Doctor's Visitor

"Doctor's Visitor" is a [SEASON NUMBER] thread written on [IRL DATE].
==Summary==
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==Full Text==
Yrus was a charming place; had Milae not had to constantly wrestle with the driving urge to do his work, it was a place he would enjoy a restful existence in. Maybe, if they were to somehow escape this entire mess, and bring High Central and its factions to its knees, he could retire here with Dario.
Retirement. He snorted as he made his way down the loose path to the Lindholms’. As if he could retire from the very magic carved into his skin. But the notion was fun to entertain for a moment. A small glimpse of peace and happiness that would continue to evade him for as long as the Norns continued to force him to exist. Maybe his new lead would help with that.
The isolated house finally came into view in the afternoon sunlight filtering through the trees, and after steeling himself for a moment, he approached the front door and rapped on it with the end of his staff.
akkeyagentofhelheim
“Coming!”
There was a rolling sound, and the door opened and he was greeted by a kind looking woman in a wheelchair, looking at him with soft, hazel eyes, “Yes?”
foresight-botgd
“My name is Yun Milae. I believe I need to speak with you and your husband.” He was mildly nervous but the reactions of the rest of their family assured him that they would also not try to subdue and turn him in somehow. He dipped his chin and met her eyes, trying to visually comfort her in his sudden appearance.
akkeyagentofhelheim
Maya raised her brows in mild surprise, but nodded and smiled, “Ah, yes. Akkey told us about you! Thank you for your help in these, uh… times.” She swung the door wider to let him in, and lead him through the cozy, yet empty, house. “Hunter’s around back, in the garden.”
foresight-botgd
“Thank you. I assume, then, that he has fully recovered.” Milae knew he had.
akkeyagentofhelheim
“To call it fully would be subjective, I suppose… But he is healthy, yes.” She lead him to a small, yet well kept garden, filled with flowers and herbs of all kinds. She called out, “Honey, we have a visitor.”
Hunter stood up at their arrival, holding a bunch of yellow daisies in his hand. His eyes immediately with Milae’s, observing him carefully.
“You go on ahead, Milae.” Maya said gently, turning and rolling herself back into the house.
foresight-botgd
Milae stepped outside, his horizontal pupils roaming over the many blooms that were arriving with spring. He stretched out a hoof and brushed the tips of his fingers through a small cluster of bluebells, making the petals sway back and forth with the movement. “It is good to meet you,” he said, returning his attention to Hunter. “I feel I must apologize for being the cause of so much grief to you and your family.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
He studied him for a moment longer before breaking into a grin with a wave of his flowery hand, “Frigga’s been tormenting my family for years, whether directly or indirectly. No apologies needed.” 
He sat down on the blanket laid out on the ground, surrounded by different herbs and plants that he had picked, offering the goat a seat beside him, “Although it is unfortunate that our paths cross like this. I hope my girls didn’t give you too much trouble?” 
foresight-botgd
He shook his head, ears flapping. “Of course not. Once they knew I was no evil bounty of the gods…they pointed me to your family for help.” He carefully folded his legs under himself on the blanket like his animal counterpart would. The half-breed eyed Hunter for a moment. “I spoke to you and Eir, but not in this timeline. You were both helpful in my quest to stop Frigga.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
He raised an eyebrow. He had heard of Milae’s timeline jumping, it was still surprising to hear it from the goat. “I’m glad that we were. How the Hel did you manage to get Eir to help you, though?” He laughed, albeit a little sadly.
foresight-botgd
He chuckled and arranged his staff to lay across his knees. “Hotcakes and a mutual dislike of the Allmother.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
Hunter snapped his fingers, and pointed towards him, “That would do it.” He grinned, “So. How can the Hunter Lindholm of this timeline help you?”
foresight-botgd
A breeze rushed over the area and stirred his fur as he considered the question for a few moments. “I like to cover my bases,” he finally replied. “Information is my most valuable possession. It helps me prepare for what is to come.”
