Priorities of a Silenced Man

[worldsaway]

WHO| Thor Odinson and OPEN
WHAT| Someone is back, informed about the recent news and coping in as manly a manner as he can
WHEN| After the announcements and the sickness starts to clear up
WHERE| D2, the commons, the training center
WARNINGS/NOTES| None for now. Other than Thor rage.

It's a relief to be alive right now. The way Thor went out alone, there was a residual fear that he'd not be brought back. Alas, the relief and pleasure at seeing his friends is short lived. Steve met him from the get-go with the news of District Three's destruction, giving Thor a chance to control himself from any ill tempered outbursts, but it's difficult. His anger is simmering under the surface, so he sets about to distract himself. Or at least, he sets about to appear he's distracting himself, whilst searching out people to discuss issues at hand with as if it were unsuspecting idle conversation.

But first, he needs to eat.

[Prompt 1: Commons.]
By this point, Thor has amassed as much food as his arms can carry. The last weeks of the Arena he'd been more hungry than he'd ever hoped to be. He doesn't want to fast only to give the impression that he's too caught up in rebellion to eat, he wants to be an unsuspecting, hungry man. And he almost is. He's happily working his way through the variety of food he's presented himself with. It ranges from healthy, hearty to outright junk and he's barely tried any of it before. His expression is pensive for a man digging into a box of dry cereal with his bare hands, but when approached, he will tilt the box toward whomever it may be with a raised brow. He is nothing if not generous.


[Prompt 2: Training Center.]
Thor arrived with the brilliant intention of training, and he had for some time. He'd attacked the punching bag with an incredible amount of fury, he'd figured out the contraptions for lifting weight and let out some of his frustration on moving heavy objects and he'd sought out a sword to get a better feel for it. It seems wrong in his hand after so long with a hammer, but he'd noticed they were in abundance compared to hammers.

After some time, he'll simply hang about the area, towel around his shoulders as he either stares ahead of himself or watches someone's regime intently. He's deep in thought today, finding it difficult to get his mind off everything he's heard about District Three and all those who suffered through the tragedy.

Comments

[worldsaway]

"Then you will know what has happened in our absence." He raises a brow at Joel, searching his expression for a sign of his feelings before his mouth tightens into a deeper frown. It almost physically hurts to know that he is of no use to the other man or Ellie, his fist tightens in anger and his jaw tightens as he stifles his rage.

"My sympathies are with you." He murmurs, meeting his eyes with a solid stare. "My faith is with her. She is strong, for a little one." He pauses for a moment before he corrects himself. "For anyone."

[aintyourdad]

Joel's expression remains decidedly blank, however. He doesn't have too many feelings on the subject, honestly. He's all feeling'd out after the events of this arena.

He hasn't had it in him to care much for people he doesn't know for a very long time, anyway. His life is full of too much loss for empathy to be any particular strength.

"She's the strongest person I know," he finally says with a faint shrug. "She's been through hell and back. Just wish she didn't have to keep doin' it."

[worldsaway]

There isn't much Thor can say, or at least, he doesn't know what he can say. He's not used to being so.. helpless. It's aggravating. The best he can do is reach out and give Joel's shoulder a comforting squeeze before he drops his hand again.

"If there were something I could do.." He trails off, straightening his shoulders as he does. "I do not like this."

[aintyourdad]

"Nobody does, but it don't really matter what we like and don't like here," Joel points out, raising an eyebrow at the hand on his shoulder.

He's not used to physical contact. Even with Ellie, he's not exactly the greatest at it. "She'll be fine. However she gets out, she'll get back here and she'll be fine."

She's always fine, except when she's not. But that's none of Thor's business, as far as Joel is concerned.

[worldsaway]

"I've come to realise that, over time." He responds dryly. In the few months he'd been here, he'd been more oppressed than he'd ever known in his life. It was insulting, but he would not compromise others to kick up a tantrum.

"And so it will be for some time." He hates how trained those words feel out of his mouth, but he knows how heavily they're monitored, what risk weighted words carry. "Do you drink? You look to be a man who drinks."

[aintyourdad]

Joel knows he probably has the look of a hard drinker about him. He doesn't actually drink all that much, but it hardly matters.

"Once in a while," he says, truthfully. "Why, you buyin'?" Hell, maybe a drink is what he needs, to take his mind off things, even if only for an hour or so.

[worldsaway]

Despite what Thor says, he could probably look at anyone over sixteen and assume they're a drinking man. In a place like this, everyone could use an ale and a song.

"I've not much money, but it is a courtesy to treat your guest." Such is the misfortune of not killing anyone. "Do our reputations not warrant free drinks?" Saying you're Thor in London usually gets you a round on the house, at least.

[aintyourdad]

"We've got these," Joel says, pulling out his credit card. "Far as I can tell, they don't have a limit. Capitol foots the bill for us."

