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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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.

She's glad that her suggestion is going over well, and it's heartening to know someone who went to Asgard once recognizes some of the treats on offer. Amelia's smile returns as she steps up to the counter and orders three of the sweetrolls, as well as a dozen spiced shortbread cookies. They're more savory in nature, but the balance is always a delight.

"If there's anything else that catches your eye, please ask for it. My treat, as you're a guest here in Asvera." Hospitality is a very important thing, especially with a guest as important as this one. "I'll be taking home a loaf of bread as well, so please, don't feel as if I'm going too far only for you. I do intend to keep whatever treats you and I don't share before Thor joins us, too." She winks in Jane's direction and then waits for the woman to choose something else for herself. There's no rush, and the rogue will give Jane all the space she needs to make a decision. There are plenty of other treats for Amelia to look over while she waits. It's not as if any of them will go bad if she brings more than they need for the day back with them.

Most Norwegian lunches are light fare, but not so here in Asvera, where Asgardian appetites reign. The sandwich that Jane orders is practically overflowing with smoked salmon and pickled onions wrapped in a fresh-baked seeded flatbread, way too big for her to finish in one meal. Half of it is definitely going to be lunch on the flight back. Fortunately, the strawberry and goat cheese tart is not quite as enormous, so she doesn't feel guilty about adding one on.

Plus it gives her something to think about that isn't related to Loki, or the Aether, or the uncertainty of when Thor will put in an appearance. And whether or not that will be awkward. Well, more than it already has been. Both for her and for... Thor's new girlfriend. That's still throwing her for a little loop. But Amelia has been nothing but kind and courteous, and Jane can't help but wonder if this is just as awkward for the other woman, meeting the woman who dumped her beau.

"Well, I guess if Thor's joining us, we should probably get some of these," she suggests, gesturing to an assortment of cookies. "I've seen him eat a dozen donuts in a single sitting before."

Amelia smiles, nodding her agreement. "Yes, I think those will do well. They'll all keep until he joins us in a few hours." The rogue steps forward and orders a half dozen cookies, two each of three varieties. Even if she doesn't have any herself, they're all ones she's learned Thor enjoys above others. She might as well make sure whatever's left outside her shortbread cookies will be properly enjoyed.

Once they have everything and Amelia's paid, full price against the insistence of the young man behind the counter, she leads Jane back outside and then starts them slowly on the path back to her and Thor's home. It's a fair distance, but the weather is perfect for a walk like this. It gives Jane a chance to eat a little as well, if she'd like, and the rogue encourages it if the woman's feeling peckish on their journey. There's not as much to point out as they make their way through this end of Asvera, and no one will think twice about someone enjoying their lunch on the go.

It's only once they're far enough out from the village that no one's within earshot that Amelia allows her thoughts to turn back to the stories they've said they'll tell one another. She doesn't want to jump straight to it if Jane's not ready, but she doesn't want things to be too quiet with the house still a distance away.

"I feel as if I've been holding our conversation captive since you arrived," she admits, smile apologetic. "Have you any questions you haven't had a chance to ask yet? About Asvera? Or even the Nexus? Or... me, I suppose?" It feels awkward to offer herself like that, but Jane must be curious about her. Amelia's a good host and a charming woman, but that's not all she is. Someone who's loved the man she does must have some questions as to how well she fits in his life, different as it is now than what Jane experienced years ago.

Jane's no stranger to a working walking lunch, as evidenced by the relative ease in which she unwraps half the sandwich and manages to bite into it without spilling its fillings everywhere. Once a grad student, always a grad student, even though her university days are long since past. Besides, the sun is shining and the breeze is as warm as this part of Norway gets, which would make this stroll downright relaxing if not for the awkwardness hanging between the two women.

The offer to interrogate Amelia comes as a surprise, and there's a pause as Jane fights to chew the big bite of sandwich she'd just taken. "Are you kidding?" she exclaims once she's able. "I don't even know where to start." She gestures vaguely toward Amelia with the sandwich. "I mean, I guess with you makes sense... so you're not from Earth? Or you are, but it's a different one?"

