Dinner in Valhalla

Posted on Wed Nov 21st, 2018 @ 6:41pm by Commander Rita Paris & Captain Enalia Telvan & Hera & Baroness 2nd Class Schwein von Alcott
Edited on on Fri Sep 6th, 2019 @ 4:16pm

Mission: Escaped Pantheons
Location: Odin's Breath Dining Hall
Timeline: After 'Prisoner Transfer'

The transfer of Hera to the Odin's Breath brig, if it could be called that, went very smoothly and soon the guests from the USS Hera found themselves in what appeared to be a longhouse with a large fireplace at one end and a long table already filled with a vast array of delectable foods and drinks. Scattered around the table stood a few pairs or trios of Valkyries chatting and drinking or eating. This was no dining hall, but a hall of feasting and merrymaking.

Thor turned to his guests and smiled that bright smile of his. "Welcome to the feasthall of the Odin's Breath. Please help yourself and join me by the fire where we may enjoy each other's company."

Enalia and the Baroness each grinned widely as they recognized the fireplace - there was an identical one in the Artan Orbital Fortress. To see an original one though... The baroness was silently fangirling hard and even Enalia had to admit that it was an experience.

"Thank you for your hospitality, Odinson," Enalia replied, bowing slightly, her right hand coming up to her diaphragm.

As for Rita Paris, eyes wide, she was taking it all in. The blending of science and aesthetic, the runic circuitry, the vaulted ceiling- in a starship, no less- were all impressive and exciting to her. Above all else, she had joined Starfleet to explore, to see what was out there in the great big universe. And every so often the universe delighted her by showing her something like this. She half expected to see an eight legged horse galloping on air above them at some point.

It was painfully evident that the curious commander was a tourist, who looked very much like the country mouse come to the big city.

To say that French was in awe was an understatement. From the moment Thor suggested having them for dinner French’s mind began to wander. She imagined the two of them having dinner alone. She imagined having Thor’s children. In fact there wasn’t anything imaginable that French did not see happening in her minds eye. But in reality, she had been quiet and staring at the Thunder God from the moment he walked into the same space she occupied. She was literally speechless. “Yeah, hungry. I could eat too.” French managed.

Enalia knew how things worked in an Asgardian dining hall - you grabbed a deep plate, filled it with food, grabbed a mug of whatever you wanted, and ate. In this case, they were expected to dine at the benches next to the fireplace with Thor himself so she led the way, grabbing a fresh plate, filling the deep dish with savory meats, cheeses, breads, fruits, and anything else she passed on the walk past the long table of food towards the massive kegs. Everything here you ate with your hands so she said a silent thanks that none of those present were averse to that, that she knew of. Grabbing a mug of ale, she finished the walk to the fireplace and plopped her plump rear down right next to Thor and took a long draft of her ale before digging into her meal.

Right behind her was Schwein, and though a bit distracted by the scenery, was able to grab a plate and fill it with ham, cheese, bread, and fruit as well. For her drink though, she went for the mead before joining the Captain and Thor by the fire.

French snapped out of her dazed state and grabbed a plate as well. She pushed past a couple people to get closer to Thor. She plopped down close enough for the slash of her drink to actually hit his person. "Uh, sorry bout that." And she laughed out loud. "I must be more careful." Then she raised her mug in his direction and took a drink. Where this boldness was coming from she did not know, but she liked it. If fact since she joined the Hera crew she had been timid. Something no one would have labelled her had they known her from before two years ago. But just now, something in her had changed. Like a switch had been flipped. As she downed half the mug of what she now knew was ale, and grabbed a piece of meat and tucked in.

While technically an omnivore, Paris tended to be herbivorous with her husband. But he wasn't here, and this was an Asgaardian feast. Calories be damned, she piled her plate with meats and cheeses, noting that she'd need to hit sickbay before bed. But as this promised to be epic, she anticipated amazing food. Looking around, she found a flagon of water and took it as her drink. It might have been not in the spirit of the hosting, but she didn't drink and mind meld.

Finding a seat opposite Thor where she would be able to take this all in, Paris was enchanted. It was pretty much exactly what you'd expect from the storybooks or vids- amazingly handsome Viking gods in space. Then she noticed French giggling and going in for another long chug of courage. Thor, if his legends were correct, was married to Sif. Who knew if that translated to anything with this version, but she wondered if French knew that? Looked like they were going to find out.

