5355/Three in the Corner Pocket

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Three in the Corner Pocket
Date of Scene: 12 September 2018
Location: Avengers Mansion, New York City
Synopsis: Avengers having some down time which involves Pool, Deep Discussions and Tinder. Alright maybe no deep discussions.
Cast of Characters: Thor, Black Widow (Romanoff), Iron Man




Thor has posed:
    Information is key, so the Thunder God has been told. It's been drummed into him ever since things had started to pick up regarding the possibility of Asgard's enemies becoming Midgard's as well. Not knowing the difference from fact to fiction was important considering that these creatures of legend might well be testing an invasion against the people of Earth, and so Thor had been asked to give everything he could.
    Only thing is, Thor might be a great teller of stories, and able to unwind a fine tale of derring-do, but often from a story that takes thirty to forty minutes in the telling only two or three facts from it are pertinent. And some people took exception.
    Which left Thor, upon his arrival back to the mansion, tasked with talking to one of Tony's smarter drones. A drone which, if all truth be told, was a terrible audience.
    "And there was the time when Surtur attempted to gain Laufey's favor by kidnapping the warriors three. Only to find out that there had been some tales told of the wrong side of the bed and Fandral's favor, which led to some abashed looks all around." Thor stands there in the middle of the game room, walking around it slowly as if distracted. Which he was. Sometimes he'd reach over and roll one of the billiard balls across the table, letting it clack against another with the movement.
    "So they are not beyond negotiation, just difficult."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    Mansion duty. Natasha normally wasn't a huge fan of it. She had lots of things she could be doing out there for SHIELD. Or sitting at home and watching paint dry. It would be more exciting. It was nice to see her teammates but most of the time, Mansion duty was a lonely existence filled with boredom.
    It was a rare day when something happened to which they could respond. Today was not one of those days.
    She was dressed in her costume, sans holsters. When staring at monitor screens got boring, which was in about ten minutes, she started working on SHIELD emails and paperwork. In less than an hour, that was all dealt with and the wandering started. She knew Thor was in the building but he was busy doing some task for Tony that involved sharing intel with a 'bot.
    After going through the entire property twice, she stopped at the game room and slipped in the door to see how things were going. By now, they should have a complete download of information about their foes.
    Which would be true if it wasn't Thor doing the information dump.
    "How's it going in here?"

Thor has posed:
    "Ah, Natasha." Thor turns towards her and lifts a hand in greeting as he rests his hip against the billiards table causing it to complain with a creak. "I was just offering what wisdom I could about the giants that menace our people."
    Yet the AI in the drone senses that Thor's story has ended and it pipes up with, // Analysis complete. Usable intel discerned: 0. //
    To which Thor seems oblivious as he doesn't make it a habit to listen to chatty machines. He smiles across the way towards her. "I feel as if I am cursed and bound to this creature, the worst audience I have ever been subjected to. Yet it is my duty, and thus I am here." He spreads his arms wide as if encompassing everything around him and his very acts saved the world. Which has been true before, but perhaps not in this one time.
    "And what passes for you? You have an air of... impatience to you."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "Watch duty." As though that explains everything. Certainly he's had that duty back in the past before his recent crisis and loss. Natasha can't imagine he finds it any more enjoyable than she does.
    She glances over at the drone and arches a brow at the zero. They've been here for a couple of hours. Yet there is nothing that they can use to help with the Jotun? How could that be?
    Maybe the machine wasn't asking the right questions. Was it even asking questions or just letting Thor ramble? Because in her history with the Asgardian, she knew he could talk forever if he was enjoying himself.
    "Sadly, I think Tony failed to program in the appropriate ooos and ahs or gasps of surprise to make it a fun listener," she says, smiling despite herself. "Do I dare ask what tales you have been telling? The Reader's Digest version." He probably doesn't know what that is. "Short."

