4794/Ragnarok pt. 11: The Interview

Ragnarok pt. 11: The Interview
Date of Scene:	02 July 2018
Location:	Metropolis
Synopsis:	Clark Kent gets the skinny on what's the haps with Thor.
Cast of Characters:	Superman, Thor
Tinyplot:	Ragnarok

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Superman has posed:
The Winking Judge in Metropolis has been around for years, nestled up near City Hall and the Courts. The outside features a white tudor facade and faux stained glass windows, spanning the length of several store fronts. The sign hanging outside shows a rotund judge in robes winking broadly.

Inside the walls are wood panelled and the lighting is dim. To the left are long tables and benches, encouraging mingling, with stools and a high counter along the windows. To the right there is a hall with doors coming off the one side. The food at the Winking Judge was good, but even better were the tables in private rooms. Frequently used by lawyers, business people, journalists and more, there were few places in Metropolis as heavily used for quiet meetings. Just about anyone can be and has been seen going in and out of the place.

Clark sits in one of the private rooms, having left his name at the front. He is hunched over his notebook, reviewing the notes he made from speaking to Astrid and reviewing coverage of the Asgardians. He wears an almost fashionable off the shelf tweed blazer with elbow patches over a blue shirt. His slacks could have been from anywhere and his brown dress shoes look like they have been pounding the pavement for too long.

Thor has posed:
    Thor's arrival causes a small touch of tumult though most likely not for the normal reasons. He had received the word from Princess Diana and had grudgingly accepted her advice to accept the offer of this interview from the one known as Kent. On some level he had been displeased, the idea of speaking to someone about their situation as opposed to the /doing/ of something about it, it sat poorly with the Asgardian monarch. But he had made concessions. The speaking at the UN, the sending of an envoy, the visiting of other nations. What is one more?
    But then he arrives at The Winking Judge, and the maitre'd most likely gives him a look of some displeasure. For the Thunderer was not garbed as his usual armed and in armor. Nor did he match the look of those other well-to-dos dining in the restaurant, for he had made concessions to not only the fashion of the mortals, but to the time of year as well.
    "Sir, we tend to be a business casual establishment at the least." The thin smile is given though perhaps not entirely sincere.
    And then Clark might well hear the rumbling voice of the man he was there to meet, responding with a measure of incredulity. "What is this casual business of which you speak?" The tall blonde man with the short hair was garbed in a grey hoodie that had been partially drawn up. A pair of sunglasses cover his eyes though the eyepatch is not entirely hidden. But what might be the most objectionable aspect of what he wears... are the bermuda shorts in bright orange and white, though the white sneakers don't exactly fit in either. He does, however, have a black umbrella in hand... as if it might rain during this particular heat wave.
    "I am come to speak with the man known as Kent. Is he here or not?"

Superman has posed:
Clark pushes himself up from the table and walks down the hall, shoulders bent slightly inward with the hunch of a man who spends too much time at a keyboard. He half-hustles down the hall to the front where Thor is speaking with the maitre'd.

"It's, it's okay, really," he says. "He's with me."

"Mr. Kent, you know we have...."

"I know, I know, I'm sorry, I didn't tell him. And we'll be in a room... Just once, Martin?"

The man scowls and seems to consider. While he does, two women sitting together at one of the long tables give Clark a long, curious, almost suspicious stare and consider the man in the hoodie. Clark waves and smiles nervously, then clears his throat.

"Ah, I'm Clark Kent, maybe we could, we could just go this way?" he asks the very tall blond man, avoiding saying his name. "I have a table for us," he says, not waiting for Martin to make up his mind.

"Hey Clark," one of the woman calls out in greeting, making her way over.

"Uh, hi Cameron, sorry, interview, gotta run!" he calls out and jerks his head down the hall to Thor with a nervous smile.

Thor has posed:
    During this exchange the tall blonde man looks on with a small gleam of befuddlement upon his features, his one blue eye shifting back and forth between the reporter and the host. After the resolution, however, he gives a nod to the man who agrees to let them pass but he does heft his umbrella a touch tossing it slightly and catching it in one hand. Then it's after the reporter that the Asgardian goes, only pausing for a bare moment to say as they pass by, "Hail and farewell, Cameron." As if he knew her.
    But then they are moving along the hallway back to the room that Clark had chosen for their meeting. As he walk he's looking up and around, considering the decor, the crystal decanter they pass by. To a server that's moving past he'll say, "A pitcher of your best, and two mugs." He declares not knowing the faux pas of ordering en passant.
    But then they're in that room and he settles into a seat, his umbrella across his legs and his eyebrows quirked curiously. "A fine choice." He says about The Winking Judge. Then he nods, "Clandestine." As if it fit his idea of such.

