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There has been recent talks, around Mutant Town at least, about those recruitment posters for the Brotherhood that started popping up out of nowhere after a year long hiatus. Some has been wondering whether it's a hoax, some have been concerned, some were pleased, but most likely don't really care.
The person behind it, if evidence of one incident can be trusted, seems to be this rocker-styled young woman, with emerald green hair, who is currently attaching just such a recruitment poster next to the Tenement.
Thor has come, and bearing gifts. The Thunder God strides down the center of this skid row. He wears the colors of royalty— blue tunic, gold mantle, red cape flowing behind him. A pair of burly Asgardians ride a wagon pulled by monstrous, eight-legged horses with horns and blinders, each easily ten feet at the shoulder.
Disregarding traffic laws, they ride right down the middle of the road and no one seems inclined to obstruct them. As they walk, the Asgardians dig their hands into a literal, actual cornucopia on the back of the wagon, the mouth of the horn easily a foot wide and somehow swallowing their arms to the shoulder. Gifts are flung into the crowd, some of them glittering gold, others more pragmatic treats and feats.
"A fair gift for my friends in the Land of Mutants!" Thor explains, pressing candies into the palms of awestruck children. "Eat well and be merry! We honor the Valkyries, in our celebration of the Blot! The disir give a grand harvest to those who sacrifice and those who share in it!"
What's the M.T. without some mutants wandering around?
Jay is a permanent fixture to the M.T. regardless of his living elsewhere. Between work all night at the club and volunteering during the day, the classes he teaches at the center, his brothers living here, the red-headed rock angel is a common bird to find bopping down the streets. Bundled up in his million-yard, ugly ass scarf, feathered wings settled looming over his head, the most concerning matter of intent should be the recruitement poster that Lorna is putting up next to the tenement he steps out of after a visit with his brother. Jay turns in that direction, curiousity turning to concern, "Hey—"
And swiftly waylayed by eight-legged horses that set down in the middle of the road, tearing Jay's attention in that direction, the fair red headed fellow bristling with surprise as he pivots about at all the ruckus; feathers fluffing up all of the sudden, appendages standing slightly away from his back to make his profile look larger than it normally is. "What the—?" He squints, peering at the boisterous god of thunder, not really sure what to make of the, uh, cornucopia. This ain't thanksgiving! He stars, startled and slightly confused at Thor, brows dipping together. "Uh…thank ya?" That Kentucky lean prevelent in his words.
Sophie is here on a self-assigned intel-gathering mission, the fledgeling X-Man having taken it upon herself to learn more about these rumors about the Brotherhood re-emerging and report back to the school. She's figuring that, since she's an at least semi-familiar face in this part of town, she can do so without attracting undue attention, and certainly less than some of the more, ahem, distinctive denizens of the Institute. If anyone looks twice at the pretty blonde girl, it won't likely be because they remember seeing her wearing a uniform with an X on it.
Which certainly isn't what she's wearing now. Sophie is dressed in a pair of nicely-fitting blue jeans and a cream-colored peasant top with an embroidered neckline, with a knee-length burgundy wool winter coat worn over the ensemble against the January cold. On her feet are a pair of unremarkable brown leather boots.
Looking toward the Asgardian procession from where she's standing on the sidewalk, the elemental mutant comments dryly, "There's something you don't see every day. Unless you're us."
Lorna started to turn at the sound of Jay calling out, but before he gets to approach and say anything more, and before she can even think of saying anything to him. Thor arrives. In a manner that steals ALL the attention, by far. Surprised and a bit preplexed, she sets a few more posters aside by the tenement's wall, as she turns to head towards Thor, she flicks her hand in a dismissive gesture, and a toolbox shifts over to press down on the posters to keep them in place.
She doesn't quite notice Sophie yet, or anyone else for that matter, Thor simply stole the show. "What in the heck is this…?" She calls out at the God of Thunder, "valkyries?"
"Aye, fair maiden!" Thor calls to Polaris, his grin disregarding her green hair and the slight perplexitude of her expression. "A sacrifice made in the name of the Valkyries, the Daughters of Odin," he says. "It is the privilege of the noble to share our wealth with the commoners, and shoulder the burden of that sacrifice. In doing so—" He opens his palms, and beams upwards, then turns that benevolent smile on Polaris. "We show the Norns, the Fates themselves, we are grateful for their kindness, and we show that kindness to others. Here! Have some fine Asgardian candied yams," he says, reaching into the wagon and pressing a small bundle of sugar-crystalled candies into Polaris' hands.