Thor has posed:
    Lips parting in a silent 'ah', Thor nods as he shifts in place, arms still crossed over his broad chest. "Watch duty, always horribly interminable save when it is not." He pushes up and away from the table and moves around the table, waving a hand to the side and setting a billiard ball on the table spinning then turning back towards her as he walks. "The last time I was tasked with such I found it intolerable, seemed to take forever and I am immortal." He smirks a little as he pauses...
    Only for the drone to pipe up again, as it realizes another story has been told, // Analysis complete. Usable intel discerned: 0. //
    To which Thor scowls sidelong at it and says, "Away with you, machine. There shall be no further stories. Not for now."
    Without further ado, the drone lifts up and floats towards the door, fleeing as it rushes to offload its information.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "I would think being immortal would make it worse," Natasha comments as she steps out of the way so the drone can exit through the open doorway. Then she moves further inside, walking toward the pool table. She reaches out a hand to stop the spinning ball on the felt surface then drags it along with her toward the other end. There she breaks out the triangle and sets it atop the table. The ball is plunked inside then she starts putting the others in their spots until it is filled.
    She lines it up then carefully pulls the triangle clear, hanging it back on it's spot under the edge of the table. Then she moves to the wall to pick out a cue. "Did Miss Duvall agree to let you use her ship? With or without humans?"

Thor has posed:
    Settling onto a seat near the bar, Thor rests with his back against it and refolds his arms across his chest. He watches as Widow moves towards the table and starts to set it, then nods when she asks her question. "She did. I believe her feeling was that she has already overstepped her bounds in several ways, that another few might not hurt. But we shall see." A glance is given towards the doorway, but then he looks back towards her and works at the inside of his cheek for a time thoughtfully.
    "If something comes up I shall see about procuring transportation some other way, or perhaps meet with the Sorcerer Supreme to see what he might be able to scry should the situation warrant."
    Another pause as he watches her pick out a cue stick, then considers the formation of the balls on the table. "And you? What has passed for you in the time we have been apart?"

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    After picking ou the right cue stick, Natasha moves to the end of the table and sets out the white cue ball where she wants it lined up from. Then she sets about chalking the tip of her stick while looking over at Thor.
    "Helped take down a human trafficking group. Got a witness put into deep protection to keep her safe, on a different case. Split up with Wade amicably. A couple of black ops missions I'm not supposed to talk about." She shrugs as she bends, holding the stick expertly as she lines up her shot. "Just another week basically. No rest for the wicked, as they say."
    She punches the stick forward, striking the cue ball cleanly and it slams into the arranged billiard balls, sending them scattering. One drops into a corner pocket on the break.

Thor has posed:
    As she speaks Thor's eyes distance a touch but he nods along as he listens. She must know that at times he doesn't entirely catch everything she says, for some of the references, her choice of words, they aren't ones he'd use for himself. Of course chances were if she explained to him what some of these things actually were, then... his reactions might be strong. But for now he nods as she speaks and latches onto small aspects that he's able to catch.
    "Then best not to speak of them?" He asks, meaning the black ops missions assuredly. He turns around and /leeeans/ over the bar as he seeks something to quench his thirst and starts to root around. She'll hear the clink and clank of glass bottles against each other, and his voice a little muted as he says over his shoulder. "And indeed. Traffic in this city is terrible I am told. Good of you to solve it."
    Then he turns back around having come up with a victorious decanter of brandy that he sets down on the bartop and removes the glass cap. But relationships, he has some knowledge of the lingo there, "I did not know you were involved with someone, a Wade or otherwise."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "Yeah, we'd been dating for quite a while. But our paths aren't the same and it was best we just went our own ways. We'll still be friends, I'm certain," Natasha says as she circles the table slowly. Her eyes are on the lay of the balls on the green surface. She finds the shot she wants and lines it up, bending down and sliding the stick expertly. When one hangs out with Hawkeye for any amount of time, two things will happen: Darts and Pool. She'd learned and gotten pretty good at it. Never good enough to beat him though.
    "People thought we were a strange match anyway. Despite everything I've experienced in life, all the decades I've been around, he always managed to surprise me. To make me laugh. That was a big deal." She glances over at him a moment. "The longer we're alive, the harder it is to find something new or fresh. Everything starts to have a deja vu feeling to it."
    She focuses back and takes her shot, the ball falling into the side pocket.

