#<-person who ends up saying the same stuff to loki

[lunarcry]

"It's okay to have to learn how to live on your own, you know. No one ever has all the answers." He's not scared of Fenrir, despite what she is: he could be, if it weren't for the fact that he had bonded himself to an echo of something that had in fact, by all research and all speaking with her himself, been a much more frightening thing in life (it is hard to fear anything knowing what you love could outclass most). Sarunan's ears show a state similar to relaxation, tilted slightly to the side, angled forward, the expression on his face inscrutable. One gloved hand carefully extends, placing itself between the girl's ears -- not rubbing her head or fluffing her hair, just calmly placing his hand there as reassurance. "It doesn't matter how old you are or how long you've been alive. The people on this ship aren't exactly the type who abandon anyone. Trust me."

And what's meant as reassurance has the opposite effect; bored, judging eyes flashing with anger once he touches her, and fangs laid bare.

"Get your hands off me!!"

However, she doesn't bite. A low growl lingering as she snaps at him and pulls away, it's okay to have to learn how to live alone and they won't abandon anyone, she knew all of that already. Walder had pressed on despite being near death, all for the friend that she herself couldn't save. Io yelled when she had been letting out her frustrations on Rosetta, and despite their earlier fight Lyria had asked if she could put a bow in her hair when Loki had been speaking with them at that annoying island. She knew all of that already.

And still he's yapping about love and peace and acceptance as if he expects her to break down and sob. Who was going to abandon her? Why should she live on her own? Poor little primal beast who was thrown away by her creators and denied by the world. You need help, don't you? You need love, don't you? Everyone on this damn ship acted like him, just shut up.

"Trust you?" she had considered being sarcastic, but that was before he had decided to encroach on her personal space. "All you've done is blabber about yourself, don't try and act like you know me. Why the hell should I care about any of that, you're no better than those researchers who created us for their own selfish gains. Take your ego and go feel good about yourself somewhere else", despite her words, the one who ends up storming off is Fenrir herself. "Gah! I can't stand you people!"

[the-second-hand-unwinds]

1x04: "just kind of an asshole and a bad friend" - this scene, though!!

I don't see this scene discussed all that much, but for me it's a massive turning point, not just in the Lokius friendship but for Loki's own growth as a person who doesn't want to let down the people he respects and cares about. Mobius completely blows Loki's mind here and cuts him down with a graceful, yet blunt skill. He can almost read Loki's mind; no one has ever understood Loki like this before. But more importantly, why Mobius' reply here means so much:

He's not raising his voice. He's not giving Loki the angry and hurtful response that Loki expects and wants right now. That's because if Mobius hurts Loki back, if he retaliates in kind, it will distract Loki from the fact that he was a dick to the first real friend he ever had. It will make it much easier for Loki to lie to himself and excuse his actions, while avoiding any guilty feelings. Mobius is not going to give him that.

Mobius also refuses to play along with Loki's bratty drama, instead speaking to him in an honest way, showing that yeah, Loki did let him down and hurt his feelings. And that Mobius is angry, sure. But it's not a moment for petty, fake drama such as Loki tries to ignite.

Instead, it's his friend saying "I trusted you and put myself on the line for you and you betrayed me. You don't get to make this about anything else." (more below the break)

Owen Wilson's delivery on these lines could not have been more flawless. We get all of Mobius' feelings; he's just a regular guy at the end of the day, and his genuineness, his integrity is not what Loki is used to dealing with. He's knocked the ground out from under Loki, this simply, this easily.

Emotional stakes instead of shallow, selfish ones. Loki is thrown into real shock by this turn of events. This is not how he's used to being dealt with when he's been "bad." The child in Loki never matured past these tantrums, for reasons we can easily guess.

Instead of being enraged or saying a bunch of mean stuff back at him, Mobius calls it like it is, then moves on, as if Loki no longer deserves his attention. That is going to drive Loki so crazy.

Plus, Mobius gets Loki so completely that he already knows how his statement is going to hit him. That's why, when Loki's surprised expression appears, Mobius is expecting it and says, "Yeah, chew on that for a little bit."

In other words, "How do you like being treated like a person who is expected to be decent and considerate, as opposed to being treated like a threat or problem to be destroyed?"

I think the latter was damaging to Loki at first, but then, over time, so much easier for Loki to cope with. Enemies were playing into his hands by repeating back the same insults he's gotten used to, has toughened up to.

Nobody has believed in him and expected - not just demanded - but expected better from Loki, until Mobius.

Knowing that he almost immediately tarnished such a friendship hits completely different and Loki is thrown by it.

Mobius sees Loki 100% for who he is and knows how to get under his skin when necessary, knows how to get past Loki's bravado in a way no one else has done.

But part of that skill is because Mobius really still can't help loving Loki to bits, and as hurt as he is here, he has not completely given up on Loki. It's Mobius' genuine, heartfelt responses to Loki that allow him the empathy to give as good as he gets, but more than that, to care enough, specifically, to try and help Loki learn to be better.

I just love them so much-- 😭💓💞

[darkficsyouneveraskedfor]

Fool's Game 1

Warnings: non/dubcon, stalking, and other dark elements. My username actually says you never asked for any of this.

My warnings are not exhaustive but be aware this is a dark fic and may include potentially triggering topics. Please use your common sense when consuming content. I am not responsible for your decisions.

Characters: Loki Laufeyson

This AU is called Watcher Anonymous and will include different series for different characters. This is our introduction to Loki and Bugsy.

Summary: strangers on a train aren't as strange as they seem.

As usual, I would appreciate any and all feedback. I’m happy to once more go on this adventure with all of you! Thank you in advance for your comments and for reblogging ❤️

The train is crowded. That's not unexpected. There are few occasions in life that truly surprise Loki. That day is just a milquetoast as any other. All but one thing. One person.

He sits across from her. She never notices him. Her eyes do not leave the screen of her console. He's not one for the habit. The glare hurts his eyes and often triggers a migraine. No games, no phone but if absolutely necessary, and no distractions.

She's so oblivious he doesn't even need to hide behind the book. Well, it helps elude the curiosity of others who might notice his fleeting gaze.

The first time she sat across from him, he was not impressed. Irked would be more apt. She flew in like a storm and fell into the seat so hard she nearly bounced right out of it. He watched her charge fall from her bag, there, right by the polished toe of his shoe. At first he did not reach for it, yet when she took no heed, he gave in. His mother's voice would not quiet until he retrieved it.

The headset with the bunny ears kept her from hearing him. At least, he would accept only that as an excuse. He's a proper gentleman and she would not ignore him deliberately. He left it on the small lap table extended from her armrest as she did not see his efforts to get her attention. He wasn't going to try any harder.

That day, her brows draw together and her forehead lines. He can't see all of her but she lets out little breaths in her frustration. She squirms and plants her feet, as if that will help her in her game. She tilts the console this way and that then drops it to her lap. She huffs in defeat. He sees the image on her screen; two lethal red words: You Died.

His eyes slowly crawl up and meet hers. She blanches and quickly hides again. He does the same. The words are not legible as his mind races.

He does not lower the book again until he hears her puffing once more in her quest. He peeks at her. She has the wire of the headset between her lips as he rests her elbows on the armrests and hunches over. He can see her figure thrashing around but not much else as the colours on the screen are skewed. She jams her thumbs on the sticks and buttons then a flash and once more, the end screen. She pouts and throws herself back against the seat. She closes her eyes and doesn't move as a dark cloud swallows the image on the console.

The tension slowly eases and her mouth slants from one side to the other. She chews her cheeks and dips her chin down. She opens her eyes and holds down the button to shut off the system. She carefully zips it away in the fuzzy case and stuffs it into her larger bag. Another piece decorated with bunnies. They must be a favourite.

She brings the knapsack into her lap and hugs it. She looks out the window and her expression strains again. She doesn't dare look anywhere but outside, away from the people, away from him.

He supposes that's why he didn't take their first meeting personally. When she was asked coffee or tea by the lady with the cart, she couldn't speak. She merely shook her head with panic in her precious eyes. He knew then why she did not see him. Well, she needn't fear, he was not out to hurt her and he would make sure no other did as well.

