nexus_crossings | +1 King of Asgard

+1 King of Asgard

Thor really should have no right to be as cheery as he is right now. Mjolnir destroyed, his father dead, his eye ruined, Asgard exploded, the last of his people crammed together onto a single spaceship on their way to seek aslyum on Midgard, one cannot really say they've been having a good day, to put it mildly.

But it could be worse.

It's taken him years to fully understand what it means to sit on the throne of Asgard, and now that kingship falls to him at last, the lack of that throne doesn't bother him at all. Asgard isn't a place to rule, it's a people to guide. And even if they couldn't save all of them, those who remain are precious to him. A new start awaits them all on Earth.

Or so he hopes.

Thor strides down the corridor of the Statesman, cape billowing behind him as he navigates his way towards the bridge. Hmm. Or was it this way? It's so easy to get turned around in this blasted thing. But ah, the sound of a multitude of voices; surely this is the way.

It takes him a moment to realize that he's no longer surrounded by Asgardians, or even Korg's crew. No, the people here are of all shapes and sizes, and the sky above him suddenly opens up, wide and blue. Not on a spaceship anymore. How very strange to find himself suddenly transported across the galaxy - again - without so much as being shot through the Bifrost. His attention is caught by a familiar voice, and despite his confusion, a delighted grin lights upon his countenance to see his good friend Rogers giving prerecorded messages in his battle regalia.

Perhaps this is Midgard, then? But no, the more he listens, the more he understands. A place between the worlds, hmm. A place to seek counsel, and befriend countless warriors from across the universe. Thor crosses his arms over his chest, and contemplates what question he should ask. Something somewhat relevant to his current situation, perhaps. "If you were put in a position of power, what would you first command?"

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The system seems simple enough, once she explains which icon stands for what. Something to play with later, then, when he's not taking up her time.

He briefly considers vacating the chair again, but he'll tower over her if he does, so he stays seated, turning the chair to face her better. "Yes, it's the Asgardian name for it. Our kingdom is made of nine realms, connected by the cosmic branches of Yggdrasil, the World Tree." Not nine, not anymore, but Thor is reluctant to reduce that number to eight, not yet. "Asgard and Midgard are among them, as is Vanaheim. Jotunheim, the home of the frost giants. Nidavellir, Alfheim, Svartalfheim, Muspelheim, and Niflheim." It's a lot of names, and ones he's learned many humans have trouble remembering. Or pronouncing. "Don't worry, there won't be a quiz," he adds with a grin.

She does not have the same concern; even with him sitting and her standing, she feels tiny next to him. It's the way he carries himself as much as his brawny shoulders.

Listening attentively to his explanation, she almost forgets to laugh at his little joke at the end. "They are names I'm not used to," she admits with a soft smile. "Have you visited them all?" She thinks he probably has, if he was destined to rule them. "Why did the Frost Giants decide to invade Earth -- I mean, Midgard? Are you still at war with them?"

“Of course, though some were visited more... briefly than others.” Svartalfheim and Niflheim, in particular; who would want to spend time in those dark, barren lands? More than needed, anyway.

As to her next questions, he must shrug a little. “I was a babe during the Jotun War, but I’m told it was a grab for land and power. The humans of that era were armed with little more than swords and spears, and were easily intimidated by both the Jotuns and my people. My father seized the source of their power and kept it locked in the treasure room on Asgard, enforcing a peace between us. With Asgard destroyed, and the Casket of Ancient Winters with it, who can say what they will do.” That’s something to worry about after his people are safe, he hopes.

Edited 2018-09-07 18:58 (UTC)

"I once had a goal of visiting all Twelve Colonies," she confesses. "I made it to four. Earth must be special if you are deciding to live there."

Ah, so he's old, too. Long-lived, she quickly corrects herself. She listens thoughtfully, even as she gives a nervous tug on the strap of her messenger bag. Talk of war, of peace negotiated and then shattered, inevitably sets her on edge. "So... they weren't the ones who destroyed Asgard?"

