| A CEO, a Cat and a God walk into a coffee shop... | |||||
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| What: Early Thursday morning finds fate throwing Keith O'Neil and Thor into the same Starbucks that Justin frequents. | |||||
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It's right about 8AM, and the Starbucks at 66th and 3rd is pretty busy. People of all walks of life are gathering to grab their morning coffee fix before heading out to where ever it is that they will be spending the day. Standing in the line that stretches through the small shop is one Justin Hammer. The baristas are efficient, and the line is moving quickly and smoothly despite the number of people gathered. Hammer idly checks his watch and mentally goes over his work day. He's already packed for his trip this evening, and the gift he had prepared for Thor and Sif is finished, wrapped and ready to go.
Morning has broken, and while some people may rejoice in little singing birds and things of the sort, no-one ever has reported that cats belong to that matutinal brood. Having woken up somewhere not in a warehouse had been really nice, and despite feeling full of lead, there was a certain benevolent smile in Keith's features as he walked... or, well, ambled into the Starbucks that morning, dressed in much better clothes than he had been wearing for the past five months. Life was finally starting to look better.
In Zombie-like step, he moves to the line that will provide him with the sweet Ambrosia of consciousness, the heavenly brew which dispels cobwebs, acute senses, and provides enough internal locomotion to power a small Jacquard loom. He yawns one of those morning yawns, the kind that would probably dislocate one's jaw if they were to go any further. He covers his mouth as he does this--- he is not impolite. "Ohgod...aaaaawwwn..."
With all the things a Groom needs to do before a wedding, making time to tend to a tree in Central Park, and then walk back (because there was this old lady carrying a heavy bag that Thor just -had- to help) is definitely on the Must Do List. The God of Thunder, complete in his armor and cape and yes his magic hammer too, steps out of the old lady's apartment building, having carried the whole lot up the four flights of stairs for her, and then helped her move a sofa and the fridge and a table and then he ate a few homemade cookies before finally making his way out. And not for a moment did Thor begrudge this. Time has a way of making things fall into place. Like right at the door as Keith moves toward it. Thor pauses and opens the door. Yes, for Keith too, but also for the single mother and her 18month old son who is leaving just after. He offers the three of them - mother, son, Keith - a polite bow.
Purple cats are really easy to spot, even in a crowded Starbucks. Justin glances up when the line moves forward a step and sees Keith as he enters. Despite his dislike for mutants and meta-things, the CEO actually waves his hand and becons the cat-man. After all, the feline is working on the pest control problem Hammer has pro bono, and the recent coverage of the fire at the pizza joint left the man with a sense of respect. Justin knows the firefighter that Keith helped in passing, which also helps the cat's case. Just behind the feline is another familiar face- one that's equally as hard to miss. Smiling broadly, Justin spots the god of thunder himself, and makes another wave to him as well. "Keith, Thor," he calls to both of them as the line shuffles forward another step.
Blame the sleepiness. Blame the morning. The lack of caffeine, but Keith had simply smiled and nodded at the nice man holding the door open for them without really taking his appearance in. He was, as they say, in automatic. It was a good thing he didn't have a nemesis (yet), because they could easily pick him off in the morning before his first cup and he wouldn't even notice.
When a blurry person waved at him ahead on the line and called his name, and then that other name, his eyes go into sharp focus mode. Hey, there was Justin, waving at him. He smiles and waves at him "Good morning, Mister Hamme--- Thor?" He turns around and then blinks, seeing the cape, the hammer. The purple feline blinks a couple of times, to make sure he's not hallucinating. "...well blow me down," he mutters.
The purple furred feline was not even given an odd look. Thor's found the mortals are continually changing and thus continually surprising him. He just decides to live with a perpetually amused slightly startled smile upon his face at all times. Especially after meeting that nice blue-furred elf with the glowing yellow eyes. He was about to duck back out, eyes his falling to the young boy that peers at him - agape - but Hammer's voice rings out. Thor looks up, and smiles broadly.
"Justin Hammer, hero of Midgard! My eyes see with joy. How art thou this fine day?" Thor booms slightly, stepping into the Starbucks fully. Because it's impolite to talk through walls, apparently, but not across a store.
Pretty much everyone in the Starbucks is staring now. There's a god, a purple cat and a bigshot CEO all in the same small space. Even in New York City that's a pretty big deal. Hammer doesn't mind the looks, he's eating up the attention. Yep, that's right, he's on friendly terms with the Thunderer AND an up and coming hero. Stark, eat your heart out. He motions for both Thor and Keith to join him in line, as he's fairly close to the front now. "I'm good, doin' good," Justin replies to Thor. "Looking forward to the trip this evening. All packed and everything. You two want something? Coffee's on me this morning." The upcoming mini-vacation to Asgard has erased most of yesterday's fowl mood, the CEO having almost forgotten about SHIELD's 'spot inspection'.