🐇

He stands on the platform. Not far from her but not close enough to draw detection. It's an art being unseen but fortunately he's had a lifetime of practice. His brother, his sister, both always drew all the praise, all the purpose. He was just him. Just there.

She stands with shoulders slumped. She has her hood up. Her jacket also has floppy ears and the fleece looks more fit for a stuffed toy. She sways anxiously as she stands near the thick yellow caution line at the front.

The train whines down the tracks but she doesn't seem to notice. She's distracted but he can't tell by what. She's usually the first on but several pass her by before she reacts to the locomotive's arrival.

As she goes to step up, her toe hits the edge and she falls forward. He's moving before he can stop himself. He grabs her elbow and draws her to her feet as she sniffles.

She trembles and he squeezes before he thinks to let her go. She looks down at his long fingers but doesn't have the courage to look him in the face. She wipes her nose.

"Thank you," she murmurs and turns to climb up again, this time keeping her footing.

She's crying. He usually is annoyed by others showing such dire emotion. It's often misplaced. But not with her. His chest pangs. Something's happened. Someone's hurt her when he vowed that no one would.

He follows her up. She sits in 13a and he sits in 13c. Where they always do. She does not unzip her bag or take out her console. She picks at the edges of her nail beds and keeps her head down.

She gulps and her shoulders shake. His balls his fists. He wants to know the cad who's done this!

His heart races. He can't reveal himself. Not yet. Even if she is upset. She's not ready. No, he isn't. He hasn't thought of how.

Well, it's all a fool's dream. He's not serious, is he? She's just a stranger. Even if he knows her name. And where she lives. And where she works. That's all happenstance. It's not anything much deeper than that.

She leans into the window, embracing the bag like a dear friend. He can't see under her slouching hood. The food cart rolls around. He's about to wave the woman on then thinks better of it. The evening train is usually much sparser. He pays for a shortbread cookie. He takes it and turns it in his hands so the wrapper crinkles. She doesn't move.

He leans forward slowly, gauging her reaction. She still doesn't shift an inch. Closer and closer. He tucks the cookie into the front pocket of her bag. Still not a single flinch. She won't know until later but he hope it can bring her the comfort he's too shy to offer. He'll sort it out eventually. Just not today.

[deathmetalunicorn1]

How bout teen!reader and the other women in the ROR family humiliating the men for teasing the reader after practically passing out from period cramps? Idk which men you'd think of when I say that it'd be like, them thinking that reader was just being overly dramatic and that the pain wasn’t so bad, and then Brunhilde and Shiva’s wives make them go through this things that you plug in your abdomen to simulate period cramps? Well, yeah, that and then they kund of understand why reader nearly died. I'm just venting because my colleagues are so annoying about this when they don’t even know what it feels like, lol <3

-You were curled up in Parvati’s arms, a pout on your face as you held the hot water bottle to your stomach while Brunnhilde was yelling at the male gods and warrior, the ones who laughed at you.

-Your unwanted monthly visitor was never the same, and this month, she decided to mess you up with such bad cramps that you nearly fainted, which was worrying for your family, but as soon as they knew you were all right, they found out why and many of the men in your family were quickly laughing.

-This wasn’t funny to you- this was torture, and it was only when you started crying, overwhelmed with emotions, that Aphrodite, Shiva’s wives, and the Valkyries stepped in to discipline the men.

-Kali gave the men all a lesson on what happens during a woman’s shark week, on how the uterus is basically trying to kill itself since it didn’t get what it wanted, and how no two women’s shark weeks were the same and some, like you, sometimes had severe symptoms.

-Some did sympathize with you and other women, but it was Aphrodite who suggested a more hands on approach to this lesson and produced a cramp simulator for every single person who laughed at you.

-Once they were all hooked up, a few, like Loki and QSH, complained, asking if they really had to do this.

-You were given a bowl of ice cream as you curled up on the couch as Brunnhilde took control of the remote, “Laugh by the end of this and you will be forgiven.”

-Twenty minutes later, you were the only laughing, along with the other women, as many of the men were unable to even move, after going from level one to level fifteen in cramps.

-You were pretty sure a few had passed out themselves, while others were shaking, sweating heavily, and gasping for air- this was not fun! This was torture!!

-Once the devices were removed, Aphrodite smirked down at all of them, once they were all awake, “Now then- would anyone like to laugh this time?”

-There was nothing but silence as her answer before Apollo spoke, “You have to deal with that every month?!”

-Durga gave a small nod, “Almost every woman does, but it’s never the same, one month it might be mild and only last three days, others you might be crippled and suffer for a whole week!”

-Eyes went wide- this wasn’t natural before Loki spoke, not being rude, “How do you guys handle this!” a few glances between the women were sent around before Parvati spoke up, “It’s expected of us to continue going about our lives as if nothing is wrong.”

-Eyes went wide, like they didn’t believe before the ladies all started taking turns telling the comments that you and they have been forced to endure, “It can’t be that bad!”, “You’re just faking it to get out of doing stuff.” “Still gotta go to work!”, “Need to take care of the kids!”, “Gotta clean the house!”, “Need to go to school.”, “Don’t talk about that- it’s gross and unnatural.”, “Oh you must be on your period!”, “Not to mention we have to deal with things like breakouts, headaches, and bloating- just to name a few.”

-You were the one who then finished the argument, “Even if we’re in pain, or like me when I almost passed out earlier- we’re expected to pretend that we’re okay as society expects that from us.”

-You’re pretty sure that you all got the point across, especially after Buddha cuddled you, hugging you while you were wrapped in a fluffy blanket. Shiva was showering his wives with affection, apologizing to them for every incident that he was insensitive towards them.

-Now if you could just get every other male on earth to understand what it feels like to have a period- then maybe more things would change.

[themattress]

I went down the Thor: Ragnarok rabbit hole and am more frustrated than ever as to what went wrong because of two bozos (Taika Waititi and Chris Hemsworth). The original pitch for the movie was to be about Asgard's destruction, with other locations in space not just limited to Sakaar, hence why Mark Ruffalo said early in 2016 that he was under the impression that it was going to be a "road movie". The initial script by Craig Kyle and Christopher Yost reflected that, although it reportedly still had issues such as Hela being a Generic Doomsday Villain lacking in motivation and Sif's entire role, romantic feelings for Thor included, being rewritten for Valkyrie (Brunnhilde) when Jaimie Alexander's scheduling conflicts prevented her from returning. Most notably, Asgard the planet would not have been destroyed at the end, so the civilization could be rebuilt and still be utilized in the MCU.

When Taika Waititi came aboard at Chris Hemsworth's urging since he wanted to reinvent his character and franchise based on mean things he heard Kevin Smith say about them on a podcast (yes, really), he hired Stephany Folsom to help him rewrite the story which ended up being split between only Asgard and Sakaar, plus a little Earth early on. At the end, Asgard the planet would explode. They then handed the disjointed story pieces over to Eric Pearson to craft a proper screenplay from. That screenplay is reflected in the novelization...and it's honestly pretty good! Yeah, I personally would have preferred it if we got the "road movie" version with Sif and all, but this version of Thor: Ragnarok is also a satisfying narrative.

It starts off much the same as the finished version up until Loki is exposed. Then we'd actually get a scene between Thor and the Warriors Three, reinforcing their friendship so that what is about to happen is meaningful. Thor and Loki then would go to NYC (no Doctor Strange encounter here) and find Odin as a crazed hobo whose power is weakening and can't hold back Hela from breaking her seal. Hela would appear in an alleyway and kill Odin before destroying Mjolnir (a shot we even see in the original teaser trailer for the movie), then sending Thor and Loki to Sakaar while she goes to Asgard, kills the Warriors Three and massacres the rest of its army, and recruits Skurge to be her Executioner (she'd also have a badass monologue that was also slightly glimpsed in the teaser trailer: "Asgard...is dead!") The stuff on Sakaar wouldn't be nearly as goofy except for Grandmaster who was always written as a comedic villain to contrast the more serious Hela, both Korg and Valkyrie (still Brunnhilde, but now mercifully not romantically interested in Thor) would be in-character to their comics counterparts, and it would be Valkyrie who reveals to Thor over midway through the movie that Hela is his sister and that Odin's rule of Asgard is founded upon bloodshed and lies, which is why she's disillusioned with the whole thing now. Loki would accompany Thor, Banner and Valkyrie to Asgard from the beginning and help out there (again seen in the teaser trailer), but the ending would be slightly different: Heimdall would die in battle; Valkyrie would ignite Surtur's crown to cause Ragnarok instead of Loki and die in the process; Thor would sacrifice himself to keep Hela occupied, ensuring that Hulk and all of Asgard's civilians escaped, and would be left floating in space after the planet exploded; and Loki would make yet another betrayal by abandoning the evacuation effort, taking the Tesseract from the castle vault, and using it to flee to his home planet of Jotunheim so that he can hide it and himself from Thanos, to no avail as Thanos was to arrive and kill him for it at the start of Infinity War.

