WHERE:Vallo: New Asgard WHEN:November 11th, 2021 (Backdated) WHAT:Torunn visits Thor after he's had a few days to settle back in. WARNINGS:None STATUS:Complete
Thor had been back a few days ago. Torunn had been on patrol, and he had plenty of people to catch up with. She had seen him and had a quick chance to catch up, but now she was free from patrols and the meadery would be fine for a few hours. So Torunn made her way to New Asgard. The trip would have been faster, but she had Thori with her, who was not in the mood at the moment. Not only had it been quite some time since he had anything to really sink his teeth into (literally), he knew Thor was back and he was not pleased he had left to begin with.
The two of them arrived via Waypoint rather than flying, since Thori seemed opposed to the idea of Torunn picking him up and launching them both into the sky.
“He didn’t choose to go.” She said to the hound as they reached New Asgard, the village empty save for the few inhabitants that stayed here in just a couple of the houses. They should really consider turning some of the empty spaces into an Air B ‘n’ B experience. “Just wait, he’s going to be so happy to see you.”
Thor had spent the last few days reacclimating himself to Vallo once again, once he realized months had passed for everyone else. And through his reflection, research, and talk with friends, he found that things were different these days. The village of New Asgard seemed much quieter with Fandral gone. It had taken him two days of straight drinking to mourn his friend, but he had picked himself up on the third day and cleaned up.
Fandral wouldn’t want him to stop living. So for that, he would keep going.
Besides, there was much too much to live for. His daughter, his brother, and the friends he had collected. No, there was much more life he had to keep living and with Torunn coming to see him, that would be a good start to it all.
He spied her and Thori before they had even turned the corner down the street where his little cottage was located. His impatience was too great though and he flew to meet her before she could get much further. “Dóttir!” Enveloping her in a hug, he lifted her off the ground.
Torunn and Thori both came to a stop when they spotted Thor flying through the air to meet them where they were. Smiling, she returned the hug with a tight squeeze. She was genuinely happy to see him again, even if the back and forth between versions of her parents came with a toll she had to pay.
“Hi, Faðir.” She said when her feet touched the ground again and she could step back from the Thor-hug, a level above a bear-hug. “How have your first few days back been?” Thor had a lot of friends here, she knew that. There were plenty of people to reconnect and catch up with, and figure out what he had missed while he was gone.
She reached down to scratch Thori on the head, who was still looking unimpressed by everything. “Someone else missed you when you left, but is currently grumpy.”
“You left,” Thori accused his namesake, nostrils flaring as flames licked them. “Dead to me,” he added, snarling with a show of teeth before looking away.
Thor’s face softened, as he crouched down at Thori’s level. “Had I any control over it, my friend, I would have been here with you this whole time. Please forgive me nonetheless.” He reached out, cupping the back of Thori’s neck, before pressing his forehead to the helhound’s face. “So long as it remains in my control, I will not leave you.” And pointedly, he looked up at his daughter, who the words remained doubly true for. “Or you.”
The helhound remained steadfast in his refusal to look at Thor, until he finally huffed out a breath and licked Thor’s face. “Bring me a kill and I forgive you,” he said as he relented.
Laughing, Thor gave Thori a few good scritches. “Aye. Whatever you wish for.” Standing, he looked back at his daughter and smiled wide. “It’s been fine being back, but it’ll be better once I get to spend more time with you. Do you need help with the meadery?”
Torunn watched the exchange between Thori and Thor, sure the hound would eventually cave. Happy for the reunion but sad at the same time. It would be hard to see him head back to New Asgard.
She offered a small smile when Thor looked up at her, and nodded once. She knew it was true, no one ever chose to leave this place. It hurt though, every time someone came and went. For whatever reason it happened to her a lot over the years. It sucked, but in the end each time she got to spend more time with her parents was important.
“Actually,” Torunn said, crossing her arms over her chest, “Yes. I hired a replacement for you after you left, another Outlander. He was great, but he was sent back not too long ago. Finding someone to fill the Brewmaster position has been a task.” One that she was losing at this rate. “Do you want the job back?” It would make her life a million times easier if he stepped back into his position.
Thori trotted off in the direction of Thor’s still partially burnt out cottage, leaving the father and daughter duo to talk. Watching after the helhound, before turning back to Torunn, he smiled widely, as he threw an arm around his daughter’s shoulders. “I would be thankful to have the job back. I can start immediately, if you’d like.”
It wasn’t as if he had much else going on in his life. And even if he did, spending time with his daughter always took priority. So if he could help her while being able to spend time with her? He would take the chance gladly.
“Bye!” she called after Thori, somewhat sarcastically as he took off. Good chat. Helhounds, so dramatic.
“Immediately would be great. I could use the extra hands.” Especially hands she did not have to train to make mead, and who already knew the meadery and many of its customers. “I’ll get your keys back to you by tomorrow at the latest.” End of the day if she could help it. They could figure out the rest later.
“Have you met Mobius yet?” There had been a few people to come and go from New Asgard, but Mobius so far had stuck around, and was currently with Loki. If Thor hadn’t already met him, it was probably only a matter of time.
“Your uncle’s paramour?” Thor asked, amused a little by the whole idea. Loki. Finally settling down. It was fantastic, even if it was hard to believe. “Unfortunately not. They haven’t reached out and you know how your uncle gets when I push my way into his business.” Prickly like a wet cat, that one. A little more subduedly, he added, “I wasn’t ready to meet with either anyway, when I first got here and learned that Fandral had been sent back. It’s best that it hasn’t happened yet.” Though he and Fandral had decided on friendship, it had been tough to process the idea that he had returned to Valhalla, to rejoin Hogun and Volstagg.
Putting on a slightly false cheerful demeanor - what were the humans so fond of saying? Fake it until you make it - Thor steered Torunn around to the back of his cottage, where Thori was already sleeping under a tree growing there. A grill was set out there, with meat slow cooking on top. “Come! Feast with me and you can catch me up on all the things I missed.”
Torunn arched an eyebrow, trying not to smile at the paramour description. At least there was nothing elicit about the relationship. “Yes, the best answer is to not. Let him come to you.” Though to be fair, Loki was never prickly with her. She pushed sometimes, but not a whole lot. Probably less than Thor. “Mobius is nice though, and kind of like Loki’s exact opposite? Very friendly, wants to get to know people.” She didn’t say too much about Fandral though. She would never know him as well as Thor, and could only imagine what coming back to find him gone meant.
She could eat though. “As long as you don’t burn down the rest of your cottage to make the feast.” she teased, “It’s been a bit though, so lots to catch you up on.”