[open] an augment experiment

[rebuildyourruins]

Who: Thor + onlookers
Broadcast: nope
Action: the desert outside of Nariba Relia
When: March 18th

a. the desert (semi-open)

[If anyone thought Thor's call for information about augments a couple of weeks prior was all he intended to do about it, they would be wrong. To his credit, Thor has kept his intention mostly underwraps - he certainly didn't mention it on the network, and he only told a few people in advance what he was going to do. He is not in the mood to be dissuaded from trying, so the less people who have that chance the better.

Today is the day. A handful of people were told outright in person that he was going to go hit himself with lightning to try and burn out the augment. And for those on the Blue Fish, they might overhear him make this ludicrous statement and follow him to see what he's doing. It's a bit of a hike if they do - Thor walks from where the Blue Fish is parked outside of town into the desert, until they're at least a couple of kilometres out. If something does go wrong, he intends for there to be some distance between him and the city.

In a few minutes he'll get to work, but first he's going to watch one of those leg-snake abominations wobble past him with a look of sheer unhappiness.]

There is so much wrong with this.

[[NOTE: this prompt is open to anyone on the Blue Fish or who Thor contacted ahead of time regarding his lightning test.]]

b. lightning strikes twice - and thrice (open)

[Anyone in town will find it odd, perhaps, that storm clouds begin to roll into the sky in the middle of the day. The clouds rapidly form some ways out of the city, and the telltale rumble of thunder follows close behind. You'd barely have time to wonder if it might rain when lightning strikes.]



[Then it strikes again, and again, and again, like the sky has some personal grievance against one exact spot in the desert. Maybe there's a particularly frustrating tree out there?

After half a dozen bolts... it stops, as quickly as it had begun. Curiously enough the clouds themselves also break apart quickly, drifting away until the sky is just as blue and empty as it had been only minutes ago. If you head out there to see what the hell just happened, you'll eventually find Thor stomping back up out of the shallow valley he'd been in, muttering and rubbing at the back of his neck.]



Well, that didn't work...

Comments

[rebuildyourruins]

It's definitely too quiet for my liking.

[Not the same thing as boring, but close enough.]

I have been testing the limits of the strange repairs this place does to itself overnight.

[noprophecies]

Have you? And what have you found out?

[rebuildyourruins]

I haven't yet been able to cause enough damage that it hasn't been fixed. I've broken windows and doors, smashed some furniture. It always looks as though nothing happened by the next day.

[While it's nice to vent some frustration on items he can't truly destroy, it's still unsettling. And he's not petty enough to continue doing it every day.]

I have no idea what's causing it.

[noprophecies]

Have you tried completely destroying something? Perhaps it will fix holes or broken windows, but if the entire thing is nearly gone -

[rebuildyourruins]

No, I haven't gone that far. It seemed like a bit much.

[Just in case someone does still own these houses.]

[noprophecies]

And an entire town empty of people is not a bit much already?

[but now you have her curiosity. Dammit, Thor, she wasn't going to bother]

You needn't do it, I will. Fire will work much faster than your lightning anyway.

[rebuildyourruins]

[His eyebrows go up.]

And knocking down walls would go faster still. You're going to burn a whole house?

[noprophecies]

Are you saying you could do it faster than I could?

[a hum] Of course. It would not be the first time I've done it.

[rebuildyourruins]

I am saying smashing is more immediate than burning.

[Shots fired.]

What did you burn a house down for last time?

[noprophecies]

My, I think you are very wrong about that.

[bitch please]

I was angry at it. No one was inside of it at the time.

[rebuildyourruins]

What did the house ever do to you?

[I mean, as long as there wasn't anyone inside, no harm in asking that.]

[noprophecies]

It contained an artifact that tried to kill me. I lost a finger because of it.

[a shrug] So I took some of my anger out on the house.

[rebuildyourruins]

Ah. Well, I can understand that.

[Thor hadn't put paid to the sword that had cut out his eye, but if he'd had the chance he likely would have.]

[noprophecies]

Mmm, well. I was also young at the time. My temper was far worse than it is now.

[which isn't saying much her temper is still terrible]

[rebuildyourruins]

It's funny to look back and realise how bad you were. I had my fair share of outbursts when I was younger.

[He says 'younger' as though he doesn't mean seven years ago, effectively half a week in an Asgardian's life.]

[noprophecies]

A bratty prince, then? Say it isn't so.

[her teasing smile sombers, just a touch] It is only within the last few years that I have tried to reign it in.

[rebuildyourruins]

Is it working for you?

[Not intended as a jab; genuinely curious.]

[noprophecies]

I honestly don't know. [she'll be truthful for once] It doesn't feel as though it is, but my temper is admittedly very short.

[rebuildyourruins]

[Thor isn't a stranger to that thought. He's still quick to anger even now, though he can safely say he's not as bad as he used to be. It just takes a lot of work.]

I just found that getting angry over things didn't get me anywhere, in the times it most mattered. Or it made things worse.

[noprophecies]

[her lips quirk into a wry smile]

It does make things worse. That is why I tried to reign it in, so to speak.

[rebuildyourruins]

I hope it gets easier for you.

[noprophecies]

I've not set someone on fire in a few years, so I suppose it is getting easier . . .