The one change I'm glad happened was with the ending. This original one not only seems to be very heavy-handed in what it's saying (basically: Heimdall, Skurge and Valkyrie all give their lives, Thor seemingly does the same even though we know he isn't dead, Hulk gives up fighting Surtur to go be the Asgardian peoples' protector as they travel to Earth....but Loki sucks, he's just a dirty little coward and we hate him!"), but the altered ending created a different lead-in to Infinity War that is so much stronger for Thor and Hulk's characters in it.

I'm also not wholly averse to the Doctor Strange sequence or the reshot Odin death scene atop a beautiful seaside cliff in Norway (although they should have left it at that instead of also filming him as a spirit guide to Thor when he absolutely did not deserve to be given all he's done and all that's being revealed about him in this movie). Those changes were OK.

So, what happened in regards to the other changes? The movie began filming, and Taika Waititi flat-out admitted that he had 80% of the script jettisoned in favor of improv. As a result, damn near everyone's characterization feels off, the tonal whiplash between SNL-style comedy in Sakaar and a destructive fascist takeover of Asgard is ridiculously obvious, and the majority of how all the previous trappings of Thor's life and franchise get destroyed is played off with levity because they were unpopular with general moviegoers and geeks like Kevin Smith so they won't be missed even if the levity makes no sense in-universe especially when Infinity War will take the exact opposite approach (with Endgame going half-and-half.)

I'm going to end this post with a bombshell: I still enjoy Thor: Ragnarok, and I hate Thor: Love and Thunder......yet I am also grateful to Thor: Love and Thunder. Because if not for it, so many wouldn't have woken up to what I have been saying since the start: the Ragnarok we got wasn't the Ragnarok we should have gotten, and Taika Waititi's "bold, fresh new direction" for the Thor franchise and Chris Hemsworth's comedic reinvention of the character weren't "rescuing" them the way so many lauded them for doing. They were ruining them. If they hadn't gotten away with turning in the Ragnarok they did, and if it wasn't met with such praise, then Love and Thunder would not have happened. So if you were among the "Taika Waititi saved Thor!" crowd, then you cannot in good faith acknowledge Love and Thunder's spectacular badness without also acknowledging that you got it wrong on Ragnarok. Maybe, just maybe, you should've appreciated sincerity and humanity, no matter how "boring", more.

[secretshifter-desperate]

ANTI-SHIFTERS DNI

I just realized I've never properly introduced myself 😭💀

Let's get the easy stuff out of the way. My name! I will NEVER use my real name because I like secrecy 💪🩵 so you can call me Fleur or Secret Shifter. It will be the universal stand in because in my DRs I have the same name. My name here. Because I can.

Anyway now. I personally believe in the multiverse theory but I view it more as like a tree. Kinda like the way it looks in Loki except the multiverse is a vast forest with trees that stem from each being/person/soul. Each version of you is just a fragment of not a prime you but what you were made of/ from and all the different paths you or the world could have taken. I also believe reality is what we perceive which honestly isn't much because the perception of the human body is very limited. I am also spiritual as fuck. I don't call myself a witch but I dabble in witchcraft when I get the energy to. I am also fairly devoted to Apollo. I also believe in A. Being a good person and treating others regardless of our differences with politeness (unless you're a bigot/full of hatred) B. Morally gray is okay unless you k🔪ll people for fun in your DRs. That's not morally gray. Getting rid of evil people is morally gray. Hurting innocents makes you a monster 🫶 C. People are entitled to their beliefs and opinions so long as they don't force or actively harm others. Like idgaf if you don't believe the same religion or shifting theories as me. At the end of the day we end up where we wanna go and that's all that matters. But if you hate minorities for no reason other than bullshit and prejudice I'll block you. Wish I could bitch slap you but this is the internet so if you don't like me or what I'm saying block me! I do not care

DR Stuff

Finally, the fun part.

My primary DR that I have been trying to shift to for a year and shifted to for like a second (I think still not too sure but I'm counting it.) is my

Buffy The Vampire Slayer DR:

It is here where I am Fleur Van Helsing. Descendant of THE Abraham Van Helsing and I am literally just me but sexier and in a vampire hunter/slayer AU. As well as having a whole past life/reincarnation thing going on where in the one past life I do remember I was the Slayer as well as Spike's childhood friend and crush while he was alive. We never got together while he was alive because I was the slayer but when I found out he was turned into a vampire, I being the unbridled blob of depression I am/was absolutely jumped him and we went at it like bunny rabbits until Angelus, the ass, literally stabbed me in the back while Spike and I were on a date. So, yeah. Same face new me. I have a video using my old/social media face claim that does a little bit of showing my main/important past lives in my Buffy DR

Now for a list of my other DRs! That I will not talk about in this post because this one is already pretty long.

Green Lantern/Get with Blue Beetle DR

Young Justice TV Show DR (Aka My oldest DR)

Docto Who DR

Tales of Arcadia DR (also kinda old)

My Amalgam DR (DC and Marvel)

Once Upon A Time DR

Legion of Superheroes/ Future DC DR

These are basically all the ones that I actually wanted to go to from like 2022ish to now. There were more but they were basically abandoned because I decided I didn't want to go to them anymore. The only one that isn't from 2022 is my Young Justice DR that one was actually the first ever DR I wanted to go to but now I've just kinda out grown of it and would probably just revise it to make it more like a Titans/older team set up or shift to a later point time. Tales of Arcadia will also probably be added to the abandoned pile ngl 💀

Well... That's it! I think I covered all my bases.

BYYYEEEEE

[mysticcollectionbee]

Loki season 2 Ep.5

(SPOILERS)

This just gonna be a list of things I’m obsessing over in the new episode by order of importance to me (I’m sorry):

GOD. OF. STORIES. Buildup. YES!!! From the episode title to Loki specifically mentioning saving their stories (only other time he mentioned stories to represent a person’s life was in the very first episode of this show I think). I’m way too excited.

Mobius…I’m sorry this will be mainly Lokius based. *Ahem* Mobius a single dad who can’t shut up about being single and the only person he talks about stuff that isn’t just Jet-Ski related is Loki. Everyone else he meets he kinda just stays on topic but Loki; “Hey, stranger who might of followed me from work, want a beer? I’m also a single dad.” And two things I feel like I see differently than a lot of the fandom: a) I don’t think Don (Just remembered that’s his name) has a dead wife. Like, who describes your wife being dead as ‘Long gone’ and immediately tries to pawn off a belonging that you used as a couple? b) People saying the kids act like Loki and Thor which means Mobius represents Odin but…Odin kinda sucked as a dad? And Frigga was a MASSIVE part of raising the kids, so an Odin variant being able to step in is. Unrealistic. Oh and Hela? Hi??? Hela exists. So nah, I think they made it that way the same way they made Thor adopt Love, to fix the mistakes of the past generation with the new ones. Thor is raising Love unlike how his father raised him. Loki could raise the brothers to not have the same issues he had with his own brother, and what they both had issues with when raised together by Odin.

(Last one was long) I think I made a theory a long time ago that Casey/Frank was related to the unsolved case of the guys escaping Alcatraz. Could be wrong, if not, hey one of my theories was right!

O.B. my baby boi was a failed Sci-Fi writer that ended up inspiring the god of stories to save all the stories across the multiverse. He’s secretly the most important writer character in the MCU :’)

B-15 being a nurse makes a lot of sense and explains why she became softer and more focused on helping others after she got her memories back. Her true nature of helping others came back to her, which probably ask explains why she really hate the idea of pruning people again.

