whose_son_am_i | Meme-shenanigans and Continuations.

It had taken a call from Stephen who both confirmed that Loki was permitted to be there, and introduced Christine as the future caretaker for the sanctum.

Dinner had been wonderful and they had only gotten a few double takes when walking around.

She had been working on translating a passage that caught her eye.

"Loki, can you read this section for me?" She offers the book to him.

"Hmm?" Loki marked his place and put his own book aside. Taking the offered tome, resettling himself in such a way that he could loop an arm around Christine while he looked. "Ah, it's about Idunn and her apples. I mentioned her before. Are you familiar with the myth? You might've met briefly in Vanaheim..."

"I'm not familiar with the myth, but if I was translating right it said something about changing a mortal life."

To something longer. Which is what caught her attention.

"Mmm." Loki murmured, reading some more while he mused aloud. "The common versions of the myth I've heard have it that Idunn grows golden apples that are the source of the longevity and good health of the gods, as they're not actually immortal. It also starts with a field trip where they get one of the participants wrong, the situation wrong, and I did not trick Idunn. She was in on the plan from the start." Which really didn't explain much...

Still, that hadn't been in the book; convoluted writing that was difficult translate properly, even for him. "The book does confirm that the apples are a source of longevity and good health, mostly because of their healing properties..." Murmured absently, as he kept reading and then blinked and snorted. "I, am very surprised Wong or Strange let you borrow this. Either they don't know what's in it, or mistranslated. Which to be fair, this penmanship is barely legible. Which is impressive when you're writing runes."

"Why shouldn't they let me borrow it? Besides few of the texts are in Nordic runes, most are in other magical scripts."

She rests her head on his shoulder.

"Can I get some magic apples?"

"That depends on if this book is accurate--and it might not be." Loki cautioned, but reached his hand up to stroke through her hair where she rested against his shoulder. "If so though, this contains a recipe and ritual to, essentially, grant one an elongated lifespan. Although..." Reading through the ritual further, Loki frowned slightly. "It does require blood from a being already with an elongated lifespan as one of the ingredients." Which, if this book wasn't in the restricted section before--Loki would advocate for it being so.

"This could lead to some very dark places, with this ritual. But in theory?" Quiet for a few moments while he read over it again. "In theory, it's plausible."

"Requiring blood makes it sound like a bonding ritual."

Blood seemed a common ingredient when binding magics together. She leans gently into his touch.

"What's the cost? There's always something with magic this complex."

"Besides simply the difficulty of moving from a normal human life-span to one that's abnormally long?" Because that could be seen as a high cost in itself. "The ritual is risky--in that it ultimately requires one to sit in a fire for 3 days and 3 nights."

"In a fire? I'm reasonably sure that would be lethal for either of us."

She tilts her head to look at him. Surely that can't be right.

"In a fire. It's not unheard of--I'm aware of at least one myth that's greek where a goddess tried to burn away the mortality of a baby as a replacement for her wayward child." Loki confirmed.

"So the shorter lifespaned one basically has to die?"

The wheels are turning in her mind. They could actually stay together for his lifespan if they could manage this.

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Loki's eyes narrowed, studying her. "It's............prohibitively risky, Christine. I'm not even sure if I'm translating it entirely accurately."

"Obviously we would make damn sure the translation was right. It's just... a consideration. If you wanted me for longer then 50 odd years."

She's not sure she could go through with it, not really, but it is something to look into at least.

Turning his head, Loki gently moved hers--given his fingers had been stroking her hair--to kiss her. Full, and tasting, and trying to communicate emotions without words. Purposefully projecting too--worry and protectiveness and possessiveness and care and still that wisp of Love that he wasn't quite consciously acknowledging. That wisp underlay all the other emotions.

"I should try and make sure the translation is correct anyways, as this will need to be in the restricted section. Provided Strange will cooperate, I'd be willing to study and translate the other books in runes too." He finally said softly, barely parting from her mouth. "...if we could find a safe way, I would have you longer. But tampering with threads the Norns weave is a very very risky idea. Bold, even for me."

She melts into that kiss, pouring her devotion and love into it. One of her biggest fears is how short her life is, and knowing he would be left to live thousands of years without her.

"He may actually appreciate the help in translating." It could give a little more proof at how Loki was changing. "How do we know the Norns don't want us to do this? Maybe those threads are woven as well."

"We don't, Sweetling. And Seiðr is not an art I know." As Loki often said--he was NOT a witch. He had no more means to tell the future than anyone else. Quiet for a bit, just studying her with blue-green eyes. Seeming to stare into her soul, before kissing her softly.

I won't stop you looking, and will look myself--but I won't risk your safety or life without an extremely good reason.

She knows someone who can tell the future, or all of the potential options of the future.

I'm not willing to do it unless I'm confident it will work, I'd be the one burning to death.

Good. Now the book was set aside, so his other hand could come and stroke her cheek and hair. Letting that kiss turn deeper once more. This time he wasn't projecting, but was simply trying to show her with actions, how he felt.

There was only a moment before she was climbing onto his lap to have a better angle for kissing him.

I don't want you to have to be without me.

She was welcomed, and he wound his arms around her more securely. The sentiment touched him, inside--whether she'd meant to wield it as a weapon or not, she had. She made him bleed...and Loki knew, when she was gone---it would hurt.

Was love really worth it? Something that had been unconsciously turning in his mind. Tiptoed around, as he wasn't sure he could admit it to himself. He was a talented liar...especially to himself.

You really *are* too kind, my Christine.

I know you would be okay. You're incredibly strong.

She would even hope for him to find someone else now that his heart was open, of course that idea did make her a bit jealous. Maybe he would find that wife he had in the myths.

It is something I try to not think about...losing you. Strong or not, her loss would hurt him. And right now especially, the last thing I want is to think about losing you.

Turning the kiss deeper, with need in it. To forget, to affirm life, to simply be with her.

She doesn't want to think about it either, they will both turn focus to the now, to their kiss.

Christine draws her fingers through his hair, keeping him close. She wasn't going to let him go without a fight, even if the ultimate battle is with her own mortality.

Soon enough, the book is entirely forgotten. One hand moves lower against her hip, fingers splayed possessively. The other moves to her chin and jaw, stroking softly as he pulled away to speak. Only enough to speak. "My Sweetling." A lover's tone, and an implied question of what she wanted now.

She will work on the book more later, right now she's wrapped up in paying attention to him.

She has no intention of moving, and with a quick sweep of the hand her clothes are deposited nearby.

"Shall I do yours as well?"

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