pirateangelbaby: (Braided beard)
Thor Odinson, God of Thunder, King of Asgard ([personal profile] pirateangelbaby) wrote in [community profile] nexus_crossings2020-03-15 01:51 pm

The Wheel Turns, The Sun Rises

[OOC: Follows this prose. Posted early for ease of slowtags, but takes place in the spring. If you can't tag into this for a few weeks but still want to, feel free to tag late, I don't mind. <3 ]


Winter is slow to leave the shores of Norway, but here in the Nexus, the turning of the season is far more apparent. Snow has given way to mud and damp, squishy grass, bright green buds blossom on trees and bushes, and birds sing in the trees.

A less melodious pair of voices squawk from the crook of Thor's elbow. The god of thunder is seated on one of the park benches that overlooks a running path, the sunlight shining off his loosely braided hair, gathered at the nape of his neck. He is still dressed against a chill in a soft woolen sweater, but his attention is less on the cloudless weather than he is on the little creatures he holds. Anyone who comes close enough might be able to catch a glimpse of baby birds just beginning to grow their first plumage, ugly and wide-mouthed as they beg for bits of food.

As eager as they are to gobble up the smallest scraps of meat he's feeding them, Thor is rather glad that his prosthetic fingers do not feel any pain of those little sharp beaks jabbing at him. There's a fondness in his eye as he gazes down at them, but he's troubled also, a quiet thoughtfulness that doesn't leave when he looks up. "How important do you think names are? What power do they actually hold?"
rogueinladysclothing: (Thinking)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2020-03-19 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
She's halfway to asking why Thor didn't go ask Loki directly about the ravens when she realizes why he hesitated. There are many Lokis in the Nexus, but none of them are the brother who was on the Statesman with him. Her lips tug into a sympathetic frown and she nods as she looks down at the tiny birds again.

"You wonder if they're a gift passed on to you." It's less a question and more an attempt to suss out her understanding of what Thor saw. Visions are a strange kind of magic from what she's read, not always clear and full of metaphors that don't make sense until after something has come to pass. What a troubling gift to have. "If they are, there might be some deeper meaning to their presence in your life."

Ravens aren't symbolic in her own culture, but it's obvious that Thor feels strongly about them. If he didn't, there wouldn't be a need to ask after names for the two now in his care.

Setting her pondering thoughts aside, Amelia turns her gaze up to Thor again. "When they're grown, what will be their place in your life, these ravens? Will they be to you what they were to your father?" Perhaps knowing that could help her friend settle on names.
rogueinladysclothing: (Hopeful)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2020-03-21 07:37 pm (UTC)(link)
She's quiet for a moment as she works through what Thor is saying. "Even if they are your father's ravens, is it right for you to keep those names? If they've been reborn, shouldn't they be given names to reflect that? Something that suits what they are to you and their importance to you."

Amelia's not usually one for symbolism like this, but it's important to Thor. What she offers may not be useful to him as a result of her own lack of understanding, but she still wants to try. Her friends should never be left alone in moments like these when they're reaching out for help.

Her frown deepens as she continues to listen. There's been so much struggle and strife for all of the Asgardians over the past year. Anything that's been pushed aside to focus on their survival was a necessity in the rogue's eyes. There's no reason to apologize for that; To do so would be as foolish as asking the sun to apologize for shining on a cloudless day. That's not what Thor needs to hear right now, though, and Amelia knows it, so she tries for a different way of offering him solace for the unfortunate circumstances.

"You've done everything you needed to with what information you had. Your losses have prevented you from ruling the way your father did, and losses like that demand sacrifices be made." It's an unfortunate truth, but Amelia hopes her phrasing of the situation will help ease Thor's worries. Guilt and regret are ugly things and she doesn't want to see him weighed down by them.

Cautiously, in case he doesn't want the touch, she reaches out and rests a hand on his arm. "Maybe these birds are a sign that things are calming down or that you have a chance to find your footing again. If they once belonged to your father, maybe he thinks it's the right time to try looking outward again." She tries for a small smile for him. "I don't know about cycles of life and death where you come from, but I've learned from people here in the Nexus that second chances come in many forms. Maybe this is yours."
rogueinladysclothing: (Help)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2020-03-22 05:53 pm (UTC)(link)
Her smile warms when Thor looks up at her, and she places her other hand next to the first before giving his arm a small squeeze of assurance. He's so haunted by decisions he was forced to make and struggling with things that are outside of his control. There's no way she can lessen his burdens, but she can be there to support him in this moment of need.

"And you will. Start with names for them, names that are meant for now rather than the past, and build from there." It sounds so simple, but they both know it won't be that way. No path in life is simple, nor is it a straight line. Everything twists and changes as time goes on. What's important is how one deals with those changes.

Still, they need a place to start, and Amelia has an idea for that. "Are there words for new beginnings or births in the language you grew up with? Or words that represent strength of spirit rather than arm?" She could suggest dozens of words in dozens of languages given enough time in the library, but the simplest - and best - place to start is always with the person most affected by the decision. Thor will have good suggestions, even if he doesn't realize it yet.
rogueinladysclothing: (Hopeful)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2020-03-26 06:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Amelia's best understanding of language is that it's often different from one place to another. She's only had to deal with the difficulties a few times since coming to the Nexus, but that was enough to plant the idea of there being more than one language spoken in the multiverse.

The words Thor offers could be names as far as the rogue understands them, but she has no idea what makes for a good name in his culture. Her lips purse thoughtfully as she thinks about the names in her own family. Maybe more examples could help her friend.

"If those don't feel right, maybe something more pragmatic would be fitting? My own name describes my nature; I'm industrious and hardworking. My father's name is often given to protectors or guardians, and he used his skills to guard my family through many hardships. My youngest brother's name is often associated with royals or those of noble bearing, and he has all the traits to make him the best heir to my family's title." She smiles warmly and tilts her head a bit as she regards Thor. "Maybe following an example like one of these would help?"
rogueinladysclothing: (Discussion)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2020-03-28 09:30 pm (UTC)(link)
"Not at all," she confirms with a small laugh. Of course his name means 'thunder'. What other name would fit him so well? He could have been named a thousand other things, though, and he would still be the same person he is today, Amelia thinks. Brave, strong, fierce, determined - all appropriate names in different tongues, but they're all still Thor. Much the same way Steve was still Steve when he returned to the Nexus a large, strong man after leaving a small, sickly thing, Thor could be called anything else and the rogue would still call him friend.

She watches him closely as he thinks about what to name his tiny ravens. With so many options and ideas laid out before him, what will he choose? Amelia doesn't want to taint his choices with her own thoughts, and so she remains silent as she waits patiently for him to offer something. What comes from him as a result is more beautiful than she could have imagined.

"Comfort for you and your people. Mercy for all who survive with the guilt and pain." It seems fitting in so many ways. She looks up at him curiously. "Would you feel comforted, having these two things with you always? Knowing they were always there looking out for you?"
rogueinladysclothing: (Strong)

[personal profile] rogueinladysclothing 2020-04-02 11:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Being alone is a thing Amelia understands very well. She endures it well enough, but her circumstances are very different from those Thor lives with every day. Their pasts are not the same and so his desire to keep close someone, anyone who he can reach out to no matter where he is makes sense to the rogue. Were she in his place, Amelia is certain she would feel much the same.

She nods and rests a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Then it sounds like you've found the right names for them," she says softly. "You'll never have to be without them if you don't want to be and they'll have your help in return as they grow into the magnificent animals they're meant to be." Her lips pull into a soft smile. "A true familial bond that can't be broken, even if you should be separated for a short time."