Thor has posed:
    Lips parting slightly, Thor seems to consider drinking from the bottle as he looks at it, then glances sidelong towards Natasha. He hrms to himself and pulls a glass out from behind the bar, then another as he sets them both on the bartop with faint glassy clinks. Turning them over he begins to pour some brandy for himself, and then another glass in case she might wish to partake.
    Once that's done he turns back to watch her as she plays her game, eyes drifting to her features, to the table, then back to her and her body language. Something internalized perhaps, or perhaps just assumption on his part. "Remember the words I offered all that time ago?" Barely a year ago, but for beings as long-lived as themselves... time is measured more often in events than its actual passage.
    "Make of it a story that you tell yourself, so you remember it and take joy in that telling."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "I remember." Natasha leans the stick against the edge of the table and walks over to where he is seated. She picks up the drink he made for her and offers it up as a toast. "To those who are able to tell tales."
    Of which she is not one of the number, she knows. The way his people share their stories is far beyond the limits of her mind. She always was one to downplay her part in things, letting others take the spotlight. So to turn even a simple tale into an epic adventure, making her own exploits more than they are. It is foreign to her brain.
    This though? She brings the glass to her lips and tosses back the liquor within in one quick swallow. Then she sets the glass back on the top of the bar and reaches for the bottle to refill it. She'll do the same for his should it be empty.
    "I'm not sure how I feel about possibly going into space, by the way. I'm rather fond of Earth and I'm not sure that I am going to be comfortable out in a space ship."

Thor has posed:
    When she drinks, so does Thor. He tilts his own glass back and sets the empty upon the countertop. When she makes the silent offer to refill his he'll nudge his glass towards her with a fingertip. "I had always imagined if you found something daunting you would charge at it and leap out with both hands to take hold." The Asgardian smirks a little, enjoying that faint and all so very brief sting of the liquor, only for it to fade almost instantly.
    "But if you truly wish to refrain you need not come," His lip twists, "Assuredly I can handle any ill fate that might task me. Perhaps you can stay behind and prepare sandwiches." He lifts his drink up then as if saluting her then downs that second drink.
    Yet when he sets it down his brow is furrowed, consideration distant as his thoughts, then he mentions offhandedly to her sidelong, "It has been brought to my attention that I may best serve my Kingdom if I no longer galavant about on adventures, and instead settle down and find a Queen."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "I didn't say I wouldn't go. I just said I wasn't comfortable. And if you ever suggest me going into the kitchen again, I'll find a way to kill an Asgardian," Natasha tells him with a smile, no sting in her words although there is little doubt she could do it if she wanted to.
    She does refuse to partake of her second drink when that was what prompted his drinking. "I'll be glad to go even if I'll be the shortest one there. As though you Asgardians aren't already too tall." Her around Frost Giants? That should be amusing.
    As he turns the conversation serious, she lifts her brows in surprise. "Wow, that's a little old fashioned, isn't it? You just became king. You don't need to be worrying about marriage and such right away."

Thor has posed:
    Flaring his hands at her words, Thor looks aside and grimaces. "Such is the obligation to my people." His brow knits as he considers the wall beyond her, then looks back to meet those blue eyes. "And I can understand the sentiment. Until that is done, until there is... proof of stability and peace, then people will always in some ways be forever on tenterhooks."
    Then he takes a deep breath and lets it out in what could almost be a heavy sigh, though more exasperation as he looks away. "Though it is no small effort, to find a bride that would fit all the criteria." He lifts a hand to push over his trimmed short hair and frowns, "Some have advised me to seek one amongst the nobility of Asgard. Others have said I should seek to use the ceremony to join our kingdom to another."
    He tilts the bottle on its side and murmurs, "Before I felt I had freedom to follow my heart, now... it seems I must do what is responsible."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "They don't have to be different. You can seek out someone but wait until you feel that spark before you actually choose. Don't settle. Eternity is a very long time if you get stuck with someone you just married for duty instead of love." Natasha does swig down her second brandy then sets the glass down. She isn't immediately reaching to refill it.
    "Although one of you valkyries did mention she felt it would be best if you took at least one or two of them with you. Your people, not necessarily valkyries. When you go into space. More so they feel like you are protected than your actual need for protection, if that makes any sense? They don't want to chance losing you too after everything else."

