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Jane Foster (science_fact) wrote in avengers_logs, @ 2019-01-07 14:19:00

Who: Thor and Jane
What: Discussing the infinity stones
When: Weds Jan 2
Rating: Green

It had been a long and exhausting month. Normally, Thor relished staying busy -- it was, after all, the best way to feel as if you had accomplished something. When he looked at the warehouse, saw the stocks, the preparations, when he went from Vanaheim to Alfheim to Midgard, barely stopping to recharge...well, he felt good. The Norwegian government had welcomed them with open arms, allowing the Asgardian monarchy the ability to purchase the island and re-settle.

There were of course little blips in the way, but nothing that couldn't be sorted. Especially after a full night of rest...or two. It had felt too long since he'd had the opportunity to lounge in Jane's bed and he was taking full advantage. For several days, he'd done nothing more than sleep, shower, cuddle and sleep some more. Although his energy was near limitless, he did still require time to relax and re-charge. As much as he enjoyed his space at his home, well -- it did his heart good to be around Jane.

One morning, he stretched lazily and realized that he felt good as new. Hopping to his feet, he took a shower, dressed in comfortable clothing and padded his way to the kitchen in hopes that there would be coffee, Jane or a combination of the two. Lucky for him, there was a lukewarm pot of coffee begging to be microwaved. "Jane?," he called out as he poured himself a cup. "Are you home?"

Having Thor home again was lovely. This recent trip was only a blip compared to some of their other separations but being so used to seeing him every day made this one somehow harder. Thor's visits back for Thanksgiving and Hanukkah only increased the ache when he left again. Jane missed his company: his conversation, his warmth beside her in bed, the low rumble of his voice. Jane missed him.

When he was home, Jane was happy to spend time napping and watching the new She Ra in bed beside him. That couldn't last forever. Thor hadn't gotten up with her this morning, so she'd gone into the lab. All that laying around the last couple days was throwing off her internal clock and Jane was exhausted by early afternoon. She called it a day and headed for home, stopping off at a deli for containers of matzo ball soup and black and white cookies. She was glad to see Thor still at her place and up when she got home.

"Hey," she greeted him. "You were still sleeping when I got up so I went into the lab. You hungry? I brought lunch."

Thor chuckled. "I am well aware that I have been gone for a while, but I assure you, my appetite remains." He took a slow sip, his eyes peeking over the cup at her. She seemed thinner, more tired than he expected. That being said, without Darcy or himself there to prod Jane into eating or sleeping...well, she was known to go overboard. "Lunch is always appreciated, and I hope you will be joining me. You look as if you could use a good meal."

"Scrawny scientist, I know. Work's been getting a bit thorny, I've probably been trying to live on coffee," Jane said, going to unpack containers of soup. "I got us some matzo ball soup. I might mess around with some code after that but I'll be here, not at the lab."

Not at the lab? Thor looked at her curiously, but he didn't comment right away. Coding was work too, and maybe she just wanted to be in her familiar home, regardless of her distaste for the furnishings. Really, he continued thinking as he got out some spoons and napkins from the kitchen, maybe she wanted to be at home, where he could rub her shoulders while she worked, or just lay there next to her until she looked his way. That was probably what it was.

Thor was nothing if not confident.

Setting the table, he continued to speak. "Do you still have many things to analyze from Wakanda? Or is there other work that is taking up your time?"

Jane opened a container of soup for each of them, setting out a cookie beside each dish."I'm running models, making sure I have everything set before I start building out of vibranium," she said, stepping into the kitchen to grab them a couple Cokes from the fridge. "Plus keeping up the warning system and trying to figure out how alternate universes work. Oh and Columbia asked me to give a lecture series in the spring."

When they were both at the table and she could judge his expression, she added, "And Tony asked me to help him research the Reality Stone."

Thor felt some relief at knowing that her workload still remained the same. Even if it seemed daunting to him. "A lecture series? Interesting, Dr. Foster. I thought you disliked those." Taking the coke, he thanked her and settled himself in his seat. "And the reality stone? How much different can it be from the Aether?"

Jane took her seat at the table, pinching the bridge of her nose and rubbing her eyes before popping the tab on her Coke and sipping from it with a look of relief. "I don't like doing events that are," she put on the voice of a moderator, "'Dr. Foster, as a woman, please explain how difficult it is for you to do science. It has to be nearly impossible, what with the problems you have as a woman. And now to talk about how hard it is to do science as a woman, here are five men.'" She dropped the fake voice. "I don't like those. Lecturing though, is part of the job as an academic, especially since it's been awhile since I published anything."

Jane began chasing down the fluffy balls of matzo in her soup. "I've talked Tony around to trying to find a way to destroy the stone."

Thor froze. At first, he wasnt sure if he misunderstood or misheard but he soon realized that no, she really did want to destroy the stone. "But you can't," he said, his brow furrowed. "The Aether, for all its power, couldn't be destroyed, hence why my brother secreted it away. I cannot imagine a reality stone would allow a reality in which it did not exist."

