#at the end of the day it was Loki’s choice to endure it

[musclesandhammering]

I know this totally goes against the general belief that Loki was brainwashed and tortured, so I’m not saying this is exactly canon.

But my interpretation of this scene is two-fold. First, he’s saying that his plan was to piss them off on the helicarrier so they’d self destruct and he could escape (so essentially he’s taunting Tony that he was really manipulating all of them the whole time and they never actually had him subdued).

Secondly, he’s saying his plan was to piss off all the Avengers so that he’d get the war he was hoping for. Not so they could come together to fight Thanos, but so he could get them all in one place for the big showdown- to fight him.

Now he knew he’d probably lose, but that was never the point. Loki wasn’t interested in ruling. If he was, he could’ve been a lot stealthier and done it all under the avengers’ noses before they even saw it coming. He chose not to, because all he really wanted was a big fight. Chaos, destruction, war. All taking place on Thor’s precious earth. That’s his whole motivation for being a villain in this film- he’s not hungry for power, he’s angry and hurt and hungry for vengeance.

And of course Tony responds with “not a great plan.” because he’s missing a key piece of information: Loki doesn’t care about winning.

The Avengers (2012) dir. Joss “Thanos” Whedon

“What have I to fear?”

[whichwitchami]

This is a Sigyn appreciation post

per a conversation with @hiddenhearthwitch yesterday, I felt there needed to be more Sigyn appreciation here on Tumblr (within the Norse Pagan community as a whole)

There's so much talk of Loki and his confinement, his role in the bringing of Ragnarok etc. Loki deserves the spotlight.

But there's not enough talk of Sigyn. About how we know little to nothing of her except her devotion and dedication to her family. Can we please appreciate the heartbreak and physical pain she must be experiencing?

To recap: Loki's punishment for killing Baldur is to be bound by a chain made from the entrails of his son with a snake above his head dripping poison onto him. Sigyn then dutifully stands there, holding a bowl to catch the poison, only leaving to empty the bowl and return to her husbands side.

Her arms have to be killing her. Her legs must want to give out at some point. She's enduring so much physical discomfort to give Loki a scrap of comfort in his torment. Not to mention the emotional/ mental trauma of having her own child's entrails be what binds her husband, and having to hear Loki's screams when she has no choice but to leave his side for a moment.

Some would probably say Sigyn is doing this because she's 'traditional' where a wife has to stay by her husband's side no matter what. I think its more about her own love though. In my experience working with the Norse Pantheon, there's a ton of agency and advocacy for setting boundaries from the Gods, which leads me to believe Sigyn absolutely could walk away if she wanted to. She's not held down by 'tradition'.

I think she stays out of love, out of a devotion so deep it's painful, and nearly impossible to understand. Who can fathom putting yourself through such physical and emotional pain to protect your loved ones? She's choosing to stand there, to save Loki from as much pain as she can spare him from, because every drop she collects is a moment of reprieve in his torment.

I think the only way she endures is through nostalgia, as Faye eloquently put it "the kid you get enraptured in and it feels so beautiful and then suddenly there's a pang in your chest and you're at a loss for words"

How can Sigyn endure the physical and emotional pain? She dissociates. She has to. In my belief she handles everything by disappearing in her mind to simpler times, to remembering the beauty of her life with her loved ones before everything went to shit. It doesn't matter to her why things went to shit, or whose to blame for it. What matters is things suck, her husband is in pain, and she loves him so much she'll do anything she can to help him.

Maybe she should walk away, but at the end of the day its her choice, and I think there's something hauntingly beautiful about making the choice to stay.

If you want to understand the kind of nostalgia, listen to this song and picture Sigyn holding the bowl, trying not to show her own pain while she remembers lying in a warm sunny field, enjoying a simple, peaceful moment in a different time.

Just, show her some love, because she's giving everything she has to Loki, and she's doing it because she loves him.

[vashtijoy]

what is the link between Akechi and the story of Robin Hood?

*pulls on my green British person hat and grabs a bow*

I'm not a huge expert on Persona links but they do tend to be a bit tenuous; Akechi's Robin Hood is no more like the legendary Robin Hood than Loki is like Loki or Arsene is like Lupin. That said:

Robin Hood is a thief, of course. Chalk that one up in the "Akechi is a Phantom Thief" column;

Robin Hood is a master of disguise, like both Akechi's other personas;

Robin Hood is often depicted as being of noble birth and having been unjustly dispossessed—Akechi's "prince" regalia is often interpreted that way, as a claim on a denied birthright;

Wikipedia defines "a Robin Hood" as "a heroic outlaw or a rebel against tyranny", which, well;

He's most known for having robbed from the rich to give to the poor, and I don't quite get that one. Akechi himself could be "the poor", but "robbed from the rich to give to himself" lacks a certain cachet.

The most notable thing about Robin Hood, to me, is that Superman motif that contrasts with Hereward's Batman motif, with Loki in the middle as the second awakening—hero to villain to antihero. Because, even if he awakened to both Robin and Loki at the same time, it's like Protect and Endure—there must still have been an order.

We see it during his third awakening to Hereward—the historical figure Robin Hood was allegedly based on. Hereward resembles Robin Hood, and Robin is on the left—which makes him the first awakening. Even if it maybe didn't work the same as the others we saw.

But yeah, one argument in favour of Akechi awakening to both Robin Hood and Loki at the same time is that Akechi did not randomly awaken. Like Joker, Akechi was awakened—to serve a purpose, to be Yaldabaoth's agent spreading fear among the masses.

That makes it very hard for me to picture Akechi starting out as a good guy, as the hero he dreamed of being. Akechi was chosen for his role because he was already full of hate—because he was the sort who, given power, would inevitably twist it to a bad end that he was already fixated on. Akechi is already the kid with the perfect outward image who's twisted and broken on the inside; he essentially tells us in the engine room that he lived his whole life that way. I have a feeling he was already becoming like that when his mother was alive.

The thing is, there's no reason that kid can't still believe in justice; of course he does. He believes in it the way people who've been hurt by religion often still believe in God. He believes in it as something that should exist, but doesn't; as an ideal, with the hate that's the flip side of love and belief. There are no heroes. Nobody will save him. Friends and family aren't real; love and trust are lies people tell themselves, tricks used to manipulate you. The system isn't on his side; no matter what he does, the world just finds new ways to hurt him, and what can he do about it?

And that guy he can't stop thinking about, who symbolises all of this injustice, whose shadow Akechi has lived in for so long? As well wish for the moon as hope to get back at him.

Except, one day, he finds the app on his phone. He goes from being bitter and powerless to having power, to having choices, to being able to hurt others like he's been hurt. But that part of him that aspired to justice, to being a hero, never really goes away. He does his utmost to give his life for it.

[mgnifique-tion]

— human reaction.

summary || ``you’re starting to wonder if attending work after your day-off was a mistake.``

pairing: 2012!loki x gn!scientist!reader song recommendations: tesseract - cix (p.s. check out seunghun on build-up rn!) lowercase is intended… part: 1/?

— themes and warning/s: open-ended, enemies to potential lovers (for sure, they will be lovers soon), NOT a stand-alone one shot ;) wink wink, bossy loki, y/n being somewhat a dumb human being (heroism)

— a/n: hi! back with another loki au this march and guys, this is not a phase– IT’S NOT A PHASE, MOM! (corny? i graduated with that course in the university of the cornyology – i’m not even done with g12 lmfao wtf am i saying) anywho, i miss him. i literally rewatched the avengers for him and i'm not even active w the mcu anymore. i actually have a lot of other pending drafts from my main acc (@mgnifiqueyoo - follow me there :3) and so many unfinished IMPORTANT work from real life but like i thought of a line and now, i just HAVE to write it or it's outta my head so here u go. lmao. enjoy!

[ total words: 1.9k ]

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“... oh my god.”

that was all you could mutter under your breath the moment you saw the rest of your co-workers controlled by that thing the alien held in his palm. you didn’t show up to work yesterday since you were just taking the final steps in finishing that project of yours.

what was the project? the hypercryogenic station.

and now, after a long day of ignoring your texts and calls, you ended up going to work, which happened to be a terrible idea. better yet, a horrible mistake. “... excuse me?” you took small steps, nearing the towering male as he just stood still, not facing you. all of your friends were doing his commands without any questions and you knew that clint barton would never do any of this!

but he did anyway. and you had to know why.

“what did you do with them?” you asked, demanding for answers as you heard him let out an almost inaudible chuckle only to be followed by a deep, low snicker. the alien slowly turned around and looked you straight in the eye, sweat pouring down his face with a sharp glare while his teeth ground against each other.

he was just terrifying, how else could you leave the facility without getting killed?

“oh, is that supposed to matter?” the alien mocked, later glancing at the staff he held before looking back at you, his smirk disappearing little by little. “... you must be horrified, aren’t you?”

of course you were, who wouldn’t be horrified when they see something like this? 

but before he could even get closer to you, he suddenly stumbled. that wasn’t something you expected since you assumed that he was a powerful being out of this world after seeing that wardrobe choice but he showed… weakness? it’s hard not to take note of it for future purposes.

you then cleared your throat and asked, “are you okay?”

but he said nothing in return, tense and trembling with every step. he had a maniacal look on his face as if he couldn’t control his actions; he seemed like he was enduring something that was hurting him inside.

and that got you thinking what else was happening with the man in front of you. “so, that’s a no?” 

“you’re the expert,” he said, “you’re the one blessed with knowledge over what it is that’s happening to me now.”

you frowned. you definitely had no idea what was going on with him and you were planning on leaving him to himself when he surprisingly grabbed your wrist. “heal me,” he pleaded, breathing in and out rapidly as you felt the burning heat that surrounded his palm, which led to that moment of realization.

“i… i don’t know how–,” you were then cut-off by him tilting his head to the project: the hypercryogenic station. if you ever had a scanner around you, his heat signature would be all over the place because of how high his temperature was. “but the station hasn’t even been tested yet and it could be dangerous for you and for all of us!”

the alien shook his head frantically, not letting any excuses get into his way. “if you don’t help me right now…” his breath hitched as the tip of the scepter was pointed at your chest, right at your heart. “you won’t be living for long.”

and that made you take so many steps, assisting him in the station as you closed the door. “you can’t be in there for more than a minute, it’s highly dangerous and i’m telling you, we haven’t done any tests yet–”

“just begin with the process.” his voice had gotten lower, hoarser with every moment that passed as you felt your heart race quicker. you knew that if you made a mistake, somebody like barton would kill you; there was no way out.

so the gears started running and you watched how the glass windows of the station had fogged up. your life’s work was being used by an unknown entity who took over the minds of your co-workers. your friends.

you couldn’t help but cry silently, biting your nails while you stood a meter away from the finished project. how could a five-year plan get wasted? to this unreadable, tyrannic humanoid? you can’t even breathe well.

and once the process was done, the station’s doors slid apart, creating a path for the man inside. when he stepped out of it, he didn’t even seem affected by it. all normal and human-like as if he had only bathed himself in some snow and not in an actual blizzard.

but colder than his skin was his gaze toward you, the scepter staring back at you as well, watching the way you took a few steps away from him.

“who are you?” you asked, your eyes glued to the scepter rather than his face, which caused him to get agitated.

in return, the tip of the scepter’s blade touched your chin, tilting your head up so that you could look at him. “i am loki of asgard,” he introduced with a deranged grin as you heard the way his breath hitched, overwhelmed and proud with how he spoke to you. 

that was enough to make you take another step back but his hand grabbed your arm like a lock, fastened so tightly that it made everything worse for you. “what did you do with them?” you tilted your head to the blue-eyed agents now circling the entire room, which made loki laugh.

he truly was out of his mind. 

“i simply used them for a greater purpose,” he said back, letting out another chuckle as the scepter gleamed in response. it was in his complete control… they were all under his control.

how in the world can you run from this?

“let them go.” “oh, we’re getting heroic now, aren’t we?”

he mocked you shamelessly as if it wasn’t your invention that saved him from his visible misery – whatever it was that hurt him earlier.

“... well, i did save you.” you just had to let a bit of sass come out because it was true. however, loki didn’t seem to be fond of that and had read that as entitlement rather than a reminder of who did save him.

nonetheless, he lowered his weapon and laughed once more. “your little saving was merely necessary, mortal. i could’ve used that machine myself.” of course, he disregarded that tiny, little favour you did for him and decided that it’d be best to not even give out a little thank you.

but then, again, what do you expect from an aspiring alien tyrant?

“but you couldn’t because i programmed it for my access only,” you continued the conversation, stating the truth right in front of him. that was your life’s work… you still couldn't believe that it was firstly used by some tall man with a scepter and emerald drapes. “besides, that thing you used wouldn't be here if it weren't for me.”

there was long silence once again… perhaps, even longer than moments of silence you had earlier when your eyes scanned over the rest of the place.

almost the entirety of the facility was led by loki. horrifyingly brainwashed by that scepter.

“fair enough,” he admitted, “but you wouldn’t be breathing if i hadn’t given you the chance.”

“... do you want me to thank you? for this?” “giving thanks means nothing. i need something much more than that.”

you crossed your arms, gulping as you still tried to make yourself seem as if you had the upper hand. an imaginary upper hand, perhaps? although you had put on that mask, loki knew you were afraid of what he could do to you. 

if this is only a preview of the damage he’s capable of causing, just how could you survive while being opposed to him?

“i could…” he trailed off, smirking to himself as he circled the station, his palm touching its painted and carved surface while the scepter glowed in his other hand. “hm… i could do the same to you. put your talent to use like the others.”

and you readied yourself, closing your eyes as your once crossed arms dropped to your sides, hopeless and left without a sign of help. “but you have not attacked me once,” he said with a tone of interest, diverting his attention from the opportunity of just controlling you like a mindless servant and rather feeling positive about a different, riskier path. “and you’ve saved me. willingly. no control needed.”

he walked towards you, breathing heavily and letting out a low chuckle. “do you know what gift you have, dr. l/n?” he questioned, expecting you to know the answer as he tilted your head upwards again with the end of the scepter. one wrong push and you could bleed to death; he was being careful with you still.

after all, you were a great addition to his plans.

“humanity, l/n.” he proudly stated, now lowering his weapon as your heart raced. never did you fear death until now, especially when your life would fade to grey without the knowledge of what’ll happen next. to the world and the people around you. “you’ve got so much humanity in you that your best choice was to save a dying god. it’s foolish, l/n. how could you be so brilliant but foolish?–”

“are you done?” you had enough of it, still staring at one corner as you saw how your friend’s eyes still gleamed in blue, manipulated by the god standing right in front of you while the remaining lights of the facility shone over his prepped quiver, ready to attack whenever, however.

and of course, the god of mischief was indeed offended by that. “... you’re so brave, it’s idiotic.” he laughed, shaking his head as if you both had been joking with one another and you felt the heat rush up your head; you didn’t want this. you just wanted your friends to be set free – your world to be set free from this being. 

“what do you desire in return?” “for you to stop whatever you’re planning here, my lord.”

even though loki knew you were being sarcastic, he just admired the way it rolled off your tongue. “you do know that does not equate to what you’ve done for me and you might want to do something more for me if you’d want that to happen,” he said, denying your request with a snicker. “but of course, i still appreciated your service earlier so how about i offer you something else?”

he’s cheating, you thought.

“in exchange of your little saving, it’ll be guaranteed that not one of us would lay a finger on you…” he paused, hiding the scepter behind his back as you tilted your head to the side. were you even hearing this correctly? that was too low. “and you would be shielded from any harm as well.”

but can you do anything about it? no. “is that good enough for you, my little savior?”

you had to think about it for longer than a second. why only a second, you may ask? well, does it look like you still have enough time to decide perfectly? the world is at stake; you had to give an answer now or worse destruction could happen.

“fine,” you uttered, firmly extending your hand towards him as he only stared back at your empty, shaking palm. “i’ll do whatever it takes to free this world from you.”

“that’s laughable.” “we’ll see, your majesty.”

[fanficshiddles]

Beautiful Creatures, One Shot

Thanks for the prompt! Hope you like it. I would not be surprised if I end up doing more from this!  crimson25 asked: Y/N is an Asgardian slave. She's had a rough life surviving the king. One day without warning the all father banishes her for some bullshit reason (maybe she's been set up). She's banished to Jotunheim with no hope for survival. She tries to find shelter but it's no use, she collapses in the snow and ice and excepts her fate. Just before shes gone for good, Loki the king of Jotunheim finds her. After seeing how beaten, bruised, and malnourished she is, he takes pitty on her and decides that her suffering is over and takes her to his kingdom. He heals her cleans her up and gives her a decent meal. He wonders how a girl as beautiful as her was treated so badly. He then offers her a choice. Her freedom or a life with him. What will she choose.

-

To say she was cold wouldn’t even scratch the surface of how bitterly, aching cold she was. She was certain frostbite had sunk in, she couldn’t feel her toes anymore through her boots. Her teeth wouldn’t stop chattering and the thin excuse for a cloak around her would have just as well not been there as the biting wind just whipped through.

