#Guess we'll see if anyone gets any good news after sharing! If something wild happens let me know. :)

[johnnyshrine]

★ 076 // “Lucky Potato”

[lokiondisneyplus]

Sophia Di Martino was launched into the pop cultural consciousness thanks to her role as Sylvie – AKA the Loki variant on Marvel Disney Plus series Loki, where she trades barbs and shares background stories with Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief.

Episode Three of the series found Loki on a wild adventure with Sylvie, after he accidentally sent them both to the doomed moon Lamentis-1, on a collision course with a planet. Facing an apocalypse, the pair hatches a plan to find the escape vessel that some of the moon's wealthier residents are hoping will carry them to safety and, while on the train to the ship, they discuss everything from the nature of love to their respective magical abilities.

When the opportunity arose to talk to her, we naturally jumped at it, so here is part of Chris Hewitt's conversation with Di Martino, who was frank and funny while chatting about getting the job, Loki's sexuality and more.

The last two weeks in particular must have been a heck of a whirlwind for you. What's it been like being at the centre of the storm?

It's been a strange one. Because I feel like I've been waiting in the wings for quite a while. And I haven't been able to talk to anyone about this until today. So, it's been a really strange few weeks, just watching the show start and listening to people's reactions, but not being able to talk about it. I don't feel like I've been in the centre of the storm at all. I feel like I've been watching it play out.

Have you been able to say anything to anybody, family friends... Postmen?

Absolutely no-one! My mum has no idea where I've been for the past two years. It's been really difficult. But to be honest, I'm actually really good at keeping secrets. So, I've perhaps been too good and haven't told anyone, anything. My agent, no one knows anything! I’m taking it really seriously, maybe a bit too seriously!

You and director Kate Herron have worked together in the past. Is that how it began for you?

Kate and I worked together on a short film of hers a few years ago now. And we stayed in touch, we're mates, we'll go out for coffee and do a bit of improv. We exist in the same circles in London. I'm trying to remember how exactly it happened. I was shooting another film in the UK, and I think I got a message from Kate saying, “I'm on this show, I'm not allowed to talk about what it is... There's a role, we'd like to see what you do with it. I can't tell you any more. Just wanted to give you the heads up...” A really vague WhatsApp message. So, then I got a request for a tape through my agent. But obviously, my agency also couldn't know anything about what was happening and what it was or anything. I was given a really short scene, made a tape of this scene and just had to guess what it was about. I think it was actually what ended up being the scene from Episode Three, which is Loki and Sylvie on the train. I think it ended up being that scene, but it was very different when I did the audition tape for it.

Did it have the word Loki in the script at any point?

No, no, no names! I think it was Bob and Sarah or something completely different. I didn't have a clue what it was.

I was really interested in how angry she is and how sort of laser-focused she is on this mission that she's given herself.

At what point did the penny drop? At what point did you realise that you were auditioning to play a Loki on Loki, and then this incredibly complex character?

I can't remember what happened first. It might have been the news that Kate was directing the new Loki came out. And then I was like, “Oh, maybe that's what I read for...” Or if it was that I was just offered the job, and they told me what it was. But yeah, it was a surprise. And I had a chat with Tom on FaceTime because he was in New York. I never actually met anyone because I was nine months pregnant, I couldn't fly anywhere. So, I was in London, everyone else is in the US. So, it was just that tape, it was all based on that. And obviously, I've worked with Kate before, so she knows that I'm not some weirdo. And she must’ve convinced them to cast me!

Let’s talk a little bit about Sylvie as we now know her. What's clear is that you're not doing a Tom Hiddleston impression. This is not your take on a Tom Hiddleston Loki, this is a very, very different iteration of their character. So where did you start?

Well, probably exactly there, making that decision that I didn't want to go in and do an impression of Tom, because that would have been awful. I'm really bad at impressions for a start! Sylvie’s very different to Loki in a lot of ways. There's the chaos and there's the mischievous, which are very, very Loki traits. But for me, I was really interested in how angry she is and how sort of laser-focused she is on this mission that she's given herself. And I think that plus the playfulness really helped me get into the character. And, and so that was the way I started.

