pirateangelbaby | Ex Marks the Spot [for rogueinladysclothing]

Entry tags:

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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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."

"That's what I mean. Thor is... he's always making friends, wherever he goes. He needs people. I'm glad he wasn't alone."

She almost has to laugh when Amelia voices her relief in not having to deal with Odin, an easier smile coming to her face. "Tell me about it. The first time we met, he compared me to a goat, among other things. I don't know if he just didn't like humans much, or if he was pissed Thor was dating one."

Thor has ravens? Jane blinks in surprise, though perhaps she shouldn't be. If he'd saved his father's familiars... except no, it wouldn't make sense for Amelia to ask, then. "No, I don't think so. I didn't see much of them but they were the usual... you know, ominous spooky omen hanging out watching you kind of birds. Thor told me they were messengers."

"His heart is open to many. Even if I wasn't here for him, others would have been. I think..." She hesitates a moment, lips pressed into a thoughtful line. "Perhaps I was in a better place to help him than some, but I didn't do this alone. People here and in the Nexus offered their expertise to get him through this." Thor needed the help of more than one person to let go of the drink. Her presence alone wouldn't have been enough, and she knows it. Truly, she doesn't want Jane to think she carried this all on her own when it took a small village to help him to his feet once more.

"A goat?" How odd. Her head tilts again as she starts them along the boardwalk once more. "I would think that a compliment in some ways, given how much important work they often do, but it's still a strange choice." From what she's heard of him, Odin like used it as an insult. Still, the very idea is going to leave her curious for a while.

Messengers. That makes sense, she thinks, based on what she knows of Odin and his ravens from Thor. She imagines they might have been a handful in their younger days, even if they were stoic when Jane visited Asgard. Still, the idea of Miskunn and Huggan being ominous in some way makes her laugh.

"They probably had a lot of time and practice ahead of when you saw them. Ours are still very young, and prone to mischief if they think they can get something for it." Or when they think they can get away with it, which is often these days. Amelia smirks a little as she adds, "There's a lot of training left before we'll get them to that point, but I promise they won't be too rude to you should you meet them. They will ask you for treats, but you can ignore that. As I said, they're like children at times."

"Well," Jane allows, "not just a goat. He said I belonged on Asgard like a goat belongs at a banquet table, if I remember right." And she does, because that memory has stuck with her ever since, even if Odin did take her slightly more seriously when he found out about the Aether. "He ended up letting me stay, but it wasn't really anything to do with me. I sorta accidentally bonded with an ancient Dark Elf weapon and... it's a long story."

Maybe one that she'll have time to tell, as they have time to get used to each other. Jane takes up pace at Amelia's side again, still looking around, part of her attention remaining on the other woman.

She's not quite sure what to make of the thought of Thor's pets, especially since she hasn't met them yet, but she's dealt with pushy cats before, so how different can it be? "They sound like they would've gotten along with Loki. At least, the Loki that Thor's told me about. When they were kids."

Ah, so it was an insult. Amelia sighs, rolling her eyes at the now-passed moment. "That isn't even clever. How insulting, especially to someone of your intelligence." Jane studies the stars in depths and ways the rogue can't even begin to understand, and yet Odin chose that as his cutting remark? For someone so old and supposedly wise, the man certainly failed at some very simple things.

Sighing again, she shakes her head. "Someday, I'd like to hear it. That's a story I don't know." It's one she knew existed, and she'd much rather hear it from Jane than Thor. He may tell the details well, but it's her story. A story like that should always come from the one at its center.

The comment about Loki makes her laugh. "Oh they do. And his children. They come by the house all the... time..." She stops suddenly, face going a little pale. Dreams, she shouldn't have said that aloud to someone who's only just learned about the Nexus.

"I'm sorry, forget I said anything. Loki is a complicated topic and one best not spoken of... here." Her expression is nervous as she gestures around to encompass the whole of the town around them. Stepping a little closer, she lowers her voice further. "Some other time, when we're not... out, we could probably speak further. The Nexus complicates all of this when Loki was..." A beat of hesitation as she fails to take a steadying breath. "Was a complication all his own on this world."

Dreams, why did she open her mouth and say his name? Why didn't she stop to think?!

One hand finds its way to the strands of her hairpin to ground herself in the familiar motion of pulling her fingers through it. "It's best I not continue until we have more privacy. It's... a very long story, one that requires several pots of tea to explain." If she even should. Fuck, she made this very complicated for herself.

All thoughts of Odin go out the window as soon as it registers what Amelia is saying, and then Jane is staring at her, mouth open a little. How is Loki alive? Since when does he have kids? She's about to start asking questions for real, but Amelia has a point; it's obvious that nobody outside the village knows about any of this because there's no way the news media wouldn't be losing their minds over it.

She scrubs her hands over her face, not entirely sure if the tiredness is just the jetlag. "Right. Jesus, okay. Tell you what. I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours. After we're done walking around," she adds, because despite this now hanging over their heads, she is still genuinely curious to see how the Asgardians are getting on.

Amelia nods slowly, that nervous smile still on her face as she starts them walking again. "Yes, after our tour. I'll take you to our home, and we can discuss this there." Hopefully she can smooth all this over before Thor arrives. The last thing either of them need is for things to be half said or left in a confusing mess when that happens.

For now, the rogue continues them on their slow meander along the boardwalk, circling them back toward the administrative building once the path bends that direction. As they move away from the shore, more housing and various stores begin to populate their walk. Amelia takes the time to point out which stores they've taken over, which are still held by people of Earth, and even the few that have become joint ventures. She also hesitates in front of the bakery, eyeing a few of the freshly baked sweets sitting on the counter.

"Do you want anything?" She motions inside, but doesn't step in just yet. "It's all right if not, but I could use a few sweets after all the excitement today's brought." They'll go very well with both coffee and tea, too, should they last that long. It's still a fair distance back to her and Thor's home.

It's easy to forget that the village isn't populated just with Asgardians - well, besides the occasional obvious alien Jane can spot here and there (is that one made of rocks?). There's something strange yet satisfying in knowing that they've made themselves at home to the point where it's not strange for humans and gods to work together, even with something as simple as running a grocery store. She follows Amelia's gestures as she points out areas of interest as they go, ships and shops and a healer's hall. Eir stands outside the latter, speaking with a young man who looks to be some kind of message runner, and Jane can't help but wave hello, relieved to spot somebody she recognizes at least in passing.

The bakery can be smelled long before it's seen, warm scents of cardamom and honey carried on the salty breeze, and Jane's stomach growls a little. "Sure, I could eat. I ate on the plane but I didn't bring enough snacks for the drive." Hardly the first time she's forgotten food, but at least most of the time it's because she's caught up in research, so she wouldn't even notice.

She steps in first, the scents of baked spices intensifying around her the moment the door swings open. It's fairly cozy inside the bakery, the display cases and counter taking up most of the lobby space, aside from the small set of café tables along the front window. Jane stops for a moment to admire the wide assortment of bread, and the sandwiches made in-house with such bread, before her attention turns to the pastries next to them. "Oh! I remember that one," she says, pointing at one of the Asgardian-style treats, a spiced sweetroll drizzled with honey and walnuts.

Ex Marks the Spot [for rogueinladysclothing]

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