"Welcome, and well met, my mortal friends!" Thor tells Jay and Sophie, pausing to address them both. He reaches into the back of the wagon and digs out a pair of beer steins, overflowing with fresly pulled draughts. "Have a drink— fine barley malt, as fresh as if pulled from the brewer's casks! 'twill flush the skin and bolden your vigors, I assure thee!" he tells the duo. He seems to not have much modulation in his voice, everything is a little on the 'too loud' side.
Helpfully, and seemingly forgetting that he was about to ask the heavy metal lady what the heck she was doing, Jay keeps his eyes locked on the Asgardians, but turns his head in Lorna's direction. Explaining genially in a mild tone. "Valkyries are lady warriors on flyin' horses that take people to the place where dead folks go. Or they make them dead? Ah wasn't too clear on that when it was explained t'me."
Turning his attention fully again on Thor, Jay recovers, though any number of others who aren't accustom to Asgardian bombastic personalities are a little more than slightly warry. Whispers go up all over the streets, though that looks seriously like food and that takes a bit more precidence for some than an abundance of caution. Some of the bolder folks (or used to other aliens) start moving forward toward the offering.
Jay himself suppresses a smile on the corners of his mouth over Thor's exhuberance, a ripple of movement through his feathers in a shiver. "You…gotta be Thor." How many /other/ guys that fit that description must be hanging around New York? "Nice to meet ya. Heard a lot about you, though the kindness is beyond what Ah been told. Much appreciated, though. Uh, the, malt? That Asgardian strength stuff, sir?" A little hesitation while he watches some folks start to circle the casks. Worried about seeing a list of obits in the paper over alcohol poisoning in the morning.
Accepting the stein a tiny bit dubiously, Sophie nevertheless smiles and nods to the Asgardian, with a polite "Thank you," to go with it. She does not drink from it, though, at least not immediately, instead just holding the stein by its handle and cradling her other hand under it. Glancing about while feeling just a touch awkward, she spots Jay and her smile brightens. "Hey," she calls out to him, and starts in his direction as soon as it's feasible without fear of being trampled by otherworldly spiderhorses.
Lorna stands there, and stares at Thor. She's used to 'freak' or 'mutie' far more than she is to 'fair maiden', in fact, that may well be a first. "Is the Renaissance Fair on today?" Lorna has to ask, still staring incredulously at Thor. Not one shred of her staring has anything to do with his impressive physique, because, that would be rude. And wrong. Yes, wrong too. We don't stare for pure beefcake factor. That would be shallow. What do you know, she just got free candy. At least she thinks it is candy. "Thanks…" she murmurs, which is hardly audible compared to Thor's booming voice.
She takes a momentary pause and then asks Thor, "you do realize you're in Mutant Town, right? I mean, sure, we appreciate treats and celebration and all that…but what we really need is for the freakin' NYPD to get off our cases! We need for politicians to see us as people! We need equality, protection…" if Jay was wondering about Lorna and the posters, it seems at the very least she carries the sentiments to support such a cause as the Brotherhood.
When Jay offers an explanation of what Valkyries are, Lorna arches a very green brow, "so…this is all a celebration of lady warriors on flying horses? That offer taxi services for the dead…?" Yeah, that helps make it all so much clearer to Lorna.
"Aye, my friend! Thor, Prince of Asgard, Defender of the Nine Realms!" Thor claps Jay's shoulder a little ham-hanndedly, and gives the fellow's arm an affable squeeze. "It is well to meet you my friend! And fear not for thy frail constitution, this is a draught of mortal make. A strong, bitter brew, that the magic of the Grand Cornucopia offers." He waves a hand at the wagon that is disgorging an improbable amount of fresh drink and hot food in its wake. "'tis a dark brew known as 'Guiness' in these mortal lands, and while it is perhaps anemic for one of my sturdy blood, I hope you find it well to your liking."
Thor doesn't precisely /ignore/ Lorna, but when she gets on her horse about equal rights and politiicans, his eyes certianly glaze a little, and he finds himself busy dispensing rabbit-shaped chocolates to a swarm of children who seem to boil out of the crowd with no warning.
