pirateangelbaby | Ex Marks the Spot [for rogueinladysclothing]

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amelia,
ic

Ex Marks the Spot [for rogueinladysclothing]

The summer sun is high in the sky when the little rental car turns the corner around the coast and up the narrow bridge onto the islands of Asvera. The rainbow paint on the concrete has been refreshed and augmented with something that makes it shimmer, though it's still a pale comparison to the rainbow bridge of Asgard. The driver has little room to contemplate that however, instead inching forward at a snail's pace while they stare around at the sleepy little fishing village.

There have been significant modifications made since Asgard's arrival, of course. Several of the outlying islands have been terraformed into housing, and towers of Wakandan and Asgardian design make up much of the new buildings. Handpainted signs point toward the administrative center, still based in an overhauled church, though symbols of Asgardian make have replaced all the existing iconography. It's no gleaming golden palace, and now that they've thought of it, they notice there hasn't been a single figure in armor guarding anything that looks important.

Is this the right place? It has to be, right?

The clothes on the villagers, at least, looks familiar. Fancy robes and dresses, embroidered tunics and embossed belts, though the styles are sometimes an odd mishmash with Earth dress. The hairstyles, too, are another reassurance. Few people on Earth have the time for this level of braiding for casualwear, and enough people are going about their daily trades that it's clear this isn't a special occasion, either.

It's the right place indeed. But the wrong time.

The young man at the reception desk in the admin center helpfully reveals that Thor is not currently in town. The visitor's shoulders slump, and they leave the rental car behind as they wander down the road, contemplating their next move. Wait for him to arrive, knowing that it could be hours? Even days? Leave a note, 'sorry I missed you,' and continue embodying those ships that pass in the night?

The sound of clanging metal and grunts of effort echo down the street, drawing their attention. There's little open land available in Asvera, but the Asgardians have made good use of what they have. A training ring has been established along the northern waterfront, large enough for several dozen people to run drills and skirmish with each other, separated from the main walkway by a split-rail fence. The trainees are lightly armored in leather, armed with carved wooden swords and shields, men and women and children alike. The woman at the head of the class has clearly done this a time or two; her armor is battleworn and well fitted, and her blade moves like an extension of her own arm.

Jane Foster leans against the fence to watch, the memory of Asgard in its glory fresh in her mind as she struggles to process what she's seeing now.

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Daily drills are one of Amelia's favorite parts of these summer days. There's plenty of light and a warmth that's comfortable as she and her students run through things old and new, adding to their repertoire and growing their strength and fortitude with each swing of a weapon. The armor is a recent addition to their training, something for them to get used to now that they're swinging their practice swords with more movements and greater speed. The rogue is proud of how quickly they've all progressed, and of what they're teaching her in return. The best leaders learn from those in their care, and she's grateful for every day they can gather and spend time together like this.

She's running her class alone today, Valkyrie off with Thor while he's attending to matters of state. It's been a good challenge, one leaving her breathless, sweaty, and covered in dirt from the occasional roll as she engages in one-on-one bouts with her more advanced charges. There's an ever-present smile on her lips, too, matching the bright laughter and high praise that leaves her lips whenever she pauses for a moment. The sound of her hairpin carries on the breeze as well, accenting her laughter every time she steps through any set of moves with her students.

It's not until one of her youngest stops to point out someone watching that Amelia takes notice of their visitor. She calls for everyone to pair off to practice their newest techniques, then makes her way over to the fence. Slipping the wooden sword in her hands into the loop on her belt for it, a strange sight next to all her usual daggers, she raises a hand in greeting.

"We've never had an audience from outside Asvera before," she calls, still a little breathless. Her smile pulls wider as she gets closer, not faltering even as she pulls a splinter out of one palm around her fingerless gloves. "I feel like I should be honored that anyone would stop to take notice of us. Tourists don't usually stop to visit our drills, so what brings you to our home today, stranger?"

Amelia leans against the fence a foot or so away from Jane, looking her over curiously. Thor didn't mention anyone in particular stopping by in the near future, so there's no reason to assume this woman is anything but a visitor looking for a more authentic Asveran experience.

It's at once strange and familiar, watching them run through their paces. Jane's seen enough on the internet to know what the Valkyrie looks like, and the woman leading the class is clearly not her. But she's also not Sif either, and as Jane peers around, she can't see any familiar faces. Didn't Thor tell her years ago that women weren't usually allowed to be warriors? Maybe this woman is another rare exception like Sif was.

