searches_forhim | Arrival in Luceti

[Action/Written - Open]

One moment Jane is sitting at the kitchen table sipping her coffee and leafing through her notebook, and the next she's standing in the middle of a forest clearing. Instead of her flannel pajamas she is clad in a simple white dress and her feet are bare. Her notebook, the summary of her life's work, is nowhere to be seen. At her feet, though, is a notebook-looking thing with her name on the front. She picks it up and opens it, then sits down where she is to read.

Later, still in the woods but feeling more acclimated to where she is and the new wings on her back, she decides to give the communications function a try. She writes a short message that reads

"Hello, my name is Jane Foster, and I've just arrived. I am in the forest and I can't tell which direction to go to get out. Could someone help me out? Thanks!"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

stopmjolnirtime

"Did we succeed?" That was the next question. If their lives had been in vain. If they had managed to save Midgard, Asgard, and all the nine realms. If the blood spilled and the lives lost had been worth something. He knew not how this all came to pass, merely that it did. Perhaps it was the not knowing that stung him so. Perhaps it was the chance he could change nothing.

Tis a bitter pill to swallow, made somewhat sweeter by Jane's gentle hand upon his cheek. He curls his fingers around her hand and brushes his lips against her fingertips- something his father had done to his mother for ages. "Perhaps I may yet change it. Perhaps not."

From:

searches_forhim

She nodded as he kissed her hand. "Maybe it has already been changed by us disappearing. If I'm not there for the Aether to attach to then maybe none of it ever happens." She hoped that were true with all of her heart. Nothing brought her more anguish than the memory of Frigga lying on the ground and the look on Thor's face as he'd realized that she was dead.

"When was the last time you saw me? Before you came here, I mean." There was so much to figure out. At the moment, though, all she wanted was for things to be right between the two of them. She didn't care much where she was as long as she had him on her side.

From:

stopmjolnirtime

"When I left to meet my brother in Asgard, before the Bifrost was shattered. Before the attack upon New York." There's nothing he could think of that might change what has come to pass; though he and his brother may yet find a way to change what is down the road. But that... that could wait.

For now he had his Lady. He had his brother. He had his life. He could find everything else in time. "In this place time passes strange. We are pulled and sent and pulled once more. But...Know that this is true: I have missed you dearly. And I shall do all in my power to keep you safe."

From:

searches_forhim

"Oh wow." So he would have no idea about everything they'd talked about. The kisses they'd shared, or the two years they spent apart. It would be hard to adjust her idea of him to this new Thor. He was practically a stranger to her. She had no concept what he had experienced in Luceti or with the other Jane. His words rang very true to her, especially the strange part. But Jane had never been afraid of strange things before, and she wasn't about to start.

"I've missed you too." Even in this new situation, Thor was still surrounded by the new and exciting. She felt she would forever associate him with exploration and the search for new knowledge.

"Can we start by finding me some clothes? Especially shoes."

From:

stopmjolnirtime

"Come, your clothing shall be in the villiage. There shall be no cost to you as there is no form of currency in this place save that of favors and skills tested- I've little to offer aside from martial prowress but as there is a school should you desire to teach or research there are more than enough opportunties for you to continue your work here." He tucked her close to his side, tempted but not giving into the temptation to just carry her back. What would be the point of such a thing? There would not be. Unless she tripped or fell into injury- but this he would allow as he led her back along the path to the villiage.

"We shall aslo find you lodgings- they are plentiful in this place. For all it's strangeness it is not so cruel a cage."

From:

searches_forhim

She stepped carefully, having to take two or even three strides for every one of Thor's. She did not mind, as having his arm around her provided warmth and security.

"That's just mean, for them to take my clothes and then leave them in some store. What if someone wants them and takes them before we get there?" She missed her red Wellingtons more than anything else. They were fleece lined and waterproof and if she saw someone else walking through the village with them on she thought she'd be willing to fight them to get them back.

"How does that work, everything being free? You'd think people would get greedy and take more than they need."

From:

stopmjolnirtime

"Everyone takes only what they require, and more is provided. I know not how long this may have been established nor how long it might be true, but those I know have been kind and most generous with what they have." Most everyone tries to be supportive of those that join their enclosure. It makes adjusting to life here simpler.

