2012-06-29 Dial G for God

Stark Expo, Day 2. 
Brgith and sunny, not too hot, not too cold. It's like the weather gods have decreed it to be the perfect day to walk about outside. Thor stoically refuses to take any credit for it in the slightest. 
Dressed as a civilian, he walks with Sif at his side, looking at the various technology booths. He's currently got on of the S-Phones in his hands. 
Rumor on the faregrounds has it that Stark gave away a bunch of these yesterday. 
"Quite the curious device," he murmurs to Sif, holding it to her. "Similar, I htink, in purpose to the other?"
Right. He had nothing to do with the weather what so ever. Sif believes that. Sure. Their second day here and she seems just as fascinated as she did the first time.
When he shows her the phone, she peers at it a moment. The stall vendor was insistant she take one for herself as well but she hasn't paid it much attention as of yet.
"It looks very similar, yes. I wonder what, if any, differences there are." Her eyes flicker from the device to him and back again. That phone looks exceptionally small and fragile in his hand.
The device is quite delicate, but Thor is quite used to mimicking human strength, even if it's been a while. He turns the device over twice thenholds it out to Sif. "As you have the other, perhaps thou art the best judge, beloved," he states while the vendor blinks at him in confusion.
--> Sif heads off to drop things off, leaving Thor at the phone booth.
Still trying to puzzle out the technology, Thor stands at a phone booth, the tiny S-Phone in his formidable hands. Not wearing armor, the Asgardian in human attire (tshirt straining against his frame and some freshly purchased blue jeans), turns the sleek item over in his hands a few times, glancing as the vendore rapid firedly tries to explain the item to him. Clearly, the long haired blonde isn't understanding.
Phones. Glorious phones. Janet is, it must be said, very loyal and attached to her Waynetech smart phone: it has, as she's said very frequently, her brain. But she's at the Stark Expo, and that means she might as well take a look at some Stark tech. As one of the vendors tries to explain the object to Thor, she quietly picks up one of the samples and starts fiddling with it. She glances between the vendor and Thor with a polite smile, waiting for the chance to ask the guy about some of its features. Thor's expression of increasing confusion is... not entertaining, precisely, but making one thing clear to Janet: "You've *got* to be one of the engineers of this phone," she says. "You sure don't talk like a salesman." Salesmen are often intelligible.
The salesmen looks over, then shakes his head. "Ah, no, ma'am. I'm a salesman," he replies, and tries to regain his smile. "Did you want to know about some of the phone's features? 
Thor remains looking confused, stormy colored eyes lifting to look at Janet. He quirks a brow at her, as the salesman seems very relieved to have someone ELSE to work with. "Why does thou question this mort- man's position," Thor asks, having to force himself to stop speaking part way through. His eyes had closed partially at the verbal halt, as he seems to be clearly correcting something about the way he speaks.
"My mistake," Janet says with a refreshing of that pleasant smile. Despite Thor's correction to his own speech, she gives him a curious look as she continues: "Not to be nasty, pal," she says, directing the words to the salesman, "but maybe start with the basics. Now, personally I'm interested in storage, cloud syncing, and battery life to start with. But what do you -- " And this she directs to Thor -- "need in a phone?"
The salesman gets a hangdog look at Thor's speech, but bucks up to smile at Janet. Of course, she starts speaking to Captain RenFaire speech, and so the salesman sighs and waits his turn.
"I am still learning of the technology on Midgard, m'lady," Thor replies with a slight half bow. "As such, I am still quite unfamiliar what 'aphone' is, exactly. The item seems to come in a host of forms."
"Midgard," Janet says flatly. She glances around, then raises an eyebrow at Thor and smiles. "Okay, buddy. Sure, then; let's start at the beginning. The basic use of the phone is to communicate with people across even vast distances. With this," she says, pulling out her own phone and waggling it in the air, "I can speak to anyone in the world who *also* has a phone. I can also make short written -- well, typed -- messages and send those too if I don't need to have a conversation. It also stores music, contact information, pictures, and important files and documents. It can take pictures and show me on a little map exactly where I am and what's around me." She glances over to the salesman and winks: "Tell you what. If you step down slightly from "guy in his twenties" to, possibly, "white hair and overalls", you'll be getting this guy the information he needs. I doubt he's stupid, but..." She slants her eyes up to Thor again. "When you say 'Midgard'. Are you one of those cosplaying foamcore-wielding reenactment guys?"