He got a little quieter. “I know everything about you and Eir…or at least, I thought I did. She is…was…tangled up in something beyond just Frigga. The goddess has possession of someone very important to me, and Eir knows…something about her. It’s very confusing, even for me. But I needed to know if…perhaps you found something out while you were…gone.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
“While I was gone…?” Hunter crossed his arms in front of him in thought, “Hmm…”
“I don’t remember anything…” his eyes shifted from side to side, “Wait, no. I think… I had… a dream…”
foresight-botgd
Milae’s hooves tightened around his staff but he kept a pleasant, interested expression fixed on Hunter. He’d had too many of these moments lately, and he prepared for his stomach to drop. “Yes?”
akkeyagentofhelheim
He leaned forward, wrinkling his brow as he tried to remember. He could barely see it in his mind’s eye. 
There was a constant glow, a shifting power, a growing fear. Frigga’s cold grey eyes bore into his green ones, and he felt a familiar sensation in his chest. Once. Twice. Five times. Twenty. A hundred. More. And more.
He knew what that feeling was. It was cold, like something had left his body abruptly. He knew what it was…
Hunter sat up straight, staring at Milae, “You said… that you met with a different Hunter and Eir from a different timeline?”
Milae sat up a little straighter, a question creeping into his voice. “Yes…? Did you see something about that?”
akkeyagentofhelheim
Hunter gave him a worried look, “I think… Frigga did the same.”
“Many… many times. At least…a few hundred times…”
foresight-botgd
A hoof slowly came up and pushed against his forehead, ruffling the fur between his horns as he ran it to the back of his head and neck. His eyes were wide.
“I must see…”
He lifted both arms and activated his seal.
-
“What do you mean you don’t know where she went? What happened?”
“Who are you!?”
“Never mind that. Please, answer me.”
“I told you, she was just gone, I hardly felt anything. What’s happened? Do you know where she–?”
He activated.
-
“Listen, I don’t appreciate you just coming into my home and–”
“Where is Eir? Or Frigga?”
“I don’t know what…look, I haven’t heard from Eir in years. Why are you bringing this up now?”
“I don’t have time for this.”
-
“She cornered us.” Hunter wrung his hands, keeping his head down. Milae was looking at the ground, too, but it was to keep his expression obscured, which was wild and panicked, his eyes darting across the floorboards, not seeing them properly. “There was nothing I could do, Milae, Eir tried to protect me…protect us, but Frigga took her back, somehow.”
“Hunter, there has to be more, you need to give me something else.”
“There’s nothing!” he said in frustration. “Eir is gone…”
Milae didn’t know when he’d done it, but his staff knocked against the ground as he grabbed Hunter’s shoulders, forcing the man to look at him. “Anything. Please.”
“It was just those memories again, I don’t know what it means. Neither of us did. And that…terrible woman going on about owning her, and being her home…and that spell…elohim–”
“–essaim. I know.” The half-breed backed up a few steps, bumping his staff, which rolled across the floor. “I need to go.”
“Is she okay?”
“I’m sorry.”
-
Milae lowered his hooves, still breathing heavily with the faint remnants of his initial panic, and looked up at Hunter, who seemed a bit alarmed. “You were right,” Milae managed to say, hanging his head and fidgeting with his staff. The pleasant day no longer provided him comfort. He felt scared, and very, very small. “Frigga is returning to power, she has…she has so many of them now, and…” He put a hoof to his neck, feeling it closing up again as his heart beat faster. “I don’t know what to do. I should have stopped this.”