Superman has posed:
Cameron, a tall brown haired woman dressed in a neatly cut pant suit, changes from wry bemusement at Clark to straight confusion at Thor's greeting. She looks back to her companion and gives an unknowing shrug, then makes her back to her table.

"Ale," he clarifies for ther server and mouths a sorry to her with an apologetic face. He sighs in relief when they are in the room. "Sorry about that, Cameron is with the Times, we did /not/ need her recognizing you," he explains as he closes the door. He sits down across from the Asgardian, looking small and hunched in comparison.

"I'm glad, I'm glad you like it," Clark says. "It's an open secret in Metropolis, a place for these kinds of meetings. I've interviewed a lot of people here," he says. "And the food isn't bad," he says and gestures to the menu. "Lunch is on me, of course. I really, really appreciate you meeting me, your majesty. I know you're very busy."

Clark gives the menu a perfunctory scan, knowing already what he'll have. For once there was no cap on what he could spend; Perry had been ready to rent them a floor at the Fairmont if he wanted it. There is a knock at the door and when Clark says to come in, another server enters with a pitcher and two large mugs. She sets the mugs out, pours for the two and asks for their lunch orders.

Thor has posed:
    Thor's lips part with a silent 'ah' as if he knew the significance of the Times and its interaction with whatever it is that Clark does which he still isn't /entirely/ clear on, something to do with heralds of some such. But he gives a nod and an easy enough smile though Clark can read the wariness there, the subtle suspicion. Yet Thor is able to play it off to most, though someone who can hear the rumble of a steadily thundering heart and the slightly more controlled breathing... it might give some hint.
    "Your request came at an ill time but for now I find myself having to wait upon the word of others, and so my hands lie empty with naught to grasp. This, perhaps, shall give me something to hold onto while I try and focus upon what is to come." The man speaks so easily in such a round about way, but then he looks to the side, "You have supped here in the past, I will dine on what you recommend though I warn you my appetite is mighty."
    That said he settles further into his seat, now resting the umbrella off to the side with a curious /whom/ that comes from it. He rests one hand upon the seat next to him and the other upon his knee, leg drawn up as the seat isn't quite equal to his frame. "Ask what you will, storyteller, and I shall offer the words of Thor."

Superman has posed:
Clark orders steak, two for Thor, with a selection of appetizers first and thanks the server.

"Well, off the record, I really think, I think this will help your people, your majesty. After the... um.. incident with your brother, the world is nervous about anyone from another world. Earth knows so little about the universe, but we do know we're not very powerful in it. That frightens people, and makes them nervous, even to help friends like you. Humans aren't natural warriors, like Asgardians," he says with a smile.

He considers his drink for a moment. "My job is to tell stories, especially hard stories, to get the truth out so people can understand and make good choices. That's what I want to do here. Some of the questions might not be easy, but if, but if people think things are being hidden, then the fear will just spread. If we can help them really see Asgardians for who they are, I think they will open their arms."

Clark pulls out his notebook and a little Sony digital recorder. "I'm going to record our conversation, if that's alright, your majesty. That way I can't misquote you. You only have to answer the questions you want to, but whatever we talk about is on the record unless you ask me to turn this off first," he gestures, making sure the rules are clear so there are no misunderstandings. The last thing anyone wants is an angry Thunder God.

"I know this is probably painful, but maybe you could start by telling me a bit about what Asgard was, and what happened there. All we know is your home was destroyed; we know almost nothing about what it was like, or how this happened."

Thor has posed:
    At the mention of Loki even in such a circuitous way, Thor's eyebrows lift and a twist mars his lips as if he had tasted something that was flavored poorly. But he gives a nod accepting that statement for it is the truth. Then once they're granted their drinks he offers a smile to the server even as he takes up his mug and pulls it toward himself to fill from the pitcher. There's a gurgle of liquor and he looks across towards Clark. "We aren't all warriors. Most of the warriors of Asgard have fallen, in truth." He offers this information openly, what others might well consider intelligence.
    "Record as you like, it shall not change my answers. I do not have the gift for the untruth that my brother does so I always find it best to speak plain." As plain as someone who offers such verbose replies.
    He leans forwards on the table, legs both settling on the wooden floor once again as he meets Clark's eyes. Through it all his words seem true, no hints of prevarication or dissembling in his tone of voice or the beating of his heart. "Ah, you do not ease into matters, do you skald?" His eyes widen for a moment, then he looks away. Then back.
    "Asgard." A pause, "I can tell you what it was. I can tell you what it is." He takes a sip of his drink then pushes it to the side. "Though it is no small telling. How much time have you?"

