12844/Resonants: The Young Queen

Resonants: The Young Queen
Date of Scene:	20 September 2022
Location:	Starling City Coffee
Synopsis:	Korek accosts poor Thea and gives her his own attempt at an artifact.
Cast of Characters:	Thea Queen, Thor
Tinyplot:	Resonants

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Thea Queen has posed:
Starling City can be a city of much darkness. One only has to step into the Glades to see it. But it can also be a city with a certain measure of brightness. Thea liked to think Team Arrow had had a hand in that. For if they couldn't at least bring some light to Starling then what were they doing here? Playing at being vigilantes?

It was with that kind of thought that Thea finds herself at the Starling City Coffee today. One of her favorite spots when she is feeling good. Morning is bright and sunny, the place is quiet with a few patrons here and there but nothing too full. Conversations subdued enough.

Thea sits at a corner table, sharp make-up followed by even sharper style in the way jewelry, top and tight leather pants mix to create this heiress of the Queen Empire.

And heiress that currently flips through the menu selection in thought. Mmmm, to have the simple black coffee she loves or get fancy and ask for the Stygian Arrow? It certainly reminded her of more complicated times when she went to the Underworld to fight a God...

What is it with Asgardians and dragging her to fights that overwhelm her capacities so?

Thor has posed:
    It was likely that when the tall raven-haired man walked through the door the popularity of Asgardian adventures took an even greater hit for it was woven within his tale such ill will that it would be enough to make even the most dour warrior blanch. Though one would not know it to look at him, for in truth he cut a fine silhouette.
    Handsome with sharp features, that dark hair was swept back into a pony tail that had a hint of a braid along one temple. His clothes seemed less suited for Starling City and more for a night in Monaco. Clean grey slacks, a woven brown leather belt, and a short-sleeved pocketed fleece top that was a complementary black in color. Few accessories save perhaps for a pair of sunglasses that were tucked into that pocket by one clip.
    He stood in the doorway when the bell jangled, looking the place over, smiling as he rubbed a hand along a glittery golden skull before he made his way to the interior. "Love the decor."
    Those words said more to himself than others, yet easily heard. Then he was walking into the room, turning at one table and then heading on his way toward Thea. No leave is asked and liberty is taken as he pulls out a chair and settles into it with his hands resting on the table. "I. Bid. You. Good. Daaaay. Young mortal fair."
    The words are spoken as if they in their existence amused him as he looked about the room, then back to her. "Hello."

Thea Queen has posed:
It's not the usual type that Thea sees walking into the Coffee. Sure, it's not like Starling City doesn't have their share of rich young men and women. It's more that Thea doesn't -know- this particular one. And Thea always makes sure about knowing every rich young man in Starling. So it's either a tourist, a crook or ....

Ah, he's walking her way.

Maybe a tourist then considering how he's looking everywhere with that kind of wonder that seems they come from some other place. Maybe an eccentric European. They like their braids there. Yet also a tourist with a purpose because he actually starts by addressing her.

"Good morning." a neutral but pleasant tone to her expression. She is anything if not elegant. Even when she hears words that remind her of Asgardian affairs. They are the ones liking to call mortal here and mortal there after all.

"I do not believe we have met." The corners of her mouth curling to a smile that shows those dimples of hers. "But you seem to know of me."

Thor has posed:
    "We..." The man looks at her as he points. Then gives a slow triple nod as he adds, "Have not. Indeed."
    He lowers his hands to lightly rap a short rhythm upon the tabletop, fingertips tapping slightly as he looks to the side, then back. "You are Thea, The Young Queen. I believe." He gives a smile that's like a double twitch as if entirely involuntary.
    "Here I go by Corey." The smile widens and he has a rather nice smile, were it not for the sharp canines. "Out theeere..." He lifts both hands pointing with them in alternating rhythm as if emphasizing to her that out there could really be anywhere. "I am called Korek. Once and future King. Of Trollheim. Maybe. Depends. I am feeling ambitious."
    Then he breaks into his own words as if interrupting himself. "You've heard of me haven't you? I can see it. Can see it in your eyes. Right there." He points again.