Duri, please be all right…
akkeyagentofhelheim
His hand coming up in habit to cast senara on the distressed half breed, but remembering that he couldn’t. He dropped it on his lap with a shallow exhale, nodding, “I felt it… it was the same as when she took her from me. Again, and again…”
His hand came up again, this time to grip Milae’s arm gently in comfort, “There was no way you could have known. At least now, we know that it happened. And we can prepare to fight it… We’ll save Eir. We all want her back.” He tried to give him a reassuring smile.
foresight-botgd
“I don’t know how to do it.” His eyes welled up as he looked up at the doctor, and he hated the fear that was threatening to overwhelm him. Not knowing the answer to his problem was so foreign, it was like an emotion he’d never felt before…or at least one he had long forgotten. “I was afraid of Frigga at a fraction of her power. Now…what if she comes for me this very moment? What then? Time itself will be rewritten as she pleases. I don’t know how to protect everyone from that.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
“She won’t. She won’t hurt any of us.” Hunter said with surprising certainty. Wait, how do I know that she won’t…
There was an echo in his ear.
Do not touch my children.
Your plans can include everything. Except for where you take, touch or harm my kids.
I’ve been residing here as per your instructions to stay out of the way. If Milae is so desperate to see me, then I will gladly meet with him as long as I receive what I want.
I think I’ll take a stroll in a looped timeline. Can you let the goat know, darling?
foresight-botgd
He lifted his hooves in frustration and dropped them to his lap. “How do you know?” he muttered, already prepared to to change his plans and alter his course. He had to hide, but he didn’t know where, or when.
akkeyagentofhelheim
“Because… Hel won’t let her…” a hand came up to rest against his forehead, growing increasingly worried.
“Milae… does the date February 8, 1059 mean anything to you?”
foresight-botgd
His stomach immediately iced over and he twisted his fingers into the edges of his cloak, almost tearing the threads with the intensity of his grip. 
“You have to come with me, please, they’ll be fine without you, I just want–”
“What is wrong with you?” Her armored hoof tore out of his grasp. “You ‘want’? You ever thought about what I want?”
“Duri–”
“Is this what you’ve been doing for all these years? Trying to find me to take me somewhere, for yourself? I’m happy to see you. Can’t you just be happy to see me, and that’s it?”
He couldn’t stop himself from crying; he was drawing attention from the surrounding half-breeds. “You can’t, you’re going to die, I’ve seen it.” The words were stale after their hundredth repeat.
“That’s ridiculous. And so what if I do? As long as that bitch of a false queen dies, it would be worth it.”
“Don’t, please, let’s get out of here, please–”
“No.”
He sucked in a breath and yanked his thoughts back to the present, looking mournfully up at Hunter. “Wh-what does that date mean to you?” he said tremulously.
akkeyagentofhelheim
He sucked in a sharp breath, “That’s… that’s where she is…” he said in a low voice.
“Frigga said… she’s in a looped timeline… on that day. She’s waiting for you…”
foresight-botgd
“Gods damn it.”
He was shaking. It was like she was cultivating his own personal hell. 
“You’re sure?” he pressed in a whisper.
akkeyagentofhelheim
He nodded, staring at Milae with concerned eyes. “Yes.”
foresight-botgd
Pressing his hoof into his eyes, he took a moment to collect himself.
“It is surely a trap.”
“I know, Urdr.”
“Then why do you consider doing such a foolish thing?”
Milae reached for Hunter’s shoulder. “I will do everything I can to get her back for you,” he said solemnly. “This is our fight now, the both of us. Is there anything else you can remember?”
Hunter gripped his wrist. He didn’t know Milae well, his abilities and knowledge were jarring, but his distress and sadness broke the doctor’s heart. And yet… the determination in the half breed’s eyes reminded him of Akkey’s.
He shook his head slightly, “No, but… I’ll be going to Haligan with Akkey after she heals up. There’s a lot of things to be done. I’ll definitely let you know if I find out anything new.” 
He tightened his hold around this wrist, and said a little hesitantly, “This might be presumptuous of me, but… remember that you’re not alone in this…” Despite Milae’s words of fighting together, there was something lonely about him.
foresight-botgd
“Of course.” But his eyes read something entirely different.
How could you understand what I go through? How could anyone ever understand how I live? How time hangs in place endlessly for me while it passes on for everyone else? How could I ever be anything but alone?
akkeyagentofhelheim
He caught the look and opened his mouth to say more, but closed it afterwards in a thin line. What could he say? They were strangers, only met for a couple hours at most. They knew of each other, but that was the extent of it. 