So a god, a purple cat and a CEO walk into a Starbucks...
He had suspected that his life was scripted by Woody Allen. Now he had confirmation. Joining Justin, he barely processes the question because, well, the god of thunder is standing right there. Meeting people like Booster was one thing-- but this was like finding Wonder Woman pulling her clothes out of the dryer next to his at the laundromat. He tries not to make the same gaffe as the little boy and stare at Thor agape, but rather looks at Justin as the last syllables of his question hit him in slow motion.... coffee... something about coffee? yeah, it had to be coffe... "C-coffee?" All in all, Keith could be forgiven. Meeting someone like that was hard to process when you were in control of your full faculties. Asking him to take it well before his first cup of coffee was just animal cruelty.
Motioned to join Justin, Thor makes his way over, stormy blue-grey eyes flitting to Keith, before going to Justin. There's an anticipatory quirk of a brow; clearly, the Asgardian waits for something. But the expression doesn't cloud over the warmth of his smile.
"Nay, my friend. I need not coffee nor mocha this moment, for a grandmother did provide some not but a handful of heartbeats earlier. But I thank thee greatly for thy offer," Thor starts off, taking the round about way to say 'No, thanks.'
"I am pleased to hear that thou art excited about tonight's adventure. I, too, am somewhat giddy," admits the Thunderer, once more giving Keith a glance, before his eyes shift to Justin. It's like, the Thunderer doesn't want to greet the felinoid until proper introductions are made. But then, Keith stammers about coffee, and Thor laughs warmly.
"I believe thy friend would gratiously accept thy offer of a caffinated beverage this morn," Thor adds, once more doing that 'introductions, please' glance between Justin and Keith.
Hammer laughs at Keith's reaction as well. He puts an arm around the feline's shoulder, if he'll allow it. Yep, he's in one of his over the top sort of moods today. After all, he's about to have an adventure of a lifetime, the sort that most mortals can't even dream of having. He nods to the wordy god's no thank you, then catches onto the glance. Hammer is still very new to how the Asgardians do things, and it only just now dawned on him that he needs to make the formal introductions. "Oh, Thor, this is Keith... A fellow hero of Midgard. He helped out the firefighters the other night when a building caught on fire." Did he just talk up a metahuman? Seriously? Who is this man and what have the aliens done with Justin Hammer? "And Keith, this is Thor Odinson, god of thunder and protector of Midgard." You can't buy publicity this good...
Keith is, indeed, hit by the question of who this man was. He was too out of his depth to object to the arm over the shoulder- not that he would have, really, Keith wasn't mean.
Unless you provoked him. Then he'd spit in the face of Balor of the Evil Eye himself and not think twice about it.
Gods, it's a miracle he's even alive.
Realizing that there are formalities being thrown around like confetti at the Rio Carnival, he tries his best to put himself together-- hero of what? He'd practically devoured mythology books as a kid, and he knew what the word meant, but he didn't exactly understand the context in which Thor and Justin used the term. Contextually, he wasn't a fish out of water, he was a fish up a tree in a unicycle.
Still, though, cats hate to be out of their element, so he quickly straightens up, spine straight as a steel bar and he says in a mellifluous, hopefully respectful tone (he doesn't have a lot of practice showing respect-- it's a cat thing) "It.. is a great honor to meet you. Please forgive me, I do not have any experience in... meeting deities."
That's the right thing to say, right? Oh gods, let it be the right thing to say. Why did this have to happen before the sweet elixir of arabica extract had a chance to flow through his veins?
As the hints sink in (Thor is rather pleased at himself how how subtle he just was about it! ^.^ Even if Keith totally noticed it too, this was Thor being subtle and gentle with a topic; no, really!), Thor smiles with pride then turns to Keith and offers the feline a formal bow, one that comes with a closed fist to his chest over his heart.
"Honored and well met, Keith, friend of Justin Hammer," replies the aesir Prince, red cape fluttering faintly at his ankles with the motion of his bow. Either, Keith's word choice was right or Thor is exceptionally forgiving, for the god's smile doesn't so much as flicker.
