The Wordsmith's Forge

>> (Is it okay to identify myself in the subject line? It seemed the best place since I have no account here.) <<

That's fine. Some people put it in the subject line, some at the top of the note, others at the bottom. Do what works for you.

>> Ah, poor poor Loki. And poor Frigga too, kinda. <<

Poor Frigga, because she is married to Odin, and if or when she ever realizes how MUCH damage he did to her boys, she's going to hate herself for a while. But Frigga, like Loki, has her blind spots.

>> When she asks him whether or not she's his mom, I feel really bad. <<

Yeah, that's an ouchie spot.

>> On the one hand, maybe Loki needs to be reminded that she's still the woman who raised him, <<

He does. Frigga loves him, and she never stops wanting to help him. It's just that she has her own damage to deal with.

>> but on the other it looks like more blaming. -- *You're* rejecting *us* Loki, it's *your fault* not ours. -- :-( <<

That is typical of dysfunctional families in general, and what happens to the scapegoat in particular.

>> I think also that it's more than just lashing out when he replies that she's not. She *isn't* his biological mom as she pretended all those years, and what with his identity crisis and all, that's a pretty big deal to him right now. <<

That's true too. Loki is violently averse to lies or even polite phrasing at this point. Can't say I blame him.

>> Except for the fact that he doesn't seem to have seen Laufey as a father-figure for even a second, <<

Oh, I think he did. I think Loki has a massive amount of father-hate and that's how he decided to express it. Directly over Odin's unconscious body, which is no accident. All his daddy issues, let me show you them.

>> I don't think Loki is making much headway in defining what family means now his assumptions of biological connections have been shattered. <<

True. The only two people who really care about him -- Thor and Frigga -- have perpetrated a lie and are part of the overall family dysfunction. Loki doesn't seem to have anyone around with an honest, healthy relationship to him. If he had, then he might not have flown off the handle like that.

>> Loki needs about a thousand hugs. :'( <<

Sooth. Once he stops acting like a hysterical porcupine stabbing everyone who tries to get close.

>> I like that you didn't follow the movie script exactly, and made Frigga a bit less terrible. <<

I think you will enjoy where this story ends up, as it suggests more about her. I'm sympathetic to Frigga because I know how living with an abusive person can be soul-wrecking, even if he doesn't hit you. I don't think she'd tolerate that, and I do think she has some leverage over Odin. She can blunt his impact in some ways. He must disguise his abuse of the boys as "discipline" or "training."

>> Can you give a run-down of all the bad things she said in the movie? I can't remember how awful she got, and was surprised that you said there were *several* lines which were classic for an abusive family. <<

http://www.moviequotesandmore.com/thor-the-dark-world-quotes.html
[in present day Asgard, Loki, in shackles, is brought to Odin and Frigga]
Frigga: Loki.
Loki: Hello, mother. Have I made you proud.
Frigga: Please, don't make this worse.
Loki: Define worse.
Odin: Enough! I will speak to the prisoner alone.
[Frigga turns and leaves, as Loki is brought closer to Odin's throne he starts laughing]

http://www.moviequotesandmore.com/thor-the-dark-world-quotes.html
[Fandral and Volstagg return to Asgard with several prisoners, including the masked Algrim; Loki watches them from his cell as they come in]
Loki: Odin continues to bring me new friends. How thoughtful.
Frigga: The books I sent, do they not interest you?
[Loki turns and we see Frigga is in Loki's cell]
Loki: Is that how I'm to wile away eternity, reading?
Frigga: I've done everything in my power to make you comfortable, Loki.
Loki: Have you? Does Odin share your concern? Does Thor? It must be so inconvenient them asking after me day and night.
Frigga: You know full well that your actions have brought you here.
Loki: My actions. I was merely giving truth to the lie that I've been fed my entire life, that I was born to be a king.
Frigga: A king? A true king admits his faults. What of the lives you took on Earth?
Loki: A mere handful compared to the numbers Odin has taken himself.
Frigga: Your father...
Loki: [shouts] He's not my father!
Frigga: Then am I not your mother?
[Loki hesitates for a moment]
Loki: You're not.
[Frigga smiles at him with tears in her eyes]
Frigga: Always so perceptive about everyone but yourself.
[she takes a step towards him and extends her hands, Loki goes to touch her hand but his hand goes through hers and we see that she's a hologram, Loki looks at Frigga with sadness and her hologram disappears]

"Don't make this worse" and "You know full well your actions have brought you here" are the tightest connections, although there are little hooks and jabs throughout. Frigga's lines just really, really sound overall like the wife of an abusive father.

>> Aw, hurry up and help Bruce so the Asgardians can come visit! <<

The big story I'm currently working is the one that puts Bucky back in commission, which also continues tightening the screws for the big Bruce-and-Hulk story to follow.

>> Loki needs love! And like, ONE person who won't manipulate him, lie to him, or stand back and watch while he suffers. Just ONE! <<

He needs more than one, because he needs different things. Honesty, gentleness, firmness, whimsy, acceptance. But also people who have walked through the dark night and come out the other side of it. Each of the Avengers will bring something different to the relationship. Loki is used to shoving away two people who love him. He hasn't got enough hands to shove away an entire team before somebody manages to drip a little sunshine on him.

But don't forget that Loki touched minds with Clint for sure, and could have with anyone else (except Tony, apparently). So he has Clint's memories of Phil.

>> (Kidding about the hurry up part. You take your time. We can wait ages for quality fic.) <<

Thanks for the vote of confidence.