He squeezed his arm again, hard, before letting go, and nodded, “I will… let you know if I remember anything else.”
foresight-botgd
Milae took a deep breath and looked down at his hooves, curling them into half-hearted fists. His scars glowed softly. “I suppose I should go attempt to sort out this mess, then.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
“Oh… you’re leaving?” Hunter said, a little melancholy in his tone. He motioned back towards the house, “Maya’s making dinner, and Akkey should pop by soon. Won’t you stay for a while and eat with us?”
foresight-botgd
He paused in lifting his arms, looking up at Hunter with an indescribable expression. “You…want me to stay?”
akkeyagentofhelheim
He resumed the work he was doing before Milae came, setting aside begonias and daisies and daffodils, “Of course! A friend of Akkey’s is a friend of ours. I’d love to get to know you more, especially now that we’re coworkers!”
foresight-botgd
He gave a short chuckle, loosening his hands and resting them on his staff again. “I suppose I have some time. I might like to know a little bit more about Eir, as well.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
“Wonderful!” he leaned back and reached behind him, pulling up a big pile of cut flowers and dropping them in between them. He began sorting them by species, as he had the others, “I am the resident expert on the goddess Eir. What would you like to know about her?”
foresight-botgd
“What was your relationship like?” He leaned his head over, his hooves hovering above the flowers, looking to see how Hunter was separating them to try and emulate him. “I rarely spoke with her myself. It was you I often got information from.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
“It was ridiculous and stupid,” Hunter grinned fondly, motioning towards a pile of marigolds, “Yeah, those can go there. Good for stomach pain.”
“She was the Eir of Greed. She wasn’t the first one, actually. The original Greed was quiet and mournful, the complete opposite of Eir. She said the old one was greedy alright, but for peace and life and health. That’s why she gave me three days before she claimed my soul for Frigga.” he quirked his mouth to the side, pausing his hands for a moment, “Frigga didn’t like that so she got rid of her, and replaced her with the Eir we know.”
His hands got busy again, “Now Eir… oh Hel, she’s a handful. Typical greed, world domination, wealth, everything on the Nine Realms. I would have died by her porcelain hands if she didn’t take a liking to my greed.” He laughed quietly, “She liked that I wanted more power and magic to protect the Rebellion, and I liked that she had exactly what I needed, so it was a win-win situation, y’know?”
“So we ended up occupying the same body. It was a struggle of control at first but we’ve learning to co-exist. I take the wheel most of the time since, you know, I have actual experience being a human, but sometimes I let her take over to stretched her legs. Well, my legs… she likes playing with Aria when she does.” he folded a few seeds in a piece of parchment and set it aside, “But she stays inside mostly. She’s a jerk with a dirty mouth, she’s rude, she whines a lot, she won’t shut up about how I tricked her that she doesn’t get the world domination she was promised… yet she stays. She’s content where she is… was.” He idly rubbed his wrist, where Eir’s eyes used to be.
foresight-botgd
“Hmm.” He began helping to organize the flowers, placing them delicately with the few cloven fingers he had. “I fought some of the original Eirs. Your Eir seems like an absolute delight compared to them. You let her get to know your family, then?”
akkeyagentofhelheim
“In hindsight, I suppose she is,” his mouth set in a grim line recalling Akkey, Tree, and Grey’s stories of their fights with Eirs.
He nodded, face softening, “Yes! It’d be weird to keep it a secret, you know? A voice in my head that I’m conversing with. My little ladies love her, they think she’s hilarious. Maya and Akkey took a while to warm up to her, though,” he gave a short laugh, “Couldn’t blame ‘em. They both had personal encounters with the other Eirs so they were wary. Akkey likes her now, though. She likes to spar with her. And Maya’s… tolerant.”
“But Eir is fond of my girls. A lot. She’d never admit it out loud though.”
