InsaneJournal

Who: Dr. Strange, Frigga, Loki
What: a very brief request to the All-mother.
When: sometime after Star-lord's batteries got jumped.
Rating/Warning: Green

Inside the Asgardian stronghold, Strange knocked on the door to Frigga's chamber.

"...expecting someone?" asked Loki. He had been visiting, filling in what had transpired and giving her a relic he found during his week away, an incredibly old golden scrying bowl.

"No," Frigga responded, calling out but keeping a hold of Loki's hand, "Come in, Doctor."

Loki gave his mother a surprised look and then looked to the door, squeezing her hand in response.

Stephen Strange opened the door like he hasn't opened one of those things in a while. Technically he hasn't since he uses portals to do everything. It would be rude if he didn't knock and ask for entrance since this is royalty.

"Hello, your highness. And...hello, Loki."

"...hi." It probably wasn't possible to get more colder with one spoken word than it was right then.

"Don't worry. This won't take long," the doctor assured them.

"Welcome, sorcerer. What brings you to us?" Frigga asked.

"I had a few questions. Or a request." Strange closed the door and didn't appear bothered that Loki was there, even if Loki looked very wary indeed. "Do you have contact with the Norns. If not, can you make contact with them."

That was not expected. Loki blinked and side-eyed his mother without moving his head, interested in his mother's answers. He often wondered about those very questions, and the answers in the past were always very vague or mysterious.

Frigga went very silent and still, staring at the sorcerer with an unreadable expression. "Why?"

"Because we need to know how bound they have made Thanos with getting the stones in this reality. I think your son and I feel that time is getting short." The sorcerer glanced at Loki before looking back at Frigga. "I can't use the stone here. Yet. Not until this universe stabilizes itself further. I need to know if he's meant to get them here. If this was one of the fourteen million six hundred and four realities where he wins or if it's a separate case now, entirely. Making this an entirely new fourteen millionth, six hundred and sixth possibility."

Frigga sighed. "That would be cheating, doctor, and I think you have done enough of that."

"If it means saving half the living things in this reality," countered Strange, "I think I'll allow some cheating."

Loki was still holding his mother's hand tight but trying to remain as neutral in his expression as ever, watching the exchange play out.

"Will you, or will you not try to do it?" Strange asked, insistently.

"You'll allow?" Frigga's brow arched. Loki would recognize the Mom's Mad at Dad tone. "I do not recall you being the puppetmaster of the universe. Tread carefully, sorcerer, lest you become the enemy we are fighting."

Loki knew that tone, and closed his eyes like he knew what was coming.

Strange was calm but firm. "Even if it is at my own expense or with my own life, your highness? If I have to pull every stop to keep Thanos from obliterating every living thing? I would do it. In a heartbeat. If there is a risk he could take one of your sons, I think you'd do it too."

Loki visibly paled. More than before, since he's already pasty white.

"...yeah, sorry about that," muttered Strange, barely audible.

"...it's fine," replied a disgruntled Loki, under his breath and through gritted teeth.

Frigga gave Loki's hand a squeeze before standing to face off against Strange...who has since missed the exchange for being angry.

"Even if the Norns answered my call there is nothing saying they will tell me what you want to know. They might actually react poorly to presumptuous powers that be. They would say that all things happen as they must. Who are you to tamper with their plans?"

Thunder rattles outside as the sky goes black. Gold flashes across her eyes.

"Do not think for one moment that I would not defend my sons and all lives against this mad titan."

Loki's eyes were darting to and fro nervously, as though he knows it could get worse and it's not going to end well if it continues. The parental fights didn't happen often at all, but when they did, it tended to be...epic.

Strange was unflinching, although he did look off to one side at the sound of thunder and the sky growing dark.

"Then let me ask you this," he said. "Do you sense it? That there is some great change coming for us all. Inexplicable and all-encompassing, and there is no way to divert it."

Loki took this moment to stand up behind his mother. He spoke softly, not wanting to interrupt what his mother might say next yet feeling the need to issue a warning.

"You do yourself a disservice questioning the All-mother thusly."

"Maybe," conceded Strange. "But I have to know."

Frigga continued to stare at Strange, lifting a hand to stay Loki.

"I have not looked," but now the scrying bowl Loki just gifted to her comes to mind. "I will tell you this once, sorcerer, then say it no longer. You are as a child wanting to know what is in the wrapped box. Be careful that you do not shake it so hard that it breaks."

Loki stood near her, quieted instantly at the gesture but ever watchful.

"Duly noted," Strange said. He put in his request. He also obtained a good idea of just how powerful Frigga was at the same time, which was the second reason that he wanted to be there on his own. The first reason being that he knew about Frigga's future sight from the myths, that her tapestries and weavings were said to be of those things she had seen. It had to be a gift granted by the Norns themselves, those who knew all and measured out the threads of life. "All I ask, is that someone tries it. I'm not capable of that. I've tried reaching them. I think you're the best person to ask for any sort of contact with the fates."

Frigga nodded curtly. "I will think on this."

"Thank you. Contact me if you are able to and let me know the answer." Strange eyed Loki for a moment and squinted, like he was sensing something unseen. This passed quickly, and he nodded a little bit. "At least I don't need to worry about this one."

Not knowing what that meant, Loki scowled back at Strange but otherwise remained silent.

"I'll show myself out," said Strange. "Thank you and sorry to intrude."

Frigga wrinkled her nose after he was gone. "And to think I thought to learn what he looked like beneath those robes."

She waited for Loki to choke.

True to form, Loki made a face like he was going to retch followed by a horrible wince. "Mother, truly?"

Frigga chuckled. "I hadn't put much effort into it."

"Good that you did not. He's rather off-putting." He looked deeply concerned for a moment. "I know of a path to the Well of Urd at the base of Yggdrasil. I never dared to tread there, for risk of infuriating the Norns. Do you truly mean to do so, or are you humoring him?"

"I haven't decided. I must think on it."

"I know you will do what is best, and offer my aid unto you should you need it." He wrung his hands together for a few seconds. "Perhaps you might even divine the answer from the bowl."

Frigga smiled as she places her hands over his.

"Stop fretting. I will tell you and Thor what I intend to do before I do it."

Comforted by that, Loki smiled a little and nodded while allowing himself to relax a little bit. "Of course."

"Good. Now go. Dote on your lady love."

"I shall. I will let her know you have given us your blessing, although I wish to wed her neither too soon nor too late." He was quiet, as though mulling over if he should or shouldn't say anything. Speaking against the All-father wasn't that which should be taken lightly, but they had lovers before. No one knew of Hela, not even his mother. Another of Odin's secrets. It was in light of that, that Loki dared to say anything. "I hope you will find someone as well, even if it is not father, with which to bide your time. For I would see you happy as well."

"I love you, mother." He said it without any hesitation at all, and nodded his head to her respectfully before he departed.

"I love you too, my son," Frigga said, deciding that mentioning Nick right now would be a bad idea.