December 18th, 2012

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Following the Battle of New York, Tony Stark and his brand were becoming many things. The days of being a no-accountability war profiteer were already well behind him, but he hardly anticipated playing landlord to a ragtag team of honest-to-god superheros. In the aftermath, that was one the first things he set about doing with Pepper. With her blessing, Tony had thrown himself into it. Never one to half-ass things, he oversaw the extensive remodeling to accommodate the specific needs of each and every Avenger. Several were essentially homeless and there was no initiative for the superpowerly-abled, even in a place as progressive as New York.

Including Steve. Even if he called Stark Tower ugly and immediately found an apartment somewhere in Brooklyn. Even though Tony set aside one of the top 12 floors for him like everyone else. Fine.

Today was all about adding that personal touch. He was giving free room and board, might as well be a gracious sugar daddy about it. Besides, who wanted to thwart crime with a guy or gal whose liquor of choice you couldn't name? Just bad form.

Stopping outside the luxury suite dedicated to the arguably most unique new friendly friend, Tony bounced on his heels. He contemplated just walking in for a split second, but he liked having his cranium hammer-free. And it was still about being gracious--as much as he could be. "JARVIS? Ping Point Break for me." Tony didn't feel like knocking. This was a compromise.

"Mr. Odinson, you have a visitor." JARVIS dutifully announced from within Thor's quarters.

Comments

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Not by hammer." Tony's fingers rapped its metal surface. "National tragedy a few years back involving a flight gone awry, we're kind of sensitive about low-flying craft."

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor wonders what kind of tragedy might have happened here involving a flight, but he thinks better of asking it now. It might be better for him to ask Jane later.

"I'm still taking it along," he informs Tony as the elevator doors slide open. "We do not know what dangers we will face in your city."

Midgard was certainly no Asgard.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"I still want a ride." Tony patted his back as he wandered in after. "I may be your boss but I don't hate fun."

[st_ormbreaker]

"Flying with it is wonderful," he says, beaming. "You will have to let me ride in your Iron Man suit as well."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Uh. We'll do our best." Tony flicked the ground floor button, assuming a leisurely stance beside his teammate.

"So. Woman in town. Yours."

[st_ormbreaker]

"Jane Foster," Thor says, beaming. "She the most beautiful, most intelligent, kindest Midgardian I have met."

Thor can't seem to stop smiling now that he's thinking about her. Even if she is cross with him. She is still wonderful beyond belief.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Heard of her." Tony watched the familiar skyline expand as they made their descent from the eighty floors well above the ground level. "Didn't bring her with you, huh?"

[st_ormbreaker]

"No, she is at her conference, giving a talk on Grand Unification Theory," he says easily. "She doesn't have the time for recreation."

Thor, on the other hand, apparently does.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"I'd wouldn't mind hearing her take on it. Over a nice Blanc de Noir." Tony's back gently hit the elevator wall, side-eyeing his companion. Thor's mere presence raised endless questions in the physics realm. Questions that Tony was content to let some other hapless, frantic mind discover.

[st_ormbreaker]

"I will let her know your interest," Thor says, still looking outside, oblivious to Tony's interest. He's not entirely sure why anyone would require a building with this many floors and yet there seemed to be so many of them. The view, at least, was quite nice. "Did you have a telephone number she can reach you at?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"I'll have my people call her people." Tony's eyes lingered on Thor's hair and how he did not get the follow through he was waiting for. Banner would probably back down from their deal unless he could at least say with confidence he had his hands on it to confirm.

And he didn't want to just ask again, either. That would seem needy.

"You know what a telephone is, Point Break? Thought your folk sent for by raven."

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor runs his hand through his long blonde tresses, still looking down at the people below. "Yes, some do," he says. "It's considered a more secure form of short-range communication."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Riveting." His hands had a mind of their own, and the levels of restraint Tony had to exercise from letting them boss his muscles around was significant. Thor was oblivious to his inner struggle, and seemingly his presence at all.

Sliding around into Thor's line of sight and blocking his view, Tony flicked his shades down over his eyes. "Yeah, I can see what Dr. Foster sees."

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor is also oblivious to what Tony is talking about right now. He's mildly irritated that as short as Tony is, he's just tall enough to keep him from observing the street people.

"Sees in what?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Staying in place, Tony effectively claimed Thor's view as he turned and pointed out one of the distant buildings nestled in Manhattan. "Oh, hey, that place is pretty good. And that one. Oh, look at that one! Burgers and brew, am I right?"

[st_ormbreaker]

Perhaps Tony does not realize he is being rude, just as Thor had been unaware that it was not proper etiquette to express his appreciation for a beverage by smashing the finished glass to the ground. More likely, though, was that Thor himself was unintentionally being rude; it might be considered impolite to block such a magnificent view from a man of a much smaller stature, and Tony had stepped in to allow him to save face.

Thor cedes the territory to Tony and takes a step back.

"I can appreciate a good drink," he tells Tony. "I hope the drinks here are stronger than in New Mexico."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Yeah?" Tony turned back, satisfied (if mystified) with Thor's response. "JARVIS, ping Happy. Get the Bentley ready."

"Mr. Hogan is in Prague with Ms. Potts for the--"

"Right, right. I'll annoint you pilot for this mission, then."

"Very well, sir."

Tony quirked his head expectantly at Thor, imagining the likes of any other Avenger in his position. Banner would have shied away from the red carpet, Rogers would have shirked it, he may or may not have gotten Barton to play along and Natasha...well, she probably had enough pretending to be his secretary for all of two seconds.

[st_ormbreaker]

Tony is giving him a queer look, so Thor smiles and hopes that is the appropriate response. Midgardians seemed to be set at ease with a smile.

"Is The Bentley the name of your vehicle?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony mirrored the affected expression, tapping his fingers restlessly on the metal railing beneath them. "It's a brand of vehicle. Her name's--" a quick stroll through the old cache, "Christine."

[st_ormbreaker]

"Was Christine a person that you knew?" Thor asks. The name was Midgardian; Jane had a cousin named Christine. Humans liked to hang out given names that had already belonged to others, Thor had noticed. Some people, like Jane's cousin, were named after other people; others, like Jane were named for something else, like a fictional character from a series of novels.

Thor, on the other hand, had been named after nothing, and he was quite fine with that.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony shrugged offhandedly, pushing off as they reached the ground floor. "I named her after a cursed Plymouth Fury that went on a murdering spree."

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor only understands part of what Tony had said.

"Right," Thor says, making his way out of the elevator. "Did naming your vehicle after her break the curse?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony chuckled and lead the way out through the lobby, giving the larger man's shoulder a friendly rub. "You're cute, big guy. Yes."

[st_ormbreaker]

"Good," Thor says with a smile. "Our people are highly superstitious at times. If you ever need someone to break a curse for you, let me know. I don't do it myself, but there is someone at court whose specialty is curses and their removal."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Yeah?" Tony rubbed unconsciously at his shoulders. They had ached as of late--his head, his neck, his everywhere--and even his acupuncturist couldn't soothe him. "I think I've got a ghost sitting on me or something...maybe your guy could have a look."