Milae nodded thoughtfully, comparing his own frustrating situation to Hunter’s. “I suppose I am envious,” he said in a low voice, amused. “Of my own two primordial companions, one causes me constant misfortune and misery, and together, they cursed me with this.” He gestured to his scars. “A gift layered with its own burdens and blessings. But housing Eir seems to have only caused you to gain strength.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
Hunter laughed, tying the last of the bundles together, “I suppose. And a family… and a whiny voice in my head.”
He gave the marks on his skin a careful glance, “So those help you travel time? That’s how you talked to the other Eirs?”
foresight-botgd
He nodded, helping Hunter gather together the piles of herbs into a basket. “It is not so simple as ‘traveling time’, but that is the essence of it. I use it to assist the Rebellion.” Milae’s hooves stilled. “I went to see an Eir of another timeline to ask her why Frigga would want to find me so badly, and we could only assume that the depth of my powers is something she covets. Being favored of the Norns is a lofty position I wouldn’t wish upon anyone.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
He nodded in agreement, “She was always obssessed with power, as far as I can remember from Eir’s memories.”
“Seems like the cons outweigh the pros though,” he mused thoughtfully, “All of that to assist the Rebellion? That’s admirable.”
foresight-botgd
“Well…the origin of my power is…not so selfless,” he admitted. He fidgeted with the edge of his cloak. “I took it upon me to look for someone, and I lost them twice. After the first time, losing her to death, I decided that helping the Rebellion destroy Central would be the best use of my time, and an honor to her memory. Now, knowing that her soul is lost to Frigga…everything seems different.” His priorities were once so clear. Now, he felt selfish, like his clear, bright goal on the horizon was lost and he had only what he was able to clutch to his chest for guidance. “I sought Hel for assistance, and there is still little that has happened. My own strength feels inadequate.”
He blinked and looked away, realizing he had spilled far more than he was usually comfortable with, even in foreign timelines. “Apologies. My pain is not yours to bear.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
He gazed at the goat with worries eyes as he listened to his tale. To lose someone like that, have the ability to literally cross time, and still not be able to reach them… Hunter was very slowly beginning to see why he seemed so sad.
He shook his head vigorously, “Don’t be. I’m a doctor. It’s in my nature to help others, that includes the pain they have inside.” He pressed his lips into a thin line, “I’m only sorry I can’t do more than this… but you’ll have a warm bed, a meal, and a listening ear here.”
foresight-botgd
Milae glanced back at him, looking a little bit…disbelieving. Awestruck? It was hard to say, and harder for himself to name what he felt. Whatever it was, he was touched.
“In this, I would argue that your valor is greater than my own. Your family has had enough odd occurrences to last a lifetime; I would never want to impose.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
“And I would argue that because of said odd occurrences, this is one of the few places that will understand. So it wouldn’t be an imposition,” The back door squeaked and Akkey stepped outside to call them in for dinner, still looking bruised but otherwise getting better.
Hunter waved his acknowledgement to her before turning to Milae. He motioned towards the scenery of high mountains, lush grass, and beautiful waters that is practically their backyard, “Besides, Yrus is the perfect vacation spot. You couldn’t ask for a better place to kick back and destress.”
foresight-botgd
“If only I could afford a luxury such as a vacation.” Milae got to his feet and dusted off his cloak. Glancing back at Akkey, he had a sudden flash of black ice and cold water, and he shook his head, frowning slightly. “Well…I would not keep my hosts waiting.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
“Hey Milae,” Akkey gave him a tired grin as they came up to the house, “You guys finished your talk?”
