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loki-cees-all · 3 months ago

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Space Oddity {Avengers!Loki x Female Reader One-shot}

Cee's Loki Fic Masterlist / AO3 Link

Pairing : Avengers!Loki x Female Reader

Summary : While preparing for Stark Tower’s Halloween party, Loki misunderstands the point of a Halloween Costume. Luckily he has you to help him navigate such tricky waters.

W/c : 10k words

Content / Warnings : Established Relationship, Fluff, Smut, Loki being a little massive shit and also a silly goose.

Author's Note : Last year a certain LIFE-RUINER (affectionate) dressed up as Ziggy Stardust/David Bowie/Aladdin Sane for Halloween, and it permanently altered my brain chemistry. Because of (or in spite of?) the ensuing brain rot, it took 11 months of me staring at that picture to finally come up with an idea to include Loki in that delicious little mix.

P.S. I do recommend listening to Space Oddity by David Bowie while you read this. If you start the song at "Humanity’s wide variety of music..." then depending on your reading speed, the song's first Verse should start right at the big reveal 🤭

18+ Only - Minors DNI

⊱ ─ ༓ ── ⋅•⋅⊰ ─ ⋅ ∙ �� ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ∙ ⋅ ─ ⊱⋅•⋅ ── ༓ ─ ⊰

A crisp, hazy mist obscured your view of the ground from the 22nd floor of Stark Tower. Sunrise was yet to fully finish, and the Earth below was quiet, still adjusting to the uneasy transition from slumber to consciousness. Within that ambiguity, it was easy to believe that you’d somehow awoken on an entirely new planet.

You often wondered what that was like, to feel the soil from an uncharted world give way underneath your boots. To feel a breeze coming off an ocean no other human had ever seen before, or to look up into the night sky and see the stars of a brand new galaxy. How colossal, how surreal, how inferior it must make someone feel.

On lazy mornings such as this one, you’d often ask your partner what it was like to be an astronaut. He’d hand you a steaming cup of coffee as he rejoined you in bed, and with a contemplative expression, he’d always respond with a brand new answer.

You suspected the change in response was just due to him recalling his first trip to a different realm, and each time you always listened very carefully. You always closed your eyes and tried to lose yourself in the picturesque descriptions of fantasy worlds you’d probably never be able to see personally.

Sometimes, if you focused hard enough, you could almost smell the forests of a brand new planet. You could almost taste its fresh water and its different fruit, and feel the immaculate breezes of its unstudied seasons. But then you’d open your eyes again, and when you looked through the skyscraper’s window, the few dapples of orange and yellow leaves breaking through the dense fog would let you know this was still planet Earth.

But that wasn’t always so bad. Occasionally, there would be several weeks without a world-ending threat breathing down the Avenger’s necks, and that meant you could pretend you were all just regular people. You could sleep in or get up extra early to watch the world come to life, you could rush around and do any of the million things that needed to be done, or you could simply lay there and bask in that sweet silence.

Today, after having coffee in bed, your only concrete plan was a shopping trip in the West Village with Wanda and Nat. Your only solid goal was to finally settle on the perfect costumes for the Halloween party happening just a few days from now.

It was no secret that the Avengers had acquired a sizable contingency of cynics over the years, ones who weren’t shy about openly criticizing the entire team. From the collateral damage incurred during battle, to the individual actions of its members both on and off the team - anything they did was suspect, and absolutely nothing was beyond complaint. Thus, Pepper Potts had made it her personal mission to finally correct the planet’s opinions of its heroes.

In addition to the team’s assistance towards rebuilding efforts after their battles were won and having its members performing very public charity work, Stark Tower was starting to host more “fun” events in order to further boost the team’s positive image.

“To get your names in the papers without a rising death toll immediately afterwards,” was specifically how Pepper had explained her initiative. And naturally, that meant a Halloween Party was deemed absolutely necessary.

Anyone who was even tertiarily related to the Avengers was going to be there: from the low-level, but still notable, world government leaders, to the honorary members from all corners of the globe. And of course, plenty of reporters and photographers would be in attendance, all of them ready to document every single fun moment. It was set to become an impressive party, and knowing Pepper, a very classy event - so it shouldn’t have been at all surprising that most of the team had become hyper-focused on winning the party’s costume contest.

Initially, everyone kept their costumes a secret from one another, and the trash-talking was of a mostly friendly nature. But then rumors started flying around, and gradually, some members of the team started taking the competition far too seriously. Alliances were formed, and subsequently broken. The taunting soon became serious, and then reached devastating levels, which ultimately escalated into a four-day period where Tony and Steve couldn’t even be in the same room together without a physical fight breaking out.

Thankfully, the girls were far more casual about it, and that afternoon’s shopping trip was planned to be one of mutual support. Wanda was hoping to finalize her couple’s costume with Vision, and even though she hadn’t mentioned it directly, you knew that Nat was attempting a similar endeavor with Bruce, despite his timid insistence that he wasn’t a “costume guy”. It was so adorably endearing that it almost gave you a toothache.

Unfortunately, things were not so cut and dry with Loki.

He had yet to mention the Halloween party on his own, nor had he participated in any group discussions on the subject - he even ignored Tony's attempts to goad him into verbal sparring matches, something Loki ordinarily enjoyed. Not that anyone should be genuinely excited about performative media relations disguised as a fun party, but nonetheless, you were starting to become concerned about his lack of interest.

Private conversations with him about finding a costume had gone nowhere. He didn’t understand why he needed to dress up at all, or why you cared so much about it. And while he wasn’t saying it out loud, you didn’t need to be a genius to guess why he had reservations: everyone else already believed he was an actual monster, so shouldn’t he just be himself on Halloween?

Only a few weeks had passed since you’d moved in together, but it was going really well, all things considered. The otherworldly being you’d fallen in love with still didn’t understand most Earthly customs, and you very much enjoyed being his Midgardian teacher. But coming to terms with what he’d done while under the influence of the Mind Stone was still an ongoing struggle for him.

Loki had good days, but he also had very, very bad days. He still had nightmares about his past, and frequently his worries about the future kept him helplessly trapped in bed. It broke your heart to witness, and even though he’d probably never reveal the full details about his time with The Black Order and Thanos, he at least never stopped you from offering him comfort in the middle of the night.

Because he wasn’t the monster his critics or inner demons claimed he was, no matter how convincing they were. He deserved a good and peaceful life just as much as everyone else did, and you wanted nothing more than to help him finally have one.

When you’d left the apartment later that morning, Loki was lounging peacefully on the living room couch, his nose buried in the oldest book you’d ever seen. A gentle smile had tugged at his lips while you kissed his forehead on your way out, and with tremendous love in his eyes, he said that he’d miss you terribly while you were gone.

After an early lunch at The Coppola Cafe, the three of you spent the afternoon browsing what felt like every single vintage clothing shop in the West End. It didn’t take long for Wanda and Nat to finalize their costumes, and eventually you did manage to find something for yourself, but deciding on your partner’s costume was another story entirely. A terribly complicated task, one that was impossible to accomplish and rotten with trap doors and landmines hiding within the deceptive labyrinth that was Loki.

The girls did their best to make helpful suggestions during the shopping trip, offering such innocent and guiltless ideas like a mailman, or a stuffy professor - or perhaps he could dress up as Shakespeare so he could spend the entire party wandering around quoting Hamlet. Or maybe instead, he should just wear a Ghostface mask and a long black cloak, so he had a good excuse to stay concealed and silent all night long.

You appreciated their efforts, but none of those ideas were quite right for him. You couldn’t really explain why, but they just weren’t…Loki.

By late afternoon, your mind had turned into a jumbled mess. Unable to think clearly anymore, you resorted to aimless purchases of extra things neither of you probably wouldn’t ever use - cheap makeup sets, bottles of fake blood, a set of vampire fangs, a pair of cat ears. Several brightly colored wigs, a second-hand cape, and a large bag of Halloween candy to stress eat later finally completed your purchases for the day.

The group came back to the Tower just before dusk, and the living room of your apartment was quiet when you walked inside. A few lamps illuminated on the end tables gave the space a dark, brooding mood, which was greatly appreciated after such a busy and disappointing day. But unfortunately, Loki was no longer on the couch where you’d left him, and that old book was nowhere to be seen.

“Hey! I’m home!” you called out while setting your shopping bags down by the front door.

An odd silence was the only thing that greeted you.

Usually, Loki would be at the front door, ready to sweep you up in his arms whenever you returned home. But the apartment remained unmoving, even as you called out a second time. When he still didn’t appear, you poked your head into the kitchen while shrugging off your jacket and slipping off your shoes. But that room was also completely vacant, with no evidence of dinner being started or already had.

Loki preferred spending most of his time alone, but occasionally he’d allow an enticing bribe from Bruce or Thor to drag him out of the apartment; maybe he was just studying something interesting up in Bruce’s lab, or perhaps he’d agreed to help his brother play a prank on someone. Grateful for the opportunity to wallow in solitude for a bit, you pulled the giant bag of Halloween candy from a shopping bag and made your way towards the back of the apartment.

You padded down the empty hallway where there was still no sign of Loki. Everything in the entire apartment was clean, and in its place. There was absolutely nothing wrong, and yet it felt like the weight of the entire world was resting heavily on your shoulders. You tried to reassure yourself that it was nothing that a coma-inducing amount of candy couldn’t fix, but even that was becoming less believable with each step forward.

As you approached the bedroom, you thought you could hear the very faint sounds of guitar strumming through the closed door. That gave you pause; certain that you hadn’t left anything on before leaving that morning, you cautiously moved closer, until your ear was pressed against the door.

Yes, that was music you were hearing - familiar music, even though you couldn’t quite place it yet, and you couldn’t help but to smile to yourself. Loki was home after all, and he had been entertaining himself with music while you were out. It thoroughly warmed your heart with an unexplainable feeling of serenity, and pleased that he’d remembered how to use the record player on his own, you waited behind the door to listen for another moment.

Humanity’s wide variety of music was one of the few things about our culture that he’d expressed genuine interest in - which of course, you happily encouraged. It was so much fun introducing him to everything from the classic composers of the 18th and 19th centuries, to the psychedelic rockers of the 20th century. From the upbeat pop groups of your middle school years, to the angsty singers that made up the soundtrack of your early twenties.

You closed your eyes to focus solely on whatever he was listening to now. The music itself was playing low, the singer’s impassive voice just barely audible to you. But you couldn’t tell if it was a really old recording, or if the sound was just distorted after passing through the door.

Off in the distance, a punctuated drum stroke marked the countdown to some inconceivable event, and adrenaline suddenly filled your bloodstream. A low hum vibrated underneath the drum, steady until it wasn’t, and then gradually it shifted into a cosmic wail that seemed to be transmitting itself across all of time and space. A cacophony of instruments, from both the planet Earth and of the stars themselves, finally crescendoed together in a powerful array of astronomical declaration.

A declaration that something was happening at that very moment. Breathed into life with a static kiss, that something was so astonishingly important, and it vehemently demanded immediate witness.

Your curiosity, overwhelming to the point that you couldn’t take it any longer, forced you to carefully reach for the door handle. Its metal, both warm and cold simultaneously, felt like home. It felt unreal.

This felt like opening the hatch to an ancient spacecraft.

This is Ground Control to Major Tom…

You pushed open the door, and immediately let out a startled laugh. Standing in front of the bedroom mirror was a tall and lanky figure, turning himself back and forth while carefully examining his reflection. That part wasn’t surprising; but rather, it was the way he’d dressed himself that was completely unexpected.

You’ve really made the grade…

Bright red and blue stripes lined the figure’s jumpsuit from shoulder to toe, each one evenly separated by thin lines of white. Familiar dark curls cascaded and twisted down past a pair of golden, glittering shoulder pads that only amplified his already impressive stature. Across his right eye, stretching from well below his cheekbone up to meet with his natural hairline, was a crimson lightning bolt. Its perfectly jagged edges were outlined in shimmering blue, and the leather platform boots on his feet were a brilliant, shining red.

And the papers want to know whose shirts you wear…

You knew it wasn’t actually Ziggy Stardust standing there; logically, you knew that much to be true. David Bowie had died several years ago, and while you now believed in alien life on other planets, and magic, and superheroes - you still knew the matter of ghosts to be entirely science fiction.

Rational thought, if you had been capable of it in that moment, would have told you that this was just your celestial partner practicing another one of his illusions. But this mirage was so much more powerful than reason, or fact, or reality could have ever hoped to be. While shoulder-strung spectral harps blared from the record player and the harmonized magnetism of flesh and blood and God stood before you, the only conclusion to be reached was that you’d finally lost your entire mind.

Now it’s time to leave the capsule if you dare…

Other than his hair, his illusion was categorically perfect: the only hint of Loki underneath this glamour was the flicker of mischievous green hiding behind heterochromatic eyes. But those weren’t Loki’s cheekbones, or his lips, or his nose.

They were David fucking Bowie’s.

This is Major Tom to Ground Control…

Your jaw dropped even further when he finally noticed you. He turned someone else’s body, and he lifted someone else’s chin. The illustrious and supernal smile he flashed in your direction tugged at someone else’s lips. But the confidence that radiated out of him, like the infernal rays of an ever-bursting star, belonged to Loki, and Loki alone.

It was different from Bowie’s, but still somehow the same; despite the oddity of both their ensembles, neither outfit had worn either man. And similar to that ethereal mortal from over 50 years ago, Loki’s aura overrode any bewildered question of why, and instead begged the eternal question of how?

