midgardian apartment. There's a bell and a knocker, and regardless of which Keith uses it is Thor himself that answers the door. The Thunderer smiles warmly at the house guest, standing aside to allow the felinoid entrance.

"Keith, Friend of Justin Hammer. Come in. Be thee welcomed to my abode upon Midgard," Thor greets, voice bright and airy and not at all like the storms he's so well known for.

"Thank you so much," Keith says, looking perhaps slightly uneasy at wearing the long-sleeved, button-up shirt. The present is carried in a stylish paper bag, the likes of which one could get at a department store of the higher end of the spectrum. It is without any branding of any sort. "I was hoping I got the address righ-- oh my." the felinoid says, stepping into the apartment after being gestured in. "You have a lovely abode" he says sincerely. He is very impressed... then again, he grew up in poverty and lived most of his life that way as well. For the past five months, his 'abode' has been an abandoned warehouse. This was definitely a whole different strata.

Waiting for Keith to step in fully, Thor gently closes the door behind them, moving to step past Keith with calm self-assurance. "My thanks. Sif did the design for it. I am loathe to destroy her work, but it needs be done," Thor says conversationally as he makes his way toward the kitchen. "I have been given refreshments by my Betrothed, to offer thee until we depart. May I get thee some?" Thor asks, scrupulously minding his manners of being the best host, while holding true to the humility demanded of him by Mjolnir.

Keith follows, setting the present down for the moment in a place where he can see it. What's inside, after all, is very delicate. 'Ye gods, I hope I made the right choice and I'm not going insult them somehow...' "Water is fine, thank you. You really don't have to make much of a fuss with me. I require very little. Though, in strict confidence, I have never had alcohol." He knows how strange this probably sounds. He himself can't think of why he never took any of the clandestine opportunities many of his peers did in late highschool. 'Oh, let's face it. You knew,' says the little voice inside him, 'You knew you liked guys and you were terrified about getting drunk around Jeffrey Mcguinness, you know, the guy with the red hair and the green--' "Can't really say why, though." he says, grinning.

Thor nods to the drink request, unphased by it. The God busies himself finding a glass and pouring chilled water into it, completely missing Keith's internal monologue about liking boys - if Thor knew, he'd likely introduce the Feline to his adopted son and friends! - and ends up taking the grinning 'admission' at complete face value. "Well, there will be mead and wine and ale and such in Asgard. If thou art not certain how thou shalt handle it, I recommend thou doth partake in it gently," Thor says.

Keith nods "I will be careful. I.. I am honestly still in shock about being invited. I'm a street urchin from the Bronx and you're...well, you. I'd imagine the likes of Wonder Woman or Superman worth of attending, you know, important people." He pauses, the cat clearly has a very definite perception of himself. Perhaps that's why he seemed so camera shy when the reporter accosted him after the fire. Or it could have been Grace Winters, she was rather scary by herself. "--Not that I am not incredibly grateful, though! This is something I'll tell my child--- well, adopted children. If I ever have any. This is something I'll tell them constantly until I die." He leans lightly against one of the counters.

The breakfast bar is the perfect height to lean on, and there are stools to, upon which one could sit. And look! Thor must have a sixth sense for hosting the furred feline guest, for there, sitting upon the breakfast bar, is a little round cat toy, a ball with a jingle bell inside with a liner of catnip. It looks... well... slightly - ever not to gently - used.

Thor headtilts at the admission of 'people worth attending'. A light frown gracing his features as he stands in the kitchen and sets out hte glass of water. "Thou art a child of Midgard, are thou not?" questions the Thunderer with a gentle seriousness.

The cat looks at the toy, with a delighter chuckle and gives it a little tap, and then turns to look a Thor when he asks the question. "Well... I was born one. When I looked just like everybody else. But then I died and..." his voice trails off for a second and the cheerfulness goes out of his eyes for just a second, as he ruminates. "There was a sorcerer... or a priest. I don't know what he was. He was trying to bring something forth. Something from... somewhere else. He had caught some girls from the neighborhood to use as sacrifice. Me and the boys jumped his little club and we got the girls out... but I never made it out." He shivers a little and looks down. "He cut my neck and I bled to death. Then I heard a voice asking me a question, I remember answering... and here I am. Now I look like this. I don't know what that makes me, if that changed me in some way that would change the answer to that question or not..." He really doesn't know. He believes the Cheshire Cat was responsible for it all. But for those eyes that knew how to See, they would see that magic was woven through the fiber of his being. Those who knew how to see even more would see the hand of the fifth dimension in it. "I'm sorry... that wasn't a very clear answer, wasn't it?" he says, looking up and at Thor again.