Well, that rule seems thrown out the window now. Jane doesn't need to wonder at the reason why. Whether Thor is more openminded or simply because they don't have the numbers to be picky, it has the same end result.

She blushes a little when she's noticed, feeling somewhat as though she's been caught doing something she shouldn't. But she doesn't back away from the fence either, lifting a few fingers in a tiny wave in return. "Um, hi." Well, this is awkward. It reminds her of how out of place she felt on Asgard, during her very brief visit all those years ago. At least the combat trainer isn't looking at her like she's a silly little child. Or a goat. That insult's stuck with her, and she can't bring herself to be too devastated that Odin isn't around to throw another at her.

"I was kind of hoping to see Thor," she admits. "We haven't seen each other in a long time, since before the... you know, the thing." Even years on, a part of her still struggles to accept that she was just flat-out gone for six months. It was like she'd blinked, and the world had changed.

It takes Amelia a moment to catch the woman's intention with her words, but she doesn't have to explain further. "Yes, I do know it." She only experienced it as a bystander in the Nexus, but the effect it had on all of her friends there was severe. No one escaped unscathed from it, though she's glad to see this stranger apparently doing well. Well enough to leave her life behind for a visit to Asvera, at the very least.

"I do apologize that you came all this way to see our king and find him gone. He'll be returning later today, if you're all right waiting for him." Amelia's smile grows a little warmer as she rests more fully on the fence, forearms resting across the top of it and hands hanging off the other side. "I can't offer you a place in my class while you wait, but I can explain it if you're interested. It's not a typical thing humans of Earth see when they come to visit." Mostly because they don't wander this far. They come for the main attractions, visit the shops, and then leave. It's not a bad thing, but it does limit what people see of this incredible place they've built.

Our king. It's still so strange to remember that refers to Thor, no matter how many times she's caught news blurbs about Asvera talking about him. News that he's expected back today is a bit of a relief, twisting up with that anxiety inside her belly over seeing him again. She doesn't regret the breakup - it was the right thing to do at the time - but they haven't so much as said hello since, and Jane can't simply stop caring about what's happened to him. To all his people, really. When she's visited Asgard, there wasn't much time for tourism, but they'd been a thriving civilization on the edge of space, and now...

They've lost a lot.

Jane musters up a smile for the other woman, a nervous crease between her eyebrows, yet genuinely open and sympathetic. Whatever Asgard's lost, they still clearly have their pride, offering to share knowledge with someone they've only just met. "I can't imagine why not. I know I wouldn't want a big crowd of strangers staring at me while I learn how to use a sword though, but maybe that's just me." If they want more tourists, Jane's pretty sure they could go viral on YouTube or whatever pretty easily, but that would be a lot to explain and maybe that's best saved for later. "Is this a beginners class? I've seen Thor spar before, he uses the real thing."

More tourists could disrupt things, if allowed access to various parts of their life and culture here. Amelia wishes there was a way to balance the boons of tourism with the real concerns Thor has brought up about opening themselves to more, but this is one area where she can't offer much help. People simply couldn't travel for something like this where she's from, and the Nexus never really has any form of tourism as far as she can tell. All she can do is support whatever decisions are made and offer herself honestly to those who seem interested without being facetious or rude. The stranger with them now seems earnest, and the rogue trusts her gut when it says she won't hurt or harm their people in any way.

Besides, any friend of Thor's, no matter how old or how long it's been since they last saw one another, is welcome here. They may not be Amelia's friend immediately, but she can open her heart to them. It's as much a duty in her position as his partner as it is something she enjoys doing.

"Not exactly." She smiles at Jane as she turns around, pressing her back to the fence as she gestures out to the pitch. "Most of our warriors were lost before we arrived here. Those here are volunteers who want to learn how to defend Asvera if anything should come to our soil." There's a pride to her tone as she says it. None of them had to do this, and her initial class had been small in comparison to what it is now. Knowing others chose to join because of what they saw in her training makes her feel useful here beyond all else she's given to Asvera. Teaching them about herbs and helping them learn to handle the sea is one thing; this is another entirely.

"We started them with the basics months ago, practicing forms and mastering various movements through repetition and paired spars like you see now." All of her students are still dutifully running through their drills, occasionally switching up partners to allow one another to rest as she's taught them. Her smile pulls wider as she watches. "I give another month or two before I put steel in their hands. Blunted, but they're almost ready. Everything they've learned will carry over, and they'll be ready to practice safely now that they're used to the basics and the armor they're wearing."

