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     "yes." rey nods, lifting a hand to thor's cheek. she can't help but to smile. much of her life has involved pretending to be NORMAL. pretending like her abilities weren't what they were. pretending to care about the menial tasks of laundry, or the kitchen. pretending to dislike thor even when she had begun to care for him. though she fundamentally loathes the idea of returning to her mask of indifference... wearing it will be familiar. she will be fine.

thor, on the other hand, is certain to have some difficulty. he always wears his heart on his sleeve. often, the look on his face is a perfect indication of how he might be feeling. she isn't surprised at all to hear him express DOUBT about his ability to pretend all is well. "you will have to try not to think about it," she says. "you will have to look at your father, and try to remember only the good things. the things you once admired about him. maybe it's something your brother can help with." loki has had more time, after all, to reckon with their father's choices. rey's sure he has his own opinions on what to do.

she returns to him, then, with the cups in her hand. as rey passes one over to thor, she drops a gentle kiss upon the top of his head. her now free hand slides into his outstretched one, and she takes the seat offered beside him. for a brief moment, there is only the sound of the fire in the hearth while they sip their tea. "you can't search anywhere." her voice is soft -- she knows it's not what thor wants to hear. "your handsome face is too recognizable. i, on the other hand, would have no trouble SCOUTING the surrounding villages for such a man. especially if you can use your talents to draw him for me."

the edges of a plan start to take shape in her mind. as their eyes meet, the look on rey's face softens. it's clear how new all of this is to thor: blackmail, bribes, violence. silently, she curses odin for putting them in this position in the first place. rey clears her throat. "everyone has something they want more than money. we can find this man, and survey him, and figure out what that is. then we can find a way to give that to him. we can win this man's allegiance by OUTSMARTING your father -- not outfighting him."

it's not perfect, but it's something. a place to start, at the very least. "all i have to do is keep you alive long enough to find him. and your brother can help with both of these tasks. you work on appearing normal, and i'll find a way to get loki alone, in privacy -- perhaps at the shop -- and explain this all to him. i know he'll have some ideas for how to HELP. we can do this."

they tell no one. as much as thor would like the few extra numbers, just that little bit more of support, it is probably safer (for everyone) that no one outside the three of them know. not just yet. thor nods, delicately touching the tips of his fingers to the hand that falls to his shoulder. they will be smart about this. patient, and careful, secretive and deceitful, if they need to be.

“there is a lot of lying in our very near future.” thor’s tone is trepidatious, cautious. “a lot of having to act as if everything is normal and nothing is amiss. can you do that?” putting on a mask for their friends is one thing; thor will need to be in odin’s presence, speak to him, look him in the eye knowing of what he plans and smile. pretend he is still a proud son and heir. as rey retreats back to the pot, his eyes fall to the floor. “i don’t know if i can. not with him.”

but he doesn’t have a choice. he will have to, as impossible as it is.

undeniable proof would go a long way. but how could they possibly find any? odin is no fool; he knows how not to leave a trail, to cover his tracks. it’s something he taught thor many times, in preparation for when he would one day be king. never leave behind anything that could trace back to you. thor looks up again at the sound of water pouring into a cup, but he doesn’t yet say anything, mulling it over quietly in his mind.

“yes.” even now, he can imagine him well. seeing the same face in a fight twice is out of the ordinary. he isn’t likely to forget soon. “how would we find him? i could search nearby towns, or — the other kingdoms we’ve fought, but…” he would have to do it alone. he would prefer to. and asking after this man would look suspicious. they will tackle that problem when they get to it. “we would have to know how much my father has paid him. it’s, doubtlessly, a lot. plans to assassinate an air is quite an expensive secret. but…” clearing his throat, shifting atop the bed, thor lifts his hand to beckon her closer.

“he is hard to miss. there is a scar on his face. you can tell it was a very big, deep gash, that stretches from his forehead to his chin. and he is formidable. nearly as tall as me, similarly built. he would be easy to spot in a crowd. my concern is making him a better offer than the king. unless…” his eyes dim, and he considers rey with hesitation. “unless we threaten him.”

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     "me too." already she dreams of it -- landing in the field behind their home, descending the falcon to the warmth of hyperkarn. rushing through the back door and into the kitchen, being greeted by the familiar sights and smells she's come to expect. the sound of their daughter's coos. the safety of her husband's arms. yes, she'll be much better when she returns, even if she is FINE for now.

her heart feels torn in two. she misses the both of them terribly, and leia especially. maybe she's too young for rey to be APART from her. maybe she'll remember this one day, and resent rey for abandoning her. maybe rey's already making everything worse.

she holds back a sigh, brought back to the call by how her husband's shoulders straighten with urgency. his question is one she's given a lot of thought to. on the flight over, she considered what they would THINK. the people of hyperkarn trust them. rey and thor are the ones that have brought them there. it's their duty to take care of them. rey chews on the insider of her cheek as she tries to organize her thoughts. no amount of preparation they'd done, planning the basis of their society, could have considered something like this might happen. "we need to be honest," she says, after a moment. rey knows that much. "and tell them the truth plainly."