All she could see through the blizzard was white, she wasn’t even sure how far she could see. It all seemed to blend together. She tried to keep going through the snow, but it was up past her knees and so difficult to walk through.

She tried to keep going, but suddenly the ground just vanished beneath her and she tumbled down a small rocky hill. Falling to a heap at the bottom in the snow, she looked at her hands and they were frozen stiff. She tucked herself into a ball as much she could. Closing her eyes, she decided to just welcome death. Surely it would be better than this, and what she had already endured for most of her life.

It was time. She was accepting it. She just wanted the pain to be gone.

-

Loki was heading back to his castle on his Jordit, a giant furry creature that was capable of carrying Jotuns. It was similar and as agile as a cat and had a horn coming out of its head, but it was white as snow, to blend in easy with the land. Its tail was long but usually curled up on itself, unless in fight mode then it would flick around dangerously, a weapon in itself. They were fiercely loyal and loving with their master, but you didn’t want to get on the wrong side of one. Especially with its large claws and huge ice fangs. They were very rare, only Loki had one out of all the Jotuns in Jotunheim.

Loki halted his Jordit suddenly and squinted a bit as he looked through the blizzard. There was a motionless pile not far from where he was, but it looked odd as he saw bits of red cloth through said pile.

He dismounted his Jordit and gave her a pat on her thick furry neck, then made his way over to investigate. As he grew closer, his eyes widened as he was shocked to find an Asgardian girl. Though she was almost as blue as him from the cold. Crouching down, he was even more shocked to see she was still breathing, just.

How she wasn’t already dead, he had no idea.

Unable to leave her in such a state, he took off his large furry green robe and scooped her tiny body up into his arms, wrapping the robe around her. As he carried her back to his Jordit, her eyes fluttered open, they widened upon seeing the large giant carrying her. And she looked a little scared when she saw the just as giant animal that he was taking her to.

‘It’s ok, you’re safe with me.’ Loki said softly.

She passed out again as Loki mounted his Jordit, carefully with her cradled against him.

‘Come on, let’s get her back to the castle as quickly as possible.’ He said as he gave his Jordit a pat on the neck.

The Jordit leapt into action and easily bolted through the deep snow like it was nothing. Loki kept the Asgardian girl covered from the snow and he kept her as close to his body as possible, making sure to give off heat instead of his usual coldness.

They were back at the castle within minutes. They didn’t stop at the gates to wait for them to open, the Jordit simply jumped clear over the top of them and raced inside. Guards went flying as they raced by, just seeing a blur of white.

The Jordit skidded to a halt outside of Loki’s chambers. His maid was just finished cleaning his chambers when he slid down with the Asgardian in his arms.

‘Oh my! Let me get the fire going!’ The maid ran back into his chambers.

‘Thank you, my friend.’ Loki said and gave his Jordit a gentle stroke on the nose. She made a low purring noise before going into the next room that belonged to her.

Loki took the girl into his chambers and was glad to see the maid had gotten the fire going nice and quickly. He placed the girl onto the rug on front of the fire and then gathered as much pillows and blankets as he could find.

‘I’ll go fetch some warm soup.’ The maid rushed out of the room.

Loki carefully put a pillow under her head and then draped many blankets over her. He then went to his bathroom and got some warm water in a bowl and a cloth, as he returned the girl was mumbling incoherently.

He crouched down next to her and started wiping her face with the warm water. It wasn’t too hot, as he knew too hot would do her more harm than good.

‘What hurts most, pet?’ He asked softly.

She was still wide eyed as she looked at him. But her mind was quickly starting to focus and work more, she realised that he had not harmed her. That he seemed to be wanting to help.

‘My… my… hands…’ She said shakily.

Loki moved the blanket enough so he could see her hands. She couldn’t move her fingers. He carefully dipped her hands into the water, and in time, she was slowly able to move all of her fingers again as the warmth returned to her body.

When Loki’s maid returned with soup, the girl was sitting up with blankets wrapped around her.

‘Thank you.’ Loki smiled at his maid.

‘Anything else I can do for you, My King, just let me know.’ She bowed her head to him.

Loki nodded and smiled. ‘Should be fine now. Go and enjoy your evening with your family. Thank you.’

Loki turned to the Asgardian girl and held out the bowl of soup. Though it was only when he held it out to her that he realised the bowl was far too big, made for Jotuns.

‘Ah… Let’s try something else.’ He said sheepishly and from the palm of his hand his seidr seeped up in a green haze and the bowl turned to a good size for her.

But when he handed it to her, she looked stunned. Though she did take the bowl, she was staring at him with wide eyes.

‘I know this must be scary, seeing Jotuns. But I promise, we mean you no harm. I don’t doubt that you will have heard terrifying stories of how we are ravaging beasts that kill anything and everyone in sight. But that is not the case. Odin has a deep hatred of my kind and people.’ Loki explained, keeping his voice soft.

‘You… You’re Laufeyson? The King?’ She squeaked.

Loki nodded. ‘I am… Try and eat some soup, it will help warm you up from the inside. You’re still shivering… I’ll run the bath.’

He disappeared momentarily, letting her take a moment to herself to take in everything. But then she started eating the soup, and the warmth from the inside did help immensely. Though her clothes were still damp against her, which were making her continue to shiver.

When Loki returned, he noticed her still shaking.

‘I’ve ran a bath. I have an old robe of mine from when I was a child that might fit you, it might still be a bit large but it will do until your clothing dries by the fire.’ Loki said as he approached her. ‘Can you walk or do you wish for me to carry you through?’

She said nothing and tried to stand herself, but when she got to her feet her legs were like jelly and she almost fell over. But Loki reached out and caught her with his giant hand. He helped her through to the bathroom.

‘I know you don’t know or trust me, but I will need to help you into the bath. I don’t want you to drown in the large tub. You’re also still quite ill so I can’t leave you alone.’

She didn’t particularly care at this point, after being so close to death. She just wanted to get warm again. So she began taking off her clothes.

Loki had to hold in a few gasps when he saw her body. She was covered in bruises and was as thin as a stick, her ribs were showing and there was absolutely no meat on her at all. That’s when he noticed how rather sunken her face was, though she was incredibly beautiful. His heart broke thinking how someone could harm such a beautiful creature.

When she sank into the warm water, she felt better already. Loki tried not to stare at her, even though she was covered by bubbles.

‘How did you end up here? I don’t think we’ve ever had an Asgardian here.’ Loki asked.

‘I… I’m actually half Asgardian half Midgardian. I was born on Asgard, but when my father died, me and my mother were taken into the house of Odin and treated… well, she was a Midgardian. We were treated as we should have been. I am thankful though, Odin kept a roof over my head. Even when mother died too. As long as I did my chores and kept my head down. Though it’s my fault, I made him angry as I failed to clean his horses stable to standard… He banished me here. But I deserved it. It’s my fault. I just have never done stables before, just chambers.’ She shook as she spoke, trying not to speak bad of Odin in fear of repercussion.

Loki narrowed his eyes. ‘Do not stand up for him, I know how horrid he is. How he treats his people. He caused those bruises, didn’t he?’

She nodded.

‘Did he feed you?’

She paused before shaking her head. ‘Not really. A piece of bread every other day when I deserved it.’ She whispered.

Loki bit his tongue, trying not to show his rage.

He stayed silent for the duration of her bath. Once he was happy with her temperature, she was no longer shaking, he took her out of the bath and tried to avert his eyes as he helped to dry her. Then she put on the robe that was indeed a bit big, dragging on the floor. But she made it work.

Loki hung her own tattered clothes up to dry by the fireplace. He then let her rest in his bed.

‘Please, get some sleep.’

‘Thank you…’ She was scared, still untrusting. But she felt deep down that she could relax. That she was ok for now.

Loki left her to rest, he went to speak to his guard outside.

‘I’ve heard of Odin banishing his people or slaves. Even guards and soldiers. I think your father came across a few, actually. That were banished here. Most of the time, they were dead before they were found in the snow.’ His guard said.

‘What did my father do with them?’ Loki raised an eyebrow.

‘He took them back here, let them warm up and then he took them to one of the paths off Jotunheim, to Midgard or Vanaheim.’

‘Right.’ Loki nodded, deep in thought.

‘Is there anything else she needs, My King? Or yourself?’ The guard asked.

‘No, I think that’s all. Thank you.’ Loki nodded.

He quietly went back into his chambers and noticed the girl was asleep. He went and sat by the fireplace to read a book, though he barely turned the pages because his mind was completely elsewhere.

-

When the girl woke up after a few hours, she felt warmed to the bones and much better. There was a glass of water and fruit on the bedside table. She sat up and stared at it, her mouth began watering at the delicious looking fruits.

‘Go ahead, it’s for you.’ Loki said, startling her slightly. She hadn’t noticed him sitting on a chair not far from her.

She looked at him, then back at the fruit, then at him again. He motioned his head to it. So she didn’t wait any longer and grabbed a few grapes, stuffing them into her mouth before taking some strawberries and then tucking into a peach. It was so juicy and delicious.

Loki got up and slowly walked over to her. He sat down on the edge of the bed by her, the bed dipped quite a bit and she tensed up a little. He really was gigantic in comparison to her. So was all the furniture, her legs dangled down so far from the ground.

‘Are you feeling better?’

‘Yes… Thank you…. Why… Why did you save me? You’re a King… But you’re… Kind.’ She spoke so quietly, like a mouse.

‘I saved you, firstly because I am King. It is my duty to protect people, not only my own people but others in need too. Secondly, I am no monster like you may think. I’ve also been on the receiving end of Odin’s wrath before… And thirdly, it costs nothing to be kind. Why be nasty, it takes up so much energy.’ Loki shrugged.

She frowned a little. He really wasn’t acting like a King. Well, certainly not like Odin was as King, anyway.

‘You’re kind to your maid, too.’ She whispered.

‘Of course. She does a lot for me, as do all the other maids, my guards and soldiers. They are my people, too. I want what is best for them. I want them to be happy under my rule.’

She didn’t say anything else, just kind of looked at Loki in wonder for a bit. Then ate some more fruit and drank the water.

‘I know that Jotunheim might not be the most attractive of realms. But if you’re dressed appropriately and prepared, it can be a beautiful place. I want to offer you the opportunity to stay here, with me… If you so wish to. Or I can give you your freedom, I can take you to one of the hidden paths to another realm. Vanaheim or perhaps Midgard… Wherever you wish to go.’

She was really surprised at that. Not expecting anything else from Loki, she had thought he would just send her out of his castle now she was better.

‘I… I… don’t know… Maybe, Midgard… ’

‘Take some time to think it through.’ Loki said, his heart sinking slightly at her making the decision of wanting to leave so quickly. But then he didn’t expect anything less really, Odin had no doubt drilled into her mind that all Jotuns were monsters.

‘I’ll leave you for a while. I have to tend to my Jordit.’ He said with a nod, then strolled across his chambers and out.

She finished the fruit and then climbed down from the bed. She went over to her clothes and found they were dry. Though the thought of putting on those rags made her stomach sink. But she had nothing else, so she took off Loki’s old robe and put on her old clothing. Even her boots were falling apart.

Her mind was racing with what Loki had said. Though she knew it would be best just to get away from here. She had almost died in the snow after all. She couldn’t stay here. Surrounded by… monsters? Even her parents had told her horror stories about Jotuns as a child.

But then… why were they acting the complete opposite? And the castle she was in, it was like an ordinary castle in Asgard or any other realm, it wasn’t even made of ice like she had been told stories of.

She went over to the doors and managed to push one open, it was really heavy with how large it was. As she stepped outside, there was a giant guard right there, staring down at her. She looked up at him, terrified.

But he smiled a bit, which put her at ease slightly.

‘If you’re looking for Loki, he’s just in the next room.’ He motioned to the right with his spear.

She nodded quickly and scurried away from the guard and went towards the room he’d said. The door was slightly open, so she was able to just slide inside. She stopped just inside the door, eyes wide at what she saw.

Loki was with the Jordit. Such a strange creature she had never seen before. But it was lying down and Loki was brushing its long fur.

‘There we go, that must feel better. I’m sorry I didn’t do this sooner after our ride out. I know how your fur gets so tangled from the wet.’ Loki apologised to her.

The Jordit turned her head and licked his hand, making Loki chuckle. He put the brush down once he was done and stroked behind her ear. But then she perked her head up and her ears twitched as she looked over at the door, where the girl was stood.

‘Ah. Are you ok?’ Loki asked as he walked over towards the girl. His Jordit followed behind him.

‘I… I think so.’ She nodded.

‘This is my Jordit, she might look a little scary but she won’t harm you if you are no threat.’ Loki reached back and patted her neck.

The Jordit growled a little at the girl, unsure of her.

‘She’s beautiful.’ The girl said in slight awe, fear was there of course but with respect. She could tell she was a powerful animal. But she was a magnificent creature, there was no denying that.

The Jordit made a chirping noise instead of a growl, making Loki chuckle.

‘Yes, you’re beautiful. Everyone knows it.’ He said to her, making the girl smile at how he was acting with the animal.

‘She can be a bit big headed.’ He whispered to the girl with a smirk. The Jordit growled in a playful manner and butted Loki with her head, just avoiding him with her horn.

The girl giggled a bit, and Loki thought it was the most wonderful sound he’d ever heard.

‘I guess you are wanting to head to Midgard?’ He asked with a cough to clear his throat.

‘I uhm… I was wondering maybe if I could stay here instead? Just for a little while… Till I get my strength up, perhaps? If that offer is still on.’ She asked quickly, her cheeks heating up a bit.

‘Of course. We’d love for you to stay.’ Loki grinned widely.

[liies]

❛ That’s the place where you have to look within yourself and ask, “Am I the kind of person who will keep going?” ❜

A   RAVEN   FLEW   IN   /  @ofasgardianvariants   !

          FAR TOO OFTEN THE most difficult task in life is also the simplest : the choice to endure , in spite of it all . to accept the burdens , the weight of the world . . . & yet, to not allow it to crush you . loki has always struggled to balance with the heaviness on his shoulders , prepared instead to stumble and FALL .

( there's peace in falling , only interrupted by how much it hurts when you land . he knows this too well , too intimately . )

" are you ? "

. . . and this , too , loki knows the answer to they are not the same , for her will was never broken in the ways his own was . in only a heartbeat , he would trade their places . perhaps it would be easier , he thinks , to be sylvie , doomed to running from the end of the world , than loki , forever branded as a trophy from a gilded war , left to gather dust .

( & loki is fickle : emotions , allegiances shifting like the tides . some days they feel as if they've made it past their lowest point , dedicated and devoted and enduring . others . . . the void of hopelessness feels like a sun that will never rise . )

" i suppose we've both come this far already . "

( it doesn't answer the question . )

[anonymousfiction211]

Run!

(Gif source: @lokihiddleston​)

Request: Loki with a predator/prey kink. One night, when he is having dinner with his wife, he shots her a glare with that look in his eyes and a devilish smirk on his lips. He gently tells her to run. As she’s sprinting down the halls, he’s tricking her by doubling himself. She soons learns his little game. By now whe’s running in a more open area, she sees him and thinks it’s just one of his clones. She doesn’t pay much attention to him and runs by him, rather cloos. But oops, it’s actually him this time and she’s pretty much screwed, because he pins her to the floor.

Words: 2.705 words

Warnings: Dominant Loki, dirty talk, multiple orgasms, sex (18+)

Run! The last week was a bit of a slur. It was filled with engagements, Loki had to attend, meaning that you had to attend also. Royal engagements never were fun, mostly tedious and boring. But there was something about this week, that had made them even more unbearable. Even your husband - who always knew a way to make things interesting, often not for the good of his royal status, had no tricks up his sleeve this time. You were a little disappointed by that. The days all consisted of polite small talk, political talk, and food. Lots of it. To make matters worse, no alcohol. Due to some religious holiday of the visiting royal family, who couldn't drink this week, Odin had decided as a sign of good will to not serve any alcohol. You got the political motivation behind his reasoning, but had cursed him several times that week in your head.  

The guests had finally left and you were now enjoying a quiet meal with your husband. Unfortunately, it was not a comfortable silence the two of you had fallen in. Both of you were still in an awful mood from the whole week. Literally nothing interesting had happened, that you could discuss. Of course, there were a lot of other topics the two of you could talk about. But for some reason both of you had decided to endure your meal in silence, waiting for this week to end. You were absently minded playing with your food. Not paying attention to your surroundings. You were looking around when your eyes locked with Loki’s. His green eyes sparked trouble, and knowing the devilish smirk that was plastered on his face, trouble was sure to follow.  

You stared at him, waiting for something to happen. But what happened, was not wat you expected. Loki sat up straight, he looked taller that way. His facial expression changed from trouble to regal, he clearly felt like he was in charge at the moment. And what followed was him leaning a bit closer towards you and he gently tells you ‘Run’.

‘What?’ you asked.  

‘Run’ he repeated again in the same gentle voice. ‘You have 10 seconds’ he added.