Superman has posed:
Clark drinks from his mug then sets it aside and picks up his pen. He leans forward a touch hesitantly, but mirrors Thor's posture, leaning in to hear the telling.

His expression is apologetic about cutting straight to the heart of such a painful loss, but he nods to Thor's comment about him.

"Your majesty, I have all the time you are willing to give," he assures him.

Thor has posed:
    One hand lifts to rest upon the rim of the mug as he lets his gaze slip to the side. His inner cheek is chewed on for an instant before he turns back and speaks. "Asgard to me was my birthrite. For the longest time. It was a brilliant city, filled with adoring people, who all lived life well save for the times when myself, my friends, when we would must out to meet whatever challenge was brought before us. It was pomp and circumstance, a brilliant court with a land most beautiful." He taps a fingertip on the side of his mug.
    "But the last time I spoke to my father he told me that all of that." He lifts his gaze upwards slightly, as if picturing the place itself. "Was not the life of Asgard at its core. It was not its golden halls, nor its treasures stored away. It was not its conquests nor the pageantry."
    He takes a deep breath then looks Clark in the eyes, "He told me it is its people. That whatever happens to us, whatever we endure, we survive on in the soul of our people. That is Asgard. We have lost our world. But Asgard endures."

Superman has posed:
Clark nods as Thor talks, taking a few notes, but watches carefully when the subject of Thor's father comes up.

"And now it falls to you to make sure it endures. That is, must be, an incredible burden," Clark says, then sits quietly for a moment. "Your father, Odin, is a myth to many people. But he was obviously real. What happened that Asgard went from birth right to yours to rule? I am guessing your father ruled before you? Was he killed in the battle?" he asks somberly.

Thor has posed:
    "No," Thor pauses for a moment after that single syllable, letting it hang there as he looks on, then he takes another sip of his drinnk. He lifts the drink and leans back somewhat further into his seat and he says. "My father was long-lived, even for those of our race. He would take long slumbers that would help him survive, recover over the years."
    There's another pause as the Asgardian is likely reliving those moments, going over the old paths and thoughts. "This last time, however. He... knew he was not going to survive. That he had lived as long as he could and he just had time enough to speak to me. To grant me warning that with his passing it would leave Asgard vulnerable."
    His brow beetles then he looks back to Clark. "And so it did. An old enemy we had thought long vanquished had been husbanding their resources. When my father passed on they struck."

Superman has posed:
"I'm sorry about your father," Clark says, sincerely. "That is a lot of loss to take in a short time."

There is a knock at the door, and the server, a lithe blonde woman in her late 20's, returns with another server. They place plates of food on table; candied salmon, mini lamb gyros, braised short ribs. The server, Julie by the tag on her dress, keeps stealing glances at Thor, her face carefully netural. Clark thanks her, then she is gone and the door is closed again.

"And this old enemy is the one who destroyed your world? I spoke with, spoke with your warrior Astrid. She mentioned enormous casualties. Your people seem so technologically advanced, or magical, it is hard to understand who could threaten you. Actually, that's a good question, too. Are you... magical? Or just really, really advanced compared to us?"

Thor has posed:
    "That... is a difficult question." Thor says as he begins to help himself to the rather generous buffet of food set before him. He takes up one of the small gyros and munches it down quickly, chasing it with a draw of mead. "Aye, our technology and ken is advanced, beyond you and yours in many ways." He straightens up, "Though at its core there are elements of what science you have advanced. However," He considers one of the ribs and takes up a knife to slice the meat from the bone with one quick sweep, a well-practiced movement. "There are aspects of ourselves, our abilities, that go beyond what we would consider our knowledge. My hammer was crafted by beings that I would daresay earn the title of magic. Other sages have wandered the realms and knows of forms of magic that many have never seen before."
    He starts to eat the strips of meat and looks pensively towards the doorway to their room, and just then catches the young blonde server and gives her a companionably smile as is his wont. But then it's back to Clark. "So, perhaps the best answer is. Yes."
    That said he takes a breath, "But the Svartalfar, the ones who struck when Odin fell. They had knowledge that was... terrible."

