riverviewlogs | [open] As good as life will ever get.

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[open] As good as life will ever get.

who: Thor and you, please.
what: Beetle Battles, Drift Compatibility and a Dream you Share With a Small Thor.
when: Right here, right now.
where: The jungle, the abandoned city, robot place and bed.
warnings: Nothing specific.

i. beetle juice
[Fighting back with brute strength is what Thor does best, so he gladly strides into the front lines. The lightning he can conjure from himself is as good as a flare, so fighting alongside him can make things static-y. The air crackles around him when he's about to summon a blast, but he's in his element when his eyes are glowing and he's incinerating beetles.

He's beta-testing his own weapon, right now. One of his eyes is bionic, with a number of useful functions that he has yet to properly try. He scans his surroundings before he feels his eye focus on a beetle approaching from the thick of the jungle.

He only needs to think about lasers to make them work? Right? So, he thinks intently about a laser.

Without much warning, a hot burst of light springs out of Thor's eye and hits the beetle before him. Unfortunately, a blast of heat is precisely the kind of thing that makes a beetle explode. Thor cringes as beetle innards splatter him and anything and anyone close by. It's all punctuated by a leg falling with a thud in front of Thor, still twitching.]

ii. get in the robot, thor
[Thor isn't sure he really needs to be in a mech to fight bugs, but he respects the fact that he's being trusted with the responsibility of piloting one. His piloting experience is.. weak, at best, but he's managed to be adaptable with a variety of different ships and vehicles from different realms. Perhaps that's what works in his favour.

Thor dons the suit, helmet tucked under his arm, ready to meet his partner. He expects they will have some acclimating to do together before they set forth to fight in unison.

He'll extend his free hand in greeting, quirking a brow.]

Looks like we'll be fighting together.

iii. dream theater
[The first thing you feel when dipping into Thor's dream is warmth. You're lying flat on your back, as if you've just rolled down the hill that you're lying on the foot of. The sun is warm on your skin, the grass is thick and lush and when you look up, you can see either mountain ranges or a beautiful, golden city in the distance.

Suddenly, that view is eclipsed by a curious, chubby face looking down on you. You might not recognise it as Thor, but it is him. Almost a thousand years younger and decidedly less muscular. He's just big boned, his mother says he'll grow into it.

Maybe you're his age too, maybe you're the same age you were when you went to sleep. It doesn't matter.]

You're not supposed to be down here! [He declares loudly, so loudly.] There's monsters in the forest.

[He points at the trees nearby. It doesn't occur to him that anyone could say he shouldn't be here either.]

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[ Loki's breath hitches as he scrambles back, caught off guard. Another dream? Not a memory, surely. Monsters in the forest. Loki carefully throttles his reaction as he smooths over his clothes, wondering if Thor would recognize him like this in a dream. ]

Oh?

[He does bare a certain similarity, but Thor can't quite draw the comparison. After all, he knows his Loki and he's always been taller than him, therefore this can't be Loki.]

What do you mean, oh? [He sounds indignant.] There's all kinds of beasts in there, they could rip you to shreds.

[ Loki has a terrible retort on his tongue but it dies quickly as he avoids eye contact, straightening himself. ]

It's not like you to fear monsters.

[It's not unusual for people to know of him, Thor is used to his reputation preceding him. It does catch him off guard, because it's such an odd thing to know about him.

His reputation, however, is far more valuable to him than his safety.]

I'm not afraid. I'm just warning you. [He explains, frowning.] How do you know what I'm like, anyway. I don't know you.

[ His answering chuckle is wry and full of heavy feeling, which Loki brushes off easily with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. ]

No, I suppose you do not.

What kind of monsters reside here?

Big ones. [Thor answers, plainly.] With tusks and horns and claws. And beady eyes. And snakes. But snakes aren't so bad. You should know, don't you live here?

[The words come out as one, continuous stream.]

[ Does he? He is Loki of Asgard. A title he has worn proudly, clung to when the rest was slowly stripped away. He knew its fields and trees, the dusky autumn leaves of his mother's gardens, the wrinkled feel of his father's books. The smell of blood and iron. But on his tongue is the taste of winterfrost and cold things. Lately, he's been questioning it more and more. Whether the new Asgard has room for him. What direction it will go or whether Loki once more will feel restless at its feet.

Either way, these are thoughts that no longer swarm his mind. Loki merely smiles, his eyes holding a glint of mischief as he settles himself on a boulder, not a hair out of place. ]

Perhaps. It was a long time ago and I've forgotten a lot.

What do you plan to do about them?