"i would say... we've received disturbing intel about a possible return of emperor palpatine. that we don't know for certain whether there's truth to what we've heard or not, but that i've gone to investigate. that we shouldn't panic until we have more information." rey chews on the inside of her cheek. the sense of determination that has been BREWING within her since ben first returned takes hold once again. "i would reassure them that if there is any chance palpatine has returned... that we will deal with it by any means necessary. that we have no intention of letting anyone be in danger for a moment. that the safety of hyperkarn is our main priority. and that we fought for the galaxy once, and will do it again."

while she doesn't miss addressing the senate, rey is sorry she won't be there to deliver this message to their people alongside her husband. it's yet another tug to her heartstrings, a way in which she feels she has already failed. "i'm so hoping it's nothing," she admits to thor, her voice quiet. "but deep down... i already know that it's NOT. i feel that pull -- as if a great darkness is returning."

it’s difficult not to get his hopes up. the prospect of gaining the upper hand, somehow catching palpatine by surprise — or, even better, learning ben’s claims were inaccurate — is irresistible. possibly evading another war, not needing to worry over the safety and serenity of their people, not having to worry about their family and the stress a new conflict will put on them… that news is what he wishes for. but he keeps his face even, and reminds himself that we found something doesn’t mean anything. not yet.

it’s barely visible, but the corner of his mouth curls upward.

“i’ll call him once i’ve said goodbye to you.” it rises to the top of his list of priorities for the day. it’s also the easiest task; everything that follows will be taxing. shifting where he sits, thor clears his throat. “i read leia a story last night as i was putting her to sleep. she is still sleeping now, so —- there isn’t much you’ve missed. there will be more to share once i’ve spoken with the senate and informed everyone here of what’s happening.”

conveniently, he’s left out leia whining, at first refusing her favorite stuffed toy because it wasn’t rey giving it to her. nor does he mention that little pout she’d sported as thor lay her in her bed, well aware that they were incomplete. those adorable little eyes searching the room for someone not there —- it’s enough to break a heart. fussy is one word for it, but he doesn’t dare to agree. “we’re fine, for now. we’ll be even better once you’ve returned to us, though.”

“actually…” thor exhales, sitting up straighter. “we’ve already decided how i’ll address the senate, but… i’m unsure of what to say to our people. i don’t want to keep them in the dark, even if this all turns out to be only a scare. i want to be honest with them, but i don’t want to cause panic.” one hand lifts to press to his face, rubbing at his eye. thor slept well enough for doing so alone for the first time in years, yet a tiredness sweeps through him. “sifting through all our emergency plans was…” there is a shake of his head as he considers them: defense plans, evacuation plans, maps and blueprints and —- having them set aside just in case had been fine. potentially needing to utilize them is unpleasant to grapple with.

“if you were here, how would you tell them?”

[lightsiided]

completely correct quotes › @othunderous with a cameo by @lightsiided

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*-`~ this is an open invitation to bother my muse. ask them questions, poke them, throw something at them, whatever. anons welcome

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hey !

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     rey falls silent, stricken. her heart continues to pound even as the consensus seems to be that bruce will wear the glove. they all shuffle to make room for him, watching. she resists the urge to yank her arm from thor's grip, mindful of dramatics at a time like this. though it hardly matters. everyone in the room knows rey is upset. she huffs as he leans down to speak into her ear. "i don't want to talk about this now." his nerve threatens to turn her from upset to FURIOUS. as if it should mean anything to her, that he didn't intend to be hurtful. as if it should make the sting of the decision, and the ease with which he delivered it, lessen.

over and over again, these last five years, she has forgiven him for hurting her. for not caring about her. for more or less ignoring her existence. rey has tried not to hold it against him. she has tried to be understanding, to remember that thor has been dealing with A LOT. yet this decision shows her what he truly thinks about her. how little their relationship means to him. and it hurts worse than the minor injustices of the last five years, even all stacked up together.

she swallows the emotion growing in her throat, and gently pulls her arm away. rey would PREFER a lot of things. if no one cares for her preferences, why should she make concessions for his?

instead, she watches bruce approach the glove and ready to put it on. rey glances around at the rest of the team. despite everything, she sees on their faces how they still hope this will work. that this moment will be the one that fixes EVERYTHING. "good to go?" tony asks. rey sees bruce nod. "let's do it."

but even giving thor his dream won't fix what has been broken between them. the realization is difficult to swallow, BITTER in her mouth. from her position on the other side of the room, she wraps her arms around her waist, watching silently. some of the others, like steve, have begun to brace for an anticipated impact, but she doesn't move. "okay, remember," tony continues. "everyone thanos snapped away five years ago, you're just bringing them back to now, today. don't change anything from the last five years."

rocket leaps up onto the table they stand in front of. metal shutters begin to seal off the windows and skylight, until the room is lit only by the artificial lighting, and not the sun. an unnatural stillness surrounds them as all falls SILENT.

it feels as though everyone in the room holds their breath when bruce moves to slip the glove onto his hand. its plates shift to accommodate his size, molding themselves to his knuckles, and the effect is INSTANTANEOUS. electricity courses through the stones, and the energy they bring is clearly painful. he cries out, knees buckling.

she falters. maybe thor was right. maybe only a god could withstand such a surge of energy. it is clearly more than bruce expected, and she isn't sure what to do as he continues to struggle under the discomfort. should he take it off? should they stop, reevaluate their plan? the glove appears to grow up his arm, covering his skin. "what's happening?" rey hears her own voice ask, though even her thoughts feel distant -- as if all of this is happening to SOMEONE ELSE. "should we help him?" she looks past thor to steve, afraid of what she might see on thor's face. but steve seems just as uncertain.

“i’m being perfectly rational.”  it comes out with more bite than he intends; once he realizes it, his eyes slide to a close.  thor sighs, shakes his head; the apologetic look returns to his eyes when he faces rey again.  “why let time pass us by, going in circles, trying to avoid the inevitable?  someone must put it on and fix this.  you know it should be the one with the greatest chance of survival.”

quiet lingers between them for a moment — between all of them.  the discomfort of his friends is not lost on him, but it isn’t something to dwell on right now.  thor is right.  he knows he’s right.  but he knows why no one wants to agree with him.  there is a chance… as rey said, just one of the stones was excruciating to come into contact with.  it will be painful.  it will be the most painful thing he’s ever done.  but he can do it.  he believes he can do it.

bruce steps forward while they all stand dormant.  it’s gotta be me.  thor’s throat clears; the disappointment is evident on his face.  “what did i just say?”