She pauses for a beat, then offers a little smirk to the stranger. "I've got plans once they're really settled in what they've learned. Daggers, two weapon fighting, bows, slingshots, and anything else the Valkyrie has in mind. But it all starts here, and they're doing wonderfully."

It's very Asgardian to take pride in preserving that fighting spirit, isn't it? Tens of thousands were lost, but here they are, still striving to improve, to build something strong of what's left. The implications are a lot to process, and Jane watches the trainees running their paces in contemplative silence, listening to the trainer boast about their progress.

"You must be very proud," she says, a small smile on her lips. "It must feel strange to not have many fighters around. Most of the people from Asgard I've ever met were warriors, even Thor's mom." Of course, she hadn't had much chance to interact with anyone outside the palace, something she regretted at the time and still does. The opportunity of a lifetime to explore an entirely alien culture, and there had to be an existence-ending crisis going on.

Amelia almost laughs at Jane's comment. Dreams, she must really seem like she's one of Asgard's numbers if someone who knows Thor assumes she is. Her smile brightens as she shakes her head, the musical tinkling of her hairpin almost a laughter in and of itself as meets the stranger's eyes.

"Things have changed significantly in a short amount of time for everyone here. This isn't the place they thought they'd live even a decade ago, but they've taken to it well. Anyone new to this world might think they've always been here for how well everything suits them." She shakes her head a little more. "I'm only recently counted among their numbers, but I'm honored to have been able to help them adapt. That they allow me to call this place home is something I never expected the first time I set foot here."

It's hard to imagine what life was like before Asvera, now that she's so entrenched in everything it is. How lost she was without it. How much she struggled and fought battles she had no chance of winning. This place saved her as much as she's helped it grow. There is nowhere else in the multiverse she will ever want to be again. For long, anyway. Visits elsewhere will be a necessity if she and Thor have a more formal relationship in the future.

"I very much doubt that there will ever be a time when the whole of Asvera knows how to fight the way most of Asgard did, but I will guide them as best I can. They've done so much for me, and I want to give back everything I can." Whether that means as an instructor, an all around busybody who puts her hands to every task, or eventually at Thor's side as something more, she doesn't know. With how things are now, she's not fretting figuring it out. Her life may be short, but there's still plenty of time to work things out.

Recently...? Jane's eyes widen a little, looking her over with a fresh gaze. She definitely looks like she fits in, from her hairstyle down to the clothes she's wearing underneath her leathers. And while Jane can understand her perfectly fine, something about the way she speaks feels slightly old-fashioned here and there, as Thor often did when Jane first knew him. "Wait, you're not Asgardian?" she blurts.

She shakes her head once more. There's only one way to explain what she is and where she's from, and she truly hopes it won't cause any trouble to speak it. She'll still be cautious about it, just in case.

"You mentioned it's been some time since you last spoke to Thor, but... did he ever speak of a place called the Nexus? Or about a meeting place between various universes and timelines?" It's not the most outlandish question she's ever asked someone, but it's still... a lot. Dreams, she hopes she's not overstepping her own authority here.

Jane had already been paying close attention to this woman, but there's a spark in her eye that isn't the exact sort of recognition Amelia is looking for. Same ballpark, though. "No, but there's so much out there that I'm not surprised he never got around to it. You're talking about a quantum superposition of the Everett interpretation. It's a broader scale version of the Schrodinger's Cat thought exercise, except a... point in time or space where the divergent universes can touch each other?"

Translating between Asgardian concepts and human terminology is something she has a little practice at, though she's nowhere near perfect. Allspeak was only able to get them so far, and there's only so much that English is able to conceptualize, a never-ending stumbling block in trying to truly understand the universe how Thor sees it.

"I-I... don't know any of that means." Amelia's cheeks flush a bright red. It's not often she understands nothing someone says, but this is certainly one of them. This is going to take a little more effort to explain than she'd thought.

"What I mean to say is that there is a place, somewhere between... everywhere and every...when, I think. I never did fully grasp many of the concepts others more versed in such things tried to explain them to me, so the language may be different from what you know." Though that's not exactly Amelia's point. She takes a breath and tries again. "This place is a physical one, one where people of Earth can meet people of worlds that don't exist in this universe. Where they could meet people from a different time and version of Earth, too. I'm not sure how one connects to it if they haven't already been there, because many of us seem to stumble into it completely on accident." Or run into it, as in her case.