The stunt training and the fight training really helped me with her physicality, and we were all really keen on her being a really strong, sort of street fighter, almost. She's not as elegant as Loki. She's fit and rough around the edges, she's had a harder time, in a way, she's been on the run for the majority of her life, getting into scraps. And I like the idea that she really enjoys fighting. And she'd really get something out of it. Because she knows that she's probably going to win. Right? And that's where her cockiness comes through, maybe. And so that was part of it as well. And then as soon as you put the costume on, you're there.

What was that like? Because the costume says so much as well. There's the headpiece, which obviously has a missing horn, which says a lot about the scrapes that she's gotten into in the past. And also says that this isn't the Loki we might be expecting.

We were really keen on making the costume look like it's been through the wringer a bit. And she's sort of gathered bits of it from places that she's been throughout her journey. We didn't want it to be too clean and shiny. And it was also important to me that it was a really comfortable costume and that I could actually fight in it, and I could kick in it and just do things that I needed to kick not have to worry about breaking it or being uncomfortable. And then Christine Wada, the costume designer, was amazing at just making it super comfy. But I still felt like a badass when I put it on.

The train scene has that wonderful moment where you’re talking about your romantic pasts, and Loki confirms that he is bisexual, which has been received rapturously since the episode came out. Did you get a sense of how momentous it was when you were filming it?

I knew how important it was, yeah. And I'm just so pleased that it's been received so well. And people are super happy to have seem that scene. And like I said, the show is inspired by the comics, and the comics for a long time have alluded to Loki being bisexual or pansexual. And his sexuality is not straight. And even back to Norse mythology. So, it was important to Kate, and it was also important to me and Tom, that this was represented in a six-hour story about that character. Because representation is important.

It's such a beautifully written scene. Can you just talk about your memories of filming those exchanges? Because we've only just met Sylvie, and we haven’t seen Loki consider the idea of love or falling in love or being frail or vulnerable in that way before.

It’s a super important scene. And it was interesting to shoot it because it's the first time that you see Sylvie vulnerable. And it's just a really important moment for the two of them to understand each other in a different way, and not just be miffed by each other for the first time. And when we were filming it, it is quite a long scene. And it just felt really good to do a long, talky scene. It didn't feel long when we were doing it. But it was nice to get into those characters, and it sort of felt like doing a play, when you go a bit deeper and it’s great. It's just another way of understanding the character that you're playing. And listening to Tom singing was also an experience! Didn’t he do such a good job of learning all those words? I was just amazed that he could learn a song in a different language. And he did it so quickly! Like, one day he got the words and the next day he was fluent in Norwegian! That’s Hiddleston, isn’t it? He’s just so smart!

[twh-news]

Loki: Sophia Di Martino Talks About Songs, Sexuality, Scoring The Role Of Sylvie And More

Sophia Di Martino was launched into the pop cultural consciousness thanks to her role as Sylvie – AKA the Loki variant on Marvel Disney Plus series Loki, where she trades barbs and shares background stories with Tom Hiddleston's God of Mischief.

Episode Three of the series found Loki on a wild adventure with Sylvie, after he accidentally sent them both to the doomed moon Lamentis-1, on a collision course with a planet. Facing an apocalypse, the pair hatches a plan to find the escape vessel that some of the moon's wealthier residents are hoping will carry them to safety and, while on the train to the ship, they discuss everything from the nature of love to their respective magical abilities.

When the opportunity arose to talk to her, we naturally jumped at it, so here is part of Chris Hewitt's conversation with Di Martino, who was frank and funny while chatting about getting the job, Loki's sexuality and more.

The last two weeks in particular must have been a heck of a whirlwind for you. What's it been like being at the centre of the storm?

It's been a strange one. Because I feel like I've been waiting in the wings for quite a while. And I haven't been able to talk to anyone about this until today. So, it's been a really strange few weeks, just watching the show start and listening to people's reactions, but not being able to talk about it. I don't feel like I've been in the centre of the storm at all. I feel like I've been watching it play out.

