#loki's entire problem with everything is that even when he gets to talk no once listens to him!

[loki-us]

Welcome to my Mega Problematic Sylvie post

I wanted to make a list of everything problematic about Sylvie in s1 and s2 because she gets away with whatever she wants and it bugs me to no end that she never takes accountability for any of the pain she causes.

You have been warned. So let's get into it.

1. Sylvie’s way is the only way and she expects everyone else to just bend to her will without complaint

2. She is physically mentally and emotionally incapable of trusting anyone besides herself

3. She uses other people's emotions to manipulate them into getting what she wants

4. She refuses to even entertain the possibility that anything besides her own opinion is correct

5. She criticizes others' attempts to clean up the mess she caused while she herself does absolutely nothing about it

6. Always looking to ruin and run, taking the easy way out and avoiding any accountability

7. Puts her own need for revenge above the well-being of everyone else in the multiverse

8. Blames everyone else for the problems she herself caused

9. Insults everyone at the TVA for their lack of empathy despite it being the exact reason she didn't want to return in the first place. Every critique she delivers just illustrates how much of a hypocrite she is

10. Berates Mobius and all the people who are actually trying to fix her problem even though they never once blamed her for the mess they're in

11. Acts like she's doing everyone a favor just for being there and insulting everyone when in reality, Loki had to ask multiple times before finally getting her to return

12. Never willing to put in more effort than just destroying everything and walking away

13. Even when directly asked for her help, Sylvie straight up refuses. She couldn't care less about anything besides her McDonald's employee-of-the-month badge

14. Sylvie gaslights Loki into thinking they're the same, that she's not in the wrong because they're both only thinking of themselves. In reality, Sylvie is thinking only of going back to her own timeline, alone, while Loki is thinking only of making his friends happy, because that's what makes him happy too.

15. While being completely unsympathetic to Loki struggling with his greatest fear, Sylvie makes the decision that Loki's friend's are all better off where they are now. But is it really better for them, or just better for Sylvie?

16. And now, after 11 episodes and countless requests for Sylvie's help, she actually cares about the rest of the multiverse. And yet it's still solely because her own timeline is finally in danger

17. When Loki ends up sacrificing himself to solve the problem Sylvie created, her only response is a joyful shrug that she's now happy, alone, and responsibility-free.

Overall, I know Sylvie's only purpose as a character is to be a darker mirror of Loki and everything she does is understandably informed by her trauma. This is likely a result of having a limited-episode-series and having all male/not diverse writers creating female characters. Sylvie is used only as a comparison to Loki before he met Mobius, and unfortunately is never given any thoughtful character moments like Loki had showing how he was aware that his actions hurt others. In 1x1, Loki talks about how he doesn’t enjoy hurting people and only does it to maintain control. The only time we ever see Sylvie reconsider her actions is when she didn’t kill Timely, which I think is more because she saw herself in Timely as someone who didn’t want to be controlled by their ‘destiny,’ not because she developed any kindness or compassion toward him.

I understand the fact that Sylvie was never given someone like Mobius to allow her the opportunity to change like Loki did, but I don't think that should excuse her causing so much pain and being so self-centered. Sylvie never trusted or cared about anyone and that's also my biggest argument against Sylki; her loving or being driven by anyone besides herself is just so inconsistent with her entire character.

Anyway, my purpose here was not to be hateful or to search for any reason to criticize Sylvie, but instead to look critically at her character since I've seen a lot of people praise her as the strong, independent female Loki whose behavior can always be forgiven. Unfortunately, the way she was written is that Sylvie turned her own trauma into everybody else's problem and they all spent 2 seasons trying to clean up her mess. That's my take thank you and goodnight

[cosmicjoke]

See, this conversation really highlights everything that's wrong with not just the Loki show, but the MCU in general now.

What they highlight here, about Loki's conversation with Mobius, and how dismissive and flippant he is while talking about what he did he New York, like it's all some silly joke that shouldn't be taken seriously, like it wasn't a big deal, like what he was feeling while he did what he did wasn't a big deal, is really the heart of the problem. Nobody takes anything seriously in universe, so how the hell is the audience supposed to take anything they do, think or feel seriously?

They've reduced Loki's entire character to a joke. They've reduced what he went through in the first Thor film into to a joke, what he went through when he fell through space and landed in Thanos' clutches into a joke, what happened during the first Avengers film into a joke. Everything's a big, fucking joke now. How can anybody like this? Don't they see what the writers of this trash are doing? They're shitting all over you by shitting all over the thing you love. By making fun of it and undercutting it, they're telling you you were stupid to ever take any of it seriously. It's the ultimate form of disrespect to the fans. It's a blunt insult.

This kind of shit drives me absolutely up a wall. It's so awful. And what they say in this video is so spot on. Loki started out having such depth and gravitas and presence. He started off as such a commanding, attention grabbing, complex character. And now, he's just some guy who eats pie and talks about his feelings, but with a flippancy which tells you that he doesn't actually have any feelings at all. He's just a hollow cut out that's full of shit. It's such a god damn joke.