[ Maybe it's a little cruel, indulging this line of thought. It does Loki and Thor no favors. But the first thing Thor speaks of is monsters and Loki cannot shake it off, a rash slowly bubbling under his skin. ]

[That answer is extremely vague, and Thor scrunches his face up as he tries to comprehend what Loki is inferring.]

You're a nomad? [He cocks his head to the side. He doesn't really understand, but he's more interested in answering Loki's question. He brightens up, puffing out his chest and raising his chin.]

I'll hunt them down and slay them, to protect Asgard!!

[ Loki's smile is bittersweet. ]

Of course you will. I expect nothing less from my brother.

[Excuse Thor, his tiny little face goes completely blank for a long moment before he furrows his brows once more.]

No! [He declares, in a steady, certain voice.] I only have one brother, his name is Loki and he's not taller than me.

[ He chuckles. It does little to hide his unease but Thor is too young to pick up the telltale signs of apprehensions on Loki’s face. ]

And where is your brother? Is he not going to help you on your quest?

[Thor needs to stop and glance around, as if he needs to confirm that his little brother isn't in his vicinity.

When he realises he isn't, he seems confused.]

Sometimes he thinks my ideas are stupid. [He admits.] But he might be with mother. And if I find him and you see him, then you have to admit that you aren't my brother.

[Sadly his logical thinking skills never improved.]

[ Loki's smile goes crooked. He glances at the backdrop of Asgard, gleaming golden eternal city. Home. Is this Thor's happiest dream? Fighting the monsters like he always wanted?

( a dream without Loki? ) ]

That seems easy enough.

[ He's worn out his welcome here. Any more time spent and Loki knows his tattered walls will crumble. ]

I wish you all the best in your monster-slaying, Thor.

Are you leaving now? Already? [Thor's eyes widen, suddenly seeming opposed to the idea.]

Is it because I don't believe you?

[ He shakes his head. ]

Not at all. I simply have no skill in killing monsters.

Loki doesn't think he does either, but I think he does. Or he will, when he's bigger. [Thor says, encouragingly.]

I'm just better at it. But maybe you're better than you think you are. Father says that people who doubt themselves are giving into self-fulfilling crocodiles [Not exactly what he said.]

Prophecies, Thor. Not crocodiles.

[ The correction comes automatically, even if the tone is gentle. Loki swallows it back, surprised at himself. Caught in the snare of nostalgia, it seems, despite the implications. ]

And I think this is one matter I prefer to invite doubt than certainty.

Pretty sure it's crocodiles. [Thor says, cocking his head to the side.]

What's that supposed to mean?

[ Loki rolls his eyes. ]

You've never even seen a crocodile.

It means I don't want to know if I'm better at killing monsters or not.

You don't know that. [Thor seems really sure about that.] What's bad about being able to kill monsters? It's good to be able to protect your family and your friends, isn't it?

[ That's not fair, Loki thinks, briefly caught up in his own thoughts, I was doing that. I was doing it for all of you. His fingers shake and he rubs them together in his usual habit. ]

Is it?

Yes? I don't know. [Thor scrubs at his face.] You ask really weird questions and you say really weird things.

Pay it no heed.

[ He smiles faintly, removing any traces of doubt on his face. ]

You'll be a great monster slayer.

[ It all feels perfectly natural to the little girl that frowns up at Thor. The big eyes that will one day be a soulful addition to an arrestingly beautiful face now kind of make her look like a very angry owl chick as she sits up to pick some leaves out of her unruly hair .

She's a skinny little thing, like a feral kitten, and with about the same degree of friendliness even though the boy standing over her is actually one of her favourite people in all the world. ]

I know that,

[ She says as she gets to her feet, punctuating the last word by shoving his shoulder. ]

that's why I'm here.

[ She wants to see the monsters. Maybe even fight one. ]

[Thor is accustomed to the feral way in which Sif acts, but it doesn't stop him from getting into her personal space.

This Thor is chubby and sweet looking, a far cry from the man he is in the present. He grumbles when she pushes him, rubbing his arm and shooting her an indignant look.]

Do you think you can fight all the monsters alone, Sif?

[ No, for some reason he has never seemed to be repelled by her prickly demeanor, which has left her equal parts confused and somewhat reluctantly pleased.

Having a friend isn't the worst thing in the world, after all. ]

If I have to.

You're not going to ask if I want to come? [Thor asks, vaguely offended.] I think we'd have a better chance together.

[Keith glanced down at the extended hand, and then reached out to take it in greeting.]

Yeah... looks like it.

Are you a pilot or a gunner?

[Might as well get this over with quick.]

I'll admit, I'm a better pilot than marksman, so I hope you can shoot.