"We need to test a lot more variables before we know that to be true," Jane disagreed. "And now that the stone has been removed from the Aether, something might have changed." As usual, she shuddered a little at the memory of the Aether's power, even as her blood seemed to sing out for it. She rubbed at her forearm, as if half expecting to see red coursing in her veins.

Instead of answering immediately, Thor looked down at his soup, his appetite slightly abated, as he tried to come up with an appropriate answer. His first reaction was to argue, maybe even order tha tthe stones be left alone. Yes, they had infinite power and were a danger to all, but at the same time, he was loathe to destroy something that had been around since the beginning of time. Just because there was no purpose to them now does not mean it would be the same in the future. "I worry," he said finally, looking up at her, "that in the pursuit of knowledge, irrevocable decisions will be made. Once destroyed, they cannot be recreated."

Jane set her spoon down with a clink, expression fierce under her bangs. "They shouldn't exist. No one should have that kind of power. I thought you'd be the last person to want to hang on to something out of misguided sense of tradition. It sounds more like something your dad would do."

Thor clenched his jaw slightly, hardening the lines of his face. It wasn't too long ago that he remained oblivious of his father's ways, and and he still acutely felt his father's loss. "Odin ruled for thousands of years, brought together the realms for centuries of peace and prosperity. For all his faults, he had sound ideas."

Jane knew what it was like to lose a father. Only in her less charitable moments did she rest the scale of their lives. Thor had nearly two millennia with his father. Jane had been in college, barely into her twenties, when her own dad died. It wasn't fair. Grief was grief and it wasn't a competition. But there was a headache building behind Jane's eyes and she wasn't feeling charitable. "Did you forget sneaking the Aether," which had been inside Jane's veins at the time, "out of Asgard when he wanted to use it after your mother died?"

She pinched again at the bridge of her nose and then waved a hand. "The stones are too powerful. There's no reason to keep them."

"I never said he was perfect. I believe I pointed out that he did indeed have faults, and that was one of them. Being King means making unpopular decisions, weighing the needs of many to those of the few." He was trying to stay calm. He really was. His spoon might be in danger of breaking, but he would not allow this to affect the weather. Nope. "And yes, I agree whole-heartedly: the stones are too powerful. For one person. Perhaps a containment ...box, something magical, could work. You have many technologies on this realm, perhaps one of those. With electricity."

Electricity. The one element Thor could control. "The Aether was hidden somewhere secure and look how that turned out. Look what Loki did to New York with just one of those things. Look what Thanos did!" she snapped. "What possible good could come from keeping them unless you mean to use them?"

They never fought. Barely, really, which was a good thing considering how angry the both of them could get. Reeling from the attack on his father (and now brother), no matter how well-deserved....it was taking all of his patience to not snap as well.

"The problem with the Aether," he started slowly, trying to keep his emotions in check, "was its story fell into disuse. It became mythical and no one was looking for it, or expecting it. We can keep the story of the stones in living memory, ensure that lessons are learned."

Jane could feel her heartbeat pounding behind her eyes, driving her headache. "You haven't answered the question!" she said, exasperated. "What good comes of it? Why keep them? First Malekeith, then Thanos. Sooner or later someone always wants the one ring. Eventually someone is going to think they have all the answers and they're going to use the stones to hurt a lot of people."

"As dispassionate as it may sound, there is a reason for everything. The Norns may guide us, may assist us, but they cannot change the path anymore than we can. Do you not think it pained me to initiate Ragnarok? And yet it had to happen, as it has for many cycles, and will most lilkely happen again, for that is the fate of Asgard. All I can do is my best, and I will do my best to ensure the stones remain safe. That is all I can do."

"You're not king of the whole universe. You don't get to decide for everyone. I'm going to try and destroy them. Are you going to stop me?" Jane looked hard at him. Her abandoned soup was going cold. She wasn't hungry anymore. "Maybe the Norns put the stones in your path so they could be destroyed."

"I have never presumed to tell you what to do, nor have I ever stopped you," he responded coldly. "I stated my opinion and it is one that I believe is the sentiment of many. We should not destroy that which we do not understand." Clearing his throat he stood up. "Perhaps it is time that I left. You surely have much work to do, and as you have reminded me, I am a king. Not of the universe, but of a displaced people who need my support and guidance right now."

With that, he strode angrily to the foyer, before taking his jacket out of the closet. The lovely red jacket she had given him for Hanukkah. It made him pause and realize he didn't want to leave on bad terms, even if he knew he shouldn't stay any longer. Without looking at her, he put his jacket on and continued speaking. "Please contact me when you see fit. I love you, and I hope your day improves."

Jane thought he was being shortsighted and illogical and she wasn't pleased with the way Thor gave his kingship as a reason to leave. As if he was too important for the conversation. Not that Jane was thrilled to have it. She rose when he walked away, gripping the edge of the table for support. "Don't forget, King Kong this weekend."

Thor paused at the door, and nodded. He was thankful for her reminder, as he had indeed already forgotten. If he turned around, he wouldn't be able to leave and they would continue fighting, so he decided against it. "Yes, I will see you then, elskede. " The walk home wasn't that long, but it would hopefully give him some time to clear his head.