Even a God Can Need a Friend [Open to friends]

[pirateangelbaby]

[OOC: This post and its threads may contain Endgame spoilers. Potential trigger warnings include depression, alcohol abuse, and suicidal thoughts. (See the bottom section of Thor's updated permissions page for more detail on relevant warnings, Thor’s triggers, and a disclaimer about his narration style.) If you intend to tag Thor and are sensitive to this kind of content, please let me know before we begin so that I can provide a safer roleplay experience for you. Individual threads on this post will not be warned for on a case by case basis.

Thor has left his current address with the remaining Avengers, Loki (coldsong), Prometheus (liverfree), and Sif (lady_sif). Other close friends are welcome to visit by getting coordinates from those listed, which may be done offscreen (of the Avengers, Rocket is the most likely to be out and about in the Nexus right now) - if in doubt, please ask the relevant mun. This post is intended to provide Thor with moral support as he grapples with his mental health; each thread will be treated as though it is a different day entirely so his mood and the immediate setting may vary. I do not mind slow tags, and this post will be perpetually open for a long while, so don't worry if you can't get to it right away but still want to play.]


Above the Arctic Circle, in the far north of Norway, the village formerly known as Henningsvær sprawls out across a tiny chain of islands. Despite the approach of summer, the weather is cool and overcast, sea breezes often sweeping through the narrow streets. For those approaching by road, the small single-lane bridge leading from the mainland now boasts a hand-painted sign in Norsk and Asgardian runes welcoming visitors to Asvera, which the local humans have taken to calling New Asgard. Population: 832.

Though much of the world still feels half-empty and apocalyptic, there is little of that here. Asgard has filled the empty spaces, each house claimed and occupied, as well as several hotels that once served seasonal tourists. Fishing boats come and go from the harbor, dock workers hard at work learning to repair nets and lines, others processing the day’s catch for consumption. There is no market, no selling of goods; everything is distributed communally through the grocery on the main island, every citizen entitled to a share, every citizen expected to work to support the others, save for the children who are too young.

The village is quiet, but busy. There is always work to be done, or new skills to learn to survive in their new home. The king, however, may not be so easy to find. Here in the tiny Norwegian village, there is no golden palace to give visitors a place to start looking. Perhaps it’s best to ask for directions.

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[pirateangelbaby]

He chuckles a little at the mental image that provides. "Ah well, worth a shot. You never know until you try, right?"

By now, Thor has had enough of the mead that the warmth of it is settling into his blood, and while it's responsible for some of the pink flush to his cheeks, not all of it can be blamed on the alcohol. "Yes, I uh... I have a talent. For fertility magic. Crops, babies, that sort of thing." A thousand years of thinking of it as women's magic is not so easily overcome as just deciding to embrace it, but it still might mean the difference between survival and withering away. The one thing he can still do to help his people in a real, tangible way. So embarrassment or not, there's no reason to deny this part of himself anymore. Nor should any other man among the Asgardians, should he have a talent for seidr.

If only his brother had lived to see the day.

That's a thought that will lead him back down a dark path, though, so the surprise of Prometheus' offer is a welcome distraction to cling to. "You'd do that?" he blurts out, then hastily corrects himself. "I mean yes, of course. There are still beds to spare, though you'd have to share space with someone. Everyone does."

[liverfree]

"Absolutely," he agrees. "Sometimes I give him a ball of clay to play with, he likes that, at least." Prometheus is a firm believer that everyone should get their hands dirty on some clay or other medium of their choice, no matter if they have the skill for it or not.

Thor may be a little embarrassed about his fertility magic, but Prometheus is positively enthralled. "No way!" he says, before lightly punching Thor in the shoulder in approval. "That's fantastic! I didn't know that was one of your powers. Be fruitful and multiply, huh?" Prometheus has many family members with that sort of power, male and female, so he's not put off by the topic in the least. "Your people are lucky, that's a wonderful ability to have. Zeus only makes more babies the old-fashioned way."

He chuckles a little at Thor's surprise and pats his knee again. It was an impulsive offer, at least by his standards, but he's glad that he made it. "No problem, I'll keep myself human-sized when I'm indoors," he jokes. "If I can't bunk with Hertha and her kids, then I'll just have to make a new friend." Best of all, he can continue to be himself and not pretend that he's mortal.