Superman has posed:
Clark watches the man eat for a moment, struck by how... prosaic it is... then wonders what he, of all people, expected. He taps his pen on his notepad briefly, then tries some of the salmon and smiles a bit when he does. But he finishes it quickly, takes another drink from his mug and tops up both their mugs.

He shakes his head a little wonderingly at Thor's talk of beings obviously even more advanced than the Asgardians. But his expression becomes serious when Thor moves on. He writes down the word Svartalfar.

"You told the UN that the enemy who struck your world, the Svar-tal-far," he pronounce awkwardly. "Were defeated. Who are they and what does that mean? Is there a chance they could regroup and try to attack your people again?"

Thor has posed:
    "Ah, the Svatalfar were a warlike people who looked upon any intelligent race as a threat, including their own." He takes up a piece of the salmon... but then lowers it as if his appetite had fled him. He pushes the knife aside and then looks back towards the doorway leading out of their small shared room. A moment drifts, then he looks back. "It was their warriors we fought when we first came here so many years ago. The battle and our sharing of tales is what spawned the myths that the people of Midgard embraced and continued to tell throughout time."
    "They were... beings which surpassed our knowledge of both magic and science in several ways. The war was long in its fighting and eventually we were able to defeat them. In a last attempt to slay Odin they sacrificed..." He shakes his head as he recalls the great black ships that they used, the corruption and destruction that was wrought by their last gambit. "All of their people. Or so we thought. They had a magic which destroyed the very fabric of a thing and all that was connected to it, unwove it from the world."
    He takes a deep breath and says, "Forgive me, I am no scholar nor mage, and the knowing of the thing is beyond me. But it was such a... horrible thing that my father was without mercy. And so was I."
    He takes a sip of mead and murmurs low, "We fought them, and they sent all of their people against us. And then we thought we had their king. Malekith. But little did we know he escaped and all this time had been waiting. Building up his knowledge of this unspeakable power."

Superman has posed:
Clark stops writing part way through Thor's recounting and puts the pen down. He takes his mug in hand, instead. And when Thor finishes he is silent and looks a little ill.

"I..." he starts but stops. He takes a drink and is quiet a while longer and regards Thor carefully. "So of their entire race, this Malekith was the last and he somehow became powerful enough to attack and destroy Asgard?" he asks finally, slowly. It was not so much a question as a re-stating. He shakes his head as if to clear it, then leans back in his seat. "And what, what happened to Malekith?"

Thor has posed:
    "It was Malekith, and his royal guard. They had been hiding between worlds all this time. Learning of that darkness they wrought." Thor frowns as he looks to the side, shaking his head. "When my father passed he moved quickly. With my father gone, he was able to corrupt the very power of Asgard, to draw it into himself. It fueled his arts and when I attempted to stop him he swatted me away like a gnat."
    The Asgardian's jaw tenses, clenching as he grinds his teeth then he murmurs, "I was lost to a planet called Sakaar where I was forced to endure several trials before I could return to Asgard. In that time Malekith seized Asgard, and slaughtered our forces... many of our people."
    Shaking his head slightly it seems as if Thor is lost in the moment, in the recounting, reliving it in some ways as he goes over his decisions. "There were so few people left, that we decided to evacuate them as quickly as possible. I intended to follow my father into death by once again facing Malekith, if only to delay him while they made their way on the ship that now orbits your planet."
    "But I realized we could not simply flee. For he was already turning his forces, opening portals to each of the nine realms. He was casting a great unmaking and I knew that with Asgard in his power no one would survive."

Superman has posed:
"You were able to save 3000, onboard the Frigga's Mercy," he says... or does he console?

"I doubt anyone could have done more, and most would have saved less," he adds quietly. Clark shakes his head. "So this being, who treats all intelligent life like enemies, was going to launch his attack beyond Asgard? What did you do?"

Thor has posed:
    "I did what had to be done." Thor looks up and his jaw extends slightly as if trying to get a hold of a scowl or a growl that wishes to come to the fore. He shakes his head slowly, "I used the Crown of Surtur, united it with the Eternal Flame and in so doing brought him back to life." He exhales slowly and grimaces. "And with him rising, as tall as a mountain, he stabbed into the very heart of Asgard with his gigantic blade. And in so doing destroyed it. As well as Malekith and all that remained of his people."
    "So now... it is over. We fled here because of the place Midgard has in my heart. Perhaps foolish to allow... sentiment to colour policy. But it was a moment of weakness."

Superman has posed:
He considers Thor's words and nods slowly. "Thank you, for what you did," he says. "For all of us." Clark meets Thor's eyes for a moment, then looks down to his mug and drinks deeply.