Thor has posed:
    With furrowed brow he takes up his glass again and swirls it for a small time as his thoughts wander down those lines. After Natasha speaks about waiting to feel that spark, he tilts his head towards her and says. "I never asked my father... my mother, if their match had been one of love alone. It was clear they loved each other, but I wonder if it was always such." That having been said he shakes his head and takes a drink, downing that third glassful and then setting it aside for now.
    "As for that, I can understand her wishes, but if we are to go to Jotun and I arrive with an entourage then it is no longer a delegation of equals from Midgard, but it is more Asgard sending a delegation and allowing others to come with. Perhaps not the best message to send."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    Taking that into consideration, Natasha nods slowly. "That makes sense. Perhaps one other Asgardian but make sure the humans outnumber you? Maybe three of us?" Not necessarily us including her but us as a species. She's still not sure what good she will do there but that never stopped her. After all, she was a human on a team of powerhouses.
    "Don't let them pressure you too much on picking a queen. It's only been a couple of months. That's really the last thing I'd think was important. Whatever way you go, your own people, outside royalty, just take your time with it. I know some arranged marriages work out fine but not all develop into that love. I'm glad your parents had that, whatever the origin had been for their relationship."
    She slips off her seat and heads toward the pool table again, taking up her stick and chalking the tip again.

Thor has posed:
    Scratching at the bridge of is nose, Thor still has that somewhat thoughtful air to him as he looks after her and listens. It's clear from his body language that he's not entirely in agreement with her words, but he is at the least paying attention to them, which is more than can be said for many conversations some have held with the Thunderer. He does settle further into his seat, arms folded over his chest as he watches her return to the tabletop and begin her efforts on the game again.
    "Usually there is a feeling of time, when Asgard was the eternal city. Now..." He lets that word linger, drifting off as he looks aside. Back to her he lifts his chin, "In any case I spoke with another comrade and they suggested I use technology to solve my problem, that there was a thing called Tinder made specifically for this sort of matter."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    As she listens, Natasha is taking the time to line up her shot. Carefully poised, stick sliding easily in her hand. Should be a simple shot of the three in the corner pocket.
    With his solution being given voice at the precise moment she was making her shot. The cue stick slides forward, the word Tinder comes out of his mouth, she fumbles her grip.
    The stick strikes the white ball but the ball hops into the air, bounces back down, hops again right off the side of the table where it lands /hard/ on the floor and rolls over to thud against the leg of the chair Thor is sitting on.
    Natasha isn't even looking at it. She is staring at the Asgardian. "Bozhe moi!" She quickly shakes her head from side to side. "I don't who know your comrade is but do not ever listen to that advice. Tinder? No. That is not anything that will help you."

Thor has posed:
    That gets a start from Thor as he looks up and blinks a few times even as the cue ball roll roll rolls to his feet. He leans over, the stool complaining with a loud creak as he scoops up the ball and tosses it towards her. He's got that semi-lost look in his blue eyes that she's seen him wear from time to time, usually when speaking about pop culture or technology. But he gives a nod and waves his hand to the side, "As you say then, but that leaves following up matters as best I can in the ways of old."
    A breath is taken as he reclaims the bottle in an effort to pour another glass for himself. A moment passes then he asks, "I assume I have been made light of and that such is not acceptable." He downs the drink and then changes the subject with a nod as he gestures to the table. "So perhaps you can enlighten me as to this game if you are so inclined."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    As the ball flies her way, Natasha reaches up and catches it easily. She sets it back on the felt surface but keeps her attention focused on Thor. "It's a dating app. A program that runs on the phone or computer." Since she isn't sure he knows what an app is. He might not even know what a smart phone is, come to think of it.
    She's going to kill Tony. After all, he's the most likely suspect.
    "It isn't really somewhere you are going to find quality people of the right sort of upbringing to be queen material. It's great if you just want some casual dating fun. Which might not be a bad idea for you, if you can do so and enjoy yourself a bit. You need to relax some, despite what people are telling you," she adds as an aside.
    She leans on the stick before continuing. "You are going to want people that likely are of royal lines and stuff? I'm not sure what the criteria is for Asgardian marriage," she admits with a shrug of her left shoulder.