[Thor smiles when Keith offers a hand. He gives it a firm shake before he releases it, he barely needs to consider the question before he answers it.]

Between the two? Gunner. Easily. I'm a lot better at pointing and shooting than I am at driving. I'm a little relieved to hear that one of us might know what they're doing here.

[Keith smirked a bit.]

That works, then. We lucked out.

[He nodded to the rig.]

Ready to get going, then? We have to keep our heads in the game... sync up. Have you ever done that before?

[He really shouldn't be doing this... but the Guard needs people who can, and Jon has tried to learn the necessities for piloting one of the huge machines from a brief course, the same way he tries to train in guns and any other weaponry that's new to him. In some ways it's not different from standing atop the Wall firing flaming arrows and readying to use the scythe, but... well, the Wall doesn't walk, and this thing they call a mecha does.

He wonders if the Titan of Braavos is anything like this. Even then, the Titan stands in one place, roaring at passing ships, not actually swinging a sword at them.]

We could both do worse.

[His tone is amiable, and he shrugs one appropriately-clad shoulder. He doesn't know Thor well, but they've met and conversed, and the big blond man is a familiar, pleasant sight around the barracks.]

Have you ever done anything like this before?

Edited 2018-01-27 08:41 (UTC)

[Thor has only met with Jon once or twice, but from what he can glean, he's a good man. He has a very familiar attitude, aspects of his world seem very similar to Thor's and he knows the values they hold are probably quite similar.

Plus he's pretty sure Jon is a fighter, and a good one too.]

I don't think I could do much better, actually. [He smiles, easily.]

I've piloted strange ships before. Never a giant robot. I've shared mental connections but not. Really in the same way. [He shrugs back at Jon.]

They say we just hook ourselves up to the machines in there and we should be able to work it out from there. Or things will start exploding.

[Bucky has considerably less natural brute force behind him, but that's never stopped him from wading into a fray with foes outside his own weight class. He's used to being outclassed, but never outgunned, so to speak - he's come prepared for things much bigger than him, with a huge RPG launcher resting over his left shoulder to take the weight.

And he's on foot, because he's not risking his bike to friendly fire or beetle guts. Risking himself is apparently much less of a concern.

The scene he comes up on is Thor in all his glory, crackling with lightning and- Lasers. That was a laser. He's just in time to get splattered all across his front with guts as he ducks a piece of shrapnel-like exoskeleton. Thank god he didn't bring his bike.]

Well, there's a new trick.

[Thor is generally happy to see Bucky, but currently he feels he could have picked a better time to pop in.

Thor flicks a bit of gut off his shoulder and smiles at Bucky, winking his newly replaced eye at him.]

It was a gift from Tony, the one that isn't from my universe. It's ah.. [He glances around and the mess.] It's taking some getting used to.

[Bucky's specialty is popping in at the worst time possible. Let's be honest. He shifts the RPG-launcher off his shoulder to rest against his side, tilting his head slightly as he looks at Thor. That sure is a robotic eye.]

Usually does. [He agrees mildly, snorting out a quiet laugh. He knows a thing or two about bionic prostheses himself, though his arm doesn't have lasers.] Get a handle on it and there's a fun trick at parties, though.

I'm sure. [Thor smirks, lopsidedly.] Do you think I could blow up melons for show, then? Sounds like a good way to practice.

Melons, beer cans, all kinds'a fun things. It'd probably go over better than me takin' off my arm, anyway. [It can move independently of his body. It would be great at Halloween, though probably not at any other kind of party.]

Uhm.

[It's the kind of highly intelligent reply that can only be expected of him, but to be fair Tony has no idea what's going on. He sits up slowly, eyeing the very blonde child in front of him with a wariness that's not entirely called for.]

What kind of monsters?

[Probably not the most helpful question to ask, but at least someone seems to know what's happening here. Maybe. Hopefully.]

Edited 2018-01-28 00:34 (UTC)

Big ones. [Thor answers, without hesitation.] With tusks. Why are you lying on the ground?

You know, that is an excellent question.

[Big monsters with tusks. Sadly, it doesn't really narrow things down much.]

First, let's start with where here is. Since you seem to be in the know.

You don't know where you are? [Thor narrows his eyes, suspicious.]

This is Asgard. Of course it's Asgard.

[Oh, well then everything makes sense. Sure. Tony eyes his new friend as he slowly climbs to his feet.]

Let's just say I'm having some memory problems at the moment and I wouldn't mind having things explained in small words.

[That should work on a kid, right?]

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[open] As good as life will ever get.

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ii. oh gods

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