"Baroness von Alcott! Don't sit all the way over there, come sit with me so you can enjoy the view and we can tell jokes!" Rita called out, hoping this was acceptable viking etiquette. Really, she wanted the Baroness to have a good view, and she did want someone to make jokes with.

As Schwein moved to join Rita, the most battle scarred, heavily armed, and largest Valkyrie imaginable landed on the other side of the well endowed Commander, dwarfing the human woman. "Yes! We must eat, drink, tell great tales, and be merry this night!"

"Ah! Please allow me to introduce you to the strongest of our Valkyries, Hildr! She has slain more foes than even I!" Thor motioned to the newcomer with his mug before wrapping that arm around French and tearing into a turkey leg. "The tales she can tell are as legendary as mine own."

"Hoof," pairs muttered, looking up in no small degree of awe at the enormous valkyrie. "When I was eating my Wheaties as a kid to grow up big and strong, that's what I was talking about. Wow."

Turning to Schwein, Paris hissed. "Baroness! This is a war for the attentions of a god for the night. YOUR god."

While Rita might not understand all of the factors at play, it was pretty clear Sif was not in this picture, and she had an obligation to her friend. She suspected the Baroness was not terribly well schooled in the art of feminine charm, so it fell to Rita Paris to prepare her and guide her in this ancient game. That was moving along pretty quickly given where Thor's hand was right now.

"Are you going to let him carry Seregon French away to be the subject of his attentions, or will this be the night of Wagnerian opera that you remember in your years to come? No man can withstand you, but that is no man, that is an Asgaardian! Bone and muscle three times denser than human! They call him 'the mighty' Thor for a reason." Paris continued whispering, being as subtle as she could manage. "Now I ask you, mein freund, how are you going to win this battle in which you have yet to take the field, and bed a god this night?"

Schwein was still a bit stunned and while she did fancy the prospect, she shook her head. "Nein. just dining with him is enough. But I will try to awe him with my tales."

"So I just got back from slaying a Jörmungandr and that venom took out a few of us! It was at least three farlows long and teeth the size of my spear!" Hildr pantomimed a spear thrust with her food as she was eating.

"That sounds like a mighty battle indeed! These Midgardians have faced some mighty foes as well. Perhaps we can convince them to share tales of their mighty deeds." Thor waved that turkey leg around as he spoke before biting into it again.

"Nothing so fearsome as a Jörmungandr, but I've fought an Amazon in hand to hand combat and easily won with nothing but a blunt sword. I've also assaulted a mighty minotaur, tearing at it with a pair of short swords." Pantomiming a few sword swings with some of her own food, the Baroness got into the spirit of things herself. "I believe Seregon was instrumental in taking down the other one. They had attacked us in the dark and if she hadn't taken out the first one while I took out the second one, none of us would have made it out of that labyrinthe alive."

Hildr let loose a mighty laugh at the tale. "Ah yes! That is a fearsome foe for mortals! You are both lucky to be alive!"

"I'm inclined to agree with you." Said French leaning into Thor just a bit. "But your tales of battles are far more interesting." Replied French "But I want to hear of your conquests of Love. So tell me Thor. How good are you with battles of the heart? Does not my long Red Hair and toned physique not present itself as a challenge for you?" She said jokingly and as brazen as possible.

Thor finished his drink and set aside his mug as he pulled French closer. "Ah, no. It seems you have laid your womanly charms at my feet as a feast before me. There is no challenge in that. That is... Desert... And my appetites are mighty."

Thinking quickly, Schwein downed the rest of her mead for courage before speaking. "Then perhaps the Mighty appetite of Thor would be appeased with a double desert tonight?" Moving over to Thor's other side, she matched French's closeness to the Norse God of Thunder.

As Thor looked up in surprised delight, Hildr gave a knowing laugh and gave her knee a few slaps. She wasn't so naive to not know what was going on.

French smiled at her Star Fleet counter part with a look that said the two of them would take him apart piece by delicious piece. "Yes Thunder God, two deserts for the price of one, what say you?" Asked French as she nozzles her lips in toward his neck, making contact and giving his neck a delicate kiss. One thing was for sure, this night whatever the outcome would be remembered for a very long time.

The Baroness, for her part, appeared to be a bit confused as to how best to proceed as French began working her wiles on the god of thunder. Paris was frustrated by her inability to help- if she'd fitted the Baroness with an earpiece she could help her, but Cyrano wasn't the way to go. She had to learn how to fend for herself in this particular arena. And that's when it hit her. Snapping her fingers, Paris grinned with sufficient mischief to make the god if it himself notice, then she called out.