I’m stepping through the door…

How was he making this look work for him? Just like Bowie, Loki was equal parts striking and ridiculous. He was magnetic and breathtaking, he was pulling you in while simultaneously stunning the oxygen from your lungs. No thoughts, no words, no sounds could ever truly capture the true essence of this scene, and all you could manage was another stunned laugh as you looked him up and down.

His lips finally moved, but you couldn’t hear what he was saying. A symphony of guitars and keyboards and organs and stringed instruments all crescendoed together to effectively pay tribute to the creation of this universe and drown out his voice. The sound, dizzying and disorienting, overpowered the feel of the floor beneath your feet until gravity was no longer enough to keep you tethered to the Earth.

And I’m floating in the most peculiar way…

Your mind, completely overwhelmed by the glowing specter just ten feet away, had become entirely blank. You were rendered so totally speechless that you forgot every single detail about your past. You simply weren’t you anymore; you were an astronaut from a distant planet on the other side of the universe, and you always had been.

You weren’t standing on the 22nd floor of Stark Tower, you were opening the hatch of an imaginary spacecraft, you were taking that first step out onto an unexplored moon. You were leaving the very first footprints upon its previously untouched surface, and you were carving your name into its virgin moondust. You were leaving your mark for future generations to someday gaze upon, in sheer awe of the audacity to wonder what else could be out there.

And the stars look very different today…

Without even noticing, you let go of the bag of Halloween candy; whether it also began floating or if it crashed to your bedroom floor was no longer any of your concern. All you could think about was if it felt this surreal, this mind-blowing to look upon the real David Bowie. How did anybody manage to not spontaneously combust in his presence?

All sense of relative dimensions lost their meaning. Space was completely irrelevant, time was a fictional construct. The universe was never going to stop expanding, so would anyone ever be able to see it all? How could a numerical value ever be assigned to the entire concept of time? Why were any of us here?

For here, am I sitting in a tin can?

You had no way of knowing how much time had passed, but at some point, Loki must have realized that he’d broken you. Without losing his proud smile, he waved a hand in the direction of your record player. Its needle lifted, and an eerie silence immediately descended over the room.

As soon as the music stopped, part of the spell clouding your mind vanished. A rush of oxygen suddenly filled your lungs, and your heart finally returned to its beating. Blood resumed its journey through your veins, and the floor became substantial underneath your feet again. You blinked once, twice, three times and shook your head, trying to clear it so that you might be able to ask just one of the million questions that all popped up at the exact same time.

��Something the matter, dear?”

Your eyes flew back open. Unfortunately, his glamour was still in place, and it was Ziggy Stardust that gingerly approached your position by the door. And when he’d spoken, it wasn’t Loki’s voice you’d heard - it was the voice of David Bowie.

Unsure of what to do with yourself, inundated and engulfed in sensations of the most flustered manner, you squeezed your eyes shut again. Your arms crossed and uncrossed, your knees locked and unlocked as your weight shifted back and forth. You couldn’t help but laugh and shake your head again.

“Loki, um…What the…” You had to pause to let out a deep, shaky breath, to run your hands up and down your face in a desperate attempt to wake from this very confusing dream. “What, um - are you doing, exactly?”

The air around you warmed considerably as he stopped in front of you, and the amusement in Bowie’s voice, so smooth and so sure of himself, was more than palpable as he spoke.

“Preparing for the masquerade, my dear. The same thing you were doing all afternoon.”

A gentle finger tilted your chin upwards, silently requesting that your eyes open again. When you did, it was Ziggy Stardust staring down at you from his impressive height, his expression curious and the unnecessarily tall boots he stood upon just making everything worse for you.

You gasped breathlessly. Your brain almost melted entirely. The massive crush you’d had on David Bowie when you were 13 years old suddenly roared to life once more. You’d never told anyone about it, because everyone else your age was in love with the much more socially acceptable choices of Nick Carter or Justin Timberlake. Back then, admitting to a near-fatal attraction on an androgynous, bisexual and eccentric musician from the 1970s would have been akin to signing your own death warrant.

Nowadays, such a crush was far more acceptable to have, but you thought those feelings had faded away with adolescence. There’d been no reason to bring it up, not even when you’d first introduced Loki to Bowie’s music. And now you were standing face-to-chest with the physical embodiment of your lie by omission.

Overwhelmed once more, you backed away from him and covered your eyes. “Okay, can you - take those boots off, please? You’re already ridiculously taller than me, so you don’t need them…”

“As you wish, darling.”

His voice, though sincere, was still someone else’s. Admittedly, it was intoxicating to hear Bowie’s voice addressing you in such a loving, familiar tone - but it was also incredibly intimidating. You were already on the verge of collapse as it was; you didn’t need yet another reason to make a very rapid crash landing to the floor.

Carefully, you let out a very slow breath to steady yourself. “And - can you also go back to using your voice, please?”

There was a brief moment of silence, and a part of you wished you could see the enchanting smirk he almost certainly wore at that very moment. When he finally answered, it was in his own voice again, but it was just as amused as Bowie’s voice had been.

“As you wish, darling.”

You let out a shuddered sigh of relief, and your body relaxed somewhat. When you cracked open your eyelids from behind your fingers, he was still Ziggy, but the sight was a little easier to deal with now that he stood at his normal height and spoke with his actual voice.

Now that he was closer, you took in the comforting notes of citrus and cedarwood on his skin, scents you knew to be Loki’s. You swallowed hard, your pupils dilated wildly as you finally allowed yourself to look him over.

“You did this for the Halloween party?” you asked softly.

Loki’s expression was much more reserved now, and he nodded earnestly. “Yes, I thought you would enjoy it. Is that not the case?”

Your breath hitched as you reached out to touch him. Your fingertips brushed along the golden collar around his neck. The material was soft and pliable, not like the polyester you’d find on a cheap costume from a pop-up Halloween store. No, the fabric Loki wore was both real, and it wasn’t. It was the truth, but it was also a lie. He was both mortal and ethereal simultaneously.

“And what made you choose this version of David Bowie to imitate?”

The reimagined figure of Ziggy Stardust shrugged nonchalantly. His gaze, as intent and dedicated as ever, remained locked on your expression while your fingers drifted over to his shoulder pads, and then back down to the center of his chest.

“Well, the other night you remarked on how much I supposedly resembled this particular mortal…”

A shy smile pulled at your lips. “Okay, go on…”

He reached out to caress your cheek, his thumb soft and solid against your skin. “And I was thinking about that film you showed me. The one that used music to tell its story…”

You stifled another giggle by pulling your lower lip between your teeth. Both of your hands found their way to his chest, one of them pulling the zipper of his jumpsuit until you could see just the barest hint of his chest hair.

“A music video. The Space Oddity music video, specifically…”

Ziggy, or Loki - whomever it was - donned a playful grin. “Yes, of course. With the oscillating, dark-green lines. I quite enjoyed that one…”

You nodded absentmindedly. Your fingers, like they had a mind of their own, tugged the zipper down just a little bit further. Its metal teeth, crafted with the utmost precision possible, gave way and unlocked so easily to reveal even more of his skin, and your heart hammered inside your chest.

It was impossible that Loki couldn’t see right through your expression, that he didn’t know about the salacious thoughts swirling around in your head. Like he’d expected you to have this very reaction, he gently slipped his arms around your waist, pulling you closer, until you were pressed all the way against him.

“Darling, I know that the stress of preparing for this particular soiree has been weighing heavily on your mind as of late…” he continued with a soft murmur as he delicately spun you both around and guided you back towards the bed. “And I wanted to do something to help alleviate that burden for you…”

Your heart leapt violently into your throat. At first, it was the surprise that he’d noticed your inner turmoil that did you in, but then it shifted towards dismay over you apparently not hiding it as well as you thought you were.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about,” you replied with an innocent smile as he slowly lowered you both down to the mattress.

But yes, of course you’d been feeling tons of pressure lately about the party. The Avengers had all known about your relationship with Loki for a while, but the rest of the Tower still didn’t - and neither did the rest of the world. They were all going to find out at the Halloween party.

Loki chuckled and allowed his weight to fully settle on top of yours. “What have I told you about good girls who like to lie, my love?” he murmured softly, his lips brushing teasingly against yours.

While you didn’t really care what everyone else thought about you, what they thought about Loki was many magnitudes of greater importance. He was already in a very precarious situation as it was; depending on the pundit or publication, his every scowl was interpreted as one of disdain for the human race, his every word a threat that he was just moments away from leading another alien invasion.

They already hated him, and they’d never forgive him for New York, no matter how well he’d behaved since.

Your breath shuddered, and your fingers couldn’t help but tangle between the dark curls that were so effortlessly Loki’s. “That they should…do it more, probably?”

Any mistake he made in the field was grounds for his dismissal, anytime he drank a glass of wine instead of a beer was his blatant attempt to dismantle democracy itself. His every move was overanalyzed and deciphered by a bunch of people who had never even met him, who never even cared to know what he was like behind closed doors or in private, when he actually felt safe to be himself.

They didn’t even care that he’d been corrupted by measures of torture they’d never have been able to survive themselves. Or that it had been entirely against his will, or that even while his invasion was taking place, he was subtly laying the groundwork for the Avengers to be able to stop him in the first place.

“A valiant attempt, darling, but we both know that wasn’t what I meant…” he whispered hotly, nippling at your jaw. He adjusted the angle of his hips, and he began to roll them against yours.

You moaned softly in response. Your mind began to melt, this time in pleasure instead of shock. The juxtaposition of Loki and Bowie and Ziggy, though confusing at first, started to make sense. It scratched an itch you couldn’t possibly have guessed that you had, and it created an intense need deep within your soul.

Unable to resist him any further, you captured his lips in a fiery kiss, and he eagerly returned it. His mouth worked hard and fast against yours, in a brand new style of coruscating and devastating passion. Hot and heavy, the kiss tasted just like Loki’s always had, but now it contained an extra dose of stardust.

Loki's hands cupped your cheeks, thumbs brushing against your cheekbones, his hips again rolling against yours. His breath was quick against your skin, his needy groans like music to your ears. This transcendental combination of the past and present, of both the mortal plane and of the stars themselves, somehow craved you this badly and he wasn’t even afraid to show it.

It was so strange; Loki may have come from the stars, but somehow, he was still beholden to you here on Earth.

Within moments your legs wrapped themselves around his waist. Your tongue swiped at his bottom lip, requesting entry, and he granted it. Your hands drifted to his neck, his drifted to your thighs, and your bodies writhed together, eagerly, desperately, hungrily.

The heat between you escalated even further - the kind of heat that usually precipitated the creation of a new star in the sky. Just as you began to yank the jumpsuit’s zipper down further, a shimmer of emerald washed down your bodies, effortlessly and fully undressing the both of you.

You fucking loved it when he did that.

Loki could use his magic to do anything he wanted; he could, and had already, used it to destroy, and to maim, and to control. But now he only used it to protect the ones he’d previously tried to conquer. Now he just used it to love - or when he couldn’t handle not being inside you for another second.

His skin was hot against yours, his hands worshiped your curves. Your body stretched and arched underneath his, taking him in, making love to him like it was the very first time. It always felt that way, like you were floating one hundred thousand miles above the Earth, like the stars were finally within reach and only now could you actually reach them.

Your fingernails dug into his hips. The sound of the creaking bed was soon drowned out by breathless moans against your ear, of prayers and curses and promises. Your toes curled, your eyelids fluttered shut. Wild movements crescendoed into the purest form of what you knew to be the truth: the Earth was blue, the moon was silver, and Loki’s love would always be with you no matter where he went.

The orgasm ripped through you like a gravitational force collapsing the entire universe. Your muscles tensed, your body trembled underneath him. Pleasure seeped out of your pores and you cried out for him, incoherent and delirious. It felt like you had left your body entirely - remarkably disconnected from reality, but still safely anchored to him.

Loki fell off the edge just after you did. His muscles contracted as he clung to you, his voice nothing but shameless groans and heated gasps. With parted lips and a heavy breath, he intertwined his fingers with yours, he buried his face into your neck, and together your bodies finally collapsed within that mutual satisfaction.

An immeasurable length of time passed during the quiet contentment that followed, and by now, the sun had fully set. Unsure of whether you were just dozing or if you’d actually joined the astral plane, you allowed yourself to remain limp and boneless in his arms. Once again, gravity had no authority here, and you found peace just drifting aimlessly through the ever-growing expansion of outer space.

“You never answered my earlier question, darling….”

Loki’s demulcent voice gently pulled you back down to Earth. Your eyelids struggled to open underneath the pressure of the planet’s immense gravity, and suddenly you couldn’t remember anything that had transpired beforehand.

“No, I’m...pretty sure I answered it already,” you replied with a false confidence, stretching your body against his in an obvious attempt to distract him.

He chuckled and shifted with you, propping himself up on one elbow. His other hand traced a swirling pattern along your hip. “And I’m quite certain that you didn’t, love…”

For someone called the God of Mischief, he was surely determined to never let you get away with anything. You let out a laughing groan of frustration, and as your eyes opened, as you looked up into his, your breath vanished from your lungs.

The stars looked so different now. They weren’t Ziggy’s, nor Bowie’s, anymore - they were Loki’s. His glamour had started to fail while you were making love, and now the large constellations of the deepest greens and blues, of Loki himself, were all that stared lovingly back at you.

Loki grinned when he noticed the awe in your expression. His brow arched in a curious and teasing fashion when you couldn’t answer him.

“My goodness, she’s turned into a cosmonaut and floated away, hasn’t she…?” he murmured softly, pretending to talk to himself. He took his fingers and made them dance against the sensitive skin of your neck to get your attention. “Hello, darling? Are you still there?”