“any other time, we’d agree with you, man.”  tony steps forward, slowly.  the others make room for him as he approaches thor, who’s head shakes again.  he doesn’t want to be patronized.  but, stern and soft at once, tony continues: “it’s not just the fact that glove is channeling enough energy to light up a continent — you’re in no condition right now.”

the latter, thor ignores.  “what do you think is coursing through my veins?  lightning.  i can do this.  let me do this.”  to his dismay, his voice cracks as he pleads, and he feels a threatening burn just behind his eyes.  he knows what his purpose is, now.  to make things right.  this is who he is meant to be.  why won’t they let him?  why won’t they let him fix this?

“lightning won’t help you, pal.”  tony pats at his arm as he steps away, defeated, while bruce makes his case.  thor turns completely away from everyone, until the only one who can still see his face is rey.  still — he doesn’t meet her eyes, afraid of what he’ll find there.  bruce, however, looks at all of them.  “she’s right.  you saw what the stones did to thanos.  none of you would survive it.”

“how do we know you will?”  steve’s voice, like his eyes, are unsure.

“we don’t.”  which is precisely what thor is afraid of, but everyone has made their stance known.  no one wants him to be the one to leap into the unknown.  crossing his arms, he finally looks over at rey.  “but the radiation’s mostly gamma.  it’s like i was made for this.”

after another step, and another, bruce extends his hands toward the glove just waiting to be used.  he is careful in extracting it from where it sits, and the tension in the room shifts.  gradually, uncomfortable concern bleeds into nerves.  while everyone seems more confident in the doctor’s ability to endure what is coming, no one is naive enough to relax and relinquish the worry.

they disperse from where they had clustered; mostly, putting distance between themselves and the glove.  thor pulls rey away by her arm once he’s taken a breath.  anyone can see by looking at her that she’s upset with him — but he doesn’t let that stop him.  “we have been dreaming of this very moment for years,” he murmurs, leaning in close so he may be quiet.  “i would prefer you not be angry with me when our dream comes true.  my decision — i wasn’t trying to hurt you.”

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     she rests her hand on his knee beneath the table as soon as thor releases it, gently rubbing her thumb in circles. rey considers his question, running quick calculations in her mind. "it depends where we're going. we could leave this galaxy and hit the others that are on our way to mine easily. the problem is that fuel is scarce... although this situation may have changed that." who KNOWS who has grabbed control of the reserves amidst the chaos of the last few days? who's to say what has become of the first order, and the planets previously under its control?

concerns pulls her brows together. rey frowns at thor, the look on her face making her thoughts on his idea clear. "are you sure?" she asks. it will narrow their search, yes, but... like thor says, it will be terribly unpleasant. he will need to RELIVE moments that were very painful. glancing around the table, for the sake of thor's friends, she explains, "i should be able to search for him -- um, his energy. i can sort of scan the universe for his force signature, unless he really has gone somewhere untraceable. but since i never met him, i will need to see thor's memories, to understand what that force signature feels like."

rey squeezes his knee comfortingly. "we can find another way, if you want. there has to be something." in truth, she would prefer to stay out of thor's mind. it is an experience that rey finds unpleasant -- entering someone else's head. it's almost as bad as having a foreign presence in her own mind. she chews on the inside of her cheek, biting back a sigh. as things stand now, it is their best lead. it is their ONLY lead. "it might not work, anyway," she cautions. "if he's very far away, or... has used the stones, somehow, to help hide him."

as soon as the words leave her lips, a thought occurs to her. "wait," rey says. "maybe THAT'S it. the stones. you said they give off energy when they're used. couldn't someone scan for such an abnormal release of energy? and find him that way?"

eyes following her point, another smile quirks the corners of thor’s mouth up.  he knew — even from the day he’d first left with her, he knew she would enjoy discovering earth foods.  everything is much richer in flavor.  that much more savory, that much more sweet.  later, he’ll explain why that is both a good and bad thing.  for now, he’ll just appreciate her excitement.  swiftly, he lifts his own hand to capture hers again, holding it while they both fall to his leg.

“wait until you’ve had that atop pancakes with chocolate in them.  and bananas, and strawberries.”

“trying to give her a sugar high?”  it comes from natasha.  her teasing tone doesn’t quite reach the levity she usually achieves — she sounds tired — but she is trying.  they are all trying.

“i think it could be fun,” thor answers, giving rey’s hand another squeeze.  when she speaks again, he looks over at her in consideration; to continue eating his food, he reluctantly releases her hand.  “how many trips do you think she can manage before you will need to return home and refuel?  my worry isn’t the distance we will have to travel, but… how many times we will have to do it.  i don’t want the falcon stranded here because it’s gone empty.”

jabbing his fork down once, twice, twice more, he loads it up with eggs and bits of pancake before shoveling it into his mouth.  as he chews, he thinks.  there is only so much of a plan they can devise with their limited knowledge.  they could scan planets for a trace of him — but how?  what would they be searching for?  life forms is too broad; tracking the portals he’d used, impossible.  

there is just so much information they don’t have.

once he’s swallowed, “perhaps we should start with…”  he sighs, placing his hands upon the edge of the table.  “using my memories to search for him.  it isn’t going to be pleasant, we both know that, but… we may as well let it be the first obstacle we overcome.”

