nexus_crossings | +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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"Yes, through a great portal in the sky. We Avengers fought together to dismantle their army and close the doorway so no more could come. There were only six of us at the time," he adds, "all humans except myself."

"A portal in the sky." Well, that was different from the Martians' invasion methods. "The Martians came in huge metal cylinders that they fired off of Mars, like bullets from a gun. I was the first one to see one of their craft."

It's not Asgard tech, but Thor's familiar enough with the type of technology Ogilvy describes. "Missiles, yes. Primitive but effective, far more easily accessible than our propulsion magics. Earth uses similar techs at the moment, though Stark has probably made leaps ahead in that area."

Ogilvy has some questions. "Who is Stark? Is he another friend of yours? I don't believe I've met him." From the sound of him Stark is more of a technician or inventor than a scientist, a field that is not Ogilvy's. His invention skill doesn't go beyond telescopes and star maps.

Thor nods, totally at ease discussing his brothers-in-arms. “Tony Stark, though when the Avengers are at work, he is called Iron Man. An Earthborn inventor of extensive means and advanced intelligence. He is responsible for a great deal of recent advancement in Earth technology, including the flying suit of armor he wears into combat. You would know him if you had met,” he adds, a note of humor underscoring his words. “He enjoys being a noticeable presence wherever he goes, and often succeeds.”

"A showman, eh? There was a gentleman from my world named Sir Raymond Stent, and I think he wa a little like your Mr. Stark. He had an, uh, presence, and was a brilliant scientist. The Astronomer Royal." Ogilvy wonders if this Tony Stark fellow and Stent would get along, or if their larger-than-life personalities would clash. Stent wasn't unpleasant or anything, but he did like giving orders.

But Stent didn't fight, and he didn't wear powered armor. As far as Ogilvy knew, armor wasn't really used in battle anymore. Maybe in the future it would be back in vogue.

"An interesting title," Thor says, curious. He's known an astronomer or two, but royalty was never a part of the picture. Far from it, in fact. "He worked for your king then?"

"He worked for our Queen, Victoria, and then for our King when she died. He was a young man. Late thirties, lanky, blond hair." Ogilvy wonders what Stent would make of Thor. The late Astronomer Royal was a smart man, but also a skeptic.

It takes Thor a moment to remember what late thirties even means for humans. For an Asgardian, that's still well into childhood... but no, a Midgardian that age is an adult, right?

"I know little of Earth's understanding of astronomy," he admits, "but I understand it's considered a complicated field of study."

Ogilvy nods in response to the question. "It is. It took me years to learn the basics, and we're learning more every day. Do your people practice it differently?"

Astronomy is the one thing Ogilvy considers himself good at, so he's invested a lot of time and studying in making himself very good at it.

"We studied the stars in ancient days," Thor answers, and for someone as long-lived as he, 'ancient' sure has a hell of a heavy connotation. "Up close, not just with telescopes. It's something we learn about as children, these days." That's about as gentle and non-condescending as he can think to phrase it.

"You went to see the stars up close?" Ogilvy is impressed - humans couldn't even look at the sun without running the risk of damaging their eyesight. "What was it like? I know there are other stars out there besides Earth's own sun - Sirius, Mira, Altair..."

"Well, I wasn't there personally, that was millennia before my birth," Thor says, an amused look on his eye. "But I imagine it was exciting at first. Every star is different in some way, whether it's in its color and behavior, or the worlds that orbit around it, and the people who live there."

Ogilvy would have scoffed at the idea of intelligent life before the Martians came, but now he's been fully humbled. "What kind of life is there on these other planets? I've only met the Martians, and they were, as I said, unfriendly."

"Where to start? The universe is a large place, and there's thousands of civilizations spread through the cosmos. But they're mostly people, you know? Some good, some bad, can't paint them all the same. ...though some tend to be less hostile than others," he admits. "It's complicated."

"Not too surprising." Ogilvy wondered if there were Martians in Thor's world. Probably not - well, hopefully not. He was not in the mood to see them ever again. "I didn't believe in aliens at all, you know. Before the Martians came. Thought the green flashes off Mars were volcanic eruptions or something like that."

"It's hard to deny the evidence of your own eyes." Thor doesn't really get the lack of belief, though he does understand the cause of it. Humans... they'll learn.

"What do you intend to do now?"

Ogilvy shrugs. "As unlikely as it seems, since I'm here talking to you, I believe I was killed by the invading Martians. In which case I don't believe I can go home to Ottershaw, so I may as well learn to live here."

It could have been worse.

A hard thing to have to accept, but it sounds like Ogilvy is handling it well. Thor casts a glance around the Nexus, taking in the sights briefly, before his gaze returns to the human. "Well, it's no Valhalla, but there are worse places to spend the afterlife."

"Well, it isn't as if there's much else I can do, anyway, besides accept it." Ogilvy manages a smile, hat in hands. "I probably wouldn't be too happy in Valhalla, anyway. I'm a pacifist and I don't drink much. I wonder if I'll bump into Stent or Henderson here. I do miss them."

"You never know who you might meet here, apparently. Worth keeping an eye out anyway." Thor lightly claps a hand on Ogilvy's shoulder. "If this is a second chance, I hope you can make the most of it."

"I intend to make the most of my life here." Ogilvy nods, the astronomer appreciating the hand on his shoulder. "On that note, I never thought I'd meet a Norse god. That's one thing I couldn't have done back home in Ottershaw, I suppose."

+1 King of Asgard

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