Almost immediately you were drowning in a fit of giggles. You scrunched up your shoulders and tried to squirm away, laughing and cursing at him while Loki continued his teasing. But his fingers, tender yet relentless on your sensitive skin, made it impossible to keep your eyes open or coordinate your muscles enough to put a stop to his attack.

“Yes, hello? I was wondering if you’ve seen a beautiful girl in there?” he continued in that same vexatious tone, his hold on you tightening as he nuzzled his face to yours. “She’s my darling companion, and I’ve been missing her terribly. Can you tell her to come back to me, please?”

You let out more breathless laughs, you made more desperate wriggles in his grasp. If you’d been able to see anything, you would have seen his cheeky grin and sparkling eyes, all lit up with mirth and devilry. There was absolutely nothing Loki loved more than play, and perhaps that was the true meaning of life anyway.

But when you finally cried out for mercy, he instantly relented, granting you more benevolence within a single moment of play than he’d ever been given in centuries. And all things considered, Loki was still quite delicate in his handling of you. After all, he had gentleness woven deep within him - the kind that had developed out of defiance, not because it was taught, and that just made him all the more genuine.

Dutifully, like it was an honor, he shifted your bodies so that he was on his back and you were nestled safely to his chest. Your leg curled around his, and after his fingers completed their soothing motions over the skin he’d just attacked, they moved in wide swoops along your back.

“I suppose I should repeat my question then?” he murmured softly after kissing your temple.

His skin, soft and smooth and pale, now smelled like an ancient fire that could burn his way through anything, if he’d wanted it to. It was intoxicating. You wondered if that was the same scent that had once filled the air of Asgard, if you’d ever get to experience it yourself someday.

“Mmm, yeah. I think you should…”

Loki cleared his throat, hesitating. His fingertips drifted up to the divot of your shoulder. “Did you truly not enjoy the costume I chose?”

His voice was so quiet, so tender that it made your heart ache a little bit. You shifted on the bed, leaning up to look him in the eyes.

“No, I did love it, Loki! It was really thoughtful of you, and for a second, I…” You smiled fondly, recalling the moment you first saw him, while one of your favorite songs ever blasted from your record player. “I really thought it was actually David Bowie, back from the dead…”

Loki quirked an eyebrow. “And so naturally, your first reaction was to…laugh at it?”

Your lips pursed together, trying to suppress another one. “Okay, I’m sorry about that. But I wasn’t laughing at the costume, it was honestly just…really overwhelming to walk in and see so unexpectedly…”

“Oh, you found it to be overwhelming, did you?” Loki grinned again, apparently possessing an infinite supply of them. “My poor little dearest, I’m afraid you only have yourself to blame for that.”

“Me?!” you laughed incredulously. “But I’m the victim here!”

So sure of himself, Loki gave a teasing nod. “Yes, you see, darling - I was in the process of choosing the appropriate level of detail for the illusion when you so rudely interrupted me…”

You maintained a playful, sarcastic expression as he explained himself. “Sure, sure. Or you could have just, you know…locked the bedroom door if you didn’t want to be interrupted…”

Loki chucked and playfully swatted at your hip. “So then tell me, what about it was too much for you? I had already decided that the red hair was a bit excessive, but should I alter the clothing as well? The voice?” he asked, his hand now softly soothing the skin he’d just swatted.

You silently thanked whatever it was other there that Loki had decided to keep his actual hair; it was one of his best features. Almost automatically, your fingers drifted through those gorgeous strands of caliginous curls, relishing in their strength and fluidity. He let out a tranquil hum when your touch grazed his scalp, and the sound was so effortless, so real, that nothing else could ever compare.

Unfortunately, your thoughts then drifted towards far less pleasant topics.

No one in their right mind could ever bring Loki’s capabilities as a sorcerer into question, especially not during battle. In fact, Wanda had previously expressed feelings of inadequacy when comparing her talents to his. But he had spent entire centuries perfecting his craft, he’d dedicated entire human lifetimes to his studies - to the point where most people remained completely unaware of its full extent once an illusion had been cast.

A large part of that was because he preferred to remain an unanswerable question to everyone else, especially after the attack on New York. He’d rather they looked at his daggers instead of at his soul, or at the black heart he worried was the true source of his seidr. He didn’t want anyone to know what he was truly capable of, lest they fear him even more - or try to use his own knowledge against him.

But if he wore the illusion of one of Bowie’s personas to the party - not dressed as, but if he actually was the physical embodiment of Ziggy Stardust come back to life - then everyone would know just how afraid of him they should be. You could see the fear-mongering op-ed headlines already - Former Alien Invader Transforms Himself into a Dead Rocker. What’s to Stop Him from Imitating the President Next?

And the critics who didn’t make that massive jump towards an impossible conclusion? You already knew that if he wore the wrong costume to the party, they’d have even more reason to pick him apart; if they secretly loved his costume, they’d simply accuse him of pandering. There was literally no direction for him to go that wouldn’t result in more needless hatred being spewed at him.

Even more pressing than all of that, what if they accused him of corrupting an innocent human when they learned about your relationship? You desperately didn’t want to make his life harder than it needed to be, but neither could you face bringing that concern up to him; what if he secretly agreed with them? What if he decided he was defiling your entire life just by existing within it?

What if he decided to leave you, in order to correct that grievous mistake?

Your fingertips gently traced the angle of his jaw. His eyes drifted closed as he clearly savored your touch, and his expression was just so serene, so peaceful. You couldn’t let him sacrifice that tranquility for the sake of a party; Loki may not have needed your protection on the battlefield, but you sure as hell weren’t going to let him wander into danger back at home.

“Well, maybe the issue is that you were using an illusion, instead of a costume…”

His eyes fluttered open beneath a furrowed brow. His pupils widened before fixating on you. “I don’t understand. The goal is to become the subject in question, is it not?”

You couldn’t help but laugh again; sometimes he surprised you with how human he was, and other times it was because of how alien he was. Letting out a slow breath, you pushed yourself up to sitting next to him. Your legs curled over to the side, and you draped yourself across his chest.

“I think the real issue is that you might be slightly misunderstanding the point of a costume contest,” you began with a gentle smile. “Using magic to alter your appearance for a contest could be considered…cheating, by some people.”

His expression was tender, but unrelenting. “I’m still not seeing the problem, darling. If I’m to become someone else in order to participate, then I’m going to become someone else…”

“But the whole point is how much effort you put into the costume,” you explained with a gentle head tilt. “It’s about how creative you can be with either a limited skill set, or a small budget, or shortened time constraints…”

You paused for a moment to let your words sink in before continuing.

“And I’m so sorry, but using magic just…isn’t that much effort for you. No matter how amazing or lifelike the illusion is.”

He nodded, and his eyes flickered with understanding. For a very brief moment, he seemed to be taking your words to heart. But when his lips curved into a cheeky grin, you knew he was about to make another snarky comment.

“You’re saying Stark will have a conniption if I win the costume contest at his own party? Is that it?”

You sighed and rolled your eyes while matching his smile. It was actually incredible that he still had this much energy to devote towards acting like a total menace. “Yes, if it helps you to think about it like that, then that is exactly what I’m trying to say…”

Loki continued thinking about your explanation for another moment, his gaze distant while his hand ran along the length of your arm. Eventually, the grin on his face slowly shifted towards one of true sincerity.

“Alright then. What would you suggest I do instead?”

You met his gaze with an even bigger smile of your own. All that remained of his illusion was a jagged, crimson lightning bolt stretching down his cheek, and you brought your fingertips down to gently trace along the bolt’s edges. His skin was so very soft, the transition between alabaster and crimson so seamless. It was only then that you remembered one of the purchases made earlier that day with Wanda and Nat.

“Well, for starters…I think we ought to actually paint this design on your face.”

Before he could even respond, you had already hopped out of bed - not that you would have responded to him anyway. And while wearing nothing but a scheming grin, you practically soared across the room, stopping just long enough to grab a few clothes from the bedroom floor on your way to the living room.

“We ought to do what, darling?” Loki’s incredulous voice called out after you disappeared through the doorway.

As you hurried into the living room, you bounced on one foot, and then the other, while pulling the pair of panties up to your hips. After clumsily slipping the t-shirt over your head and guiding your arms through its sleeves, you lowered down to your knees next to the shopping bags left by the front door.

Did you have any experience with painting faces? None whatsoever.

Was that going to stop you now? Absolutely not. His illusion may have been overwhelming, but Loki’s inspiration of picking a David Bowie character for his Halloween costume was beyond perfect, and you were going to do whatever it took to make that idea a more feasible reality.

Rummaging past the bright pink wig and the fringed flapper dress and the vampire fangs purchased earlier that day, you finally found it: a palette of Halloween make-up. The flat, rectangular box contained a few small brushes and a row of circular discs, each one filled with a different and very bright shade of creamy, metallic make-up.

It was definitely a very cheap make-up set, and probably had way too many questionable ingredients that you’d never be able to fully investigate, but it should work just fine for this little trial - as long as Loki let you anywhere near him with it. You were sure that he would after batting your pretty little eyelashes at him.

Back in the bedroom, you could hear him shifting on the bed. You shot back up to your feet. “Don’t get up! Just stay right there, Loki, I’m coming back!”

You carefully ripped into the package as you padded across the living room. Not only was this your first time painting someone’s face, but it might be the first time Loki’d ever had his face painted as well. A twinge of excitement, laced with a hint of unease, swam freely inside your veins; there was a good reason why your skillset had led you towards a career of getting beat up on a professional level, instead of towards a quieter, peaceful career of make-up artistry or hair-styling.

Complicating matters even more was the fact that Loki was quite particular about his appearance. The last thing you wanted to do was ruin this newfound interest in the Halloween party.

When you returned to the doorway of your bedroom, Loki was seated on the edge of your shared bed. His long legs were spread wide, with delicious expanses of thigh peeking out between the tousled sheets. His expression was dreamy and brooding as he ran a large hand through his midnight curls, like his thoughts were a hundred thousand miles away while he smoothed and detangled.

His face lit up when he finally noticed you, but then it dropped when he saw what you were holding. “Please tell me that’s a joke. You’re joking with that, yes?”

You grinned and shook your head like you were trying to fling your nervous energy into a nearby galaxy. “Not a chance. Scoot!” you laughed, waving your hand to get him to make room for you.

He complied, but still let out a frustrated groan as he shifted to the middle of the bed and leaned back against the headboard. “Darling, be reasonable. I’m already getting a rash just looking at that preposterous concoction…”

“Oh, come on! ” you whined, fluttering your eyelashes in a way you know he both loved and hated. “I know it’s not Armani, but you’ll survive a test run with it, right?”

Loki sighed, and then he softly patted the mattress next to him. “You’re lucky you’re so damn adorable…”

“I know. It’s a blessing and a curse for you, isn’t it?”

Having won the first battle, you settled next to him on the bed. Your legs curled up underneath you, and with an innocent smile, you blinked at him once more, a silent request that he drop the final remainder of his illusion. The lightning bolt on his face disappeared with an emerald glimmer, and a playful smirk replaced it.

“Yes, it is. And you’re going to be so very embarrassed if this folderol does actually kill me…”

You carefully pried open the palette and dragged a brush through the creamy, red substance on the palette. “Oh, please. Of all the things that could kill you, it’s not going to be drug-store brand holiday make-up…”

Starting at his forehead, you made gentle strokes against his skin, testing to see how well it absorbed the cream. As expected, it didn’t smear very well, the edges were smudged and uneven. But there was no need to panic just yet - it was still completely fixable. That is, as long as you avoided direct eye contact with him, or else you might become even more flustered than you already were.

Loki’s gaze shifted as you worked, watching either your hands or your face depending on whether you were gathering color or painting his skin. His features were soft, his eyes still dreamy as he watched you work, but you carefully kept your attention towards the task at hand; his attention was like a black hole of colossal proportions, and once you were caught in it, the only thing keeping you from splitting into a million different strands of yourself was Loki himself.

When he realized his alluring good-looks weren’t enough to distract you this time, he switched to a different tactic.

“Darling, do you really expect me to believe that Stark is allowing Miss Potts to paint his face for the party?”

You snorted, expecting nothing less from someone called the God of Mischief. “If Tony knows what’s good for him, he is.”

As you pulled the brush across the bridge of his nose, Loki let out a chuckle and titled his head. “Is that some sort of veiled threat, darling? What happens if I refuse to cooperate with you?”

That little movement was just enough to ruin what might have been a decent brush stroke, and it made you smear crimson down the length of his nose instead of diagonally across his cheek.

“Hey, stop moving!” you gasped and laughed at the same time. “Or you’re gonna wind up looking even more ridiculous!”

“Would it be rude to say that I find that difficult to believe, my love?”

Ignoring his comment, you licked the tips of your finger and swiped it along the edges of the lightning bolt, trying to smooth it out. When the makeup just smeared instead of erasing neatly, a new rush of panic settled in your chest. You licked your finger again and rubbed it harder over his skin, and then you tried using your other, untainted fingers - but all that resulted in was the tips of those digits, and now your tongue, turning the brightest red to have ever existed.

“Something the matter, darling?” Loki asked knowingly, repeating his earlier question. He pursed his lips together, just barely attempting to suppress a vindicated smile as he watched you struggle. “Is the inferior product you insisted upon ruining the homemade look you’d imagined for me?”

Forcing your expression into one of neutrality required a tremendous amount of effort. “Nope. Everything’s going perfectly, my love,” you lied, switching the makeup palette to your other hand. Within seconds, the fingertips of both hands were traitorously stained with the truth.