Thea Queen has posed:
"I have been called that in some circles.." Thea admits with a brief nod of her own. And she knows exactly the circles in where she has been called that which just means this is a loaded meeting. Not that she wasn't suspecting it from the get go. "The kind of circles I wasn't expecting you to be from.." appearances are deceiving in the other Realms though. Thea already knows such.

It's when Corey, or Korek, introduces himself that a finely-trimmed brow arches just so. Yes, she has heard the name at least, "I have heard of you." she tells him. "Ambition has a way of showing the worst of us. Sometimes the best, but rarely. Is that all you are feeling though? Ambitious?" the young woman asks, perhaps gauging at the true purpose of this visit.

She considers the weapons she has now. A knife and an extendable stick. Not exactly great against a would-be Troll King but they would have to do if this turned violent.

Thor has posed:
    "Envious? Betrayed?" Korek's too too human smile is still there though a little pained as he answers her. "I felt like we had something going. At first." Korek knits his brow as he sits back in his chair, the frame complaining with a creak as he takes in a breath, then exhales with a sigh.
    "Not you, of course. I'm more speaking about the collective... /you/." He motions with both hands toward her, as if meaning her. Or her side. Or... "Your friends. Buddies. Pals. Thor. That dragon-killing harpy of a woman." Those last few words come out in a sudden /growl/ that has a hint of spittle to it.
    Which has him abruptly and embarrassedly wiping at the corner of his mouth, then parting his lips into a smile as he recovers with a 'heh-heh-heh'.
    "It's the tusks." He gestures upward at his face even though there's no tusks there.
    "But I have heard what you are all up to. And nobody even asked me."

Thea Queen has posed:
"Come now..." Thea says back to Korek with a brief shake of her head, "You know Thor and the .., harpy." she very much imagines he's talking about Sif. It almost makes Thea smirk. "The legend surrounding them .., do you really think they would had allowed you to continue?" she wonders. It seems to mostly be rhetorical too. Another shake of her head.

Yes, this was a would-be troll King but right now he was in *her* city, her turf. She might be a mortal but she knew what was going on here. He was here to bargain, he wanted something. And he might have something to give. Now what was left was to figure it out.

"It's why you are here. Because you know I can be more .., open." A faint smile back to the Troll.

"What was the question you wanted us to have asked you, Lord Korek?" see? She knows how to be respectful.

Thor has posed:
    "You see? You see how reasonable you can be? A good lesson given." He lifts both hands on the edge of the table then lightly thumps them down with a little tap-tap-tap of fingertips. "You're very right, if it had been the idiot prince then I would have gotten out one word before he was reaching for his hammer of over-compensation."
    A short 'tch' of his tongue is heard, dismissive, condemning as he looks away. Then abruptly back. "But all of these efforts. Running around. Gathering up these bits and pieces. Any thought for Trollheim? Any thought for saving the poor trolls who simply wish to travel and wander and explore? Sure there is some raiding. There's always raiding. But not all of them."
    His head wobbles a little from side to side. "Most of them. But not all."
    Then he perks, "I had hoped to provide. You see. Something to help and add. Perhaps a symbol of that good will." As he says that there seems to suddenly be something in his hand that he then lights upon the table. Just a ring of silver that he lightly flicks with a finger to set it to spinning there in the middle of the table.
    "Trollheim isn't technically another realm. It's part of Asgard, true. Still."
    A pause, then he says almost sadly, "They didn't even ask."

Thea Queen has posed:
Hammer of over-compensation. That has Thea memorize those words. Maybe she will get to use them one day with Thor. But then she'd have to also dodge the hammer blow. Ah, well. But she listens attentively to what Corey says, eyes bright with intelligence, "And where do you find yourself to be? The ones who raid or the others? And if those others don't raid then what do they do?" because she damn well knew there had been reasons for the hammer of over-compensation to have come out on Korek.

Eyes trail down to the ring that is put on the table. She considers it but doesn't reach to touch or even take the ring as of yet, "You are most generous. But generosity like this never comes without a price.." fingers come to the table, close to the ring, drumming thoughtfully.

"What is it that you would want in return for this kind of generosity?" She already sort of knows it though. "A seat at the table."