I want to talk about Sylvie and all the neat stuff about her…But my Bi brain keeps getting distracted by that scene of her without her jacket…She’s- she’s great here too 👍

Final unimportant thing: Any Doctor who fan get time explanation flashback the moment O.B picked up that mug with pens in it? “I’m a pen in a mug?” “Yes you are, Donna Noble.”

[themculibrary]

Barista!Tony Masterlist

Autumnal Shenanigans (ao3) - Withstarryeyes steve/tony, clint/natasha G, 1k

Summary: Steve can't help but love the way Tony looks when he works--oversized sweaters, mussed up hair, and cute barista apron.

black, two sugars (ao3) - Anonymous steve/tony G, 720

Summary: “I’ll see you tomorrow, Tony. Oh! And it was a black coffee, two sugars,” Pepper says, tilting her head towards the still (miraculously) unaware handsome blond in the corner booth. She marches out into the cool, autumn night, leaving the two strangers in the quaint café alone together.

Everything but (ao3) - withered bucky/tony T, 1k

Summary: “Let me get this straight,” Tony began, eying the man across the counter. “Your name is actually Bucky?”

Caught between borderline confusion and apprehension, he nodded.

“You’re joking.” He could have dropped the marker, but there was a line growing behind him and there was no time for fumbling. The whole point of volunteering to help was to make sure business ran smoothly, not slower.

Granted, it wasn’t every day that genius-playboy-billionaire-philanthropist Tony Stark was your barista.

Hello, Mr. Hot Stuff (ao3) - Akira_of_the_Twilight bucky/clint/steve/tony T, 4k

Summary: Tony is a flirt.

Tony knows this. His boyfriend Clint knows this.

Now the cute blond who just moved into the area knows this, and soon Blondie’s boyfriend will know it too.

And what’s one of the many ways Tony flirts? By scribbling pet names onto his customers’ coffee cups.

And really? Can anyone blame him for writing “Mr. Hot Stuff” on Blondie’s cup? It would have been a crime not to.

No cream, no sugar (ao3) - PrinceofBadassery bucky/tony G, 1k

Summary: Tony's father cut him off from the family money and he lands a jobs as barista.

Bucky is a regular who comes to the coffee shop to write, nobody knows that he is an accomplished auther and he likes to keep it that way.

Tony is intrigued by the guy who types as fast with one hand as Tony does with two.

(This fic is a one-shot for a story idea I had but never managed to get to work)

Rise and Grind (ao3) - NotEvenCloseToStraight bucky/clint/tony M, 2k

Summary: Tony and Clint run a coffee shop.

Bucky is their favorite beefcake customer.

The usual shenanigans.

Somethings Are Meant To Be (ao3) - WelcomeToMays steve/tony G, 1k

Summary: Steve's dating record hasn't been the best lately, yet it didn't stop him from constantly shutting down Bucky's insistence on setting him up with one of Pepper's friends. Besides he has his eye on the cute barista at his local cafe that he will never ever ask out because, well because of reasons, anyways. But as the song goes... "Darling so it goes, somethings are meant to be." and sometimes things find a way.

sweetness (ao3) - imposterhuman bucky/tony G, 1k

Summary: Tony had thought he’d hate working as a barista, but the free coffee after every shift went a long way towards sweetening the deal. It also helped that Natasha, his friend whose shift schedule aligned almost perfectly with his own, was just as terrible of a person as he was and liked to join in when he started mocking the ruder customers. She made the monotony of the job bearable-- well, her and his favorite customer.

Bucky Barnes had been a regular at the shop for as long as Tony had been working there. The first time Tony had seen him, he’d begged Natasha to let him take the man’s order, then promptly ruined any and all chances of Bucky ever liking him by saying he had a fake name. Natasha had laughed for hours when their shift ended, but, somehow, Tony hadn’t scared Bucky off for good. The man came in like clockwork on Tuesdays and Thursdays, the same way he always had. 

If Tony put a little bit more effort into his appearance on those days and made sure he manned the register, well, it was nobody’s business but his own. 

The coffee shop lesson (ao3) - Oxane loki/tony T, 867

Summary: Tony really wants to flirt with the science student who hangs out at the coffee shop at odd hours. And then the science student leaves him an entire essay on a napkin criticising his smoking addiction. Well, Tony be damned, he likes hot bastards. Even more so when they're smartass.

The moon and its secrets (ao3) - 42donotpanic bucky/tony, clint/natasha M, 9k

Summary: In a world where Hydra and the Red Room made werewolves instead of soldiers and the Avengers work in a coffee shop, Bucky is not having a good time. Between chronic pain, trauma, and Natasha, who keeps dragging him on missions, he's struggling to stay in control when he turns and has a hard time keeping his secrets from the cute barista in his favourite café.

The Split Bean (ao3) - eolian234 N/R, 12k

Summary: By day he was billion, superhero, genius, Tony Stark. By night he was a barista at The Split Bean coffee shop.

What happens when one of his regulars, Peter Parker, has an unusual request?

Whatcha Writing? (ao3) - DaftPunk_DeLorean steve/tony M, 7k

Summary: Steve is a starving artist who gets by as an author of erotica and adult fantasies. Tony is the dashingly handsome owner of the coffee shop where Steve spends all his time writing, and who also happens to be Steve’s full-time muse. Steve’s stories involve adventure, romance, steamy sex, and most importantly, Tony. But writing lusty fantasies about his muse was one thing; falling helplessly, hopelessly, head-over-heels in love with him was something entirely different.

Who is Tony Stark?! (ao3) - Kreacher777 mj/peter T, 8k

Summary: Tony Stark survives the snap and wakes up in a hospital. But he doesnt have any memories on who he is or how he got into the hospital. So he starts a new life and starts to work in a small coffee shop. Soon, that nerdy teenager Peter might change everything for Tony...again.

With You Around (ao3) - pensversusswords steve/tony T, 6k

Summary: “I’d like to know you.”

Tony works in a coffee shop where Steve spends a lot of his time, because it’s the perfect place to draw. Then, he starts to talk to Tony, and he finds himself coming in for a different reason.

[clarcced]

Chekov's Heart Shaped Gun - An Analysis Of What Love Means In Loki (TV)

What Sylki actually means and why it’s not romantic love. / How S1E3/4 and S2E5 prove that love is who one calls home. / How Lokius will prevail.

Let's begin our analysis in s1e3.

Sylvie says she can’t sleep when another version of themselves is around. She is stronger than most in the show, yet she lacks trust in themselves- then wakes up from her nap a scene later, but alas, her even saying that is interesting. On that note, Sylvie and Loki are variants of each other. It's only fair to say that they basically have the same trust issues.

Mobius is a trustworthy person overall but to a Loki that’s near impossible to come by as it seems. Loki sleeps soundly with Mobius literally across him, considering the fact that he too couldn't sleep around an untrustworthy person. He trusts Mobius, even before he met Sylvie.

Moving on, Loki takes the glasses offered to them on the train and drinks both upon Sylvie’s refusal to drink hers. The glasses and their contents are identical and have a green tint to them- which is symbolism to establish the fact that Loki and Sylvie are in fact the same person- in variance, supported by the cinematography of this scene: mirroring sides.

Loki drinking both can mean three things all together in this context which I transformed into sentences because I lack in English vocabulary:

“See, I am you, you can trust me.” – Which she doesn’t.

“I take what comes my way.” – Loki doesn’t go around looking for love in any shape or form and takes what is thrown at him – resulting in “whim-prone” actions.

“I can have my cake and eat it too.” as in Sylki stuff- which sounds like clumsy and desperate flirting to me, honestly. There is also the element of Loki’s massive ego in this context, which turns into self love and becomes less (self/)destructive as the show progresses throughout S1 and S2.

Why did they address Loki’s bisexuality in the show specifically? Verbal “representation” without context? That’s below this well-thought-out show’s writers.

I keep coming back to the wording.