“Really? You’re absolutely sure about that, darling?” Loki asked, his eyes sparkling with mischief as he glanced at the make-up palette. “Please correct me if I’m mistaken, but there seems to be more tint on your fingers than what’s left in the container…”

Your face scrunched up in amused frustration, and the unpleasant taste of chemicals and oils now completely coated your tongue. “Mmhmm, this is a…totally normal part of the process.”

His comments were just making everything worse, but you were still determined to see this attempt through to the end. At that point, the makeup palette was discarded entirely and soon became lost within the bed sheets as you pushed yourself up to your knees and shifted closer to him. You took the hem of your t-shirt and pulled it up in a desperate attempt to finally fix the bolt’s outline and salvage your work.

You swiped the soft fabric down the length of his nose, but the make-up must have believed your t-shirt to be a brush, and all you did was push the red deeper into his skin. Silently cursing yourself, you pulled your t-shirt up further and tried to focus on gathering as much color as possible. Secretly though, you prayed that effectively flashing him like this would distract him from making more teasing comments at your expense.

But that didn’t quite work either, and Loki’s chuckle from behind your t-shirt was both leery and leering.

“And now you’ve resorted to seduction as a means of distraction from your lies…” he purred, the sound almost a growl as he brought his hands to your waist. “I’d say our relationship might be having a negative effect on your morality, darling, but you’d be much better at this if it was…”

You were still determined not to let him win, even as a shuddered breath tumbled from your lips. Your heart beat faster in your chest as the entire front of your t-shirt became tinted with red, and your face warmed from the feel of his hands gliding down to your hips.

“It’s fine! It’s fine, Loki. Trust me, I’ve done this a million - ”

“Sweetheart.”

Loki’s voice was kind but firm when he interrupted. He leaned back as he pulled your shirt down, revealing the devastation on his face that your attempts to fix had caused. “Please just admit that you’re not very good at this…”

You gasped and clamped a hand over your mouth. There was red everywhere - in his eyebrows and his eyelashes, across his right cheek and somehow, underneath his chin. The combination of mess on his both serious and amused expression was a horrifying, delightful sight, and you only barely managed to swallow the giggle bubbling in your throat.

Loki arched a suspicious eyebrow. He flicked his wrist and produced a small, handheld mirror with his seidr, and he stared at you expectantly - granting you one final opportunity to come clean, as it were.

“Come on, darling. I will love you no less if you just admit it.”

But you couldn’t; all you could manage was to laugh, cover your eyes and brace for the inevitable as he finally looked at his reflection.

“This is absolutely marvelous, darling,” he finally replied in a wry tone of voice.

You shook while trying to suppress another laugh, but it was all over now. He’d seen the abominable, unskilled attempt at facial decoration you’d left on his skin, and you knew he was never going to let you hear the end of it despite the fact that he was laughing too.

“And you were absolutely right, this is so much better than using magic. Perhaps I should go into battle like this. I could simply frighten our enemies to death…”

You let out a heavy laugh of defeat and let your hands fall to your thighs. You were sure there was probably red make-up smudged all over your own face as well now, but you didn’t care anymore. “Alright, so. Maybe I’m not that great at painting faces…”

“Oh, on the contrary, sweet girl…” Loki chuckled as he tossed the mirror away and pulled you closer, settling you over his lap. He leaned up and nuzzled his nose to yours. “This is impeccable work. Stunning, even…”

“No, stop it! You’re making a mess!” you laughed and tried to look away, but his face followed yours, no doubt just smearing even more make-up all over each other. “Loki! You’re ruining all of my hard work!”

His arms tightened around you. He began to kiss and nip at your jaw, your nose, your neck. “Or am I making it more authentic? Did you ever think about that, darling?”

Resigning yourself to retaliation at Loki’s level, you matched his every kiss and nip with another to his jaw, his nose, his neck. He let out an encouraging chuckle and cupped your jaw with his hands, angling your face properly to his. When your lips finally met, he let out a soft hum, and then his kiss shifted into one of reassurance.

Your arms slid around his neck as he leaned back against the headboard. His lips moved slowly and tenderly as he held you close to his chest, and they said everything that you needed to know. This was okay, he was okay. Aside from a few errant, washable streaks of crimson on his face, nothing real was actually amiss here.

He may have been teasing you before, but he was also loving you. The experiment had yielded far less than stellar results, but that was still okay. A suitable ensemble for the party would be found eventually - or perhaps just better make-up products - and the two of you were still going to have as much fun as someone could have at a corporate holiday party, even if there were a few extra pairs of wandering eyes there.

After another moment or two, the kiss broke naturally. You let out a slow breath and pressed your forehead to his. “Alright, I fully admit that I completely suck at face-painting. We don’t have to go down that route…”

Loki smiled and nodded. A glimmering wash of emerald erased any evidence of red from all skin and clothing. “Yes, I’m quite certain that we can come up with something else…”

By revealing his mortal partner to the world, you’d hoped it would soften the rough edges of Loki that his detractors wanted to keep illuminated underneath a hateful microscope. You’d wanted to protect him, to make his life simpler, to possibly ease his troubled integration on the planet he’d once tried to subjugate.

But the relaxed smile on his lips told you that he didn’t need you to do any of those things. Loki was from the stars, yes, but he only ever clung to one specific thing. He may have come from on high, his perspective and past experiences originating from a millennia away from yours, but he was still here, looking at you. Loving only you.

You were his, and he was yours. No amount of criticism, or any blades held to his throat, or cruel darts thrown at his loving eyes were ever going to avert his gaze. They could make him climb mountains on mountains to get to you, but as long as there were sunbirds to soar back down with, then it was all worth it, wasn’t it?

Your hands slid into his hair, gently tangling themselves within his dark curls. Your eyes roamed slowly over his angular features and icy blue eyes, admiring the planes of his cheekbones and the true depth of his gaze that simultaneously showcased both the wide expanse of outer space and your own reflection within his irises.

Loki was timeless. He was broken and hopeful, grateful and almost too intelligent to not know better. He was pensive, and he understood light and dark better than anyone else you’d ever met. The noir shadows of his heart were what had initially drawn you in, but the hidden brilliance of his glowing soul was what had made you stay.

A new idea coalesced inside your heart, and you settled your hips to his with a sly grin. “Are you by any chance familiar with my favorite David Bowie persona?”

Loki smiled again, but this time he shook his head. “Are you really only telling me now that the Space Oddity himself is not your favorite persona of his?” he murmured curiously.

You bit your lip and reached for your laptop on the nightstand, eager to introduce him to something brand new once more.

⊱ ── ༓ ── ⋅•⋅⊰ ── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ∙ ⋅ ── ⊱⋅•⋅ ── ༓ ── ⊰

Click here to be added to my Loki fic tag list! 💚

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11queensupreme11 · 5 months ago

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Can I ask if Percy can at least put up a fight vs the ror!gods? Like can she at least last a minute or so? 😭✊

ok ok this is gonna be a sorta long and sorta detailed post cuz i don't wanna have to answer any more "percy feats vs ror character feats" asks again (and i also should probably post this on the actual fic too to inform my readers for later arcs buuuuuuut maybe later, i'm too lazy rn lol)

(ALSO credit goes to various reddit posts cuz i didn't wanna personally scour through the manga looking for feats!!!)

percy is physically the weakest/slowest person in ror verse (against the main characters i mean). notice how i say PHYSICALLY. power-wise (as in her water manipulation, etc.), she could definitely take on the human characters (maybe not adam tho)

as i have said before, most book characters cannot trump anime characters from shonens/seinins when it comes to physical feats. shonens and seinens love going above and beyond in making characters physically op.

the pjo verse is very similar to our universe/the Real World in terms of physicality. the pjo humans are very average just like us and while the demigods are more enhanced than that, they are still nothing compared to ror characters. in the ror verse, the human physical potential is faaaaaar higher than the humans AND demigods of the pjo verse.

animes just Be Like That, okay??? it's like sending harry potter characters into sakamoto days. yeah hp characters have magic and sakadays characters have no powers, but they got an old man that can slice through a whole building with one swing of his sword (takamura), a dude that can one-inch punch a hole through people's bodies (gaku), and a dude who moves insanely fast (kindaka); they don't stand a fucking chance 💀💀💀💀💀

so percy, unfortunately, cannot stand a chance against even the ror humans if she's not using any of her powers. if she's sticking solely to her physical abilities (sword-fighting, hand-to-hand, etc. NO powers), she's FUCKED.

and as i have said before, the whole "oh but she carried the sky" thing is not a feat for her physical strength. if she was actually that strong, she would've just become the One Punch Man of the pjo verse and one-shotted every other enemy after that. there is a CURSE on atlas' punishment:

^percy is a hero, that is why she was able to carry the skies, not because she's super fucking jacked 💀

the ror HUMANS alone have the most insane fucking physical feats that percy (or any demigod in the pjo verse) could never even dream to accomplish (sorry my children 😔):

when lu bu was still alive, he was able to split open the skies with a single swing of his spear:

leonidas destroyed the arena grounds with a swing of his arm:

raiden ripping off poor shiva's arms with his bare hands (and his volundr didn't give him enhanced strength either, all thrud did was help him control his muscles; this strength is solely his):

dadam is insanely fucking fast; and he was able to surpass a move that could surpass time:

i could go on and on about the ror humans, but i'm gonna move on to the gods!

as i've stated before, i HATEDDDDDDD how the gods were in the manga. they were more like superhumans!!!! they weren't godlike at all!!!! so i gave them a boost in powers for my fic so they would actually be godlike!!!! if percy can't even beat any of the ror humans in a physical fight, she absolutely does not stand a chance against ANY of the ror gods in a physical fight!!!!!!! or even a fight with her powers! because again, she is a demigod and they are GODS.

(tbh, even if i kept the gods as canon, she still wouldn't be able to beat them because their physical feats are ALSO insane 💀)

but is percy 1000000% fucked???? no. she still has ONE good shit in her arsenal that the ror humans and gods don't have: the curse of achilles. she 99.99% untouchable. she cannot be hurt by them unless their attacks hit her mortal spot, but only three people (loki, beel, and mnemosyne) know of that mortal spot and they're not keen on telling anyone about it or the curse

yes, the characters will absolutely throw her around like a fucking ragdoll (😭) but as long as her mortal spot is untouched, she will live!!!! (she'll be really fucking embarrassed tho, but she'll live!)

she also has insane fucking powers that the humans DON'T have:

AND i am also boosting her by giving her some limited blood/ichor manipulation (again, blood manipulation is not canon; this is a fanon thing that i THOUGHT was canon because many other ppl said it was canon, but it's really not 😔)

she is also insanely smart when it comes to battle IQ and strategizing and the best part is that people underestimate her cuz they either think she's dumb af (beel and loki) or that she's just a baby (poseidon, hades, zeus, shiva, adamas, literally fucking everyone else) or BOTH (cú chulainn 💀)

and another thing that i don't really count as a "pro" but i'm putting it in here anyway: no god is gonna wanna hurt her anyway 💀 she's very widely loved by the pantheons, they wouldn't wanna hurt her cuz they love her (romantically and platonically). same with humans, they're not gonna wanna fight her for the same reason 💖

I WILL ALSO BE GIVING HER A LIL SOMETHING EXTRA THAT YOU'LL LEARN ABOUT IN ACT 2!!!! IT'S GONNA REALLY HELP HER!!! BUT I WON'T SAY WHAT HEHE

so in conclusion:

percy absolutely does not stand a chance against a fight with any god even with her powers; she can last a decent amount of time, but she WILL lose

percy will 100% lose against the ror humans in a PHYSICAL fight (and by ror humans, i mean the ror human fighters ofc. the regular humans she could obviously beat cuz they're just regular humans)

percy has a good chance of winning against some of the humans in a fight with her powers (but she will 10000% lose against adam cuz it's adam 💀)

#👸🏻| asks #👸🏻| arsenic blues #👸🏻| rambles

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dramatisperscnae · 1 year ago

Text

Loki couldn't help the chuckle as the boy nearly tripped over a chair someone had left in the walkway. He nudged it back under its table and looked the young man over. A reporter, it seemed, rather than a simple tourist. To do a piece on his shop? It seemed he was making quite a name for himself, if a newspaper from Metropolis was sending someone to take a look at a bookstore cafe in Brooklyn.

"…I'd be honored," he said after a moment, once the initial surprise had faded. "I've got a few moments now, if you like, or you're welcome to come back this evening after closing." He couldn't take too much time from his work, after all, even if he did have young Marcus lending a hand today. "And by all means, take what photos you need. I'm Luka Olhauser, the owner," he added, by way of proper introduction.

"Hmm what? Oh, oh I'm sure it is!" He turned quickly to follow after the man, not seeing the chair in front of him and running into it with an embarrassed squeak. He thankfully managed to keep it and himself from tipping it over. "I'm Jimmy Olsen, from the Daily Bugle. I'd love to do a piece on your shop, maybe take some pictures if I could." Jimmy takes a minute to turn so Loki could see the press pass pinned to his sweater, while holding his camera to show him he meant business.

#supermanspal #loki ic #loki verse: worlds beyond

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kitsune024 · 2 months ago

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|| Part 1 || || Part 2 ||

WinterFrost Fics

IronFrost Fics

Lokis return by Moonybird I Chapters: 32/32 I Completed Loki Lives

Takes place after "Avengers Endgame." Just a humorous little, what if, what if our dear god of mischief had a return by the very end of the movie?