[pirateangelbaby]

More reactions like this, and maybe Thor will be quicker to lose the lingering awkwardness over breaking from traditional Asgardian gender roles. He’s spent the vast majority of his life as fulfillment of the male ideal, strong and powerful and skilled with magics used for war, not homemaking and husbandry. But as a child, he’d been less concerned about what people thought of him, and there were times in his youth when he’d had reason to use his other magics in times of need. Hallowing land in times of drought, or blessing herds of goats and cattle. Or delivering babies, a handful of times.

Much of the teasing had come from his peers, mostly fellow warriors. Nearly all of them are gone now, and for those that do remain, the Valkyrie stands as an unquestioned example for the people to look up to, despite being a woman. After that, maybe a king with seidr more suited for hearth and home might not be scorned so much.

Either way, Prometheus’ enthusiastic response does little to lessen the blush on his cheeks, even as it lightens his spirit. “It’s not exactly something I’m known for these days,” he mutters into his drink, but he still looks pleased not to be teased about it. “My mother, she was the goddess of motherhood, among other things. I inherited it from her. Though the storm helps too, when it comes to drought and the like.” Six short years is not enough time to fully banish the grief of losing her, but at least it’s an older grief, one he has plenty of practice handling.

If there’s one thing that Thor does not hold in question, it’s Prometheus’ ability to make friends. “You’d find no shortage of open doors here,” he assures his friend, thinking on all those that the titan had helped shelter during those first harrowing weeks after... well, after. “I should introduce you to Korg sometime,” Thor says out loud, before he can follow that train of thought too closely. “He’s the friendly type, very easy-going, though he has been having a bit of trouble with low ceilings with these Midgardian houses.”

[liverfree]

Prometheus would enthusiastically give an earful to anyone daring to give Thor a hard time about his fertility magic. That sort of ability is more powerful than lightning, in some ways, and far longer lasting. Even Prometheus, whose realm lies more in creativity and progress, takes personal pride in creating humans, which is the closest he'll get to fertility powers.

"Plenty of my relatives have fertility powers," he tells Thor, both as conversation and as a bid to lessen his embarrassment. "Even my cousin Artemis, who's about as chaste as someone can be, was called upon during difficult childbirths." He lifts up his glass of mead. "Dionysius, too. Not the chaste part, the fertility part. The boy keeps himself busy."

The Titan has no doubt, either, in fact he's looking forward to it. "Oh, is he the rock giant you told me about? I'd love to meet him." He pauses, then asks hesitantly, "Do you think I could bring Steropes here sometime? He wouldn't frighten your people, would he? I've been researching places to take him, once I can convince Hephaestus to let him take a little time off."

[pirateangelbaby]

Thor has not really been known to be modest or humble, for much of his life. A lot has changed in the last ten years. He wouldn't be so quick to embrace this part of him if not for the situation his people have found themselves in now. Maybe later, he'll look back at this and see that as a bright spot in this part of his life.

For now, in any case, his hands have stopped shaking altogether now, much of the worst aftereffects of the panic attack muffled or banished entirely under the warmth of alcohol and the company of a friend. Particularly one who's given him something to think about that isn't choked with loss. "I've had to do that," he says, in regards to attending a laboring woman. "You might've met the last one, actually. Solvi and her little Joruun? They were some of those staying with Loki."

He's visited with them himself a few times, but ever since the ill-fated trip to the Garden, he's made himself rather more scarce. It isn't that he doesn't want to see them, but sometimes it's all just too overwhelming, and the baby especially doesn't need the stress he'd be responsible for. But out of all his citizens that have survived, he's guiltily thankful that Solvi and her little one are among their number.

But there are less harrowing topics to talk about, and with the strong mead doing its work, the tension in Thor's body is relaxing, his gestures becoming broader and more expressive as a comfortable fog begins to settle in. "Oh no, it'd take more than a giant to scare Asgardians." There's a different word for what Steropes is, but Thor can't quite remember it at the moment. "The Sakaarans, too. There's a couple species living here, not that any of them are that big, but he wouldn't stand out a lot. Wouldn't fit in any buildings though." Thor scratches at his beard with his prosthetic hand, thinking. "Is this too cold for him here? It doesn't get much warmer than this."

[liverfree]

"Did you?" Prometheus says curiously. "In all my years, I've never delivered a baby. Ah -- a human baby, anyway." He mentally rifles through the names and faces of the people that he's met before he snaps his fingers in remembrance. "Ah, yes, I do! I don't do as much with the babies except make funny faces, but I've spoken with Solvi a few times. Lovely woman." They're all lovely -- all of Thor's people -- so far as he's concerned.