"No apologies are necessary, Mortal. I have come to learn that the one whom is high up as we once were does not often reveal himself," says Thor, recalling a bit of the conversation he had with one Kurt Wagner about Christainity. Confused Thor was confused and is still waiting for Kurt to introduce him to the other diety; because contrary to his belief, there isn't Just One. It's not a jealousy thing, just a curiousity thing. And now we know why Loki chose that particular Midgardian pet to shift Thor into less than two days ago. Speaking of which.... The line shifts forward, and Thor steps right along with it and the mortals near him.
"Is a cup of warm milk an acceptible substitute for coffee, my friend?" Thor asks of Justin. Because warm milk with a bit of sugar is the best kitten treat EVER!
Justin removes his arm from Keith's shoulders when the line moves forward. The question catches him off guard, and he looks between Keith and Thor. "For your or Keith? Because it looks to me like Keith could use coffee more than milk," he says, honestly not knowing to who Thor is referring. If the god wants steamed milk and sugar, sure, he'll buy that too. No way he's going to tell a deity no, especially not after being invited to the wedding.
The group makes it to the front of the line, the barista knowing two of the three by name already. With the way things are headed, Keith's name is likely to be on that list soon enough. "Mister Hammer, what can I get for you today? Your usual?" she asks. Justin nods to her, then motions toward the feline and the god. "Along with whatever these two would like. Oh, and a piece of the cinnamon coffee cake." Breakfast of champions...
The human mind has a remarkable power to adapt itself, even in the most unusual circumstances. There is a reason why Alice is only out of sorts during the first part of her descent into the madness that was Wonderland. But after she had become acclimated? Baby turns into a pig? Yawn. Murderous beheading fetishist royalty wants you to smack porcupines around with flamingos? So last week.
Keith's mind is getting there, but not quite yet. He requires a little boost... and when Thor mentions milk, well. "Café au lait for me, please..." Keith wasn't at the whacking porcupines level just yet, but he at least had stopped falling down the rabbit hole. He had his questions, but how polite would it be to assault the god of thunder with theological questions whilst waiting in line at Starbucks? Forget how polite--- how smart would it be? He feared it'd be like him going up to a mountain wearing copper armor and hollering to the winds during a thunderstorm that Thor's wife had a swine-like face, or something along those lines.
"It is... certainly a mind-expanding experience, Mister Tho... I'm sorry, I am ignorant when it comes to divine etiquette... what should I be addressing you by?" Hey, at least honesty was the best policy.
Then again, Arachne thought the same, didn't she?
"Well, I meant for myself, though if Keith would like some as well....?" Thor sounds a bit hesitant all of a sudden. Thank the Odinthrone Keith placed an order. Thor falls silent, waiting his turn as the customary warm smile comes back. No harm, no foul... no fowl? and the Thunderer places his order for warm milk and sugar.
"I have been called many things. If thou likes, thou might call me simply Thor," he replies with indulgant warmth and good humor. Even going so far as to reach out to put a steadying sort of hand upon the felinoid's shoulder.
"And please, thou needs not apologize so much to me. Thou art ignornant, as a babe is ignorant. Thou hath informed me of this. The etiquette is of the Courts of Asgard. It would please me, then, that if here, upon Midgard and as a friend of my friend, thou wouldst calm thyself of the need for great formality between us." Wordy Thor Speech for: nah, it's fine bro, we can be chillin'.
The barista takes the orders down, repeating them back with practiced skill. She gives Justin the total, and the man quickly produces his wallet and a Starbucks gold card (he FINALLY got a replacement for the one that was stolen). He pays for the drinks, then drops a large bill- easily more than 3 times the total of the order- into the tip jar. No wonder he's so well treated at this particular location. He moves down the counter to the area where the finished drinks are delivered, leaning back on the counter. Sure, he's in the way, but no one's about to say anything to him about it. Finding the interaction between Thor and Keith highly amusing he refrains from jumping in right at the moment, letting the two talk among themselves.
There is a huge relief on Keith's face as Thor reassures him. Etiquette is for the courts of Asgard? Excellent. Because, firstly, in court hierarchy he would probably end up being the Jester and, secondly, he was very, very nervous about the prospect of Flyting being a possibility, if anything he had read about Norse mythology turned out to be true. "O-okay, Thor." It felt weird to say it.
And then, his mind being what it is, his mind quickly flashes to the 'Honey, I'm Thor' joke he heard when he was in highschool, and he clenches his jaw hard and fast to keep his smile polite and friendly and not betray an innapropriate laugh. "So...um.... how do you and Mister Hammer know each other?"
