It sounds like Jim only half-remembers his encounter. He's seen that same distant, preoccupied look on Adia's face sometimes when she's staring at the full moon. Like she's a million miles away, or caught up in a dream. He instinctively wraps an arm around her waist, as if to reassure himself that she's still here.

Adia notices, too, but she doesn't draw attention to it. Encounters with gods can be difficult to describe. "I've felt the same thing. Not at all like aliens, or even some kinds of magic." She pauses, then admits sheepishly, "Although I did assume Loki's brother, Thor, was an alien when I first met him."

"An alien who's a thousand years old and uses magic?" Caspar interjects, his dry amusement returning.

Adia rolls her eyes. "It's the Nexus, anything's possible. You must know some aliens who live a lot longer than humans, Jim?"