5093/Quaff your cares away

Quaff your cares away
Date of Scene:	09 February 2021
Location:	Asgardian Embassy
Synopsis:	Rhodey stops by the Asgardian embassy to drown his miserable week, and finds a willing listener -- and ARMOR strongman -- in none other than Thor
Cast of Characters:	Thor, James Rhodes

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Thor has posed:
Although Prince Thor feels a strong attachment to Midgard and its people, for most Asgardians, staying and working on Earth is a significant personal sacrifice: the technology is centuries behind, the people are comparatively frail, and opportunity for transport to other realms and worlds is woefully lacking. But there is one privation absolutely no Asgardians worth their winged armor would tolerate for long: the lack of a decent place to drink.

So it is that one floor of one wing of the Asgardian Embassy in Manhattan has been converted into a near-enough facsimile of a high-tech Viking longhouse: slats and rafters, vented fire pits with turning roasts, a massive hardwood table, and a bar the likes of which any Midgardians, save those valorous enough to impress the Royal House of Asgard, can only dream of. Servers circulate through the room, carrying delicious-smelling meats and huge tankards to raucous drinkers who greet them like beloved family members. Near one end of the center table, Thor Odinson himself sits, knocking back something foamy from a mug that could double as a barrel, in a pinch.

James Rhodes has posed:
Rhodey has only been to the Asgardian Hall once. He does not remember anything after he entered the Hall, he does not remember anything for a couple of days after he entered the Hall to be honest, but he DOES remember the hangover he had. After the week he has had, though, the Asgardians probably have what he needs. The man steps inside -- he's an Avenger, some neat doors open when you have that title -- and then lets his eyes adjust to the light. Once that's done, he murmurs a little prayer and steps towards the bar. "Mead me," he says, with the confidence of someone who has only the vaguest idea of what he's getting himself into, again.

As he waits for his order to be filled, he looks around and that is when he spots Thor Odinson himself. War Machine grins and then walks over to the Asgardian, "Thor, it has been far too long," he says with a little bow to the Prince of Asgard. It's the least you can do when you're in his Hall after all. "Human!" the bartender yells after Rhodey, and he has to quickly say, "Excuse me..." and run get his -- much smaller -- tankard of mead.

Thor has posed:
Asgardian customs or no, Thor himself has no tolerance for formality of any kind in the meadhall -- not from his friends, anyway. He slams his mug to the table, leaps to his feet, and throws his arms wide. "Sir Rhodey!" he shouts joyfully.

Just in time to be left hanging as his fellow Avenger darts away to get his drink. Thor grins broadly, swings his arms downward, and plants them against his hips, giving quick, friendly, definitely not awkward nods to anyone who has turned to look. "Good evening. He's a courageous warrior. We know each other from work," he informs a passing server who didn't ask.

As soon as Rhodes returns, Thor gives him a friendly slap on the back and gestures to the seat across from him. "Come, sit, drink. What brings you here? This is a pretty exclusive club." He makes a circular gesture just behind Rhodey's head, letting the bar staff know to keep the tankards coming.

James Rhodes has posed:
Being slapped friendly like by a God, even a well meaning one, is still a very hearty slap. Rhodey is mostly ready for it, and he only spills a little of his mead on his shirt. He doesn't care. Not tonight. He grins at Thor's welcome. "This...is what I was hoping for. And, I will tell you, I have been here once before. You probably invited me. You were likely here. And I remember none of it. THAT is why I am here. This week...has been /a week/." He takes a bracing sip of his drink, and then runs it down for Thor.

"FIRST, I got into a shootout with Sandman, and he got my suit all gunked up and I got stuck on 63rd street for four hours while they pried me out. THEN I went and fought an Elder God with Ant Man. We defeated the God, but Lang...poof disappeared. I thought he'd died. I spent a night thinking some very dark thoughts. So the next day I went to visit a psychiatrist someone recommended. Turns out, she's a master criminal crazy lady named Harley Quinn. Yesterday I joined SHIELD, got made a Senior Agent, and put into the ARMOR division. And, finally, TODAY I got in a firefight with Sam Wilson's doppleganger. So. Here. Drinks, and hopefully I don't remember a damn minute of any of it." Rhodey says, before he takes a long, well deserved drink.

Thor has posed:
"My friend, you have my word -- you will leave this meadhall with your mind in tatters, if you wish it so," Thor answers, clattering his own mug against Rhodey's. "Asgardian hospitality will allow no less!" He quaffs back a measure of ale, then drops his mug to the table with a tremor and leans forward, considers his companion's woes with a serious expression over clasped hands and a forearm A-frame.

"I have not met this man of sand, but if he left you in such a state he must have been a formidable foe indeed," he says. "Rest assured he made powerful enemies that day. An Elder god, eh? Your choice of opponents shows valor worthy of Asgard itself. Frode!" It's not a swear word: a minor functionary at a neighboring table jerks upright, looking woozily attentive. "Do a survey of the Elder gods of the Realms. If one has slipped its bonds, more might be on the way."

He refocuses on Rhodey, who already has a second tankard waiting in front of him. Barmaids here do not mess around. "I have heard of this Harley Quinn. I am less surprised at her madness than then madman who gave you that recommendation. Do you wish to go 'key' his 'car'? I do not have keys myself, but I'm sure Mjolnir will suffice."

The points directly relevant to the Avengers and SHIELD seem to be of particular concern, furrowing Thor's brow with intense concentration. "A well-deserved honor, but I wonder, were these things related? Perhaps the false Falcon is making attempts on SHIELD personnel. You should be on your guard."