Which is basically the same as getting it free because you're Thor, yes.

[worldsaway]

Thor leans in a little to look at the card, taking a moment before a grin starts to form on his face.

"Shall we make them regret that?" He asks, but he's already starting to walk backward out of the tribute center while watching Joel expectantly. "Come, we shall drink as we rightly deserve."

[aintyourdad]

Joel considers that for a moment. He doesn't really drink to excess - never has, even before the outbreak.

But he sure as shit could use a few strong ones now.

"Why the hell not," he says finally, making to follow Thor. This isn't the worst idea he's ever had, at least.

[worldsaway]

Joel's response simply gets him a pleased smile and Thor will lead them to the bar that Starkiller brought him to on one of his first days in the Capitol. Seems he's made a habit of taking broody men out drinking, but it isn't one he intends to stop. He takes a seat at the bar and orders them a round, waving his card at them like he's a kid with a new toy.

"I have longed for a drink since I stepped off the platform." He's going straight in for a gulp as soon as the drink is set in front of him.

[aintyourdad]

Joel is a little slower with his, but he takes an appreciative sort of sip, all the same. "I don't drink too much, these days," he admits. "But it sure is easy to come by around here."

[worldsaway]

"It is custom to drink after victory in Asgard, so we drink often." He can't hide a grin. "Their generosity knows no bounds." He says dryly, giving Joel a sly smile as he raises his glass in a a mock toast.

[aintyourdad]

"Must be nice there," Joel comments lightly. As in - nothing like where he comes from, where the biggest victory is surviving to see another day, and there's not much alcohol to speak of.

But he clinks glasses with Thor, mocking the Capitol without saying anything overtly insulting. He knows better - they all should, by now. It chafes him, but better to keep his mouth shut and keep Ellie safe than say the wrong thing and have her ripped away from him. Or endanger Tess, if what Shepard told him is true.

Because he knows very well that's what would happen. They know his weakness - they know everyone's weakness.

[worldsaway]

"It is something to behold." Quite clearly a source of pride for Thor. "Vastly different from Earth, but there are similarities all the same." And still there's a fondness in his voice as he pulls his glass back to drink from it. Even a place like this couldn't turn him against humans, it seems.

"And what of yourself, of your own world? I know little of you beyond your name." He observes curiously, looking intently at Joel.

[aintyourdad]

"And what the Capitol tries to sell everyone on," Joel points out with a faint snort. "My world is a bad place, that's about all there is to say about it."

[worldsaway]

"Then it pleases me to know that good people can be born from bad places. They will bring the change, when possible." He doesn't feel that Joel wants to go into it anymore, but he can't help but be curious. "There are many ways in which a world can be bad. It brings about intrigue when you put it in such vague terms."

[aintyourdad]

"Ellie's a good kid," Joel says with a nod. He's not good, not by a long shot, but she is.

He glances at the other man, almost appraising. "That plague that just happened here, that had everyone so worried? Somethin' like that happened in my world, about twenty years ago. Only, nobody ever found a cure."

[worldsaway]

Thor nods agreeably, a wry smile forming. He's only met Ellie once, but from everything he's seen and heard he's found her to be an honourable sort. He feels similarly about Joel, but he won't force agreement on that matter.

His expression becomes somber, and he definitely understands why people from Joel's world would be 'bad'. "Sickness breeds darkness." He says blandly. "It takes strength to endure such hardships." He says with an observant flick of his eyes, taking another long draw of his drink.


sickness breeds darkness

[aintyourdad]

"Mostly luck," Joel says with a shrug. "I got lucky, I ended up with her. She's a fighter."

lmao casually leaves an extra sentence in there

[worldsaway]

"Call it what you will." He's learning not to debate too much with what Joel likes to believe. "That she is." And he says that with a high regard, draining his drink and slamming it on the counter for a refill that comes quickly. "How did you happen by her?"

Re: lmao casually leaves an extra sentence in there

[aintyourdad]

Well, that's at least a more polite question than are you being inappropriate whatever the hell he's sure some people around here think, based on their looks. Not much bothers him, but that insinuation? That is fucking offensive.

Thor at least, seems to not jump to that conclusion.

"It's a long story," he admits with a shrug. "I guess you could say I promised someone I'd look after her."

[worldsaway]

It certainly isn't a conclusion Thor would jump to, but he isn't particularly interested anyway. The way Joel speaks of her reminds him of nothing more than a father, friend or ally. He doesn't see the light he feels when he talks about Jane, so it never occurs to him.

"I find myself in no hurry to leave." He points out, trying to weasel Joel into talking more. "But you have me curious, nonetheless."

[aintyourdad]

Joel shrugs. "She needed to get somewhere, and I was the only one around who could do it. And I owed somebody."

[worldsaway]

"Where? Did you make it?" He's now invested in this story, it's been a long while since someone told him one.