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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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."

Jane nods, the look in her eyes growing more intent, both with scientific fervor and the nostalgic pang of remembering the good old days, such as it were. "We'd been monitoring the sky there for a few weeks, though I didn't know what I was looking at yet. That was the night Thor got banished from Asgard, and I was there when the Bifrost threw him to Earth. It kicked up so much dust that I kinda hit him with my van trying to get a closer look." It's so strange to look back on that moment knowing what she knows now, almost like she'd been an entirely different person. She laughs awkwardly, giving Amelia a mildly sheepish smile. "We kinda thought he was crazy for a few days. But there was also this hammer out in the desert nobody could move, and well, we did see him fall out of the sky, and the government showed up and stole all my research, so I knew there had to be more to it."

"Then the town got attacked by a giant robot, I think Loki was behind it? And Thor sacrificed himself to save the town, and the hammer flew to him and he destroyed the robot in like twenty seconds." She shakes her head a little, eyebrows raised, and takes a nibble from the sandwich. "I never believed in gods before then. Anyway he had to leave in a hurry, but the Bifrost broke, so I didn't see him again until the Convergence two years later."

Edited (punctuation >.>) 2023-09-29 03:01 (UTC)

"You... ran him over with your car?" It would be concerning if Thor seemed to have any lasting issues from it. As it is, it's more amusing than anything. Amelia holds back a chuckle, but can't suppress the amused smile on her face. "I can understand why you'd think him mad. Asgard was a very different sort of place compared to Earth." If she'd ended up here instead of the Nexus, she'd have expected a similar reaction from locals. Someone with manners and customs so different from anyone most people know? Of course they'd be concerned.

She listens as she takes them the last distance to the house, letting them in after Jane's latest pause. It wouldn't surprise her if Loki was involved with something like she's described, but Amelia doesn't speak to that, focusing instead on getting them settled at their small table. As she moves about the kitchen to collect a few plates, she gestures for the other woman to sit.

"The Convergence was the event you spoke of before, with the worlds colliding and your visit to Asgard." She looks over her shoulder at Jane as she opens a cupboard. "Are you willing to speak on it now? What happened there? I'll not push if you're not ready, but I assure you it comes long before my story of Loki." That is decidedly more recent, and also far more complicated to what's happening in Asvera today. She could do so if pressed, but it makes sense to speak in chronological order in her mind.

"It was an accident!" Jane protests, though she too has a little smile on her lips, more out of embarrassment than deep amusement. It is funny in hindsight, a little bit. "Darcy tasing him wasn't though. But we did take him to the hospital and he was fine, though he did kind of, uh, escape." Which... might have been for the best, given the government's intense interest once they'd realized he was there. Or maybe that's too many scifi stories about hiding aliens on Earth influencing her, but Jane wouldn't put it past SHIELD to have been a Problem.

Her focus changes as she realizes they're arriving at an actual destination, her gaze sweeping over the little house. It's no golden palace, a humble home set apart from the more closely-crowded village houses elsewhere on the island, but large enough for a man Thor's size - and a small family too. Flowers bloom alongside the house's outer walls, a wild thicket that seems at once overgrown and well in check, defying the rocky soil at their foundation. The doorposts are painted red and silver, and Jane's hand momentarily lingers on the knotwork as she steps into the house. Inside feels even more strongly of Thor's presence: a lingering smell of coffee hanging in the air hours after it's gone cold, a large red knit sweater tossed over the back of an armchair, empty brackets for an absent weapon above the mantel, and - she's surprised to note - Hubble photographs framed and hung on the walls.

It's at once nothing like she expected and also incredibly him.

Alongside the ghosts of his presence are Amelia's, as well - the way she moves around the kitchen with purpose, her familiarity with the home making it clear that this is her home as well, her own belongings and decor leaving signs of herself all throughout the house. Jane is quiet while she takes a seat at the small kitchen table, just looking around at everything before Amelia prompts her.