Her expression shifts into something more thoughtful, but also a touch rueful. "Does any of that make sense?" Not being able to explain this well is very difficult and more than a little trying. She wishes she had the right words when Jane seems so certain of what she says and seems to grasp at least some part of what Amelia is trying to explain.

Uh-oh, she's gone too Science Lecturey, as Darcy has often accused her. Jane takes a moment and tries to dial back, simplify. It's a skill she'd already been working on for her book tours and guest lectures, but after the Snap... well, nobody's been booking her since, and she's a bit out of practice. "So it's kind of like a... rest stop between universes," she hazards. Then, taking a guess at how Amelia speaks and the company she keeps, she adds, "Like a tavern, I guess."

She exhales with relief, nodding. "Like that, yes. Though far more expanded than a single building. It's a sprawling place all its own, much like a country here on Earth might be. There are skyscrapers, quiet neighborhoods, parks, and even an area of nature left entirely to its own with creatures I've never seen or heard of elsewhere." Such is life in the Nexus, though. Everyone experiences and encounters things they'd never see on their own worlds.

Her smile turns wistful as she touches the strand of her hairpin briefly. "Where I'm from was connected to the Nexus, once. I arrived there many years ago, and have met many people in my time. Eventually, I met Thor and found my here, to Asvera, after..." She breathes out slowly. "They needed help settling in a completely foreign land, and I was happy to offer my hands and knowledge that doesn't come from a world as advanced as Earth is. I won't take credit for all the things they've done and accomplished, but I wanted to help." And so she did, gladly.

"With time, they've accepted me as one of their own." Here she chuckles nervously, cheeks turning a lighter pink than they did before. "I suppose my relationship with Thor has helped with that as well, though we've been friends far longer than we've been in love. My living here is also fairly recent, especially in the scale of their lives, but it already feels as if I've never lived anywhere else."

"Wow, that's amazing. It's stable enough to have infrastructure and a functioning ecosystem? Who built it? How did they do it? Why-" She cuts herself off and quickly shakes her head. "Never mind, I'm just... wow."

A stable interdimensional hub. And she'd thought the Convergence was impressive.

She's so focused on the significance of the science behind it all that she almost misses the significance of what Amelia drops on her next, and her smile wavers uncertainly. "Oh! Uh. You and... Thor?" She bites her lip, everything suddenly very very Awkward, unconsciously comparing herself to the woman standing on the other side of the fence. She's taller, more athletic, knows how to use weapons like she was born to it...

Jane was the one who broke it off, but she can't help but wonder what happened to Thor after that. Did he move on right away? What right does she have to be upset if he did? But the stranger said it was recent, so maybe not? Was the science thing too much?

She worries at her lip, unsure how to proceed from here. No matter what way she goes, this is going to be Weird. Might as well go all in. "So... I should probably tell you I used to be his girlfriend." She steels herself and holds out a hand, uncertain how the other woman will take it, but determined not to cause trouble over misplaced, reflexive jealousy. "Jane Foster. I, um. I don't know if he's mentioned me before. To you."

There's no way to answer any of Jane's questions as they come, but Amelia's relieved that the woman accepts her words as they are. Or most of them as they are? That awkward shift in demeanor when she asks about Thor is unexpected, given what little the stranger's said about her relationship with Thor.

The rogue tilts her head slightly to one side. "The two of us, yes. As I said, it's fairly recent. We were friends for many years before I even realized," well, was told, "I had feelings deeper than that for him." And they're still figuring things out over a year later. Nothing needs to move quickly between them, and they've both been content to see things through at the pace that makes them most comfortable.

Surprise registers on her face as the stranger introduces herself as Jane. His Jane. Her eyes widen and suddenly a thousand questions come to mind, all just out of reach and many far more invasive than she wants to reach for. A bit of tact will be necessary - after a proper introduction.

"He has, but I'm glad to make your acquaintance without him standing here worrying what we think of one another." Amelia's smile warms as she takes Jane's hand and gives it a firm shake. "My name is Amelia Ronsam, and I want to assure you now that nothing I've heard makes me think ill of you or how things were left between the two of you. Sometimes people... simply don't meet where they need to in order to make a relationship work." A thing she knows from several bouts of experience.