Frustrated and seeing other customers, the salesman gives up and moves away from the pair.
As Thor listens to the explanation, its clear he catches some of the concepts, but not all, and it doesn't even begin to describe how one uses the device. He's just about to continue on the topic of the phone when she switches gears completely and asks him about cosplaying, foamcore-wielding, and reenactment. Thor's gray-blue eyes blink once.
"Nay. I weild Mjolnir," Thos says voice filled qith uncertainity and question. He's certain of the information he's providing, but not if he understood the question. Is she speaking Common?
Well, damn. She'd hoped to talk to the salesman, but she can probably figure out most of the phone on her own. Setting the Starkphone down, Janet folds her arms and leans on the table to look Thor up and down. Outside of work she's far more casual, wearing a pair of clean blue jeans and a white T-shirt. Nothing that really stands out, but small as the woman is there's something about her manner that comes close to Lois Lane in sheer vibrance in a petite package. "Mjolnir. I know I've heard that before, but I'm not exactly... okay, let's start this over. Hi, my name's Janet. What can I call you?" She extends a hand, regarding him calmly and levelly with her own icy blue eyes.
AH! The lady doth wish for a proper introduction. Thor sets the phone down to free his hand.
Taking Janet's hand in his, Thor's grip is strong and gentle. He turns her fingers so her palm faces downward. "I am Thor Odinson, called Donar the Mighty, child of Jord, son of Frigga, and Protector of Midgard. I am the Prince of Asgard, Lord of Storms, and God of Thunder," he says formally, bowing over Janet's hand but not daring to bring it to his lips. Instead, it is near to his forehead that he takes her knuckles, being sure to stoop low for her, showing defference in his gentility. "Mortal man hath also names me the Lightning Giver and Thunder Bringer," he finishes, straightening and opening his hand that Janet may take it back.
It's good that he stoops low. As short as she is and as tall as he is, she would have some trouble reaching the top of his head. And for a moment, Janet's all too ready to scoff at him and call him a liar. But if he *is* an actor, he's playing with one hell of a poker face. If he's a crazy, he's a crazy with a big hammer hanging from his belt. It sure doesn't look like a prop. Unrealistically unlikely as this is, it's even less realistic that this is a very good faker. So she'll play along, at least for now, but this is something she plans on checking out later. "...Okay, well, I'm Janet van Dorn, the district attorney of Gotham City. Which means, if you don't have district attorneys in Asgard, that I choose what legal cases go to trial in my city. Broadly, I try to make sure the bad guys go to jail."
"A justicar! Well met, Your Honor, Janet van Dorn District Attroney. We Asgardians hath something similar, though it is mine father that doth pass judgements," Thor states quite open and forward about it. He must be crazy or telling the truth. Even the best actors would have a crack... wouldn't they?
Ordinarily, yes. Few would keep a charade going for this long! Janet drops her hand at last and smiles with the note of confusion in her expression that must be getting all too common for Thor when he interacts with people. "So, Thor. With Mjolnir. From Asgard. Ah... what brings you to Earth? Not trying to go incognito? No masks, no secret identities?"
Yes. That look is getting quite familiar. It's even contiagious, for Thor's brow knits. "I have come to Her call. As Her son and Protector I am Honor and Duty Bounded to rise in Her defense against any foe that would seek to harm Her," Thor replies, voice booming with its low register. "And I have no reason to hide myself, mortal. That is my brother's ilk, the trickster Loki. I am Thor, the Storm Bringer, the Rain Maker. What need have I for a mask?"