She takes a breath and lets it out. "Okay, so. I was already studying the Convergence before Thor showed up, though I didn't know what it was yet. My team, that is - my intern Darcy Lewis, and a scientist friend of mine, Erik Selvig. I said before that there were portals opening up everywhere? I accidentally went through one and found an Infinity Stone that Thor's granddad had buried five thousand years before, this... reality-warping goop called the Aether. I didn't know what it was, but it... went into me," she says, waving at herself. "Like it possessed me, kind of. I was still me, but it was killing me, so Thor took me to Asgard to try to get it out of me. And it turns out it used to be owned by the dark elves, and Thor's grandpa was wrong about wiping them all out, and they attacked Asgard to get it back." Her gaze drops to her hands, and though it's been years, this part of the story still stings with guilt. "Thor's mom died to protect me from Malekith, their leader."

She takes in another breath, a little shakier, but still more than steady enough to tell the rest of the tale. "You know Loki attacked Earth, years back? He was in the dungeons on Asgard because of it, but Thor and his friends staged a jailbreak so he could smuggle me off Asgard and trick Malekith into getting the Aether out of me so they could destroy it. The first part worked, but not the second, and there was a big fight. Loki died to protect me too." That's something she has more complicated feelings on, because he was a smug jerk and he killed dozens of innocent people - but she also watched Thor hold his little brother in his arms while the light left his eyes, and she knows how deeply that drove a metaphorical knife into his heart. And in the end, Loki had died to save her life. That's worth something.

She shakes her head a little, picking at the crumbs of her sandwich with her fingers. "We got back in Earth in time for the Convergence to really be in full swing, and we managed to stop Malekith from using the Aether before it was too late."

The house still feels more Thor's than hers, in Amelia's opinion. A few of the magical texts and the small notebook marked with a fountain pen laying out on the coffee table are hers, but most of her things are still hidden away in "her" room, though even that's merely a place for her things rather than somewhere she spends much time these days. There's a few finer things among the more modest that were hers - a finely crocheted blanket folded into a corner of the couch, a dark wooden rack for shoes that accommodates tall boots by the door, a small wooden box inlaid with silver and emerald-colored enamel filled with beads for braiding tucked away on a shelf in the living room - all repurposed to become theirs now that she lives here. This life she has is part of his, something they are making together. Whatever might once have been hers alone feel better to her now that it's theirs instead.

She listens closely as she moves about, a small, thoughtful frown on her lips. Loki's part in the story doesn't surprise her, both the parts she knew before and those she didn't, but hearing that the loss of Thor's mother came as part of this whole event is painful. It's not Jane who caused the death of the previous Allmother, but the event was still precipitated by the woman's presence in Asgard. Even if they won't say it, Amelia's certain there are at least a few who remember the incident who will blame Jane for it anyway. She assumes Thor doesn't - he would have told her that when mentioning Jane otherwise - but that doesn't mean others take their king's stance.

Needing to keep herself busy, the rogue starts a kettle on the stove, intent on making tea for herself and her guest if she'll want it. Maybe coffee instead, if that's what Jane wants instead. "Getting something like that out seems the most important thing to be done in a situation like that." She manages a little smile for Jane as she steps over to the table and begins setting out all of the sweets she bought on the various plates she took out of the cupboards. "I'm glad you were able to get back to Earth to save it as well. This world is a haven for so many, and it's given me some of the best people I've ever known." There have been heartaches, too, but she won't regret meeting or knowing anyone she's cared for and lost from here.

Hands free once again, Amelia moves to choose a set of mugs for their drinks. "Loki is a complicated man, and knowing him makes it easy for me to accept that he would both do horrible things and sacrifice himself for someone else. Especially one loved by Thor." She smiles again, stopping her movements to lean her back against the counter and cross her arms loosely in front of her chest. For this, she intends to look the other woman in the eyes.

"I don't know how it happened, but he came back after that moment. His life remained a complicated thing, but he again sacrificed himself for others some time later. For the people settled here, actually, though even that tale is..." She searches for another word and eventually sighs when she comes up with nothing. "Complicated. It's also not mine to tell, as I'm only connected to it from after its passage. I know it was difficult for everyone involved, and it hurt Thor deeply to lose Loki in that way." To Thanos in particular. That part, at least, she knows not to share on her love's behalf.