Coalescence by MisstressSezza I Chapters:15/15 I Completed Canon Divergence - Avengers: Endgame, Avengers Family, Kid Loki

Innocence, once lost, can never be restored, and those most aware of the horrors of the world – those with intimate knowledge of terror and violence and blood – were always the first to lose, and also the most keenly aware of what they had lost. Age and truth killed the child within. And Loki was very, very old. *Set post-Infinity War/during Endgame*

I'm Listening by CourtesyTrefflin I Chapters:17/? I Canon Divergence - Avengers, Mind Control, Brotherly Love

Loki talks. Thor listens. It changes everything. Or, Iron Man doesn't find Thor as quickly after he took Loki off the quinjet, and the brothers have a much needed conversation with unexpected revelations which sets off an unforeseen series of events.

Tony's New Assistant by MarbleGlove I Chapters:38/38 I Completed AU - Canon Divergence

A trickster god does not go about acquiring power by brute force. AKA, the one where, instead of becoming a supervillain when he fell to Earth, Loki somehow ended up as Tony Stark's personal assistant.

Life In Reverse by @veliseraptor I Chapters 44/44 I Completed Alternate Universe, Loki's not good but he's working on it, Friendship

Home is where you make it. Or, the AU where Loki falls to Earth after Thor, wanders around trying to work out what to do with himself, and somehow ends up working for SHIELD. (Mostly because supervillains are so plebian.)

Rules of Hospitality by hauntedbotanist I Chapters 1/? I Loki Series, Loki & Odin, Loki as God of Stories

He has visitors sometimes. They are more familiar than not, to his chagrin.

One Shots

You do not have to walk on your knees by @veliseraptor I Chapters 1/1 I 5+1 Things, Possessive Loki, Rescue

It's not that he's invested in keeping them alive. The idea of someone else killing them first, though, is a bit offensive. Or: a funny pattern starts to emerge between dire situations involving various Avengers. "When you started thinking that Loki might be looking out for them in some kind of weird, possessive, only I may kill you sort of way…that was a sign you’d been in this business too long."

life's great lie by @laeveteinn I Chapters 1/1 I Loki series, Time Travel Fix-It, AU - Canon Divergence

Loki stares at his hands, slowly realizing that magic still works in the TVA. Perhaps not every kind, but Asgard’s sorcery can take hold here- in particular, Asgard’s illusion magic. Loki’s proven it with every step he’s taken. If magic didn’t work at all, he’d be entirely blue. (Or: even beyond the edges of space and time, he is Loki of Asgard.)

In Want of a Boon by RUHLSAR000 I Chapters 1/1 I Loki series, Loki & Odin, Loki as God of Stories

Haunted by watching his son fall from the shatter rainbow bridge, there is nothing Odin won't do to find out what became of him, even if it means breaking through the fabric of space-time. So when he finds out there is a person, a guardian, protecting and watching the timelines, he knows he must seek a boon from this God of Stories to find his son. But the face that greets him reeling.

Bookmark Series

The Architect by @mudgemsfic I Part 1-3 I BAMF Loki, Loki is not a hero, Time Loop, time travel Fix-It. Loki Lives A Queen's Gamble-verse by @stars-and-darkness I Part 1-2 I BAMF Frigga, Mind Control, Fix-It, Crack Treated Seriously, AU- Canon Divergence, Frigga is a Good Mom

#loki #ao3 fanfic #i love loki #fic rec #fanfic rec #loki fic recs #fic list #loki fic rec #winter frost #ironfrost #loki series

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oswildin · 5 months ago

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that's why I loved the loki series, I'm sick of all the hate that it gets just because loki is different. It's called character growth people! I mean I love all versions of loki. He was awesome in the movies but I also loved him in the show and the finale really made him one of the top 5 best mcu character for me.

Don’t get me wrong, the show isn’t at all perfect, but nothing is! I do feel it could’ve done with 8 episodes per season to really show the progression more of Loki’s character, deal and address some of his past trauma and accepting his true heritage etc (which I suppose they touch on or it is implied, but for the sake of plot they did kinda brush it aside). It did feel a little quick to happen, but again he was just plucked from his timeline and shown his whole life, so I suppose the reality set in pretty quick for him.

I think a lot of people cling onto Avengers!Loki (like I get it, trust me haha) a little too much, when realistically he was wearing a mask (I also am not a ‘Loki was mind controlled’ truther. He knew what he was doing and why he did it. I think the circumstances and possible slight influence of the mind stone just egged him on though). He was extremely angry and hurt during the end of Thor and in Avengers, hell even the beginning of Dark World. He even says it himself:

“Trust my rage.”

I suppose in the series, S1 Loki is just so defeated in a way because he realises that ‘nothing matters’, because it is all set out for him. Loki was never evil, did he do bad things? Yes, but he was not evil.

“No one good is ever truly good, and no one bad is ever truly bad.”

The people in the series around him help him grow, realise his potential beyond the expectations and limitations himself and others had put on him. Classic!Loki helps him realise he is more powerful than he realised, Kid!Loki makes him realise he could’ve actually been capable of killing his own brother, Sylvie gives him motivation to be better, to fight for something that matters and Mobius makes Loki see he can be whatever he wants to be, he doesn’t always need masks and illusions.

S2 Loki feels he has something worth protecting, a chosen family if you will. He knows he can’t go back to his timeline, and he failed to protect his mother, he failed being worthy in the eyes of his father, and he failed to see how Thor truly did care for him on the sacred timeline. So now… He’s determined to change that. We still see glimpses of the many facets of his character, S2 EP2 with his ability to be the Loki/God of Mischief people expect, S2 EP 5 with his selfishness and of course the finale where he reaches his ‘full potential’ so to speak.

‘Sentiment is a weakness’ has always been something Loki said or thought he believed… When in reality, sentiment drove all of his actions in the films. And that is mirrored in the series too.

Loki didn’t just suddenly become ‘soft’, it was always there, he just convinced himself that he wasn’t the same as his brother because he wasn’t like his brother… But if you strip everything back, the truth is he is just a ‘scared little boy’, as Mobius put it, who in the past latched onto what he knows best - chaos and mischief.

I cannot comment on the reasons people hate the show when it comes to the complexity of Norse mythology being used for his character, I am not well versed in it enough. I also enjoyed the Sylvie and Loki storyline - especially the complexity of S2 and their clashes. And I also enjoy Mobius and Loki’s bond and how they both helped one another grow. I don’t care about ships particularly, and I certainly don’t let it affect my opinion on the show because of that reason. Plus, I do love Sylvie as a character.

But as a MCU Loki fan, who has grown up with him since Thor1/Avengers, I think the show just expanded upon the character we finally got to see more of in Ragnarok/Infinity War. Tom even said himself that Loki has variety, he ‘plays all the keys’… Loki is never going to be one thing. And I love that about him, it’s what makes him interesting.

I could really go on and on but uh… I better not. Sorry, the special interest was really special interesting here lmao. 💚

Edit: would like to add that people who dislike the show for whatever reasons are entitled to dislike it, just as I’m entitled to enjoy it!

#loki #loki laufeyson #loki series #marvel loki #loki disney+

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doomreed · 1 year ago

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I’m not hyped about the new fantastic four news either. though I think what I kind of hope will happen is marvel doing something like they did in the last mcu spider man movie where we see 3 peter parkers team up.

I think it would be super cool to see the cast from the 2005-2007 fantastic four movie meet with the ones from the newest movie. and have the 2005-2007 Doom (Julian McMahon) meet with the Doom from this upcoming fantastic four film too.

so we have more than one “fantastic four” team and also more than one Victor von Doom in the same movie. that would be pretty epic to see in my humble opinion. (if this really is the case, I still have hope that marvel won’t mess it up, because it sure has the potential to be great.)

I mean marvel did just very recently confirm that all the events prior to the mcu (so… sony’s spider man and fantastic four) are also canon to the mcu, and I doubt they would say that if they didn’t plan to do something with it (they said it after the event of the last spider man movie with 3 peter parkers), especially when mcu is heavily heading towards the direction of multiverse, various timelines, various variants of the same person (character) right now. I mean we basically have 3 peter parkers (from both sony and mcu) and literally a bunch of lokis. so let’s see what’ll happen next.

also not related to the topic but I should just say that I’ve been a fan of your blog for some time now. thank you for all the DoomReed goodies

The only part of the casting I agree with is Ben. It feels like Marvel is playing it extremely safe with casting Pedro, like since Multiverse of Madness they've clearly been aiming for the "soft dad" angle with Reed, probably in an attempt to get ahead of possible complaints about him based on canon? I love Reed Richards to a fault, but he's always been a little bit of an asshole. Not intentionally, and much of that perceived assholeness stems from him being on the spectrum imo but it's there, and ignoring that does him as much a disservice as playing up Tony's alcoholism purely for laughs and then never mentioning it again was to that character--another thing the MCU has done.

The poster, the casting, idk. It radiates a nuclear-family blandness, with a camp overlay used purely for aesthetics that will probably be quite popular with general audiences and leave F4 fans from the comics and old movies and other sources of media quite cold. We are not the audience Marvel Studios wishes to court, they've made that very clear.

I'd love to be wrong about how this will play out, though. Pedro is a gifted character actor when he's allowed to be, the trouble is, studios know too well how much audiences love him as a person, and are too prone to mixing the two to improve audiences' appreciation of a character he's playing, rather than just letting the man cook. 😔

I don't have a firm opinion of the other cast other than: this will be the most money anyone named Kirby has ever made on Fantastic Four, so good on her. 👍 And the Ben casting feels right. I'm outside the Johnny demographic so no real opinion there.

I had read that the baddie for the first movie will be Galactus, which is like leading your football season with the Superbowl? But no one asked me, so... 😅 maybe they have a set up that will make that work, who can say.

I've also read (on reddit, so make of that what you will) that Doom will have a "cameo" in the first movie, but no clue what that means or even of it's true.

I like your idea a lot. I think the Deadpool & Wolverine movie will have a Fantastic Four cameo of some kind, probably. The comic book we see in the trailer next to Wade's head on the desert world is Secret Wars #5, which is a recap of the story so far and how everyone got to where they are--so it's possible the desert world they're all on is Battleworld, run either by future-verse Doom or (more likely) the Beyonder. I do think the movie will include them in some way bc the studio will want to start building hype for that as their next big project, going into the MCU version of Secret Wars.

And ofc SW will have crossovers galore, since Marvel Studios has unfortunately set audience expectations for that being what it's about 😅 so, worst case, they'll turn up between those two films no doubt.

I'd love to see Julian McMahon's Doom encounter a closer-to-comic-canon version, but a thing to know about Victor is that he kills every variant of himself he meets. Like, historically, that's just his thing (it's an expression of his own self-loathing, which is really tragic in a way) ...I dunno if the MCU will carry that fun little trait over, but as a writer I can say it's an easy, low-stakes way of showing "this character is a bad guy and also there is something very wrong with him" so... yanno. I am expecting it. 😁

Sorry for the negativity on this, I'm trying to stay upbeat about it all but so far they're not inspiring confidence yet. We'll see what future developments bring, if nothing else we'll always have fanart and fics and the comics themselves. It's not like this fandom hasn't dealt with bad adaptations before, I think we'll be alright whatever happens.

#thank you though #hope to get some writing done this week im so far behind 😭#(answered)#i guess this is a long-winded way of me saying it doesn't look gay enough for my liking 😂

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hail-brod · 1 year ago

Text

A Chance and Beyond (3)

Previous chapter: (Chapter 2)

Next chapter: (Chapter 4)

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

Loki x FReader

A/N: Note that I'm not really versed on the concept of time flow in the MCU so things that I will be explaining in this chapter may not be accurate but hej, this is fanfiction. Did try my best to understand Ancient One's explanation with the stones affecting the proper flow of time to integrate here so go easy on me <(＿　＿)>

Might just be making up some things along the way for things to fit!

This is a long one. Hopefully this would make up for the amount of time that took me this long to update.

Warning/s: Tony Stark, cursing, bit of angst.

WC: 5.7k

Doctor Strange confronts you about TVA and you get a nickname from Tony Stark himself. Really, you've had a long day. What else can you possibly expect?

"Time Variance Authority."

"Yes."

"Which is entirely non-existent nowhere within....?"

"The Sacred Timeline." you say. "It is outside the Sacred Timeline."

"Yeah, that." your new found sorcerer friend confirms as Strange's brows crease in thought. "And somehow it's somewhere? A secret organization filled with people who they took from the... Sacred Timeline and then do the dirty work of... pruning other branches of realities. Is that it?"

"Yes." you reply, steady in your seat. Taking in the way he tries to process this new knowledge.

"Now, what exactly is pruning?" he asks, every question he wants to ask mirrored in that look of him. Though, even if uncertainty was still present on his expression, you didn't miss the tinge of fascination dancing around his eyes.

You've been going on with this interrogation for almost twenty minutes now and it's quite straightforward—save for the little questions he add that he strikes as interesting to satisfy his curiosity. Nonetheless, it's nothing but... pleasant.

At most.

Not as stingy as before he is, and you'd wager because of this session giving him the massive information about what's out there, beyond the timeline, beyond the vast universes and you can't help but pride yourself in seeing him so eager yet so stoic in hearing what you have been saying. It's amazing that he manages to look so focused and intent on prying more and yet bits of astonishment seeps through his authoritative nature. That at least confirms that he seems to be believing your words.

But when he starts to explain to you about what he generally knows about timelines and it's flow, you realized that's why.