Something about that earnestness makes Janet grin. It's a little ridiculous, but it's so damned honest that she can't help but smiling. One thing that can't be denied about Thor: he's genuine. And maybe that's why she's actually inclined to believe his ridiculous story. "You know," she muses, "as part of my job I get lied to every day of my life by people who are really, really good at it. But you're not joking or lying at all, are you? Not even a little. I don't think I've ever met someone so... *honest* in my life. So," she says, stepping away from the table and backing up so as to get out of the way of potential customers, "what sort of foes are you planning to protect Earth against? And why now, exactly?"
The mere mention that Thor would be dishonest makes the prince frown darkly. As his hip, the hammer crackles softly and a cold wind swirls through the area. One can imagine a distant peel of thunder, a booming crack of lightning, and a stinging cold rain in that chill gust. But as Janet continues, Thor seems to calm, and the odd lean of the weather begins to right itself. In fact, he smiles softly, a bit of sadness in his eyes. "It is, troubling, mortal, to hear that after all the lessons thoust has learnt, your race still sees fit to lie and cheat each other."
Thor steps with Janet, seeming to obidently follow her away from the main part of the booth. 
"The foes are many, and have not yet fully revealed themselves. So prevalent are hte dangers to mine precious Midgard that I am quite sorry to say I have not yet been able to narrowly focus on where I should alit to next, to stand at the ready. The timing was Jord's - Midgard's - for twas She who summoned me, and bid me beg my Father for leave to return to my fair and delicate Earth," he says with elaborate simpleness.
The thunder, the wind, they send a sudden chill through the woman and she takes a half-step back. Her eyes widen as she stares up at him. He really is. He really *is* the god of storms. When it abates, when he speaks, she does relax. Only slightly, though. "Well, what can I say?" Janet replies faintly. "We're not perfect. That's a lot of what makes us human. And that's why there's me, and people like me: to curb the lying and the cheating and the rest." She looks him over curiously now, more or less over her initial startled fear and edging into fascination. "So the Earth itself asked you to come? That's remarkable. You really like Midgard a lot, then?"
Her fear strikes him, and Thor dips his chin down in mute apology. Inwardly, the Thunderer chides himself for once more spooking a mortal. Seeing her calm, Thor smiles softly once more and bow-nods to her once more. "Aye. And it does ease my heart to know thou takes thine calling with dedication and vigor," Thor states, watching Janet's expression edge toward facination. Human curiousity is ...almost seductive. 
Thor nods in response, adding, "Aye, that she did, and that I do. I am a par of Her, born of Her rock and wind and rain. This is mine realm to guard, protect, and serve just as much as Asgard is mine home."
From disbelief to doubt to terror to growing fascination. It's a bit of an emotional roller-coaster. Janet waves a hand slightly: "We don't get a lot of gods around here," she says. "I'm pretty sure you're the first one I've ever met. And there's people who would lie about it and people who would *think* they were a god when actually they were just... uh, crazy guys with hammers." She regards him speculatively, her smile broadening while she listens to him go on. "Gotham City's my home. Born and raised, and it's gone through some rough times. It needs people to make sure justice actually happens. I try to do that: not just to follow the line and letter of the law but to amke sure that's done *justly*. But you're still beholden to someone or something. Your father, for one, right? If I remember my stories that's Odin, the All-Father?"
"Aye! Thou knowst your stories well. Odin is mine Father, and it is to He and Midgard to whom I am beholdent. Although it is mine Father that sits in judgement of mine actions, and the actions of us all, mortal and Asgardian alike," Thor confirms with bright nod and a growing smile. 
"Gotham," Thor asks, eyes growing distant. His eyes slide toward closed, before a slightly pained look comes over him and he shakes his head as if to clear it. "I know not where thine Gotham rests, for either it is in no danger or in too much that I can not quickly locate it," he states, eyes opening and growing clear once more. "It doth please me to know of thy work in this grand mortal city of Gotham. I shall recall thine name, Janet van Dorn District Attroney, that I might look in upon thee from time to time." Is that a good thing?