Hunter placed a gentle hand on her head and nodded, before going inside, wondering aloud what the amazing smell from the kitchen was, “Shepherd’s pie! Come on, Milae. Maya’s pie is amazing, it’s her mom’s recipe.”
foresight-botgd
Milae held up behind Hunter and turned to Akkey, noting her weary appearance. He tugged at the edge of his cloak with one hoof, unused to staying and socializing. “Are you all right?” he said in a low voice.
akkeyagentofhelheim
She blinked slowly, keeping her eyes trained towards Hunter and Maya as they prepared the table. She assumed he knew something, “I’ve… been better.” Her free hand twitched beside her hip, “I’m going to a friend’s tonight, I need… I need to sort things out.”
foresight-botgd
“That is very honorable of you.” His hooves fidgeted around his staff; he was tempted to show her encouragement or comfort, but he wasn’t sure what would be appropriate. He had yet to live through the experience himself, as he usually did, but Milae had heard what happened. It wasn’t pretty. “I am…sure things will be fine.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
Akkey pressed her lips in a thin line, quiet for a moment. Her brows creased worriedly, “…I hope so.”
She shook her head, and forced a grin on her face, “Did you learn anything new? Anything I can help with?”
foresight-botgd
The goat worked his jaw. February 8, 1059.
“I did. I know how to get to Frigga. I know where she is.” He said this in almost a whisper. 
akkeyagentofhelheim
She froze, “You did?! Where is she? Can we go to her now?”
foresight-botgd
His hoof jerked up to shush her. “No! Shh! Hold on. She is in a separate timeline, a broken one. It…it has to be some kind of trap. She would not ask to meet me unless foul play was involved…”
akkeyagentofhelheim
“But what about taking advantage of her when she’s weak? We’re taking on a goddess! She can’t be in full power!” Her fingers twitched, her mind flashing to the dark ice structure that had already melted a quarter of the way through.
Akkey’s enthusiasm was stoking his own determination and he desperately tried to quench it. “Akkey, I cannot afford to do that…I can’t even take you with me. I would be alone. It is different than what we planned.” I’m scared of her.
akkeyagentofhelheim
“You’re planning to face her alone?!” her voice raised a little, causing the couple to turn towards them curiously. Akkey motioned for them to step back out of the house, and closed the back door quickly, “Milae, I told you I’m with you on this. I’ll… I’ll figure out a way to get there, just like last time. But you can’t do this alone. No matter how weak she may be, this is Frigga we’re talking about.”
foresight-botgd
“This is different. I do not yet understand how the void works, but I know timelines intimately. You cannot get there. And by the gods I will not have another be tricked into the servitude of the Norns, not now, not ever.”
“A sacrifice.”
No. Absolutely not.
“A soul for a soul, Yun Milae. The Nornir reward their disciples. Feed us, and we will feed you.”
He was trembling lightly. “I have asked too much of you already, Akkey. The price is too steep.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
“And if Frigga is not defeated, the price will be even steeper,” she set her mouth in a thin line, “At least let me try. I’ll use what I have, what I can, just…” she sighed and trailed off, gripping his upper arm weakly.
foresight-botgd
He rested a hoof on her wrist. “I will…look into it.”
His mind was already moving.
The other rebels are off-limits, at least I suppose they are, and the best-case scenario would be for me to find a criminal, someone who deserves to die…I would have to overpower them, but a person weak enough to fall to a short goat…that hardly seems fair… And then he realized that Akkey was still in front of him. “We should go inside.”
akkeyagentofhelheim
She nodded distractedly, her mind running. Looped timelines. A place that I know but isn’t here, it’s somewhere else. Another lifetime… another… Her eyes flickered, a finger twitching on his arm. Me.
The door opened and Hunter looked down at both of them with gentle eyes, smiling, “Hey, you two. I know times are rough right now but at least get something in your stomachs before you whisk yourselves away with whatever you’re planning.”
foresight-botgd
“Of course, my apologies. I don’t wish to be rude.”
Milae moved to go back in the house, but before he did, he met Akkey’s gaze again, and this time it seemed like his expression was made of cold steel. Let’s do it.
akkeyagentofhelheim
She held it, nodding ever so slightly with the same determination and intensity in her eyes, and followed both of them into the house before shutting the door behind her.
Category:BOTGD 2
Category:Events
Category:Act I
Category:Akkey Black
Category:Yun Milae
Category:Hunter Lindholm