Have you been able to say anything to anybody, family friends... Postmen?

Absolutely no-one! My mum has no idea where I've been for the past two years. It's been really difficult. But to be honest, I'm actually really good at keeping secrets. So, I've perhaps been too good and haven't told anyone, anything. My agent, no one knows anything! I’m taking it really seriously, maybe a bit too seriously!

You and director Kate Herron have worked together in the past. Is that how it began for you?

Kate and I worked together on a short film of hers a few years ago now. And we stayed in touch, we're mates, we'll go out for coffee and do a bit of improv. We exist in the same circles in London. I'm trying to remember how exactly it happened. I was shooting another film in the UK, and I think I got a message from Kate saying, “I'm on this show, I'm not allowed to talk about what it is... There's a role, we'd like to see what you do with it. I can't tell you anymore. Just wanted to give you the heads up...” A really vague WhatsApp message. So, then I got a request for a tape through my agent. But obviously, my agency also couldn't know anything about what was happening and what it was or anything. I was given a really short scene, made a tape of this scene and just had to guess what it was about. I think it was actually what ended up being the scene from Episode Three, which is Loki and Sylvie on the train. I think it ended up being that scene, but it was very different when I did the audition tape for it.

Did it have the word Loki in the script at any point?

No, no, no names! I think it was Bob and Sarah or something completely different. I didn't have a clue what it was.

"I was really interested in how angry she is and how sort of laser-focused she is on this mission that she's given herself."

At what point did the penny drop? At what point did you realise that you were auditioning to play a Loki on Loki, and then this incredibly complex character?

I can't remember what happened first. It might have been the news that Kate was directing the new Loki came out. And then I was like, “Oh, maybe that's what I read for...” Or if it was that I was just offered the job, and they told me what it was. But yeah, it was a surprise. And I had a chat with Tom on FaceTime because he was in New York. I never actually met anyone because I was nine months pregnant, I couldn't fly anywhere. So, I was in London, everyone else is in the US. So, it was just that tape, it was all based on that. And obviously, I've worked with Kate before, so she knows that I'm not some weirdo. And she must’ve convinced them to cast me!

Let’s talk a little bit about Sylvie as we now know her. What's clear to me is that you're not doing a Tom Hiddleston impression. This is not your take on a Tom Hiddleston Loki, this is a very, very different iteration of their character. So where did you start?

Well, probably exactly there, making that decision that I didn't want to go in and do an impression of Tom, because that would have been awful. I'm really bad at impressions for a start! Sylvie’s very different to Loki in a lot of ways. There's the chaos and there's the mischievous, which are very, very Loki traits. But for me, I was really interested in how angry she is and how sort of laser-focused she is on this mission that she's given herself. And I think that plus the playfulness really helped me get into the character. And, and so that was the way I started.

The stunt training and the fight training really helped me with her physicality, and we were all really keen on her being a really strong, sort of street fighter, almost. She's not as elegant as Loki. She's fit and rough around the edges, she's had a harder time, in a way, she's been on the run for the majority of her life, getting into scraps. And I like the idea that she really enjoys fighting. And she'd really get something out of it. Because she knows that she's probably going to win. Right? And that's where her cockiness comes through, maybe. And so that was part of it as well. And then as soon as you put the costume on, you're there.

What was that like? Because the costume says so much as well. There's the headpiece, which obviously has a missing horn, which says a lot about the scrapes, that she's gotten into in the past. And also says that this isn't the Loki we might be expecting.

We were really keen on making the costume look like it's been through the wringer a bit. And she's sort of gathered bits of it from places that she's been throughout her journey. We didn't want it to be too clean and shiny. And it was also important to me that it was a really comfortable costume and that I could actually fight in it, and I could kick in it and just do things that I needed to kick not have to worry about breaking it or being uncomfortable. And then Christine Wada, the costume designer, was amazing at just making it super comfy. But I still felt like a badass when I put it on.