"Would-be-princesses" - plural, derogatory (as in aspiring to be, but not one) "Another prince" - single, specific

[Note: I saw some people posting that the timeline name of Mobius "Don" means 'prince', but couldn't find that specific definition myself in any online dictionary/baby names site. Best definition I could find was "brown, chief, noble" over on Wikipedia, so for now let's refrain from that specific definiton and focus on what is given to us plain and straight. I'll make this note make sense in the end of this analysis.]

Or could it be perhaps to give them a common ground to stand on? Nope. They don’t stand on that common ground, not even for a minute.

A drink. (Ding ding ding!!!!)

Yes, a drink. When he gets that drink, he sings an Asgaridan (well, Norwegian) song:

In storm-blackened mountains, I wander alone

Across glaciers, I travel forth

In the apple orchard the fair maiden stands

And sings, "When will you come home?"

When she sings, she sings, "Come home."

So who’s the maiden exactly? Loki dedicates the song to Sylvie, but never says it was specifically written for a romantic love interest. Not gonna lie, I might be reaching here, but hear me out: the lyrics can go both ways. They talked about their mother and how Sylvie barely remembers hers. So, Loki, as he is, sings about a traveller coming home to a maiden, possibly his mother or lover, depending on the context at which the song is directed towards.

The only time we see Loki truly helpless against the world is when he mourns his mother. The purest form of love he has ever received, gone. Upon their conversation with Sylvie about what “love” is, Loki disagrees with it being mischief itself, instead takes time and a couple drinks and sings about a fair maiden- his mother calling him home. That is the only type of love he has truly ever felt for another.

Now imagine singing a song about your mother to another variant of yourself. Mommy issues much? Sure. Bad way to flirt? Absolutely. He basically shows Sylvie what he thinks love means to him, but also establishing a connection with Sylvie based on HIS mindset: They are the same. No matter what the maiden represents, a romantic interest or love for a mother, these two variants are of the same kind in the end.

“No. Terrible metaphor.” Sylvie says. Fast forward to 3 episodes later in s1e6 she drops the dagger she holds on Loki’s throat and proceeds to kiss him, says they’re not the same and kicks him back into the TVA.

Being a Loki is not about being a villain and losing every time, it’s about surviving. To survive, they must adapt and adapting they do. They hold hands in s1e4 and a nexus event begins. A Loki, a so-called villain, in league with another Loki. No mischief, just loving each other- by each other by this point I’m talking about THEM as ONE. They easily could’ve kissed right then if their relationship was romantic, but they didn’t. They love themselves in that moment of an approaching apocalypse.

“But I’m not you.” – As the track “Stop” plays.- [The Sylki track that also played in the scene mentioned in the previous panel.]

Loki just wants Sylvie to be okay. He wants his inner mischievous giant to be okay. He wants his inner self to be okay. But Sylvie refuses this. She kisses him BECAUSE she refuses the fact that they can ever be the same or view love the same way. To Sylvie, love is very much real in the shape of a dagger, yet she drops it to the ground, then kisses Loki. Sylvie shows Loki that love is not what Loki thinks it is.

Love is not what Loki thinks it is.

Reality isn't what you think it is. -Loki to Mobius in s2e5

Fast forward to s2e5. Loki is in conflict with himself. – Thus, time slipping.

Everyone is sent back to their HOMES. Loki remains at the TVA when others are back in their original timelines- except Sylvie. She sees that McDonalds life as her home. So, that means, these people were sent to when and where they belonged before the TVA, or in case of Loki and Sylvie their respected new homes- also giving purpose to their belonging to that place- the when, where and why.

In Loki's mind, Mobius's home IS the TVA, his purpose, his 'glorious purpose' if you will. He searches around the TVA where him and Mobius spent their time pacing around or just sitting down to have a key lime pie.

Sylvie says that they are, in fact, Lokis of the same nature.

The acceptance.

Then it turns out it wasn’t about when, where or why. It’s about WHO. Loki could never have that drink because these two variants of the same species, Loki and Sylvie, are on different paths of life and love. Their roads have crossed but went their separate ways in the end.

Home.

It's about who, right? Loki could have found himself beside Sylvie in the McDonald's, easily, if he actually saw her as home. But no. He remained in the TVA, where Mobius once called home- which apparently he does too now. He belongs in the TVA with Mobius and their friends, with or without Sylvie.

This brings us to the smoking love shaped gun.

"Must've been would-be-princesses or perhaps, another prince."

"Love is... uh, something I might have to have another drink to think about."

2 people close to him offered him the drink he's yet to enjoy: Sylvie and Mobius.

The would-be-princess and the other prince.

"It's about who." Loki says, looking directly at Mobius.

He chooses the prince.

He makes it known to Sylvie at the very end of the episode, slowly turning to her: "I can rewrite the story."

He found his purpose in Mobius. He is the "who" that'll help him rewrite the story of time. He is home.

.

Thank you for sticking around till the end of this one. I appreciate any corrections/reminders of what I've missed or got wrong.

[lucianalight]

Loki S2 Review

I rewatched S2 and I liked it even more on the second watch. I'm giving it a 6 out of 10 in average(8 for the finale). Since I didn't post a review week by week like for S1, I'm just going to talk about the main things I liked/disliked

The Improvements & Things I liked:

The pace and the narrative's tone and framing have changed. While the pace drops sometimes, these moments aren't as boring as S1. Meaning you don't want to constantly check when it's going to end(like you know, S1 and especially 1x06). The narrative is neutral and doesn't villain code Loki and hero code others. It doesn't turn Loki into a clown, a punching bag or someone who deserves humiliation(I guess they've done enough of that in S1). On the contrary the characters are shown as flawed people, with Loki being the most moral, considerate, logical and heroic amongst them.

They stated bluntly in episode 1, that what TVA used to do, were atrocities. That they were killing numerous innocent people who had a right to live their lives as they chose.

The characters were three dimensional, likable or tolerable despite their actions in S1. They showed remorse for the things they had done. Although the way the narrative chose to go about it in S1 still leaves a bad taste in my mouth. It shouldn't happen to you for you to realize sth is wrong. But at least it was shown that the characters weren't slaughtering people mindlessly and some of them deep down knew it was wrong. Although the fact that they still did it, because of the "greater good", and "woe is me! It's not a comfort it's a burden" attitude about it is repulsive.

OB, Casey and Timely being funny, cute nerds and fanboys :D

Loki using amazing magical stuff and DID YOU SEE THE GREEN MAGICAL GLOW IN HIS EYES?*incoherent screaming*

No Romance. It was unnecessary and rushed in S1. This time they focused more on Loki needing friends and that was definitely a better choice imo and what they should have gone for in S1 too.

Sylvie's actions and personality framed as what they were. She wasn't put on a pedestal as this amazing different FeMaLe version of Loki. She was framed as a flawed character with wrong and right actions and beliefs.

Loki and Sylvie's talk in the pie land, about change, hope, fixing what's broken and being gods. That sigh before Loki saying "We are gods" with all the weight of the world on his shoulders. Wonderful acting.

The ending and its epic soundtrack.

Topics & Things That Could Have Been Handled Better:

The Topic of New York Invasion

"Sometimes a rage builds up and you just gotta let it out. Do you remember that time I was so angry with my father and my brother, I went down to Earth and I held the whole of New York city hostage with an alien army? Tried to use the mind stone on Tony Stark? It didn't work so I threw him off the building. It wasn't tactical. I lost it"

On the surface it looks like Loki's saying that's why he attacked New York and probably most people accept this without a second thought.

But the context of the scene matters. We see during the interrogation Mobius loses his temper. He was worried about Loki getting angry, but he was the one who loses his temper and hits Brad. Loki tries to calm him down by sympathizing with him to try and see what caused his behavior. It's the same thing he did for Thor in the first movie, before coronation and after it, while Thor was nervous and angry. What he says about New York while isn't the whole truth, it also isn't untrue. He was angry with Thor and Odin but as we know his anger and thoughts were influenced by the scepter. We also know Loki doesn't like to talk about his time with Thanos or being tortured. Instead he uses a half-truth, sth that is in character for Loki.

So the scene can be rationalized by this analysis but it's still annoying that this analysis is even needed. They should have been clear about the scepter's influence especially when mcu confirmed it.

