11467/Even Avengers Gotta Eat

Even Avengers Gotta Eat
Date of Scene:	11 May 2020
Location:	Dining Hall, Avengers Mansion
Synopsis:	Thor returns and chats with Natasha about goings-on in Asgard.
Cast of Characters:	Black Widow (Romanoff), Thor

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Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Avengers Mansion thankfully has good food. Especially for those who happen to be on duty there. There was always someone from the roster present at the Mansion as sometimes people came and knocked on the door for their personal crises. The staff was able to filter out those that didn't have something in the actual emergency zone or get the police involved when it was something more fitting their expertise. But once in a while there was something that needed an actual Avenger. Thus, rotation and duty.

Today was Natasha's day. Which explained why she was eating in the dining hall and didn't have a vodka with her meal. Instead it was water on the rocks. She had opted for a roasted chicken breast with spring vegetables. That was a fancy way of saying fresh zucchini and yellow squash. Maybe it took up less space on the menu.

She was dressed in her uniform, sitting at one of the tables, knife and fork in hand as she sliced into the perfectly cooked chicken.

Thor has posed:
Thor had been busy lately, as an issue came up in Asgard that required his immediate attention. But...that issue had been resolved, finally. Which is good, because it also prevented him from completing his quest, and equally prevented him from seeing his friends. Looking around in the dining Hall...hey, there's Nat! He hadn't seen her in a while. "It's wonderful to see you again!" And he brought gifts, even, with a flask of that ever special Asgardian Ale hanging on his belt. This could be a good night indeed!

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Thor! Been a while," Natasha says with a heartfelt smile of welcome. She waves a hand to the table she's sitting at, offering him a seat there with the motion even as she says, "You're welcome to join me if you like."

She sets down her utensils for the moment to focus on conversation, very proper in her placement of the fork and knife at five and seven on the edge of her plate.

"With your absence, I was worried something happened in Asgard. Hopefully everything is okay?"

Thor has posed:
"It is now. I had much to do up there...I never knew how much work father did maintaining infrastructure till I had to do it myself." But since his father is not yet in the land of the living, Thor must continue to handle such things on his own. It's rough...and he's not entirely suited for it, at least not yet.

But when she offers, "But yes! Joining you for a meal is a fine idea. I brought this, as well." And the flask of Asgardian Ale is laid upon the table. He loves to share!

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
That gets a soft laugh from the redhead. "Sadly, I'm on duty so have to wait until later. You enjoy though. Just save me a tiny bit, since that's all I can really handle of that stuff, for when I switch shifts with Cap later tonight," Natasha urges.

She picks back up her fork and knife, slicing her food as she talks. "Can't be easy being king. It's a lot of responsibility. Not that you have much of an option. Can you give the throne to someone that isn't blood?" Because really, what she knows of his kin is enough to think that they are not suited for the throne. Especially Loki.

Thor has posed:
"Actually...I've been considering reviving my Father. It's possible, because it wasn't Fenrir that killed him. And unless it's Fenrir, it's not the death ordained by Fate. So it can be undone, with enough effort. Giving the crown back...sounds better than keeping it. If it doesn't work, I may have to keep it, but let that be plan B."

"...Father always told me I'd regret the crown when I got it. It isn't till I learned the hard way I realized how right he was." And he really doesn't want to have to complete the process of becoming King, because it'll change who he is forever.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"That's often the way. Parents, or parental figures, tell us things and we tend to just let it go right over our heads instead of taking it to heart. Then the day comes that it turns out they were right. Sadly, they aren't usually there for you to tell them they were though."

She takes a bite of chicken, chewing thoroughly and swallowing before she speaks again. "If Odin can be returned, that is amazing. Is there anything that I can do? Or the team? To help with that."

Thor has posed:
"Very likely. We have to go to the Norns to ask how it can be done, for they weave Fate. The Norns, however, like riddles, so I would prefer to have those clever at deciphering such along with me. Riddles...are not my strong suit." Whether it's Tony, Nat, or even his brother, there's plenty of people who know riddles so much better than he ever will. "I had meant to consult Dr. Strange, but he appears to have disappeared of late."

"...Sometimes, I wonder if Father regretted the crown too when he got it, and that's how he knew." After all, father was young once, eons ago...

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"He probably did for a while. If he was young when he got it," Natasha says.

Norns don't ring a bell for her but she listened to the full explanation carefully. "Probably would be best to have someone with magic involved. I admit that I am not that great with riddles." She makes a little face at mention of Doctor Strange. "Probably off in an alternate universe doing something to keep this one safe again. He seems to do that. A lot."

Thor has posed:
"Indeed, it's a frequent task for him. Even for the eyes of Asgard, he is not an easy man to find." There's just too many dimensions to look through, and nowhere near enough guidance on it.

"I shall have to look up the other wizards of the realm. Though Strange was the one I knew best, I know there are considerably more out there..." Hmmm. But where to go first?

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"There's a few options. I know that there is one with the Justice League. Zatanna Zatara. She's a stage magician but is a real magician as well. There is Wanda, though she's been away for some time and I don't know how to reach her." Natasha pauses to take a sip of water as she considers, trying to remember others from SHIELD or Avengers experience.

