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Tweak says, "Dead again, Simon?"

Thor (thunderous) wrote in avengers_logs,
@ 2018-02-13 10:54:00

Entry tags:

thor odinson, valkyrie

Who: Thor and Valkyrie
What: The quest for canine companionship
When: Post Prison Break
Rating: TBD

After the initial trauma of appearing suddenly on Midgard with no ship, no Asgardians, no plan, Thor had thrown a party. It was mostly to distract them from the uncertainty they were all facing, and to size up who else was in the same situation. And the party had been a rousing success.

Since then, things had gotten significantly worse. They were on the point of being evicted from their new home, and now they were fugitives from justice because of the supposedly advanced form of representative government. Things were simpler and more fair with a king, and he was one, and so he would not allow their present circumstances detain him. Another distraction was called for.

Many on the Google were fierce proponents of acquiring dogs that had been abandoned to shelters, rather than purchasing dogs from stores. There were also directions to several such places on the island of Manhattan, so he texted some of them to himself while he waited for a response from the Valkyrie about accompanying him. He knew that she also wanted a dog, so it made sense to go together. Of course it was more than that. Her presence seemed to put him at ease in some way. She was a kindred spirit. Well, except for all that drinking.

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stonecolddrunk
2018-02-13 06:01 pm UTC (link)

Valkyrie wasn't one for relaxing for long. Lying around the house in 'loungewear' wasn't long lasting, especially because it gave way to longer periods of uninterrupted thinking, sometimes introspection, and that never lead anywhere good. She had tried to have fun, but instead had really taken stock of what her life had been like since 'waking up' to it again. A non-stop sequence of unlikely, dangerous and exhausting events. Which had now culminated, according to others, in everyone becoming wanted criminals. Not that she hadn't been in that position before but never with so many people. Or anyone she really cared about. That was another thing: caring about people again had been a stupid thing to allow herself to do.

When the message from her king had come, Val had been thankful even though she was certain he had no idea what self-made hell he'd plucked her from. She jumped - literally - at the chance to get out and go do something. She'd have done it with anyone, a dog was on the line, but doing it with Thor was likely to make her feel much better. Why? She was done thinking about those for now. But it might have to do with his disposition and easy smile and just ease.

"So then we're not doing pet stores, but pet shelters. Because people abandon their pets enough that there's need of multiple shelters." Val reasoned out loud, sighing deeply through her nose. "What a despicable thing to do."

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thunderous
2018-02-16 05:13 am UTC (link)

"And I have heard that these animals are rarely even defective in any way," he said as they got closer to the shelter. "When we establish New Asgard, such a practice will be outlawed within our borders," he proclaimed.

They reached the building and he held the door for her. "I am sure we will find an animal who is worthy." They made their way inside and after filling out a few fairly problematic forms (upon which some amount of fiction might have been perpetrated) they were shown to a long corridor lined on both sides with cages of dogs.

"Do you have an idea of what sort of dog you would prefer? Other than large?" he asked.

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stonecolddrunk
2018-02-16 07:51 pm UTC (link)

Valkyrie smiled up at the king, patting him on the arm. "See that's how we know you're a good king. Well that and your ruling practices but based on how you'll outlaw animal abandonment I think you'll be grand."

She nodded in thanks at the rare gesture of having the door held for her to enter first, then held the door from the inside so Thor could do so too. The form filling was entirely made up of lies, including a fake name that sounded like Valkyrie (Valerie) and the color of her shoes (Blue). For all the rest, Val followed Thor's lead.

Nothing had really ever prepared her for the sight of a corridor lined with cages in which were animals who needed a home, some who might even be put down if they couldn't find one. It hit right at the center of whatever emotional core she had kept dormant for ages, and at first, Valkyrie couldn't really speak. Her eyes enlarged with taking in the sights, all of them adorable little mutts who just needed a chance. Like people.

"All of them." She murmured in response to Thor's question.

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thunderous
2018-02-17 10:19 pm UTC (link)

Thor was equally distraught by the sight. There were sad-looking dogs and desperate-looking dogs. Dogs who were obviously putting up a front because they were scared. Dogs who had given up hope. It was a terrible sight.

"We cannot take all of them now. They would not give them all to us," he said, feeling very unKingly to refuse such a reasonable suggestion. He could control the weather, but he could not protect a few dozen innocent animals. It was extremely unfair. "As soon as we have resources for more of them, we shall take more. You have my word," he said solemnly.

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stonecolddrunk
2018-02-17 10:42 pm UTC (link)

In an uncharacteristic gesture, Valkyrie's hand came up to her chest the longer she stood there seeing these poor animals. Of course Thor made sense, but it didn't make her feel any better. Valkyrie shook her head.