"The Valkyrie hold the most sacred of all honors," Thor explains, returning to the conversation at the word 'Valkyrie'. "They escort the honored dead to the halls of Valhalla! There, warriors rest and feast and war for all time, or until the End of Times. When Ragnarok descends, the daughters of Odin will fight by our side once more. But, in the meanwhile, they pay homage to the families of the honorably deceased, and ensure fair fields and full harvests that no child need lament hunger while their parent sleeps in the Golden Halls!"
He doesn't seem to object to some friendly ogling, and if Polaris was hoping he was discreet (or at least a little subtle), Thor flashes a brassy grin and gives Polaris a thorough head-to-toe. "I have seen not a maiden with verdant locks. 'twould be most strange, but thy lissome form is fair enough that it suits thee as well as a garland crown of leaves!" he informs Polaris.
Loudly.
The joke about the Renaissance Fair makes Jay crack and grin, dipping his head quickly forward to try to hide that smile behind a curtain of hair until he's got it under control. Straightening up with a sweep of his hand through red hair until it shakes out around his face. One of his cheeks hollow while he bites the inside. Just distracted enough to not notice Sophie until she yells out to him. A hand lifts up by his shoulder, "Miss Sophie!" Miss. Another word Lorna may not hear a lot, but Jay's polite nature is about as hard wired into him as Thor's grandness is part of his.
Jay's steady on his feet, but he still wavers when Thor claps a hand on his shoulder, wings flexing outward reactively to steady himself. Reassured that their 'frail constitutions' have been taken into account, he whispers on a chuckle and pats one of those beefy shoulders way up there in turn. "Well, much obliged. Most folk around here can't handle what y'all can manage. Just lookin' out for folks. You know how it goes."
The distraction of CAAAAAANDY to children to pull Thor's attention away, Jay sticks where he's at, a little more comfortable sticking out of the center of attention, letting Thor take that stage no contest. Well, a little contest, when Polaris speaks up. Well. That answers that. "Yer not wrong, Miss. Folks are sort of in…disagreement how that's going to go, though." A verdant eye flashes toward the poster. Amending with a conversational tone, "Ah knew it had to with afterlife. We could use some Valkyries 'round here for the rest of it."
Turning back toward the goings ons, he squints slowly, trying to follow Thor's words. It takes a few beats. "You just call her pretty? Did Ah get that right? Ah thought figurin' out what the other one said was a trip. Yer like a sphynx." He's probably using that wrong, but it seems complimentary.
Sophie quickly closes the rest of the distance between herself and Jay. On her feet, and not as quickly as she could if she resorted to her powers, but then, she /is/ trying to not attract attention, and teenage girls lifting off the ground because the air listens to what they say will draw eyeballs, even here. "I caught most of that," she says to her winged friend, looking deeply amused. "So, the Norse 'gods' are handing out Guinness? I can only imagine how badly some Irish advertising executive would want to be able to use that." And with that, she finally does take a sip from her stein. From as close as he is, Jay can see that she's swirling it in her mouth, as if judging the taste and any other aspects of it she can. Then she… giggles softly. "Oui, it's Guinness," she says, shaking her head.
Lorna wasn't exactly expecting to debate Thor, or for him to offer any help that would really support the people of Mutant Town, that much she gathered from her experience thus far. Mutants get the shaft, and nobody cares, that's exactly how she knows she is right in her decision to act. She just snorts as Thor apparently ignores her arguments and moves to give treats to mutant children that swarm at the offering of sweets. "Typical," she groans, crossing her arms, the myriad of pins and badges all over her fringe biker jacket rattling with her motion.
Then Thor makes it all the worse with his rather audible flattery, the most poetic flattery she ever receieved and no doubt the most awkward as well. "Thank you…" she grumbles. Heck, she'll take that over the slurs she usually gets, but it feels out of place. Kinda like she stepped into the Twilight Zone for a second, where people were just peachy with her green hair. If anything, she's so unused to flattery, she half expects there's something he might want out of her.
She hopes more children will steal Thor's attention, and is more than happy to have Jay turn his attention to Miss Sophie. She was about to leave at that point, when Jay makes a meaningful comment. At least to Lorna, and she turns to look his way, grinning crookedly, "it's not about folks agreeing, it's about folks doing."
And apparently she does have her mind set on doing, because Lorna isn't dallying in this valkyrie celebration or whatever it is, she instead goes back to where she left the extra posters, picks them up, and if one is not too quick eyed, she already slipped into an alley.