"It is," he says, the fondness clear in his voice. "A king's not supposed to have favorites, but I've enjoyed my time there more than any other realm except perhaps Vanaheim."

Her nervousness is just as clear to him, even if he's not entirely sure of the cause. "No, they weren't." It's a long story, one he's not sure how much he could condense without a great deal of explanation. "There's long been a prophecy of a great cataclysm that would destroy the realm of Asgard, an event we call Ragnarok. We always thought it to be something to fight against, to try to prevent. But a long-forgotten foe reemerged, drawing her power straight from the realm itself, with intent to conquer the entire cosmos with as much bloodshed as her black heart demanded. To stop her, I gave the order for Ragnarok myself."

It's nice to hear such fondness from someone not of Earth. "It's a lovely planet, isn't it? I'm so glad my people found it."

She drops her gaze, even as she listens, twisting on her strap now instead of tugging it. "That's quite a sacrifice," she says. "But it saved your people." She can't help but think of the rebel Cylons who destroyed their own resurrection hubs as a way to stop the Ones from continuing their sadistic plan for revenge. "She's gone now, I take it?" She can't imagine Thor would lead such an enemy to Earth, even inadvertently.

"Yes, it did." Despite the gravity of what he did to save his people, he still smiles, and means it. Asgard is not a place. "We left none behind but those who had already given their lives, and they will be honored."

Her question gets a firm nod of affirmation. "There's little chance she survived the destruction, and if she did, the realm beneath her feet became little more than dust and stone, floating freely in the void."

Yep, floating in the vacuum of space would certainly put an end to most life. Unless his foe was a tardigrade, but somehow she doubts that. (She likes water bears far too much to imagine they could have any blackness in their tiny little bodies.)

Reassured that his people are safe, at least for the time being, she consciously decides to drop the subject of war. She smooths out the kink she left in the strap of her bag, glancing briefly at the terminal screen, wondering what he'll decide to research first. "What's your favorite thing about Earth?" she asks curiously. "Mine is the sea. We live on an island, and the water around us is the bluest I've ever seen."

As it happens, vacuum is not an automatic death sentence for Asgardians either, but Thor is fairly certain that even if someone happens to stumble across Hela in the debris field, it won't be for a very long time. Long enough that she will have certainly perished, if she didn't die in the cataclysm.

Thor, too, is ready to leave talk of war behind. "My favorite thing, besides the people, is certainly the food," he tells her with a broad smile. "There is always something new I haven't tried, whether it be mere seasoning or a dish that has never graced an Asgardian table. I never had coffee before my first modern visit to Earth. Have you tried it? It's far superior to tea."

"I love coffee," she replies enthusiastically. "I practically lived off of it for a time." The Twelve Colonies had coffee, too, but she's willing to cede it as an Earth specialty.

Unconsciously, she glances back at the vending machines and the free coffee that she used to drink daily. It kept her going whenever her energy flagged, and for that, she'll always be grateful. (Even if it isn't that great.)

"Have you had hot chocolate?" she asks, on the subject of drinks. "It's not as strong as coffee, but it's my favorite."

"I don't think so," Thor says after a moment's thought. "I've had chocolate before, but not heated to the point of melting." He can assume it's a tolerable temperature for humans, though; it takes very little to start melting the chocolate he's encountered.

"I've spent most of my life drinking ale with my meals," he adds, a spark of amusement in his eye. "Or mead, or beer. Apparently many Midgardians frown on that."

"You haven't had hot chocolate yet?" Adia looks... well, appalled is a strong word, but clearly, in her eyes, this is a situation that needs to be remedied. "Oh, it's fantastic, especially on a cold day, with lots of whipped cream on top."

Impulsively, she shifts the weight of her messenger bag and gestures towards the Shopping District. "There's a wonderful coffee shop not far from here, and they make the best hot chocolate. Can I take you there? You should try it before you leave."

