At Hero's Bay

Electric Boogaloo

𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐄𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐲 𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬

𓄹 𝐘𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐀 𓄼

"Wait until S.H.I.E.L.D. gets a load of this," Miss Y—Yalina mutters quietly, snapping a picture of Asgard's palatial landscape with her phone, "Hmm...perhaps I should post this to Instagram first. Tell me, Jane Foster, how many likes do you think I'll get?"

"How do S.H.I.E.L.D. agents even have an Instagram? What happened to keeping a low profile?" Jane inquires, peeking her head out from behind the golden folding screen while shooting Yalina a narrow glare, "I think it'd be enough to get you an interview with one of those new 'trendy' talk shows. Like Trish Talk?"

Yalina sneers at the thought, stuffing her phone back into the pocket of her jeans, "Yeah, right. First, we'd talk about the glorious sceneries of Asgard then go on a tangent about its top fashion trends. No thanks."

"I'd love to hear that," Jane hums in agreement through the screen, "Speaking of which, do you mind if I borrow your pants? I tried asking the handmaidens for a pair but they just looked at me funny. It's ridiculous."

Yalina scoffs dramatically, "You want me to lend you my 7 for All Mankind jeans? A pair of pants that costs more than the rent for your shoddy little laboratory in your mother's house? How 'ridiculous'!"

"Hey, come on. I told you that in confidence." Jane grumbles, eliciting a peal of laughter from Yalina who turns back to Valaskjalf.

Yalina seldom wondered how her associates were holding up back on Terra, imagining just what kind of protocols or conducts were being arranged back in London without their dearly beloved analyst. She disguises her short scoff from the idea by clearing her throat, trying not to draw another skeptic glare from Jane who finally finished changing from her Earthen garments to such a regal and ostentatious gown and shawl. At least this singular human was more entertaining than her whole team—and she was a human!

"Not bad," Yalina gives a wolfish grin towards Jane who curtsied teasingly, "But you still don't look half as good as me."

Jane kissed her teeth blithely, tugging lightly at the black-leather sleeve of Yalina's jacket, "True. But I don't see you getting ready to spend an entire romantic afternoon with a god."

Yalina looks down at Jane with amusement, a faint smirk adorning her black-painted lips, "Touché. Come now, we don't want to be late for your spit-swapping session."

"For the last time, it's not called spit-swapping, you ninny alien."

Yes, she was very entertaining indeed.

Asgard was becoming noisier by the minute. Within Mestrgarðr—the upper conurbation outside of the palace—the streets were bustling and lively with music and exuberant Asgardians going about their day. Complying with Jane Foster's wishes to explore every wonder that Asgard had to offer, Yalina begrudgingly decided to follow up on the human's offer. Not even her best idea to get out of it—which involved mentioning a very eccentric human scientist friend named Darcy Lewis and their sniveling little intern—pulled the cloth from Jane's eyes that twinkled with such profound and child-like wonder. Slowly but surely, the amusement was scraping away from Yalina's own gaze.

For all the gold that remained in front of Yalina's eye—gleaming and effervescent—she found Asgard's decor and structures ostentatious and rather garish. It wasn't natural, not like the small ferns and auburn vines that crawled up the walls—valiantly prevailing over machines that have seemed to enthrall Jane, who was currently fiddling with a gravitational mechanism, suspended high in the air. All the while, Yalina made sure to avoid as much attention as she possibly can, even despite her platinum-white hair that she had tried to conceal in a tight and small bun, but that did not stop the occasional running child from taking second glances. She was ordered to keep a low profile, especially as an analyst; what 'evidence' she could find here would eventually wind up into S.H.I.E.L.D. 's hands.