The train scene that wonderful moment were you’re talking about your romantic pasts, and Loki confirms that he is bisexual, which has been received rapturously since the episode came out. And it's such a huge moment and I know it was important to Kate, as well. What can you say about that? First of all, about filming that moment? Did you get a sense of its momentousness when you were filming it?

I knew how important it was, yeah. And I'm just so pleased that it's been received so well. And people are super happy to have seem that scene. And like I said, the show is inspired by the comics, and the comics for a long time have alluded to Loki being bisexual or pansexual. And his sexuality is not straight. And even back to Norse mythology. So, it was important to Kate, and it was also important to me and Tom, that this was represented in a six-hour story about that character. Because representation is important.

And it's such a beautifully written scene as well. Can you just talk about your memories of filming those exchanges? Not just seeing Tom singing in what I presume is Norwegian, and what that was like for you? But also, just that exchange about love and how important it is for these two characters. Because we've only just met Sylvie, of course. And we haven’t seen Loki consider the idea of love or falling in love or being frail or vulnerable in that way before. So, it seemed like a fairly important exchange...

It’s a super important scene. And it was interesting to shoot it because it's the first time that you see Sylvie vulnerable. And it's just a really important moment for the two of them to understand each other in a different way, and not just be miffed by each other for the first time. And when we were filming it, it is quite a long scene. And it just felt really good to do a long, talky scene. It didn't feel long when we were doing it. But it was nice to get into those characters, and it sort of felt like doing a play, when you go a bit deeper and it’s great. It's just another way of understanding the character that you're playing. And listening to Tom singing was also an experience! Didn’t he do such a good job of learning all those words? I was just amazed that he could learn a song in a different language. And he did it so quickly! Like, one day he got the words and the next day he was fluent in Norwegian! That’s Hiddleston, isn’t it? He’s just so smart!

[crearnykiss]

united we stand, united we'll fall.

pairing: none. brotherly ot5

characters: min yoongi, kim seokjin, kim taehyung, kim namjoon, jung hoseok

genre: slight angst

word count: 1987

Late 1944. Circa September. Germany. Yoongi Min. Korean-American. 23 years of age. United States Army, Private First Class.

The winds grew strong and frightening as the group of five men huddled together in attempt to keep warm in the darkened, muggy tallgrass that littered the ground. Their hands were going numb, the cold seeping into their bones, tingling sensations taking control over their bodies that were never truly theirs. Even with the cold, they held their guns tightly against their chests, for no one could be prepared for the monsters that lay hidden-- waiting-- crouching like tigers as they seeked their unexpecting prey in the middle of abandoned prairie land.

“God fuckin’ damn. Nickals just had to surprise us, huh?” Yoongi Min, a 23 year old private muttered under his breath. “Fuck are we ‘spose to do now after he took the easy route out, going A.W.O.L. and all?”

Yoongi Min, to be fair, would rather be doing absolutely anything other than being a part of the war. He was in no way a pacifist, and deemed whatever those Nazi fucks were doing to be inhumane, but he was never one for the blood and guts that came with violence.

His whole family had immigrated in the late 20’s to Los Angeles while he was a young boy. He learned to speak english rather quickly in order to survive, however, he was never really keen on doing school work. To put it simply, Yoongi was average. As a result of his average lifestyle, it was a rather difficult blow once the Great Depression came around, but he learned to work hard and never wait to be saved. He wanted to help, and the only ‘acceptable’ way to do so was to enlist, to do one’s bit. He never wanted to see so many deaths.

“Damn Nazi’s could be anywhere at this point.” Beside him, another private, Hoseok Jung, cursed.

Hoseok happened to be the most similar to Yoongi within their small group. Hoseok could be deemed Yoongi’s closest friend, having joined along him from their hometown to serve their country, simply because he wholeheartedly believed it to be right to defend one’s country. He was never much for fighting, not one much for war in general, not having the heart to take the life of another, being more of a pacifist character, yet there he was in the middle of the crossfire along with Yoongi and the rest of their ‘crew’.