"I see that Seregon French is skilled in her wiles and her seductions. You represent the Hera well, Miss French." Paris raised her flagon in salute, then frowned slightly and eyed the combat medic on the sideline. "Baroness von Alcott! Lieutenant French has moved to necking...." Paris realized where the hands were in motion and added, slightly less vocally, "And groping I see... wow, that is... right. Baroness, you stand for the Captain! The Princesszin! You are her woman, you represent her in this battle for the attentions of a god. Show the mighty Thor what a kiss is from a Teutonic tornado of pent-up passion!"

If this doesn't work I think I'm gonna be a shoulder for a blubbery baroness tonight... Paris fretted, watching to see if she'd motivated the lonely supersoldier.

As Enalia looked back and forth a bit shocked, a slow grin spread across her face. "That's right! Seragon represents the Hera crew, but you have to represent the Artan crew! Show him what you've got!"

Thor was also a bit surprised as Schwein tossed caution to the wind, set aside her plate, stood before Thor and put one foot on the bench next to him, growled like a saber cat, grabbed the front of his armor with both hands, and physically lifted the GOD OF MOTHERFUCKIN THUNDER for a deep, passionate kiss that literally caused sparks to fly.

"Damn I'm good," Paris muttered as she sat back down. Elbowing Hilder in the hip, Paris beamed a bit. "Right? French, you're not gonna let that slide now, are ya? Make us proud!"

French quickly readjusted her situation and without warning mounted the Thunder God. She grabbed him by the back of his head and slowly but steadily pulled him forward. First her lips met with his right eye, which he closed of course as not to have it sucked from its socket, then she kissed his left eye. And then her lips met with his. Her tongue parted his lips and went wandering around inside Thors mouth. The effect was imediately noticeable and the space between where she was sitting astride him began to get warmer And warmer. As she slowly pulled away from him, she climbed off and stood before him. "Desert huh! You ain't never had desert like that. You can only get it on Earth!" And she leaned forward with her butt on the edge of the table looking deep into his eyes.

That's when Thor stood and took both French and the Baroness each in one arm and excused himself. "If you will excuse us, I believe we have some business to attend to. In the ah... Elsewhere... Regarding Midgardian delights."

As they left Hildr guffawed and slapped her knee knowing exactly what kind of delights they were attending to but as soon as Thor was out of the dining hall, she sobered quickly. "Thank you. Both of you and to your crewmates. This is the liveliest we have seen him in almost a hundred years since his wife, Sif, passed from this realm. Perhaps this will put a little more lightning in his step so that he may choose a queen and ascend to the throne."

Picking at her food a bit, Hildr muttered a bit more. "One may only hope, anyway..."

“Hildr?” Paris asked solicitously, her concern evident in her voice. “What’s that all about? You can’t leave the ignorant earth girl hanging there. Help me out a little?”

Hildr sighed and drained the rest of her mug before explaining. "Our people are not doing so well... Unlike our Ambrosian brethren, we are not as immortal as we would like to think and Odin is nearing the end of his life. This would not be a problem if Thor would choose a wife and take the throne, but after Sif... Many of us have offered ourselves to him, but he has declined us all. Even Loki has been trying to help find a suitable queen."

Trying to drink from her mug again, Hildr remembered that it was empty and set it aside in disappointment before continuing. "With this crisis comes the dying of our lands and people and the portents of the end of Asgard. This is why we have chosen to work with your Federation, in the hopes that we may find a way to prolong what we know is coming."

"Maybe what you need is an infusion of new blood..." Paris muttered, frowning and rubbing her chin. Idly she picked up a slice of cheese and meat, and took a bite, then stuffed them both into her mouth. Chewing rhapsodically, Rita Paris took a few seconds to truly savor some exquisite Valhalla meadhall fare. Then she grabbed a few more pieces and stuffed them into her mouth, then grabbed one more piece for the trip. Speaking with her mouth full, she held up a finger as she scooted over to the captain, grabbing her hand and tugging at her commanding officer's hand "Mmm bruhbk!"

"I knew Odin wasn't doing so well, but I didn't know things were so bad..." Enalia mused as Rita tugged on her hand. "Please talk with a bit less in your mouth at least, Rita."