[lightsiided]

     "the same way we would find anyone else," rey says. "i can search for him, and i'm sure you have leads who might know where he is. he must be somewhere formulating a plan. there's no way he intends to attack us at home WITHOUT one." she shakes her head. "it wouldn't take much more out of me to search through the force. but you're right, regardless. we'll need to think of some place to go. maybe even... more than just one place. and maybe we can delay his two days and turn them into -- four days. or a week."

she leans against him as he pulls her closer. rey rubs her cheek into thor's shoulder, lost in thought. when he speaks again, she tightens her hand in his shirt. "hold on. let's stay out here a little longer. i'd like to sit in the grass." finally having a single lead to explore has invigorated her, being outside even more so. now that the sun is out, rey feels her mood VASTLY improving.

as elegantly as she's able to -- which is to say, not very much at all -- she drops down onto the ground, threading her fingers through the overgrown blades of grass at the edge of the garden. a sigh of RELIEF seems to ripple through their yard as if coming from each of the trees at once. then, she feels it -- all of the plant life, all of the planet... it lends its energy to her, helping her be well.

rey lets her eyes slide shut peacefully. "we will need to go somewhere very green. what about takodana? it's remote. abandoned. maz's castle is still in ruins, there would be nothing for us to worry about destroying." she tilts her face back, letting the sun warm her skin. it feels so nice -- so much nicer than sitting inside, worrying about either or both of them dying in a fight with their enemies.

he’s coming in two days.  despite the vagueness surrounding leia’s advice, she did confirm a couple of things.  a fight will ensue with hercules, and it will not be easy.  rey’s sickness is not a misguided warning from the force.  nerves settle in thor’s stomach anew, squirming strongly enough to make him wonder if it is he who will be ill.

the thought returns to him again: he didn’t want to be right about this.

looking back over at rey, he instinctively returns the squeezing embrace of her hand.  around them, at the edge of their garden as it gives way to wild grass and the lake beyond, the tall green blades dance.  they seem hopeful.  they believe in her.  so rather than argue again, thor nods.  he will try to believe, too.

“if he is hunting us… we can’t lead him back here.  the people aren’t prepared to defend themselves, and…”  the sheer destruction of two gods battling one another is too great.  they haven’t built up their home just to watch it fall to ruin.  “how would we find him?  i can’t think of anything beyond you calling on the force, and — you are already so spent.”

that he doesn’t want to call her weakened from her ailment is obvious.

“is it possible to draw on my life force?  i will agree to it, but only if i can help you replenish your energy.  i won’t take the risk of you draining yourself.”  gently tugging her closer, then, he turns his gaze toward the house.  the walk was short, and they aren’t exactly far, but even the smallest excursions have worn on her lately.  he can tell.  “i can carry you back.  warm some tea for you.  we can sit at the window, in the sun, while we discuss where to lure him.  somewhere abandoned, or…”  

[lightsiided]

     her smile spreads until it turns toothy, a glint of triumph in her grin. it appears she's hit a sore spot -- how fun! it is such a delight to touch a nerve, and she so rarely gets to press on ben's, anymore. rey flips through his memories more quickly, pausing at the few that seem to contain anything interesting. this man has lived a long life. he is a strong, capable fighter. no wonder ben handpicked him for his suicide mission, although rey still finds it pathetic he would send someone else to do his dirty work. WHAT ELSE did he have going on, anyway?

"or what?" she asks. "you'll do what?" it's not like he can stop her. she's spent a long time refining this particular skill. if he could feel her poking about inside his head at all, rey would be tremendously SURPRISED. "it's not that i think reading someone's mind brings me power. it's more like... amusement. especially if they have a complicated life, like you obviously do." she shrugs, enjoying the invigorating sensation of his anger. it is growing, becoming so palpable it almost fills the room.

"and you did say i could play whatever games i pleased. so. i see you have two dead parents," rey muses. it isn't all that uncommon -- she's in the same position, she supposes. "and... a sister who beat you in a fight pretty easily, and killed your father, and is probably burning your home planet to the ground at this very moment. yet for some reason, you agreed to ben's extremely stupid plan, and now find yourself HERE, with me." she pauses, cocking her head to the side. "don't you think you should be out searching for your brother?"

he's wrong about her. she was weak, once, but rey's better than that, now. the dark side showed her a path forward where she thought there was none. now rey doesn't need to rely on anyone but herself. "i think ben has told you a lot of untruths about me. and about himself. for as VIRTUOUS as he thinks he is, he's great at bending the truth to suit himself."

he can’t quite help the roll of his eyes.  thor is here, chained to the floor, because he had opted not to be destructive with his strength.  that would have gotten him freed, back to the resistance base.  not where he needs to be: as close to her as possible.  whether to try to get her to see the error of her ways or kill her — this is where he is meant to be.  it’s what has been asked of him.

that she truly thinks herself so above him, and him so passive and weak, aggravates him that much more.

spitefully, he smiles.  “you are free to think whatever you please.  we are all entitled to our opinions, are we not?”  but it falls a moment later; he grunts as his chains tighten, and his body is pulled backward. obedient as he has been thus far with his end goal in mind… thor is notoriously, first and foremost, a hot-head.  and she is impressively smug, annoying.  the facade can only stand for so long.

“my parents?”  watching her through narrowed eyes, his jaw flexes.  “what do you—“ know of my family lingers on his tongue, but then it clicks.  ben had warned him of mind tricks, intrusions.  rey must be in his head, picking through his thoughts and feelings, and had she said nothing he would have never known.  now his brows furrow, and the eyes beneath them are ablaze with anger.