Loki thinking about Thor's change as being a weakness. While both Thor and Loki were groomed and taught to consider being soft as a weakness, that wasn't Loki's true feelings. At least I don't think someone who prefers words and magic-that are considered a weakness in Asgard-over brawn thinks like that. His goal in the first movie was to goad Thor into fighting him. So the line should have been sth like this: "Asgard taught us being soft is a weakness, so I used that against Thor to goad him into a fight. I said he's gone soft…"

Plotholes and things that weren't explained.

Why Loki and Sylvie weren't sent to their original timelines like others? And why neither of them showed any interest in seeking their family? You're telling me Loki wants to see these people he knows for 10 seconds more than Frigga or Thor? OOC.

Sylvie's sudden mastery of magic since 1x06 isn't explained. She didn't know much, but then suddenly could do everything Loki did. I mean I can headcanon that her and Loki linking their power taught her some things but these sudden developments without any explanations are annoying.

Loki's genderfluidity. No mention of it at all. Although I believe that no representation is better than bad representation. And you should leave a topic alone if you don't understand it, otherwise you're gonna mess it up. Because bad rep can be more harmful. And so maybe it was a good thing mcu let that one go. But they could still fix it with some shapeshifiting, explaining its difference with illusions and Loki confirming that he is comfortable in her female form.

Loki's clothes. It's probably not that important in comparison with other issues but I really hate that beige suit. Why Sylvie who doesn't even want to be Loki and wasn't in Asgard since childhood changes into an Asgardian outfit for a fight and not Loki? Yeah I get it. It was because of the last reveal and transformation and finding his identity blah blah blah but at least they could have gave him his old Asgardian clothes or he could change the suit's color ugh

Criticism & Things I didn't like:

The ooc moments for Loki in some comedic scenes. Especially in episode 5. While the character has a comedic potential, it's not based on clownery or clumsiness. The best humorous moments for Loki are the ones where he outwits others, use sarcastic language or he is being outwitted despite his careful plans.

Certain emotional stakes aren't clear from the start. The audience know that saving TVA is the right thing because it protects all the freed timelines but they don't know why they should care? Or more accurately why Loki is so emotionally invested in this goal. That gets answered in episode 5 and while Loki's talk with Sylvie is a good emotional scene, the fact that it's stated so late in the story, makes the first few episodes boring when it comes to saving TVA.

The main reason the emotional stakes aren't clear(at least for me), I believe is because most of the people Loki call them his "friends",  haven't done anything to either deserve his friendship or aren't close enough to be considered a friend. Let alone someone Loki tries to move heaven and hell to be with them, instead of for example trying to find his brother and family. It is an issue which again is rooted in S1 and carried to S2. What happened in S1 wasn't therapy or a healthy friendship.

However, Loki being loyal to anyone who show him an ounce of affection or him being moral enough to try to save people are in character for him and that's sth good about it.

The torture scene.

The trick Mobius and Loki pulled was predictable as hell. I didn't even doubted Loki in TDW, let alone here. And even though I didn't believe for one second that Loki's actually going to hurt the guy, and he wasn't shown enjoying it, I still hated that he went along with the torture idea Mobius had come up with. Especially considering the fact that he was a victim of torture himself and never shown any sign in canon that he would torture someone. So yeah I hated that scene.

And why that scene was even necessary? Loki could get into X-5's mind when they weren't in TVA. We know he is capable of it. He did it both through mind stone in Avengers and in TR. how else they were going to delve into Mobius' problem though smh

But alright let's say they needed a scene like that. Still the whole Brad believing Mobius is against torture, and Loki's the one who would be in favor of it, is so fucking ridiculous. Any way you look at it, it has always been TVA and Mobius who did any torture we've seen during the two seasons. The tortures that Loki endured might I add. Even in the previous scene, it was Loki who didn't hit Brad and only tried to intimidate him non-physically by acting as a villain. It was Mobius who hit him, who was shown more affected by Brad's insults. So logically the scene they had planned to fool Brad, should have been played completely the opposite way. By having Mobius do the torture. At least it was recognized that the torture idea was from Mobius and both he and Loki gave the credits for it to Mobius.

Verity Willis. Hunter B15 unlike the Verity in comics, doesn't have a close friendship with Loki or truth detector powers. Not having a good friend like comics Verity for Loki, was such a wasted opportunity in the series.

Mobius saying to Loki "You're a man of action...". That was such a stupid, unnecessary line. As if the main difference between Loki and Thor wasn't Thor acting before thinking, and Loki thinking and planning before acting. While Loki is also a man of action, he is first and foremost a man of strategy. The only plausible explanation imo is that Mobius said it to not feel useless in comparison with Loki and his skills.

"Thor's not that tall". Yeah, no. I don't think Loki's reaction to seeing Thor and Odin's statues would be that. Knowing his brother and family were murdered by the very same people he's working with now. Remind me again why he's considering them "FrIeNdS"? Someone really needs to explain the concept of friendship to Loki. Or rather the writers of this show.

And while we are at it. Let's talk about how Loki's past and identity issues were completely swapped under the rug as if they were all magically fixed and didn't matter anymore. As if those weren't the most important part of his journey. Another issue rooted in S1.

Final Thoughts(for now :D)

Season 2 was definitely better than season 1. Not perfect, and not for those who care about OG Loki's issues. They set him on a completely different path in S1 and they messed up any chance to actually delve into his problems. So in S2 we're having a character that we're supposed to accept has moved on from certain issues, and now tries to find what he wants and where he belongs. Still, I think that they listened to the criticism for once as they tried to fix some of the problems of S1. After many years it didn't feel like that the creators hate the character, or using him as a prop, or a plot device. It was a story about Loki. A bittersweet story for the god of stories.

[milliedjeorge2]

Oftentimes, I just don't have time for an epic (as lovely as they can be). Below is a list of my favorite Marvel fics, which are 5,000 words or less. They have all of the fun, action, and heart you'd expect from the MCU ->

butterfly effect by eternalknight: T, Gwen/Miles

She lives in infinite worlds at a time. She sees carbon copies of every person she meets, endless duplicates with only minor details to differentiate them. She meets two of Miles, three of Hobie, and about a few hundred Peters.

She does not meet herself.

OR: what's it like to know that you're the only lucky one?

talk to me by the fire side, keep the cold at bay by AimlessCat: G, no pairings

Tony lets go easily enough when darkness overtakes his vision in the cold Siberian bunker.

He opens them to a cave, with a battery powered magnet in his chest.

how to rob your uncle's grave by relationshipcrimes: G, no pairings

Miles saves the multiverse, gets sweet new powers, goes through a fairly-traumatic origin story, and has four whole days of riding high on a wave of new-and-improved teenaged self-esteem before some douche on the street looks him dead in the eye and says, "You couldn't have waited until Peter Parker was cold in his grave before stealing his name, huh?"

how the west was won by kaydeefalls: T, no pairings

Angel has never been anyone but herself.

Here's the Thing by Drag0nst0rm: G, no pairings

Yondu doesn't set out to break the code. It just sort of happens.

(He doesn't set out to be Peter's dad either. That just sort of happens too.)

Wistful still, and still aspiring by Lise: T, no pairings

Loki feels like he might be losing himself, sometimes. When that happens, he goes wandering.

Or, he calls it wandering. Really, he always ends up in the same place.

make it nice now by deniigiq : Unrated, no pairings

The last coat of imperial purple paint went on with a feeling of accomplishment and heralded in new feelings of intense anxiety. Nelson & Murdock hadn’t lasted and Foggy’s stomach ached with dread that Nelson, Murdock & Page might not either.

Castle told him to stuff it and prepare for the worst.

“Ain’t done anyone any good getting their hopes up,” he pointed out in his gruff way, “But at least now, if everything goes to hell, you’ll get twice as much for the office space.”

Frank sure had a way with words.

(Nelson, Murdock & Page get the new office ready for business before Thanksgiving, and Matt tries on this whole family thing.)

from the moment i could talk, i was ordered to listen by Silverwolf329: T, no pairings

Nebula loves her sister, she thinks.

Make A Wish by whitchry9: T, no pairings

When Daredevil is contacted by the Make-A-Wish Foundation about a dying girl who wants to meet him, he thinks it's a terrible terrible idea.