You abruptly stood up. You still looked into his eyes. His eyes which were saying I dare you to defy me. The adrenaline was starting to pump through your veins. Your breathing was already increasing and the thrill was starting to take control of you. Loki watched you intently, and that's when he said ‘5’

That was the moment you ran towards the door, quickly running through, and slamming it shut behind you. Hoping it would buy you more time, before Loki caught you. Because you both knew, you could run all you like, but there was a moment coming that he would catch you. How long it would take and what Loki would do if he did finally catch you, you didn't know. You quickly sprinted down the hall, reached the staircase and started to descend. Loki knew the palace and every little shortcut like the back of his hand. Your best chance was to remove yourself and him from palace grounds.  

When you were downstairs you had a choice to make. You could run to the left or to the right. Either way was leading towards the gardens, so it didn't really matter. But you still hesitated. You turned left, but then Loki walked around the corner. He was standing at the end of the hallway with a wolfish look on his face, that made the adrenaline run faster through you. You turned around and quickly run the other way. When you were almost at the door that would lead you to the gardens, you saw Loki suddenly appear in front of you.

The two of you were standing a few meters apart from each other. Your eyes locked in a staring contest. But that's when you realized, that this wasn't really Loki. If he had teleported, there would be a green glow, but there wasn't. Meaning that the Loki standing in front of you, was one of his doubles. You could go through them. You gave him a wink and sprinted towards him. You jumped at him and indeed went through. You slid the door to the side and entered the gardens.  

You ran as quick as you could through them, ignoring Loki's who were popping up right and left from you. You knew they weren't real. One appeared in front of you, but you just went through like the others. Suddenly you bumped into the back of a guard. He turned around and annoyingly looked at you. You saw from his face that he was about the scold you, but he didn't get to start because a green glow appeared behind you. Loki was standing at a distance. And you knew that he was real this time. The guard looked at it, bowed to the both of you and slowly backed away. Everyone knew better by now than to interrupt Loki in his games, especially his games that involved you.  

Before Loki could take a step towards you, you ran past the guard. ‘Sorry’ you yelled at them, and then you were gone. You didn't see Loki behind you for a while, but knew he was nearby. You ran towards the horse box, that way you could see him coming from either side of you. When you were almost there, you looked behind you and saw Loki in the far distance trying to catch up. Turning your head, you suddenly saw two Loki's in front of you. You didn't expect that, but knew better than to fall for his tricks. Of course, he would try to make you run the other way, towards him instead of away. You ran towards the Loki on the left in front of you and went through, like you expected.

But suddenly two arms grabbed you from the right and forced you to a halt. You squeaked out of shock and your eyes widened when you realised that Loki had caught you. How he had pulled this trick of you didn't know, but you did know by the look of he gave you, you were in trouble.  

‘So, the cat finally catches the little squeaking mouse’ he laughed.

Before you could response, he swept your feet. You fell backwards and landed, with a lot less impact than you were predicting, with your back on the ground. Loki was on top of you and pinned you down with his weight. You struggled underneath him, but he grabbed your wrists with one hand and put them above your head.

‘You can struggle all you want, but that won't stop me from having my way with you’ he growled in your ear.  

You were completely out of breath from all the running, and didn't have much strength left to struggle. Loki let you struggle for a few seconds, before he pinned your wrists down with his magic, leaving him with two free hands. Without saying a word, he grabbed the deep V-neck of your dress and tore it in half. You weren't wearing anything underneath and lay completely bare for him.  

‘Loki’ you panted. ‘We can't do this here!’  

He stopped and looked at you. The smirk on his face was back, the one that screamed trouble, and you knew now in how much trouble you were in. ‘Why not?’ he innocently asked. As if the two of you were in your private bedroom.

‘Someone will see’ you breathing had slowed down a bit. You didn’t struggle anymore, because it was futile. The cold air hit your body and you started to shiver a little. Your nipples hardened and you saw Loki licking his lips, as if you were a feast and he had been starving all week.

‘Then you shouldn't have let yourself get caught here’ he countered, as if it were your own choice.

Before you could protest any further, Loki kissed you deeply. Without asking for permission, he grabbed your hair and pulled on it. When you hissed his slid his tongue inside your mouth and started to explore every inch. When he broke of the kiss you were, again, out of breath. He started to kiss your necks and leave little bite marks. His hands were descending from your hair to your breasts. Your nipples were already hard, cause of the cold. But Loki started to play with them, taking each of your nipples between his thumb and index finger, slowly starting to roll and squeeze. Making them harder.  

He went on until you were softly moaning. ‘Still don't want to do it here?’ he smirked at you.  

‘I- what if someone sees?’ you asked. Loki just shrugged his shoulders and started to kiss lower towards your breasts. He took one nipple in his mouth. His warm tongue swirling around it, made you arch your back. While he kept his tongue working on your nipples, his hands went lower. He grabbed both of your thighs and spread you as wide as you could. He stopped and sat on his knees between your legs. He pulled the lips of your pussy slightly apart, exposing your wet hole and throbbing clit.  

He put his thumb on your clit and slowly started to circle it. That was the moment you were completely gone. You were now moaning shamelessly and bucking your hips to create more friction. Loki put his other arm on your stomach and pushed you down. His thumb was still working your clit and he put his mouth closer. You could feel his hot breath on your pussy.  

‘If someone sees us, they will see you, laying here so beautifully submissive. My good girl, letting me play with here as I like’

His thumb was removed, and replaced by his tongue. He licked up and down your entire length a few times, before starting to focus on your clit. After a few seconds he removed his tongue and replaced with his thumb again. He kept repeating this action, while he was whispering dirty things to you.

‘If you some sees us, I will not stop. I will keep going until you come moaning my name’

‘After that I will take you how I like. They will watch how you are fucked by me and can do nothing about it’

‘How you will come repeatedly on my cock from the pleasure only I can bring you’

You came hard on his tongue, almost screaming his name. Loki worked you through your orgasm. He got back up and the bonds on your wrists suddenly vanished. You immediately put your hands around his back and realised he was still fully clothed. You frowned at him and he just winked at you.

‘Am I wrong to say that you wouldn't enjoy it? Getting fucked by me, while some stranger watches us’ he grinned. The slight blush on your cheek betrayed you.  

Loki suddenly turned your around. You caught yourself on your hands and knees. He grabbed the back of your neck and pulled you down towards the ground. You heard his zipper open and knew what was about the come. You wiggled your bum a little in anticipation. Without warning Loki suddenly spanked you heard. You jolted forwards, hissing.  

‘Such a needy slut for me’ he growled.

He grabbed your hips with both hands, squeezing hard enough to leave bruises. He entered your slick entrance in one motion. He didn't give you any time to adjust, he started to rut in and out of you. You clenched your hands in the ground, while you felt his cock hitting your G-spot with precision every time he went into you. You were unable to do more than lay there and take it. Moaning so hard, that if someone was nearby, they would sure come looking. Loki was starting to grunt and you knew he was close. Suddenly you saw a light from afar, quickly approaching.  

‘Well, I suggest you come and make milk me for all I have. Unless you want that guard to watch me fuck you’ Loki purred in your ear.

He went on with his animalistic thrusts. The light was getting closer, but you didn't care. You felt his fingers snake to your clit and started to abuse your clit as they liked. Even though it was far too sensitive for any stimulation, you were loving every second. You came hard screaming his name, you walls clenched down on his cock. You heard Loki grunt loudly and his hot seed was spilling inside of you. When he got down from his bliss, he slipped out of you. He quickly flicked his wrist, cleaning the both of you. He grabbed his cock, put it back in his pants and pulled the zipper upwards.  

You slowly stood up, while Loki helped you. You had a little trouble to stand, your head snapped up to the light, which was very nearby.

‘Loki, clothes’ you hissed at him.  

You could see the shim of a horse, and the guard sitting on top of it holding a torch near his face. Suddenly a green shimmer engulfed you. You looked down and saw that Loki had dressed you in his coat, but only his coat. It just about covered you, and still exposed your legs which were covered in dirt. Everyone would know what happened if they only took one look at you.

‘Loki’ you hissed, but he just kissed the top of your temple.

The guard slowed his pace, once he recognized you and Loki. He assessed the situation, his eyes went to your legs and flicked towards Loki. Loki was just smirking proudly, while pulling you closer towards you. Your cheeks heated up, because everyone knew that the guard knew what just happened. To make matters even worse, it was the same guard you encountered in the gardens.

‘Sorry to disturb you. I just saw movement and had to check it out’ the guard said after clearing his throat.

‘Just doing your job’ Loki answered. ‘We were just going back to our room anyway’ he added.

‘Right’ the guard nodded and turned his horse around. And you were thankfully he was about the leave. But that is when you heard Loki's voice again.

‘Actually, my love has a little trouble walking I imagine. Would you be so kind to lend us your horse, so we can ride back?’ his voice betrayed that he was punishing the guard at the moment.

The guard turned around again, and didn't look at all happy with the request. You understood why, he was the one that had to walk all the way back. ‘Of course, your majesty’ the guard said through gritted teeth.

He emerged from his horse and handed Loki the reins. He bowed and started to walk towards the castle again.  

‘Why didn't you just teleport us back and let the guard keep his horse?’ you asked, when Loki had helped you up on the horse.

He got on as well and put the horse in a trot. You were comfortably laying back on his chest. Loki put one arm around your waist and held you tightly against him, while he used his other one the steer the horse.

‘If I hadn't shown up, he was going to scold you in those gardens. He deserves to walk back’ he said.

‘You know you're in trouble with your father after he hears the guard tell him what happened, he is probably walking straight towards him’

Loki just laughed ‘I know, but I will be too busy fucking you in the bath’ he said while kissing your temple.  

'While breaking your promise that you would behave yourself during this week’ you added.

‘He! I promised to be on my best behaviour as long as the guests were here, no tricks. And for once I actually did that, but they left. And I think we can all agree that me behaving leads to very boring events’ he said feigning offence.

‘Can't argue with you there’ you mused and were already daydreaming about all the ways Loki would take you tonight.  

Taglist: @delightfulheartdream @theaudacitytowrite @pescadoavocado @theestorm @taurusbeing​ @justacripple​

Let me know if you want to be added :)

[incorrectsmashbrosquotes]

Baldur and Hela

So i’ve been thinking a lot about Norse mythology because I have literally nothing better to do, and I thought of a re-imagining of Baldur’s death so here we go I guess.

-

So Baldur dies, right. Very sad. God of peace, compassion, love, probably puppies, and he’s dead. Very sad. What’s worse, because he didn’t die in battle, he goes to Helheim, the icy and cold land, where the unglorious dead go.

And there, he meets Hela, the grim Goddess. Half a corpse, a dead heart in her chest. She rules this icy land where there is no hope, no light, and no love.

Except, now there is.

Now, this glorious shinning light of compassion and love has descended down into these icy depths, and brought with it the first ray of sunlight Helheim has ever seen. A kind, and good soul, a God of Love.

Hela cannot stand. She loathes the sight of the the thing, hates the tight feeling in her chest when she sees him. The unnatural throbbing in her dead heart as she looks upon something that doesn’t belong in this hopeless land.

Hela rages at Asgard. Demands that they take this damnable light away. Demands that they leave her alone in her cold, familiar apathy. She’s not like her brother, not like Fenrir, who craved love and companionship. She is a dead thing. A thing that cannot be loved, and loves nothing.

So the Gods make preparations, struggle to find a way, and Hela is alone. Alone with her complete opposite. Hela is dread, hateful and cold. Baldur is light, kid and considerate.

But time passes, as she waits, she engages with him. They talk. She comes to know him. And she grows to ha(love)te him even more. He is not repulsed by her dead flesh. He smiles, and she feels the sun on her skin. Her good eye waters with tears. He gives her space when she desires it. He comes close when she needs it.

Hela hates it. She hates how he comforts the souls of her domain. She hates how he makes her smile. Hates how he makes the world seem just a little bit brighter.

She hates that she is coming to dread the day he will leave.

She hates the unnatural beating of her dead heart.

She hates that the Gods were so cruel as to taunt her with this. So cruel as to send something she was never meant to have to her realm. Is she not Hela? The grim Goddess? Destined to forever rule her icy realm of pain and misery alone?

The day comes, and all thing weep for Baldur. Even Loki, the architect of his death, weeps as well, deciding that the joke has gone far enough, weeps for Baldur. Even Hela weeps, from her one good eye. She weeps that he must leave her. That he must darken her realm with his absence.

And yet, he remains.

Go! She screams at him. Go, and leave me! You were never for this place. You were never for me!

And still Baldur does not go.

Why, why, why does he taunt her so!? Why does he stay when all thing weep for him to return?

Baldur reaches forward, ad wipes the tears from Hela’s face. And speaks in a voice that is as the birdsong in the trees.

I came here, and I saw a woman who took up a duty no one else would shoulder. I came here, and saw a woman stronger than even Thor and Tyr, willing to endure an eternity of loneliness, if only it meant giving shelter to the unwanted dead. And I saw a woman of insurpassable beauty, unlike any creature above or below.

How could I not fall in love with such a creature?

In the end, Baldur did not stay in Helheim through any machination of Odin, or trick of Loki. In the end, much stronger shackles bound him than any other band of iron and steel.

In the end, Baldur stayed through his own choice. In the end, he stayed in Helheim, bringing light and joy to the souls there, for a very simple reason.

In the end, he stayed with the woman he loved, who’s heart finally found a reason to beat.

[septembersghost]

Nobody's perfect. Not even superheroes.

But God, I am so very, very tired of investing in major female characters in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, only to see them meet an ignominious end. Let's set aside the fact that it took 21 tries to even get a female-led film, 2019's Captain Marvel. There have always been interesting, bad-ass women in the MCU — they just keep being done dirty.

The men of the MCU routinely save the day, seemingly with nine lives to spare (not that I'm complaining about having more Tom Hiddleston in my life, but for the love of the Norse gods, how many times has Loki been brought back from the dead?). Meanwhile, the women of the MCU's greatest asset seems to be the most stereotypically feminine of traits: sacrifice.

Don't get me wrong, sacrifice is a heroic quality. It takes a special kind of person to lay down their life for the greater good. But it gets exhausting when that special kind of person seems to be mostly female (thank you for your service, though, Tony Stark and Vision).

First, there was Natasha Romanoff, a.k.a. Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson), who, in the quest for the Infinity Stones, sacrifices herself for the Soul Stone, sparing Hawkeye's life. Her justification? Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) has a family who needs him. So what does that say about Black Widow's adoptive sister Yelena (Florence Pugh) or other close friends who make up her found family?

A lot has been written about that narrative choice, and it's arguably the most polarizing death in the MCU. Especially since it came after Natasha's character endured outright sexism for years, particularly in the Age of Ultron, where the script reduced her to her reproductive choices, having her call herself a "monster" because she can't have children. Despite all that, it might've been possible to take her death as a moment of valor that served the storytelling — if Marvel didn't keep recycling that motif to motivate its male characters.

Here lies Gamora (Zoe Saldana), Aunt May (Marisa Tomei), Ajak (Salma Hayek), Wanda/Scarlet Witch (Elizabeth Olsen), and the newest addition to the dead fierce ladies club, Dr. Jane Foster (Natalie Portman). And that's not even including the saintly mamas who have died to light a fire under their sons (hi, Thor and Shang-Chi). Or the varying degrees of lip service to female empowerment Marvel has come under fire for over the years.

Sure, a past version of Gamora may be alive in the multiverses, and not even Elizabeth Olsen knows if her character is permanently dead after the events of Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. But I bet you can guess how she (maybe) died at the end: That's right, sacrificing herself for the greater good, even after being villainized for "breaking the rules," something her male counterparts do regularly. Sure, Wanda's rule-breaking might have cost many innocent lives, but it's not like she caused a universe-destroying Incursion (looking at you, Doctor Strange) or unleashed a wave of supervillains in a last-ditch effort to get into college (you too, Parker).

Even with all that, it was not until Thor: Love and Thunder that I finally reached my breaking point with Marvel's treatment of its female heroes' mortality. And I had such high hopes! Throughout the press tour, Natalie Portman made much of her return to the MCU being predicated on Jane finally having something interesting to do. The trailers showed Portman's Jane kitted out as a fully-fledged Lady Thor, complete with a winged helmet and wielding Mjölnir (did I maybe cheer more for this than even Steve Rogers proving his worthiness? Yes). What's more, here, she would not only become a hero in her own right, but she'd get to team up with another MCU favorite, Valkyrie (Tessa Thompson).

Imagine my irritation when the interesting thing they've finally given Jane to do is have cancer and die (yes, I know this is a storyline from the comics; it's still annoying). It's pretty evident from the earliest shots of her in the film that she's not long for this world. But it's a real pain in the Asgard that, like Natasha, Gamora, and Wanda before her, she only gets to step into the spotlight just as it's about to be extinguished. There are flickers of hope that becoming a Thor will strengthen and heal her. But for dudes, with great power comes great responsibility. For ladies, with great power comes an expiration date.

When Thor finally forces Jane to stop cavorting as a Thor and seek genuine treatment for her illness, he acknowledges he'll have to try to complete his mission alone. That is until Jane swoops in at the last minute to save the day (and his very well-toned butt), knowing full well the effort will kill her a lot sooner than if she waited in her hospital bed. Just like the women before her, she makes a choice — and that choice is to die for the sake of the world and the man she loves.