Exhaling slowly, she draws her hand back and then runs her fingers through the strands of her hairpin once more. "Would you mind if I called an end to my charges' drills for the day? I'd like to give you my full attention, now that we both know who the other is." Not to interrogate Jane, but she does have questions. Many, even if her nerves will only allow for a few.

Oh yeah, that face means Amelia definitely knows who she is. That's... oddly reassuring, in a way? Despite the breakup, Jane wasn't just forgotten immediately, a passing novelty to fascinate a god fifty times her age. At the same time, she can't help the twinge of worry that he didn't take the news as easily as she'd hoped, if he's still been talking about her years later.

Yes, it's absolutely for the best that Thor isn't here to see this. Jane laughs nervously, but with a smile on her face. "Ah, yeah, that's a nicer way of putting it." Certainly nicer than Darcy had phrased it.

The offer is a mild surprise as well. Thor's dad would never have called an early end to combat drills, she's pretty sure, especially for something as mundane as this. Maybe that's reflective of Thor's leadership, or simply that of the woman he loves. "I don't want to disrupt their training," she hedges. "It sounds pretty important. Unless they were almost done anyway...?" They do look like they've been at it for a while, but Jane knows Asgardians too well to assume they'd call it quits like a reasonable human would.

"Every break given is just as important as the training itself," she counters. "If I train them for hours every day, then send them home and to whatever else work needs to be done, they'll never have time to rest. They'll do well with a little more time for themselves before I see them again." They're not soldiers, they're volunteers, and Amelia will treat them with the respect that demands.

She excuses herself for a moment and returns to her students, calling them to gather closer in a warm, but commanding voice. They're all quiet as they huddle around, though it lasts only a few seconds before the entire group erupts into laughter and cheers. Amelia joins them in it and walks the group of them to the storage containers they've erected to hold all of their practice weapons. There's a small scramble as they all try to get their things into the various chests and then say their goodbyes to one another, but soon enough it's only the rogue and a few of her older charges left. They each get what time of hers they need before she sends them along with a smile and finishes closing everything up. Now free from her duties, she returns to Jane, a soft forest green handkerchief in hand as she wipes at her hands and her face. It's the best she can do until she finds a sink to wash herself in.

"Shall we? I'd be glad to take you through the whole of Asvera, if it's your first time here. It may not be much compared to many Earth cities, but it's grand in its own ways." And from the bright smile on her face, it's obvious how proud of it Amelia is.

That's oddly reasonable for what little she's seen of Asgardian training, but Jane's not going to argue, certainly. "All right." She doesn't move from her spot at the fence, watching as Amelia strides back to her recruits, the whole thing reminding her somewhat of a sports coach ending a practice after school. A few of the younger Asgardians shoot curious glances at her on their way out, but she simply lifts a hand and waves a little, waiting until Amelia's duties are all wrapped up.

It gives her a few minutes to process this new shift in her worldview, almost as discombobulating as remembering that Thor is an actual king now. It's no doubt still going to be awkward, but Jane's recovered her composure by the time Amelia returns to meet her.

"Sure, I could take a tour. I saw a little bit on the way in, but I was kinda thinking about other stuff." Like watching for Thor, or gawking at how different the village feels from the Realm she visited all those years ago. It's still very obviously Asgardian, but just... different.

"It's easy to get distracted by all we have, if you're not used to our way of life. Come, I'll show you this area of town at least." She smiles and hops the fence, gracefully vaulting over it without a thought to it. Once on the other side, she tucks away her handkerchief and starts removing her gloves and bracers as they walk along boardwalk by the waterfront.

"The waterfront is one of our busiest areas on days like this. It's plenty warm for many outdoor activities, and the sunlight affords us the chance to work on things we need for fishing or to dry out large stores of fish and herbs." A wistful smile comes to her face as she gestures down the boardwalk ahead of them to a set of children running about, laughing and shouting as they play some sort of chasing game. "It's also helpful in getting our youngest out playing long enough that they'll sleep through the shorter nights. We have curtains to help, but the extra help is nice."

Will her own children play like this someday, she wonders? Her and Thor's children? They've still yet to discuss it, but she does wonder if, maybe, that's where things are headed for them. It seems a natural step, but neither of them are looking to rush what they have, or even to talk about it.

Maybe that should change soon...

She shakes her head to clear her thoughts, then turns her smile to Jane as she hangs her gloves and bracers from her belt. "Did you ever see Asgard? I know some of Thor's friends and companions over the years had the chance, but I've not asked for a complete list for... well, for obvious reasons." It's a loss that will always be fresh to the people here, and she doesn't want to hurt the one she loves more by asking him about a place so dear and lost as his once-home.