It's nice to see Thor relaxing, even though part of that is because of the mead. He settles a little more himself, happy to hear that his cyclops friend is welcome, although he feels the need to confirm by adding, "Yes, but his whole one-eye thing. I know that can be off-putting to some." It wouldn't fly at all on his Earth, that's for sure. "He'd be fine in this weather, he's very hardy. I'll find him some nice warm clothes to wear when he visits." Handmade, of course. There's no Big and Tall store big or tall enough for Steropes.

[pirateangelbaby]

Good, Thor likes it when his friends know each other. Not that Solvi is a close friend, exactly, but once she had gotten past the awkwardness of having her king for a midwife, he likes to think their relationship wasn't quite as distant as a mere king to his subjects. She and her babe are special to him, the last little bit of good news he'd had before the world ended. Still persisting, still living, even after the cataclysm that has taken so many lives.

Thor blinks and laughs roughly, tapping a finger on his eyepatch. Or tries to, anyway, hitting his cheekbone instead. "They've had a one-eyed king for fifteen hundred years. Or maybe more, I dunno. Can't trust my father's history anymore. But they've still got me doing the same thing. And the gladiators don't look like us either. Had one with three heads for a while. Trust me, he'd be fine."

He's not even worried about the humans seeing Steropes here, either. The village is remote, for one, and with aliens not only known about but walking around in public, it shouldn't be that remarkable to have someone like the cyclops paying a visit. "Good! Just give us a heads up, maybe we can... put together a tour, or something."

[liverfree]

Prometheus makes another mental note, in between sips of mead, to pay Solvi and her baby another visit. On his way to visit Thor, he tried to catch up with any familiar faces that he saw, something that will only grow in number, the more time he spends here.

The Titan lets out a guffaw. "Smartass," he says, lightly smacking Thor's knee. "You know what I mean." But he's finally reassured when Thor mentions the gentleman with three heads. All right then. "Sounds like Steropes will fit right in. And he'd be happy to help out while he's here. You'd be surprised, with his gigantic hands, but he's excellent at intricate detail work."

A tour. Steropes would like that. Of course, Steropes would be happy to just sit by the dock and watch the water. "Sounds like a plan. And you can let your people know what to expect, too." He frowns thoughtfully. "Are there other pantheons here, on Earth?"

[pirateangelbaby]

Does Thor know what he means? One eye is one eye, right? Doesn't matter how many you started with, it's still out of the norm for a typical healthy Asgardian. He's a little confused at Prometheus' response, but quickly decides it doesn't matter, and just smiles back at him. "Oh yeah? Not much of a vacation if he's working though, is it?"

If Steropes wants to lend a hand, of course, there's never a shortage of work in Asvera. Not that Thor tries to think about that, with how unhelpful he himself has been so far. Sure, he got them land to call their own, but since then... it wouldn't be inaccurate to say he's been drifting.

He doesn't think about that now, either. Right now, in this moment, his only concern is more mead. And more conversation, preferably that doesn't have anything to do with all the awful shit that's been dragging him down. "What, like, physically?" he asks, frowning too. "Nope. Plenty people used to believe in, but it's all stories. Like I used to be." It's weirdly funny, in hindsight, and he chuckles at the thought. It's strange how quickly Midgardians forget. Or... maybe it's not. Asgard forgot Hela, after all. His frown returns, and he tips up his glass to empty it again.

[liverfree]

Oh, Thor. There is a huge difference between missing an eye and having only one eye in the center of one's forehead, but thankfully he'll be spared that lecture as Prometheus only notices the confusion in passing. "He's like me," he explains, settling back on the couch. "He can't just sit around and be idle. His name literally means 'lightning', and he has that energy within him. That's partly why he admires you, of course, you control the element he represents."

Of course, Prometheus seems like he's doing a good job of being idle, but he really isn't. He's comforting a friend, which is very important. Unfortunately, with that frown on Thor's face, he feels like he's only doing a passable job. "Well, that's good news for me," he says lightly, hoping to brighten the mood. "I'd hate to run into alternates of my family here. That'd be awkward to explain."