"Thank you, Majesty. Perhaps we could set up a sort of more official shelter but one where they may live free and loved and not threatened by death. Or feeling abandoned."

Somehow Valkyrie was surprised by how bad this made her feel; she had never really owned pets (Aragorn didn't count, he was her war mount), and sometimes had barely been able to fend for herself let alone an animal. Then again she had never seen them all like this.

"So we're just supposed to choose one?" Valkyrie sighed. "They all look like the race I read about being unfairly vilified in media. Like we are. The Pit Bulls, I think they're called."

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thunderous
2018-02-18 12:37 am UTC (link)

"First we must make ourselves some money. Then we can help the animals," he said. But he had made a vow, and he would see it through.

"Pitt Bulls. I have heard of them. Yes. I think we can take two of them. Then they will not be alone among strangers, as we are. We should ask if there are two such dogs that get along with others and are in immediate peril," he suggested.

He strolled down the line, looking at each dog in turn. He felt like they deserved at least his attention. He paused at the cage of one particular dog. He looked to be an adult, but still young. The sign on the cage indicated that he was just a few days from being euthanized. "Lucky. I do not think he seems to suit such a name," he said, crouching down and reaching his fingers in between the bars.

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stonecolddrunk
2018-02-18 10:44 pm UTC (link)

"If you've got suggestions I'm open to them!" Valkyrie replied, shrugging. She did have more reasons than the dogs to make money but right now those fell by the wayside because housing abandoned animals seemed much more important.

When Thor said they could take two dogs, and then talked about how that way they wouldn't be alone, and that he wanted specifically two 'condemned' ones, Val couldn't help a look of pure endearment as she craned her neck up to gaze at her King. No wonder she freely admitted she pledged her allegiance and life to him, like a good royal guard should. It felt a lot better to do so for him than for his father, that was for sure.

Val, too, looked at each dog as she walked beside Thor, sighing slightly at each one. When Thor paused, she only continued for half a step before stopping and standing behind him in front of the cage.

"It might still." She said softly, smiling as the dog came to smell Thor's fingers suspiciously, but quickly nuzzled into them, eyes desperate for affection. "We can change it."

Eventually she, too, knelt down beside Thor and raised a hand up to the cage, placing her palm on it. The dog Lucky sniffled at it and pawed, as if to imitate her gesture, and Val chuckled lightly. At that moment Val heard a huff from the next cage where a cream colored pitbull mix seemed to be attempting to get their attention by shoving her nose between the bars.

"Hey! Hi!" She tickled Lucky's nose before moving over, reading the sign which said the same thing as Lucky's about being about to be euthanized. "Hi there Dido!"

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thunderous
2018-02-18 11:06 pm UTC (link)

Thor felt an instant bond with the dog who managed to trust him so quickly, and the look on Valkyrie's face left no doubt in his mind that they were charged with the solemn duty to change Lucky's fortunes.

He watched as another dog made a bid for their attention. They both appeared sweet and docile, but he wanted to be sure before they made a decision. He stood up and glanced around, looking for the attendant, then waving them over.

"Can you tell me if these two dogs are tolerant of other dogs? If we were to house them together, would they get along? Or would they battle?" he asked.

The young man had a clipboard and flipped through several pages. "Uhh, Lucky is... okay with other dogs," he said, then flipped the page. "Oh... it looks like they were actually brought in together, these two. They get along fine."

Thor looked to Valkyrie. He was worried that if they looked further, they would need to take more than two, and there might yet be a rule prohibiting them from having any dogs. "I say we take these two. Do you agree?" he asked.

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stonecolddrunk
2018-02-18 11:34 pm UTC (link)

While Thor stood up and searched for someone to ask questions to, Valkyrie bonded with the dog Dido, to the point where she slid all fingers through the cage bars to scratch her neck, and then pushed her forehead against them while the dog did the same from the other side. It seemed as though Dido saw this gesture as some sort of submission, as if Val didn't want to be her master but rather an equal. And while that might spell out training troubles in the future, right now she thought it filled the dog with confidence. Val giggled softly before schooling herself.

When she heard what the man said Valkyrie pushed her head away from the cage and looked up at Thor, finding him already looking at her. She was thinking exactly what he ended up voicing, and so Val nodded, her smile thankful. "They belong together then. And alive."

"They were found in a dog fighting ring dismantled by the NYPD." Said the man Thor had called. "It'd be a shame if they got euthanized, they went through so much already. I'm glad they're finding a good home."

If it were up to Val she wouldn't leave Dido's side again, but things being what they were she finally got to her feet and went to stand beside Thor. "Yeah, we're taking them both. Lucky and Dido."

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