Some Nights by ScreechTheMighty: G, no pairings

Well some nights, I wish that this all would end 'Cause I could use some friends for a change

Or, Matt and Jessica have rough nights sometimes, and talking to each other is shockingly easy. Also, Jessica doesn't judge Matt's bruises and Matt is good at braiding hair, so bonus.

[nerdieforpedro]

🦴

🍓

🥤

Please!

🦴 = a piece of media that inspires my writing?

Not really one set piece. More like music in general does. I often listen to lofi beats when writing or my writing playlist to set the mood of what I’m trying to write. Or it could be music I’m listening to in the car or waiting somewhere could lead to some bullet points that become a fic. 😆

🍓= what led me to write fanfic in the first place?

Going deep here aren’t you Em? 👀 lol I’ve enjoyed writing since I was little as an extension of my love of reading. First with poems and the anime fanfiction when I actually watch more anime. Now I read more manga and don’t write fanfiction about it. If one squints on A03 - I may have dabbled in Marvel characters and actors for a short time. 🫢 The took a long pause as life happened. Sometime last year as my mental health improved so did my love of writing and I hyper focused on Pedro Pascal so here we are. 🤣 I write more the better my mood is. Maybe a bit too much background 😵

🥤= recommend and author or fic you love

Ugh just one? Dammit. 😒 I shall not! I’ll do eight because there are no favorites! Only peeps we support! And I can’t really call any of them number one I enjoy them all too much. 🥰

1. @morallyinept Pretty much anything you read of Jett’s will be beautiful, sensual, take you to a far away place or have needing to remove clothing - possibly from reading the same fic. 😆 She covers a wide variety of Pedro characters and is a wealth of knowledge on them. She also is just really talented and sweet.

2. @maggiemayhemnj Sure Ms. Payday doesn’t have a long Masterlist but every fic on there is worth reading for her turns of phases, vivid descriptions and her love of both Joel and Ezra. 💕

3. @megamindsecretlair One of my fellow black writers who keeps readers thirsty and eager for more with her Sam, Bucky and Loki series (all of which I need to catch up on or finish 👀) and is a hilarious person as she is kind.

4. @soft-girl-musings Another fellow black writer who’s “Perhaps, Perhaps, Perhaps” 1920’s or 40’s (I’m not great with telling time obviously 🙄 ) has me wondering what’s going to happen next, what is going on in that club and where else am I going to see curly haired Marcello is going to pop up at. 🤣

5. @ramblers-lets-get-ramblin The Mistress of Agnst. Her masterlist is for those who aren’t afraid to explore the darker side and stories that may not have happy endings but you’ll still feel satisfied that to finished it. To feel another type of satisfaction, you’ll need to read her smut and seek your other completion there. ☺️ You’ll be thankful for both rides.

6. @pedroshotwifey A newer moot to me who has equal parts smut, agnst and dabs of darkness in there. What can I say? I like dark fics if they’re just right. Like I like my crime dramas and cop procederals. 🤣 She and I have a good time supporting each other and exchanging thots. Her “To The Flame” series has set the reader up for what may be a spectacular fall or maybe she’ll find her way out? Only she knows.

7. @magpiepills Ezra’s second wife (because @morallyinept is his first wife and I think @maggiemayhemnj is the paramour - because it sounds fancy) The amount of filthy things she’s had him do both with one arm and two is something everyone should read twice. I also especially enjoyed her fic “Aquarius” which a whore version of Javier Peña that spoke strongly to me. Or maybe parts of me, let’s not split hairs. 🤭

8. @angelofsmalldeath-codeine She’ll say she’s not a writer. BUT as all writers know, we don’t do very well if someone isn’t reading stuff we toss out into the ether. Hemmy is as supportive as they come, reblogging and offering many a thot as both the High Chancellor of the Horny Delegation and as a friend. ❤️ Plus she supports my very soft bois Dieter and Javi G. 😆 She I think was one of the main reasons I wrote more of “Weddings 101 with Dieter.” She asked me something along the lines of, “is there more to this? This is a very cool or unique premise.” As she well knows, just tell me I did something well and I’m happy as a pearl in a clam. 🤣

Fanfic author ask game

Thanks for the ask Em! Just know I pretty much write paragraphs because I gotta explain. 🤭 I’m Nerdie and I’m wordy. 😚 I had to make one bad joke. You have to be able to tell it’s me.

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

'Loki' Head Writer on Season 2 Finale and MCU Future (esquire.com)

I think this more than enough proof how unsalvable this entire series always was going to be. Because they made the TVA fascists, they were based off of 1984 and had straight up nazi coding. Remember all the art promotion? But then they honestly call Mobius someone who's like a company man, who sometimes breaks the rules, but really he just wants to live his life. Mobius was a fascist for hundreds of years and never spared a single person or even tried thinking of another way. I don't understand how some can be so unaware of what they've written.

Oof, that interview was painful to read.

The bit about Mobius just comes to prove these people don't understand the ramifications of the stuff they have written. We saw Mobius as that "company man" in S1 and I have no idea what they have done with him in S2, but if he didn't have his own beliefs challenged then this character is in the exact same spot as the first S1 episode.

Most of the time, these writers keep moving their characters from one place to another but when it comes to characterization, they always end up the same way they started. The character is taken from point A to B but... has said character really learnt anything about themselves? Or are they just going through the motions, reacting to stuff happening to them and taking on roles that don't ever develop their own personal story?

Mobius is never challenged, he was a company man who in his own words didn't get hung up on "believe, not believe", he just "accepted what is" - which basically means he took everything the TVA said to him as the absolute truth - so he NEEDS to have those beliefs challenged. He has to be written as someone who feels guilt, regret, remorse, who understands his role in the machine, and who is changed by the story. But the writers never did that because it wasn't in their plans to tell a story against the TVA - as Wright said, the TVA is their Shield. They're the good guys! 🤦‍♀️

Now, what Martin says about Loki: "The big idea was taking Loki from a lowercase-g god, to a capital-G God" is slightly insulting. Loki IS a God. But the rest is even worse: "[...] he gets his throne—but it's not a throne he wants anymore. This is a duty. He's doing this so everyone else can have their lives. He's giving up the thing that he wants most so that everyone else can have their free will."

So, that's basically the worst possible story you could tell about him? He "gives up" what he wants most? So this is yet another case where Loki doesn't get what he wants? He gets a throne, that he never wanted in the first place and we've known that since Thor1, and he has to sacrifice himself, his life, his future, his needs... so that everybody else can have their lives? It's a confirmation of this...

I don't know what to tell you. As a Loki fan that is not what I wanted to see. I haven't watched S2 so I have no idea if he takes on that role willingly or not, but this is Loki sacrificing himself yet again while those who did A LOT more damage than he ever did get away with it scot-free. And probably even the TVA is saved and protected and not burnt to the ground, right? Ugh.

Oh, and there's one more thing that blows my mind in that interview. This part:

Q: On a macro level, where would you say Loki Season Two fits in within the overall Marvel story? Eric Martin: "I actually don't know what the overall story is going to be. Things are so siloed off."

Marvel should be telling the head writers of their series what the overall story is. The MCU is supposed to be a "connected" universe. It doesn't surprise me that the latest phases are all over the place when these people have no idea what the main story is.

[midwesterngothicmomus]

Hello!! So I am aware that this isn't for a LONG time, but I was rereading Queens responses to asks that have Piper, and I just realized that in this au Piper is so fucked😂😂

Either Percy puts her in her place, due to her lived experience in Valhalla, or Loki will and give her a previously undiscovered fear (in general, like there isn't a word for her fear) in the process😂😂

Either way, she is not gonna have a fun time in this au and I am honestly excited for it.

(If you can't tell, I despise Piper😅😅)

I wouldn't say I am the number one Piper hater but she always kinda bothered me. I actually only read the first two books of HoO fully. It came out in middle school when my interest in PJO was at its peak so I thought it would be a good story but actually, I didn't enjoy it that much. A lot of it just seemed like it was cheapening the victories and stuff the Greek heroes had fought for and the constant comparisons between the two were somewhat grating. A lot of stuff just felt really forced. I enjoyed the Kane Chronicles a lot more since it could stand on its own better.

