InsaneJournal

After so long asleep - and waking only to realise what had happened in his absence, Thor felt a need to put some space between himself and his room for a while. The sudden sleep, while no fault of his own but of this place, had put all those here in a great deal of danger. As soon as he felt able to express himself, Thor took to the network. He apologised to everyone for the danger that he’d put them in, and that fielded a great many questions from a lot of people. Other than when he had flown straight into the barrier with Mjölnir to test its strength, and assisted people in the war-torn Las Vegas, Thor had not shown the true extent of his abilities.

It turned out that his abilities were even greater than he himself had known.

Most importantly, Thor wished to see his friends, and not just speak to them through the small electronic device. Steve visited him for a while, and they talked about what had transpired; his phone was filled with texts from Wanda that she’d sent over the last few days, the worry in her words clear, and he decided that going to see her was something he would not put off. He’d fallen asleep in his leather trousers and boots, so he found a simple black shirt and pulled it over his head. Skaði watched him without a word, her long tail swishing back and forth against the surface of the bed where she sat, that single motion the only sign of her own impatience while he readied himself.

They left the room and walked to the elevator together, Thor hitting the button that would take them to Wanda’s floor once they were inside, but with a bit more force than he intended. There was no harm done to the elevator, though, and the doors slid closed - but his mind was already in deep thought. Thor let his hand drift to the back of his head and brought it forward slowly, feeling the short strands of hair brush between his fingers - it had been long and thick only days ago, but it was just one casualty of what had happened to him. He ran his hand down his face to where his right eye used to be, now covered with an eye patch much like his father’s, but much more simplistic.

The grief that Thor felt at his father’s death was still fresh, like a wound, but it was another thing that he could not change. It didn’t erase the guilt he felt over those who had died, especially the ones that he called friend. Fandral, Hogun and Volstagg. And he feared for Sif, and wished that he knew where she was. He would have known if she were dead, like so many others in his sister’s attempts to made Asgard bend to her will, but the citizens still alive had told him she’d been exiled. Thor only hoped that he would see her again.

Skaði’s tail flicking against his leg and the soft chime of the elevator coming to a stop coaxed him from his thoughts. He left the elevator and headed down the corridor, his long strides bringing him to Wanda’s room quickly. He could feel Skaði’s calm gaze watching over him, especially as he lifted his hand and knocked twice on the door. Soft and hurried footsteps were audible through the door, yet Thor took a moment to spare Skaði a glance. In a way that could not be expressed with words, he was both grateful and relieved that she had remained with him. She understood him in a way that no one else could, and her presence was a great comfort.

Sounds letting him know the door was opening drew Thor’s attention, and he attempted a smile as Wanda’s face came into view. He couldn’t claim it was very convincing, but at least he’d tried to. “Wanda,” he said, another attempt - this time at a friendly greeting, but further words stuck in the back of his throat. Even with the memories he now possessed, his appearance felt strange and unfamiliar. He couldn’t imagine how it felt for her.