Janet's smile flickers faintly. "I could probably guess which one of those two," she murmurs. "I always feel like I'm shirking my duties when I'm not in the middle of work, but my people tell me I need to get out once in a while or I'm going to go nuts. Leaving the office once in a while makes me seem more human, apparently. Uh. If you do come," she goes on, very cautiously, "please let me know well ahead of time. We try to solve our problems without outside intervention, and I'm against the idea of anyone who isn't an officer of the city coming in and trying to 'clean things up'. Inevitably it causes more problems than it solves. For one thing, imagine there's a large crime family with a powerful man at the head. Apprehending him is good, in a sense: it removes their effectiveness. But then all that structure falls into chaos and the ensuing struggle can be devastating. But if there's some cosmic problem, something mortal agents can't deal with... in that case I think we'd be all too glad to have you."
Thor grins at Janet's comments of being more human, but the god says nothing in response. Afterall, what does Thor know of being human? Instead, he tilts his head as he listens to her talk about the crime families. Again, a touch of confusion crosses his face as he mulls over the information. "I see...." He's silent for a time, then nods once. 
"Then, Janet van Dorn District Atttroney, I shall endevour to appear immediately to your side, should the Storms carry me toward Gotham. I have been gifted a ...phone..." He chuckles, "Forgive me, the term is still new upon my tongue. In Asgard, a similar device is merely a Messenger's Gem. Regardless, I have been gifted one, though I know not how it is used. My Goddess, Sif, has been tasked with discovering its workings. Upon the completion of her task, you may use your device to contact me, should you require anything of me."
Janet grins at that, at the sheer complete and absolute ridiculousness of phoning up a god in case aliens attack Gotham City. "Well, this day sure has taken a turn for the surreal. Okay. And if you already have a phone, I can probably help you with some of it. Do you know your phone number? If you have it handy, I can probably figure that out. And I'll give you mine: in case you feel you need to come into Gotham, you can call me and let me know. I'd sincerely appreciate that. Lets me know what to expect... and how much *damage* to expect."
Yes, truly surreal. Thor blinks and is forced to shake his head as Janet says all that far too quickly for him to truly process. Instead, Odinson focuses on what he can understand: damage. "I assure you, Janet van Dorn District Attroney, I have no wish to cause great damage to your structures. The cities of thine age are far vaster than any I recall from my last visit to Midgard," he says while his mind works out the rest, and fails.
"I'll bet. If that was a thousand or two years ago, in particular. We've expanded pretty massively as a species in general since then, and we've really started collecting." Janet backs up in the conversation, though, with remarkable patience. He's new. He needs a hand. And this, says a small part of her brain, is possibly the weirdest way of getting a man's digits *ever*. Not that you're trying to set up a date. Especially because... "Sif is your Goddess, you say? A collegue? Comrade? Beloved? And... okay, how much do you know about operating your phone?"
"I know not, exactly, how many years have passed since mine last visit. But yes, I quite agree. You have done well for yourselves, you humans, though... a bit messier than we would have liked... Your path, however, was never ours to write," Thor states, before giving a nod to her questions.
"Aye, to them all," states the Asgardian prince without any hesitation or challenge in his voice. It is a fact, and stated as such. "I fear, Janet van Dorn District Attroney, that I know nothing of its use. My Goddess is still discovering its uses. I await her direction in that matter, for I fear that often times I change as slow as a mountain might..."
That brings a faint chuckle and smirk to Janet's face. "If humans are anything, we're unpredictable. You can get incredible virtue and horrifying vice out of the same person. Sometimes on the same day. Even we don't understand ourselves entirely, and we all are human for a full lifetime." To his agreement of her questions regarding Sif, she nods: it makes sense, and she adds: "Then I look forward to meeting her someday, because already she sounds like a really impressive lady. The phone, you see, is -- " Ringing. Hers is, at any rate. Janet blinks, looking at the device and grimacing. "...Good for telling me that someone needs my attention right now. It's been an honor meeting you. Really an honor. But this is work. If you find me later, we'll see if I can teach you and Sif a few things." 
She backs away then, raising a hand in rather reluctant farewell and clicking the phone on. "Williamson, this had /better/ be important..."