There is nothing wrong with this choice at face value. It doesn't make Jane (or Wanda, or Natasha...) weak or lesser than any of the male heroes of the MCU. Indeed, it's a death so noble it earns Jane a place in Valhalla. But it would be more emotionally satisfying if I hadn't seen it so many times before. And if it didn't feel like that, while the men of the MCU get to be arrogant, wholesome, angry, remorseful, and any number of complex things, women's clearest path to heroism seems to be death.

Sure, I want more female superheroes. More kick-ass ladies who I can dress up as for Halloween and cheer on. But not if their only purpose in the plot is virtual martyrdom. The MCU has taken great pains to make its heroes nuanced figures who grapple with the human cost of their adventures; it makes the case that there are many ways to be a hero. Unless, of course, you're a woman. (Florence Pugh, Hailee Steinfeld, Brie Larson, y'all might want to get a clause in your contracts, just saying).

Because women are expendable. We are living in a world where women are fighting for their lives and their rights daily, where misogyny is insidious, and women regularly fear violence from strangers and partners alike. It's easy to feel that the cost of our lives is cheap, that we mean more in death than we do in life. The MCU, intentionally or not, reiterates that narrative.

I don't want a fictional world of heroes where a woman's greatest superpower is death. It's a hill I'm willing to do anything but die on.

-We Need To Talk About Marvel’s Women Problem

[starshipsofstarlord]

All This Hassle, and What For?

Pairing | Loki Laufeyson x reader

Summary | getting taken hostage, along with Loki, is far more amusing than ever intended to be, despite it leaving your captors anything but impressed.

Warnings | kidnapping, mentions of depression, swearing, implied smut, innuendos

Based off this tiktok. All original rights to the plot go back to the creator.

Quick link to my masterlist, if you’re interested in reading more of my crap 😬

Opening your aching eyes, you found yourself to be in a large room, there were plenty of feet stood at your eye level, and such a sight made you frown. You certainly didn’t remember being knocked out, but who would, the exposure to unconsciousness was most likely sudden.

But nevertheless, you raised your head, glaring up at those whom had captured you. As your eyes scoured the room, your eyes landed promptly on the god of mischief, who had his hands bound and shackled in chains, and by Odin, did he look good.

However, your attraction the man who once reigned terror down upon New York wasn’t the focus now, and so you licked your lips, and kicked the nearest guard in the leg. He stumbled, the noise loud enough to draw the attention of all others, and you were pleased to stifle a laugh. Loki frowned at your behaviour, knowing that this was not the way that you were trained to be an avenger, but it was clear that you were no longer on earth, so human pleasantries did not apply here.

“And by the gods, who in the galactic council’s name do you think you are?” The closest asked, wrapping his large hand through your hair, and tugging your face up to stare up at him, wanting you to be treated as the lesser being he thought you as.

“Actually, he’s the god.” Tilting your head, you diverted it towards Loki, who squinted feebly at your answer. “But I think you already knew that, since you have him rattled in metal. Just a word of advice, rumour has it that he likes to be restrained in such ways; really, you’re doing him a favour, and you may just earn yourself a big tip.”

You sent a wink up at the commander, watching with inward joy as he grimaced at your development within your speech. “Quite a nice sight, to see him so vulnerable and at someone’s mercy, so thank you general.”

Sending him a smile, he huffed, whilst Loki tried his darnedest to contain an amused grin. It wouldn’t be the first occasion that you had made suggestions regarding the new troop of the avengers; even when he was around causing mischief, (which he still tended to do), there were always words said that gained the god’s intrigue.

Tony at the time, and to this day, despite him being a part of the heroic team, which Thor was ‘inclined’ to drag him into, thought nothing more than disgust at your meaningful jokes. In his words, ‘you two may as well screw so we don’t have to listen to anymore of this dirty banter, you in regards to reindeer games’.

How you wished right now, preached silently even, that Tony could bare to listen again, so that he could send in the team whom could deal with these aliens that were keeping your imprisoned. But all communications were cut, and that just left you and Loki.

By no means did you doubt if Loki got the chance to escape, he would leave you. It was in his nature to do so, but if you could pose a lack of threat, they may loosen up on their efficiency in guarding you. After all, Loki was the one they wanted, not you. And then, both of you could get away from this galactic nonsense.

“Humans.” The general huffed, causing you to grimace as the stench of his breath wafted through the air, and hit your nose. “You all think that you are so special, but when it comes down to it, those who are not from your planet do not care. Loki here, this god, does not care about you little one. And he never will.”

“That’s okay with me, because I don’t care about him either. It’d called self preservation.” You informed your captor, noticing Loki staring across at you with an icy gaze. Who were you kidding? Of course you cared about the god, but right now, you would do anything to get out of this predicament.

“Aw would you look at that.” The feet moved back towards the main reward of their capture, staring down at the green eyed trickster with mocking eyes. “This woman has attitude just like yours, if either of you cared, I’d call it a match made in Asgard.” A laugh bellowed from the wide chest of the being, finding his own comedy quite humorous.

“Excuse me, I’m way out of his league!” You pretended to be offended, bringing your hands that were free of restraint to your chest. They thought not to tie you down as they did to him, after all, you were nothing but a midguardian. That was their mistake. “What’d you want with old horse shagger over there anyways? Don’t be alarmed, but he actually does some kind of good now, even if it be out of his own self interest.”

A heavy sigh fell on deaf ears, as the protector of space glanced unsurely between the pair of you. “He has the tesseract, and I wish to take it from his slippery hands, he cannot be trusted with such a powerful source of energy.” His words bellowed a laugh of absolute surprise from your mouth, earning a frown from those keeping you hear, and a cock of the head from the god of mischief.

It was clear that not only was he confused by your supple, yet somewhat pleasant burst of amusement, but he was also in the dark about what in the Hela this predominant being was speaking of. Yes, he had had the tesseract at one point , however, no longer was it in his untrustworthy grasp.

Thanos had taken ownership over it, after killing many of the people that he had saved from the events of Ragnarok. It was not just some energy source, it had been an infinity stone all along, tricking the eyes of elders and the young to believe that it was nothing more than a harbouring of power. But it had indeed been the space stone, and it was taken from him, in exchange for saving Thor’s life.

The Guardians of the Galaxy had found the pair of them upon the aftermath of the wreckage, taking them in, amongst plans of taking Thanos down. It had been a failure, up until the avengers went back in time, going to their past that would not affect their future, so that they could reverse the affects the Titan had brought upon earth and everywhere else.

During that time, Loki had nurtured his brother, watching as he fell apart with the responsibility of their people, and collapsed into a spiral of depression. You had also been there for Thor, doing your best to take the drink away from the bulky god, but to no avail did you manage to succeed. And so, during those tormenting five years, you and Loki would sit side by side, both basking silently in your failures.

“I thought you guys’d know everything, but I guess that you and your highness are stuck in one time line; all of them. But for us humans and every lesser being, there are multiple, and that Loki that stole the tesseract, yet I say again, is one much different. And we are on the search for him, to stop his disruption and crossing over of the times!” An exonerated, and audible exhale of air left you after your little speech.

Loki smirked, at the premise of you protecting him with the admission of the truth. But he couldn’t help but feel a feeling of warmth flutter within his immortal insides, it was rather a nice feeling he realised. “He is quite difficult to catch, we have been tracking him since the time heist went sideways.”

“That’s because he’s you!” You pointedly exclaimed, unable to pin some of the blame upon the god himself. Sure, in recent times he had changed, and was much different from back when he wanted all mortals to kneel before him (which you’d willingly do if it ever came to that, though you’d never tell him under which circumstances that would be), but at the end of the day, that had been him once!

The tricks and the lies still remained, but he had found a reason to thrive, and a long and enduring career that he was well at tackling. Often, he made out being an avenger, despite the government’s rouse of concern, to be a bore, and that he had far better things to do. But he stayed, with a light in his eyes, and continued following along with the heroic traditions, breaking a few rules here and there.

“Dear, why do you always have to put the blame upon me? I was not the one who decided to put that green dye within your shampoo, but I’ll have to admit, did you look so enrapturing.” He was running a ploy, dragging out the time that you spent bantering in hopes of something happening.

Unlike Heimdall, he did not have foresight, but it was a requirement whilst the pair of you were on your expediting mission, that you check in with the base, via the comms that had cracked under brutal feet. And so, he spoke, with the promise that you’d return the conversation and leave all others in the room confused with your meaningless discussion.

“I did, didn’t I?” You asked, to which he hummed in reply, lightly nodding his head, as his feline eyes ran up your body, paying ample attention to how your limbs were free, unlike his own. “But I’d say fine sir, that the blame is down to Clint, and if I’m correct, may we kick his ass as soon as we get back home?”

“Of course we can my beloved-“ you froze at his choice of words, and it appears that he did too, suddenly realising his mistake. Gulping for a second he went to speak again, but the commander felt much inclined to but in, and stop the headache that was bubbling in his large head.

“Shut up; the pair of you!” His scolding made you feel as though you were in school over again, it was impossible not to drop your head down and try to contain your laughter. Loki too found such enjoyment in this predicament, sporting a cheshire grin to emit his emotions.

“I’m sorry, can you say that again? Maybe a just a tad louder?” You pinched your thumb and forefinger together to show how much, and it was clear that you were pissing this primal being off. He began towards you, and you were prepared to fight him, you were never one to back down, which was one feature upon the various reasons that Fury had initially recruited you.

Awaiting the first strike, you stood despite the others around you, your eyes wide open as you bravely stared up at your opponent. But before the fight could begin, a distant crash assumed preference in your ears, causing you to turn your head in the direction it had came from. And then, all of a sudden, a ship crashed through the dock, guns blazing from its side.

“What are you waiting for?” The distinct voice of Rocket asked, and obediently you ran through the terror, finding Loki already upon the ship, but then, he appeared behind you also. “Quill, get ready to go!”

Taking glances, you stared between the two practically identical copies, a light frown on your face. Both were restrained, yet the one that was seated beside Groot, whom was playing a game on some nineties device, was glaring up at the pair of you.

“An avenger, really?” The seated one laughed, mocking his once future self, as you felt the ship steer clear away from the scene. Your Loki quirked his brow, smirking at his self that had avoided the wars that he had chosen to fight upon earth.

“Yes, an avenger.” He responded, causing his other to languidly scoff. An ‘I am groot’ came from the tree, and it was uncertain in your spoken languages of what he had said, but either way, you were more intrigued by the conversation that was happening between the Loki’s. “And I’ll have you know, that she is infinitely more brave than you, you cower-some fool.”

“Oh, so we’re going there?” You asked, causing the pair to snap out of their mutual rivalry, and stare haphazardly at you. “No, don’t mind me, feel free to continue.”

“We’re not going to be unable to unbind your until we reach earth.” Gamora cut in, speaking to the Loki that you knew to be the original.

“That’s fine.” He nodded humbly, before casting his attention back at his alternate reflection. “And this woman, is not only an avenger. She was there for your brother when you were not.”

“Aw.” The other Loki smirked, almost cruelly. “So she’s your beloved?” He remarked rudely, and it seemed to break something within Loki, him wishing not to listen to the other version of himself. He decided he did not like him, and understand how you must have felt upon your initial meeting.

“Yes.” You went to speak, but instead, Loki stood before you, powerlessly pulling your face to his own, and colliding his lips upon yours. On impulse, you ravenously replied with much affection, clasping his jaw and allowing him entrance into your mouth. It earned a disgusted groan out of the Loki that had caused all this hassle.

“I hate to interrupt...” Rocket returned, after putting his gun down and having gone to the front of the ship with Quill, so that he could contact Stark. “But these may get those off.” He held a pair of golden pliers, that were far larger than his body. At the sight , you pulled away from Loki’s face for a moment, raising a brow.

“It’s fine, I think I want to keep them on.” You smirked, earning another sound of disapproval from Loki’s identical rival, pulling him back to your face. Wildly, he hummed into the cavern of your mouth, as the pair of you stumbled around on the spaceship.

“Bedrooms are down the hall to the right.” Nebula informed you, her voice monotone, and in turn, you dragged the god towards said direction, finally releasing all the tension that had been pent up through the years.

Tags

@nickkie1129

[growup-thatbeautiful]

Mobius x Variant! reader

Warnings: Foul language, Kind of Loki spoilers but not really, Violence

“Don’t leave me! I don’t want… I don’t want to be alone.” It doesn’t mean to slip out, but it does. It’s too late now to take it back, though. She’s heard the words, and I can see the thinly veiled disgust flash across her face before she smooths it over.

The hard lines of the female TVA agents face show no room of sympathy, but some part of me must’ve touched the other one. Mobius, I think.

“Mobius, I know that look. You’re not going to get and answers from this variant. Do the right thing and just kill her here, yeah?”

“I’m not known for making the easy choice, now am I? You go ahead, I think I can still get some answers out of this one.” Ah, the kinder looking one speaks finally.

She grabs his arm and forces him over to the side where supposedly I can’t hear them, but they’re both shitty whispers. She obviously doesn’t trust me, she’s smart like that, but he seems to be convinced I’ll talk.

He wouldn’t have to pry too hard. She was rude and treated me like I wasn’t worth her time, but he’s different than her. That was clear since they brought me in. They’re wearing the same uniform, the sharp jacket, but he wears it softer, less angular. He also doesn’t have those TVA signature cruel eyes or sagging shoulders. He seems to like it here, which is completely foreign to me, but to each his own. 

He comes closer to the table and holds out his hand, standing above me. “I’m Agent Mobius. Sorry about her, she’s under a lot of stress right now. You’ve done a good job of making our lives here extremely difficult, you know.”

“Yeah, well it’s easy to run away when you’re crime is, what was mine again? Oh, silly me, it was that time when I decided to surprise my best friend for their birthday.”

The Agent across from me in the opposite chair, leaning back casually. The file on me is thankfully small when he flips through it, his eyes drawing in confusion. It’s almost enduring, or it would be if I wasn’t under interrogation.

“So, Agent, can you tell me why that was so terrible. Why did you have to come get me because I decided to do a nice thing.” He flinches as my tone, maybe my words too.

“She was supposed to die that day. When you came over, she was going to cancelled her plans for that night because she preferred your company to…Lucas? Was that his name? The short brunette?”

“Yeah, they’d been dating for a few weeks. I didn’t care much for him.”

“You’ve got good instincts, then. That night at their date he was going to get into a fight with the wrong people. He would make it out alive, she wouldn’t. I’m sorry, I know it can’t be easy to hear.”

If I was in the room with anyone else I don’t think I would say what I’m about to say, but he has such kind eyes, and he seemed so truly apologetic. “That can’t be right. I’m sorry, but you’re big guys in charge have to be wrong. She was a good person, she had a cat, so I just- I can’t fucking accept that.”

“He changes. He’s going to go on and save people, be a hero. He can’t be that if she doesn’t die, and she doesn’t die unless she goes on that date.” Oh, his earnest, deceived eyes.

“And that’s worth more than her?”

“That’s not a question I know how to answer.”

“You seem unfazed for someone who just killed a girl.” Sure, they’re harsh words, but I’m not in a compromising mood.

“You seem unfazed for someone who’s just been told that there’s a version of you that’s responsible for your best friends death. Look, I’ve done this enough times to know when you’re going to try and blame this on me.”

“I would never. You’re obviously blameless in this whole situation.” Mobius looks unfazed, and he pulls out some sort of device.

“You’ve obviously got a lot of things to think over, so why don’t I just let you stew for a while. Couldn’t risk you escaping again.”

“That was one time.”

“Which is one time more than most. Honestly, you’ve got it pretty good for someone who made it out in the first place. Most of the time we would stop you in your tracks.”

“Yeah, well I’m not like the other girls.”

“Oh, come on, I had faith you wouldn’t be so cliche.”

“I’ll do better next time you decide to interrogate some version of me.”

“Maybe you won’t have to.” The joking tone is gone, replaced by something more sincere. “We at the TVA have a program for, uh, non-violent variants.”

“Try and say that five times fast,” I mutter, just light enough for him not to hear.

“What?”

“What qualifies as non-violent?”

“Maybe a better word choice is selfless intentions. You didn’t have anything to gain by going over to your friends’ apartment, so you’re in the clear.”

“How do you know that what I did was selfless? You can’t read my intentions?”

“No, but we know your actions. At the end of the day-”

“Intentions don’t mean shit, actions do.”

“Bingo. You up for it?”

“I don’t have any alternatives. Not-dying seems like a good option.”

Mobius let’s himself smile. It’s brighter than any of the other ones I’ve seen here. “You can join my team if you want.”

“Who else is on your team? I won’t have to deal with any others like that one.” I nod my head towards the door, where the other Agent left.

“No, it would just be us. You seem like you would be good at convincing people to listen.”

“Thank you. I think I’ll have to accept your offer, Agent.” I shake his hand, smiling when he raises an eyebrow at my uncuffed hands. “I was able to pick ho a few tricks during my stunt running from you guys. What made you offer?”