[pirateangelbaby]

"Really! You didn't tell me that before." Or maybe he did, and Thor forgot. He forgets a lot of things these days. But even if he's hearing it again, it still puts a smile on his face. "Doesn't use real lightning though? You like him better than that Zeus fellow." Not that that's proof of anything, really. Thor uses lightning and Prometheus likes him just fine.

Speaking of which, it occurs to him that it's been a bit since he last heard a rumble of thunder. While the skies outside are still gray and damp, the sudden thunderstorm that he'd called up has mostly moved off and dissolved now, losing its energy out over the ocean.

One of the good things about Thor's newfound tendency to drink a bit too much is that he's easier to distract. Part of the reason why he does it, really. So that's all it takes to recapture his attention, keeping his thoughts from drifting in a direction he doesn't want. "Oh, sure. Don't want them on my territory either. Don't they have some mountain all to themselves? That one's mine," he says, gesturing with his empty glass in the vague direction of the mainland. It took so much to get this land in the first place; strange gods showing up and muscling in on his turf is the last thing he wants.

[liverfree]

Prometheus laughs a little at the question. "There are a lot of people I like better than Zeus," he points out. "It's not because of the lightning." Well, not entirely. He pauses a moment, then leans in and confesses, "Zeus has the power to smite me with his wrath. That's what makes me uncomfortable. There's not much that can touch me besides that."

It's not something he normally shares, but the warmth of the mead and Thor's own vulnerable state had made his tongue looser than usual. "Anyway, you've met Steropes. He's like a big, one-eyed puppy. He can make lightning bolts for Zeus, but not literal lightning, no."

Then he laughs again, more heartily. "Olympus," he says. "You know what, the next time I'm here, I'm giving you a book on Greek mythology. It's not fair for me to have such an advantage, when the only thing you know about me is that some nun tried to get frisky with me a few hundred years ago."

[pirateangelbaby]

For all the differences between their peoples, the concept of a single true weakness is one that Thor is at least passingly familiar with, although the Midgardian version of the mishap with Baldr isn't all that close to what actually happened. So his eye widens at the confession, not so drunk that he can't treat it with the seriousness that it's due. "He's definitely not welcome here then. I'll put up a sign if I have to."

He'd ask why some gods are such dicks, but he can't exactly point fingers himself. It was only a decade ago that Thor himself was too arrogant to think things through before he acted, and nearly caused at least one war because of his foolishness.

Belatedly, it occurs to him that he probably could've spent his recent time on Midgard more productively by learning more about his friend's pantheon, either through the internet or by finding some television channel that might tell him more about it. He doesn't have too much time to feel guilty about that though, because the reminder of the story makes him laugh, a little more free with his amusement than he'd been before he'd downed half a keg of mead. "Oh, that's not all I know," he says, elbowing Prometheus with a grin. "I know you've got family drama worse than mine ever was, and that you're a good man despite it. In spite of it. One of those."

[liverfree]

Even in the mythologies, the Greek deities are somehow more immortal than the Norse ones. He smiles at Thor's reply and raises his glass in a gesture of thanks. "I doubt he'd show up, anyway, or at least not the one I know. Too busy eating ambrosia on Olympus, pretending that he still rules over humanity."

Gods may not die, but a loss in believers can make them fade into obscurity, at least on the Titan's world. Zeus's name is remembered, but only in stories. There might be a few worshippers here and there, but not enough to keep him at his once ancient glory.

Aww, Thor, you're making Prometheus blush. He grins and elbows back good-naturedly. It's true, his family drama was pretty out of control in the beginning there. That's safe to assume, even if Thor only knows about his baby-swallowing uncle. Although taking into account what has happened to Thor and his people, Prometheus is perhaps a little grateful that life has been rather stable on his planet since the early years.

"Would you like to know more? I can tell you about all the ridiculous things Zeus has shape-shifted into over the years just to get laid."

[pirateangelbaby]

Even before Ragnarok, the Asgardians had been well aware that gods can die just as mortals do. Longer lives, tougher bodies, faster healing... but whether one earns Valhalla or Folkvangr or Hel, no one escapes death's touch forever. Thor's been marked by it already, scarred in both body and soul, but if he lives long enough to succumb to old age, he still has thousands of years left before that happens. Thousands of years as potentially the only surviving god on Earth.

He doesn't like to think about that part.

In light of all that, a friendship with someone just as long-lived is a godsend, if one pardons the pun. Between Prometheus' cheerful presence and the warmth of the alcohol, Thor's mind is being kept from the worst of such thoughts. His eyebrows go up at the question, thinking of the ridiculous tales that the humans have about such things. Mostly when Loki is involved. "Don't tell me they credit him with creating an eight-legged horse too."