Zelus flutters his wings and looks up at Adia skeptically.

"We don't usually drink with every meal, it's true." She wonders if Asgardian beer is as potent as human beer. "I do like mead, though. A number of home brews have started on Atlantis, but it's slow-going."

Never let it be said that Thor turned down an opportunity for food or drink, especially shared with a new friend. "Certainly," he agrees with a broad smile, and swivels back to the terminal only briefly to log out before getting to his feet. "Will payment be needed?" He doesn't usually carry anything on him, but he knows where he can get his hands on some valuables. The Grandmaster's tastes may be good for something after all.

He chuckles at her comments. "Yes, a proper brew may take a great deal of time and attention to perfect. The finest vintages of our ales have been aged for a thousand years, though those are usually reserved for special occasions."

"It's my treat," Adia says happily. All those years she relied on the generosity of Nexus strangers, and now she gets to return the favor!

Zelus doesn't look as pleased about the change of locale, not wanting to go inside a coffee shop, especially one that doesn't have any treats for him. Adia gently brushes the back of his neck. "Why don't you go back to the Professor's, Zelus? I won't be gone long, and I'll pick you up something on the way back. Okay?"

"Airy," he chirrups. He gives Thor another look, then spreads his wings, and with a few hearty flaps, takes to the skies. He'll circle above until she's been safely escorted to the shop.

"It's this way," she says, making her way out of the Plaza. "That's amazing. Your ales, I mean. I think our all our wine would have turned to vinegar if it survived that long."

The Allspeech hasn't had enough to work with to translate just yet, but Thor can see Zelus' displeasure easily enough, and he places a hand on his chest and bows his head politely. "She will come to no harm in my company, noble Zelus," he promises.

Thor accompanies her half a step behind, and though he's paying attention to her, his head turns this way and that to take in the sights on their way, compensating for his blind side. "I never learned the techniques," he admits, quite shamelessly, a smile tugging at his mouth. "But the only brewers trusted with it are those who have spent centuries perfecting their craft. It's well worth the effort; only a small amount is needed to loosen the tongue of even my people."

Adia smiles softly to herself at the way Thor speaks to Zelus. "I hope you get to see Steve before you leave," she remarks. Then he'd get to meet Sarah and Ethel. She has a feeling that he'd enjoy rough housing with them, Sarah especially.

The scenery, as they walk through the Shopping District, is a mix of seemingly random architecture. Everything from old stone and iron work to sleek glass storefronts dressed up in neon lights. The people are as varied -- mostly human, but some obvious non-humans as well, including the more "traditional" looking aliens. Adia keeps an eye on her surroundings as well, but mostly to take the proper steps to the coffee shop. "Something you should know about this place," she says while they walk, "Is that sometimes the geography changes. Buildings will change location, or streets will shift direction. But if a place is visited often enough, it usually stays put. Ah, here we are."

She stops in front of a rather nondescript brick building. Only the little brass sign overhead emblazoned with a coffee cup indicates the business within. She holds the door open for him -- inside is a rather austere shop with high-vaulted ceilings, the standing stables and low bench along the back wall made of dark wood and accented with polished copper.

Behind the counter is a monstrosity of an espresso machine, also copper, and a smaller drip machine in a similar style. The barista, a very thin, very tall blue-haired man with elven features and an expression that suggests he is not in the mood for small talk, is currently wiping both machines clean with a rag, preparing them for their next order.

There's unmistakable fondness in his voice as he answers. "As do I. It will be good to see him again." Thor hasn't seen his human friends in a couple years, and while that's practically the blink of an eye to an Asgardian, his human friends don't have the luxury of quite that much time to live their lives. Any time spent with his mortal companions is precious and to be treasured.