The small group could do nothing but wait. Wait to live, wait to die, for there were no other answers yet to be discovered. Their leader, Sergeant first class Phillip Nickals, had left them to their demise as they lay in unidentified territory.

The group of young men were left with nothing other than a few guns, practically no ammunition, and their trusty combat knives at their sides. Not only were their weapons limited, but their rations were running dangerously low as well. Their medic, a young man named Seokjin, was rummaging through their provisions before suddenly taking a seat, leaning back and sighing deeply, his eyebrows furrowed together in irritation as he gripped his head tightly, clearly frustrated. “We’re dead if we don’t find some food and water. I barely have any fucking supplies!” He quickly flailed his arms towards the direction of the bags, “What if we’re ambushed? We’ll be as good as dead and I won’t be able to do shit to save you guys.”

Seokjin was usually the most level headed; a man who could hold everything together perfectly until he reached a certain point. Back at home, he resided in New York City where he studied long and hard in order to become a doctor; a pediatrician. However, once news came out that the United States had entered the war, he did not hesitate to enlist. He was a very trusted man among the five, so once they saw how close he was to losing his cool… they realized how truly fucked they were.

The men could do nothing but sit quietly, wind causing the grass to rustle in sweeping motions from beneath them. How easily the world around them could continue on without a fault yet they stood still-- stuck in an endless cycle of confusion and anxiety without a known exist or solution anywhere in sight.

Hoseok sighed, lips pursed as he thought off into space, “How’s Nammie doin’?”

“Nam?” Seokjin’s mood suddenly lightened at the mention of the other man, looking over beside him listening to soft snores, “His wound is doing alright. No major damage yet to be seen.”

Their cartographer and interpreter, technician fifth grade Namjoon Kim, had just recently been hit by flying debri from a strategically placed bomb the Nazi’s had set up. A piece of shrapnel was deeply lodged into the side of his calf, causing Seokjin to use most of their supplies in attempt to remove any foreign material from his body and to stabilize him from the large amount of blood loss he had endured. He laid somewhere nearby, high off his mind with morphine as it was the only way to keep the poor man calm enough to sleep and go about his day.

“He can walk decently enough, but he needs to take his time.” Seokjin paused, looking towards Hoseok and Yoongi. “He’s straining himself trying to keep up with all of us,” Seokjin whispered, before continuing rather sadly, “I think he feels as if he’s dead weight.”

“Dead weight?” Hoseok arched an eyebrow, “Nam? Fuck no.”

“He got us out of that minefield faster than a bat out of hell,” Yoongi said matter of factly as he took out a pack of cigarettes, popping one out and letting it dangle between his bloodied, dried out lips soon passing it towards Hoseok.

Hearing a soft rustling in the distance, the three men quickly tensed and held their guns tightly against their chests, ready to shoot at any moment. A rush of adrenaline filled their entire bodies, their breathing becoming shallower in their chests as their lungs struggled to function. A storm of worries and thoughts and hopes passing through their minds with the lack of equipment at hand. Thoughts raced like wild horses, galloping in the fields of their fears before soon settling as they realized that the rustling in question was none other than private first class Taehyung Kim, their fifth and youngest member. Taehyung had left their small base a few minutes earlier in need of a piss, quietly leaving without informing his comrades, because he had thought he wouldn’t be long. However, he did not assume they would awake as he soon froze from tugging at the belt of his pants looking up, realizing all of his comrades were awake, pointing their guns directly at him.

“Uhh… Guess no one slept well?” He joked lightly in attempt to ease their worries.

“For fucks sakes! Come on, man, be more careful,” Seokjin groaned as they all stood down, dropping their guns and breathing a sigh of relief.

“We coulda blown your brains out, kid,” Yoongi frowned, clearly disappointed in the younger lad. “That’s something I honestly never want to do. Don’t fuck around.”

