BZZZT. BZZZT. BZZZZT.The doorbell shrieked through the apartment like an alarm clock from hell.
Dove, face-down in his pillow and dead to the world, didn't even stir.He was too far gone into sleep — and frankly, after the day (and ceiling) he'd had, who could blame him?
Thor, though?Thor was very much awake.
He sat up groggily on the couch, yawning like a bear emerging from hibernation.Last night was a blur — crashes, beer, a mortal with an attitude…
"Dove," he mumbled, vaguely recalling the name of the guy who owned this place.And the roof.And the beer.
BZZZT. BZZZT. BZZZZT.The doorbell rang again, more impatient this time.
With a grunt, Thor lumbered to his feet — brushing a few stray bits of plaster and drywall dust off his shoulders like they weren't even there — and shuffled to the door.
When he pulled it open, there stood a short, balding man in a bathrobe and slippers.The landlord.
He froze on the spot, eyes going saucer-wide at the sight of this towering, muscle-bound stranger draped in a ragged cape and cracked leather armor.
"Uh… w-what the…"The landlord's mouth flapped uselessly for a second.
Thor, for his part, stared down at him blankly before rubbing his chin.
"Oh," Thor said casually, voice like distant thunder."You must be Dove's… caretaker?"
That broke the silence.
"Caretaker?!" The landlord spluttered."I own this place! Who the hell are you?!"
Thor shrugged."Name's Thor. Dove's sleeping," he offered helpfully."Crashed here last night."
He yawned, already forgetting why that would be a big deal.
The landlord shifted to one side — trying to peer past Thor into the apartment.That was his mistake.
His gaze immediately locked onto the gaping hole in the ceiling like a jagged, drywall-fringed scream.
"WHAT IN GOD'S NAME HAPPENED TO MY CEILING?!"The landlord's face went red so fast it was like someone flipped a switch.
Thor followed the landlord's stare up at the hole like it was a mildly interesting crack in a sidewalk.
"Oh," he said, very matter-of-factly."That. Got carried away last night."
"CARRIED AWAY?!" the landlord roared."That's my roof! My goddamn property! What do you mean 'carried away'?!"
Thor tilted his head as if genuinely confused by the fuss.
"You mean you can't just… patch that up?"
And that was it.The landlord's eye twitched."You. Pay. Damages," he hissed."Or I swear, I'll evict every last one of you freaks!"
That was when a sleepy, very grumpy Dove finally appeared in the hallway — hair a disaster, eyes bleary — and froze at the scene.
He took one look at the landlord's furious face,then one look at the hole in the ceiling,then one look at Thor standing there like this was just another Tuesday morning.
And all Dove could do was pinch the bridge of his nose and mutter:
"Of course.Of fucking course."