Jane's stride is shorter than Amelia's, but she is more than used to keeping up with taller folks, freeing up her attention for looking around. She's never been an architecture nerd, but even she can tell that the Asgardians have made plenty of modifications to what was here before. The few signs that do exist are written both in Norwegian and Aesir runes, and the stylings of the newer buildings echo the shapes Jane saw on Asgard, tall columns and open porches along the fronts, though the interior walls are enclosed with windows rather than open to the air. Even some of the boats have been styled after the ones Jane remembers, with silvery wings sweeping up over the stern, though most of them seem designed for sea use instead of flying.

There are some familiar scents on the air too, woodsmoke and spices and drying herbs, and not for the first time Jane regrets never getting a chance to explore Asgard more thoroughly to know what some of those are.

"I did," she confirms, watching the kids darting around in the street, weaving around houses and a stand of junipers planted alongside the road. "It wasn't really a social call, but I did get to see some of it. It was... amazing. Majestic even. Did you know it was flat? And they were in a nebula, the sky was full of stars and colors, even during the daytime, though it was way more spectacular at night. They didn't have an ocean this big though, it fell off the edge of the world, and I never figured out how it doesn't run dry."

Amelia tries not to walk too quickly for Jane. It's in her nature to match the pace of her companion, so it will only take an awkward moment or two for them to find a comfortable pace for them both. The rogue doesn't mind slowing down, especially when it means there's more time to admire Asvera around them.

She watches the other woman closely as she speaks of Asgard, wishing once more that she'd been able to see it. It's an impossible thing, of course, which is why she relegates it to a wish in her mind. There are other realms to explore, even more of this current one, but to see where her people (her people) came from is a dream she won't ever be able to let go of. Those who remember it speak with such reverence, and she only hopes she can offer it proper respect whenever she speaks of it in the future.

"A magic of some sort, I would assume." Her smiles warms. "Thor and a few others have described it to me, but I love to hear about it from everyone I can. Each person tells their own story of it, and they're all beautiful." They all help her paint a more complete picture of it in her mind, too. She appreciates it more than she could possibly explain.

Without much thought to it, the rogue stops by one of the stands of drying herbs, fingers reaching out to trace the air in front of their latest harvest. "All of this is very different from what Asgard was, but we're not trying to recapture it when the realms aren't anywhere near the same. Thor has made this a true home for everyone, though, and it's become more as we set roots and grow here." The corner of her lips tug up into a smirk as she turns back to Jane with a slightly conspiratorial look on her face. "Even if it means having to do things like paperwork or visits to other heads of state from time to time."

It's one of the few things Amelia truly doesn't mind. Organizing and running things was always easy for her, and that she can help Thor find his balance so he can be the figurehead Asvera needs without giving too much of his time to it is a true joy in her life.

"Yeah, that's what they call it," Jane says, a wry smile on her face. "I don't even come close to understanding it all, but Thor once told me his world was a place where magic and science were synonyms, and that goes both ways. There's so much we still don't know about the universe, but sometimes I think we just haven't invented the vocabulary for it yet, you know?" Whether or not magic is real isn't the right question, if you ask Jane. It's pretty obvious that it is. Whether it can be explained is another matter, and she's only just scratched the surface.

She watches Amelia, studying the herbs. Some of them look familiar - there's lavender, chamomile, some kind of wildflower she's seen dotting the mountainsides here - and others that are only familiar in a vague sort of way, their scents tied to memories of golden palaces and distant roaring water.

"It's not the first time he's had to start over," she murmurs, thinking of those few days in New Mexico, the jarring whiplash of change in Thor when he had truly grasped that the door to Asgard had been shut in his face. He'd been mortal then, as human as Jane herself. Would he have built something of his life, had he failed to prove himself to the hammer? Jane doesn't doubt it. At the same time... where would his people be now without him?

She slowly turns in a circle, taking in the village around them. It's quiet, but still bustling with activity in its own way. She'd been afraid that it would be a mausoleum, a shattered remnant ripped away from paradise and cast down to Earth. But when she looks around Asvera, she sees... people. People living their lives, resilient and looking forward, building something new. And at the same time, refusing to forget where they came from, the echoes of old Asgard around every corner.