She truly has no way of knowing or guessing what someone like Jane might ask of her and her life. Amelia's never been the most open of people, especially with strangers, and Jane is a special case. In a way, Amelia has taken her place at Thor's side, only more so now that Asgard is truly a people and not a place. It makes the rogue feel awkward, but it helps to have something to speak of rather than simply listening to the distant waves or their footfalls beneath them.

"I'm not from any version of Earth. My world is called Kairn, and it's very different from Earth. The closest comparison I could make is that of Renaissance times here, though it's not the most apt at times." She smiles nervously, reaching her fingers up into her hairpin. "We use swords and bows for combat, ships and horse-drawn carts for travel and moving goods, and we lack the focus on arts and cultural revitalization I've read about with the time period here on Earth. Some of our countries are ruled by kings, though, and cities further out are run by a tiered system of nobility. It's mostly a formality, but there's enough structure there to make it worthwhile to be involved or to support it so they keep cities and trade running." Both in her case, though she doesn't offer that. She has something else that she thinks will be of value to Jane to offer instead.

"We also have no magic or anything like it. There's rumors of it in far corners of the world, but the closest we have are stories passed down from many generations ago." She shrugs, dropping her hand to her side again. "Everything runs on what we can do with our hands or make happen with our minds. Past that, it's not particularly of interest." It's also long since locked away from the rest of the multiverse, so it doesn't really matter. No one's ever going to visit it, because no one can.

Her smile turns a touch wistful as she looks up after a moment's silence. "Our sky is green, though. Like the aurora you see in the skies here. I didn't even realize it until I saw a blue sky for the first time. It was so... normal to me that I didn't know it could be any different."

Any awkward thoughts about the nature of their proxy relationship, such as it is, is forgotten in favor of Jane listening to Amelia talk about her homeworld, the fascination of wishing she could see it, trying to picture what it might be like. Aesthetically not too far from Asgard, though clearly not as advanced - but another planet, one with people that look as human as Jane herself. How many others are out there? What secrets do their skies hold? Thoughts that drove her to astronomy in the first place, all the stronger since the day she met a man who'd fallen straight out of an Einstein-Rosen bridge and into the path of her van.

"Oh wow. So your planet's atmosphere composition must be different than Earth's; does breathing feel any different here? How's the gravity?"

Unimportant questions, she realizes, shortly after asking them. But it's all so fascinating, her sandwich only half-eaten as she devotes most of her attention to learning everything she can about another world. And, well, the woman who came from there.

"So... you didn't have magic, or advanced technology. How'd you get from there to here? With Asgard, I mean," she adds.

Again Jane uses terms Amelia doesn't fully know. At least this time they come with questions she does know more than well enough to answer. "I've never had any troubles being on Earth, this one or the few others I've visited. I suspect that means things are mostly the same? If I can move and breathe in the ways I expect."

Ah, but her last question is one of the more difficult ones for her. Amelia's expression turns a little somber as she frowns. It's been a long time since she had to explain this to a stranger.

"I ended up in the Nexus quite without meaning to. Ran down an alley in the city I grew up in just to turn around and find myself there. Eventually, my world was... locked away from the rest of the multiverse, and the Nexus became the closest thing I had to a home. It was there that I met Thor and a few others from this version of Earth, and became friends with them through all the struggles they were going through. Eventually that led me here to help Thor while Asvera was still finding its bearings, and then..." She lifts a hand palm up and shrugs.

"I could tell you that everything I did for them was selfless and solely for their benefit, but it wasn't. This place reminds me so much of the home I once had: a town on the sea, ships going in and out from sun up to sun down, minimal technology that I'd been trying to adapt to for half a decade. I needed to be here for myself. Helping everyone was my way in, and a way to keep my mind from my grief." Her lips pull into a sad smile as she drops her hand. "It saved me as much as I helped it, in more ways than one. I couldn't have made it this far without everyone here, or without Thor's friendship. I owe them a debt I could never repay, even as I know they'll never ask for it. It's not their way." Something she's both terrified of and grateful for every day, when she's honest with herself. She sighs softly, eyes tracking out to the sea.

