X-23 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
cutting_edgex23) wrote2017-03-07 10:07 pm
cutting_edgex23) wrote2017-03-07 10:07 pm
Enemy of the State
A weekend trip to visit the petrified forest seemed like just the thing, though unfortunately one is often obliged to take pit stops during a road trip.
This is perhaps not the fanciest gas station and shopping complex in the area, but it's close and the people in it seem happy.
X will take it.
Hopefully Thor also does not mind.
This is perhaps not the fanciest gas station and shopping complex in the area, but it's close and the people in it seem happy.
X will take it.
Hopefully Thor also does not mind.
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Plus, honestly, very little on Earth is fancy by his standards, but nearly everything is a tourist experience.
Accordingly: he follows gamely along after X.
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X leaves the smiling up to Thor as she takes a seat at a corner booth -- the 'seat yourself' sign was very clear about that.
And during the wait for menus --
"There are other things you want to see? Here. I think there are brochures."
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"I will consult these brochures," he says comfortably.
You never know! Sometimes there are fascinating cultural sites to visit, like giant balls of rope or local culinary specialties or quaint festivals or advanced-to-the-locals technological wonders! Earth gas stations and diners seem well supplied with little paper pamphlets about these things. (Paper! It's adorable.)
"But I have no plan currently."
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"But you can. If you want."
Just so he is sure there are options.
In the meantime, this diner has soup and sandwiches and root beer floats, so X is in her element.
(She orders two sandwiches.)
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He gets a stack of pancakes, and something called a country skillet, which involves a respectable heap of various kinds of fried meat and eggs and starches and gravy. And coffee!
The waitress raises her eyebrows at the quantity of food the two occupants of this table are planning to put away. Then she takes another look at Thor's biceps and shrugs. Thor gives her a sunny smile of imperturbable cheer.
Then he goes in search of brochures.
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Then she removes her own curly straw from her backpack and puts it into the root beer float.
Some things are necessary.
When Thor returns she will also peruse the brochures. Wistful happens to other people, but still.
Megan talked about county fairs once. It was -- nice.
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Meanwhile, he's perusing a flyer for something called a Renaissance Faire. It looks to contain trials of martial accomplishment, like jousting! Not to mention the sale of clothing, ale, and many turkey legs. It looks like it might be fun, actually.
The coffee is delicious, as always -- not the best he's had, but quite good -- and in a plain white mug that reminds him of Isabella and her diner in Puente Antiguo. Is there a Puente Antiguo in X's world? Is there an Isabella there? He's never thought to ask.
Because he's Thor, he regards his mug for a moment, and then asks: "Is there a town called Puente Antiguo in this state?"
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"No. That is in New Mexico."
They are in Arizona.
Beat.
"It is where you want to go?"
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It's a good question, really.
"It's where I landed before. On my own world's Midgard."
"There are good people there. In my own world, I would want to greet them. But here, they wouldn't know me, I think."
He would also, if this were his own world, want to see how the town rebuilt. See the healing, the stores intact and repaired, the people unharmed; accept the weight of the stores closed, the damage unfixable, the people who left homes that no longer seemed safe, after a fight between two Asgardian brothers tore through their lives.
But it's not his own world, and that fight probably didn't happen either. The Thor Odinson of this world has different ties to Midgard. So he's not sure yet if he wants to, or what good it would serve.
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"Know Thor. Or of Thor. It would not be the same."
Not at all.
"It has made me sad. Before. When that happens."
Traveling the multiverse really gives rise to situations like that. X has yet to get used to it. Not really.
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In his world, he would want to go there, without hesitation. But here, where they don't know him, and the state of the town will say nothing about the aftermath of Loki's Destroyer? Who would it serve? Anyone at all? He'll think on it.
"Perhaps another time," is what he says, and has another (large) bite of pancakes. Mmm, pancakes.
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X goes quiet, as well, making her way through one and a half sandwiches before looking up again.
"There is a petting zoo. Off of the interstate."
They could go there. Because animals. And small children. That is always comforting, right?
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Especially since he knows X is a fan of them too.
So he grins at X. "Very well. Let us see this petting zoo."
The Allspeech gives him the general gist -- it seems pretty self-explanatory -- but he's never been to one. What kinds of things do they have? If it's going to be interesting to people there have to be various species large enough for both kids and adults to ride, probably, so that'll be fun to watch. (Thor, you are doomed to disappointment, but you can probably watch a tiny kid sitting uncertainly on a patiently sleepy pony or something.)
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X will enjoy that, as she has not really seen a llama up close before.
But before that --
"People have been talking about the pie. Here."
A pause.
"I would like to try it."
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He's learned enough of Earth diner manners that he doesn't slap the table or bellow that, but it's a close thing for a second. Feasts are important! Friends having things they like is also important!
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"With ice cream. Thank you."
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He'd like lingonberry or cloudberry, but those didn't seem to be on the menu. And peanut butter's exotic and all, but cherry's always a solid choice.
So: pie!
But first, he'll chow down on the rest of this heap of food, to make table room.
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Plus stealing from his plate is hilarious.