[liverfree]

Prometheus snorts out a laugh. The mead is having an effect on him, too. He's no lightweight, but god-tier alcohol is harder to come by these days. "No, no, no. Not even a four-legged horse, that was thanks to Poseidon. But he had a thing about disguises. He's been a bull, a swan, a rain shower, an ant." He gives Thor a 'can you believe this guy?' kind of look. "What kind of pick-up artist decides to be an ant? It worked, though. He's the father of half the gods on Olympus, and dozens of heroes. Everyone says that his wife, Hera, is foul-tempered, but I would be, too, if my husband acted like that."

He takes another sip of mead, nearly emptying his glass. "Was that Sleipnir you were referring to? Where'd he come from?"

[pirateangelbaby]

In his lifetime, Thor has heard of plenty of kinks, but turning into an ant is a new one on him. He coughs on a mouthful of mead, nearly swallowing it wrong when he goes to laugh incredulously, and thumps his metal hand against his chest until it goes down right. “Seriously?”

Yeah, on hearing this story, Thor’s not surprised that Hera is grumpy either. “And she still stays with him, knowing that?” Though if he knew that Hera’s wrath tends to get directed at the poor mortals and the like that Zeus seduces, rather than her horny husband, he’d have other questions, probably ones that Prometheus couldn’t answer. Either way, he thinks it’s a damn good thing that Prometheus tends to stay the hell away from that side of his family.

Sleipnir is a far more familiar topic, and Thor nods, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. “Father always told us that he was a gift when he first took the throne, presented by some dignitary from another Realm. Maybe that’s true, I dunno. I know he had Sleipnir when Hela was still conquering worlds, I saw it on a mural in the palace,” he adds, a troubled frown on his face before he shakes his head. “He was unique, one of a kind. Loki always figured if horses prayed to anybody, it’d be Sleipnir.”

[liverfree]

It feels great to share this nonsense with someone else. The other gods (and the humans at the time) all treated Zeus's antics as, if not normal, at least acceptable. He grins at Thor's reaction. "You can fact check it on wikipedia if you don't believe me."

On the subject of Hera, the Titan shrugs. "It's good to be the Queen. She puts up with a lot of bullshit, but she gives as good as she gets, too. Honestly, between the two of them, I'd be more afraid of her. Her vengeance is legendary. I always liked talking to her, though. When she's not in a jealous rage, she can be pretty reasonable."

Hearing the story of Sleipnir's origin is fascinating, even if there isn't much to it. "I was hoping it wasn't like what I read," he says, then holds up a hand in appeasement. "Not that there's anything wrong with having a horse for a kid, but, uh... well, I like that your family isn't quite so... feral. In that sense, anyway." Even though talk of Loki is a sensitive subject, he adds quietly, "Your brother is very good with children. The Asgardian kind... probably the human kind, too."

[pirateangelbaby]

Maybe it's just the similarity of their names, or what he's heard of this Hera's personality, but Thor is suddenly very glad that Hela is dead and can't meet her. They'd either get along like a house on fire, or just burn everything down regardless. Though whether Hela might have ever been reasoned with, well, Thor never saw her when she wasn't on a rampage, so it's hard to say. Either way, Thor has had his fill of vengeance until he's sick from it, and he would rather cut off his other arm too than butt heads with someone so bent on it as Hera sounds. "Charming," he says dryly.

Prometheus' haste to assure him that having animals for children is nothing to be ashamed of gets a quiet chuckle out of Thor. "The humans do have vivid imaginations, don't they? Fenrir didn't turn out to be one of his children either; she was Hela's warbeast, though just as fierce as the legends say. It took Hulk to take her down."

It's still so strange to Thor to mourn one Loki while another still remains accessible to him, nearly identical to the point where there are days where Thor forgets that they were different people at all. Yet even in years past, when Thor had seen his brother die and later had him turn up alive and well, the relief of having him back had done little to lessen the horror of having watched his death in the first place. And this last time was the worst of them all, all the more for knowing that it was real, and the Loki that yet lives in the Nexus still died at the Mad Titan's hand. His smile is a little watery, this too-familiar grief well settled in his chest and muffled enough under the blur of drink that it doesn't drive him to begin weeping again. "He is. More than I'd thought he would be. I'd always hoped that he would make a good uncle to my children, when I'd have them. Maybe raise his as cousins to mine." That had been before either of them had learned the truth, that they were not brothers by blood, and then things had changed so rapidly - Loki's fall, his madness, redemption and fate coming to bear too quickly for them to settle fully into a new paradigm.