People shouldn't settle for this. They shouldn't praise it because 'well, it's not as bad as the first season'. Because that's such a high bar to clear? Loki getting kneed in the nuts over and over by Sif. That's the bar you're clearing. Loki falling in love with a variant of himself after knowing her for five whole minutes, for no discernible reason, because who the fuck would love Sylvie, the most obnoxious bitch in the universe ? Loki getting man-handled and getting his ass handed to him by a bunch of humans with taser sticks. Loki being made a fool of every other scene. Loki losing every fight he gets into. Loki being tricked and outsmarted at every turn. Loki being so narcissistic and brain dead, that he can't see when he's being manipulated. This guy is supposed to be a genius. He's supposed to be terrifyingly smart. Anyone who knows anything about this character knows that. But reverse psychology works on him, I guess.

So Loki does a little magic which, more than anything, just highlights the utter void of creativity in these writers minds, and we're supposed to cheer and clap? Loki is a god. Loki is the most powerful sorcerer in Asgard. He can do pretty much anything you can imagine. And this is the best they can come up with? He holds someone down with shadows on the wall. Wow. So impressive. Get the fuck out of here.

But that's really the problem. They've reduced Loki into such a shadow of what he once was, that even the barest crumbs of it that we get now, we get excited about. We praise and point to as proof that things are "better". They're not better, though. This Loki is still a clown and an idiot and acts and conducts himself in ways nothing like what was originally established with this character. This Loki still has nothing to do with the original character's story or history in the MCU. They make passing references to that history, and play it off for laughs, instead of actually delving deep into it and exploring it and helping the audience to really understand and sympathize with Loki as a character.

Loki talks here about being "angry" with Thor and Odin. Okay. That would be great, except he says it like it's a joke. Imagine if instead of that, it was actually treated seriously, and we finally, finally, got an examination of what Loki was going through emotionally during the first Thor film? Imagine if Loki actually got to acknowledge the devastation he felt when he found out he was a frost giant? If he got to really acknowledge the alienation and rejection he felt upon discovering he was the very thing that his own people, the Asgardians, had always considered to be lesser beings, and not only that, but literal monsters? Imagine if he got to really express the turmoil of that? Of finding out you come from a race of beings you were raised to believe were inferior, in all ways. If he was allowed to process why he had such an overwhelming emotional and mental breakdown, that he tried to destroy Jotunheim and then take over Midgard. Imagine if we got an actual acknowledgement of what lead up to all of that, with Loki feeling like an outcast, a reject among Thor's friends, among the Asgardians in general, always seen as lesser than Thor in everyone's eyes. Does nobody remember how disrespectful practically everyone was to Loki in the first Thor film? From servants to the Warriors 3 and Sif, to Heimdall. They all treated him like shit. Fucking Christ, there's a literal world of ideas and character depth to explore there, and they just... don't. They could have devoted the whole show to this and it would have been riveting. Imagine, imagine, imagine. But nope. Instead, we get a passing reference to it, written and delivered as if it was all some big comedic skit, and the rest of the show is about finding Kang so they can set up Avengers 5. Holy shit. People should not accept this as good. People should not praise or even give positive commentary on this because it's "better" than the first season. It's not better. It's more of the god damn same.

People shouldn't accept mediocrity. They should demand better. Because if they don't, Marvel and Disney will just keep putting this same shit out and think they can get away with it.

[pics-and-fanfics]

So Annoying

Pairing: Loki x Gn!ADHD-Reader

Warnings: Reader has ADHD! Fluff, people being annoyed by Reader, Tony is a jerk in this one bc he doesn’t accept that ADHD is a real thing (like teachers i’ve had)- Bullying/emotional abuse, soft Loki

Summary: You, Reader, have ADHD. Your best friend Loki helps you deal with all the problems that result from this when he comes back from his week-long mission.

Find my other works here!

You laughed, talking with Steve, lounging on the couch. Your phone lay forgotten on your lap, the book you had been reading still displayed on the screen.

“But Steve, there were more important things going on. Like a war!”

“Howard said there were going to be flying cars by now.” Steve says, the low volume of his voice contrasting with your excited one.

“But the point is-“

“Could you just shut up? I’m tired of hearing you yell all the time, Y/n.” Tony says, walking in. You shut your mouth, looking down at your lap.

“Sorry Tony.” you say quietly.

“There we go! That’s a much more acceptable volume.”

“I’m sorry.”

😔

You sit at the table, trying to listen to Tony. And yet, despite your efforts, your mind wanders. You start tapping your pen on the table, not even noticing what you’re doing.

“Y/N! For Christ’s sake! Either stop tapping that pen on the table or get out!”

You look up at Tony, putting the pen down and putting your hands on top of your lap. “Sorry.” you mutter, your face burning.

😔

“What are you doing? I said we needed to go half an hour ago! How are you still not ready?” You look up at Natasha, seeing she was all dressed up, ready to go.

“What? No, you said that only 5 minutes ago!” you say, checking the time. Oh shit.

“Hurry up! We need to go!”