“Huh?”

“What made you offer for me to be a part of your team?” I clarify, straighten the jumper they put on me.

“You’re prettier than any of the other variants I’ve had so far. Plus, you seem like you’ve got a good heart.”

“Is that all it takes?” It comes out more a genuine question than I mean, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

“No, but it helps.” We walk out of the room, and the guards at the door have the decency not to look surprised.

“The pretty looks or the good heart?” Mobius hums in response, motioning for me to follow him.

“I’ve got both, so I wouldn’t know which one works more. Come on, I’ll get you a uniform.”

“I’m y/n, by the way.”

“I know,” he says simply, “I’m Mobius.”

“I think we’re going to have a lot of fun here Mobius.”

Thanks for reading! Let me know if you want a part 2, or something else! I’ll do most characters lol.

[lokiondisneyplus]

No character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe has the staying power of Loki. Portrayed with just the right amount of smarm and charm by Tom Hiddleston, the impish trickster with the ability to shapeshift and cast illusions is a favorite among fans despite the fact he's betrayed friends and family multiple times since debuting opposite Chris Hemsworth in 2011's "Thor." The most predictable thing about him might be his unpredictability. And yet no one thought the character would return to the MCU after being killed by the all-mighty Thanos (Josh Brolin) in the opening scene of 2018's "Avengers: Infinity War." However, we're now on the cusp of the character leading his very own show.

Debuting Wednesday, June 9 on Disney+, the six-episode "Loki" follows a past version of the character, though it's not a prequel. This Loki is the man who successfully stole the Tesseract, aka the Space Stone, when the Avengers traveled to the past in 2019's "Avengers: Endgame." His actions that day ultimately created a branched reality — the very thing the Ancient One (Tilda Swinton) warned the Avengers about when they attempted to gather the stones in the past. So when the show picks up, Loki will find himself being forced to work with the Time Variance Authority, an organization dedicated to protecting the proper flow of time, to help restore the main timeline he broke when he fled with the Tesseract in 2012.

It remains to be seen whether or not the series is one of the shows Marvel's Kevin Feige said was developed with additional seasons in mind. But with this particular setup — and assuming the show operates independently of the main overarching narrative of the MCU — this is the type of series that could easily run for multiple seasons should the people involved desire it. And given his comments over the years, Hiddleston definitely seems game to portray Loki until he's too old to do so.

But what is it about the character, a Frost Giant who was adopted by Odin (Anthony Hopkins) as a baby and raised as an Asgardian, that has allowed him to persevere – especially when Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson), Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr) and even Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) have not? What gives Loki, a character who has been both villain and antihero, such longevity in the MCU? Is it Hiddleston himself? Is he nurturing goodwill with his enchanting performance? Is it the character's unpredictability keeping things fresh? Or is it the potential of a flawed man still searching for an identity and purpose?

Over the last decade, Hiddleston — whose name was once bandied about as a possible James Bond candidate after a stellar turn in "The Night Manager" — has won favor with Marvel and its fans thanks to his continued dedication to the role of Loki and his support of the extended universe. Some actors have been happy to say goodbye after fulfilling their contracts, but you'd be hard-pressed to find an actor who loves his job with Marvel more than Hiddleston. (Never forget the time he dressed up in character and took over Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con in 2013.) But in addition to his acting chops and commitment to the role of Loki, Hiddleston is also just an effortlessly charming individual, and some of that natural charisma bleeds into his performance, making the character a richer and more complex character as a result. And it's a good thing too because a character like Loki — someone ruled by his emotions, whose only allegiance is to himself, and who wouldn't think twice before double-crossing his own brother — runs the risk of becoming either very annoying or quite tired rather quickly. Luckily, Loki is neither.

After learning the truth of his origins in the first Thor film, Loki's anger toward his family and the betrayal he felt put him on a path to finding his purpose, which resulted in him becoming the mouthy and manipulative, power-hungry antagonist of the first Avengers movie. At the time, no one outside of Feige and other decision-making executives likely knew what was in store for the future of the MCU.

But now we can look back and see Hiddleston's captivating turn in "The Avengers," in which he attempts to take control of Earth using an army of Chitauri forces, was more than just the catalyst for the various heroes recruited by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) to finally team up. It was also the beginning of what might be the best character arc in the entire MCU. No one save perhaps Sebastian Stan's Bucky Barnes, aka the Winter Soldier, has had a more complicated or effective emotional personal journey throughout the entirety of the Infinity Saga (and beyond). Perhaps that is why when Loki was eventually killed several films later in the middle of his redemption arc during the opening scene of "Infinity War," the heartbreak seemed to extend beyond the edges of the frame and into the real world.

The exceptionally fun 2017 film "Thor: Ragnarok," which immediately preceded "Infinity War," saw Loki forced to confront his past and make a decision regarding his future. The death of his father and the return of Hela (Cate Blanchett), the Goddess of Death and the sister neither Loki nor Thor knew existed, ultimately meant the end of life as he knew it. But rather than fleeing at the first chance like everyone assumed he would, Loki accepted his place in his family and returned to his brother's side after the destruction of Asgard. Of course, he also pocketed the Tesseract before the planet was destroyed, a seemingly innocuous decision that would unfortunately lead Thanos right to him. But learning to care about something more than his own immediate wants was a redeeming moment for Loki, as was his attempt to save Thor from Thanos, so his death was both an effectively heartbreaking moment that resonated with fans while serving as a harbinger of what was to come.

It also felt like closure, so when a past version of Loki popped up in "Avengers: Endgame" when Tony, Cap, and Scott Lang (Paul Rudd) traveled to 2012, it was a pleasant surprise. That the new series "Loki" follows this branched-reality version of the character and won't erase the character's original narrative arc is what makes the show such an intriguing new chapter. When the show premieres, Loki hasn't gone through any sort of character evolution. He is still the angry man who tried to force all of humanity to kneel before him in a desperate attempt to find his place in the world. He has yet to go through the events of his mother's death or the destruction of Asgard. He's a man out of time, a man without a home. And it's the chaotic, still-in-progress nature of Loki and the inability to guess what he might do when an organization like the Time Variance Authority, which is dedicated to order, tries to force him to do what they say that makes this new chapter so exciting.

Each episode of the show, which also stars Owen Wilson as Mobius M. Mobius and Gugu Mbatha-Raw as Judge Ravonna Lexus Renslayer, will see the character travel through time and space on a mission to restore order to the timeline. But will this Loki follow the same path as the man we know and love? Or will this version make different choices without Thor by his side? More importantly, will he find what he's looking for?

Loki is a man driven by insecurity and an ongoing struggle with his identity, though he deftly covers up his deficiencies with a devious wit and charm. The constantly shifting logo in the show's trailer represents both the character's shapeshifting ability as much as the idea that he doesn't know where he belongs or who he is yet. And although the beats of such a character arc are hardly new territory for Hollywood — you could argue they've even been done to death at this point — the potential for greatness still exists as Loki remains pleasantly unpredictable. It means anything can happen, and with Hiddleston promising a show that is unlike anything Marvel has ever done, there's no reason to believe Loki the man and "Loki" the show won't continue to endure and evolve even beyond this first season. After all, he certainly has the staying power.

"Loki" premieres Wednesday, June 9 on Disney+.

[otterskin]

Dumb Details From the Loki Trailer I noticed but then got too serious about

First - apparently it’s not a trailer, so I guess we’ll get ‘Trailer 1′ later? ‘Exclusive Clip’ hardly seems accurate, but hey, I’m not Disney’s marketing division. I wouldn’t live in a shoebox if I was.

Dumb detail no. 1:

Owen Wilson’s jacket is...weird. Look closely.

And another shot:

Yeah...his jacket has a ‘reversed collar’. It’s a cut-out rather than cloth folding on top. Huh. What a strange design choice. What could it mean?

I’ve no idea, but that I watched the trailer enough times to notice this should concern you.

Detail No. 2

In this scene, we see what we can presume to be President Loki’s ‘Throne’. Notice the candy-canes. This is a Santa Claus throne, presumably from some mall Santa. This whole place might be in a mall, judging by the stuff in it.

But the Loki in this shot is not President Loki. Notice that he’s wearing brown pants, a thin brown tie, and the beige shirt he’s seen wearing in other parts of the trailer after he's apparently joined the TVA. President Loki wears black pants, a green vest and a wide green tie with a golden clip that resembles Loki’s little chevron he always has (more on that later).

So it would seem that Loki might meet President Loki here. President Loki might even be addressing him at the end of the trailer. It’s possible that his minions turn on him because there’s two Lokis and they don’t know which is the ‘imposter’. 

Speaking of, there’s a minion with bicycle handlebars grafted to a football helmet here, likely meant to resemble Loki. I dig it. There’s also cans of food scattered among the rubbish here. Makes sense that food production is non-existent since everyone has resorted to wearing license plates and spoons. Love how tattered the whole aesthetic is.

This reminds me of the opening Michael Waldron’s script ‘Worst Guy of All Time’, which featured a similar post-apocalyptic setting after the ‘worst guy’ ruins everything and makes himself king of the ashes. That’s likely what’s happened here, but I hope that Loki isn’t anything like Logan Paul, who was the inspiration for that title character.

Ah, the mysterious female character watching a meteor shower WAY TOO CLOSE UP. But my eyes are drawn to one thing...

What is that oblong object with a shiny handle? Could it be...

A sword? I do love swords. Did you know there’s a bunch of pictures of me in the stock photos for ‘Fencing?’ That’s my cred for loving swords.

I suspect that this female character will be an amalgamation of Amora (shudder) and Sylvie and an alternate Loki of some kind. This sword is currently in her possession, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it or another timeline version of it becomes the Loki Show’s Loki′s weapon. 

Loki has lacked a ‘weapon of his own’ in the MCU for quite some time. I mean, yes, he has his little knives, but they are many and disposable and something he chose for himself, rather than the two legendary weapons wielded by Odin and Thor, Gungnir and Mjolnir. In fact, throughout his appearances, Loki has seemed to want such a thing of his own - he briefly had Gungnir, and then the Gungnir-like scepter, and even tried to lift Mjolnir.

One might ask why Odin would’ve overlooked such an obvious show of favouritism. Why give Thor a storied weapon and leave Loki empty-handed? Heck, even Hela had the Necroblade.

In Thor 1, we might’ve assumed that the Casket of Ancient Winters was perhaps intended one day to be given to Loki, as it is shown with Mjolnir in the Vault and thus connected to it and the children who would inherit it.  But in the comics, Odin did have another weapon of storied history put away for his second son: Gram the Sword.

It was locked for eons by Odin in a special vault which required five keys to be opened, and it was meant to be for Loki if he be worthy.[2] The five keys were infused by Odin with the powers of "journeys", "endurance", "secrets", "new beginnings", and "brotherhood", respectively.[3]

The sword, like everything else in comics, has a complicated history full of take-backs and twists, but let’s just leave it at ‘it’s a representation of Loki’s worthiness and belonging in the trifecta with Odin and Thor as a King of Asgard’. It gives him ‘equality’.

In the original mythology, it’s wielded by Sigurd to kill the dragon Fafnir, and the only relation it has to Loki is that Loki is partially responsible for Fafnir existing in the first place (my username is nod to this myth by the by. Sorry Ottär.) But hey, maybe that means we’re getting a dragon? The Fafnir would be very cool.

Or it could just be a bit of rebar in this mining quarry.

Then again...it appears somewhere else...

It’s easier to see in motion, but that’s a sword swinging on this person’s back.

So the hooded figure is this lady...shall we call her Amylkie? Does that mean she’s the antagonist of this show? Well...maybe, but I suspect the true antagonist is foreshadowed here  -

So, what’s going on here? A young girl (Young Amylkie? Some other TVA prisoner that the guard is watching over? An oracle, A Norn, or a kid who wandered off from the tour group in a basilica somewhere?) She’s giving Mobius M. Mobius a...piece of chocolate. Maybe he saw a Dementor, I dunno. I suspect it’ll be a MacGuffin of some kind later. He looks pretty concerned here, which contrasts with his ‘another day at the office’ blaséness when dealing with Loki. But of course this is the eye-catcher:

So, Norse Mythology. It’s been Christiannized. You can thank Snorri Sturluson for that, but you can google all about him later. Let’s just say that he made many Norse figures into equivalents for Christian ones. Baldur is Jesus, pure and a sacrificial lamb who dies for a greater good. And the devil is...Loki. Something the Marvel comics and the MCU have continued.

Here we have a devil, dressed in green and with a distinct shape on his chest:

Hmmm...wait...I know that weird horny shape...

Ah. I’d say that cinches it. This is meant to be Loki. If you look at the devil’s hair, it also resembles Loki’s, being shoulder-length and black.

So, what’s devil-Loki doing? Laying an egg? Trying out a foot massager? For a second I thought it was a moon, but we see the moon over his left shoulder, amongst the stars. Which means this is - probably the Earth.

...Dammit; I live there.

So Earth is barren and being devoured by flames, likely caused by this Loki sitting atop of it (in a throne, no less). Aw gee, things look pretty bad, don’t they?

But wait - what’s that? Under the Earth (and, possibly, under the earth)?

It’s a plant. A shoot, to be exact.

Back to Ragnarok for a second. Ragnarok isn’t the apocalypse (something we see a lot of in this trailer - all of it seems to be exploring the end of days). Ragnarok is the fire meant to wipe out the old and fertilize the ground for the new. And after the gods have died, what happens? Well, Baldur emerges from Hel, one of the only surviving gods (hmm, seems him dying worked out, didn’t it?). He’s joined by Líf and Lífþrasir, who are the new first man and woman, who’s names mean ‘Life’ and who are pictured, usually, with plants and new life. It is they who are tasked who growing a new Yggdrasil after the destruction of the old. The previous first man and woman are Ask and Embla, meaning Ash Tree and Vine/Elm tree, so there’s a theme there. 

So a new sprout, possibly a tree, growing out of the destruction of the old.

This fits with Loki’s role as understood in mythology. He checks the arrogance of the gods, including when they tried to achieve immortality (sorry, Baldur, nothing personal), and that keeps the gods at their best. After Loki is imprisoned, the gods become weak, unhelpful and foolish, and Yggdrasil starts to rot. Eventually Loki escapes and returns along with Surtur (who also resembles this figure) to burn it all to the ground. This is also referenced in Thor:Ragnarok, with Loki releasing Surtur in the Vault, a place of thematic importance to Loki and one that represents the hidden secrets and sins of Asgard). You could say Ragnarok continued into Infinity War, where Loki played an important part in aiding Thanos’ destruction, giving up the stone to protect his brother and essentially dooming the rest of the universe - but also ultimately leading to its salvation, even if, like Myth Loki, he wasn’t around to see it.

So, we see Amylkie literally start a fire in the trailer -

- in fact, this whole trailer is awash in flame -

It’s fire, fire everywhere and she’s setting them!

It’s possible Amylkie’s our big bad, but I think there’s a chance she’s either a red herring, or, much like how Loki ‘worked’ with Thanos in The Avengers, she is the pawn of a greater foe -

  - a Loki bent on destruction, for some reason or other. The TVA is obviously aware that this is the case, and it seems like they might be trying to ‘fight fire with fire’ by enlisting one Loki to combat another. The villain could be President Loki, since there's evidence of 2 Lokis in that scene - or maybe that's one of many Lokis, and the Big Bad Loki is being played by Hugh Grant as Old Loki. In any case, it would appear that Loki will be coming face-to-face with the worst versions of himself, and many of them. And, if I’m right about this scene:

...Loki will likely eventually discover that even his ‘good’ timeline ended in the destruction of his people and home, plus his own gruesome and torturous death. Although I think the TVA will keep that from him, and just show him the happy parts in an effort to inspire ‘good behaviour’. Until Loki inevitably discovers the rest of how that timeline played out and realize he’s been lied to. I don’t imagine he’ll take that very well...

Damn, even our ‘hero’ Loki is burning stuff down! Does this mean that Loki is doomed, always meant to be an avatar of death and toasty destruction?

Well...let’s go back to that stained glass.

Hmmm...wait...I know that weird horny shape...

And there’s something else...the bottom of the Earth is being lit up, and not by fire. Light appears to be coming off this little plant.

What colour is this plant again? That’s right, green. Green is the colour of new life and growth and change and...hang on, I’ve heard that before, too...

Hang on hang on HANG ON... let me have a look at the shape again.

That’s...a letter. An L? For Loki? Like in the title sequence?

Wait...no, a different letter. An older letter. After all, Loki is old Norse. How do you spell his name in that again?

ᛚᛟᚲ ᛁ -

And ENHANCE on that third letter!

This, my friends, is a Kenaz/Kaunaz, or what would become 'K' in our alphabet. It is also known as the 'Loki Rune' (and the Ulcer Rune, for some reason. I suspect Odin understands why). It’s used to spell his name, but is also used on his own to represent him. Heck, it's even his Superman 'S' in the comics:

Runes are more than letters - they are symbols for concepts. So what else does it mean?

