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]

"I'm touched." And Tony, in his heart of hearts, was. Thor stood to be knocked down a peg or twelve but his heart was in the right place. He tucked his fingers under his arms to keep them from trying to ease the tension anywhere else.

Another quick elevator ride and the automatic doors took them to the private parking lot reserved for Tony's rides. "Connected to a series of tunnels leading out the freeways around here. For when I don't feel like dealing with the masses right out the gate."

[st_ormbreaker]

"It will improve considerably once you develop personal flying vehicles," he says. "There is far more airspace than there is earth. Most worlds I've been to have already developed the technology." Thor claps a hand on Tony's shoulder. "You'll have to let me know when you develop the prototype. Let me take it for a spin and let you know how it compares."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony's knees buckled and he clapped his hand back on Thor's knuckles, summoning the thinnest smile known to man and the intelligent life beyond. "Making a lot of assumptions there, friendo. I've got a fleet." Wriggling out from beneath his touch, Tony whipped out a small key and the custom stretched limousine rolled around, presenting itself handsomely before the pair.

"Break her in. Lemme know if you'd fancy one with more, ah, leg space."

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor opens the door to the back and slides inside, leaving enough room for Mjölnir at his right and Tony at his left.

"This should be sufficient," he says. "Jane drives a Pinzgauer when she travels out to sites with her equipment. The car she uses day-to-day is far smaller."

And certainly smaller than this. Thor stretches out his legs.

"Why aren't all of your vehicles like this?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"All of mine, or am I speaking on behalf of humanity, here?" Tony made himself comfortable at Thor's side, the tension releasing from his body at the indulgent cushioning of their interior. The lighting set a cool, blue cast over the pair.

"JARVIS, get us on 5th. The Breslin. Chop chop."

[st_ormbreaker]

"On behalf of humanity," Thor says, reaching across the aisle to touch the plush leather seating. It is cool to the touch. "Your aeroplanes also lack sufficient leg room."

He stands as best as he can in the small-ceilinged vehicle and opens the door of one of the cabinets to see what's inside. Cups made of glass. It is remarkably impractical.

He shuts the door and begins pressing various buttons on some sort of flat-surfaced electronic.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony merely watched as Thor pawed at his limo, not unlike one would observe a puppy or some other manner of curious animal sniff and poke at their new environment. When Thor hit the 'Play' button to Tony's personal playlist, the wailing of guitars and the aggressive vocals of Guns N' Roses sounded off and reverberated through the cushions.

"Welcome to the jungle, Point Break. Watch it bring to your shun n-n-n-n-n-n-n-n knees. Or cramp the hell out of them." At the very least, Thor's legs would be spared in his personal care.

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor's attention goes from the panel in front of him back over to Tony. The music is appealing. Full of energy and passion. It's very different from the music Darcy and Jane and Selvig listened to.

"What is this?" he asks. "I've never heard this music before."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony crossed his legs, bobbing his foot in time with the rapid beat. "Heavy metal? No, not your hammer. Genre."

[st_ormbreaker]

"And the singer?" Thor asks. His attention has been turned back to a screen, dark save for the blue light shining down from above.

He touches it with a single digit, as if expecting it to suddenly react to his finger. Once, twice, then much harder a third time.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Axl Rose, Patron Deity of Shredding." Leaning forward, Tony put a friendly hand on Thor's. Given the man's strength, he all too easily saw it going through the thing. "You like? There's more where that came from."

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor frowns at the screen, determined to figure out precisely why it isn't working the way he'd expect it to, but he is suddenly distracted by Tony's touch. He's caught off-guard by it, and that solitary moment of something other than irritation tempers any frustration he felt at the device in front of him. Thor looks over his shoulder at him and smiles, then settles down beside Tony, curiosity sated for the moment.

"Yes," he says. "It's very different from the music we have on Asgard and very different from the music Jane listens to." He looks up at the speaker up in the ceiling. "Is this your favored music?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Reassuring Thor with a squeeze, Tony squinted through his shades at the man as he sat back. "You haven't been introduced to heavy metal yet? God, you're like every album cover's dream. How many metal heads have a poster on their wall bearing the visage of guitars summoning lightning? All of them."

[st_ormbreaker]

"Lightning is very cool," Thor agrees. "I'm not sure I could summon lightning with a guitar, though."

That's what Mjölnir was for.

"Do you have such posters in your room?" If Tony were even peripherally involved with the decor back at the tower, it only stood to reason that he might have chosen them for himself.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

Tony scrolled through the list on his own widget, glancing up at Thor every now and again, judging him against his selection.

"A few."

So many.

A light went off in Tony's head, and he smacked himself in the face. Christ, of course. "JARVIS, Led Zeppelin. You know the one."

"I'll request a point of clarification, Sir."

"For our viking friend."

"Deductive reasoning it is, then."

With little preamble, a red-blooded cry built on a staccato riff sounded off and filled the limo as they emerged onto the freeway and into the light of day.

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor leans forward, listening attentively to the song playing through the vehicle's numerous speakers.

We come from the land of the ice and snow / From the midnight sun, where the hot springs flow / The hammer of the gods / W'ell drive our ships to new lands / To fight the horde, and sing and cry / Valhalla, I am coming!

Thor's delight is immediate and obvious. "The song makes mention of me!" he exclaims, looking at Tony. "Who is this singer?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

In the face of Thor's burst of childlike exuberance, Tony was the picture of cool. There was a swell of pride in his chest at drawing that sort of reaction out of the man--certainly a purer sort than demanding his attention through endless needling.

"Robert Plant. Modern legend. He's a trip across the pond. I can have my people inquire if he cares to meet his, ah, muse."

[st_ormbreaker]

"Certainly," Thor says, beaming. "Some of the stories about us aren't true, but others are. I always like listening to them. We had songs written about us, but nothing that sounded like that."

And nothing recent, either.

"Does Robert Plant have any other songs you enjoy? I'd like to hear them as well, after this one is done."

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Many." Tony nodded towards the street as they took a local exit, getting them onto 5th soon enough. "Plenty of time for it after eats. What say you, Big Guy?"

[st_ormbreaker]

"I would enjoy hearing more," Thor says. "What kind of cuisine are we sampling today?"

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Burgers and brew. Burgers and brew." Tony directed a sharp nod at him. "Gonna make a bet right here and now, Point Break. After this, we take a spin to Jersey, hit up the Clint Station Diner. You take on their 50 pound burger, you lose. Calling it."

[st_ormbreaker]

"On Asgard, we have great feasts," he says, directing a finger at Tony. "We make a game of who can eat the most. If you want to make a wager, simply name it. I do not fear this challenge."

And besides, Thor was starving.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"Oh straight up, I'm not competing." Tony, contrary to popular belief, knew when to fold 'em. He didn't get Stark Industries as far as he did without being shrewd. "If you win, I call in a favor to the Air Force and we take a spin on your hammer. If the burger wins, you refer to me strictly as 'Boss Man Stark.'"

[st_ormbreaker]

Thor squints slowly at Tony.

"For how long?"

He doesn't know why he asked this; there was no chance he was going to lose.

[st_arkravinghazelnut]

"However long I deem appropriate. I'm the boss." Tony winked as the car pulled up to the busy street side.

"Age before beauty." He nodded towards the door.