"Aye, my friend— 'twould be a sorry gift indeed, were it to poison you with but a sip," Thor says, gravely, to Jay. "'tis the magic of the cornucopia to provide food and victuals to those who need it, and those victuals are best suited for their desire and temperament. In Asgard, 'tis rare meats and strong liquors. In Alfheim, fine wines and fruits! The diverse palate of the mortal realms offers a banquet for any hand stretched forward in grasping need, and we ask nothing but goodwill in return."
He grins at Sophie's reaction to the Guiness. "Thou mortals are perilous fools in some regards, but thy knack for meadery and food surpasses all other realms. Never have I seen such a diversity of food and drink, in all my travels! I remember teaching thy forebears the art of distilling mead from honey, though the slurry malt of barley was well known even a thousand years ago. It is no coincidence that every great culture has, at some point, mastered the art of distillation."
He looks a little crestfallen at Polaris' abrupt departure. "A pity, fair maiden!" he calls after the green-haired lass, as she hustles away. "If thou finds thyself tarrying to sleep some lonely evening, look to the sky and call my name! Thor is ever one to be a servant to the fair and the lovely, no matter the realm!" If he had a hat, he'd wave it farewell in Lorna's wake. But, she's slipping away, so he turns his expression back to Jay and Sophie, his smile already returning. "How does the brew strike you, fair maid?" he inquires of Sophie. "If it pleases, there are many magics remaining in the horn's power!"
"Sells itself," Jay comments back to Sophie, happy to lean back and let people in their neighborhood decend on the goodie cornucopia as bid by the god of thunder. Not about to start shoving folks out of the way on his own benefit, the winged young man takes a couple steps backward to get out of the direct path. He chuckles understandably back to Thor, his eyes dancing briefly. "Mm, well most of us. Yeah. Not all of us would get poisoned off the bat." The mention of Alfheim makes his expression warm visibly. "Oh man. The candies they make in Alfheim are almost worth the trip, ain't they? And for all it's worth, you seem to have won plenty of good will in these parts, Mister Thor." Mister Thor, hahahah. "But we ain't exactly the most popular folks around here. Ah don't know if throwin' yer hat in with us would be too popular a move. Though, everyone's gonna appreciate the magic an' generosity."
Shifting his attention back in the green-haired young woman's direction, the red-head's brows knit together. "Ah think yer about half right there, Miss. But there are lots of folks doin' things, aside. You just have to know where to look for them." He gives Lorna a glance over, curious, his expression open and listening. "If yer of that mind, Ah know some likewise." And the metal-strapped woman turns off to her mission. Jay's wings fwip lightly, thoughtful but also half worried with another light glance back at a flyer. He already had one burning in his back pocket to show the guys later, but damn…
Jay's attention swam back to what was going on in his neighborhood /right now/, his expression evening out. Good stuff was worth notice, too. He nudges Sophie lightly at the elbow when Thor invites her to drink her fill, smilng lightly to the blond woman.
"I… I'm good with this, thank you," Sophie answers Thor. "There are many here much more in need of your generosity than I am," she adds, with a genuine warm smile. Seeing that the poster-hanger has left, turning to Jay, she asks, "I don't suppose you know who the pretty green-haired girl is or where to find her?" Opening her purse, she takes out her trusty little Kodak and snaps a photo of the poster Lorna put up. "I didn't hear everything she said, but I'm worried, naturally, about any talk of the Brotherhood. You know as much as anyone how I feel about our rights, but someone taking the wrong approach could set us back further than they move us ahead."
Thor makes a small expression of distress at this talk of the 'Brotherhood'. He looks around, then claps a hand on Jay's shoulder, then Sophie's. Tall as he is, it's hard to resist the feeling of a booming senior speaking down to a pair of wide-eyed freshmen.
"The stories of Midgard have been centuries of pain and woe," he remarks. "Suffering perpetuated by the strong oppressing the weak, or the many oppressing the few. I know in this moment it seems as if nothing more dire could concern thy attentions. But remember well that thou art a product of thousands of years, of generation untold struggling for survival and overcoming immense adversity that has still been lost to the sand-blasting of history."