Primarly, it means ‘torch’.

And also ‘knowledge’ (ken). As well as ‘growth, change, the search for truth, decay, arrogance, elitism, feminine, kinship and creativity.’

...Okay, that’s a lot, but you have to admit it fits.

More specifically, it means ‘Mastery of the Fire’. As in, someone who has learned to tame fire so that it is helpful, not harmful. To bring light and, symbolically, knowledge.

There’s another way Loki’s been associated with fire - in the Wagner Ring Cycle, Das Rheingold, the opera that inspired much the Thor films’ aesthetic and certainly their helmets, Loki is called ‘Loge’, which means ‘Fire’. He’s usually dressed to match, too -

Many trickster figures are associated with fire. They are usually called ‘Fire-bringers’ - See: Raven, Lucifer, Prometheus, etc. They are often complex figures with a foot in different worlds, but who nonetheless help mankind with the gift of ‘fire’ - although they usually pay for it, and tend to be self-destructive.

(Side note. Lucifer means light-bringer, which is what luciferase is named after. Because it glows. Which is helpful in labs. In case someone needed to know that.)

Moving from a destructive fire-starter to a fire-bringer seems like a great character arc for Loki to take, especially given his rehabilitation in pop culture, the comics, and even wider culture. Loki has gone from being seen as an evil, deviant, destructive character to one who’s seen as a patron of the arts and creativity, of stories rather than lies. Heck, some scholars of Norse Mythology even posit that he’s the closet thing to a protagonist Norse Mythology has, so I guess that backfired, Snorri!). Being dressed in green and with the sprout clearly also being stylized after his Kaunaz, there’s foreshadowing that he’ll be capable of growing good things even out of ashes.

So, to sum up: Being ‘Satan’ sounds pretty bad, but with a little letter re-arranging like we see in the title sequence, you can be...

...practically a saint. Maybe even a saviour.

Merry Christmas, everybody.

[cozy-the-overlord]

Now, Forever, and Always

Summary:  She was perfect—intelligent, entertaining, kind, beautiful... but mortal. Loki was determined not to lose her.

Word Count: 7,031

Pairing: Loki x OFC

A/N: So this idea came from a made-up fic title sent to me by @the-emo-asgardian for an ask game a few weeks ago and has been living rent free in my mind ever since. I don't know why that out of all the nice, happy fic ideas I got out of that game, it was the depressing one I decided I had to write. Oh well. Hope you enjoy!

Tags: @lucywrites02 @gaitwae

If you want to be tagged, feel free to send an ask :)

Read it on Ao3!

He knew better.

He hadn’t planned on remaining on Earth for any extended period of time. His forced servitude to the Avengers, his punishment—it was a nuisance that he would have to endure for a bit, but like everything else on the planet, it was temporary. Human lives passed with the beat of a heart. They would not hold him for long. Loki only needed to keep his head down and wait.

He knew better than to get involved with a mortal.

In his defense, it hadn’t been something he could have prepared for. At first glance, Madelyn Robbins was hardly anything remarkable. Her role as Stark’s personal assistant kept her in the periphery, the type of person one didn’t notice was in the room until she stepped forward with the answer to their question mere moments after it left their tongue. She was forgettable, unexceptional, a background figure that you weren’t supposed to notice.

But Loki noticed her.

He noticed her intelligence, how easily she picked up on concepts most mortals could never even begin to understand, how she seemed to remember anything and everything she heard and saw. He noticed her focus, how she was able to filter through the chaos of the Tower and retrieve the information she needed without ever having to raise her voice. And he noticed her boldness.

The first time he spoke with her was a week or two after he had first joined the Avengers, back when it seemed there was not one employee in the whole building with enough backbone to look him in the eye. Loki told himself it was fine with him. It wasn’t as if he was interested in making friends with any of them.  He had been reading in one of the common areas when he noticed her standing over his chair, waiting expectantly.

He frowned. “Pardon?”

Madelyn’s smile didn’t waver. “I said Mr. Stark’s sending me out on a coffee run,” she said, clutching her tablet to her gray blazer. “I was wondering if you wanted anything.”

Loki glared up at her coldly, out of instinct more than anything else. “I do not drink coffee.” He had expected her to cower, but she only laughed.

“Yeah, that’s what I figured,” she nodded as she turned to leave. “But I just wanted to make sure.” Loki had watched as she made her way across the room to where Thor was talking with two agents he didn’t recognize. He didn’t hear what they said, but her musical laugh carried over his brother’s booming voice. When he turned back to his book, he found himself reading the same page over and over again.

She didn’t ask him for his coffee order again. Loki should have been pleased with that—she got the hint, she wasn’t trying to bother him—but as he watched her make the rounds with the other Avengers, joking together as she balanced the plastic cups on her tray, he felt only disappointment.

He started watching her from afar without really realizing he was doing it: during briefings, in the lab, at Stark’s godforsaken “teambuilding exercises”—she was always there, standing in the background, waiting to jump into action the moment someone needed something. She was quiet, but not a shy sort of quiet—she’d dive into conversation with anyone who gave her the opportunity to do so. No, Madelyn was a professional quiet. Loki found himself wondering what she was like outside the Tower, beyond the boundaries of her employment.

She was notoriously private about her personal life. Stark would tease her about it often, asking her loaded questions everyone knew she wouldn’t answer.

“You don’t mind staying late tonight, do you?” he’d smirk. “You won’t be keeping anyone waiting up, right?”

Loki would have been driven mad by such interrogation, but Madelyn always laughed it off. “I’ll worry about that, Mr. Stark. You just stick to your robots.”

Perhaps this was why it was treated as such a shocking turn of events when Thor announced that he had seen Madelyn’s boyfriend.

“It was in front of the building, on the street. They were embracing.” His brother seemed unreasonably proud to be the one to break the news to everyone. “He was tall, light-haired. Very handsome. I’d say they looked to be very much in love!”

As the others tittered over this gossip, Loki slunk from the room. It shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Madelyn was clever, kind, attractive—of course she had a lover. What did it matter? It wasn’t as if it affected him. Still, he couldn’t shake the hollow feeling in his chest.

What kind of man would she love, he wondered? Someone gentle, probably. Someone who she could sit down and talk to knowing he was genuinely listening. Someone who would respect her choices and trust her decisions. Someone who could make her laugh—Madelyn loved to laugh. It seemed she was always giggling at something someone said, hiding her mouth behind her palm as her eyes sparkled with mirth. It was rather adorable. He had made her laugh before, once when Stark and Rodgers were arguing over some inconsequential thing. Loki didn’t even remember what it was he said; he had just rolled his eyes and made some dry remark, and Madelyn ducked her head into her hands as she chortled. When he turned towards her, she was smiling brightly at him. He found he was smiling too.

It was stupid, but Loki didn’t like the idea of anyone else making her smile like that.

The other Avengers didn’t seem to mind, and to Loki’s chagrin the mystery man remained a hot topic of conversation for the next several months. He couldn’t look at her without Thor’s words bleeding through his ears like poison in his mind: “I’d say they looked to be very much in love!”

Loki was thinking about it the day before New Year’s Eve, when Madelyn joined him in the elevator as he was returning to his rooms with her usual cheerful greeting. He nodded his hello. For a moment, they only stood in silence, but soon enough she turned to him.

“Are you going to Mr. Stark’s party tomorrow?” she asked.

Ah, yes. Stark’s infamous New Year’s celebration. Loki thought that he would prefer the scorching heat of a Muspelheim prison to spending the night with a skyscraper full of drunken mortals who despised his very existence, but Thor had made it clear that he had little choice in the matter.

“I’ve been told that I will be in attendance, whether I like it or not.” Madelyn chuckled, and Loki felt that familiar warmth rising in his chest. He cleared his throat. “Are you going?”

“Yeah, I guess. It would look bad if I didn’t,” she sighed wistfully. “I don’t know, I just always feel like such a loser showing up to these things alone.”

Loki frowned. Surely, attending alone was not her only option. “Your boyfriend is not accompanying you?”

Madelyn cocked her head, giving him a strange look. “I don’t have a boyfriend,” she said slowly.

For a moment Loki thought he was hearing things. “You don’t?” he repeated.

She shook her head, frowning. “Why did you think that?”

His mind was racing. “Thor—he said he saw you embracing someone in front of the building.”

“What!” she cried. “When?”

He told her the whole story, repeating his brother’s tale practically word for word in bewildered confusion. By the end, she was laughing incredulously.

“That was Dave!” she choked. “My brother-in-law, Dave! I left my purse in my apartment, and I needed my ID to get into the Tower. He was just dropping it off for me. Did everyone think we were a thing? Oh, that’s hilarious!”

She dabbed at her eyes with the corner of her sleeve as Loki stared in disbelief. For so long, he had buried his thoughts under the belief that she was taken, that even if he allowed himself to want her she could never be his. This revelation seemed unthinkable.

“You’re not seeing anyone?” he asked.

“No!” She was still laughing as she shook her head. “I’ve been single for the past two years.”

“Oh.” Loki swallowed. He knew he should have left it there. She was mortal. She was temporary. Indulging the wild longing in his chest would only lead to more suffering. He knew better.

And yet he didn’t.

“Well, in that case,” Loki inhaled. There was a tremble in his voice—where had that come from?—that he hoped she didn’t notice. “Perhaps you would honor me with your company at the party tomorrow night?”

Madelyn turned back towards him “Are—are you asking me out?”

He burned. “I believe that’s the proper phrase.” This was a terrible idea.

But she didn’t appear to be offended. Rather, she sounded … confused. “Really?” she asked. “I just—I didn’t think you liked anybody here.”

“I like you.” He did, he realized, although it was strange to admit out loud. The simple truth was that the room lit up whenever she entered, and he lit up with it.

“Really?” Madelyn whispered. He nodded. “Well,” she said, a soft smile breaking out across her lips, “I like you too. And I’d love to go with you tomorrow night.”

Something bloomed in his chest, something lovely and wonderful and warm. He loved the way she smiled.

“Excellent,” he said, fighting to keep his elated grin from seeming too over-eager. “I’ll be looking forward to it.”

It was scandalous, to be sure, when they walked onto the penthouse floor arm in arm on New Year’s Eve. It seemed the whole room fell quiet for a moment. In the back, Stark nearly choked on his drink.

Madelyn didn’t seem to mind. She pulled him through the hordes of people, the voluminous skirt of her dress swirling around her in an emerald sea. He didn’t know where she had managed to find a gown that so flawlessly matched his colors on such short notice, or how she had even known to look for one in that shade, but it was perfect.

She was perfect.

Stark’s holiday celebrations were always an adventure—they weren’t quite up to par with the unhinged chaos of Asgardian feasts, but they usually were hectic enough to keep Loki looking over his shoulder the entire time, half expecting to find some demon from his past lurking amidst the drunken partygoers. That night though, there was only Madelyn. She pulled him through the madness with the easy assurance of an expert, gliding with him across the dance floor as if they owned it. She knew all the nooks and crannies, all the little alcoves to which they could retreat when they wished to break from the noise to talk.

They talked a lot. She told him about her family, about her mother who went around telling all her brunch friends that her daughter worked alongside the Avengers for a living (“she leaves out the fact that I’m basically a glorified intern”), about her older sister who gave up her dreams of Hollywood to settle down with her high school sweetheart.

“He’s the one who dropped off your purse?” Loki interrupted as they sat at a bench against the wall on the balcony, overlooking the festivities below.

Madelyn laughed. “Yeah, Dave. He is a sweetheart.” She shook her head, still chuckling. “I can’t believe you guys thought he was my boyfriend. That’s so funny to me.”

“Well, my brother does have a tendency to jump to conclusions,” Loki sighed, watching Thor and his crowd of inebriated fools attempting to take shots off of Mjolnir’s handle. He turned back to his lady. “But you can’t place all the blame on him. We all knew next to nothing about your personal life. How was he to know better?”

“True,” she mused. “I like to keep an air of mystery at work. It keeps people interested.”

“Oh?” Loki raised his eyebrows. “If that’s the case, then why have you dropped the mystery with me?”

She scowled at him with mock outrage. “Am I not interesting enough for you, Asgardian?”

Laughing, he pulled back on to the dance floor.

It was fitting that the party marked the beginning of the New Year, because afterwards everything changed. It had been a while since Loki had courted anyone, and of course Midgardian “dating” was a bit different, but it brough a levity to his life that he hadn’t realized he needed. On the surface, it didn’t even seem that drastic a shift. Sometimes, it was as simple as a glance from her across a crowded room, that warm smile meant just for him, and suddenly the whole world lit up. Stark groaned that the two of them making heart eyes at each other all day made him sick, but Loki couldn’t care less. For once, life didn’t seem quite so wretched.

At first, they only spent time together within the Tower—after all, Loki was confined to SHIELD’s surveillance. He was rather ashamed of it, ashamed that he wasn’t able to take her out and show her a good time the way she deserved, but Madelyn insisted that she didn’t mind. She’d pick up sandwiches at a bakery down the street and they’d have dinner in his rooms while watching a movie.

He had to laugh—Madelyn had a list of film she claimed were a critical part of Midgardian culture that he just had to see, but inevitably they’d turn it on and spend the entire time talking over it about a subject only tangentially related. He didn’t mind though, and Madelyn didn’t seem to either—she’d rest her head on his shoulder and tell him all the differences between the film and the book which it was inspired by, and he’d wrap his arm around her shoulder and hang on to every word.

The first time she stayed the night had actually been an accident. It seemed that they both had miscalculated how tired they were after a week of wild missions and had fallen asleep together whilst cuddling on the couch. Loki woke up with the gentle pressure of her head on his chest and the warmth of her in his arms. He was smiling before he was even fully awake.

After a while, he began finding ways to sneak out of the Tower and meet her elsewhere. Her tiny apartment became the center of his world. He’d meet her for coffee or for dinner or just for a walk, and she’d take him home with her, so often that she stopped asking him if he wanted to come in. It was a peaceful kind of domestic that Loki had never thought to dream about. Madelyn was perfect—intelligent, entertaining, kind, beautiful, everything he could ever want. Sometimes, he almost forgot that she wasn’t Asgardian.

Her mortality would rear its head in other ways, though. One day, she tripped walking down the stairs as they were leaving her apartment building, tumbling to the ground before Loki could catch her. It wasn’t a bad fall, and Madelyn had scrambled back to her feet in seconds insisting she was fine, but her ankle had swollen up almost immediately. When she tried to take another step, she almost fell over again.

This time, Loki scooped her up into his arms. “Fragile little thing,” he teased, carrying her down the steps to a nearby bench.

They had laughed about it, but a week later Madelyn was still walking with a limp.

One night, he awoke with a start, sweating and shaking and gasping for air as Madelyn hovered over him anxiously.

“It’s a dream!” she was crying. “Loki, it’s not real!”

The bed was too hot. Loki ripped himself from the covers, hunching over the side as he struggled to catch his breath. Madelyn followed, rubbing his back soothingly as he fought to control the trembling in his hands. For a moment, the room was silent but for his labored breathing.

“Are you okay?” she finally whispered.

He nodded, not trusting his voice.

“You were crying in your sleep.”

Must have woken her up then. He tried to swallow, but his mouth tasted like sandpaper. “I’m sorry.”

Madelyn shook her head. “No, it’s fine! I was just worried.” She squeezed his hand. “Do you want to talk about it?”

Loki inhaled. “It was just a dream. No matter.” Even in the dark, he could feel her eyes on him, studying him in concern. When he moved to lie back down, she laid next to him, a protective arm around his torso.

“You’re safe here, okay?” she whispered. “Nothing can happen to us here.” Loki didn’t answer, only staring at the ceiling.

For once, it hadn’t been about him.

No, he had dreamed of Madelyn, stiff in a hospital bed, her cheeks hollowed and gaunt, her once vibrant hair now a thinned and faded halo on the pillow beneath her head. Her wrinkled skin sagged with the weight of infirmity. Her clasped hands rose and fell with her chest as the death rattle stained her wilted lips.

Loki tried to forget about it, but the image was seared into his memory. He couldn’t look at Madelyn without picturing her face caving into a haggard old woman choking on her last breath. It would happen soon, he realized, horrifically soon. Mortals had a hundred years if they were lucky, less if they weren’t. He spent sleepless nights lying awake in bed, listening to Madelyn’s steady breathing in the dark. 100 years—that was nothing. That was a blink of an eye, a beat of his heart, and then she’d be gone.

He couldn’t bear to think of it.

There was a story, he remembered suddenly on one such torturous night, a story his mother used to tell to him and his brother when they were small, about a goddess with magical apples that could grant immortality to those who tasted them. It was probably nothing, just a childish bedtime tale, but once it flitted into his mind Loki couldn’t get it out. After all, didn’t most legends have some basis in fact?

It was a myth on Midgard, too. He found it within moments when he looked it up—the story of Idunn’s apples. Of course, that didn’t mean anything. The human versions of Asgardian history had a tendency to be quite muddled. But … it was an idea. There had to be something, some way to extend a mortal lifespan. Without telling anyone, Loki began devoting his free time to research.