"The branches that you've mentioned," he inquires. "...you're saying that currently it's overloading because the Sacred Timeline is unkept and unmonitored?"

"Yes..." you confirm. "Yes. It's complicated and.... its hard to manage with so much branches. So everything... everywhere... there are a lot of possibilities growing outside of the proper flow of time."

You hope you understood Ouroboros well. Everything he had explained about the loom and the collapse of all as a result because of the murder of a certain time lord or whatever it is they call him and the possibility of a Multiversal war—as they would call it—was very much ingrained in your mind.

Which is rather a big matter than the world ending.

Because this is about everything ending.

"I'd ask what made that happen," he says. "but one branch of reality splitting outside of the proper flow of time means being overrun. A lot of suffering if I may add." his frown deepens.

You look at him, quite confused. "Well, you mean..."

Wait.

You've realized recently that concepts about time when it comes to sorcery can be quite different compared to the TVA but there's similarities. With what you know, there are the Fates—the Norns consisting of past, present, and future—the ones who weave the people's destiny. But with Strange's field of sorcery, it circles around the Infinity stones; as you've learned from him in your timeline. Plucking one stone out of the flow could result in millions to suffer which then creates the branch.

But in your case, the TVA, it's about the newborn realities that were... apparently unwanted. The dictation of how things should flow is always followed.

Although now, that's the system you and you're friends are trying to break. To renew. Just because of the absurdity of it all. One stray step from the paved path and it's all erased, letting everyone disappear from existence. And you have to thank your TVA friends for stopping that rule.

"Not necessarily..." you trail, downcasted.

"What do you mean not necessarily?" Strange looks at you pointedly, arms crossed. A disapproving sentience directed at you. "You say that's it's overloaded of branches. How is that not aligned to it being terribly diabolical?"

"TVA is different." you answer, holding his stare with certainty. "It's not a causality tied to just the stones, Doctor Strange. It's the causality of every living being."

"Just the stones?" he retorts. "This is about the Infinity stones. Capable of wiping a whole universe."

"I know. Hear me out, will you?" you stop yourself from letting out a frustrated sigh. Though, you almost miss the way he tensed up at how you addressed the most powerful might in the whole universe. You notice there's dread welling in him but he keeps it to himself with a determined look. "TVA wasn't exactly the best when it comes to 'protecting' the timelines. A fuse within the place caused some things to be questioned. The way of things were questioned. Then chaos ensued and the people that I know... who are there—right in this moment—are trying to save the timelines.

You glued your eyes unto him. "The branches aren't suffering, Doctor. They're new realities with living people, writing their own stories." you trail off the last lines.

Your words hung in the air. Silence has never been this loud before but you let him take the time to decide his next words. If you didn't pay much close attention, you could've missed the shift of his stern demeanor to a faint gentleness.

"Are you a variant?" he asks. "Before all of... the messed up timelines?"

For a moment, you froze. You could distinctively feel your chest tighten but you soon shrugged it off in a blink of an eye. "I am. Everyone in TVA is."

"But did you work for the TVA?"

"No." you plainly answered. "It's a very long story."

Something in his stare felt comforting yet enigmatic. At one glance, you'd see someone who's merely doing the job for their own benefit but you've long since started this conversation far enough to grasp what's likely and unlikely. You feel like there's no use hiding your troubles when he seems like he had already seen through you.

"It always is." he says.

You almost sink down on your sit, arms crossed as you avoided his calculating eyes.

"And it must be hard." he continued.

As much as it kept pinching your heart hearing it, you ignore his comments. Whatever it takes.

You sat there, withdrawn compared to before. The refusal that you were showing using silence made you look like a child, having a conversation with their parent for being caught in an unacceptable act. And nor should you want to reveal anything beyond what's he's headed unto. That is your lone past, your burden to carry, to remember. Now, what you aim is to create a new future entangled with the people you've met. That's all that matters.

You keep telling yourself that. Like you're trying to forget every bit that came before you knew about TVA.

The less you remember, the less it can hurt you.

Strange waits in silence but you see him turn away, inhaling. Oddly, he bats an eye on a specific corner in the room but before you could imitate his actions, he continues once again. "If you say that the branches aren't suffering, what exactly is the problem?"

Quite thankful for the shift of questions, you answer. "The proper flow of time." you start. "The massive amount of timelines branching out of the Sacred Timeline leads to chaos. I could say there's a war coming but crucially? There won't even be a war when all of existence is currently set to fade away."

You feel his pointed glance on you and as you look up to him, you see the frown etching up his face. Maybe, you've also spotted a hint of horridness in his eyes.

You know you said it was not a good idea raining these information down to them but this is only Strange. One out of too many. And you trust him to be able to handle such truth.

But you also know he's still a person.

"It's..." you try to say. "I... but I still believe there's a way to save both ways. I just need to get back to the TVA."

His frown did not dissipate, but you see his shoulders slightly drop. "And by trying to use the Time stone, you hope that you might be able to work it out. Correct?"

"Yeah..." you trailed off. "I hope."

I'll take any chances. You think. Even if it's unlikely possible.

"If this doesn't succeed," you continue. "we might have to turn our plans towards technology. I believe Stark and Banner would be very helpful on that, don't you think?"

"You put too much faith on them when you're just a stranger in their eyes." he says, eyes drifting away before back at you. He still wants answers. "I believe you mentioned you fought with heroes. Can I assume the Avengers has something to do with that?"

"You can." you reply, lifting a briefly tight smile. "Your alternate selves aren't that different from the ones that I know of."

He cocks his head up at the information with a plain expression but you see a slight wonder eliciting in his eyes. You sense that he wanted to ask something more as he opened his mouth but he soon diverged on a different one. "How can our technology even reach the heights of what you require to achieve?"

You hesitatingly shrug. "I don't know much but I do know TVA is also managed through... some kind of technology. Maybe it's impossible and unheard of.... but it wouldn't hurt to try."

"A tech outside of time?" he raised a brow quizzically. You only shrugged again which only made him look quite confused. "That's going to be really complex."

"What can a sorcerer say?" you say as you earned a pointed look from him. Oh, he did not like that.

"I was once a man of science and I still am." he sternly says as he tries to hide his irritation. "You have no right to question my profession."

You were quite take aback as you blinked at the small outburst. You contained a laugh. "I meant myself, Doctor."

"Oh."

You gave him a faint lopsided grin but made no further step in rousing his mistake. He eyed you down as his irritation slowly dissipates into a softer glare. As if saying that you should shut your mouth.

No matter what universe he is in, he's still devilishly good at intimidation....not that he has intimidated me before tremendously...

You tell yourself.

You almost feel like somewhere out there, someone is laughing at your interrogation session.

"Right..." he slowly says then breathes. "I'm going to take your word for everything that you've told me. But if you want to use the sto-"

You we're already most intent on listening to what he has to say but oh, it seems like you've almost forgotten about one of your bodily and existentially issues once you felt the odd feeling of tight gripping within your guts. The nerves you felt while hearing his response catches up to you but in this manner, it twists your whole form.

You warped and deformed. Maybe some part of rousing your nervousness can be the trigger to time-slipping.

Though, you can certainly say you didn't miss this.

Once your body steadied, you opened your eyes.

And you met the luminescent light of green, blinding you for a few seconds before you registered the culprit of it all.

Strange stands back a few inches away from you compared to the last time he stood moments ago and what's also entirely new is the opened eye dangling upfront his chest.

The Eye of Agamotto.

Soon, you did notice the green rays of light was extending to your own form, hugging you with it's cool yet warm sensation. You think at first that the magic engulfing you felt so foreign because this is the first time you've interacted with a Time stone—but at the same time... it's not.

It wasn't foreign. No. It's just somehow.... bigger and... overpowering than how it usually feels.

How it usually feels...That can't be right.

But your eyes catch sight of Strange's face as your view gradually cleared. His hands stuck out with the same circular engravings you've always associated him with, but instead of a fiery orange hue, it was now gleaming in green.

"You okay?" he tries to assure, brows creasing.

You let the feeling sink in, exhaling. "I... I think so. What did you do?"

"I used the Time stone. As what you have wanted and what I was about to say." he answers, slowly lowering his hands. You see remnants of franticness on him. "But I actually have no idea what I did. Just casted it's powers on you."

You frown at him. "That's not very reassuring."

"Well, you asked for it." he jested, but his expression lightly softens. "You don't feel any different, do you?"

"I believe not..." you say, stretching your fingers, cranking your neck and checking for any anomalies that may have occurred to your physique. "I am... fine."

"Let's hope that does the magic. I don't particularly know how the TVA works or anything out there when confronted with magic but..." he explains, giving you a knowing look. "..it wouldn't hurt to try. At least it didn't hurt, did it?"

You eye him gently as you shake your head and you catch the distinct break of his gaze to a calmer one.

You feel anew.

You don't look different but you certainly feel lighter as the magic of the stone courses through you. It doesn't affect you in a way how the Time stone manipulates time, but in a way that just...holds you together. But for how long? This could only be temporary and you have no qualms with that, but the fact that this very stone can be effective and useful for the TVA, brings a sense of hope to you. Magic may be nullified in that place but exterior to that, the Time stone could be boundless when used to get there.

You really hate magic nullification.

But that's just speculation. Only actions can prove it.

"What we're you going to say again?" you asked him, quite disoriented.

Strange blinks. He then recalls to his previous sentence, shaking his mind off to focus back on his point. "As I was saying, I will be the only one using the Time stone. And well, that's been done. But the next attempt at using it, you tell me and I'll help." he was back yet again at his stern mannerisms but this time, he seems more...friendly? "Understood?"

You almost mindlessly nod but you tethered yourself up to a clear nod. Before you could say something else, he speaks up, slowly looming before you.

"And I haven't fully given my trust to you. I don't wanna keep threatening you for that but....betray us and you have the whole Avengers' team for an enemy." he stands back with a content expression, almost giddy-like. "Hope that's about clear."

Believe me, you say to yourself. I wouldn't dare.

One thing for sure, you're just glad that he agreed to help you.

After you gave Strange your thanks, a genuine one at that, he replies it with an equally genuine nod...

Then sends you back in your blinding cell.

Thankfully, this time he didn't opened a portal below you to fall in but heeded your previous word of preference. Though, you admit that it's still uncomfortable on your part to experience the shifting of environment once again.

At this point, you'd think that you may have earned the right to be free, out and about from your irritatingly bright cell, but it seems like the Avengers are tough to convince when they suspect you as some kind of an enemy. To give it thought, that is understandable. Yet, it cannot be help to feel some sort of annoyance towards it.

The vast space of the cell seems to mock you of out of the comfort that you once knew. You honestly preferred the brightly lit orange office that the TVA emanates. Even the bustling time analysts rushing in different directions across the place breathes you a little bit of life.

There's the kindness and assurances of Mobius.

O.B.'s chirpy smile after saying something absurd.

B-15's gentle heart whenever she explains the worth of those branches.

Some sort of joke Casey doesn't seem to be able to comprehend.

The look Sylvie gave you when you told your tale of escape from the past TVA. And as your disbelief hindered you speechless after knowing who she really is.

And Loki.

How one look of him for the first time after you we're captured, broke your heart into a bittersweet mourning.

Not that he died in your timeline. Well, at least you almost thought he did.

But to be ripped out of that reality and then wipe it off of existence is like losing everything you have ever loved. As if a world just died with no remnants nor echo to prove the wonders of that life. Which is, unfortunately, the case.

Except, only for you alone to witness it.

It's no different when compared to death. B-15 knew that.

The Loki that you met in the TVA may not be the one that you knew, but it was still quite hopeful for you to see that maybe not everything was lost. Maybe you can still belong somewhere. Or see your old friends and family again. Even if at some point, it's bound to hurt you, to know that you're an anomaly, a displacement in every single universe that you'll end up in.

To feel like an imposter.

But the cast of friends you made with Mobius and the others gratified you somehow. And you're not ready to let that go. You want to help fix the TVA then after that....perhaps you can decide your next steps.

Breathing in, your thoughts speak. Look ahead, fool. You'll fare well without those memories. Starting all over again can't be that awful...

You berate yourself albeit hesitantly.

Though, is it really worth forgetting everything you've come to cherish? There's a feeling that tells you, yes, your inner turmoil would not exist no more if you'll just forget those moments in your timeline. But you know that's not what you want. And you also know the aching pain of loss is truly unwanted for anyone, yet you feel inhumane to choose not to feel that.

What does it matter?

You can't help but drift your eyes in a moment of daze as you unconsciously fly your fingers to your other hand, caressing the ring that sits there. You then bring your eyes down to it.

It looked simple yet...enriched. Just like how Asgardians do very much love their golden treasures and land, your ring was no different. Though what makes it special is it's carved runes rounding the accessory to which it bestows it's means of definition to bind.

They call it the Asgardian Betrothal ring.

The name says it all. But besides that, another memory catches up to you when you're brought to look upon your halved severed finger to where your ring lays. Unusual it is, but you've grown used to it's sight and the remembrance it leaves on your heart is clear as the day. You thought at first you could not bear the bizarre feeling of a missing finger, but time proves you lesser so.

Because it does look quite cool, as what Midgardians would say.

Nonetheless, the might to have experience the cause of it stems deeply in your mind.

The Dark Elves did truly ensure that.

As you trace your fingers against the ring, you can't help but think how good of a combination a severed finger and a ring could be together. It sounds absurd, you admit. Especially when it kind of metaphorically shows how your supposed marriage have been cut short��like your finger.

An omen you don't want to think too much even as though your situation have gotten worse, more or so than it predicted.