"None shall take what belongs to you. Tis early in the day yet and I know the Lady Rogue will make certain no one takes that which looks as though it belongs to someone already before the appropriate owner arrives."

From:

searches_forhim

"It sounds like things are pretty nice here, then. Do you like it?" She supposed her situation could have been much worse. She was in a beautiful place where everything she needed would be provided to her for free, and the one person she wanted to be with the most was with her. The start had admittedly been rocky, but the prospects for the future looked promising.

"I hope you're right." She felt a small pang of jealousy at the mention of another woman, even though there was no suggestion that he had any sort of relationship with her.

"Is anyone else here that I would know?"

From:

stopmjolnirtime

"Tis a bit strange and frustrating at times but...aye. The Village is calm and the people here kind. Though I would rather we not need be here at all." They had lives of their own to live but at the moment there was nothing to be done to change it. All they can do is plan, prepare, and endure. For this reason he spends many days in the Battledome- though those days may be lengthened by time spent at Jane's side should she have need of him.

"I know that I am. She takes great care during the beginnings of a new cycle. None shall suffer the loss of their goods. She is a most just and charitable woman in this- I am honored to work with her." He cannot help but smile brightly at the thought of the good Lady Rogue- all the good she has done for his brother and for their less than perfect relationship.

"The Good Captain, Steve, and the Lady Carter are here as well- as is my brother, Loki. He has been here for some time now and is much changed from the man we knew. For the better, I assure you."

From:

searches_forhim

"So you work there? With Rogue?" The idea of Thor having an 'ordinary' job was a novel one, but she found it kinda cute. She knew firsthand how good he was at adapting to new situations. He seemed able to find a niche no matter where he was, and be happy in it, and she admired that about him. She wished she was that flexible.

Not looking at the ground, Jane stubbed her toe on a tree root and paused to curse under her breath and hop around on one foot.

"I'll be okay, just give me a minute." She regretted not asking him carry her through the woods. She stopped hopping and looked at him with puppy dog eyes in the hopes that he would offer and save her the trouble.

From:

stopmjolnirtime

"Aye. Twas to repay for damages done when I lost my temper with my brother in the store under her watch at first- but I find that having somewhere to spend my afternoons when not minding the Village and training in the battle dome." Even a Prince needs to fill his hours- though evenings were most often spent, well. "Most nights I tend to studies. Astrophysics, String theory- to better understand your work in the terms in which you frame the universe."

He does duck his head when he tells of this, feeling shy at the notion of him trying to learn that which she did.

It holds but for a moment, that coy look, before he's steadying her and, with what interpretation he can manage of those eyes, scooping her up so she might not repeat the injury.

From:

searches_forhim

Jane is reeling both from his confession and her throbbing toe. When he sweeps her into his arms she does nothing at first but drape her arm across his shoulders and try to catch his eyes, the ones he is trying to hide as if he has a reason to be embarrassed.

"You really did that?" she asked softly as she used her free hand to move a strand of hair from his eyes. Could he have done all of that just for her? She felt overwhelmed with appreciation and hope that indeed he did feel for her what she felt for him.

It felt good to be in his arms again, even if she'd had to hurt herself to get there. She tended to be shy at first, but when opportunity came she wasn't afraid to take it. The longer they spent together she felt sure that she'd become more comfortable with him, and be able to reach out and touch him without needing an excuse.

"I've been reading too. On Norse myth and history. I even went to Norway and looked at some ancient sites first-hand." She left out the fact that she'd been sent to Norway by SHIELD to protect her from the Battle of New York. How she got there didn't matter, it was what she had done with her time while there.

"It sounds like we've both been trying to understand the other better."

From:

stopmjolnirtime

"I had nothing left of you when you vanished from the village but your notes. I thought, perhaps, if I understood them better I too might learn more of you." Her mind and demeanor are ever what draws him to her. That she is slim and sweet and ever so fine and lovely are merely perks to an already remarkable Lady. There's a spark of inspiration in her that he admires, a drive to know that he finds contagious- and while the learning has been slow he would like to think he understands a quarter of what was written now after all this time of reading.