Making a herculean effort, Rita Paris chewed the mass of food she'd stuffed in, pausing once again to close her eyes and moan a bit. A short pause in chewing led to a few seconds of contemplation, then she swallowed the entire mouthful smoothly in one go.

Waggling her eyebrows, Rita got serious again. "So if I understand the current political situation, as I understand it, the old godking is tired and his eye has grown old. But the prince won't step up, because he lost his queen, and without a strong woman by his side he won't assume the throne. Because he needs someone he can trust yet will still be of her own mind and challenge him. A warrior born. He has shopped the local selection but no familiar faces have caught his eye. But he literally just carried off our security chief and your bodyguard."

Glancing up at the very impressive valkyrie, whom she suspected maybe had a tiny pinch of giant in her, Rita chucked a thumb at the big woman. "Good thing we're among friends, because my tactics are terrible."

"Long and short, Captain, doesn't the Baroness kind of worship Thor? She's human if not from Earth and from what I gathered they were all about that sturm und drang stuff where she was born and raised. So this is really kind of the best night of her life- hopefully." Rita checked with the captain, because she was making a lot of assumptions here.

Enalia couldn't help but chuckle. "Oh yeah. I'm sure she'll compose the most lewd and X rated love ballad about it and sing it at the next pirate bash. Magnus and the rest of the royals have a bet going on that she'd break anyone she'd sleep with and that would prove that she didn't."

Hildr couldn't help but guffaw a bit as well. "That's good then because Thor himself is pretty mighty himself. The way she lifted him... She might be a match for him in the bedroom, if you catch my meaning." It wasn't too hard to catch the giant Valkyrie's meaning. "The other one though, she might need a bit of patching up but it'll still be a night to remember for her."

"That's kind of my point, Cap'n. The Baroness is lonely, terribly so. For all her strength and all the horrors she's seen, she pines for someone to love." The excited executive waved off in the direction their host and crew had departed. "And she just managed to get hauled off by what I assume is one of the physically mightiest beings in the universe. There were sparks in that kiss, ma'am. Literal sparks with the god of thunder. Hildr, back me up on this?

"This is true... Sparks are rare..." Hildr added.

Enalia leaned back a bit, thinking it over. "Yeah but what about lifespan differences? Schwein is expected to live maybe two hundred or two hundred fifty years at best as an augmented human whereas Thor has another what? Five thousand years in him?"

Hildr nodded solemnly. "We would have to overcome that somehow."

"Uhhh, his theoretical lifespan is a WHOLE lot shorter if we factor in, oh, what's that word..." Rita snapped her fingers "Right! Ragnarok, that's the one. Yeah, then that whole immortal thing matters a lot less. Hildr said they are seeing their twilight, and that's why they are working with the Federation- in the hopes that they may find a way to prolong what they know is coming. if Thor were energized and motivated, he might be able to save the Asgaardian people, possibly with our help."

"Maybe with a whole lot of help from the Baroness. She does love a good battle," Rita pointed out. From their time together, that was clear to the ancient astronaut. The woman replayed her greatest tragedy and did so good-naturedly just to see what variables may have changed the outcome in what way and study how the applied tactics succeeded. "A warrior born, as they say."

"This is true." Hildr thought on it a moment before nodding. "She would have to challenge Freya to be accepted, but I think if Thor's heart can be moved this night..."

"That is the part that's in the Baroness' hands... or, well, wherever the hammer swings, I guess," Rita boggled a bit at her own metaphor, then shook her head and pressed her point. "The point I'm driving at is that if this does turn out to be some star-crossed romance tonight, she'll walk away from it to follow you, Captain. Her heart could be charged and she might just have found where she truly belongs, but she would walk away from it all to follow you, and you know it. So if our friend captures the heart of a god tonight, and she feels the same, you might have a very difficult decision to make tomorrow morning."

"She has to find her own place and nothing I say or do should influence that decision." Enalia may say that, but as she ate, Enalia knew she would miss her friend if she decided her place was with Thor.

"The Baroness follows your orders, ma'am. Plain and simple, and further than anyone else in this universe, I suspect." Paris felt the shift in the captain's mood, and she knew she'd done her job and warned the captain of a hazard. Rita would miss the hell out of the merry pirate, but the pain of her absence would be greatly lessened if she knew the superhuman soldier were happy. Meanwhile, it was time to break the mood.

"Or I could be full of it and this might just be one epic booty call..."