Thor had assumed they would have more time to talk about it, to figure out where they stand. He's glad to have had that opportunity with the Loki who yet lives, a second chance that the brother of this world will never have now. The only comfort he has is that Loki must surely rest in Valhalla, where the brave shall live forever.

[liverfree]

Prometheus snort-laughs at Thor's response, but his humor is short-lived. "The truth is," he says with heavy sigh, stretching his legs out before him. "Is that the whole lot of them can be bastards at any time. Even Athena. Athena! The goddess of wisdom, Thor, she is brilliant, and even she's been known to fly off the handle if a mortal crosses her." He shakes his head. "Maybe it's different for me, since I made humans, but I simply can't imagine striking down a single one of them. I want them to do better than me. Isn't that what every parent should want for their children? Or a god for their people?"

Ugh, this is depressing. He scrubs his face and sits back up. "Fenrir," he repeats, then blinks. "The giant wolf! Now there's a creature that would have fit right in where I'm from. Fates, am I glad to hear that he was taken care of. I'd have to stay permanently huge if he was out and about for my own safety."

It is touching, to hear Thor speak about raising his children alongside Loki's as cousins. It sounds like a hope from a long time ago, something to be cherished, even if it can no longer be true. He smiles, softly and with understanding. "Do you think you'd like to settle down in that way? Take a wife, or... you know, whatever your personal preference is, and have children? I can tell you from personal experience that raising a child is a unique experience. Creating children out of clay is rewarding, as well, but it's not the same."

[pirateangelbaby]

Thor is absolutely on the same page as Prometheus on this one. "You'd think. My family doesn't exactly have the best history of that either." Though how deep it ran, he'll never know. Odin, at least, had seemed to have a change of heart in his latter days, or perhaps that's why he pushed his sons so hard in the first place. Thor had always tried to be perfect, to please his father and never tolerate weakness in himself or others, but that has turned back to bite him in the worst possible way. Or maybe Thor had just learned the wrong lessons along the way. Either way, he is on his own now, and he will never be exactly the king that Odin was. Time will tell if that's a good thing or not.

Fenrir, of all things, is a happier subject to discuss. Or at least not depressing for both of them. The final battle for Asgard had been a victory, maybe the last one that Thor has ever had, no matter how it had turned out in the end. "Oh, yes. Hulk threw her right off the edge of the world, otherwise I'm not sure how we would have stopped her. I was busy fighting Hela herself at the time, as well as her army of undead. If there's a Jormungandr out there as well, I haven't met him yet."

Ever since that fateful day at the Garden, Thor has found it difficult to think of the future, what might become of him and his people beyond the immediate day-to-day. Everything he'd thought he was prepared for, the type of kingship he'd been raised to expect, has been tipped on its head and left him floundering in the aftermath. Yet at the same time, he's aware - always aware - that even with the number of children saved, their people number so few now that they can't afford to not have new children to pass their knowledge and traditions to. Especially when it comes to the royal family, of which there is no one left but Thor. "Yeah. I'm supposed to. I am still king, for what that's worth these days." He gestures vaguely with his glass in the direction of the village beyond his walls, and doesn't really manage to smile. "You know, I'd always hoped I'd marry for love, not politics. My father didn't start pushing on the matter until I courted Jane because he disapproved of my choice. But that's over now anyway."

He does still mourn their breakup, but truly, Thor understands that it was for the best. Especially now, when he has seen so much death. How much harder would her loss hit him after eighty or so years together, only to lose her to the inevitability of age? Not to mention any children they would have together. Thor would outlive them all. He does not regret loving Jane, and he never will. Those days are fond memories, bittersweet though they are in hindsight, and he cherishes them. But in this... maybe Odin was right to try dissuading his son from a path that could lead to nowhere but heartbreak.

[liverfree]

"This is why I never want to be a god," he says with a sigh, before giving Thor a sheepish look. "Uh, no offense. At least on my world, it comes with a ton of baggage that I don't want to deal with." He sighs and adds thoughtfully, "Maybe you have to be a bastard to ascend to Olympus. I'm much happier where I am, even if my glory is in the accomplishments of humanity and not my own powers."

