strangetrip | Check-In: Not-Mother Hen

Kitty sat at the bar with a cup of coffee and her notebook, watching the 'welcoming committee' make themselves busy. Liz was here, as she'd promised Kitty she would be and Kitty gave her a quick smile of encouragement.

One of the worst things about Check-In Days was that you never knew whether it'd be a whole long day of no one arriving, one spectacular fall from the ceiling and dropping dead after another, or anything in between. It made it hard to know what to do with yourself. After awhile, you got used to it and just kept on with whatever you'd do otherwise, and know that if you didn't step up for a new arrival, someone else would. But for someone not used to treating it like a responsibility to be here, especially someone with Liz's anxious need to be perfect at it, Check-In Day could be emotionally exhausting.

So Kitty made sure to have milk warmed for hot cocoa and her plans for the obstacle course handy in case Liz needed something to do with herself. Otherwise, she was working on a modification of Cerebro to see if she could start detecting new arrivals.

[ooc: Regular check-in day gathering post. If you want Kitty, ping me.]

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"Rabbit!"

The word comes out sounding like an exclamation of delight -- and that's because it is. Thor is overjoyed at the sight of the raccoon. Finally, a familiar face here in this sea of strangers!

"You're here!"

Immediately, Thor barrels towards him; he drops Stormbreaker down on the table where it lands hard enough to shake it and the clock parts on it, then pulls Rocket into his arms.

Thor is truly grateful.

Rocket didn't even twitch, much less look up, when the yell of 'Rabbit!' sounds across the cafe. It was obviously not intended for him, it wasn't his name or species, and he was taking apart a switch. It needed more attention than some shrieking dumbass.

And then something big thumped down on his table among his parts and he was engulfed in... fuck, someone was hugging him like he was a goddamn plush toy. Rocket was too surprised for a few seconds to do anything but go limp, a personification of what the fuck is this.

Then he twisted and snarled, "DO YOU HAVE A FUCKING DEATH WISH?" It was hard to sound truly enraged and dangerous while being snuggled, but he gave it a shot.

Thor lets out a bark of laughter at Rocket's exclamation. "It's like we never left Nidavellir!" Rocket had asked him if he had a death wish then, too.

Thor sets Rocket back down, but his grin never leaves his face. He's genuinely, completely and utterly delighted to see Rocket again; in fact, it takes all his self-control not to pick him up and hug him a second time.

Nidavellir? Place where all the best weapons got made? Rocket was absolutely certain he'd have remembered going to what was essentially one of his top ten dream vacation spots.

And yet this gigantic blond human-looking guy was grinning at him and Rocket was absolutely certain that despite the fact that that expression had never in all of reality been turned on him (no one had ever been that happy to see him, though Quill had come close when they'd met up here at the Inn) there was no mistaken identity bullshit happening.

Which meant this guy was someone he hadn't met yet. Logically, anyway. Could've been someone from far back and Rocket had forgotten, but again: Nidavellir. He'd have remembered. That joy would have lasted... a real long time.

He shook himself to try and un-fluff fur that had poofed out a little at the unexpected hug attack. "More like I never went there. Don't suppose I'm lucky enough you got the speechifyin' about time shit already?"

"You never went there?" he repeats slowly. Thor genuinely looks confused. It's only once Rocket mentions time that the gears in his head starts turning. The long-haired man mentioned people from many worlds appeared here.

It wouldn't be too far of a stretch to imagine that they might come from different times.

"So you don't remember it. Not Nidavellir or our journey there."

Or him.

"Nope. Though I wish I fuckin' did, 'cause I would very much like to go to there." So many weapons. And because the guy was clearly quicker on the uptake than most (reasoning from 'time shit' to the right conclusion) and equally clearly hadn't heard the thing, Rocket added to confirm, "It happens, ya know? People end up here from the same place but not the same time. Quill - you know Quill? he's around, so if you don't you will - he's from after me, too. Time shit."

"Oh!" Thor exclaims, with considerable joy. He hadn't seen Quill since they'd each gone their different ways -- Quill and the rest of the morons to Knowhere, he to Nidavellir. "So the moron is here as well."

"That one is." No lie, it was hilarious to hear Quill referred to as 'the moron' like that was his defining characteristic. Which it was! But most people would go with 'the human' or 'Star-lord' if they wanted to suck up for some reason.

And also no lie, it was nice to have a little more evidence that this actually was somebody from Rocket's future. And that 'joy' seemed to be he big guy's default when faced with even the concept of people he knew. "None'a the others yet. And I dunno if he's from the sameish time as you."

Thor lets out a light laugh. "Might be better if he doesn't remember me," he says. Not only because of the whole Thanos thing, but also --

"We didn't exactly hit it off." Thor gestures vaguely to his throat. "He kept trying to copy my voice."

Check-In: Not-Mother Hen

Thor/Rocket

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