"Let not the peril of the moment ever rob thee of thy pleasure in joyous celebration, my friends. There will always be more battles to fight, but there will only be so many days of pleasure and celebration in the candlespark of your years. Cherish the good days not at the feet of the fearful ones, aye?"
"Not offhand, we didn't really make it to names before, uh—" Jay's eyes sweep over the procession, his mouth tensing with a suppressed smile that reaches his eyes anyway. Definitely not going to look a gift eight-legged-horse in the mouth. "Ah know folks who were with 'em the last time they came up an' caused trouble. Ah know. You don't gotta preach to the choir, Soph." Reassuring, he wrests a hand from his pocket to lightly squeeze her arm.
Only to suddenly fall in Thor's shadow and have him looming. Brows arch upward and for as broad as Jay is built in his own athletic fashion, he really is like a scrawny freshman next to the blond. His wings fluff up again, automatically. His eyes fall on the god of thunder's bicep. Holy shit, it's as big as his whole thigh.
Blink!
His attention darts up to Thor. "You sound like mah brother, you know that?" He has to mention with an easy angle of a smile and a chuckle. He nods. "We know how t'enjoy the moment too, Mister Thor. Y'should come by next time we got a—uh…a revel! Y'all should come by fer a revel. We'll show ya how we do it." He assures simply without a shiver of doubt in him. "Fight hard an' have fun hard, yeah?"
Nodding to what Jay just said, Sophie says to Thor, "We enjoy life as often as we can, I promise you. You're right, that you shouldn't let the worries of life steal the joys from it. That's true, and something a lot of people /do/ lose sight of. Too many people."
Even though she wasn't exactly slouching before, with her next words the young blonde seems to stand taller and straighter. "But we also need to pay attention to the good we can do in this life, and use the gifts we're given toward that. Sometimes that's in helping people directly. Other times it's in stopping them from doing things that will ultimately hurt them or others."
"The real secret is that doing /that/ can be as much of a joy as anything else."
Thor grins at Sophie's bold words, and his hand squeezes on her shoulder, then eases. "Words worthy of the Valkyrie," he tells the woman. "I hope when you fall to the claws of your foes, the Daughters of Odin bear you aloft with a smile on your face and broken sword in thy hands," he tells her, approvingly.
"It would be my pleasure to join thy revels, my friend," Thor tells Jay. "Send word to the Asgardian Embassy. My guards will inform me and the entourage of the Thunder God will partake of thy mortal celebrations."
"With that, I must quit thy company for the moment! But when the time comes, call upon me again. All are welcome in the Halls of the Odinson," Thor assures Jay and Sophie. "'twas well to meet you, both!"
Jay smiles smally in Sophie's direction while she waxes heroic at Thor. It's familiar to him out of her, reminiscent of a particular show they played together, and even now rouses a bit of pride out of him while he stands aside to let her speak. A flash of a wink is his bolstering motion after Thor praises her as worthy of women warriors that kick ass on flying horses.
Tilting his attention up, there's an upnod to the blond fellow. "'Course. I'll send word by some time. Feel free t'bring yer brother an' brother-in-law if yer on terms with them. They're always a good time. Thanks again. For all of this," he gestures mildly over the street where the crowd picked up for a while but seems to be thinning out a little bit as well. "Drive or…fly safe, highness. Catch you on the fly by sometime."
"Aye, my friend," Thor tells Jay. Impulsively, he offers a clasp of the wrist. "Fair weathers and safe travels, mortal," he bids the fellow. Obviously he's still not quite placed Jay in relation to his brother. "We shall meet again, I am sure! I will bring the brothers of the royal house to thy home and we will celebrate the joys of your house, singing songs and arm-in-arm."
The wagon's rolling on, and Thor glances after it. One more squeeze of the wrist and he turns to take his leave, catching up with the blessed horn and once more distributing food, drinks, and endless amounts of good cheer to the residents of Mutant Town.
Impulsive it is, and Jay seems to get the wrist clasp right off, remembering the gesture last moment enough to rouse a quick smile out of him over the near fumble. Crazy aliens. Great guys. "Back at you." Simple and to the point, Jay affably bids Thor off on his way. If anyone can try to give Thor's family a run for their money on boisterous chaos, it might be the Guthries and their adopted extentions. Maybe.
Jay slips his hand back into his pocket as Thor is off with the horn once again and his crazy looking horses. "Man. Like Santa Claus in January," the red-head murmurs fondly to himself in amusement.