"At least one with some experience that can be reached through the X-Men. I won't reveal information there but can try to reach out if you want. Otherwise, all lesser experienced. Raven of the Titans. A young woman named Willow that I have met before."

Thor has posed:
"Well...I can't forget you once outsmarted my brother, and he's one of the better riddle experts on Asgard. I thought you might well be able to decipher them. Tales shall be told of your cleverness for a very long time." Tales of the Avengers...though Thor doesn't like thinking about THAT far in the future. His lifespan compared to that of his friends bothers him sometimes.

"Zatanna? I shall have to seek her out, if she can be found. ...and I too have not seen Wanda in quite some time. I wonder what happened to her..." The other two names mentioned..."I am not familiar with those last two."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
At mention of outsmarting Loki, Natasha smirks a bit. "I just did what spies do. It isn't really solving riddles. It's getting information through any means possible. Even if that means feeding the ego of a megalomaniac so he wants to run his mouth," she adds with a chuckle.

"Oh! Almost forgot. There's John Constantine as well. He's a bit of an ass but he knows his stuff. And over in Bludhaven, there is a self proclaimed wizard that advertises his services. Harry ...something." She frowns a moment then snaps her fingers. "Dresden."

Thor has posed:
So, it's a different skillset. Unfortunate. He'd hoped it would work for this too...wait a minute. "...Could you not gain info from the Norns in a similar way? They are...more forces of nature and fate than anything else, but they still live and have personalities."

"...Constantine, and Dresden. I shall have to see if I can find one or both of them. It may take some searching, but I shall surely find them eventually." He hopes. Finding that which is hidden also isn't his expertise.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"The good news is Dresden has an office. And advertises his services in the yellow pages. I can get you the number so you can just call him up. I don't know how good he is. Never used his services personally," Natasha admits as she continues to eat through their conversation.

"I suppose it might work on the Norns but if they like to use riddles, it's a different sort of thing. I may be able to but I'd hate the fate of your father to be resting on me being able to do that with a force of nature."

Thor has posed:
"...Very well." If she has refused, she is probably wise to do so. The Norns are very different beings than Loki is, after all, and don't have the same weaknesses to exploit.

"Dresden...has an office? And he can be found at this office?" ...That's interesting. Mages rarely advertise, in his experience.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"Yeah. I found it surprising myself. But per people in SHIELD, he's the real thing. Guess everyone has to make a living somehow, even wizards," Natasha says with a shrug.

Finishing up her meal, she lays her utensils across the plate them pushes it to the side where she can clear it up in a bit when she's ready. She picks up her glass of water and considers him again. "I don't know if you can find him in the office but you can at least call him and set up an appointment? Worth a shot."

Thor has posed:
Thor's been eating slowly, as the conversation topic weighs on his mind more heavily than food. And he hasn't been drinking much of the ale, perhaps because he wants to concentrate on the subject matter.

"...Very well. Stark gave me this phone...it is an odd device, but pressing numbers is not especially difficult." Just don't ask him to do all the complex things a Starkphone can actually do.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
"I'll get you the number in a bit." Natasha doesn't have her own phone on her at the moment. She could use the comm link she has tucked in her ear canal and call SHIELD for it but that seemed a waste of resources.

"So other than duties back home, anything going on?"

Thor has posed:
"...I wish I could say there was, but duties when you are King instead of crown prince are 10fold what they'd normally be. ...I understand how our friend the Panther must feel now...he has so much to do in his own country he has little time to come to America."

"...Well, one thing's changed. Loki has been on a streak of being helpful...he even earned some actual respect from the citizens of Asgard. I...hope it will last. He was not always God of lies and trickery. ...On a larger scale, he used to be God of stories, and not all stories are ill favored." And Thor misses that version of his younger (adopted) brother.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Thankfully Natasha was not taking a sip actively when he said that. He might have been witness to her choking as she hears that. She sets her glass down and looks at him sharply. "Loki? Helpful? And you don't think he's up to something? I mean, while he wasn't always the god of lies and trickery, he is now."

To say she has trust issues where his brother is concerned is an understatement. "This isn't one of his ploys, you don't think?"

Thor has posed:
"...it could be. But if it is, he's playing a long game. He's been on this since about September of last year, when Asgard was reborn. Granted, a single year is nothing in the lifespan of an Asgardian, but it's one of the longest times he's spent without stirring up trouble in a very long time."

Sure, there may be treachery coming, but Thor always hopes for the best of his brother, that maybe he really can change back to Stories.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
Even when Loki was invading, Thor had been protective of people being against his brother. Until he had it proven there was no good to come of his brother's plans. That had been years ago now. Yet here he was again, hopeful for his brother. "I know he wanted Asgard whole and worked to get it returned, but I have no doubt that was for himself and not for the sake of Asgard. Or you."

She rises, picking up her plate and glass. "I should get back to my duties. I hope you are right. I hope he has turned a corner. But I'll believe it when I see it." She heads to to turn in the dishes.

Thor has posed:
"...He has much to prove, particularly to the people of Midgard, whe he did far more damage than he ever did on Asgard...I cannot say I blame you if he is never forgiven. But...the part of me that is family has to try."

He leaves the flask of Asgardian Ale for Nat, though. "...May you enjoy that when you choose to use it, and Steve relieves you of duty."