James Rhodes has posed:
"Ok, in my -- and my friend's -- defense, he told me her name was Doctor Harleen Quinzel. You make that connection on no hours of sleep because you think you got Ant Man killed." Rhodey replies, before he finishes off his first tankard. WOO! Best part of the night! He picks up his second, and then leans in. "So...actually...that whole Sam Wilson thing is kinda why I was hoping to see you tonight."

He straightens up a bit. The mead is /obviously/ getting to him already. It's Asgardian. He's human and in phenomenal shape, so alcohol has nowhere to go but his liver. "Here's the thing. There have been a LOT of doppelgangers popping up lately. Mostly Avengers and SHIELD folk as far as I gather. I think this might be something...big, and I want an ace in the hole should they bring out some big bad guns. And what bigger ace is there than the God of Thunder?" he asks, grinning, "I know, I KNOW you have my back. We're Avengers, we're a family. But," and he swallows another swallow of mead, "I wanted to give you a head's up early and maybe get you involved in some doppelganger hunting, because, this is the sort of thing I bet you'd love to do."

Thor has posed:
Thor leans in, takes another big swig, which turns into sort of a chug, and finishes off his drink. Somehow he continues to look deeply focused. Another barrel-mug arrives, and he doesn't even notice the server swapping it out. "I'm sorry you were fooled, my friend, but Harleen Quinzel absolutely does sound like the name of a madwoman. Surely you cannot claim to have been totally surprised."

But as Rhodey continues, a grin forms on the Thunderer's face. "Your bet is a wise one, sir. I would indeed relish the chance to introduce anyone who would impersonate my Midgardian allies to Mjolnir's blunt end. He bangs a fist on the table and stands. "Thor Odinson, the biggest ace in all of Asgard, stands with you! Barkeep, bring more ale!"

He thrusts his mug into the air. It is not empty. Suds fly everywhere, landing mostly on him, but he bellows out a laugh as though that was exactly what he intended, and starts trying to drain the new mug all at once.

James Rhodes has posed:
James Rhodes thrusts his mug into the air as well as Thor declares more ale and that Thor stands with him. And then he chugs down his second Asgardian Mead. HE is not standing with Thor. That is far too far of a bridge for him to cross after two of these phenomenally strong drinks. The man grins, and then starts on tankard three. This one..well..this one he takes a couple of good slugs of, and then asks, "So, what have you been doing Thor Odinson? Midgard's defender?" He's visibly weaving on the chair he is sitting on. The room is probably /spinning/ for him right now.

Thor has posed:
Even Thor is getting a bit of a buzz on, now. He drops back onto his bench, gesturing wildly with his index finger. "First I was drinking heavily. Then I went to Svartalfheim and beat up some elves. Then I drank heavily some more and went to Niflheim to beat up some giants. Then I went to drink heavily, but someone told me that Jane Foster had gone missing, so I had to drink much MORE heavily than I had expected. I woke up a week later and went to Vanaheim to see if they knew where she had gone, but I was hungover and was sick getting off the Rainbow Bridge. They did not take kindly to /that/, so I just wandered the realms for a while, calling out for her, but she did not answer and I could find no sign of her."

He throws a burly arm around his human friend and says, "Rhodes, have I made a terrible mistake? Am I still Midgard's defender, or did I leave her unprotected?" He clenches and shakes his fist, like an especially hammy actor, but seems quite earnest about it. "I will right this wrong, you have my word. We will send these imposters fleeing back to Doppelheim!"

James Rhodes has posed:
"Damn Vanaheim!" Rhodey replies, before he shakes his head. He does not know what Vanaheim is. Or why they would not take kindly to Thor vomiting at the end of the Rainbow bridge. But then he pokes Thor in the chest, and says -- very confidently for how much the room is turning -- "You left Midgard in the hands of the Avengers. We are no Asgardians, but we can hold our own while you take care of your business." The arm around his shoulder is returned with an arm around Thor's shoulder by Rhodey. He takes another drink of the Mead.

"And, I don't know Jane Foster, but if you're looking for her. We're gonna find her, ok? She's important to you? She's important to us." Whether us means the Avengers at large, or the two of them in this one instant of camaraderie bro-drinking is unclear.

Thor has posed:
"Yes! Curse their..." Thor struggles to think of the right way to cap off the sentence. Another mug has appeared, for each of them. "Their clean! Pavement!" Well, he does spend most of his Midgard time in and around New York.

"That is true, friend Rhodey, you have a point. The Avengers are as valorous a group of warriors as any realm has ever produced! If anyone can be trusted with the protection of this world, it is they. Us. We!" He quaffs a bit more ale, but seems -- too late -- to have discovered the principle of moderation. "And with the Avengers and Asgard united again, these Duffelheimers had best retreat to whatever holes they popped out of."

When his companion says that Dr. Foster is important to him, too, Thor actually gives a big sniff. "Thank you, my friend, thank you. She is as brilliant as you are brave, and while I have no doubt in the skill of the Avengers, I worry that some terrible fate may have befallen her in my absence. Once we have secured Midgard from its attackers, I would be honored for you to join me in my quest to find out what has happened to her."

James Rhodes has posed:
Well he HAS to keep up with Thor in drinks. It would be to the disgrace of the United States Marine Corps if he did not. So, he downs his third tankard. And then, in response to Thor saying he would be honored for Rhodey to join him in his quest, James Rupert "Rhodey" Rhodes says, "Thor, It would be an honorrrrrrrrzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz." And he falls face first onto the table. THREE DRINKS AND HE IS DOWN. Surely, this is because of the week he has had, and not that he's a lightweight when it comes to drinking. Yes. Write that in the eddas.