01 ✴ voice

[ohmythor]

[ It takes Jane a long while to settle down to this first ... whatever. Video? Journal entry? Something. She has clothes - not her own, but clothes nonetheless - and even a small bag of food, to take with her when she goes to find ... well. Someplace to stay. Stay, not live. This won't be home. It can't be.

She sighs heavily, puffing her cheeks out on a hard breath as she flips through the pages. An hour or two of reading have acquainted her with how the system works, as bizarre as it is. She sounds tired, when she speaks, a sort of bone weary ache. ]

Alright. So the journal is some sort of half-book half-iPad technomagical means of communicating, aaaaand this place gives you wings. [ A beat. ] There's a cheesy Red Bull ad in there somewhere, but I'm not going there.

[ A pause. Stay on track for three seconds, why don't you? ]

Sorry, I-- my name is Jane Foster. I'm a astrophysicist with SHIELD, if that means anything to anyone. Well, more like a researcher, but -- anyway. I just really hope that means something to someone. It'd be nice to at least -- I don't know. Have a familiar face from my own world. Or universe. I'm guessing universe.

[ Another pause, shorter. ] So how many versions of Earth are there, here? I'm going to guess at least a dozen. Maybe several dozen, who knows. And probably plenty of other worlds besides. From who knows how many different universes. And yet here we all are. [ She laughs, incredulous and kind of unhappy. ] This place is somehow the special one. I'd just -- love to know how they do it, really. Someone's going to tell me it's magic, and I just--

[ She finally stops, sighing again. ]

Sorry, sorry. Um -- hi. Nice to ... meet all of you, I guess.

Comments

[voice]

[selfhelp]

[Ohgod, now SHIELD is here. Not that it seems like it'll even make a difference, in the end - since no one remembers what they're doing in his time - but. Cautious. Maybe a little cautious.

...Wait a second- Jane Foster? But that's... he thought she was a doctor, so this must be-

Another universe issue? Geez. Living here is way too complicated sometimes.]

I know about SHIELD- and you, kind of. We're probably from different versions of Earth, though.

[voice]

[ohmythor]

... and me? Kind of?

[ ... she's curious, but her tone remains light and on the friendly side. ]

I don't know you. I mean, I don't think I do. So yeah, gonna chalk it up to, you know. Different universes. Who are you?

[voice]

[selfhelp]

Billy Kaplan. I'm, uh...

[...How does he even put this delicately.]

...if you're working for SHIELD, then you know Thor, right? And the Avengers? Maybe?

[voice]

[hisdarkmark]

Chatty, aren't you. [It's kind of hilarious actually.]

You'd be correct in guessing at least a dozen. I've stopped keep track myself.

[voice]

[ohmythor]

Uh... I guess? [ Is he trying to say something. ]

Yeah, well. [ A huff of breath. ] I -- sort of feel like I should be more surprised, but I'm not.

[voice]

[hisdarkmark]

And what's not as surprising about it?

voice;

[dragoneer]

To be honest, Iiii wouldn't be surprised if there are twice that many versions of Earth. And more. [And yet, still no other vikings, sob.] But, uh...welcome, and all that.

voice;

[ohmythor]

I wouldn't be surprised either. [ With vague amusement. ] Technically, there could be infinite versions. I was just -- speculating on how many are actually here, but -- never mind. Thanks. [ ... wow, he's just a kid. She shakes off the thought, but is left wondering, a little. ] Your name...?

voice;

[dragoneer]

[HEY HE IS SIXTEEN THANK YOU VERY MUsob it's because he's the size of a twelve-year-old, isn't it.]

Ahhh--it's Hiccup. It's nice to meet you, Jane.

[arcinvent]

Nice to meet you too. [Yeesh this girl can say a mouthful. SHIELD, huh? He's never heard of it, but it sounds intriguing.] Don't know how many versions there are, but this place is a collection of characters Ms. Foster. I'm one of them - Howard Stark, at your service.

[ohmythor]

[ Opens mouth.

Shuts it.

... opens it again.

...... takes a breath. ]

Y-- Howard ... Stark. You're ... uh. [ ... Time travel, or another alternate universe? Both? Oh, man. ] --sorry, just. That's a familiar name. You're -- the Howard Stark?

[arcinvent]

[He smirks. Don't worry Jane, he's used to the gawking.]

Yes, I'm that Howard Stark. Founder of Stark Industries, at your service.

[video]

[fleurdesel]

I've counted at least twenty, and after that I decided further examination on the subtle and not so subtle variations between versions would prove to be maddening. Especially since a proper comparison of their histories is nigh impossible with the reference texts provided.

[video]

[ohmythor]

[ That gets a smile, actually. ] I guess it's sort of good to know I'm not the only person who'd care about looking into it.

... when you say reference texts, you mean ... what, exactly?

[video]

[fleurdesel]

History textbooks, encyclopedias, etcetera. The Library here brings books from everyone's world when they arrive; sometimes they are useful. Sometimes they are not.

[She does blink a bit across the feed to the other woman. Something familiar in her face, but she doesn't know exactly-

...oh.

Merde.]

[cop_an_attitude]

[She knows iPad and Red Bull, but not SHIELD. Research facility of some kind? Close enough, at any rate.]

I don't know if it's the same one, but I'm from an Earth.

[ohmythor]

Well ... that's a start. [ Her smile is crooked. ] Where are you from? I mean, you know. What part.

[cop_an_attitude]

London. I grew up in Leeds. You?

[Voice]

[whydidisaverick]

[WELL. This little entry is going to ping his interest.]

Uh-- hey. I know this all must be really confusing for you, but... [You know with the whole being in a new world thing. But it seems like you have a pretty good number of people trying to help you anyway.] did you say you work for SHIELD?

[Because he knows SHIELD.]

[Voice]

[ohmythor]

... yes, I do. [ ... ] I ... take it you know of them.

[Voice]

[whydidisaverick]

I do actually.

...it might be a stretch, but I think we might be from the same world. [...] Or rather, more likely we come from the same kind of world.

[Because he has yet to really see someone from HIS world exactly. Well. Maybe one potentially.]

[voice]

[withnofear]

[Too late, Adele.

It's her voice that catches his attention, because it's that all too familiar voice that makes his heart speed up when he hears it. What she's saying isn't even registering for him, though. His eyes quickly scan the journal for the photo that always shows up next to each entry, looking to confirm if his ears aren't deceiving him and it's really her, if it's really—it... is her. His heart skips a beat.]

Padmé?

[voice]

[ohmythor]

[ ... what ... ]

I --

[ ... guilt creeps into her expression, and she bites her lip. ]

I'm -- I'm sorry, no. My name is Jane.

[snikting]

SHIELD's about the last thing we need around here. [At least it's only a researcher and not one of their agents. Still. He's not in the SHIELD fanclub.]

[ohmythor]

... good thing I'm not an agent then, huh? [ With somewhat brittle humor. ]