"I was fortunate enough to encounter Justin Hammer with another mutual friend, Fern Fiddlehead, while out upon a quest for my Lady Betrothed," Thor begins, as if giving title to his story. He moves with Justin, not at all seeming to notice how Hammer pays for the drinks, his attention upon Keith and the story he is clearly about to launch into.
"She had come to decide, one afternoon, that she required mocha to drink. But not just any mocha; The Goddess wished to brew her own mocha. And so we ventured to her kitchen and found her mocha bean supply in very dire straits indeed. And so, armed with the label, My Lady did bid me quest for her mocha bean from a particular coffee shop which she and I doth frequent. But, dressed as a Midgardian as I was, I felt it would be best to walk, instead of fly. As I have rarely walked - a thing I am endevoring to correct because of this very same quest - I found myself confused by the landscape, and was soon without hope of finding the coffee shop which my Lady Sif had bestowed upon me the right and the duty to find... Justin Hammer was indeed the savior of my quest, having the knowledge of teh streets I did not, and thusly was able to guide me to my destination without error. It is because of his good efforts and will that I returned to my Goddess, the Lady of Blades, triumphant with the mocha beans she did request of me." Here, Thor pauses in his story, perhaps with his drink in hand, unless the fact that Thor, God of Thunder, Avenger, and all around tall blonde and muscled is telling a grand tale that pretty much amounts to 'I got lost on my way to buy something for Sif, and Justin gave me directions'. Thor turns to Justin, sketching for him a humor-filled and pleased bow.
"I am in thy debit, Justin Hammer. I would not have liked returning to my Midgardian abode empty handed, with naught but a failed quest," adds the Prince with great honesty, humility, and humor. The three Hs.
The drinks are placed on the counter top, each one read out as to what it is. Justin takes up the iconic white cup and sips from the drink, listening to the ever-so-grand retelling of he and Thor's first meeting. Damn, can he hire this guy for his PR department? He can make /anything/ sound awesome. Grinning in an honest fashion even when Fern ISN'T present, he raises his cup slightly toward Thor and inclines his head. "Anytime, my friend," he returns with a chuckle. Hell, he didn't even know where the coffee shop was until he looked it up on his phone, but the way the god tells it, he sounds like a living GPS.
Can this guy tell a story, or what? He'd better take note on how he speaks. Would that be called skalding, perhaps?
"You know Fern as well?" the cat shakes his head and lets out a little laugh, "I swear, Fern has to be the new Kevin Bacon. It's like she knows everybody... maybe that's her super power." He grins and sips his café au lait after having put a little honey in it. Hmmmmm.... coffee. He was feeling livelier now.
"Indeed I do," replies Thor after mirroring Justin's motion with his own drink and taking a sip. Frothy warm milk sweetened to sugar. Thor licks his lips, and brings his free hand up to rub at his 'whiskered' lip to get the froth off. To the feline, it is a very familiar motion, that back to front rub, followed by hand to lips. Thor doesn't lick his hand, but he does lightly slurp the milk clean from his hand.
"She is more a good friend to Sif than to myself, but I count her among those whom I know personally, and whose company is pleasing," Thor adds, having nothing to say on the subject of super powers.
Justin chuckles as Keith mentions that Fern must know everyone. "I've said that a several times myself," he offers in reply before taking another drink of his coffee. He's still standing toward the front of the store, likely in the way, but not really caring. "Guess that's a perk of being a waitress, huh? You get to run into all sorts of interesting people." A thought dawns on the CEO, and he decides to attempt a little social engineering. If Keith- AKA Vorpal- makes it into the big time, that's another hero that may be counted on as a supporter of Hammer and his business. Metahumans may not be his favorite type of folk, but damn they could be useful. Plus, as things went, the feline wasn't all that bad to be around. "Since Thor shared a grand tale, you should tell us yours, Keith. I'm dying to hear about what happened to you and Cace at that fire." If he can win Keith the same sort of respect that he managed to get from Thor, then that could help the cat's budding hero career.
The cat blinks at this, suddenly put on the spot. Oh dear. There was no way he could tell a story with Thor's flair, but he didn't want to be boring. He felt like that would be in poor taste. "O-okay, it's... well, if you...." he spots a table that is vacant as a pair of teenagers get up. He walks over to it and gestures to them as he leans over and starts tracing shapes on the table with his finger. Those shapes quickly rise and become a three-dimensional representation of the street-- an illusion. It all looked like a storybook cutout, too. There were flames on the pizzeria building, but they were harmless paper flames, although they moved and spread. Little firemen and onlookers could be seen milling about.