“i am warning you,” he starts, his voice low, from where he kneels on the floor, “stay the hel out of my head.”  wrists curling, he grips tightly at the chains keeping him restrained.  it’s clear in the strain of his arms — how badly he wants to pull himself free and prove himself, if for no reason other than watch her arrogance drain from her.  “you think yourself so powerful and fearsome because you invade people’s minds and treat it all as a game?  all i see is weakness and insecurity, wielded as a weapon.  but it can’t withstand.  it never can.  you’re naive to think otherwise.”

[lightsiided]

     Rey chews on the inside of her cheek, trying not to be too upset. Yet she feels her throat tighten in warning, the backs of her eyes starting to burn. She clears her throat to dispel the sudden swell of emotion. "You don't overstep," Rey assures her, after a moment. It's TRUE. She is immensely grateful to have someone understand how she must feel -- and even more grateful she doesn't have to say so herself. She is quiet for a moment before she adds, "I guess I'm hopeful for that, too."

She cringes as soon as the words have left her lips. It's too selfish a thought, too terrible. This isn't about her. Thor deserves his time to relearn what makes him HAPPY. He's been through so much -- she knows it would be unfair to demand more of him now. Of course he can't come home with her and enter another fight. Why should he?

"You're right. He needs this, and I understand. Really." She wants to. She WILL, even if she doesn't wholly get it right now. Maybe this time will be good for both of them. Maybe it will make a reunion possible, maybe he will come to feel the way about her he once did again. Rey shakes her head. "I didn't help you so you would be indebted to me. I wanted to."

Righting what was wronged was all she had to keep her going, these last five years. She wouldn't trade this time for anything -- least of all, sitting on the Resistance base, feeling useless. "But thank you. I know you would help however you could. I'm not even really sure where to BEGIN." Will the war pick up right where it left off? That will mean a confrontation with Kylo Ren is imminent. The very thought of it fills her with dread.

She does smile, then. It's a happy thought, and a hopeful one -- their new additions. And the idea that Sigyn will want her to meet them no matter what happens between Rey and Thor. "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten. And I am still so, so happy for you. That's why you need to be as safe as you can be -- and not worry about me. I hope you'll send word as soon as there's something to KNOW. I'll come back as soon as I can."

She doesn't force the contact to linger, instead folding her arms across herself as she watches Rey collect her things for a moment. Her gaze strays to their surroundings then, not wanting her presence to feel oppressive, her mind half-elsewhere as she mulls over the other woman's words.

Nobody ever knows the ins and outs of a relationship they aren't a part of - Sigyn knows that better than most. But while she and Rey may not be as close as they could have been under different circumstances, she does know her brother-in-law. His heart is both one of his greatest gifts, and one of the reasons why he has always shouldered far too many burdens. Perhaps the reality is that it needs to be mended, before he can once again give it away as freely as Rey deserves.

"Forgive me," Her voice is quiet, her smile faint. "I don't wish to overstep - but it is my hope that once he has done what he needs to do, he will thank you in the way that you deserve. Thor..." She sighs, trying to find the right words. "This isn't the first time he has needed space in order to better understand things, you know that. But my wish for him is that in choosing to take that time for himself in this instance - rather than having it forced upon him as it once was - he will... Heal, much as he can, so that the path ahead becomes clear again."

At Rey's explanation of what her home has been subjected to, Sigyn's brow pinches with concern. "And still you took the time to help us... If there's anything you need - New Asgard may not be in a position to offer it, but you have connections to other places that could, now, and I hope you'll keep that in mind. Be as safe as you can be until our paths do cross again, Rey."

And then, as though trying to offer a shred of hopefulness amid all this grief: "There will be new family members for you to meet, soon enough. I've already used that fact to ensure that Thor will come back, and I'm not above using it on you as well."

[lightsiided]

     "i know," rey smiles. "i guess i just want to make sure you know you can ALWAYS talk to me -- about anything." carol has been an amazing friend to her, supporting her emotionally when everything felt like it was falling apart. she wants to return the favor. at the same time, she understands the struggle that comes with sharing how she feels. rey has spent much of her life alone. in many ways, it's still easier to retreat to her private thoughts. it's certainly more familiar.

it's another way they are alike -- rey has also moved around much. it's because she has spent these last few years jumping from planet to planet that she knows how LONELY it can be. but maybe carol enjoys the variety in the way she never could. so she says nothing, only nodding as the conversation switches back to their mission. while carol dons her uniform, rey checks her utility belt for her saber and other tools. there's no telling what they will be flying into.

she stands, following carol to the ship's computer. the scan doesn't look like much of anything to her, so it makes sense when she hears there is likely some sort of device hiding the planet's people from anyone in the airspace. "sure," rey says, redoubling her focus. she can't let anything happening on EARTH distract her from why she's here -- to help carol on this mission. the trip may be a break from rey's troubles, but it's important, too. lives are at stake. "so where will we land? and how far is it from where we're headed? i'm assuming the objective is stealth -- at least at first? or do you think we're walking right into active combat?"

her gaze looks up & she bites the inside of her cheek. this is as transparent as she gets & it's a rarity. also complicated as hell because it isn't that she thinks she can solve everything on her own, but she's had no one else to rely on for ages that opening up feels physically impossible. perhaps it's also the Kree genes━everything is fight, fight, fight & emotions are a WEAKNESS. it's difficult to pinpoint exactly where the damage lies or where it started. ❛   i release a lot of pent-up emotions through work, actually.   ❜ she chuckles. ❛   i promise i know that. i am telling you quite a lot as is.   ❜