The little toy jingles merrily as it rolls across the counter in front of Thor. Whose eyes promptly drop to the toy. And whose hand lightnings out and slaps down on the toy, fingers curled up as if like claws. Yes, there's a tiny hint of Sorry-Cat-Toy-Can't-Hear-You to the expression on his face. Okay, fine, more than a little. Thor seems to suddenly come to himself, clearing his throat, scooping up the cat toy and returning it to its starting point. He smiles innocently at Keith and listens to the tale. "No, actually. It was quite clear. I, too, have died and come back different than what I was," Thor comforts with a smile, doing a really good impression of ignoring his hand pounce of the cat toy from earlier.

The cat's eyes widen at this, but he quickly resumes his previous facial expression, even though the little Keith inside him was going 'What was THAT all about?' 'As if YOU'VE never gotten distracted by curtain string before....' "But why did you ask if I was a child of Midgard?"

"Because the two that thou did mention are not, technically speaking. Therefore, as a Child of Midgard, the realm of my Birth-Mother, the realm that I am sworn and driven to protect, thou art far more important to me, as art thine opinions," Thor replies.

"...." Keith's speechless at that for a second. In further decades, historians might mark this date as the day in which the god got the cat's tongue. "It's... quite a lot to take in. You know, growing up watching heroes from one side of the looking-glass... and then one day that looking glass shattered and I fell through it. And I'm still trying to decide if I'm dreaming or not." 'Oh, enough with the Alice metaphors' 'Similes!' 'Actually, it's more like literary allusion, get your shit straight!' "Oh--- I saw your adopted son a few days ago. I was at the Academy of Tomorrow's open house and he was there. We didn't quite get to introduce each other, but I heard him identify himself."

"Yes," Thor chuckles softly, nodding his head to the feline. "Imagine so. But I assure thee, thou art not yet dreaming," he says of the part he was able to decipher. And then the Alice references cut through and Thor starts to look confused. While Keith argues with himself, Thor tries to make heads, tails, or jabberwocks of it. Failing, Thor is about to ask when Keith makes the aburpt subject change. Thor follows along like a trained monkey. "Did thee? I am pleased to hear this. There should be time upon Asgard to speak with him at length, at least, so I hope. I recall being a young Prince in the Courts of Asgard. I fear his time may not be his own once the coutiers gather," Thor says softly, a touch of parental worry easy to see and hear.

"I wouldn't wish to impose upon his time. After all, this is the time for family. I am sure I will see him again... even if I don't attend the Academy. Miss Frost is," a beat, "very insistant- in that soothing sort of way that she has- upon me attending, but I just don't have the money for such an academy. Though I must say I really do approve of the idea of it." He pauses, looking at the cat toy again. He's not cruel, despite his temptation to swat it again, he behaves like a good boy. "Your engagement has lasted ... two thousand years, you said. I guess to mortals that's an enormity... is it long at all for immortals?" Now the curiosity is coming out of the box and waving hello.

Thor smiles, shaking his head lightly at the matter of imposing upon Eddie's time. "I rather thing he would be grateful for the distraction, if he ends up as well-loved in Asgard as I was i nmy own youth," Thor comments, likewise resisting the urge to reach out for the cat toy to roll beneath his palm before batting it gently from hand to hand. It's the name Miss Frost that has the Thunderer looking at the feline sharply. "Emma Frost? The White Queen of Hel Fire?" Thor asks, lips starting to frown slightly again. Once confirmation is given, Thor mmms softly shaking his head, refusing to say anything further about her at the moment. Instead, the Thunderer moves on to the next question posed. "We were engaged shortly before her arrival in Asgard from her birth-realm of Vanaheim when we were very young children. It was arranged thusly by my Father the King and the Lord-King of Vanaheim, my uncle my marriage," Thor says.