"I was out doing my patrol when I heard the sirens. I saw the fire in the distance so I just ran over to where the smoke was. The rescue teams had already arrived, so I came down to offer assistance..."
At this, a little figurine representation of him jumps from a building across the street and lands among the firemen. "The chief... Richter? I think that's his name. Agh, I'm horrible with names... put me on crowd control duty, so I helped keep the perimeter while Mr. Gallagher went into the side of the building with his team."
At this, a little team of firemen detaches from the main group and goes in through the side. The pizza's roof flies off, revealing a cutout of the inside, which changes according to Keith's description.
"So, they managed to pull out a little boy, but his mother was trapped in there somewhere. A collapse happened and Cace was cut off from the rest of the team. He went on while the others came back, and then I asked the chief if I could go in and help Cace. So I did..."
Keith's little figure dresses himself up in a yellow fireman's uniform and hat and runs up to the front of the building, teleports in, joins Cace and they both pick up an unconscious figurine on the floor, run for it while a purple bubble surrounds them, and jump through the front window.... which, instead of shattering, tears up like paper. Then paper Keith and Cace put the unconscious woman in an ambulance, and they jump up and down with their hands in the air in a sort of victory dance. "And... that's pretty much it, nothing spectacular." He says, and suddenly all of the paper street collapses as the table folds in half like a book, closing. But at the next second, the table is perfectly intact, though no hint of figurines. He figured that he might spice the story with a little illusion illustration, because it was a fairly straightforward, not that big of a deal thing in his eyes.
The suggestion of the sharing of tales causes Thor to smile even more brightly than before, his head nodding joyously.
"Indeed! I would be more pleased to hear of thy adventures at the side of Cace the Fighter of Fires. Justin has introduced me to him, but he was Called away before any tales of valor could be shared," Thor bubbles, following Ketih to a table. Becase Thor can tell that a few people are getting annoyed, but that the merchants felt uneasy with the idea of shooing the three from the counter.
Thor settles to a seat, making sure there's room for his companions, drinking his milk as he listens to th- By the Nine Realms! Illusions! Thor's eyes widen. His body pitches forward. His lips smile.
Thor likes stories told with visuals. It helps everything make so much more sense. This could be a reason Loki is so good with illusions, and possibly why Thor always falls for them when they are used against him.
Thor is enraptured by the story, those little flames, the tiny people, and the cutouts that shift and move with the weave of the story. Drink all but forgotten, Thor is as wide eyed and enthralled as any five year old. A large hand reaches out to touch the table where the cutouts folded themselves up, a smile of wonder and awe on his face. Sure, he's seen things like this before, but it is still a wonder.
"Grand heroes indeed, to face flame to rescue another Child of Midgard. Thou art not, as I'm imagining Cace the Fighter of Fires is likewise not, immune to the touch of these cool flames?" Thor states, the lilt of his voice turning the statement into a question, blue eyes lifting to Keith. Justin hangs out with all the COOL people!
Justin follows Keith and Thor to the table without hesitation. He pulls out a chair and sits, setting the small paper bag with the coffee cake in it on the table. He blinks at the illusion that the feline weaves, arching a brow and looking impressed. He knows only a scant little about the cat's abilities from what they discussed the afternoon that Keith took on the pest control job. Watching the show and listening with interest, the man opens the bag and starts eating the coffee cake idly. "Wow, that's a hell of a feat, there," he says when the tale has concluded. "Nice work, nice work... Glad you all made it out of it in once piece. /You/ certainly have /my/ respect. So does Cace." Hammer accents the words 'you' and 'my' with a gesture toward Keith and himself respectively. He still has a grin on his face, his plan seems to be working perfectly.
The cat was visibly embarrassed. You could tell by the fact that the inside of his ears were turning bright red. Since cats' faces are covered in fur, it's harder to spot when they blush. "Thank you...er... no, actually, I'm not invulnerable to fire. Fire and fur make for a very flammable combination. I actually had to trim my fur after that... got very singed. In general, I don't do well with hot things, no matter what you may have heard about hot tin roofs." he flashes a cheshire grin, and realizes then that that reference was probably lost on poor Thor, unless Fern had gotten him acquainted with movies.
By the blink and blank look Thor gives Keith for the movie reference, Fern hasn't yet. Blue eyes shift toward Justin, as if looking for an explanation of the odd thing this furry mortal doth speak of. Thor takes a drink of his milk.
