Who: Thor, Jane, & Loki What: A family visit in New Mexico. When: recently
There was one thing that Loki neglected to tell anyone, which was the mark of an exceptional liar...or merely someone who firmly believed that ignorance in others was bliss. That one thing was that Doctor Strange's binding spell - meant to keep the Tesseract locked on Loki's person until Thor gave approval to use it - didn't exactly hold true. Not after history was overwritten, and not after escaping with the Tesseract while in custody.
Once this was read about it in journals left behind by the other Loki, it was a simple matter of testing those boundaries. It was an even more straightforward matter of removing any residual traces that remained so that full access was restored.
Not that there were ill intentions. After all, this universe was the perfect place to hide in. Loki wasn't stupid. Why ruin a good thing?
Speaking of hiding, Loki shifted to a feminine form as Jane requested and appeared through a swirling blue mist behind a building in Puente Antiguo, New Mexico. A quick smoothing down of the hair and obligatory black attire, and Loki walked out onto the street with a bag looped around her wrist, staying to one side to avoid traffic. She looked like a sleek businesswoman visiting from "New" York (which was only "new" since buildings were constantly knocked down and built over).
The flawed naming conventions of Midgard was a topic for another time. There was a delicate topic yet to be discussed after pleasantries. It was good diplomacy to indulge in pleasantries and kosher baked goods first, so everyone felt more comfortable. She wasn't sure what chocolate babka was, but it sounded delightful.
Loki walked at a leisurely pace to Jane's abode, knocking lightly upon the door with a knuckle and waiting for an answer.
Jane pulled open the door to the refurbished service station that was her, and now Thor’s, home in New Mexico. She was relieved that Loki had taken her advice and not come looking like the angry god who had levelled half the town with the Destroyer. The damage had been repaired years ago and Thor was popular in town but it was better not to bring up old wounds. Loki looked sleek and fashionable and Jane tugged on the hem of the chunky cableknit sweater she was wearing to guard against the chill of winters in the desert.
“Loki, hi. Come on in.” Jane stepped back in to let her in. The majority of the space was one large round room. They’d done work to expand the kitchen into something more functional and the open space was divided between areas for living and Jane’s workbench. An addition had been tacked on to the side of the round building to add sleeping quarters. Jane had done a frantic clearing up in anticipation of Loki’s visit. All half eaten boxes of cereal or other snacks had vanished from her lab space and she’d finally put away the menorah and other Hanukkah knicknacks that had been left out since the holiday. “We’re glad you’re here.”
"Immensely thrilled," boomed Thor as he stepped into the kitchen. He truly hadn't expected his brother to arrive… or to have such a disturbing likeness to their sister.
Genetics.
Odd.
Thor gestured around the home, pride beaming on his face. "Welcome...sister?" Pronouns were important, and Thor didn't want to offend lest he discover snakes in the toilet after Loki's visit. "Loki. Welcome, Loki. Note the many changes that have been undertaken No longer is this humble abode a place strictly for science. Jane has reluctantly realized that living in comfort allows for more fruitful work, isn't that right, my love?" With a teasing grin, he brushed a kiss on the top of Jane's head.
"I was not sure how long you'd be. We have a room set aside for you if you'd like to be shown to it. Not a wing, alas, but suitable quarters of course."
Loki had politely nodded to Jane and smiled as she entered. She took a look around at everything and found it very...domestic. It was obvious that there was an intent to remain as they were, separate from everyone else, and that was disheartening. Jane clearly had more power than Loki gave her credit for, if she had ensnared Thor to such an extent.
There wasn't ample time to be lost in her thoughts, as she was often prone to do. Thor was as loud as a bilgesnipe when making an entrance, and she looked immediately amused at the attempt to figure out the right pronoun to use.
"Sister when in this form, if you'd please," she said, walking into the kitchen and setting down the bakery bag on the counter. The construction of architecture was not something she thought Thor was familiar with, but perhaps it did make sense, seeing how Thor's first weapon was a hammer. "I am grateful for the offer, but you did not need to set aside a bed for me. I shall be returning to New Asgard. I can always visit again? If I'm allowed to mark a path with runes, somewhere in the vicinity."
She paused and smiled, telling them both, "You have a lovely home. I've brought chocolate babka from a kosher baker in New York, as a housewarming gift."
Jane’s eyes softened from the way she was shaking her head and laughing at Thor.. “Thor’s good at reminding me I can’t work all the time. And thank you,” she said about the babka. “You didn’t have to do that.” It was nice but unnecessary for Loki to bring anything but for her to choose something that would speak to Jane from Jane’s culture was a true piece of thoughtfulness.
“We should enjoy this. Can I get you anything to drink Loki?” Jane asked, heading into the kitchen. The cabinets had been painted by Thor some time ago and she pulled one open to start pulling down plates.
"I'm rather fond of Midgard's coffee, if it's not an inconvenience," Loki replied. She wasn't well-versed in cooking that didn't involve spell-casting, but she could cook cakes in pans and popped tarts. She also charmed the coffeemaker at home so that everything that was brewed in it tasted like the mochas from Starbucks.