It's a good thing that Gods don't tire because so far, the expo has gone solid for almost two days now. The Gods only went home to drop off the things that people kept shiving at them. In fact, that was the only reason she left his side earlier as well.
Now with that taken care of, the Goddess come walking back into the room, still dressed in her evening gown. Shr draws more than a few looks. Especially now that she doesn't have a man on her arm.
When she finds, not a hard task, she makes her way up to him and lifts a hand to run along his back to alert him to her presence. "Enjoying yourself?"
Thor, hammer clipped to his belt, starts ever so slightly at the touch, but the voice calms him. He turns, smirking down at his lovemate and quips, "More now. My eyes see with joy once more."
Sif smiles as he starts which turns into a smirk. "Silver tongued flatterer." The words are said with a teasing tone as she links her arm through his. "Discover anything interesting in my absence, my beloved?" Taking her place at his side, her head tilts to rest against his shoulder.
"A mortal justicar of Gotham, but little else," Thor replies resting a hand over hers on his arm. "Though I believe I may have a slightly better understanding of this 'phone' item. It is like a Messenger's Gem of Asgard," he says. Woo! He learned somethign!
A brow quirks upwards and she smiles. "You do seem to attract attention from females.." And then she snickers. "And some males." When he mention knowing how the phone works, she tilts her head. "Will you explain it to me then, my love? Were you told how to use it?"
"The salesman," Thor replies motioning to the phone booth. "He quite patiently attempted to explain. I may not have quite understood it all, but the basic premise is not unlike a Gem. The trouble will lay in makin gthe device activate. I trust you with that task, as you are far better suited to learning than I am at current." 
He pauses briefly, head tilting. "Of what does thou speak... drawing attention from men? Are you suggesting that there thrive in this day a man of nid, argr... an ergi? I have not yet met any such soft men as that," he replies, clearly a little taken aback by it.
Thor's words bring a light of recognition to Sif's eyes and she smiles. "How convient they have such a devices here now. It was truly rather annoying when they did not. It made seperate travel quite difficult." She is pleased! "Once I figure it out then, my love..."
And then she smirks. "Aye, beloved. You'll meet them, of that I am sure." She gives his arm a light squeeze. "They are fairly typical in this day and age."
Thor's hard pressed to keep his face neutral. In fact, his upper lip curls up, his eyes narrow. A slight gust kicks up through the park to tell of his annoyance. "It makes them weak," he proclaims, still steeped in the Old World where such acts and actions were illegal on Earth. Whatever the feel of Asgard, Thor is very much his Birth Mother's son in some respects, and this is cheif among them.
 Reaching up, Sif draws the back of her hand lightly across his cheek. "Calm, my beloved..." Her head is left against his shoulder. "It is the way things are now. Some people feel as you do. That it is not right. Others see now problems with men being together. Or women." She gives a small shrug. "Admittedly, it took me a while to adjust to that notion."
Thor sneers at the thought of adjusting to it, but bid to calm, the Storm Lord does as bid, though it's clear the matter is not yet settled for him. He sighs faintly, the breeze settling back down to normal around them. "It is sad, my love, how little they remember of us..."
"They no longer remember us because our time for being worshipped here is past. They worship one God now, most of them anyhow. So we have faded into the past." She gives his arm another squeeze as they stroll. "And even those that know, I do not think grasp the fullness of it." She has, until now, remained very positive and upbeat but she has her doubts and her concerns and now they are coming to light.
Thor just huffs faintly at this, moving to walk. No particular destination in mind, Jord's Son seems merely restless and needing to feel the Earth move beneath his feet. "Aye. All things, in their time, the seasons, the floods, the winds, the sun... all see their time fade eventually," he says with a very faint sigh.
The huff make Sif smile softly. "I know, darling." She isn't overly fond of the changes herself but she's had a little longer to get used to them. In time, she doesn't doubt that he will too. "Midgard still need us though, beloved and as long as that holds true, our time hasn't really past yet." And another squeeze his given to his arm.
Thor nods to this, drawing himself up. "Aye verily. Midgard would not have summoned if I were not needed," he says simply and firmly.
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