Rey is a good listener, & Carol knows she genuinely CARES about her. this is precisely why they get along; they share similar trains of thought & ideas. ❛   yes, but i can't blame them either. constantly being put in danger or having to relocate because someone decided to target me isn't fair to them. i don't take it personally.   ❜ some people don't have the means to simply find somewhere else to stay. of course, none of that will stop her from doing her job. ❛   i'm a nomad as is, so moving isn't an issue.   ❜

as lovely as it is to take a BREAK & chat, work is always around the corner. it's why she stands up & switches into her signature Captain Marvel uniform. ❛   i promise. i have a good track record since i'm still alive & kicking.   ❜ bad jokes are also her specialty. ❛   i won't go down easily.   ❜ she reassures the other before turning to activate the cloaking on her ship. then, she pulls up a scan of the main living area. ❛   if there are any life signs, they're being blocked out by something, so we likely won't be alone.   ❜

[lightsiided]

     Learn. Grow. Of course that's what she's been TRYING to do. Rey has been eager for any scrap of knowledge she can hunt down. It hasn't been easy -- much of the time she feels as if she is moving through this new world completely untethered. Many nights she has laid awake, hoping for more guidance. For someone to teach her how to navigate so much change.

But no help has ever come, and so Rey has learned to trust the force instead. She chooses to believe there is a purpose behind the uncertainty she faces. She chooses to believe one day she will UNDERSTAND why things have had to be this way.

Violet is offering to teach her what she knows. That is a start.

Rey nods. "Alright. Yes. I want to learn." No matter what happens, she knows she must remain open to new experiences and knowledge. She has to stay HOPEFUL. She can't let herself fall into despair. "Just tell me where we should begin -- but anything you can teach me would be a huge help."

DREAMS ALWAYS HAD A WAY OF UNCOVERING THE WORST PARTS. After she learned Vader was Anakin, her nightmares intermingled. Losing her father at a young age forced her to grieve him for many years. Just went she was getting over it, new grief took over. She thought Anakin had fallen. Oh, was she wrong. He became something he swore to never be.

The galaxy had changed after Order Sixty-Six. She was used to hiding, and for years she did. It wasn't until Luke found her did she emerged from her exile. Violet was thankful for her nephew. His love and compassion sparked something in her. With him, she saw her brother get redeemed and fulfill the prophecy.

What else did she have? What purpose? Ben forced her again to conform and mold herself. Now, in front of Rey, she was looked on as a mentor. She lived to see another war rip apart the galaxy. The First Order brought fear in place of the Empire. Was it all for nought?

She needed to be strong for the other woman's sake. It was much bigger than her. The Force kept her around this long for a reason. "Learn. Grow. It's all we can do. I'm here and can teach you what I know. What you do with it is up to you."

[lightsiided]

"okay, now let's take a silly picture this time!" 😊

     she obliges straightaway -- rey sticks her tongue out, using the arm she has wrapped around kie's shoulders to squeeze her cheek. the device khione holds, that rey's starting to have MILD familiarity with, makes a sound to indicate their image has been captured. rey smiles, dropping her hand back to kie's shoulders.

"let's see it." she leans in close to watch the photos appear on the screen. earth technology is so fantastic for this reason SPECIFICALLY. since meeting thor, rey's been able to capture memories in a way that was impossible before. she's come to adore moments like these -- ordinarily they would be mundane, but they're made SPECIAL by the connection formed between two friends.

the first picture of the both of them is a standard rey has come to learn: they are smiling, posing as is traditional. the second is the one they've just taken, and rey finds she likes it much MORE -- it captures their spirits better. rey laughs, her eyes crinkling at the corners as her smile stretches.

"i love it," rey says. "thank you for taking these. and for wanting to hang out with me." khione has been so open, welcoming, friendly. she makes any strange place they go feel like home, and rey so values her companionship. they have become like family. "can i take you for some sort of treat now? and finish our fun day RIGHT."

@freezegirl

[lightsiided]

     she hesitates, considering the question. it's something she's given a lot of thought -- FORGIVENESS. for a long time, rey has held onto anger about more than just her parents. it's been hard not to curse the universe for burdening her with so much. but since meeting thor, and solidifying her life's path, and triumphing over some of her troubles... she has grown to have an inner peace that seemed elusive before. rey nods. "i think so," she says slowly. "i think i'll always be... UPSET about what they did. and mourn the life i might have had if they had made other choices. but how can i not forgive them when their choices led me to the life i have now? to you?"

a gentle smile splits her lips. her voice softens. "i want to let go of the anger i've held onto. i'm ready to move on."

rey looks up at him as he pulls her closer, a great affection in her eyes. thor always knows EXACTLY what to say. he always sees to her feelings with thoughtfulness. "i know you will." there is no doubt in her voice; thor helping her isn't something she'll ever have to call into question. rey knows he will be by her side no matter what. "thank you. you make all of this feel so much easier than i thought it would."

she looks out at the horizon, then, nodding once more. they are close. "why don't we do the nice part first, and then i'll be ALONE with them before we go." rey pulls them a few paces to the left, and then her steps slow. she stops abruptly in front of a smooth stretch of undisturbed sand. it is nondescript, like the rest of the desert. the only indication something is different is the flat stone that rests there, heavy and unmoved but weathered with time, unmarked except for how it has been beaten down by sandstorms. subconsciously, she takes a step closer to thor, winding her arm around his waist and fisting her hand in his tunic.

her voice is hesitant at first. "hello," she starts slowly. her parents. she knows with certainty they are RIGHT HERE. rey's heart starts to beat faster, her throat tightening. "it's... me. rey. i've -- come to say goodbye. but first i wanted to introduce you to thor. maybe you already know, but... we're going to spend our lives together. and -- i guess i just wanted you to meet him so you'd know everything is okay. that my life is going to turn out fine, if you... care about that at all."