A nameless feeling wells up in her, and she swallows. Turning back to Amelia, her smile is shaky and sad, a flicker of concern in her eyes. "How's he doing? Really doing? I... I meant to come by a long time ago, once I knew what had happened. I wasn't sure if I'd just hurt him more."

The rogue would argue that she would call it magic, too, but there's no real fight or point to it. Things are as they are, and they don't always need an explanation. Sometimes knowing that a thing works, trusting that it will if you keep up rituals and familiar motions, is enough.

Amelia takes a few sprigs of lavender for herself, tucking them into a pouch for safekeeping. She knows what Jane speaks of with her beloved starting over - Thor has told her about his removal from Asgard years ago - but she doesn't interrupt the woman's wonder or wandering thoughts. There's something more to what she sees in the village around them, something Amelia couldn't force out even if she tried. Instead she watches, head tilted ever so slightly to one side. It strikes her that Jane is someone of deep thought and questioning, and in her own way, she can understand why Thor loved her. Loves her still, in a distant way. They're alike in that manner, though it expresses itself in very different ways.

When Jane turns to her, she smiles warmly and steps closer, lowering her voice so it only carries between them. She won't lie to someone Thor has loved, especially when the woman looks so worried. "He struggled for a time to adjust to life here after everything that happened. His mind was restless and unkind to him, and he took to quieting it in harmful ways. It took time and patience to get him out of that, but he had the support and help to do so, and thrives now on the other side of it." Amelia's proud of Thor for this, and it shows in the soft way she smiles as she speaks about his struggles with the drink that no longer controls him the way it once had.

"He's well, and not trying to take on so much that he'll overwhelm himself. Everyone in Asvera does their part, and that allows him to do more than simply sit in a conference room to rule. We have a greenhouse he looks after almost entirely by himself, people to care for the daily logistics of Asvera, and a people who want to support their king." Her smile warms and, after a moment's hesitation, she offers her hands to Jane for further reassurance, if it's wanted.

"I may be mortal, but I'm doing what I can, too. Even before I gave him my heart, he had my friendship and both hands to help this place I've come to love as my home." He'll have them until the end of her days, even if they one day grow apart. "Thor is not the king his father was, and he never will be, but I think... that's for the better, for himself and all of Asvera, too."

It's hard news to hear. Jane has seen Thor grieve before, deeply personal losses that struck him low, but nothing like this. It hurts to know that he suffered, but it helps to know that he had friends, that someone was here to give him comfort. A part of her feels irrationally guilty that she wasn't one of them, but how could she have been?

Even better news is that he's doing better, that his new girlfriend looks so at ease, barely any hint of worry in her face as she looks Thor's ex in the eye and reaches out to her with compassion. Jane hardly knows anything about Amelia, yet that clench of worry in her heart lessens to know that Thor has found somebody with this kind of unquestioning kindness to spare. So it's only a moment before she reaches back out, grasping Amelia's hands in her own, giving them a thankful squeeze. "Thank you. For this, and for being there for him."

And then, because the weight of this conversation needs a little lightening, she adds, "Well, I for one am glad he's not taking after his dad. He was kind of a jerk."

Being thanked for her part in Thor's recovery, even in passing, still makes Amelia feel self-conscious. She knows how important it was to be here when Loki asked her to step in, but... someone else would have been able to do the same, she's certain. Anyone with a strong heart and deep love for their friend could have done this. It's chance that she was the one to step in.

Chance... or a gentle nudge from those who saw feelings where she did not? Dreams, she doesn't want to know the answer to that.

Her cheeks flush a light pink as she shakes her head. "I was here for him as a friend long before I was anything more. I would do it again, gladly, even without something more between us than that." Jane would have done similar, would she not?

The 'joke' does as hoped, and Amelia huffs a laugh as she squeezes Jane's hands before withdrawing them. "I'm glad I never have to seek his approval, then. My life has been a mess until this past year and a half. The last thing I need is someone holding themselves as god over me, telling me my heart is or isn't enough for someone who loves me back." She can, and did, trip over herself more than enough without that kind of help. Odin looking down on her would have made her life entirely more trouble than she needed it to be.

Now that her mind's on less heavy topics, a curiosity builds up that the rogue chooses not to ignore. "As you visited Asgard, I'm curious: were Odin's ravens as mischievous as Thor's? I swear, they're like teenage children with how much trouble like to visit on us some days."

Ex Marks the Spot [for rogueinladysclothing]

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