"Shifting geography," he repeats, intrigued by the idea. "But stabilized by frequent visitation... it sounds like some manner of mind magic to my ear. It encompasses the entire realm, or just this location?"

Thor nods his thanks, and does not hesitate to step inside and stride up to the counter, fully at ease with human-style establishments like this one, and the decidedly not human person behind the counter. The smell of freshly ground coffee reminds him of the diner in New Mexico, and more recently, New York. Rare was the occasion where someone on the team was not seeking a cup of the dark, hot brew, and he smiles a little at the memories. "I would like your largest hot chocolate, if I may." What else did Adia say it needed? Oh, yes. "With a great deal of whipped cream."

Should she tell him that there's more than one Steve in the Nexus? No, she decides, that's something Steve -- either Steve -- can share if they are feeling up to it. Besides, who knows if either Steve is from the same universe as Thor?

"The entire Nexus," she replies. "It happens in the Wilds, and with the portals in the Plaza, too. My theory is that reality here is inherently unstable, and only by repeated observation does something stay in the same place. Like quantum mechanics, except on a grand scale."

Now it is Adia's turn to walk a half-step behind, catching up once he reaches the counter. "Hi, Farel," she says to the barista, who has turned to acknowledge Thor, his expression unchanging. "I'll have a hot chocolate with whipped cream, too, please. A small."

Farel looks from Thor to Adia, then nods and turns towards his work station to begin making their drinks. Halfway through heating up a stainless steel container of milk, he says in a gruff monotone, "Decided to take someone new out for drinks?"

Adia laughs, her cheeks coloring a touch. "He's never had hot chocolate before. Besides, Caspar has taken at least two Nexus newcomers out for coffee, I need to catch up."

"Hmm." The barista doesn't comment otherwise, although a faint smile appears on his face. "You didn't tell your new friend about the chocolate whipped cream."

"Oh, that's right. Thor, would you like to try chocolate whipped cream instead of plain?"

The way she speaks reminds him of Jane, somewhat, and his fond smile becomes slightly bittersweet. "The lines between magic and what you call physics are often blurred. The truth likely lies somewhere between."

The tavernkeeper's gruff, stoic attitude is such a contrast to Adia's bright laughter that Thor nearly does a doubletake, watching their interactions with interest. The suggestion she makes only increases his curiosity. "Chocolate upon chocolate? Why not." If nothing else, it'll be interesting to see the difference between the beverage and its topping, the same food in different forms.

While they wait for drinks to be made, Thor glances aside at her, curious. "Are you a scientist?"

Edited 2018-09-12 00:18 (UTC)

That bittersweet smile is a new one on Thor, who seems to be a man who enjoys smiling. She hopes she hadn't said anything too sensitive. "I try not to think too hard about it," she admits easily. "Not unless I want to give myself a headache."

The barista nods once at Thor's change in order, then looks at Adia expectantly. She only needs to return his look, and then he's back to making drinks. Somehow, she and Caspar have become regulars here. A hot chocolate is not her "usual" order, but the chocolate whipped cream is, always.

At Thor's question, she looks up at him and smiles. "I am, yes. A microbiologist -- I study infectious diseases. How'd you guess?"

Farel puts two ceramic mugs on the counter, one much larger than the other. "Large hot chocolate. Small hot chocolate. Chocolate whipped cream on both." A generous amount of it for both of them. Adia hands him his payment -- a few silver dollar coins -- adding one to the tip jar once he's rung her out.

Not quite the field he'd thought she might be in, but at least he guessed the right branch of study. "You speak like a woman I once courted," he admits. "An astrophysicist from Earth, Doctor Jane Foster. She also spoke in theories often, occasionally about these quantum mechanics." He's still not entirely sure what the boundaries of this field of study are, but it certainly came up a lot in his attempts to explain magic to her.

Thor picks up the mug and smells it, before taking an experimental swig. It's piping hot but that doesn't seem to bother him overmuch, outside of getting some of the whipped cream in his beard, which he wipes away with the back of his hand. "Delicious," he proclaims, and salutes with the mug to Farel. "My compliments."