Thor has posed:
    "Hey!" Korek looks across the table while the ring continues to spin and spin, its little whirling silvery sheen seeming like a small white tear of a blur in the world as it twists and twists. The former king points at her and repeats. "Hey."
    "I brought peace. And I ended the raiding. My reign was... a model. Of something beautiful. That ended too soon. Oh I suppose you'll say... you'll say..." His voice slips toward something squeaky, as if mocking her voice, "Oh but Korek, you sent a warband to kill Ulik. Well..." His head sort of bobs a little as if he just couldn't understand it.
    "Well /YES./" He opens his hand and then the ring falls over, "It was /Ulik!/" He shivers a little, breathes in deep. Shakes his head. "So hard to understand some people. But."
    Then he seems to drain of energy and settle into his seat more. "What would I want in return? Nothing. This really doesn't buy anything. It buys... a line in the saga. A whisper of memory. Maybe in the future as the world unravels it will be remembered. Or if I decide to sit somewhere and find my fortune it will give a moment of hesitation."
    His eyebrows lift as he looks upwards, "I could see that."

Thea Queen has posed:
"We all are the heroes of our own story." Thea knows that well. She had thought herself to be in the right in being a spoiled brat, justified in her actions by her brother's absence and then return to be this kind of super hero. Things were different now but she could still feel that pull to scream she had been right all along. Even if she had eventually had figured out she wasn't.

And she could see the same in Korek, even if he was still in denial about his own wrongdoings.

"I can respect it though, the being remembered. Becoming part of something greater than us." Would Thea be remembered? She nods at the troll. "That can be done though." she finally says, "Being remembered but ..." and she leans forward on her seat. ".. legacies can be hard to live up to. It will mean you will have to live up to what is sung of you. It will mean you will have to become better. And can you do that?"

She nears her hand to the ring but doesn't take it yet. As if the answer to her question would define whether she took the ring or not.

Thor has posed:
    "Ah. Ah!" Korek lifts his hands holding them up as if staving her off, "Infuriating!" He announces to the world, and by this time they've gotten more than their fair share of looks from the other patrons.
    His chair scrapes the ground as he slides it back, sitting up straight there. "Take it. Leave it. I don't care. I /don't/ care." He says as he shakes his head at those last few words, as if perhaps more trying to convince himself.
    "It is a thing," He declares while he gestures to the ring while touching the center of his rather exquisite shirt, "It is a thing that is there. Perhaps you'll have it. Perhaps not."
    He stands up, "Perhaps you leave it there and one of these /wretches/." He turns and snarls at the onlookers, baring fangs as if they were just so damnably worthy of his contempt and disdain. Then he looks back and his smile is at peace, "Picks it up and if it's cursed they live a short horrible little existence. Or it's what it is. And they, I don't know. Get three wishes."
    He steps back, now holding his arms out as he repeats, "I don't care."

Thea Queen has posed:
Humans can certainly be infuriating. Maybe not as infuriating as harpies and over-compensating hammers! But they can get up there. So through all that 'show' of getting angry Thea simply watches him go at it. Repeating he doesn't care over and over. She knows when someone just repeats it so much that it means the exact opposite. Yes, he cares. He wants to do better.

Just like Thea wanted when she became a vigilante.

So one hand rests atop the ring and she offers the troll a sharp nod. "I will take it, Korek of Trollheim." she tells him in a low voice. "And tell Thor of your offer. The choice of having your name in the saga will come from him though, you know I do not have that power but ..." and she nods. ".. he will know of what you did." she curls her fingers around the ring.

Almost as if this human is saying she trusts Korek to do the right thing. Infuriating.

Thor has posed:
    The once and former King of Trolls looks down at Thea. He breathes. Once. Twice. Then he nods and smiles a little, just a little sliver and a hint of a smile that seems to quiet the manic in his eyes.
    "I do regret. Sometimes. What I have done."
    A beat of hearts in between this word and that.
    "For a little bit of time at least. Now and again."
    Then his smile widens as he holds his hands up, then turns them into pointing fingers as he motions to her. "Goodbye."
    That said he turns and moves to the door, taking his sunglasses out of his pocket and sliding them into place. Once he's outside she can see him lift his eyes to the sun in the sky before he starts to walk down the sidewalk and quickly disappears from view.