"Not every myth rings true- some have more than others. My brother never gave birth to a horse, nor wolf, nor the midgard serpant for one matter." The dress and wedding, though- cutting Sif's hair in a fit of jealousy, sewing Loki's mouth shut- these are true. And none that he would bear to mention easily. "You should tell me which you have read and I shall tell you how true they are, yes?"

From:

searches_forhim

"You have my notes?" If he had her whole notebook she might actually kiss him, she would be so happy. She felt lost without its familiar weight in her pocket.
She couldn't wait to see them, and to see how much of what they contained he had figured out. Part of what she'd liked about Thor, though, was his ability to simplify a complicated concept and explain it to her in a way she understood easily. She would never ask him to change that about himself, but she couldn't fault him for wanting to change himself, if he felt that the change would be for the better.

The steady swing of being in his arms as he walked was soothing, and she found herself twirling her fingers through the hair falling across his shoulders as she thought about what story to ask him about first.

"Do you really ride around in a cart pulled by goats?" She decided to start simple and potentially funny. His smile and laugh were something she longed to see and hear more of.

From:

stopmjolnirtime

"Not the book you had when we met, one you started here. There is not much in it's pages but it is something." The rest- he wasn't certain. It could be here, it could be elsewhere. The manners of personal effects in this place were ever strange, some arrived when you did and some never arrived at all.

He was still waiting on his hammer.

Twas most frustrating.

At the question, though, he had to rumble a low laugh. "Nay, I ride upon a horse like any other Asgardian."

From:

searches_forhim

"Still, something is better than nothing. I'd like to see what you have, when you have the time." The trees were beginning to thin, and in the distance she could see a cluster of buildings that must be the village.

"I also read that you're supposed to have red hair and a red beard." She liked his blond locks, and his beard suited him perfectly. "Most things I read were true, though. About Mjolnir and calling lightning and thunder. I've even seen you make it rain."

From:

stopmjolnirtime

"I have it in my home. I will fetch it for you after we have found you clothing and a place to call your own." Every lady needed her space- and Jane would want somewhere she could fetch what she needed for herself easily, rather than be surrounded by trees as he lived with Loki.

"For a brief time, I did. Twas a joke played on me by my brother prior to my visit to Midgard. He took great pleasure in puzzling those that thought us gods."

From:

searches_forhim

"Okay. What's your place like?" Jane didn't need much. She'd even lived in her van for a while when finances had been particularly tough. As long as she had the essentials and could pursue her passions she was happy. She didn't need a huge apartment or expensive clothes.

"That's quite a joke! But I guess it's better than being turned into a horse." Yes, she'd read those stories too. Loki apparently enjoyed playing tricks on anyone and everyone. And just as Jane didn't prioritize belongings, so too appearance was not the most important thing to her. What mattered most was his heart and what kind of man he was. Those were the things that had made her fall in love with him - his bravery and humility and willingness to sacrifice himself for others. The Thor who held her did not know what it felt like to sacrifice his mother and brother in order to save the universe, but she knew that if he had to, he would. She knew his heart.

From:

stopmjolnirtime

"I live with my brother in a small house close to the woods. Tis a simple, small cottage with books enough for his mind and a larder large enough for my stomach." Even though it is still a question of how long they might stand one another- they have fared well thus far. It's a simple enough thing to not wish one another dead.

His mirth holds until that one...comment. And while she is dear to him, while he is glad to hold her as they come closer to the village that is one tale he would rather not hear ever again. Expression shuttering, lips pressed thin, he rumbled. "...I would thank you not to mention that particular tale. Tis a vicious rumor, little more, and slander at it's worst. If you've any love for me you shall not mention it in this village."

From:

searches_forhim

"That sounds nice. Must be enormous, though." Enough books and enough food? She hadn't known there was a house big enough for both. And just as she's settling into a playful mood and banter with him, his expression changes and his smile disappears. She's not sure what she said to warrant such a thing. The story she'd read had been in a children's book, and it was simply that Loki had turned himself into a horse to distract a stallion from building a wall. Whatever he thought she was talking about was obviously something upsetting to him, and so she decided asking him about it would only make things worse.

Nodding, she answered quietly. "My lips are sealed." His voice was low and grumbly, the version she'd come to refer to her her mind as his 'thunder voice'. She'd rarely heard him direct it towards her, and she didn't like it. Time for a subject change.

"So that's the village? How many buildings are there total?"