#loki of nowhere

[nobie]

Loki and Mobius + touch s2 e1

[rielzero]

durgetash?

Their relationship is kind of odd, in Durge Loki's universe.

But Gort is into freaks, obviously.

[agent-birdnoises]

why are there always so many fanfic ideas in your head and yet so little time to write them all?? 😭

[feral-sylki]

The way Loki and Sylvie’s attitudes towards each other grows along with their attitudes toward their Lokihood is something I’ll forever be insane about. Like, the way we start off with the TVA’s angle and the whole ‘superior Loki’ thing, which Mobius uses to access Loki’s particular issues when it comes to self worth, to motivate him to track down Sylvie bc “this variant is better than you, and you can’t take it.” Loki has long felt like he must compete for any modicum of worthiness, and so it slides into his attitude right alongside his pre existing issues. He adopts it, and even repeats it to Sylvie when he meets her; he tells her of his exploits, of his going undercover and earning their trust, and demands, “I think that makes me the superior Loki, don’t you?” This, then, is the attitude he approaches meeting a new Loki under at this stage of the story: comparison, competition, superiority. And interestingly, Sylvie does a bit of this too, “here I was worried they’d found a better version of me” and all. Where did she get it from, and how much of it does she buy into? Is she using it to needle this TVA Loki because there have been others who came before? Questions without clear answers, but the very fact it’s there at all is quite fascinating.

But yes. Sylvie. Meeting Sylvie challenges this mindset. We are introduced to her side of things, which includes her vehement rejection of the identity. Loki’s reaction to her “don’t ever call me that”, initially focusing on “what, tech-savvy?” because her next words “No, a Loki,” and the venom in her voice takes him totally by surprise. His reaction is utterly fascinating. He narrows his eyes, juts his chin out, confusion and question written all over his body language. The idea of competition and a hierarchy among himself and the other Lokis fitted into the pre existing issues his raising instilled in him; but this, this total rejection of identity? Well that echoes more closely (for this Loki especially, who is coming directly off New York and all that led up to it) his very recent trauma as regards his true identity as a frost giant. Episode three is our major introduction to Sylvie and focuses greatly on her assertion of her individuality, and the way this mirrors Loki’s own journey leading up to this stage. Loki, too, violently attempted to reject the part of his identity that, when it was revealed, suddenly caused him a great deal of pain. Not that that means that being a frost giant is a bad thing to be; in much the same way that being a Loki is not a bad thing to be, they have each been taught hatred of the self. Loki was raised in Asgard, and absorbed a very negative idea of the Frost Giants (“what, that I’m the monster parents tell their children about at night?”). Sylvie’s status as a Loki is part of what ruined her life. The self loathing that they have both developed for themselves is a shared root

They become significantly less aggressive with each other as they spend more time with each other, mutual (or semi mutual) curiosity giving way to genuine affection as they both slowly deconstruct the issues they have associated with their identity. Sylvie opens up to Loki after travelling the apocalypse with him, when they think they’ll die by the lake on Lamentis. “Do you think what makes a Loki a Loki is the fact that we’re destined to lose?” An offering, an olive branch of sorts, to the other Loki across from her, peaceably, if sadly, acknowledging their shared identity, and their shared pain. And Loki responds in kind, choosing to reassure her, “No. We may lose. Sometimes painfully. But we don’t die. We survive.” And this touches Sylvie deeply; she reciprocates. Loki is famous for his silver tongue, but Sylvie is a very touch oriented person. She reaches over and touches him, with gentleness, exactly where the frost giant that revealed his true identity to him grabbed him. And this moment, in what they give to each other and see in each other, is a turning point for both of their attitudes towards themselves

Immediately following this, we’re brought back into the TVA, and the old adages are reiterated: notably, the moment when Mobius is trying to get a rise out of Loki and brings up the ‘superior Loki’ shenanigans, commenting that “I would have bet on her, but that’s what makes a horse race.” Now obviously this takes place in a scene where Mobius is deliberately needling Loki, and has also conveyed news of Sylvie’s (fake) death. But amidst it all, this line, and the look that crosses Loki’s face. He hears it afresh, and it is as if it is the first time he’s fully considered how insane that rhetoric is, how divisive, dismissive, dehumanising. No longer does he take pride in the competition. No longer is there satisfaction for him in the winning of the TVA’s game. “Her name was Sylvie,” is all he says, and with it, he forces the recognition of her personhood, in a system that views her as just another variant, one of thousands.