My Norns, you think. do you even exist? Or is this just punishment?

Your face fell into a deep pained frown.

Loki was your fiancé.

Your Loki that withered away because of the TVA.

Your marriage with him had pended for a long while for various reasons. You can't say royal courts have no squabbles at all because that would be unreal. And as a daughter in court, you've learned your fair share of duty that comes with it. But when you say royal court, that mainly involves the royal family.

And Loki's folks doesn't have the simplest of all families, but contrary to that.

It didn't bother you both much for your betrothal was never stemmed from your hearts. It was only a matter of arrangement on the All-father's part. He only asked of you to perform a duty for the realm and for Loki to be the second prince that he is.

Or so you thought.

Though, people know it themselves of each and everyone's reputation in the royal palace, they see Loki as an outcast among them but that didn't deter you to form a some sort of....acquaintanceship with him.

And there's no possible in Hel you would admit to yourself that he didn't became dear to you.

It has come far more than that.

Which then spelt your doom.

Luckily, no more time-slipping for you.

At least in the last few hour or so. It seems like the Time stone proved you well of it's abilities—for the most part.

You just don't want to assume.

As you busied yourself conjuring a dozen projection of tiny floating petals by your palm, dancing along the illusion of a wind, a few heavy steps interrupt you. You crane your neck to see the three men that entered the area, standing just right behind your cell barrier. You see Doctor Strange, Bruce and Tony.

You lightly frown.

They look like they have so much to say. Am I in trouble?

Bruce opens his mouth to speak but Tony butts in. "Hey, congrats, you're free." he then smiles at you and slides it down quickly to an unamused look. "Mister wizard here says you're worth the shot to help, though I disagree since, well- everything you we're saying sounded like a lot of bullshit-"

"Tony, hey." Bruce cuts in, giving him a disappointed sigh. "We talked about this."

You raised a brow. 'you we're saying'?

"I know, I know." he surprisingly says as he waved his hand off to Bruce to let him talk. "Let me finish this. Like I said—bullshit. But," he paused for awhile, eyeing you in seriousness. You don't miss the hesitation lingering in his expression. "the dangers you claim sounds a lot of a big deal than whatever we've known so far and I don't take lightly in trusting some....Time Pasta from out of nowhere. But it seems like you've got admirers in the team and they outnumber me. Which is dumb by the way."

You see Strange roll his eyes beside him. Though, you somewhat feel relieved to hear that the majority of the Avengers favor you well enough to help. You don't really mind the small distrust for now but at least—like Strange apparently said—you're worth the shot to help.

"So you're..." Tony continues as he taps a few times on his...bracelet? And then looks up to you with a swipe of his finger towards your barrier. In less than a second, it completely dissipates in little pixels, the whole wall gone right before you. "a free woman. And yes, don't try anything fishy or....'you have the whole Avengers' team for an enemy.'"

"Okay, that's it." Strange gives Tony a stern look.

But Tony stays his eyes on you. "You're lucky Bleecker Street Magician vouched for you."

"Hold on." you halt them, frown deepening. "You we're watching our interrogation?"

Strange turns to you. "Trust me, they insisted."

"You could've at least told me." you retorted. You we're quite upset but you guess it's better they see the whole clear picture of your story rather than just planting suspicions on your motives and existence.

The sorcerer gives you an apologetic look.

"Oh, how can we not pry? You we're the suspicious one who came out of literal nowhere." Tony gives you a satire grin.

Fair point. At this point, would it be bad if they knew? Probably. You don't learn these things in your daily life even if you're a superhuman who can do magic or a genius in an iron clad suit. But then, they seem to be taking it quite well.

You think.

You exasperatedly sigh "Fine. I get it."

"Good." he replies then eyes you intently while he pulls something out of his blazer. You wait to see what it is and you see a tiny speck of something red between his fingers as he stretches it out to you. "Gummy bear?" you stilled and only eyed it suspiciously but you quirk up an amused brow. "No? Yeah, well, have it your way." and he eats it himself.

Of course he offers snacks whenever you least expect it. your mind speaks. A feature of every Tony Stark, I suppose.

Maybe it's also a good sign he's offering you so.

You glance amongst them for a few seconds before you can step out and down from your acquainted cell that you will never miss. Any left cautiousness you saw from them when you first appeared have leveled down just a bit. That heightens you down to an ease. You want them to know that you can be truly trusted so you walk patiently as you observed them.

Now that you've crossed out, Strange speaks up. "How's your time-slipping? I doubt people wouldn't get scared of you if every passing second your body's ripping apart."

"Yeah that," Bruce joins in with a concerning glance. "it really- it looks horrible. You're like...a walking horror movie."

You don't know if you should be offended or be guilty to have made people feel that way but you blink away. Whatever a 'horror movie' is. You just let out an 'Oh' as you turn to answer Strange's question. "But yes, I think it's working."

The said man sags his shoulders down in relief. "That settles that for now then. In the meantime, I need to go back." Strange turns around and opens a portal to somewhere you can't quite recognize.

"Where are you going?" you crease your brows at his leaving figure. "What about our deal and plan?"

He stops and looks back to you, exhaling. "We can start tomorrow. Surely, you've had a very long day."

You softened your gaze. He's right. Was it even day or night? You've been everywhere and moving from place to place before you came. Then, questions thrown for you to answer. Maybe a rest should do you good.

Strange sees your ease and receives the message, giving you a single comforting nod. He then finally enters the portal as it closes to a speck of dot.

You're glad that he's warming up to you even if just a bit.

You're now left with the two genius scientists with Tony picking up the lead to say something. "And that's also my queue to leave." he looks at you. "Also, Bruce is right. You're not just a walking 'horror movie'—you're a walking 'Horror Time Pasta Movie' so you won't be going anywhere without supervision. Who knows what else is happening to you."

You have no idea what you're hearing. But you make it a point to tell him that you have a name.

"Yeah, you-who-whatsoever. You're still Time Pasta for me." he says with a fake smile then turns around to head for the door. "Remember, you're being watched around here!"

You don't doubt you are. A 'free woman' he says. Now my whole prison is just the entirety of this building.

You could always magic your way out but where would you go? And it isn't worth the risk when their trust relies on that terrible decision. You just need to find a way back to the time organization that you realize you've been quite obsessing over now.

You shrug it off. You need to lay down and rest.

That's also when Bruce speaks up. "Don't mind Tony. He's always like that and he still has a good heart." your eyes snap to him as he walks towards the door. He gestures for you to follow as you complied. There's a hesitation in his tone as he continued. "I did hear that you we're allies with us in your timeline, so you probably know how he is. Unless, maybe, he's more of a jerk there..." he turns to you with an apologetic look.

You chuckled. "Well, nothing's particularly changed I supposed. We're usually more on good terms." you eyed him kindly.

He huffed. "Wait, really?" you nodded.

He started to ask questions about multiverses. He gets so expressive with his reactions when he hears something so different and unexpected. But he also mentions a bit about Thor and Loki.

"Thor warmed up to you so easily." he says. "I mean, he could be biased because you're one of his people but I guess that works well for you. He really tried talking it out to them on your behalf."

Your heart softens at that. And you don't know what to think. There's that lightheartedness washing through you and you miss the feeling.

He then continues. "Even Loki acted different."

You dart up to him. "What do you mean?"

"Oh, like," he starts. "he's actually willing to side with you—which he doesn't usually does with anyone. Especially when you just came here this morning."

Oh, you echo in your head. it's only been that long?

But you go back to his words. "Loki is?"

"Yeah," he looks to you. "you're close with him? With his- what do you call it again? Va- Variant?"

You inhale. "Variant, yes. But no, you call them Variants if-" you pause, not wanting to ramble more about the TVA and anything about it. You've said enough relating to that topic and you don't think you can handle more mentions of its complexity.

Seriously, it's tiring.

"Nevermind." you defeatedly sigh as you gave him an apologetic look. "Yes, I know...Loki."

He seems to notice your tiredness and hesitation. You try your best to bring up a smile but it just became strained.

If Bruce ever saw your sadness, he didn't mention it.

You skim back to what he said about Loki. You can't deny that it's odd that he would side with you in this circumstances considering that your interactions so far where not quite good. But at the same time, it gives you a sense of warmth to know that he would.

Though, you don't want to delude yourself further if this escalates differently.

As you tagged behind him, which soon changed with you walking side by side, you take a moment to survey the halls you we're passing by. It was increasingly different than you expected. But as you walked further, the scene shifts to a few turns, then stairs as you go up and finally catch sight of the glass paned walls that lets you see the vast fields outside of the compound. Though, only a few specks of lights we're radiating the field so you don't see much because it is night time.

You hear the faint voices and steps of Tony right ahead but you don't see him. It gets closer and closer as the echo surrounds the place as you lastly hear cusses like 'shit' or 'dammit' that slowly fades away into silence.

It seems like he already left.

You realized you actually don't know where Bruce is leading you, so you ask. "Where are we going exactly?"

"Oh yeah, my bad." he replies apologetically. "Tony wanted me to show you to your room. And don't worry, this time it isn't a prison."

You somewhat light up at that.

You then stare at Bruce whose slightly ahead of you now. You think that maybe you should thank him for...well, almost and kind of, for siding with you during the previous arguments. He's always been such a kindhearted soul to everyone including you, and you guess he always will be.

"Thank you," you suddenly say. He shifts his attention to you in wonder. "for putting up with me."

His brows lift up and he softly smiles. "Don't mention it."

After you had bid your farewells with Bruce and with you being able to settle in your new room, you take everything in.

He was right. Not a prison.

Everything looks normal and comfortable but also too sophisticated than you preferred. But nonetheless, you'll do away with it because you can't afford to be fussy over little things.

The bed was made up with white blankets and pillows. A few Midgardian necessities on a vanity just across the bed. Then a door that probably leads to the bathing quarters along with a massive wardrobe that you will unlikely need and a seating area just right where you entered. It's fairly big but it honestly cannot contend compared to Asgard's chambers.

"Then again," you mutter to yourself. "this isn't a royal palace."

As you surveyed more for awhile, your sight catches the wide windows that behold the scene outside. This time, you see everything clearly as the moon rays illuminates the night and you stand there for a moment basking in the serene view.

It's calm, you thought. yet there's a storm coming.

You just revel for awhile in the moment as your previous tiredness sinks in. You've ran enough. It's time for you to settle, even just this once.

But before you could turn around to head in bed, you hear someone mutter your name with frantic breaths just a few feet from behind. And as you panicked to hear someone else in your room, you look back to see...nothing.

No one.

Have I gone mad? you frantically think.

But you heard it clear as day.

You heard Loki call for you.

Previous chapter: (Chapter 2)

Next chapter: (Chapter 4)

Masterlist

Series Masterlist

'A Chance and Beyond' taglist:

@oscarissac2099

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helreginn · 11 months ago

Text

Disclaimer: If there is no verse for your muse’s given story/tv show/world etc, don’t be afraid to ask me about making an au or verse backstory for it for Hel! I’m always up for finding a way to accommodate our muses

*~*~*~*~*~* Main Verse ERAS*~*~*~*~*~*

Járnviðr:

Youngest of all her siblings, Hel spends her days in the Iron Wood running amuck with her brothers. She follows quite literally in her mother’s footsteps, trying to emulate the chieftain. Her father tells her stories of the worlds she will one day know. It’s a quiet life but it’s safe and peaceful. In her woods, amidst the trees and wolves.

Asgard’s Rule:

Hel is older. Not by much, but enough that she understands. Her powers have emerged and they have the potential to be more volatile and destructive than any other gift given god. The Æsir, now fearing the power of Loki’s family, stole her away from her safe haven. The horror that slew Narfi was intended for her too. But death is not so willing to die. As a last ditch effort to see her banished, they threw her into the underworld. Left her there to rot. To hide the embarrassment of being unable to kill all of Loki’s children, much less a little girl, they backpedaled. Fast. Pretended this had been the plan all along. For Hel had been raised to lead by her mother. She would surely be able to breathe new life into a forgotten realm. This realm, forged anew, would bare her name.

Helvíti:

Both ancient and still a child, Hel is angry at Odin, the Æsir and the worlds. The people of Hel have come to know it as such, but what comes after is a matter of who you ask. They would say it is a home, but to it’s queen a prison. Despite acquiescently stepping into the role of queen and caretaker, Hel became more than a little unhinged. About to unravel at any given moment.

Hel:

Throughout the realms, Loki and Angrboda’s monstrous daughter has been deified. Her plight is still shaky. Her powers have grown beyond her control and more than ever, the things she’s seen are wearing at her mental stability. Slowly - but surely - she is coming into her own. Even death needs training wheels, afterall.

Helheimr:

There is a readiness in her, a quiet calm captured in the heart of one that is motionless but never still. It’s clear now who and what she is.

Ascension:

It’s time now, for all things to rest and for death to return to the worlds. Her time is done and the sentence passed. Sickbed holds her like a mother cradling her child. Though some of her family still lives, Hel herself is nearly gone.

*~*~*~* Alternate Realities *~*~*~*

Níðhöggr:

As they did often to women, and even still in some places today, Hel was given as a wife to one of the Æsir. Following in her parents’ footsteps, she bore him a monster. Barely formed scales and glowing eyes clouded the begrudged parents’ first sights of their son. In a rage of disgust and misunderstanding, Níðhöggr’s father threw him into the depths of Náströnd and kept Hel from him for years. As much as she did not love her husband before, the goddess regarded him with utter contempt and always mourned the loss of her son after. That is, until she learnt how to bring about sickness. An outright sudden death was far too suspicious, but illness gave her plausible deniability. He was dead by the next high moon and Hel returned to find her son.. changed but her love for him was in no way diminished.