Julie returns with a knock at their door and delivers their meals, Clark's on a plate and Thor's on what is better described as a platter. Clark thanks Julie, who hurries out the room seeing the expressions on the faces of the two men. Clark looks down at the steak with little appetite. He pushes the plate aside.

"Many wondered about why you chose Earth," he admits. Clark sighs, as if reluctant to continue.

"Can you tell me about the situation on your ship when you arrived, and now? What are the conditions like, what condition are your people in? Are you able to leave our solar system? And if not, what do your people need right now?"

Thor has posed:
    "Ah, as to that." Thor seems to slowly recover from the solemnity of the moment as he takes up his mead again and takes a few swallows. "The Mercy was not a well kept ship, it had been in storage on Sakaar when we stole it and used it for the evacuation. It made the jump, but in so doing many of the systems suffered."
    His lip twists up a little as he murmurs, "Were it not for the rapid aid of the people of Earth we likely would have fallen out of the sky to be little more than a brief footnote in your paper of news."
    "Now we are in a better place. What repairs could be made have been, but the ship is so old that it is likely systems may fail simply from that fact. So we are embattled with time itself."

Superman has posed:
"So it's fair to say you gambled everything to come and seek help here, and that you've got nowhere else to go," he says and makes a few notes, then cuts and takes a few bites of his steak finally as he quickly reviews his notes.

"I've got just a couple more questions. They really, they really go to the heart of the politics around your people. First, obviously many people have an eye on what your people know. What, what about Asgardian technology and magic? Will you share it with the world? With whatever country hosts your people? Try to profit from selling it?"

Thor has posed:
    "The ship is unlikely to get underway again, s'truth." Thor finally remembers his hunger and takes up another miniature gyro and pops it into his mouth. He chews for a time and then adds, "When the great mushroom creature menaced it some few days ago, we had to attach two shuttles to its hull just to get enough thrust to move out of its way." He shakes his head, "I mean, I did vanquish the creature." There's a pause, then he adds. "With some help. But still."
    He lets that sit as he takes a knife to his steak and begins to take it apart surgically, now enjoying it a touch more than he was a bit ago. "We do plan to share what we can with Midgard. But our supplies and equipment are in staggeringly short supply. It will take us some time to rebuild. But once we are able to do so, then we would share the fruits of our efforts with those of Earth. It wold take only a small bit of time."
    He looks up thoughtfully for a moment, then back down. "Perhaps six, seven hundred years." Another bite of steak, "Less perhaps if we find suitable resources."

Superman has posed:
"Seven hundred..." Clark actually laughs. "You live on very different time than the rest of us, your majesty," he says with a shake of his head. "I'm sorry," he apologies. "I'm not laughing at you, just the thought of seven hundred years being a /small/ bit of time."

He shakes his head again and drinks a bit more, then makes sure Thor's mug is topped up.

"Many say it is too dangerous to have your people here. You mentioned conquests; there must be other peoples who have a reason to want revenge or to take advantage of the state of your people. What about them? Is there a danger they will come to Earth if your people are given refuge?"

Thor has posed:
    Shaking his head, Thor says quietly. "No, I do not believe so." He stops eating as he looks at his mead and ponders the question. "There are still those out there who would name me enemy, or some of those still in our company. But that would be more a personal disagreement than the warring of two peoples." He takes a breath and holds it for a time, then looks back up sidelong with that one good eye to focus fully on Clark.
    "No, with Ragnarok's passing, our time as a great power has passed. Out there." He lifts his head as if indicating the so far off, "Other beings may be seeking to fill the void of what has passed, but they will seek that fortune beyond us and the people of Earth."

Superman has posed:
Clark meets his gaze as he speaks, measuring the man and his response. But in the end he nods, satisfied. He reaches for the digital recorder but then pauses with his hand on it.

"Is there anything else we haven't talked about, that you think people should know?" he asks, his head cocked slightly.

Thor has posed:
    Lifting a hand, Thor waves off the question, "I would not know what it is the people of this world should know. I can only offer them my oath. That while myself and my people call Midgard home, we shall defend it to the last. Even if it means the extinction of our people. For we have retreated and lost much. We would go no further."
    That said he looks on somewhat beyond Clark's shoulder as if pondering something only barely realized. Then he shakes his head and looks back to the man, "Does that serve? If so, then let us partake fully of this banquet. It is time to celebrate life. For tomorrow..." He says those last few words and lets them hang there, perhaps letting Clark finish the statement on his own.