"The Loki I know now isn't the exact same man as the one you knew. He's from a world so much like this it might as well be the same, but he's not the one who did all those things for you or the people of Asvera. Not directly." She shrugs her shoulders, wishing she had a better explanation than the one she's going to offer. "Both Thor and I met him through the Nexus. He's played a role with some things in this world over time, but always as an outsider, brought in by those who know of his existence and trust him. Flawed and mercurial as ever he was, his heart is often in the right place. He even adopted a handful of Asgardian orphans when everyone was moved here, and he's raising them into fine young people."

Dreams, is that too much to say? Too soon to say it after Jane's story? She doesn't know, but she hopes she's not crowding by offering it in this way.

Tea is definitely welcome, though Jane would accept either. Caffeine is caffeine, and a hot drink is a hot drink, and a lifetime spent pulling all-nighters does not discriminate. She finishes off the remainder of her sandwich half while the tea steeps, the other half wrapped and tucked into her jacket pocket. A thoughtful frown is on her face as Amelia tells her tale, taking it all in. "God, that's terrible." Nobody's told her what happened to Odin, but it's a foregone conclusion that the old king is gone too, given who sits the throne of Asgard now. Who does Thor have left, besides the other woman puttering around the kitchen?

News of another Loki is surprising, but perhaps it shouldn't be. A few pieces click into place, and Jane's eyes narrow a little. "That's... weirdly altruistic of him. But I guess it's not like I knew him, we only really met the one time. And Thor... well, you've probably heard some of his stories by now, when they were growing up." She shakes her head, accepting the steaming cup of tea and bringing it close to inhale the scent. "Is it anything like you're used to? The whole... royal family drama thing, I mean." Amelia had said she'd intended to make her family nobles, and Jane hasn't forgotten that, though her experience with that sort of thing is either dating Thor or going to a Renaissance faire.

It helps Amelia stay settled to have something to do with her hands. Tea is a familiar ritual for herself, and after checking that her choice of a lightly floral green tea won't go astray, she sets about making it while their conversation continues. It feels much easier for her to sit down across from Jane once she has something in her hands.

"I've heard some stories, yes, from Thor and Loki both. Aside from how far some of their pranks went and the scale of it, it's not so different from what I'm used to with my own siblings." A beat and she huffs a laugh. "One of them, at least. When you're competitive with someone, you always try to take things one step further. Gods only have the chance to do more with it because of what they are than people like you and I."

She shrugs a little as she sips at her tea. "In a way I'm used to it, yes. I kept my ear to the ground with all of the nobility in my city when I could, but I was never so close as to be part of it. My family was only recently made noble before I was pulled from there, and as much as I prepared them for it, there's a gap between being a prominent merchant family and being lowly titled nobles." It's offered as fact rather than something good or bad. High or low never mattered to Amelia where her family was concerned, so long as they had access to what she wanted for them. The lowest of titles did that, and it remains enough for her after sealing off her world from the rest of the multiverse.

"Thor and Loki aren't so competitive anymore. They're supportive of each other through all the hardships both of them have faced, be they world ending or daily frustrations. There's struggles there, of course, but it's a rare and fond sort of companionship." She smiles warmly, turning her cup between her fingers. "They've both settled in their own ways, too. Thor here with me, Loki with his children and a woman he loves. I'm happy for them both, truly, and I know they're happy for one another, too."

Whatever Jane had been expecting when she arrived in Asvera, none of this was it. It feels so surreal to be sitting in a little house on the sea, drinking tea with her ex's new very mortal girlfriend and chatting about Thor's dead brother who is apparently alive and well and father to a bunch of orphans. It's all very, very weird.

Which is par for the course when it comes to anything Asgardian, she supposes. Her life has not been normal since the moment a man fell out of the sky in front of her.

"No kids in the plans for you two then?" Jane blurts before she can think twice, and her cheeks flush. "I'm sorry, that was rude."