I am become death (“Evil” AU):

Having fully embraced her affinities and giving up every ounce of care she has, Hel becomes something of a darker parody of herself. They punished her for monstrous acts, so monstrous she became. She kills for sport, and not with her gifts. No, that would make it too fast, too easy. Everything the Æsir feared, she will bring to fruition.

Switch Blade Attitude (Human AU):

Hel has been born anew. A human, unaware of the life she once led. A gift from those that would see her suffering end - If only for a single lifetime. She lives in a decent sized house in the woods with her parents, Ganglati and Ganglot. In this life, Hel’s into rock and band Tees. Science is where she excels. Attempting to understand things at their very core had always been her way. In all her lives. She studies hard in school and has many opportunities available to her. But mostly, she just wants to find the thing she cannot place. The thing that is missing. Family. A different family. Her real family. The memory of them could not be carried into her mortal life, but her soul could not forget. Despite this, she leads a happy life. There is so much of the world for her to see and experience. She dances ballet and plays guitar and makes friends all the time. Her parents love her and will not be taken away. It’s not what she had in her true life, but it’s good. She is currently attending USC’s Keck School of Medicine in progress towards her PHD in Biomedical and Biological Sciences and Master of Science in Stem Cell Biology and Regenerative Medicine. Her name is Helena Smith.

What could’ve-should’ve-would’ve been:

Odin adores Loki. They may not be brothers by birth but they are by blood. When a prophecy threatens to shake this bond, Odin puts his trust into his brother, that he will not let his children become what has been seen. Hel and her kin remain in the Iron Wood. Allowed to grow up and grow old. Her powers take a different affect as a result of being nourished and loved as she was supposed to. She is not only acknowledged as goddess of death, but also life - as she had always been. Wherever she goes, the air breathes easier, the plants are greener and everything is brighter. Death is still hers to command, but it is not all that she is known for. Without the trauma of the Underworld and the loss of her family, her childhood, she is happy. She is bright.

*~*~* Pop Culture Universes *~*~*

*spoilers ahoy*

American Gods:

Mr. Wednesday and Mr. World; The gods -new and old- align themselves behind these two men. And Hel couldn’t care less. She is more than a god. She is the physical embodiment of death. And as such, she is completely indifferent to either side of the coming war. It doesn’t hurt that Hel owes allegiance to both. And neither. Afterall, both sides were the side of her father, so she sides with the middle and the two. In her down time, she wanders. Roams the worlds above her own. Mostly she keeps to herself. But there are times she is more easily found: The passing hours of twilight. Days when the sun is stolen by clouds. She tried to escape the gloom of Hel only to find herself more comfortable there. When other preternatural beings see her, she is happy to treat them as if they were of her own Pantheon. All that belonged are scattered and shadows of what they had been. So she clings to anyone or anything resembling her own kind. Her pseudonym for the new gods is Ms. Hallow.

Disney’s Descendants:

Hel is the human daughter of Hades *ba dum tss*. Life on the isle hasn’t been particularly kind to her. The days are long and the company isn’t good. She never dreamed of a life beyond her misery. Was almost certain being rescued by her father (and thus taken to the underworld) would be worse. When King Ben mandated Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos be sent to Auradon a new hope was born. That she too might one day escape the misery indirectly earned by her parentage. ((I wrote this like D1 MAYBE D2. I don’t know if I’d keep this plot anymore having seen D3 but I’m more than willing to revisit it if any Descendant rpers would ask. :)))

God of War:

It is a weird time for Hel. Death has and will always exist; Second only to life. But Hel, daughter of Loki and Angrboða.. May not. And there she is anyway. Before those that were meant to come first. Hel knows her time is borrowed. She may be an echo of a maybe, almost, not quite potential thread. But she's not about to let that stop her causing confusion and mayhem in the meantime. She is maybe her father's daughter, afterall. {{ALT FC BECAUSE WE DO NOT ERACE POC IN THIS HOUSE!!}}

Hazbin Hotel / Helluva Boss:

It's unclear how Hel found herself in a Hell so far removed from her own Helheimr. But she did. Clumsy and wide eyed, she stumbled through the underdark and made fast friends. Even being invited to a ball! And thereafter, she could always find her way back. To this weird parallel reality. Fully of loud and beautiful creatures. She found many things in common with the demons and dead of Hell. And so much wonderment in the vibrant and chaotic world of sins and sinners. Much like Charlie Morningstar herself, she is a rare speck of sunshine in the grim and gory underrealm, delighting in new friends and wild tales.

History’s Vikings / The Last Kingdom:

It’s easy enough to pose as a princess in an age where records are not as readily available. Her clothes are cleaner, she stands (despite her small size) taller and is educated far better than most. The name Áfríðr has become her mask, something to lure unsuspecting men, women and children into a false sense of security about her. Few all question her story. And why would they? With a handmaiden and manservant that rarely leave her side, jewels aplenty and a hubris only gods and royals possessed, who would disbelieve her story? Hel isn’t always subtle, there are those that have sight and can see her for who she truly is. She doesn’t mind so much, enjoys playing with their heads. She might sit too close to a fire, drink too much, act reckless with weapons or speak of things she shouldn’t know. But it rarely comes to anything. Her presence distorts things, makes a sane man mistrust his own mind. Anyone who does acknowledge her true identity, is welcome to speak openly with her. But dare they tell another who she is, her home will receive another soul. Word cannot spread that she is where she is, for the gods do not like a wandering death.

Lord of the Rings/The Hobbit/Tolkien:

Not long before the creation of Eä, Hel lived peacefully among the Maiar and the Valar. Namely Námo with whom she shared a duty. But.. not yet. Not until the age of men. Whereafter she was to take the dead. The dead men, and keep them in a place much more secret than the hall of Mandos. Manwë had told her that Eru, in his wisdom, believed that for the brevity of life to come, it was important for Hel to know them and experience their worlds a little more before she was ready to take them. Hel was never entirely convinced that was the reason she awoke so far ahead of her task but she was content growing into herself before she was tasked to look after others. As such, she had much time to wander and be merry. Befriending many of the Ainur. Her favourites among them were Nienna and Melian and Nessa - in no particular order. And she spent the bulk of her time between the hall of Mandos, the gardens of Lórien and the halls of Nienna. Much to several of the Aratar’s chagrin. When the elves awakened and Melian left for Middle Earth, Hel, having no true duty or home followed some time after. When Melian and Thingol became one with the trees, Hel did not worry and spent her time learning the ways of the elves and listening to the birdsong. Knowing her dear friend and -by this time- token of her affection, would return. And by the time she had, Hel had carved a place for herself, near to the door of night at the westernmost reaches of the world. By the time she found her friend once more they were both much changed. One a queen and protector and the other an unseen guide and keeper. She has a hall called Éljúðnir back home and another much less grand and far more discreet in the forest of Neldoreth. It is hidden by a great magic. Only visible to those who are granted sight of it by Hel or Yavanna. It is where she stayed when she visited her old friend in Doriath. {AN AU WITHIN AN AU?? :O { In this little twist ((Because I memed too close to the sun)), Hel is one of the few Valarindi; Children of the Valar. Daughter of Nienna, in fact. Her task is still the same. She takes the men and shuttles them somewhere she isn't allowed to say. But first she spends time learning from her uncle Mandos and truly taking in what life is about before she is ready and prepared to soften the sorrow of dying. All other things in this verse are the same.}} At first, when seen by others dwelling in the girdle of Melian, they might've notice an unrequited affection there, between Hel and it’s guardian. Over time that doting affection was pulled away. Towards Mablung. @thegreatstrongbow Hel figured out, after much time and unfortunate contension, that the love she held for Melian is the love of a sister. In bodily form, it hadn't felt the same and she was always slow to understand emotion. But she is very sure about her Captain. She loved him. Even when she knew she would lose him. Later, when all she knew in Doriath were gone, Hel reconciled with Annatar. Sauron, by another name. She knows he hides things but doesn’t mind. Much like Manwë, it is hard for Hel to see the evil in some people. And only time will tell if she chooses to follow his path of darkness when the time comes. For now she is happy just being old and secretive, watching the descendants of her loved ones thrive and bloom. Other ages are less fleshed out but ALWAYS open for plotting and further development! :)

Lucifer, the tv show:

It's unclear how they came together. But they did. Cum together. She sucked the life out of him and fucked it right back inside. And somewhere along the way instead of STDs or Pregnancy, they both caught feelings. @umbraveritas lay his soul bare, confused and betrayed by his lack of awareness of other pantheons and realms. Hel was a little more subtle. Pushing him away with her words the same as she pulled him close with her hands. A temultuous relationship at the start, Lucifer didn't give up and Hel soon gave in. Not worn down in her self but the walls she had created to keep everyone out came down with his persistent effort and her stupidly transparent heart. He faced Óðinn for her. For their love. And after words shared between her uncle and his father, they were "forced" to be wed to salvage what hope of civility might exist between their peoples. So that the bounds of their many realms could be written explicitly in the contract of their marriage. Tragic. So sad. They were wrecked, truly. Settling in to a life of domesticity and mutual growth. The worst fate either could withstand. JKS Lucifer charmed the hearts of Hel's attendants and even claimed her beastly son as his own. And in doing so, he earned her heart and was freely handed everything else. Obviously canon divergent. If Decker exists, she is simply a friend. All other muses are doted on and adored by the goddess.

Marvel:

Hel - named ironically from the same source as her disinherited aunt Hela - is the daughter of Loki. She was something of a secret. Her adoptive grandparents Frigga and Odin knew of her but after a falling out with Odin nobody had seen her in some years. Weirdly enough it is Heimdall who keeps best track of Hel. He knows that she is still around, wandering in the shadows. ((This is a mini verse. And I would prefer if our threads were in any other verse if possible. Marvel is not kind to the rich stories of Norse legend at all {But so many of my favourite rpers are Marvel only so.. Needs must}))

Once Upon a Time:

Hel was born as Helena Harris, the daughter of a Knight in the Kingdom of Arendelle. Her father wanted her to know how to protect herself, so she’s handy with a sword. She was visiting a cousin in Misthaven when the first dark curse was enacted. In StoryBrooke, she was given a new life as Loretta Ealdwode; a full time nurse. When the curse broke, she continued to practice medicine, becoming a figure of safety to the patients under her care during so much chaos. The spell showed her that she was very good at being a carer. To the point she wanted a child. Which was not a hard people to come by, given all the kids left behind in the curse without parents. She fosters three, Liza and Charlie Dorwell and Tallulah Smith. She spends most of her spare time at Gran’s, helping her kids with their homework and keeping out of all this good/evil nonsense. When StoryBrooke became null and the fairytale characters returned to their world, she went home and did not get caught in the second curse. (that she can remember)

The Almighty Johnsons:

In the absence of Eva, Hel returned once more to the cosmic abyss in wait for the next potential god or goddess vessel to come of age. Idunn came first, as they knew she would and then Gefjun, Nótt and Sunna before it was Hel’s time to return to the mortal world. Charlotte Weiss. 21 and mostly alone. Her ceremony was most like Snotra’s. There was no Oracle to explain who she now was, no family or friends to support her in a change that she didn’t understand. There was only Hel. It took exactly 39 days for Charlotte to remember Eva. 39 days for Hel to show her. Hel’s life had been difficult enough before they sailed away, she would not allow her chance at humanity die again. It was not hard to track down the Johnsons and the other gods. No, the hard part was getting them to give her a chance. Ingrid was the first to welcome her with a smile. The rest, she is still trying to wear down.

The Mortal Instruments / Shadowhunters / The Infernal Devices:

Hel is a thousand year old Warlock. Her magic is a vivid purple and her mark is a pair of feathered wings. They are a pale grey, and small - serving her no purpose as they’re too small even to fly with. At one point (the one she refers to as her very lowest), she tried to carve the wings from her back. Thankfully, she was talked down by a kindly old woman who mistook her for an angel. She still bares a scar at the base of her shoulders. In the twenty first century, and given the evolution of Warlock culture, Hel grew more confident in her unique mark. Sometimes she dyes the tips of her wings different colours. Much like Magnus, she is cheeky and sarcastic but loyal to the bitter end. She happily follows Magnus’ rule as High Warlock of Brooklyn. Ruling isn’t something she’d willingly choose anyway. When needed, she fights well and to the bloody end.

The Vampire Diaries / Originals:

As an unseen force behind many of the mystical tribulations faced by quasi mythic beings, Hel was there for most of it. When Qetsiyah created immortality, it was Hel that gave her blessing. Washed her hands of Amara and Silas’ fate. When Esther birthed a race of undying creatures, she was there. Listening. She is the unsung voice of others. To whom a witch calls when nature’s laws are being broken. It’s only too easy to mistake her for a Vampire. Hel bears all the given traits; Stories of an age long past, inhuman abilities, immortality and the like. But there are no blackened veins beneath her ivory flesh. No fangs that fall from her mouth at the scent of blood. There is only the visage of a young woman, small and lovely. If not a human, the most reasonable thing to call her is a witch.

Supernatural:

The timeline’s a little hazy. Was Hel born before or after Gabriel pretended to be Loki? They both know but neither will say. As far as all are concerned she is his daughter and he is her father. The fact she is a Norse Goddess and in possesion of the same sliver of death as the pale horseman himself is really neither here nor there. She might not be the most welcoming to the other angels but she won’t hesitate to help them either. For her maybe father…

#Verses

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