Ooh, an interspecies romance! It doesn't sound like it worked out as well as her relationship, so she decides not to bring it up, focusing instead on her second favorite subject to Earth -- science! "That's a field that I wished I was in when were looking for Earth," she says with a small laugh. "But the last time I took a physics course was in college. I served on a research vessel called the Chiron, but now I work in a lab on Atlantis."

Farel returns the compliment with the briefest of nods before turning back to his work of cleaning the espresso machine. Adia grabs a few napkins and picks up her drink. "Can we sit at one of the tables back there?" she asks Thor. "What sorts of fields of study did you have on Asgard?"

That she comes from a spacefaring faction of humans is pretty fascinating, he's not gonna lie. The ones Thor knows have only just made it to their planet's moon, a mere hairsbreadth away from Earth, with unmanned probes sent out a good deal further, but still within the confines of their star system. "Atlantis, that's the name of your island?"

He's more than happy to move the conversation to a table, using his free hand to gather his cape to one side so he doesn't sit on it. "There are the crafts, of course. Brewing mead, smithing metal, that sort of thing. Others trained in the art of combat, to serve as army or ceremonial guard, the Einherjar." Almost all dead now, and it gives him pause a moment, before he continues. "For those of us with more personal magics, specialized training was given by those with the most similar abilities, or through a great deal of experimentation."

"Yes," she confirms with a bright smile. She loves her new home on Earth. "We used to live in a star system of twelve planets, but had to flee at the beginning of the second Cylon War. We were looking for the lost thirteen colony -- called Earth in the Sacred Scrolls." Her smile dims slightly, tempered by the memory of what her people found. "It was... well, unfortunately, it had suffered its own war. Then, um... well, it's a complicated story, but we somehow found Earth. The same kind of Earth that Steve is from, except the humans who live there are not nearly as technologically advanced. We settled on an uninhabited island and named it Atlantis, after Atlas, a Titan from the Sacred Scrolls."

She's just going to head off any "lost city of Atlantis" confusion right here, although it doesn't seem like Thor knows about that, anyway.

It takes her a moment to get settled, shrugging off her messenger bag and sitting down opposite Thor. Finally, she is able to enjoy a slightly cooler sip of hot chocolate while he speaks, careful not to get any whipped cream on her face. "Oh, your people have magic," she says in surprise. "But no biological study? What flora and fauna did Asgard have?"

Edited 2018-09-13 14:35 (UTC)

A system with twelve inhabitable planets is a rarity, and Thor is suitably impressed. The rest of her story is equally compelling, and he listens attentively, all the more curious about her chosen home. He's seen humans of a thousand years ago, and has a fair idea how far they've come in those few centuries. But it sounds like the Midgardians of her era have regressed, if anything, after the war that she says ravaged the planet.

There's a phrase in there that grabs his attention more than any other, however, so he asks about that first. "The same kind of Earth? There is another?"

Despite the summer heat outside, the warmth of the mug is welcome against his hands, and he takes a deeper draft of the chocolatey beverage. "Not as you might know it," he says, hoping that his experiences trying to teach Jane about Asgard will prove helpful here too. "Studies of creatures throughout the realms and beyond are well-recorded, and taught to children as basic education; any specialized knowledge is studied only by those who need it. Like goat herders, or gardeners. Or warriors," he adds, because it definitely helps to know where to strike when you're fighting fire demons or Vrellnexians and so on.

Speaking of Asgard in the past tense is still so strange, and her question reminds him that even birds and beasts were not spared Ragnarok. "The usual. Horses, oxen, birds, snakes, that sort of thing. Trees and flowers of all sorts, well tended and chosen for their beauty, and herbs for the cooks and healers' halls. Most were imported from Vanaheim, or descended from those brought from Midgard centuries ago."

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