Amelia's cheeks turn an even deeper red as she looks down at her tea. Part of her had expected the question, but it's still... unnerving to hear it. Mostly because her own thoughts have been churning on the matter for months, stirred up several times today in their walk about Asvera.

Dreams, why has she continued to avoid this conversation with Thor? This is madness.

"Not... as such. Not yet, at least? We've not actually spoken on the subject." Her neck turns a bit red as she forces herself to take a sip of tea for a few seconds of reprieve. "It's something we should speak on, but it's complicated with me being mortal and not knowing what the fate of such children would be, let alone how the rest of Asvera would take it or if they'd accept me as anything more than his partner and--"

She cuts herself off with sharp exhale, fingers inevitably finding the strands of her hairpin. "I'm sorry. My thoughts have been on this for a while without knowing how to broach the subject with him. Not because I'm eager to have children, but because... because..."

Because she never saw herself with children on her world. She never thought she could be a mother, much less someone's lover or partner or wife. Now here she is, in love with the king of a people she cares for as if she'd always been among them or were one of them. How do you even talk about something like that with the person you love?

"I suppose this is a reminder that I need to talk with my therapist about, assuming I don't trip into the conversation." A habit that feels like it's painfully obvious in this moment.

Well, this is awkward. Jane hides behind the rim of her teacup, her own reflection looking up at her from the steaming brew. She takes a deep breath and makes herself set the cup down on the table with a little clatter. "That's kind of what happened to us. I wasn't even thinking about kids and when he brought it up, I wasn't ready. It... didn't go well." She winces and shakes her head. "Not that it was a dealbreaker, or the last straw or anything. But kids have never really been on my to do list."

She believes Jane means well by telling her this, but the offer only makes things worse. Children weren't part of her plans for her life either. Everything is completely different now than it was in Masarra, but there are still so many reasons it's a terrible idea, so many ways everything could go wrong. She doesn't want that, yet what can she do to stop it?

The only thing left to her now is to talk to Thor. It's going to be a very difficult and emotional conversation, she's certain. It'll have to come with all else that's involved with them having children, top among them being her long-term place in Asvera and Asgardian culture, but they have to begin somewhere.

"It was enough for the two of you to recognize other troubles you were having," she supplies, smiling sympathetically. "I'm not so inexperienced with relationships that I don't understand. I've loved others in my life, and lost the relationship because of things I've done that I shouldn't have. Sometimes things simply don't work between two people, and it takes those difficult conversations to see it." They're always painful, but necessary and best for all in the long term.

Sighing softly, she sets her tea on the table and turns it slowly between her hands. "It won't be easy to have this conversation, but I don't think there's a way either of us will truly be ready for it. If we were, there'd be little point in having it." She smiles ruefully. "It will go as well as it's meant to, and my life will continue on after, much as yours did. The direction it goes only unknown for now."

Jane looks at her, continually surprised by Amelia's seemingly easy acceptance of facing such life-changing questions. "I'm..."

She's interrupted by a familiar sound, a roar from the heavens that splits the clouds and burns with prismatic fire, scorching its knotwork patterns into the rocks on the cliffsides near the house. It's a sound she's heard in her dreams for years, unforgettable as the man who manifests within its blazing light, axe casually slung over his shoulder as he walks the short path home.

The door swings open to admit Thor, his attention on knocking the dust from his boots as he enters, setting Stormbreaker down on its head next to the door. He's dressed more formally than he's come to enjoy, a near-Asgardian style outfit Alex has crafted for him in black and embroidered silver, a red half-cape over his left shoulder, his hair and beard braided and accented with silver bands. At first, he does not notice the presence of company, though the scent of hot tea tells him Amelia is at home. "I swear these meetings get longer every time," he calls out, before turning to face the little kitchen, and a shock resonates through him when he realizes Amelia is not alone - and who her visitor is. "Jane?"

"Um. Hi," Jane says, lifting her hand to wave at him, but she's staring just as much, aside from an absently panicked glance at Amelia.

Ex Marks the Spot [for rogueinladysclothing]

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