Thor has posed:
    Attempt at changing subject: FAILED. Thor crinkles his nose and looks uncomfortable. Perhaps it's due to the topic, or perhaps it's due to having this discussion with this person. Whichever or whatever it may be, he tilts his head to the side and offers another low grumbling sound that is not quite a sigh. "Perhaps." He offers in response, then he taps a fingertip on the countertop before adding, "The most important facet is likely how she feels about not only myself but my people. A strong individual, impeccable of character, unassailable in regard."
    He looks upwards as if trying to draw the answers from the clouds far above and beyond the heights of the mansion itself. Yet it is merely his thoughts that he draws upon. "Yet if she was a ruler of her own, or held a place of prominence in some noble house that could not be looked on as anything save a positive."
    Another pause then he adds, "If she could somehow provide further security and safety to my people, then I would sublimate my feelings for such a union."

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    "Hm." Natasha lets out that little musing sound as she considers. The requirements he is laying out aren't going to be easy to match in a single individual. Just the personal traits alone without getting into the birthright. Then how they could improve things for his people.
    A few thoughts come to mind but they would have to be looked into further. First and foremost is a princess who has her own people that are similar to the Asgardians in many ways. She just isn't sure the Amazonian princess would be in the market.
    "Tell you what. I can look through SHIELD files a bit for you. See if I can find any likely candidates that fit the ruler of their own with an impeccable reputation at least. Not sure about the rest but I'll research and give you the results in a few days."
    She can't wait to see if the computer flags her research for Fury to ask what in the world she is doing. The conversation what would follow would be hilarious. For her.
    She finally turns back to the table and tries to line up her shot on the three again.

Thor has posed:
    With furrowed brow, Thor looks thoughtful though his arms are still folded over his chest. He eyes Natasha sidelong and says, "Do not go to too much length, for if you are successful then I may be obligated to act." A small smirk slips to the fore along with a hint of a chuckle. He shakes his head and continues to lean there against the bar while Nat plays billiards, though her last shot had just been muddled.
    "Perhaps I can allay the worries of others if I appoint an heir to be held until I meet someone properly. But doing so..." He looks aside and frowns, frowns in the way that only he can frown when he thinks of Loki. "Doing so might raise more dire issues." That having been said he pushes off of his stool and starts to walk across the room to the pool table nearby.
    "Now explain this game, and leave off my efforts at courtship."

Iron Man has posed:
    "Would you rather clean the lab? Yeah, I thought not. Go on," Tony's amused tone floats into the game room from the hall. The drone from earlier floats back into the room, with one particular Stark at its back. Tony has a touchpad in hand, aimed roughly at the robot, and is poking away at it. He's dressed in a manner that suggests he'd been downstairs: some scorch marks across one of the sleeves of his shirt and some dust on his face in a pattern suggesting he'd had protective eyewear on reveal that even more. His arc reactor shows, a mild pulse under the shirt.

    "Sooooo, I'm hearing that the problem with the info-gathering is my poor robot was the 'worst' audience. So I've fixed it," Tony announces as he arrives.

    He takes in Natasha with an easy smile. "Hi," Tony greets her brightly. Since she's bent over and playing billiards, well, his gaze adjusted to that situation with pleasure.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    As Thor approaches, Natasha takes her moment to finish up. After the debacle a moment before, she wants to not embarass herself again. Not that Thor really seemed to care but had Hawkeye been in the room, she'd never live that one down. Come to think of it, she needs to be assured that Hawkeye will never know.
    She pauses before her shot, glancing at Thor. "I'll teach you if you promise never to tell anyone about my last shot. Especially Clint. And Tony." Then she settles into her stance and prepares to strike stick to cue ball.
    Which is when the very person she just mentioned wanders into the room with his bot. "I'm afraid to hear this," she mutters as she sends the cue ball to the three which drops into the pocket. Then she stands, holding the stick casually. "Hey, Tony. Did you teach Thor about Tinder?"
    His fate hangs in the balance.