They had been together for several months when Loki decided to take Madelyn to Asgard for the first time. Frigga had extended her invitation to her a bit prior, but accepting hadn’t been an easy decision. He had watched Thor take Jane home many times over since he began his stint with the Avengers. He had seen firsthand how Asgardians looked upon mortals in their midst, even when the mortal in question were on the arm of their golden prince. He couldn’t imagine that Madelyn could expect any better treatment— in fact, given his reputation, it seemed safe to assume that she could expect worse. 

But in the end, they decided to go. Madelyn was excited—her first time traveling off world— and Loki was eager to introduce her to his mother, who he knew would just absolutely adore her.

Secretly, he was also hoping that she would be able to help him with granting Madelyn immortality.

His mortal lover was a bit overwhelmed at first by their trip to the Golden City. 

“I think I’m going to be sick” she whispered, clutching his wrist so tightly it almost hurt as they stepped off the Bifrost, and for a moment Loki feared that the visit had been a mistake. But she recovered quickly, and soon curiosity bubbled over her anxiety.

“What’s this made of?” she asked, wide eyes staring at the bridge beneath their feet as he helped her mount his horse. “Is it some kind of crystal? How does it work?” He couldn’t help but laugh as he climbed on behind her, pressing a kiss to her neck before spurring on his stead.

As to be expected, his mother took Madelyn under her wing immediately, greeting her with an embrace before swooping her away to help her unpack and dress for dinner. 

Unfortunately, she was less helpful when Loki approached her later about his search.

“Oh Loki,” she sighed when he asked if she knew of any way to extend a human lifespan. “That’s the quandary of becoming entangled with mortals. Their lives are fleeting. You have to be able to accept that.”

No. Loki shook his head fiercely. “There must be some way,” he insisted. “The stories you’d tell us as children, Idunn’s apples—“

“Those were stories, my son.” He hated the pity in her eyes as she studied him. “She is mortal. She will grow old, and she will die. It’s the way of things.” Frigga took his hand in hers. “Enjoy the time you have with her. Don’t waste her life trying to save it.”

He ripped his arm from her. “That’s not good enough!”

She inhaled, holding the bridge of her nose. “You could ask your father,” she finally offered. “He may know something I don’t.”

Loki huffed in resignation.

When he brought forth his question before the AllFather, he had known Odin would never take it seriously. Still, he found himself tasting blood as his father’s ragged laughter echoed across the empty throne room. 

“Is this the reason why you brought her here, then?” he asked. “You seek a cure for inferiority?”

“I seek to expand my lady’s lifespan,” he said, struggling to maintain his even tone. “She has no inferiority to cure.”

“Your lady,” he mocked. “Your lady, who you might snap in half with a wayward flick of your wrist. Would you not call that inferiority?”

Loki held his tongue. Try as he might to ignore it, there was truth to Odin’s words and he hated him for it.

“I seek to expand her lifespan,” he repeated. “Do you know of any method do do so?”

His father raised his eyebrows. “Unlike my sons, I’m not in the habit of keeping mortal pets.”

Loki seethed. “She is not a pet!”

“Your time on Midgard has made you as childish as your brother.” Odin shook his head, leaning back in his golden throne. “The mortal’s life is fleeting, insignificant. You would waste your time and mine trying to raise a dog to godhood.”

“She’s not a dog!” he snapped. “She’s not a dog, she’s not a pet, she’s my love and her name is Madelyn.”

“And in a century, she’ll be dust!” the king retorted. “Will it matter then what name marks her headstone?”

Loki stormed out. 

It was pathetic, pathetic, that his father’s words still cut him so deeply, that his inconsequential views could still send him running with tears burning in his eyes like a slighted child. He stomped through the palace halls with no real destination in mind, heaving like some kind of animal. 

He’d show him. He’d show them both. He’d find a way to save her. Somehow, he’d find a way to make her immortal, and then they’d see. They’d see.

He was shaking uncontrollably by the time he found Madelyn in the gardens, gathered in the middle of the brick pathways with Frigga and several of her ladies. It was strange— swathed in an Asgardian gown, with her hair done up in the latest fashion, one would never have known she was of Midgard. 

She turned as Loki approached, her eyes lighting up as they always did whenever they landed on his. However, her gaze turned to a frown as he got closer.

“Loki, what’s wro—“ he planted his lips on hers before she could finish, cradling her face in his palms as he drank in her smell. Madelyn stiffened at first, but in moments she had melted into the kiss even as the court ladies tittered around them. 

When they finally pulled away, she let out a flustered giggle. “What was that for?”

He studied her face, her sparkling eyes that seemed to hold whole galaxies, entranced. “I love you.”

Loki had never said the words before, not to her or any other woman, and yet they flowed from his lips as easily as a downhill stream. Madelyn’s breath hitched.

“What?” she breathed. 

“I love you,” he repeated, his heart glowing with all the confidence in the universe, and he kissed her again.

When they returned to Earth, Loki threw himself back into his research with a new ferocity. He scoured the history of the Nine Realms, seeking just the slightest hint that what he was searching for existed. The myth of Idunn’s apples was a recurring subject, and he tried frantically to trace it to reality, but unfortunately, his mother’s assertion that it was naught but a child’s bedtime story appeared to be true. He couldn’t find any proof of them actually existing. Still, he spent nights at his desk, hunched over the scrolls Frigga sent him from the palace library, praying for something that continued to elude him.

Madelyn, unconcerned with her impending mortality, fretted he wasn’t getting enough sleep.

“Just come to bed,” she pleaded with him one night. “Whatever it is, it can wait until the morning.”

He laughed softly. “I don’t need as much rest as you do, love. I think I’ll be fine.”

“But you stay up all night, and then they send you into the field in the morning!” she insisted, rubbing his shoulder. “That can’t be safe.”

He covered her hand with his own, gently stroking her knuckles. It never ceased to amaze him how soft her skin was. “You don’t need to worry about me, darling.”

But Madelyn was right, as always. He wasn’t getting enough sleep at night, and it was beginning to affect his reflexes. It was only a matter of time before it all came to a head.

In Loki’s defense, it wasn’t entirely his fault. The mission had been flawed to begin with, everything that could have possibly gone wrong went wrong, and Loki had ended up trapped in an underground Hydra base with no backup, no escape plan, and hordes of enemy agents closing in. Still, it was manageable—far from ideal, but manageable— until he miscalculated a dagger throw and hit one of their Tesseract-powered devices.

Shit—

He felt the blast more than he saw it, felt the burst of scorching heat that flooded the hall and ripped the air from his lungs. His vision burned bright white.

Huh, he remembered thinking, perhaps Madelyn and I will have closer lifespans after all.

She was the first thing he saw when he awoke, head buzzing and limbs too leaden to move. He opened his aching eyes and she was there, glowing in the light of the hospital room, his guardian angel watching over him through the night. When he croaked her name, her eyes swam with relief. She reached out to stroke his cheek, the chill of her fingers soothing against his feverish skin. He melted against her touch. Suddenly, nothing else mattered.

“Madelyn,” he gasped. “Madelyn, marry me.”

He passed out before he could hear her answer.

They were wed on Alfheim, atop a picturesque cove overlooking the gardens of Ljosalfgard. Madelyn was absolutely radiant, her silver gown bathing her in a pearly glow as she practically sang her vows to him. Loki drowned in her eyes, drowned in the desire to sweep her into his arms and kiss her until they were both out of breath. He could have almost ignored the vow "til death do us part" had it not been for the pitied glance the Elvish officiants exchanged as she said them.

"I'm going to find a way to save you," he whispered against her hair that night as he held her to his bare chest.

Madelyn shifted, craning her neck so that she could fix him with a frown. "What are you talking about?"

A wayward strand of hair clung to her forehead. Loki pushed it away absentmindedly.

"Death will not part us, my love. I swear it."

She sighed. "Don't think about stuff like that. Not tonight." She leaned back against him, covering his hand with hers as she drifted off to sleep.

Loki didn't say anything.

Stark bought them a house in Upstate New York as a wedding present—a sweet, cozy little place not too far away from the new Avengers base. It was quiet, secluded, peaceful, everything he could have ever asked for.

If only he hadn’t known it was temporary.

Madelyn didn’t understand. She’d get up in the morning to find Loki pouring over his scrolls at the kitchen table, having never come to bed at all, and scold him for not taking better care of himself.

“This is ridiculous!” she snapped. “You’re going to kill yourself over this wild goose chase!”

“I have to!” he insisted. “I have to find a way to save you!”

She sighed. “You don’t need to save me.” Kneeling besides him, she took his face in her hands. “Don’t you see? I don’t care how long my life is, as long as I get to spend it with you.” Loki closed his eyes as he leaned into her palm, covering the back of her hand with his own. It was so simple for her. She didn’t understand how the image of her decaying features haunted his every waking moment.

They had been husband and wife for quite some time when he finally found something—a lead that might have the capability to save her from her ephemerality. Loki was ecstatic, more hopeful than he had been in years as he prepared to make the journey across the galaxy. Madelyn was less so.

“Look,” she worried as she watched race about the house packing a bag. “I’m glad that you’re so happy, but is this really worth the trip?”

“How could it not be?” he asked. “Once I return, you will finally be immortal, as you deserve. We will be able to live out our lives together forever.” Loki glanced up at her. “Don’t you want that?”

“Of course I want that, Loki!” Madelyn cried. “But more than that, I want you, here, safe. You don’t know what you’re walking into. You can’t even know how long you’ll be gone! What if something happens to you?”

He laughed softly. “You need not fear for me, my love. I will always return to you.”

Still, she remained unsoothed. “Please,” she said. “If you have to go, let me come with you. We’ll stay together!”

“No. It’s far too dangerous for you.” The very thought sent a shiver down his spine. “I’ll not allow the Norns to take you from me as I attempt to save you.”

“Loki …”

“Darling.” He kissed her, relishing the way she melted against him. “All will be well. I swear it.”

But all was not well. Months of searching in the very corners of deep space brought him nowhere, his false hopes dashed across the barren landscape of the planet her salvation. The scrolls had been wrong. There was nothing.

At first, Loki stayed out there, still frantically searching for something that could save her. He had promised, sworn, to her that he would find a way. He couldn’t return home empty handed. And so for a while longer he remained on the edges of space, traveling from planet to remote planet as he fought to find even the slightest hint of the solution he sought. But the time away weighed heavily on his soul. He missed Madelyn—he missed the curve of her smile, the melody of her laugh, the way she never seemed to tire of listening to what he had to say. He missed waking up to the comforting pressure of her head on his chest. Finally, he couldn’t take it anymore.

He had barely made it up the driveway before Madelyn had thrown her arms around him, clinging him so tightly that he almost couldn’t breathe even as her tiny body shook with her tears. Loki tugged her closer, burying his face in her neck. She smelled like home.

Still, something held him from smiling when they finally pulled away.

“I failed,” he whispered, hanging his head. “I failed you, Madelyn.”

She shook her head, cupping his face with her hands. “You’re back,” she said sternly, “You’re back and you’re safe and that’s all I will ever care about.”

Loki hadn’t realized how long he had been gone until he returned. Madelyn was the same gorgeous creature he had always known, but he began to pick up on miniscule differences within her. She was thinner, her face more worn than when he remembered. He found himself repeating the same tales to her over and over again—she’d ask him questions about his journey, he would answer them, they’d talk about his answers until she was satisfied … and then she’d ask the same question a few days later as if she had never spoken it before. It frightened him.

At first, he would point it out to her, his fear manifesting in frustrated questions: “Didn’t I already tell you all this?” But he hated the way she flinched, how her face would fall as she murmured apologetically that she must have forgotten. He hated feeling as if he was causing her pain. So, Loki repeated his anecdotes and kept his worries to himself.

He feared for her physical health as well. Her hands had become stiff and swollen since he had seen her last, painful to the point that she now took prescribed medication to help her cope. On some days, it seemed hardly noticeable, but on others she could barely bend her fingers. Still, Madelyn insisted that it was fine.

“It’s no big deal,” she told him. “My mom had arthritis, I knew I was probably going to get it eventually.” With a dry laugh, she added, “I’m probably lucky—she always had it much worse than this.”

Madelyn’s mother had passed away while he was gone, the victim of the horrible human disease known as cancer. Madelyn didn’t speak much about it, not even to him. Loki felt guilty—he had unknowingly her left alone and without support in a time when she had probably needed it the most. He was also increasingly anxious—if Madelyn had already inherited one disease from her mother, who’s to say she wouldn’t also develop the far more deadly one? Loki found himself returning to his research.

It wasn’t until he started on the texts Thor had gifted him from his own travels that he thought he found something. A necklace of myth, purported to be held deep within the twisted forests of Terma, enchanted to bring eternal life to those who wear it about their neck. Loki arranged to leave for it immediately.

 However, his wife put her foot down. “You’re not going again.”

Loki sighed. “I have to. Madelyn, there’s a chance that this could work—”

“That’s what you said last time!”

“I know. But I have to try.”

“Why?” she demanded, tone verging on hysterical.

He turned around incredulously. Why? “Because I love you!”

“No you don’t!” The walls rattled with the weight of her words. It was only then that Loki realized his wife was crying. His eyes widened in horror. “If you loved me, you wouldn’t keep leaving.” Her voice cracked, her breath coming in unsteady hiccups. “You were gone for so long. I didn’t know if you were okay, or if you were coming back—I was so scared—”

Loki pulled her into his arms, where she sobbed freely against his chest. It was as if someone had stuck a dagger in his gut. Everything he had done, every action he had taken—it had all been for Madelyn. That’s all he ever wanted, to protect Madelyn! And yet, it seemed he had caused her more pain than the forces of nature he sought to protect her from.

“I’m so sorry,” he whispered against her hair as he held her to his chest. His vision prickled with tears of his own. “I won’t leave again, I promise. I’m so sorry, my love.”

He resolved to be strong. He would not think of what the future held; he would keep his mind in the here and now, safe and warm with his perfect wife at his side. And so he did, for a time. He’d read poetry to her out loud as she rested her head on his lap, telling himself that he was only imagining that the creases in her face seemed to be deepening with every passing day. Some nights, they’d join the others for dinner at the Avengers base, where the conversation would inevitably devolve into Barton and Stark arguing over who had the more accomplished grandchildren and Madelyn would doze off against his shoulder on the way home. There was a steady sort of domesticity to it, and Loki enjoyed it—he enjoyed every moment with her—but he could only ignore time’s dark specter for so long.

It reared its ugly head in the form of a bottle under the sink. When Loki had first found it, he had only been confused, but when he presented it to Madelyn, she wouldn’t look him in the eyes.

“It’s hair dye,” she finally admitted. “I’ve been using it for a few years now.”

Loki didn’t understand. “What are you talking about? Your hair color hasn’t changed.”

Her laugh was soft and tinged with sadness. “I went gray a while ago, sweetheart. I’ve been dying it my natural color.”

It was as if someone had ripped the air from his lungs. “Wh—” A few years? He gulped. “Why would you do that?”

“I—” Madelyn seemed ashamed. “I was afraid it would upset you. You’ve always been so worried about me, you know—” she inhaled sharply. “I was afraid you’d leave again.”

The heartbreak in her voice was killing him.

“I’m not going anywhere, darling,” he assured her, reaching out to pull her closer. “I promised, remember?”

She nodded, resting her cheek against his chest. “I do remember that, at least.” Loki laughed as he held her close, but inwardly his mind was racing.

He was running out of time.

This time, when he returned to his research, he did so in secret. Madelyn was suffering enough—he didn’t want to contribute to her pain. At one point, keeping her in the dark about his activities would have been difficult, back when she caught every little shift in his personality, but these days she didn’t seem to notice as much. Still, Loki couldn’t spend whole nights at his work the way he used to. Madelyn slept lightly, often waking up in the darkness to a fit of hacking and gasping for air. He’d be at her side in a second, glass of water in hand and notes abandoned.

“Sorry … for waking you up,” she’d wheeze. “Didn’t mean to.”

“It’s okay,” he’d choke.

But one night, she caught him. It was chillier than usual, and he had moved from his desk to the living room and the fireplace. The crackling of the flames masked the padding of her feet down the hall.

“What are you doing?”

He jumped. Madelyn was standing in the hallway, wrapped in a blanket and leaning against the doorframe for support. Her eyes seemed to glow in the light of the fire.

“I—” He didn’t know how to respond. Perhaps that was enough of a response. She sighed, hobbling forward on unsteady legs. Loki rushed forward to support her. “Darling, you shouldn’t be up.”

“No.” She gripped his wrist, nodding towards the couch. “Sit with me. Hold me.” Her expression left no room for argument. He wasn’t certain he wanted to argue with her anyway. Loki scooped her up into his arms and carried her across the room, surprised by how little effort it took him. Madelyn had always been light, but it seemed she had become even more so since he had last picked her up. He found himself thinking about the first time he had carried her, when she twisted her ankle on the steps of her apartment. It felt like just yesterday that he had held her in his arms as he teased her for her mortal fragility. For Madelyn, he realized with a start, it had been a lifetime ago.