His nose wrinkles at the mention of the sea serpent. "If he does, we can toss him at the kraken and let them fight it out on an abandoned planet. Like a... oh, what do the humans call them? A kaiju movie." He's being a bit irreverent because of the mead, but it is fun sometimes to speculate.

As the conversation turns back to marriage and children, he listens silently, a moment or two passing before he replies. "I don't see why you still can't marry for love. I married for love and I wasn't even looking for a relationship. Was Jane a mortal, was that why your father disapproved?" The Titan has always had a deep discomfort with gods being involved with mortals for a variety of reasons, although most of those don't apply to Thor. He's not a 'love them and have his wife find out and turn them into a cow' sort of god.

[pirateangelbaby]

"Mm, none taken." It's not like he's wrong. Though the thought of being able to just turn one's back on godhood as easily as Thor had once turned his back on the throne puts an odd sort of yearning in his chest, as if perhaps by being nothing more than a man, Thor might have avoided all this. Wishful thinking, he knows; it would have happened anyway, had he not been involved. So he puts a smile on his face, no matter that there's no spark in his eye. "I'm glad for you. You've got a good thing going; don't let anyone tell you different."

What's a kaiju movie? Never mind, doesn't matter. If something else would fight the World Serpent for him, then so be it. Thor taps his glass against Prometheus' in a mock toast to that idea, though he nearly misses. Might be more the alcohol than the depth perception this time, but he doesn't seem to mind either way.

"Oh, yes. Clever, passionate, brave... very human." His voice wobbles a little as he realizes he doesn't even know if Jane is alive right now. Fifty-fifty chance either way. There's a part of him that really, really does not want to know. It's none of his business anymore anyway, right? She's moved on, and he's supposed to have done the same. Thor clears his throat, and runs his free hand through his hair, or at least he tries before the tangles stop him and he's no longer coordinated enough to sort it out. "It was kind of a... long-distance thing, for a while. Her work kept her busy, and so did mine. Didn't work out. We broke up a while ago."

[liverfree]

Prometheus chuckles wryly. "Believe me, I know. I had a small following in Athens for a time... it was very stressful. It's not that I shy away from responsibility, but it didn't feel right. I'm a personification of Forethought, but I can't grant it in others. All I can do is give humans the tools necessary to work things out for themselves." It's why he's so happy when they succeed, and why he doesn't feel like they owe him anything, either.

The mock toast amuses him, although if he knew that all of his pop culture references are going over his friend's head, he would elaborate. He misses enough of them as it is, and he's lived among them for most of his life. There's just so much. It's impossible to keep up with human creativity.

"She sounds like someone worth knowing," he says warmly, after another sip of mead. It sounds like her fate is currently uncertain, which has the Titan looking away, trying to hide his own discomfort. That hits a little too close to home for him, not that Thor would know about how long it's been since Prometheus has seen his wife. "That's how it is for me and Hesione. She's an ocean nymph, the sea is her home. We lived together while raising Deucalion, but otherwise she stays in the water and I stay with humans. We meet up every so often. It's why I'm so fond of the beach."

[pirateangelbaby]

Thor furrows his brow as he thinks hard on that. “Does that make you the god of - no, titan, sorry - of common sense, then?” If so, that sounds ridiculously useful. He can think of several people who could use more of that. Himself, included.

With as strongly as Thor wishes he could rewind time, nostalgia is a heavy hitter for him these days, and Jane is no exception. He sniffs, but he’s smiling a little. “She is. She hit me with her car the day we met,” he admits, something he can laugh about now, even if it’s brief and quiet. “Gave me clothing and food and a place to stay in my exile, and when the Bifrost was broken, she searched for a way to come to me instead. Few humans ever set foot on Asgard, and she was one of them, though I wish it’d been a social call, you know? But in the end, I couldn’t be there for her when she needed me, and I... our break-up was for the best,” he concludes, and he at least mostly believes it.

When he thinks about children now, he does not see having them with Jane, at least. Though someone dark-haired and strong-willed still lingers in his thoughts, and were he more sober, he might start to wonder if he has a type after all.

His frown returns a little as he listens to Prometheus talk about his wife. “I don’t know if I could... I mean, that sounds kind of lonely.” Maybe a little too blunt of a way to put it, but Thor has never been the wordsmith that his brother was, and he’s a little too drunk to come up with anything better.