2014-07-04 Off to a Rocky Start
This scene is rated Everybody
Warning: N/A
2014-07-04
Players: Loki and Phantasm
GMed by Who GMed?
Title: Off to a Rocky Start

Located at 721 (or 890) Fifth Avenue in New York, this three-story townhouse was originally built in 1932 by industrialist Howard Stark as his Manhattan residence. It was eventually donated by Stark's son, founding Avenger Iron Man (Tony Stark), through the charitable Maria Stark Foundation. The mansion served as the longtime home of Earth's Mightiest Heroes, providing housing, training, and medical facilities for Avengers members as well as storing quinjets and other equipment.

The above-ground floors contained living quarters for the Avengers, as well as facilities for all public functions of the team. The below-ground portions of the mansion housed the maximum security headquarters and computer systems. These subterranean portions were eventually expanded to the entirety of the block-wide property.

When you have a friend that almost gets taken out by a magic blue cube, you go check up on them from time to time. And this is what has happened today. Well that and it's the friggen Fourth of July and Loki is in dire need of learning about Midgardian culture of blowing shit up. So we find Mike on the front porch, having done the equivalent of asking if the kid of the household can come out to play.

Loki was lounging up in his room when someone called him to come downstairs, so he pops in on the porch and blinks. "Mike!" He exclaims, surprised to see him. "What brings you here? You may come in if you wish, there are colorful talking ponies on the television which you may enjoy. There is one that looks like you! Or perhaps sounds like you. I was not paying full attention."

Mike grimaces as Loki mentions the ponies. "… Rocky?"

"Rocky? What?" Loki asks, blinking innocently. "Is everything all right? I have had a strange feeling but I am uncertain what it is."

Seeing that the name doesn't register, Mike lets it slide, "So, are you feeling alright?"

Loki grins and shrugs. "Of course. Never better. What about you? Have you had any rousing adventures lately that should mystify and strike terror into the hearts of mere mortals?"

Mike shakes his head, "Not really. Did a supply drive, did a voice for a character in a cartoon, and getting some details straightened out for another food drive." He smiles, "And I thought unless your fellow Avengers haven't already scheduled something, I'd take you around for some Fourth of July festivites. There's a historical tour being offered that I thought you'd might find interesting."

"Steve seems to be very excited and has been walking about in his uniform. I wonder what it is about it that he finds so attractive." Loki looks around and then shapeshifts into the red white and blue uniform. "Woah." he says, looking down at himself and turning around with his arms out at his sides. "I look fantastic. It's a bit much though."

That uniform would have more meaning than to you though." Mike replies, smiling, "And the holiday today has a lot related to how his uniform looks."

Shifting back to his normal outfit and nods. "Probably. I prefer my usual clothing anyway. Midgardian clothes are so light it makes one feel as though they were wearing nothing at all."

"Green's more your color anyways." Mike semi-agrees. "But, how'd you feel about going on a historic tour and watching fireworks tonight? Wade's going to pass on the tour but he's got some tickets to a rooftop event."

"Oooh! Is that where you paint the sky with fire? And explosions?" His emerald eyes light up gleefully. "I would be happy to go with you."

"Yes. For the birthday of our country, that is what the United States do. We celebrate and at the end of the day, the skys are painted." Mike replies, "But first, we listen to someone tell us about the day our country became the United States and the fight to back up the change."

"I did not know your lands had separate moments of creation. I look forward to hearing about it. So when do we begin? Where will we be going first?"

"Well the lands were here first." Mike corrects, "But the lands are divided amongst different groups of people. And th-" He pauses, "I think I'll let the tour guide field this instead." He chuckles, feeling rather glad to have paid to get a private version of the historic tour. That should let Loki have plenty of time to ask the questions he wants to ask without fear of the rest of the tour group rioting. "The tour starts off in near City Hall. So we got a bit of walking to do."

Loki actually sits and listens quietly, leaning over to mutter "Remind me to tell you about how your entire realm formed. Or rathter, all the realms. They all have their stories."

"That sounds like it would be a very interesting story." Mike replies, "How about we do that tomorrow? Tomorrow is Cinco De Julio which, altough not focused on a holiday results in even more fireworks shows in the less restrictive counties because all the fireworks are cheaper to purchase."

"Of course. I can understand most mortal languages. What is the significance of the day after tomorrow? Is today not the holiday you wish to celebrate? FOrgive my ignorance, I just do not yet understand."

"It's a bad joke." Mike replies, shaking his head. "The Fourth of July is a holiday. The day after isn't one. It's just when people buy the leftover firworks at a discount so they can set off a few more.

"Ah." Loki says, grinning. "Midgardian customs are so strange. I wonder if I'll ever get used to them."

"Oh that's more people wanting to relive a bit of the fun they had on the actual holiday." Mike explains, "More something that happens than being a custom."

"I see. We celebrate battles, the end of wars, the harvest, a successful journey…there are no signficant days such as the Fourth of July or birthdays. Some might think that to be boring, but in a culture whose primary activity is battle, there is a lot of celebrating."

"If this helps draw a familiar tangent, the birth of our country led INTO a war where they had to defend the country from the another that sought to control it." He sits down next to Loki, "I'm over simplifying the meaning of today because I don't want to ruin the tour guide's presentation which should go into more detail. But, we have other holidays as well." He holds his hand out, keeping track of a few holidays, "Fourth of July is to celebrate our Independence and the birth of our nation. We also have Memorial day where we honor our fallen soldiers. Veterans day, where we honor the soldiers that served and are still with us. Patriot's day…" He pauses, frowning, "Where we remember thousands of people who died in an attack on our soil."

"If we celebrated every battle, we would never stop celebrating. The glorious dead go to Valhalla. It is a place you can visit, actually. Those who are gone are not really gone as long as you know where to find their spirits. I can follow the ley lines if I know the person." Loki shifts his shoulders as if something is making them ache. "When do we get to the explosions?"

Mike smiles, "That doesn't happen until later today, sky is too bright out right now. For now, we got the history tour." He shifts to his feet, not noticing Loki's shifting. "All set?"

Loki stands up and reaches a hand into the air, conjuring darkness outside. "I am all set." He replies, following Mike. "For all the people you have with abilities, I do not understand why you do not use them to your advantage."

"Just because we can, does not mean we should." Mike blinks looking to the sky and then over towards Loki, "You shouldn't just change the sky like that. They're not going to start the show any sooner just because the sky is like that. Other people need time to get ready."

Loki looks up and waves a hand casually, restoring the sky to normal. "Well, do you wish to use a vehicle to travel to another destination or would you like a teleport? What are we doing next anyway?"

"The Historical tour." Mike replies, glancing to his watch, "Which, we might want to start heading to. So let's go."

"As you wish!" Loki replies merrily, striding in whatever direction he thinks it is located and hoping he is right.

~Fin~

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