He sat on the couch before the fire, still holding her in his lap. She fixed him with a stern glare.

“You said you were done with this.”

As words failed him, Loki let out a pained breath. “It’s you,” he whispered finally. “I can’t—I can’t just give up on you.”

“It’s not giving up.” She reached out to stroke his cheek with wrinkled fingers. He closed his eyes, leaning into her touch. “Loki, I’m old. I’m going to die, soon rather than later. That’s not something anybody can change. Not even you.”

He wished he could accuse her of lying, that he could stand up and prove how she was wrong, how he could stop time’s work. Instead, tears blurred his vision when he opened his eyes. “I can’t lose you.”

She smiled, shaking her head. “You’re not losing me! I’m right here. With you. Now, forever, and always.” She kissed the corner of his mouth, leaning her head against his. “I love you, Loki.”

He pressed his lips to her temple. “I love you too. So much.”

The fire had gone out when he awoke in the morning. She was still in his lap, at rest and peaceful.

“Madelyn?”

She didn’t move.

Loki brushed his fingers across her cheek. Her skin was cold.

His voice broke. “Madelyn.”

But Madelyn only lay against him, still and silent and perfect as could be.

[imagine-loki]

Hiding in Plain Sight

TITLE: Hiding in Plain Sight

CHAPTER NO./ONE SHOT: Chapter 11

AUTHOR: wolfpawn

ORIGINAL IMAGINE:Imagine coming from a line of nobility or royalty and being in an arranged marriage with Loki in an attempt to strengthen your kingdom / alliance with Asgard. You’re not entirely on board with the idea but figured that the best you could do was to get to know your fiancé. You form an agreement with Frigga for you to pose as Loki’s personal servant for a few months so you can get to know who Loki really is – beyond the veil of his responsibility to the Asgardian throne, behind all the masks he wears when facing the public, to really know who Loki is behind closed doors as you slowly fall for each other.How long will you keep up the ruse with the God of Lies? 

RATING: General Audience

“Loki?” Frigga looked worriedly at her son who burst into his parents’ shared rooms. “Is everything…?”

“You conspired with that elf against me?” He snapped. 

Sighing, Frigga gave a slight wave to her maids who all left the room. “Conspired is a strong word for it,” Her voice was calm and steady as she rose from her seat. “She wrote, asking of your character and I suggested she get to know you. Tatianna needed time with family and thus, I realised she could get to meet you without you being guarded as I knew you were unsure of the situation and were not likely to open up to her.”

Loki gasped in shock. “So you planned this? You were the one to actually suggest it?” He became more hurt at that revelation. 

“You treat that maid with nothing but kindness, I thought if Raven saw that side of you also, she would see how caring you are. I knew that you would not open yourself as willingly to her otherwise.” “I…” he could not explain his anger, such was its intensity. 

“Loki, I am truly sorry for doing this, clearly, it was a mistake on my behalf. I am genuinely sorry for hurting you so, my son.” She tried to have him look at her so that he would see she was being genuine. “In turn, I also hurt Raven.” Loki scoffed at the mention of the elf. “She is a lovely woman. Bright, kind, a good partner for you but instead, it appears my little idea has hurt you both so.” “Even after what you have done to me, the two of you, you care about her?” “Loki, Raven has had a very restricted life, she only wanted to know if she would be forced to endure the same here. I know you will not believe this but she simply wishes to be happy and knowing I am integral to the suffering of more unhappiness for her is upsetting for me. It does not take for my upset at the hurt I caused you.” 

Loki scowled. Raven’s words came back to him again, of her loneliness and the life she was forced to lead thus far. He didn’t want to feel pity for her. He wanted to loathe her, something quite easy to do with her actions but it still played on his mind. Without saying another word to his mother, he turned to leave. 

“I genuinely believe that given the time, you will see you are well suited, Loki,” Frigga stated. 

“Perhaps we could have been.” Loki acknowledged. “But you scuppered our chances significantly with your idea.” With that, he left the room. 

* Raven sat in her room, the door between her bed chambers and front chambers locked and with a sofa in front of it in case any thought to try and open it. She had been ready for Loki’s ire and remarks, she had long built a thick skin being the youngest of five and with four older brothers, what she had not been ready for was her own words. The idea of sitting alone in her rooms for days on end was nothing new to her, what was new was the knowledge that it would not come to an end. Growing up, she had hoped the day would come that she would have a happier existence. Even as a Ljósáfar wife to a Ljósáfar husband, she could not possibly be forced to remain as she had been growing up. On hearing she was marrying an Aesir, she knew life would be far different and on knowing it was Prince Loki, though she knew little of his demeanour, she knew the Aesir way of life would allow her far greater freedom and she also knew him to be very intelligent, allowing her to fantasise of the many conversations and discussions they could share. The debates they could muster in private in the evenings after court was complete for the day. She had been excited about that. Even if they did not see eye to eye, she had dreamed of debate and conversation where she was not required to remain silent. Instead, now she had ruined any such an idea and would be forced to look at the walls that currently surrounded her for considerable years yet to come and that felt far more daunting than she could ever fathom. It filled her with a dread that made her feel like she would begin to hyperventilate at any moment. She felt entirely trapped. 

Questions swirled around in her mind. Would Loki take a mistress? Would he take many over the years? Would she have to endure dark-haired offspring he sired outside of wedlock to mistresses being recognised unofficially? Would she go to empty rooms every night while his were filled with love, passion and the giggles of a lover? Would she remain alone? Would people whisper how she was not a fit spouse? That she was not up to the task of securing the line of her husband. Or, just as heart-wrenching, would she be forgotten about, again. Only recognised and remembered when she stood in the shadow of the important male she was tied to. 

Thoughts of her perhaps finding love, feeling unconditional love could not come to her, after all, such was preposterous to her current state. She remembered the affections she felt before with Lord Arden. The stolen kisses, the sneaking around and indeed, the illicit actions of it. When it was made clear that she was to wed Loki, he left immediately with no thorough explanation. She always wondered if it was because it hurt too much to see her being wed elsewhere and he wanted a clean break, or after a while, she suspected it was because he realised he would not achieve his goal of a respectable dowry from her and decided to try other women. She was unsure if she had come to that second conclusion in her own mind to placate her feelings or not but that was going to be her excuse to make her feel better, factual or otherwise. 

Curled up with her head on her knees and her arms wrapped around them, she did nothing but think sadly of the situation at hand. 

* “You insulted the Ljósáfar.” 

Thor had Mjolnir ready for what was to come and chuckled to himself as he deflected several knives that Loki tossed his way. 

“You’re never able to aim properly when you are overly angered.” “You said nothing.” Loki’s voice was barely over a hiss. “I was sworn to secrecy.” “By someone you don’t even know?” “By our mother, a being I know even longer than you do,” Thor stated, avoided a blast of magic by using Mjolnir’s own version of such. “Raven only agreed because she wanted to get to know you.” “And that was how she decided to do so?” Loki spat. “Not by engaging me in any manner that would signify any attempt of an honest and healthy introduction?” “Since you failed to answer her three written attempts at such, I cannot imagine she felt she had many other options.”

Loki froze. “What?” “Raven wrote to you. On three separate occasions, and you ignored all three.” 

“No, she did not.” Loki shook his head. “Indeed, she did.” Thor reiterated. “This was confirmed, not only by her but when I asked the Postmaster, he confirmed it. I asked him so I could confirm it because you are not one to ignore a letter and I suspected you would call her a liar to save yourself. Three separate letters, dated months apart so to allow for time to receive and reply should you be otherwise busy, giving you time to do so. All three remained unanswered.” “I received no such letters,” Loki repeated. 

“Well, three were sent from Alfheim, sorted by the Postmaster himself and delivered to your rooms,” Thor informed him. “She tried before now. It is why she had to try and find reports on your personality elsewhere.” Thor slapped his shoulder. “I wanted to warn you. Well, I mostly wanted to warn you. Part of me also wanted to see the look of shock on your face when you realised who she was. That was until I realised what you were saying about her. I told you many times, Loki, this is very hard on her.” 

Loki had been bothered by the supposed letters he had not received until Thor mentioned Raven’s ‘struggle’. “Norns, if I have to hear this again.” He threw his brother’s hand from his shoulder. “Poor Raven, how lonely she has had it. How she had to remain seen and never heard. The Elf I have borne witness to is no such shrinking violet. She literally feels like she has to have the last word, come Helfheim or high water.” 

“Because that is who she is. She feels here like she does not have to be a statue any longer.” Thor argued. “Do not lie for one second and tell me that you want a silent and boring wife because you and I both know you rather lose your life than being forced to wed someone without their tongue. How else could you ever have someone at your beck and call to argue with day and night? I would have thought an opinionated and in your belief, an argumentative wife would have suited you to the ground. I doubt you want a wife that would agree with everything you say without question. Where would be the fun in that?” 

Loki could not argue that point. Nothing would disgust him more. “That does not negate her actions.” 

“She felt she had no choice. Was it something I would suggest? No, but it was for a good reason. She just wanted a good partner.” 

Loki scowled. “And in doing so, ensured she would not get one.” 

“Loki, please. This is going ahead whether or not you are happy about it, so you have two choices, be angry with her for this, accept any and all apologies, learn about her and try and form a healthy and fulfilling marriage with her or continue this animosity and live an unfulfilled marriage. I will soon have to court my betrothed and if the options of both were on the table, I know I would not wish to remain arguing.” “She already made it clear, the hope is to perform some sacred ritual, ensure you and your wife spawn multiple times and stay as far away from me as is physically possible.” 

“Loki, the woman I have spoken to multiple times wants entirely the opposite of that and I know you don’t want to believe it but to her, coming here, having a husband such as you was something she wanted. Sadly, things have gone slightly awry.” Loki began to scoff at his words before pausing. “When has all this conversing been taking place?” “Through her stay here.” Thor kept his answers broad so as to not have Loki sense any dishonesty. 

Loki studied his brother closer. “Like when?” “Do you honestly think I can recall days and times off the top of my head?”

“Do you know where in the palace she is?” Thor tried to think of something to say to argue that but silence or a no would immediately be sensed as a lie. “Why?” “I deserve to know, as her betrothed, surely?” “Not if you are going to add to her loneliness with it.” “Loneli…If I wanted to add to her loneliness, the last thing I would do is ask where to find her, Thor.” Loki scoffed. “Where is she?”

“I am not going to tell you if you are going to use it to add to this farce.” Thor’s declared. 

Loki knew he was telling the truth, much to his own annoyance. “Then leave.” “This is the royal hallway, I don’t have to leave. I live here, same as you.” Thor reminded him. “In your time speaking with Raven, what have you learnt of her?” “That she’s a conniving wench.” 

“No, Loki. In all seriousness, what have you learnt of her? What did it reveal of her knowledge of you?”

“Nothing, she knows nothing of me. Made clear by how she thought to get to know me.” He snapped. “Her way of speaking to me was not to introduce herself but to act like a maid, to scrub toilets and rummage through my belongings. That’s how little she thinks of me.” Loki paused. He had not thought of that previously. She had been privy to all of his belongings. Letters of private matters, items of personal value that he would not have wanted her to see. It annoyed him greatly that she had touched and rummaged through such things.

Seeing his brother getting irritated, Thor decided to alter his train of thought before he focused too greatly on what was annoying him. “So in that time, she got nothing right about your personality? I refuse to believe that because when I discussed the issue with her, I think she got your personality to perfection. The anger, the silent treatment, she even apologised to me for the aggression you would show me, both physical and otherwise.” “That, she did ascertain correctly. That is hardly surprising as it would be considered a normal reaction by most.” Loki dismissed. “I will not repeat myself, where is she?” “You’re repeating yourself saying that to me again.” Thor pointed out. “Until you are willing to speak with her like an adult, I will not tell you.” “You owe me.” “You owe her, considering you never even wrote back when she tried to engage you herself.” Loki said nothing as Thor walked off, leaving him to his thoughts. He walked back to his room and looked at the platter his letters always were placed when delivered to him. There were three there at that time. He walked over and looked around, noting there was nowhere any letter could have fallen for him to not have seen it. 

The Aesir Postmaster was a man of set ways. He was practically devout in how he viewed his role. If a letter went missing in his office, Norns have mercy on the being that moved it. He took the role as seriously as Odin took the role of Allfather. If he genuinely told Thor that there had been three letters from the Ljósáfar palace for him, then there had been. So where were they?

[stanknotstark]

Astral Pt. 5 (Loki x Reader)

I actually wrote the first part today cuz this was extremely short before because i wasn’t sure if i should put fillers! In the end i decided to keep it plot heavy but also tried to not make it boring even if this is the first time the two argue and it goes incredibly side ways in ways Loki didn’t imagine lol

You had come to your safe room to speak with Loki on a sensitive matter, a choice, that you had to make soon. In three days it would be your 18th birthday, not that that was the relevant matter. Shield had contacted you one day through your phone. You had spoken to a nice gentleman by the name of Coulson. He had given you an offer you couldn’t refuse. 

Call this number. That had been the text that you had received. Too curious for your own good, you did. 

Coulson had addressed himself as an operative under Shield, Strategic Homeland blah blah blah the name was a mouthful. He had offered to give you a job somewhat dangerous but the hazard pay was well enough to keep you comfortable. You were actually going to decline it but Coulson stopped you and said he could offer a higher education and a place to live if that was your concern. 

Hook, line, and sinker. Anyplace, away from this horrid house, was loads better. Your parents had calmed recently now that you actually stood up for yourself and knew how to fight but the memories in this forsaken house dragged your spirit down too much. Not to mention the haunting nightmares you had on the regular. 

However, you wanted to speak to Loki about this all. More or less you just wanted his blessing, you already knew what you were going to do. You already had the feeling in your gut that the conversation wasn’t going to end well. You prided yourself in knowing Loki through and through, him you too, and you know Loki is hard about trusting anyone. Not to mention his paranoia reached unsurmountable proportions. You were pretty sure Loki would make a plan A and stick to it but would try to think of every possible outcome and end up having the entire alphabet as a backup plan. He was good at adapting to what the situation called for.

When Loki entered the room he realized how you tensed the closer he got so he stayed away, the hurt look on his face almost caused you to run and hug him but if he touched you you knew you wouldn’t be able to leave him. 

The conversation started nice enough even if you both stood across the room from each other, you with your hands dangling at your sides not really knowing what to do with them. You had asked how his family was treating him and he had answered positively enough that you didn’t feel the need to intervene. Then, because you were too scared to bring up the sensitive topic, asked him how the weather was. That caused Loki to squint at you suspiciously. You have never once asked such a insignificant question. 

“What are you hiding?”

“They want me to work for them once I turn 18,” You told Loki who stood across the room from you confused, “Shield.” He frowned and shook his head, moved to stand across the table you had hid behind. 

“Don’t. We don’t know anything about this Shield corporation. It sounds like they want to use you as a weapon.” Loki said boldly, his hand resting on the chair now white knuckled. 

“I told them I would join them if they gave me a place to live.”

Loki’s wandering eyes snapped to yours. 

“Tell them you changed your mind.”

“No.” You said frowning at Loki. “You know what I have to live with every day, can you blame me for wanting to get out as soon as I possibly can?”

“Your living situation isn’t desirable but you don’t know anything about Shield. Your living situation may be more safe than what they’re offering.” Loki said, his voice starting to raise. 

“I’m going with them, they seem ok enough.” You said with a finality in your tone. Loki wasn’t going to change your mind. You kept up the staring contest he started. Both of you becoming more angry the longer you looked at each other. Loki was the first to break the eye contact. 

“I will not watch you hurt yourself, if you go, it is without my support, do not come back here to cry if they turn out to be something worse than you’re expecting.” Loki challenged, his eyes coming back to yours. He thought the ultimatum would make you change your mind, he must have thought you’d do anything to stay with him, but all it did was encourage you to leave out of stubbornness. 

You really like Loki, he’s been the best best friend you could ever ask for but that doesn’t mean you’re willing to endure the memories of your house longer with unknown hope as to whether Loki would come save you or not. He had said soon but he had also said soon about Thor’s coronation and that still hadn’t happened, to your knowledge. He was a God that had lived over 1000 years, it’s only natural that his view on the word soon was so vastly different from your definition of soon. It was time you started taking your life into your own hands, you shouldn’t need someone to save you, you needed to save yourself. You needed to prove, to whom you’ve no idea, that you could do this without help. 

You let out a angry chuckle, “Fine. you know I don’t like ultimatums but I will not hesitate to make a choice. Good bye, Loki.” 

The last thing you saw was Loki’s wide eyes and his hand trying to grab you from across the table but you had closed your eyes and willed yourself away. If he had been fast enough to grab you, you would have stayed, told him he was right. 

But...

He wasn’t fast enough. 

Laying on your bed you took a few deep breaths but couldn’t force your tears to not fall. You curled up on your side into a fetal position and cried the hardest you had cried in years. You could never go back to Loki. 

Once you had calmed you called Coulson and gave him your answer. You started to pack what little you appreciated and shoved your feelings of Loki out of you mind for now. 

Pt. 4/Pt. 5/?

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