Thor has posed:
    At Tony's arrival, Thor seems to perk up as he straightens to his full height, turning away from the table and gesturing to the man, "Greetings, Stark." He gives an authoritative nod, "I know not what might be at fault with the automaton, yet it seemed to not find my offerings suitable for whatever it seeks." He refolds his arms, now standing next to the table and looks between the two of them. "Perhaps if there was a way of knowing what further was needed? Yet the joy is in the telling."
    But then, in that moment, he espies the look on Natasha's face as she asks Tony the dreaded question. She does indeed present an ominous aspect, filled with implied threat in just the way she stands there. Yet behind her Thor has his hands held up as if pleading that it's not his fault while his face is looking as if he had just tried to hold onto a cookie sheet full of bagel bites without any ove' gloves. He even sort of points at Nat, points at himself, then shakes his head as if trying to allay blame.

Iron Man has posed:
    "Well, try it again, see if it's more tolerable, as a test case," Tony flippantly suggests to Thor. The drone coasts over near Thor and begins to bounce a little in obvious excitement. //I cannot wait to hear the next story!// the robot says. The tone has improved inflection. It does seem pleased to be here. The little limbs waggle. //I do not want to clean the lab,// the robot shares. Tony looks at the drone sidelong and addresses that new 'issue'.

    "Tinder? I'm not all that familiar, honestly. /I/ certainly don't have to use dating software. And I seriously doubt Thor would pull many location-based matches out in New-Asgard," Tony comments without looking up from swiping through some scrolling strings of programming on the bot. He seems unaware of the pending danger. Though a slight liquid move of his eyes to Nat and then beyond to Thor suggests he's multitasking just fine. "I can 'hook you up' with a lot of options anytime you like, Thor," Tony promises with a sleek smile. He's aware that probably didn't help. "Even more than in Vegas." Which was substancial.

    "Which obviously never happened," Tony adds, in mock seriousness.

Black Widow (Romanoff) has posed:
    For a moment, Natasha watches Tony without saying a word or moving a muscle. Then she finally nods. "That might bet better," she agrees, which may be unexected. Yet she had suggested earlier he needed to have some fun instead of stressign over duty.
    "I need to go do something but then I'll come back and teach you how to play. Since I'm stuck here until tomorrow morning. We can play pool all night if you decide you like it. Barring any crisis we need to respond to."
    She is on duty still. Thus the two drink personal limit. She puts her stick back in the small hanging rack on the wall before heading toward the door.

Thor has posed:
    "No. No no no, no. No. It's fine, Stark." Thor says as he rather pointedly steps to the side a little just in case. He waves a hand, "We were simply discussing the concept." He looks towards Natasha and then back towards Tony, "Simply the concept of courtship and succession in regards to the throne of Asgard. And I perhaps made some small mention of the use of this thing. Which I assuredly have no knowledge of beyond what has been given to me."
    He nods his head a few times.
    "And so." He adds, as if trying to cut off the discussion. Which he is.
    But then the crisis seems averted and he watches after Black Widow starts to depart. He lifts a hand to offer her a farewell as he murmurs, "Later then." That having been said he waits until she's decently out of the room then he looks sidelong towards Tony, his expression stating that he didn't tell her a thing. Yet the proof is in the pudding.

Iron Man has posed:
    Tony watches Natasha make her exit. His smile is easy, relaxed. He doesn't mind, obviously, and then gestures a little bit to Thor towards the table. "I'll quickly show you if you want, so you can impress her when she 'teaches' you later," Tony says. There's a measure of smile and awareness with Stark, but dodging talking about serious things like relationships? He's an old pro.

    "...Unless you don't /really/ care to learn it," Tony teases. The little drone peeks up over the table, as if dismayed it isn't being spoken to. //No more stories?// pines the droid sadly.