Justin does catch the reference, and chuckles. Looking to Thor, seeing the lost look, he simply states, "Midgard entertainment reference." He takes another bite of the coffee cake, which is almost gone now, and looks between Keith and the god. "I didn't know you could make illusions like that, Keith," he says offhandedly. "Bet you're quite the life of a party, huh? Next time I throw an event I'll definitely have to invite you."
"Well, as a cheshire cat, illusion's my forte, I guess. That, and creating things out of thin air. And invisibi--- nevermind, my talents follow no logical order." he chuckles. "Hm? I guess I could entertain, yes. Some people might find it tacky or grandstanding, so I usually keep it to confuse criminals. Sometimes, though, when I get tired of the stares I get, I create an illusion of the way I used to look and.. wear it for a little while. Just to remember what it was like." Going out without being an eye magnet, that is.
Thor ohs softly as Justin 'explains' the reference in such a way that Thor knows he won't have a chance to understand it without much effort. He lets the lack of understanding roll off his back with a broad smile, nodding in agreement of Justin's words.
"Perhaps for the Harvest at Samwein through to thy mortal Feast of Thanks, we can plan fesitivities jointly? My brother likewise makes illusions and is a grand Trickster. It would be most amusing, I think, so see the two play at illusions together; the tales they could tell!" Thor offers warmly, turning to Keith as he mentions trickery. The reveal of wearing an illusion of how he used to look has Thor's good and warm smile fading into a look that seems to twist in upon itself. His eyes growing a touch unfocused, lips pulling down into a frown. Thor sips his milk, growing lost in... self-kicking.
Hammer catches the downturn in the conversation. Nope, that won't do for the little bit of social manipulation he's trying. This needs to stay upbeat. Taking a drink of his coffee he looks toward Thor. "Brother, huh? Isn't his name Loki?" Justin has been trying to study up in what little free time he's had lately, in preparation for his trip to Asgard. "Is he gonna be at the wedding, Thor? And I agree, getting a couple of master illusionists together would be quite the show. I'd pay to see that."
Oh crap, what did I say? What did I say? The panic button is hit and little people inside Keith's mind go into damage control mode. When Justin mentions Loki, the name rings a bell, definitely. But he can't work with that, so when Justin mentions a wedding, there's an occasion. "A wedding? Well, that sounds like a merry occasion. Someone in your family? That deserves a toast, you know."
Thor seeks to pull himself from the past melancholy. He owes his brother a great deal more warmth and joy than he had been inclined to show in his youth. With a bit of effort, Thor smiles again, his eyes warming up again.
"Aye. His name is Loki. I will make introductions between thee when the moment presents itself," Thor promises just before his mood sombers again. A flicker of... something... dashes across his face before Thor once more pulls that brave not-quite-warm smile to his face.
"I was assured he would be, but there are ...complications... and he feels less than welcome in our childhood home. Should he makes an appearance in a manner giving time for a proper introduction, it shall be given," Thor says, once more adding to the promise to introduce the -both- of them to Loki Odinson, the Trickster God of Asgard. Yes, there's the tacit implication that such an introduction may very well take place on Asgard, during the reception. Keith's question warms Thor's expression a bit further, the miserable feelings being dispelled.
"Indeed, it is a most joyous occassion. One which Asgard - indeed the whole of the Nine - hath been awaiting for two millenia. It is mine own wedding that shall be on the morrow. Tonight, Justin Hammer doth join me upon the roof of my apartment, that the Cleaver of Portals may open a gate to Asgard. As fot toasts, I freely admit that by sunset tomorrow, many toasts will be lifted up," he adds.
It's still a bit of a challenge for Hammer to follow everything that Thor says. Boy that's going to take some getting used to. But me mostly manages. He arches a brow slightly when Thor seems to elude to the fact that both he and Keith will be meeting Loki at some point. Does that mean that the feline just got invited to the wedding too? But then Thor only mentions his name. Hrm. It's not Justin's place to invite people to other people's weddings, especially when those people are a god and goddess. He takes a drink of his coffee then finishes off the coffee cake, stalling before he has to speak again.
"Well, it sounds like a great event. Two thousand years is...well, it's a Very Long Engagement. Congratulations on your nuptials, Thor, and may you have ..." and here he dries up for a second. How do you wish an immortal a good marriage? Most Hallmark cards ran out at this point so he improvises " ... as many blessed millennia of happiness as the universe has in store." Unless the gods didn't vanish when the universe died. Which means he basically said 'I hope you and your girl are happy until the universe dies. Then she can dump you and cheat on you, I guess.' which was NOT how he intended it at all.