She watched as Jane took the plates down. It would be so easy to cast a spell and send the plates over to a table, and magic was already tingling at her fingertips waiting to be freed. She refrained, not wanting to startle Jane and cause her to drop anything. Both hands clasped together to prevent any finger twitching and adopted a teasing tone that Thor was sure to hear.
"Oh yes, Thor's well versed in distractions. He often preferred excitement, out of doors, in the company of his friends. More often than not, he dragged my unwilling self away from my studies. To hear that trend continues is strangely comforting." Loki hesitated before asking, "Would you like me to help you with anything?"
Thor responded quickly before Jane could. “No, sit. Enjoy. Relax. Tell us of good news and tidings, of New Asgard and prosperity.”
He actually had no real reason to believe Loki would say anything else. Although he hadn’t been able to really keep in touch with his broth -- sister, as he’d liked to, Thor was confident that if things were falling apart, he would be notified quickly.
Just because he’d taken a leave of absence from the crown did not mean he no longer cared for his people.
He just learned that he also enjoyed caring for himself. Was this selfishness an intrinsic part of his character, stamped down over the years through honour and pride? Perhaps. All he knew was he was at peace in a way that he hadn’t felt before.
“How is your lady wife? Sif? The lands? I wish to know it all.” And he sent Loki a look , begging him to be as verbose as possible. Jane was still not completely taken over by the idea of a place in Norway. Thor needed to convince her one way or another that it was a viable option.
Loki cast a brief look between Thor and Jane, and then slowly made her way over to sit at the table. She was straight-backed and shoulders squared, hands folded together. It was the same stance a counselor would take before relaying both good and bad news. Which, with Loki, one had to take both in equal measure.
"There is much to discuss," Loki began, casting a longing look at the chocolate bread. With any luck, it wouldn't taste less sweet due to the topics of discussion. "I had meant to talk to you both. Your home is...it really is impressive what you've done, Thor. You both seem so comfortable and happy here."
There was a pang of jealousy and hurt that she inwardly stamped down on. It was hard not to feel like they weren't good enough to live with, or that living in the village might make Thor and Jane unhappy. She drew in a deep breath, long fingers white-knuckled for a moment before she was able to relax again.
"The good news is that all goes well in New Asgard," Loki said. "I've made sure the finances are good and building projects are progressing. The council is working with minimal bickering. I've narrowed down places to gather the last few components for the Bifröst. Sif is keeping us all secure. No better person exists to see to New Asgard's safety and the training of new recruits.
"As for my wife, she has experienced some fogging of her memories, as far as recent events are concerned. Yet our Valkyrie is the same in every other way. We are still together, and the people look up to her. She oversees the Village's supply needs and guides the fishing every day, working among them. She is loyal to her duties without falter nor question."
It was here that Loki hesitated, waiting for them both to sit, "There is a matter I wanted to speak to you both about, once we are all comfortable? Nothing horrible. Rather, there are some things to ponder over."
It was never too long between pots of coffee anywhere Jane was and she set about turning the coffee maker on while cutting slices of cake. She was glad Loki’s news seemed to be routine out of New Asgard. Despite she and Thor withdrawing on what Jane kept calling their ‘sabbatical,’ she wanted Thor’s people to be successful and safe and worried about the effects of Thor’s absence. She knew he had responsibilities and didn’t want to think he was running from them. On the other hand, he had the right to decide the shape of his life and it’d been so lovely to stay somewhere that felt so uniquely their own.
“I’m sorry Valkyrie had memory problems but I’m glad she’s all right,” she said, bringing cups of coffee and plates of babka, its signature chocolate swirls already making her mouth water. She squeezed Thor’s forearm when she set everything down and then took a seat.
“What’s up?” she asked Loki. ‘Ponder over,’ to an Asgardian, could mean absolutely anything.
Loki stared thoughtfully at the intricate swirls of bread and chocolate on the plate that Jane set before her. Her gaze was deeply pensive, as if considering what next to say and the best way to say it. There really was no right way, so she steeled herself and proceeded with caution.
"The king's absence is noted," she was saying, picking her piece of babka apart with nimble fingers. "You asked me for no more than six months respite in Tvímánuður, and named Brunnhilde and myself as acting regents. That was the fifth summer month when I was wedded. Plainly, I can see that this place is special to you both. I want to assure you there is no ill will. None of us wish to ruin anything for either of you. Not my wife, not Sif, and not myself. Thus I am acting only in the capacity of advisor. I shall not offer a personal opinion, unless directly asked for it. But if you truly want the throne, brother? You should be seeing to the the daily tasks of a King, building and charting a future for his people...."
Loki briefly paused to look around at the home that Thor helped rebuild so lovingly, for himself and Jane to live in.
"...no one begrudges your dreams to live together in peace," she finished, glancing between Jane and Thor to carefully gauge their reactions. "Instead we hope that when your respite ends - in the month of Góa - you might choose to live among the people of Asgard."