Piper probably would have been one of my biggest complaints too. She is just so overpowered for where she should have been. I also didn't like how she constantly seemed to be looking down on the other aphrodite kids. Like they get mistreated and looked down on as just "pretty kids" all the time and yes I know it is YA literature but she was just doing the whole "I'm not like them" routine all the time even though she really kind of was (This is probably on RR for not writing her well). One of Drew's sins is using charmspeak to control her cabinmates (which was such a fucking cop-out that should not have worked) which is bad but Piper was also using charmspeak to commit grand theft and we are just supposed to forget about that (she probably got so many retail workers fired). Other people have posted longer and better explanations of their issues with her characterization and I tend to think the same way. She has potential as a character, with her deep personal insecurities and stuff but I ultimately felt a lot of it was unrealized. Yes she is a teen girl, and I understand her character means different things to different people, but I just don't like her.

Percy and Piper... well, it definitely wouldn't end well for Piper if they fought. Piper's charmspeak wouldn't work on Percy, but Percy, as a siren could completely control Piper. Physically, Piper doesn't stand a chance at all, she's a skinny teenage girl and Percy is a trained warrior. Piper's one saving grace is that Percy is ultimately an honorable fighter, she won't harm children or other non-combatants, which Piper could very easily be classed as. However, Percy still grew up with her main female influences being goddesses like Jord and Frigg who would not take another woman stepping on them lying down. So Piper would probably (since I haven't written anything yet) get huffy over Percy talking to Jason (ignore the older demigod's warning about not pissing off the actual goddess present) and try to distance them/pick a fight. Percy would either then ignore her or curse her depending on what Piper did and how annoyed Percy was at that given time. When Percy is in PJO universe she is very much a girl on a mission (complete dumb tasks and go home to my family) and would not appreciate some random chick getting in her way because of her boy issues.

There are characters in PJO that can give Percy a run for her money due to their unique skills, raw power, intelligence, etc, however, Piper is not one of them. I am probably going to make some major changes to what we see of the aphrodite cabin so Piper will not have as easy a time with her attitude and them also. They should be the social networking cabin, the spy and infiltrator cabin, not the "girly" cabin what the hell RR. The normal teen stereotypes only work if your teen's biggest issues are homework and sports, not being hunted for sport and vengeful gods. Yes, it will still be girly, but more in the in the "girls/gals/pals that murder their spouses together" way because it contains a bunch of extremely deadly warriors who also happen to be teens who love fashion week. Appearance/other's perception of you are assets and I feel like these campers would be the ones to leverage that best. So Piper's lesson probably won't even come from Percy but rather from some of her new half-siblings who don't really appreciate her attitude towards their hard work.

[darklinaforever]

In fact, the only things that Sylvie and Loki really share, in terms of variations of each other, are the title of divinity of mischief and their powers.

Even though they don't practice exactly the same types of tricks, despite having the same power base and both being capable of the same things. For example, Loki didn't practice enchantment, yet his powers clearly allowed him to do so and it was Sylvie who taught him.

Beyond that, they do not share the same blood / DNA. They didn't grow up together either. Then in terms of their own individual, as I already said, they are different. They do not have the same personality, due to having lived quite opposite lives. Even in terms of Loki's identity, it diverges, in view of the name Sylvie bears, specifically to dissociate herself, and to make it clear that she is not Loki. She's not him. So incest or autocest is non-existent there.

All this to say that once again, the only thing they share as a variant is the title of deity of mischief and their powers.

The rest of their resemblance is simply attributed to most romantic couples wanting to be coded as soul mates and / or essentially a complementary relationship.

To have a concrete example and be more clear, Sylki is as similar as Reylo : - Different, but complicated pasts which return them to their feeling of loneliness. - Their problem of opening up to the world. - The feeling that no one else really understands them. - Similarity in combat techniques and synchronization of movements at various times, etc.

But precisely... if in terms of variation the only thing that Sylki really shares is the fact of being the divinity of mischief and their powers... doesn't that remind you of something ? Like... same divine tutelage and powers ? In the MCU universe ? Like... really not ?

And don't let anyone tell me that it doesn't count, since in the end Jane literally ends up dying as a warrior goddess and goes to Valhalla...

Thor is the god of thunder and Jane literally became the goddess of thunder by recovering her hammer, therefore recovering the same powers. She literally became Mighty Thor / Lady Thor...

So once again, two individuals (Thor & Jane) with the same title and the same powers...

Like Sylvie and Loki (Sylki) but without all this variant stuff ! (And like I said, the rest of their resemblance comes purely from the classic romantic coding involving complementarity / soul mate aspect) However, I haven't seen anyone have a problem with Thor and Jane, two individuals sharing the same divine title and powers, being in love...

[trickstarbrave]

How is Norse Mythology incompatible with the Elder Scrolls?

the elder scrolls cosmology is fundamentally one focused on life after death. afterlives, honor in death, great cosmic wars at the end of time. a lot of faiths, including norse faiths, share similar stories. but the fundamental difference is the elder scrolls cosmology is built upon stuff like gnosticism. there IS a higher power--even above gods--called the godhead and nothing else is REAL. or rather its just about as real as the godhead and all really interconnected (also kinda hinduism but im not as well versed in that and kirkbride who developed a lot of the deep lore is a self admitted gnostic. bigger difference is gnostism is most often christian so that will factor in more but he was also inspired by hinduism and other faiths).

that might not mean fucking much in the way i am explaining it bc i am sleep deprived. esp given dominant western culture is very christian focused which also puts heaven emphasis on the afterlife and moral rules and regulations to get into a good one or everlasting torment. and a lot of people assume norse faiths follow this formula--they have vahalla! surely that must be viking heaven, the ultimate paradise (and is what sovngarde is based on) but uhhhh no.

in the norse faith there is much more focus on the here and now. the afterlife you will spend doing what you already did on earth. folkvangr and vahalla were most like consolations to grieving families--if you died on a raid, they probably couldn't take your body back home for burial. but the average person did not want to take up the job of being a viking (and it was a job specifically) just to get into vahalla. there were still death rituals and veneration of ancestors but there was no focus on morality or "fighting in the great war of ragnarok" or anything. the gods were also more down to earth and the differences between "spirit", "god", "ancestor", and other categories was uhhhh very blurry to non-existent. for instance there are a lot of pieces of evidence that loki might have been a common hearth spirit before he was a god. or maybe he was always just a very popular one so prolific he is basically a god. maybe several gods or local spirits used to be someone's ancestor. hard to say. there is also no strict hierarchy and rules of practice as it was entirely non-centralized. even saying stuff like "odin is the god of wisdom" isn't accurate as the norse gods don't really have "domains" like we think of in the roman or greek sense.

so its really a bunch of things that make it really incompatible but god does TES lore really try to shove it in there. they take a lot of elements but in the pop-cultural and ultimately christian interpretation of them that does them a disservice. or does things like "well the nords are based on vikings and vikings are raiders obsessed with battle and are brutish uncivilized barbarians so... lets just give them a bunch of "uncivilized" things that don't really make sense interconnected like totems and face paint and unsophisticated leather clothes because they are brutish savages!" which is. all really racist ideas at their core. not even racist to norse ppl just racist against BIPOC who have had these stereotypes built from bastardizations of their cultures by colonizers. which is just. not great.

hence why the adaptation of alduin being based on nidhogg was so. rough. you need a big scary world ending dragon, but he cant JUST be akatosh. bc the ending of oblivion and other established lore. and it would be a cop out to just say "actually the nords were wrong and alduin/akatosh who would be the same person in this case are great" bc then you dont get scary evil world ending dragon like they wanted. so they gotta make alduin his son and don't think through why nidhogg is even a thing in norse mythos bc norse mythos is only being used for aesthetics in TES lore. which sucks bc i wish they would have kept the theme of rebirth and change and renewal which is so prevalent in norse stories. norse mythos is focused on the natural world and cycles after all, but why do that when you want big buff white men with axes wearing furs and killing elves (who are totally not ever going to be repurposed by white supremacists as stand ins for irl minorities. nope. never.)

if you are more interesting in norse mythology bc my explanation makes no sense i recommend @skaldish who has various resources and websites and blog posts that break it down in more understandable ways. without me inevitably butchering it bc i have too many ideas rattling around in my brain