The cat's eyes widen. Of course, he knows nothing about the Hellfire club- although an overt, worldwide organization, Keith had never had any reason to even hear about it. And, of course, like almost everyone, he'd have no knowledge of the secret cabal. The god of Thunder had no idea of the Alice references, but 'White Queen' -- the first thing that comes to Keith's mind is Through The Looking-Glass, which he had referenced just now. Noticing the frown, the cat becomes visibly worried, but not yet daring to ask... "Mortals tried arranged marriages for a long time. It was very unhappy for a lot of people, because they couldn't fall in love with the spouse someone had chosen for them. But maybe it works differently for immortals?" the question is a bit bizarre, but it's evident that he's asking on automatic because he's worried about how Thor reacted. 'What could be wrong? Did Emma Frost do something bad?' 'Well, you saw Captain Marvel wasn't happy with her that night, either. Maybe you could ask her?' 'OH, RIGHT, go up to Captain Marvel and just *drop in* for a visit. And I guess that while I'm on the way I could stop by Superman's place and ask for a cup of sugar, and maybe invite Beast Boy over for charades?' 'Well, Beast Boy IS kind of cut---' "I'm sorry, I must be rambling..."

"Nay, Keith, friend of Justin Hammer. Thou art not rambling. Thy questions are valid ones," Thor replies, smiling gently. (Poor child. I have upset him. This can no do.)Oo. "Perhaps they were mimicking our customs. Even we immortals find that a pairing is displeasing. But the Lady Sif and I have been friends since we were young. We grew together, trained together, fought together, quested together... I may have taken longer than she to find the true meaning and depth of what I felt for her. And if it had come to all these centuries and there was no feeling between us, there would be no dishonor in informing our parents of the lack of warmth, and dissolving the arrangement," Thor explains.

"That is... a very understanding approach. I guess that because we are so short-lived, we didn't have centuries to break up pre-made arrangements and needed to populate. I don't know what I would have done, way back then. I probably would have brought disgrace upon my family, by what people understood as 'disgrace' back then." 'Okay, it's no big deal... just... pull him aside at some point and ask him when he's, you know, not getting ready to be married to the love of his life?' 'You mean just drop in? After I go out with Wonder Woman for a spot of bowling?' 'Don't be a jerk. Justin knows Thor. And Fern knows Thor's bride-to-be. You could save yourself a lot of angs if you just TALKED to people, you know!' 'Oh, shaddup.'

Thor purses his lips at this, as if thinking of it for hte first time... ever. "Is it? I know of no other way to make is so. Our vows speak of it, that we must be united in this decision as we will be in all others..." Thor pauses here, tilting his head at Keith faintly. His head cants forward slightly. "Disgrace?" Thor asks, openly curious. Not trying to be cruel, for his eyes are earnest and honest and almost.. vulnerable? The cat exhales softly, looking away, then looking back at the god of thunder. "People such as I... weren't looked at too favorably then when producing an heir was the most important thing. Heck, today there's still a large number of people that don't look at it too favorably." Keith read a lot of mythology when he was a kid. He read books--- from Bullfinch to the Larousse encyclopedia. And there was something that stuck with him, something that, even then, he knew was something that was part of himself. "I guess the boldest way to say it is that I am... what was that word... fuðflogi," he says, using the Norse word that he had seen discussed in the Larousse. He had found the term completely by mistake, he had been looking up the role of Magic in the Norse myths, and there it was--- a discussion of homosexuality right in the middle of it, because of the seiðskratti-- men who were said to practice 'women's magic' and to only have relations with other men. "Because I prefer men, I would have been deemed a disgrace back in the day." He grins, but the grin is only half-there "... I guess that if my family knew, I'd probably be considered a disgrace. Although they might be shocked more about the purple fur, tail and ears first."

The old Norse words have a very visible effect on the God of Thunder. His eyes widen. A shudder runs past the Prince's features. He holds up a hand to stay the feline, as he mind works through this all. Argr... ergi... they are the only words Thor's mind can come up with for a several long moments. The worst of the insults that the court helped brow beat into Thor as a lad: A womanly man, effeminate. Much as his own brother was viewed... is still viewed... Thor abjectly refused to acknowledge it, refuses to acknowledge it. And then there's the little matter of his own son, openly admitting to him that he prefers men to women, and once again did Thor's knee-jerk reaction take hold. But the Thunderer refrained from over reacting to the knowledge, and instead took out the unfair emotions on the one delivering the news. Father and adopted son had not spoken of it again. Could it be that his own outburst has frightened Eddie from speaking of it? Thor dips his head faintly to sort that out, lips frowning as he sets a hand to the flat of the counter-top, fingertips going white at the pressure Thor puts on the sturdy marble. And then Thor takes an otherwise unneeded breath and puts on a polite smile that speaks of him supressing his gut instinct in favor of attempted understanding, reminding himself that Midgard has changed, and that it would not do to insult a guest by trying to hold a Child of Migard to the same mindset as is found on Asgard, a mindset that after a conversation with his brother, Loki, Thor is already starting to doubt is the best mindset out there. "Given the brief nature of the mortal life, and the need to perpetuate, such an attitude can be ...understandable," Thor manages to get out, words a bit strained. But the Host muscles through it, working to be warm and welcoming still. "My... brother had much the same said of him.... being a sorcerer... and my son.. likewise prefers men. I think, so does most of his friends," Thor says bravely. Well, brave for him.