The only appropriate answer for Thor was to eat and drink scalding hot coffee while he tried his best to come up with a response.
He knew this conversation was coming, had almost dreaded it in a sense. True, the end of his time away was fast approaching and yet he felt he had made no further headway in determining how exactly to balance the conflicting desires of his heart and soul. Thor opened his mouth to speak (and to cool off his tongue) before closing it and sitting down rather abruptly beside Jane.
Placing a hand on her thigh, he lightly squeezed and looked at her. "I wish greatly to return to New Asgard, be with my people…. But I cannot make that decision alone. I have learned from past mistakes, from past lives that without including Jane…."
Was it weak to choose love over duty? Thor didn't know.
"What are your thoughts, my love? I promised you a place as grand as this. I'd be honoured to build it for you in Tonsburg…."
This house wasn’t grand. It was a service station from the 1950s that she purchased with the money from her father’s life insurance. It was a big round room she’d turned into a lab and then slowly she, and later Thor, had modified into a place you actually live in. It’d been their respite when Jane had been sick. Of course they had come here to get away and recover from the trauma of the past year. Maybe it wasn’t the right thing to do. But living in Tonsburg had never been about a grand house. It was about feeling at home.
Jane wondered how many of the Asgardians blamed her for taking Thor away. She liked Thor’s people and wanted them to be safe and happy but it was hard being the outsider. But if she loved Thor and believed in him, she needed to be better at accepting the ways theirs would not be a normal relationship as she knew it in human terms.
“Anywhere with you is good enough for me. If that’s what you want then okay.” Though Jane knew Thor. He said he wanted to return and be with the people. He hadn’t said he was ready to go back and be King.
Loki noticed the same thing as Jane, which was concerning. Despite a propensity for magic and mischief, she was tutored to be an advisor. Of course, Loki was also meant to rule as a king....although no one realized that Odin meant as a puppet ruler in a hostile icy wasteland. Fun.
She watched the exchange with a carefully guarded expression. Any past memories about the subject of Kings and Queens were wiped out when time leaped forward. It was now nothing more than a historical account written by someone else, in a bespelled journal that only she could read. She was acting purely on observation and listening.
"If I might make some suggestions?" asked Loki. "You have time to talk further among yourselves. Things are running smoothly in New Asgard. Brunnhilde is focused on current needs and I on the future. Sif is our bulwark. Trying to live there to see if it suits you is a wise choice. Beyond that, brother? You should ask yourself if you will be happy being king. If it feels more burden than boon, there are options. You could name your successor, and set the terms of your return if it all goes awry. You can leave the current regency in place. Then you can opt to be wedded strictly by Midgardian terms if you wish. For instance, I'm going to renew vows with Brunnhilde in Lost Vegas soon."
Soon, meaning as soon as possible. She was going to text Brun after she finished rummaging through galactic trash heaps for salvageable pieces of the old Bifrost.
Letting out a happy sigh at the thought of rewedding a very willing Valkyrie, Loki finished by saying, "Either way, you could continue to live anywhere together in peace. No matter your decision, none will think ill of it nor of either of you."
And there it was. There was something to be said about dancing around an issue in perpetuity.
Asgardians were long-lived. This could have gone on longer … actually no, it couldn’t. Thor knew that. He just didn’t have an answer yet and didn’t know what he wanted to say. And although Loki was saying that he she was giving Thor time, Thor knew that time was subjective.
An answer would have to be found. A definitive answer.
For now though, Thor nodded slowly.
“Yes. I appreciate the thoughts, sister, as you have given me some things to ponder.” Reaching out again to Jane, this time he held her hand, his fingers curling over hers. “Regardless of my final decision, it is about time to return to the fold so to speak. Jane, how soon do you think we can make this move? Our home there is ready to live, and whatever adjustments or modifications you need can be accomplished while there.”
Jane understood the weight and the responsibility of who Thor was, or was trying to. They’d had their time away and now Loki had come to fetch them back. Jane could go or she could walk away but she didn’t have the option of being selfish. She squeezed Thor’s hand.
“Just enough to pack up my things. We can’t all magic new clothes. I’ll also have to bring my equipment over. It might be easy to have to send it instead of Thor trying to cart it. That’s all.”
Lifting Jane’s hand to his lips, Thor placed a kiss on the back before turning to his sister with a beaming smile.
“It seems like we will all be heading back together then.” It was the best possible solution to this problem. And maybe while they were there in Norway, they’d find their path together … whatever that path might be. “Fortuitous visit. Truly.”
Loki's eyebrows went up a little and she smiled, feeling like this was a good first step toward getting the King set back into place on the chessboard again. That also meant it was added pressure off her, so that she could do more things elsewhere. Speaking of, she magicked some chocolate off her fingertips and stood up, politely inclining her head to them both in a farewell.
"I would love to stay," she told the lovey-dovey duo (not that she had room to talk), "but I'm afraid that I have to get back to the reconstruction effort. I shall see you soon, in New Asgard."