“is that true?”

they have spoken about it, over the years.  all of the complicated feelings surrounding her parents; who they were, leaving her, their deaths.  while thor knows his own experiences with family can’t guide her through whatever it is they’re walking into — their lived situations are just so different — there are similarities he hopes will, at least, offer some comfort.  one of those similarities is the ever complex prospect of forgiveness.

his voice isn’t accusatory nor disbelieving.  he’s as gentle and patient as ever.  “it’s alright if not.  however much time passes, however much you grow from that part of your life…  it is normal to still harbor some —— upset.”  resentment may be too strong a word, even if he thinks its more accurate.  “you know well how indecisive i can be at times in regards to my father, and all i’ve learned of him.”

“my point is that it doesn’t negate that you loved them, and missed them, and mourn them.  all of it can exist at once within you.”  using their joined hands, he pulls her closer, brushes himself against her side as they walk.  not once does he look ahead nor watch their steps; his eyes are trained on rey.

“and i will help you through every last feeling as best i can.”  now, his voice drops low enough it’s nearly a whisper.  good, then, that there is no breeze in the desert; even that may have drowned him out.  finally, he glances forward, out at the stretch of sand.  “we must be close.  are you… absolutely sure about this?”  seeing once and for all what happened to them is extraordinarily heavy.  if it will break her — he would like to know now.  so he may prepare to pick up the pieces.  “i can… give you a moment alone while you say goodbye, if you wish for some privacy.”

[lightsiided]

     rey looks around with trepidation. there is a feeling of unease in her stomach -- a sensation that only WORSENS when thor starts to speak to someone that isn't there. she hears only his answers. the fog that surrounds them appears to grow with every second until she can barely see him standing behind it. "thor," rey says, scrambling not to lose hold of his arm. "take a breath, it's alright."

panic swells as the oppressiveness of DEATH continues to impose itself upon her mind. the planet itself seems to be growing more hostile. the sky darkens, the light echo of laughter skipping past her ears with each new gust of wind. her grip on his hand almost slips away as thor turns abruptly and drags them aggressively forward. then, rey tightens her hold and rushes after him -- only to come up short and slam into his back.

"what is it --?" she asks, peering around him. whatever thor sees seems to be agitating him GREATLY. rey can feel his tension, his distaste, as if it were her own. that's nothing compared to the way he looks, how tightly he holds stormbreaker. "thor..."

a light gasp leaves her lips as the axe soars through the air. it cuts through nothing, of course, but the echoing sound of it hitting the ground helps her orient herself. rey takes a breath, focusing on the maps luke left behind. the mission. she knows where they must go. this is for the galaxy, the universe. she brought thor here, and it's her duty to keep him SAFE. "heimdall?" she repeats. "and... your brother?"

that will be something for them to discuss later. for now, rey touches her free hand to her lightsaber, secure at her belt, and then, once reassured, her forehead, where a headache has begun. she nods. "i think we're probably getting close," rey says. "i can picture luke's notes. but i doubt this is the worst of it. the atmosphere feels so... ANGRY. i know the planet wants us gone."

it's likely not what thor meant when he asked her to talk to him. rey clears her throat, nose scrunching up with distaste. her headache is getting worse, persistently making its presence known. she moves to get a drink of water from her canteen and finds it missing from its place on her belt -- likely knocked off when she hit the ground earlier. rey sighs. "i can tell you that when we get home tonight, i will be taking the longest soak in the lake EVER WITNESSED. followed by a rest so lengthy finn and poe will wonder if something happened to us."

she is starting to get used to how heavy the ground feels. each step no longer feels so miserably weighted, but, rather, a challenge she can conquer. every step brings them closer to completing the mission, after all. so they must GO ON.

"then i think i will enjoy not having any more missions like this for a long time." there are more pleasant things for them to worry about, after all. rey huffs as she struggles to step over a large pile of rocks in the path, leaning on thor's arm for balance where she still holds tightly to his hand. "any ideas for how we can destroy the sword?" she asks, once her feet are on the ground again. "finn and poe hadn't given much thought to that part of the PLAN."

and in her experience, dark artifacts never went quietly.

that reminds her -- the planet is too still again. a cold breeze blows by, rustling the hair at the back of her neck. rey looks around, but of course, nothing makes itself known to them. NOT YET. but they should be close to the temple by now. rey squeezes thor's hand to encourage him to stop. "hang on a second. we need to get a sense of where we are." she squints through the fog, trying to dispel it with the force. frustratingly, nothing happens. "can you lift me onto your shoulders? maybe i'll be able to see above some of this. if there's something guarding the entrance... it'd be good to know now."

it’s not him.  it’s not real.

it’s not him.  it’s not real.

trying to force his breathing to a slow, the words repeat on a loop through his mind.  he will cling to them for as long as he must until the intrusion is no more.  just as she pleads, thor focuses intently on rey.  the color of her eyes, the urgency on her face, her touch on his wrist.  the hand twists and curls so that he can wrap his fingers around her in return.  though he can still feel his pulse in his ears, the quickening of his heart begins to slow.  hopefully — it will stay that way.

“you’re right.”  voice gruff, the words leave him after a gulp.  “you’re right.  i know, it’s just—“

how can you be so sure?

this time, when thor turns to the source of the sound, it is no longer a disembodied voice drifting along with the wind.  he can see his brother, as clearly as their last moment together.  it’s all so wrong — yet nothing is.  loki’s hair, loki’s clothes, loki’s smug grin that could only ever accompany prods and taunts and annoyances that once so easily set thor off (but now would do anything to be subjected to again; just not like this).  for a moment, he only stares with bewilderment.  