On and on, until they reach the stage where it is a positive affirmation “You do! Because were the same!” as this shared identity is an intrinsic part of their relationship to each other and their mutual love for each other, both as individuals separate from themselves and also as variants of themselves. But just as they are both Lokis and this shared identity is one they’ve both come to accept and respect as not a thing to be loathed or levelled up but a simple thing that is, so are they separate people who have lived separate lives. “Why aren’t we seeing this the same way?” is a heartbreaking line because she has finally after all this time been willing to open her heart to another Loki like herself, and through loving him come to love herself and her identity. They’re the same. But they’re not. And Loki’s heartbreaking return, “Because you can’t trust and I can’t be trusted” is acknowledgment that whilst they share a root and a soul, their lived lives diverged long ago and shaped them into very different people.

But regardless of the beautifully painful ways this falls out in the season one finale, they can never go back to how it was before they met each other. They are irrevocably changed, in how they see themselves. And that’s beautiful

[prettydjarinsoloinspires]

oh, take me back to the start

[existential-labrador]

Do you think the middle ‘M’ in Mobius’ name stands for ‘May as well be invisible’?

[agathas-megacoven]

I’m scared for my lil guy Mobius on the timelines all by himself. What if some non-Kang related big bad who has managed to evade the reformed TVA’s watch and wants to control a bunch of timelines puts 2 and 2 together, realises that Möbius was a key player in helping establish Loki at the centre of the Yggdrasil (that Loki cares deeply about Mobius and visa versa) and comes after him in the hopes to oust Loki? Part of me feels like Mobius could handle it but Mobius doesn’t have big scary dog privileges anymore girlies, what with Loki being tangled up at the Citadel and it worries me. Sylvie is a slippery lil sword wielding snake (affectionate) who’s entire childhood WAS self-preservation and survival, she’ll be fine. B15, O.B and Casey are all somewhat afforded better protection from within the TVA but what about Mobius? He’s just a lil mourning retiree trying to make a new life for himself. What if danger finds him? I trust B15 to have some sort of protection and emergency measures in place for him but what if it’s not enough?

[godofstory]

[worstloki]

Absolutely unrealistic that neither Thor nor Loki made obscene noises @ the other for no given reason at any point

[thatgirlwithasquid]

screaming into my pillow about the way loki looked at mobius in the new episode of loki

[lokiusly]

Okay but we’re going to get Loki, playfully using his magic with Mobius, in order for him to prove that —yes, he really is the Asgardian god of Mischief, and he needs Mobius’s help. Right?

[grimbunnies]

Circe: All of these sims coming out of the woodwork to question where Loki is... Why isn't he at work? Is he okay? Leave me alone! Leave me to fix this!

[woundlingus]

One needs to imagine Loki/Gabriel as a pair of abandoned black cat kittens sopping wet and sleeping under a shrub with only each other to keep them warm and nowhere to go and no one to love them. Not for comfort, you imagine it to inflict pain upon the soul.

[inwantofamuse]

Not for nothing, I know Mobius isn't super powered, but "Nowhere Man" would be the coolest superhero name to ever exist in all of creation.

I mean, WHEN they bring Mobius back, you know a resurrected Tony Stark would totally call him that, anyway.

So I guess we should all say "thank you Brad Wolfe".

[p4nishers]

i hate when i can't understand a woman character bc the writers wrote her SO fucking badly. i hate when i'm literally forced to dislike a woman character because she's been written in a way where you genuinely don't know anything about her thoughts or feelings and the narrative doesn't treat her like a person. i fucking despise cis men writing women because it will never fucking be right. they'll will never understand, is the thing, and a woman written by a cis man is always a fucking disaster and i hate nothing more than hating women characters bc men don't have enough braincells or care to make them actually human. fuck male writers who don't even fucking TRY or pretend like they were trying to decently write a female character. fuck. them.

[elennemigo]

i just read someone comparing Doctor Strange's choreographed magic with the simplicity of Loki's.

I didn't note a mean intention, so mine is not either but i just want to make my own comment here.

i mean, you can't really compare their magic, can't you?

Strange is human, completely, 100 % human, his magic is trained, he makes spells, his uses his hands to conjure these "choreographed" spells.

Loki is a God! he learned magic but his powers are natural and of course, doesn't need complicated hands movements.

I don't get these comparisons, i know it's just for fun sometimes, but even when ppl compares Strange with Wanda. they all seem to forget that he's human after all, not a God, not a Witch.

All he does is his own merit, done with effort and tenacity! ☺️