This diplomacy thing was hard to get a grip on. He was relieved to see the sad expression disappear. It was hard not to like the god of thunder, divinity aside, and he hated the idea that he said something that could have triggered a major case of divine depression. "Oh, I must ask now... do mortal marriage ceremonies differ greatly from how the gods do theirs? Over here we morals usually have cakes.... the size of small children, with a little effigy of the bride and groom on top. There's balloons, music... and usually a singer who isn't as good as his advertisement says he is, but everybody is too drunk and happy to really care."
Ketih's description has Thor frowning again, but this time the frown is of confusion. "I... do not know. Perhaps, Justin can lead thee to the designed location this eve, and thou can come to observe, and after tell me of that which is hte same and that which is different. I'm curious mostly," Thor offers, sentence cut off as his eyes suddenly go a dark ocean blue and he turns his head in -that- direction.
"Midgard doth Call," he murmurs, setting his milk down and rising from the table. Zombie Thor? A little. He moves as a man possessed, because something's got his attention and it needs him NOW. He says nothing further. He just turns his back to the table, walks out to the sidewalk, summons a tornado, yanks himself up by the cyclone, and flies away.
And Keith pretty much perfectly describes Justin's wedding. There was a cake (which, sadly, was the best part of the whole ordeal, at least in Justin's mind), a band consisting of a couple friends of the bride from high school that wasn't all that good, and a LOT of alcohol. In fact, come to think of it, Justin doesn't remember much of the reception afterward, thanks to said alcohol. The evidence of what may have happened exists only in the album of photos that his now-ex-wife took with her.
And has likely burned on a sacrificial alter to the devil by now.
Hammer's jolted out of his little trip down memory lane when Thor mentions his name. "Oh, uh, yeah, I can do that," he says with a nod. He's going to have his driver drop him off this evening, but if nothing else he'll give the address to Keith. He's going to be leaving for Asgard straight from work, so actually taking Keith with him might be a problem. When the god of Thunder announces he's needed, he just nods. He's gotten oddly used to Thor just up and taking off in his usual spectacular fashion. Chuckling, he looks back to the cat after the god is gone. "What a trip, huh?"
The cat can't get a word in edgewise as Thor makes his impressive exit, and he is left blinking as the god is basically tornadoed upwards and into the great blue sky. He turns slowly to Justin with the most pricelessly confusde look on his face, and asks "... what exactly happened?" Did he get invited to... what?
This time Justin laughs outright. And it's not his usual, sharp, condescending laugh either. "He does that. Ya know, the whole saving Midgard thing. He gets that look and off he goes." The words are accented with quick movements of his left hand. After another drink of his coffee he offers Keith a grin. "I think you just got invited to the wedding of a God and Goddess. In Asgard."
"I... what? bu--" the cat pauses, blinks several times "... but I don't even know where Asgard is."
Hammer leans forward, his arms crossed on the table. "Don't worry about it," he says with a small shake of his head. "All you gotta do is show up at the apartment tonight, I think the invitation said seven, and they'll get us there. I don't know exactly where it's at either, just that you can't get there unless one of the Asgardians helps you." He grins again. "Adventure of a lifetime, my friend, and we're both invited." Plan executed, results achieved, social manipulation skills level up. Not that Thor, honestly, is that hard to persuade. He seems trusting, almost to a fault.
A look of horror. "Oh... holy crap." First, that fact hits him. It is a double whammy, though, when the next realization that was piggybacking on the first jumps off and hits him over the head with an oversized mallet. "....I've got nothing to wear!" he says, eyes as wide as can be now. "What time is it?... "he looks at the clock "...okay maybe if I run over to downtown I could grab maybe a suit.... which would have to be black and then if I shed it'll show... oh my god what do I wear?"
He was glad Patrick was not there to see it, because he knows he would have found it too funny and laughed.
As it is, the CEO is having a hard time not laughing outright. This is rather hilarious. Taking shedding into account? That almost puts Hammer over the dge. "Easy, easy," he says, smiling almost absurdly. "It's only eight-thirty, you've got plenty of time. If you want I'll have my driver take you down to my tailor. He'll hook you up." And Justin will even pay for it. If a suit, even one that costs him several hundred to a thousand dollars, is all he has to pay for in return for the networking opportunities, it's a good investment. And a lot cheaper than paying for the public relations department to work up some horrid campaign that the media and the public will shred like toilet paper anyway.
"I really appreciate that... but I don't want to inconvenience you. Actually..." he thinks for a second, and suddenly his garments change. He is wearing an elegant button-up shirt, in a purple color matching his fur, black slacks and dress shoes. Some people are obviously gawking at the illusion show, they had already gotten an eyeful with the storybook show. "... I think I can find a shirt like this, It shouldn't be too hard to find in a major clothing store... right?"