"When any of this truly became more for me, I couldn't say. I've always been one who had to be led to her feelings, and it's the same here. What I do know is that I found my way here and never truly left, no matter how long I lived in the Nexus after first setting foot on this soil. And now... this place is my home, and these are my people. People I intend to give the whole of my life to in whatever way they need."

It feels a lot like the early days with Thor, trying to navigate a language barrier despite being able to understand the actual words perfectly. Sometimes Jane would hit Thor with technobabble he did not comprehend, only to discover Asgard had an entirely different - and usually more advanced - understanding of the concept. And of course vice versa, the things Thor would describe to her would become familiar in context, couched in more grandiose poetic terms, a different way of relating to the science she's known and loved since the first time she looked up at the stars.

Amelia's accounting of how she found the Nexus, and why she can't go home, is one such tale. She nods, a little surprised that she doesn't need a technological explanation to fully grasp how such a thing could be possible. "That sounds like the Convergence. It was a sort of temporal... uh, an alignment of worlds on a cosmic scale. There were portals everywhere; we stepped in between planets just by walking into a cave, and I heard a few airplanes ended up taking a wrong turn into another Realm too. Then when the Convergence was over, the portals closed, so anyone on the wrong side would be stuck there too."

The sandwich sits forgotten in her hands as she listens to Amelia's story, unable to truly imagine what it would feel like to be cut off from home forever. Small wonder that she would latch onto something familiar, and then, to find something more...

It's a kind of devotion that Jane had not been ready for. Still isn't, truth be told. It isn't that she didn't love Thor - doesn't still love him. But there had been thoughts she'd never been able to shake. A career path she'd always dreamed of, its doors finally open to her, unable to balance her needs with his in a way that would be fair to them both. What kind of life could they have given each other, if their paths rarely crossed?

In a way, Jane realizes with a start that she is jealous. But at the same time, she knows that this life isn't one she would ever be satisfied by. She would never look as at home among these Asgardians as Amelia does, dressed in their colors, teaching their children, living off the land. She looks away for a moment, out towards the sea, watching those waves roll in endlessly, crashing against the rocks only to vanish beneath the next wave.

It hurts to think, to say, and it comes from a place of compassion that Jane opens her mouth and says, "Does it bother you? Knowing he can't grow old with you." Her cheeks swiftly tint pink, embarrassed at her own forwardness.

Jane's explanation is clear enough that Amelia doesn't feel the need for any clarification. "It's similar to that, yes. The Nexus is connected to so many worlds and realities. Some people can forever go back and forth, others get stuck in one place or another. There are some ways around the lack of a physical portal, but it doesn't always work, for any number of reasons." Most being nothing like hers where she chose this, but that's... not something to share now. Maybe some other day, when they know each other better. Her heart still aches too much to offer something like that freely.

Her gaze tracks over to Jane when the woman asks her question, expression curious. It's an intimate sort of question, but she supposes she shouldn't be surprised by it. They share love for the same man, even if it's very different for the both of them now. Of course she would want to know Amelia's thoughts about what happens eventually when the rogue's professed to Asvera being where she's settled.

"Bother isn't the right word, I think. I'm sad, but not upset. I had time to think about it before I spoke to Thor of my feelings, and..." She huffs a soft, self-deprecating laugh. "On my world, I never thought I would live past forty, maybe fifty if I was lucky. I had a plan for my life: to make my family noble to improve their lives. I thought it would take decades, rather than the single one it did, and that I'd spend the entirety of it alone. If I had time left at the end of my life, I'd spend it with my siblings and their children around running my family's business. It was going to be good for them, and that's what I wanted more than anything.

"Circumstances changed all that, to the point that I was listless even before the Nexus. Now, the end of my life seems a far off dream, one I can't imagine with any clarity. What I do know is that I will cherish every moment of it, and having someone I love at my side will give it more meaning than any singular goal I could ever make for myself would."

She falls silent for a moment, hesitating before she adds a last thought. "I want my life to mean something to those around me when I die. The fact that all I've done will live on in the living memories of those I love here is a greater gift than anything else that could ever be dreamed."