“because my brother is dead.”  not with pain, not with grief does he say it —— thor speaks through bared teeth, with flared nostrils.  the hand holding stormbreaker lifts & points.  warning.  threatening.  but in the back of his mind, he is aware there is nothing he can do to a spirit.  “get out of my head.”

or what?  you’ll kill me?  was the first time not to your satisfaction?

a string of defenses immediately spring to mind.  how dare anyone, let alone the spirit of sith scum, imply that thor had been his brother’s demise?  he had tried his best, and it wasn’t enough.  loki made his own choices.  yet beneath those defenses, none of which he bothers to say aloud, there is a great pang of hurt.  because in the very depths of his soul, thor believes it to be true.  they know that — it’s why they use it against him.

turning, he begins marching in the direction they had originally been walking.  “we need to keep moving forward,” he grumbles, pulling rey along with him.  tension is in his jaw and the set of his brows.  the eyes beneath are determined, but sad.  thor doesn’t care that they can’t see through the thick of the fog — he just presses on.

every yard or so, the vision of loki appears again.  smiling.  waving.  thor only walks by it.  but there is one that gets him to stop; heimdall watches them almost pityingly.

i told you once, long ago, that you would be our end.  look what’s happened; just as i’d predicted, we are all dead.  thor’s breaths quicken again, and the knuckles curled around stormbreaker’s handle turn white.  any tighter, and he thinks he just may snap it in half.  a low sound of rage builds in his throat.  haven’t they made their point?  turn back, my friend.  leave this place.  don’t let your stubbornness and hubris be the reason rey dies, too.

almost before he’s aware of it, thor’s arm stretches back, and when it lunges forward, the axe leaves his palm with a grunt.  sparks of electricity wind and jump around his arms, around the weapon, light up his eyes.  it aims directly at the hallucination, but once it passes through him, heimdall vanishes.  thor doesn’t know where the axe stops, but its a short moment before the sound of it thudding into a hard surface echoes through the valley.  it’s somewhere close — they are closer to being finished with this.

slowly, catching his breath, the sparks dissipate and thor stands straight again.  “that was a mistake.  the real heimdall would never try to convince me to surrender.  to flee.”  he knew better than that.  he was much wiser and courageous than these spirits could have ever dreamed to be in life.

looking to rey over his shoulder, “come.  keep talking to me.  it helps to focus on your voice.”

[lightsiided]

     "what?" rey turns towards the spot he points to, squinting out at the horizon. the lake is placid as far as she can see. she doesn't sense anything amiss -- this part of the planet is used to her intrusions. her voice falls to a hush as she tries to see what he might be talking about. "i don't see anything, what is it?" they stand so CLOSELY. barely a breath exists between them, and she is acutely aware of the warmth of thor's hand, lingering at her waist. it's almost enough to make her forget entirely what she's meant to be looking for.

of course, thor takes full advantage of her DISTRACTION. with a shriek, rey finds herself tumbling into the lake. she surfaces with her hair askew, spluttering and cursing. she looks over at him with wide eyes, treading water at the surface. he is so amused. "ugh!" she exclaims, throwing an arm out to splash water ineffectually in his direction. "i was going to get in, you know! you don't have to be so..."

her eyes narrow. rey lifts a hand to push her hair out of her face. then a thought occurs to her, and her smile takes on an EDGE. in seconds, she extends her hand to use the force to drag him forward until thor, too, stumbles into the lake -- clothes and all.

though it had taken her a moment to understand what was so FUNNY about the action, she gets it now, and her own laughter echoes around them as she releases him. "you're right," rey grins. "that is a classic."

now that her breath is caught, she can enjoy the peacefulness of the swim. rey bobs in place, adjusting her basics as she glances up at the sun. "it should be a nice day," she says. "after i show you around more, and catch you up on everything, the others may want to spend some time outside with the ships. you could meet everyone, get an understanding of our latest PLANS and wins." shyly, she looks away, down into the water. rey clears her throat. "if you want."

at least they won’t be disturbed. as much as thor looks forward to getting to know her friends, seeing her amongst familiarity as opposed to the strange newness of asgard, every moment alone with her is cherished. he likes feeling as if they are the only two in the universe. when all of existence seems to shrink until they are all that’s left. there is something about it that he can’t help but chase.

feeling the release of her hand, he looks over, still smiling. rey begins to free herself of her outermost clothing, but thor’s hands remain idle at his sides. “that’s alright. i need no fancy swimming clothes. i will just go in as is.” just as he had on asgard, for the sake of not making her uncomfortable, he will remain fully clothed.

extending a hand, he stands at the ready, as if he intends to ease into the water with her, once she’s undressed. but the smile on thor’s face falls, and his eyes fix on a point over her shoulder. from where they stand at the edge, he can see the stretch of lake and how it just barely curves into the jungle which they’ve emerged from. his brows pull, and he angles himself to try and get a better look at what it is in the water.

“what in the realms was that?” he asks absently, more in observation than genuine curiosity. the hand holding rey’s spins her around and releases, pointing to a spot in the water. “the movement, just over there. do you see it?” nothing yet appears on or beneath the surface, but thor leans in, his voice dropping. “impossible… it looks exactly like…”

trailing off, there is a beat, and all at once he pushes against rey to send her falling into the water. it ripples out from her point of entry; water splashes up into his face, the sound of which almost deafens his laughter. almost. leaning backward, he clutches at his stomach as he laughs raucously.

“ah,” he exhales, trying (and not entirely succeeding) to regain composure. the sun glints against his teeth, shining against the crease in his cheeks. “a classic trick! i never tire of doing that.”