Justin looks a bit surprised, along with the other folks in the coffee shop who noticed the quick change, but shakes it off. He grins. "Shouldn't be, but it's no inconvenience to me. I'll just have Jack take you over to the haberdashery after he drops me by the office." He leans back in his chair again, picking up his cup from the table and finishing off the last of the latte. "He also has the address of the apartment, and can give you the proper time and to be there. B-T-W," Did he seriously just use an internet acronym in daily conversation? "I owe you. You /are/ helping me take care of a rather pesky problem."
"As soon as Mr. Simeon returns my calls, you mean." Keith is quick to add, not wanting to take credit for something he hasn't delivered yet. Oh my god... an acronym? Who WAS this man, and what did he do with Justin Hammer? "Thank you, you'll be saving my life with this. I just have to tell Patrick I won't be home tonight until late... and I should do my route early."
To the comment about Sam, Justin just shrugs. "I haven't heard from him either," he says with a bit of a scowl. "I was hoping for results by now." Impatient CEO is impatient. Realistically they're chasing a ghost- someone who can turn invisible who may never come anywhere near Hammer again, so of course it's going to take time. Plus, Sam likely has a regular case load to worry about as well. Shifting back to the wedding, which Justin is excited to attend (likely for all the wrong reasons, but hey), he nods. "The trip over is tonight, but the ceremony isn't until tomorrow. We'll be spending the night, so pack accordingly. If you need anything else, just let Jack know. He'll make sure you're hooked up."
"Oh wow, overnight? Alright." he nods, looking worried for a second. That'd mean leaving Patrick alone. But he'd find a way to handle that situation, he was sure. "I'll be there at the appointed time... um... what can you tell me about Thor's family? I want to make sure I behave appropriately, I wouldn't want to embarrass anyone."
To that Hamemr just shrugs, holding his hands out to the sides. "I don't know a whole lot myself," he admits, "Just what I've managed to read up on the last few days. Most of that is from old mythology books, and I have no idea how accurate those are." He takes a deep breath and crosses his arms over his chest. "Thor, obviously, is the god of thunder and storms and the like, and apparently a prince. His dad is called Odin, or All-father, maybe? Can't quite remember. They're big on introductions, so don't worry so much about that. Anyway, he's the king, head honcho. Thor's mom is.... Fritter? No, that's a pastry. Frigga. Yeah, something like that. Not sure what she's in charge of. He's got a brother, Loki, the trickster. Oh, and of course he's marrying the Lady Sif, the goddess of war." That last one he knows for certain, since he's met Sif and, well, she's associated with war. The rest is still spoken with some confidence, as Justin enjoys being viewed as knowledgeable about things, even if he isn't.
Keith doesn't correct Justin on his pronunciation- it wouldn't be kind. As a kid, he read all of the myths that he could-- celtic, greek, norse-- so he was very familiar with the pantheon ... as an abstraction. He was curious how they were as actual peop--- gods. He nods. "Right... well, I guess I'd better start my shopping. I don't want to be gone for a night without first doing my route..." he suddenly had the idea... Patrick could take over his route tonight! "And I think I have a resource to tap that may help me with the pest problem." He thinks about the Oracle phone in his pocket. Yes.... it could help.
Justin reaches into the inside pocket of his suit coat and pulls out his phone. "And I should get to work. So shall we?" he asks, standing up. He dials a number he has one speed dial, and notifies whoever is on the other end that he's at the Starbucks, and to meet there. Once the call has been ended he again stows the phone and turns his full attention to the feline. "An additional resource?" he asks, curious, as he starts for the door.
The cat follows Justin, nodding. "Yeah, someone who apparently is good at keeping their ears to the ground. It may not give results, or it may, I'd rather not leave any options unexplored. Hercule Poirot would never stand for it." he says, grinning.
The CEO chuckles at yet another entertainment reference made by the feline. He's full of them. Having heard nothing from the hired PI since the investigation started, he's starting to think hiring O'Day and Simeon was a poor decision. Too bad he hadn't run into Keith just a week earlier. As the pair exit the coffee shop a large, black Lincoln Towncar limo rolls up to the curb and stops. An older gentleman with a thick but healthy build slides out from behind the wheel, and opens the rear door for Hammer and the feline. He does blink at Justin's unusual companion, but makes no other mention or outward indication that Keith is anything but a normal man. It's just odd to see his boss keep company of that sort.