It's an entirely different life that Amelia describes, an entirely different way of looking at the world, one so far removed from Jane's own experiences that she's sure she can't quite grasp it. But the wish to be remembered long after she's gone... the selflessness of giving oneself to build a future for someone else... "I can see why Thor loves you," she says, and she really can. Opposites may attract, but common ground is just as important.

It would be arrogant of her to assume Amelia would need her blessing. It's not as though she holds any claim over Thor, not in any way that matters. He's a grown man, a god, and whoever he wants to woo is none of her business. But humans are messy, and complicated, and all Jane has ever wanted is to understand. To be understood in return. And while Thor may not be hers, there will always be a part of her that wants him to be happy.

"You've built a hell of a life here," she settles on, a small smile on her lips as she nods towards the village.

Her cheeks flush a bright red at Jane's pronouncement. It... makes sense for Thor to love her? Amelia doesn't think herself unworthy, but she has wondered at times if Thor couldn't do... better. Even though she's been working on herself, she knows she's a hard person to get along with at times. She's reckless for those she loves, quick to anger, quicker to doubt herself and fall into a panic, and constantly hiding her own thoughts and feelings for the sake of others. She's wondered if that's enough for someone who has an entire people to care for, and it's surprisingly helpful to hear from someone who knows Thor to think she fits here.

She touches the strands of her hairpin gently, grounding herself in the sound and feel of them, then smiles at the other woman. "Thank you." For both statements, but more the first. For now, she holds back saying it. There's no need to make this more awkward between them.

"I didn't intend to build a life here, but I'm grateful I have. I love this place and the people here for being what and who they are. It may not have always been that way, but they're as much a part of me now as the blades I lace into my boots every day." Her cheeks darken a few shades. "Not that they're tools for me to use, of course. It just-- I-I mean to say that my life would be so much less without them." Dreams, that doesn't really help, but she feels better to at least try.

Maybe by asking Jane about herself? It's worth an attempt, and Amelia is curious. "Where do you make your life? Thor has said you study the stars, but I admit the more in-depth explanation escapes me. I've learned a lot since leaving my world, but much of technology and most of Earth's sciences completely elude me." Unless they're broken down past the basics for her. She won't ask Jane for anything like that.

No matter how many times Jane is the center of attention, it never stops being a little awkward, though one-on-one beats a lecture hall full of grad students any day. Her career is where her passion lies, though, so it's relatively easy to switch gears into rambling about it. "Well if academic conferences decide to start back up, I'll be spending a lot of that time on the road, like I used to before. There's usually a lot of stuffy old professors to butter up for funding, if nothing else. The rest of the time, I move around to wherever outer space is being weirdest. Happens a lot more than it used to since Thor showed up - that's kind of how we met, honestly."

She gestures vaguely with the sandwich, needing something to do with her hands. "I'm from New Mexico originally. It's a state in America with deserts great for stargazing, not a lot of light pollution to drown out the sky, so you can observe a lot more than you can in a city. I was out there studying atmospheric anomalies when - sorry, I mean weird weather behavior," she corrects herself, adjusting for Amelia's benefit, "the night I met Thor. It turned out the thing I was studying was a manifestation of an Einstein-Rosen Bridge, what Asgardians call the Bifrost. I'm kind of Earth's foremost expert on that now. That and the Convergence."

A scholar searching out funds for her work. A familiar tale, given her press to get her brother Ciro into a similar line of work. His area of study may have been completely different, but having to work up the right people to get him there - and keep him there - is certainly something Amelia understands.

"You met through the Bifrost? Because you were searching for these... behaviors in the sky and found Thor traveling here by it?" That seems to be what Jane's saying, but a little clarity can't hurt.

"It would make sense that you're the expert, with your connection to Thor and Asgard. Being one who studies the stars, I would think everything about things like the Bifrost and any of the realms outside Earth would be a fascination." She smiles warmly as she says it. "I'm curious about such things, too. Not in the same way," she's not looking for an explanation of how anything works, for example, "but the fact that these things happen at all is incredible. To travel among the stars, to know their histories and what happens around them... I could spend several lifetimes reading such stories and be completely content."

Ex Marks the Spot [for rogueinladysclothing]

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