After being with someone for long periods of time, one tends to grow bonds. Bonds that slowly begin to sprout from within their heart and minds, subconsciously longing to protect, love, and care for one another. When you’re always with a man, that man turns into your comrade, that comrade becomes your brother, and you brother may eventually become your savior.

Yoongi was rightfully upset. They had all had their fair share of blood and guts. The constant sounds of ‘fireworks’ in the distance, yet no display of colors ever in sight. With the smell of fumes invading the air before one has any time to register what the everloving fuck is happening. With all the chaos that fills their world, the last thing anyone of them wants to do is shoot their brother, the youngest man with them, the man one swore to protect under an unspoken oath, simply because he was just like you in many ways meanwhile being completely different.

He couldn’t stay upset at Taehyung, though. There was reasoning behind it. He had made a mistake and that was it. Hopefully, and he prays, that a mistake will never cost him his life.

Taehyung was always a playful, sweet kid. Even from their first meeting, Yoongi knew he was something special yet not in the bad, demeaning way. He just saw how he had a way of making everything around him glow, while simultaneously making the room grow warmer. As friendly as he may have seemed, he was a quiet, reserved boy. Barely out of boot camp and from a lonely town in the Midwest, to put it simply: he had no friends. Being very similar to Hoseok, one would expect him to be the most outgoing, however, he carries himself like a child.

“Come on,” Hoseok ushered Taehyung towards his makeshift bed on the floor. “Don’t just stand there, let’s get some fuckin’ sleep meanwhile it’s calm out.”

“Don’t say that c-word,” Namjoon, who had finally awoken from his everlasting slumber, slurred as he sat upwards. “It’s bad luck, asshole.”

Taehyung and Hoseok couldn’t help but chuckle between themselves.

“Whatever, Joonie,” Hoseok said, playfully messing with Taehyung’s hair as they finally laid down to rest.

“How’re you feeling?” Seokjin made his way towards his friend.

“If I ignore the constant headache, pain, and soreness-- I would say I am doing pretty damn amazing!”

Seokjin couldn’t help but push him, making Namjoon groan.

“Stop trying to act like you’re made out of stone when you’re not,” Seokjin huffed.

“You did everything you could,” Yoongi interjected, “Give yourself a break. You’re not God--”

“I actually am God, for your information. I’m a medic; of course I am.”

“Well, God, Why in the hell would you try to kill an already injured man?” Namjoon groaned, pushing himself upwards again only to be pushed back down.

“Because God can do whatever he feels like doing. And God says you need to lay down and continue sleeping.”

“God sounds like he has a God complex,” Namjoon pouted while Yoongi finally let out a small laugh.

“Come on, you hit the hay, too, Seokjin.” He moved towards Seokjin, holding his blanket before handing it to him. “I can take first turn in keeping lookout.”

“Fine,” Seokjin quickly gave in, not denying the deep fatigue that draped his body. “If anything as much as makes a peep, don’t be scared to wake me up. Understand?”

“Roger dodger,” Yoongi jokingly saluted.

“Goodnight, Yoongi.” “Night, Jin.”

After watching his comrades slowly falling asleep, huddling close to one another in attempt to seek warmth and comfort from one another, Yoongi found the perfect spot by a patch of dirt and sat in silence as he looked outwards into the open land with his gun at hand, ready to charge at any given moment for he was prepared to die, to give the little life he had in him for his country, for his flag, and above all, for the men that laid down their lives alongside him day by day, night by night.

The grass around him swayed, slowly dancing in sync with each strand as if attempting to lull him to sleep. The world around him slowed just a second, with the stars glistening above their sad excuse of a campground, almost as if mocking them, yet it all kept moving. Moving without a second thought, without a thought of who laid right beneath the sky above, next to a patch of grass that may or may not hold their ultimate demise.

Yoongi simply looked on towards what may or may not lay ahead, with the constant fear of death in the back of his mind. Waiting to live, waiting to die. He sat until the sun rose, and another battle begun.

a/u:  lol i wrote this little by little over a period of 3 months. im sorry if it sucks. unbeta'd bc we livin' the dangerous life