Those cat eyes miss very few things, when they pay attention. The pressure on the counter, the breath. He frowns slightly. "I have caused you discomfort, I apologize for it." A mortal doesn't go through what he has gone through without acquiring a certain perspective. "It... is alright to disapprove. Even to loathe. I've never demanded to be tolerated. There is a quote I remember from a book---" He thinks for a second, and then recites the quote almost by heart, " 'It's a rare man who is taken for what he truly is. There is much misjudgement in the world. Now I knew you for a unicorn when I first saw you, and I know that I am your friend. Yet you take me for a clown, or a clod, or a betrayer, and so must I be if you see me so. The magic on you is only magic and will vanish as soon as you are free, but the enchantment of error that you put on me I must wear forever in your eyes.'" Keith scratches his chin. "To a lot of people, I'm an aberration and I will always remain so. It alright if that is the way you feel." He appears to be preternaturally calm. But that's only because Little Keith has taken over. At some point he'll feel embarrassed for having caused Thor distress. But right now, he needed to be in control of himself.

To be given permission to disapprove, even to loathe and hate, it makes it all the harder to hate and all the harder to hold on to that truly irrational mindest. Thor listens intently, gaze focused solely on the feline before him, taking in the quote fully. It is the first Midgardian literary referense that while going unplaced from The Last Unicorn, is understood fully. For the Unicorn yet lives somewhere in the forests of Alfheim and Vanaheim. Thor has seen one, briefly, before she turned and pranced away into the underbrush. The weight of the words are committed to memory, as so little of the mortal realm is truly committed to memory, with the sense that words are ones of great import and with the shock that such wisdom can be found in so shortly lived a race as Man. "I died once; at my brother's hand. He died once; at my hand. We are both changed for it. Like my brother, I shall endevour not to squander this rebirth, repeating the hurtful mistakes of the life that had come before. It was how I felt, once, in another life. I have not yet truly had to reface the feelings so thoroughly as I must in this moment and so... needing to do so is... Forgive me. It doth sound as if I am making excuses. I mean not to." Thor pauses, leaning onto a forearm on the counter so he can reach out with his other hand to place a large and warm hand upon Keith's shoulder. Blue-grey eyes seek yellow-green ones, to lock gazes in seriousness. "I am grateful to thee, Keith, my friend, to have spoken to truthfully and honestly with me. I hope that thou always speak to me in such a manner, for it is with mortals such as thyself that I am to learn the lessons my Fahter doth wish me to learn. I free that I was quite the dreadful brat in my young, nay, since my youth. My death was not so very long ago. Much as thy quote said, I must likewise wear my error in thine eyes. And in the eyes of my brother and my son and perhaps his friends. I give thee thanks for opening mine eyes to it," Thor says, the hand on the counter coming up to close into a fist over his heart so he can sketch a respectful and humble bow.

The cat looks up at Thor, not knowing how to react for a moment, and then he smiles gently. "You have no need to ask forgiveness of me. It's the lot of friends to speak honestly, even when it may be less than pleasant. I know that when I make a mistake, I can count on a friend to tell me that I am wearing the provervial underpants on my head and have gone off-course. If I ever make mistakes around you, I know I can count on you to set me on the right path." He returns the bow, a little flustered. "But I must excuse myself for a little. I need to check my luggage and make sure I brought everything I need." The cat reaches over and places one hand on Thor's shoulder, as the cheshire grin lights up his face. "And I look forward to be able to wish you and your bride an eternity of bliss. Now... to the luggage!" The cat slides off the counter and makes for the living room, like a great explorer going to some great adventure in an undiscovered country.