“Shit I’m sorry! Just give me a minute, I'll be right out!” you say, grabbing your brush and running it through your hair before grabbing your shirt.

😔

“-and I know it’s a problem, but I really just want all the books in the series and I’ve already read the first two, I just need to read the third, but I figured that if I have all three books I’d be able to reread them anytime I want. Oh, that reminds me- I need to go to the library and give them some more books that I know I’m not going to read, but I need to clean out my bookshelves first.

“Oh, but that would take forever, and I know I’m going to stop in the middle of it and entirely forget to do it for weeks. I’m really sorry by the way, I know I talk too much. Okay, I’m going to shut up now.” You shut your mouth, wishing you could just shut up for once. Why did you have to talk so much?

“Thank god, I was wondering when it was going to end. Why do you always have to talk? Blah blah blah, 24/7. It’s so annoying.” Tony says, and you scowl.

“What is your problem with me? I’m getting sick of you berating me, Tony.” you say, turning around on the couch.

“You! You are the problem! You're always talking, your too loud, you always have to make everything about you-”

“Okay first of all-”

“-and what is it with you and ignoring the time? Things need to be done in a timely manner, Y/n. And those ‘overstimulation’ tantrums you throw are so fucking fake!”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about!” you yell, getting up from your seat and walking towards Tony.

“Oh! I don’t? Stop trying to use ‘I have ADHD’ as an excuse. It’s not real.” Tony says, mocking you.

“It is a real thing, dammit!”

“No it is not! Stop making excuses and start trying to act like a mature adult!” Tony yells, getting in your face.

You blink back tears, sniffling.

“Oh here we go again! Stop acting like a baby, you’re not two, it’s not cute, it doesn’t make me feel anything except disappointment for you.”

You wipe your face, turning around and walking to your small apartment in the building, trying to stop yourself from crying. You slam the door shut when you get to your share of the building, and rush to your room, tears falling down your face as you wrap yourself in blankets.

😔

“Darling! I’m back!” Loki says, putting away the last of the groceries. He knew you’d forget to get groceries pretty often, so he usually got you some whenever he went somewhere.

He’d just finished a mission, and tried to call you, but you hadn’t picked up. Three times. It was unlike you.

“Darling? Is everything alright?” Loki looks around, putting the plastic bags in your designated basket for store bags.

Loki frowns, pulling his phone back out. He dials your number, and hears your ringtone coming from the bedroom. He follows the sound, softly knocking on your closed door.

“Darling? Are you in there?”

“Leave me alone.” Your usually happy voice was full of annoyance, making Loki worry even more.

“May I come in?”

“Leave me alone, Loki!” Again your voice was filled with venom, but he heard your voice crack.

You watch as the door slowly opens, light spilling into your room from the hallway. “I said-“

You get cut off when you feel the mattress dip next to you, and Loki’s eyes on you. You cover up your face, embarrassed. You should have gotten over it hours ago. And yet it stung, almost as if Tony had actually hit you.

“I’m fine, Loki.” you mutter, keeping the blankets over your head.

“Darling-”

“Leave me alone, my god!” you say, flopping back into the mattress.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing’s wrong! Just leave me alone!” You could feel the tears gathering in your eyes, and you wipe them away, frustrated. “Why are you so insistent that something’s wrong? I’m fine!”

“Because you usually can’t wait to tell me about your week, and you're always so excited to see me that your words spill over themselves.”

“God, just leave it be. I’m fine.” Even you didn’t believe it, you heard the tears in your voice, which just made you even more frustrated.

Loki peels the blankets away from your face, the small sliver of light from the open door falling across your face. Your eyes were red and puffy like you had just been crying, probably for hours.

“Darling, please. Tell me what’s wrong.”

In response, you roll over, and Loki rubs your back. When he hears your quiet sniffles, he sighs, getting up. “Do you want some food?”

“Grilled cheese?” you ask, your voice soft. Vulnerable.

“Of course, dear. Come on, get up.”

😔

“Why does Tony have to be such a jerk?” you ask, and Loki puts your sandwich in front of you, a look of questioning on his face.

“What did he do?” Loki asks, trying to contain his anger. If he laid a finger on you-

No. He would let you figure it out on our own, you had told him that you needed to learn to defend yourself, that you didn’t want Loki fighting all your battles.

But still-

“Can I just show you?” Loki looks at you, searching your eyes.

“Of course.” He slowly takes your hands when you offer them, closing his eyes with you.

He watches the events of the last few days unfold through your eyes, feeling everything.

When you open your eyes, you see Loki, anger written on his face.

“I am going to show him just how much-”

“Loki!” He turns back to you and you sniff, rubbing your nose. “It’s fine. See? I’m fine!”

“Darling, you’re not fine. That’s abuse.” Loki says, sitting next to you, watching as you stopped chewing your food.

“I’m fine.” you bite out, annoyed with yourself. You were not going to cry again.

“Either you talk to him, or I will. Darling, this can’t carry on. I don’t want to see him bring you down anymore. That is enough.”

“I will. Just not right now. Can we just watch a movie?”

Loki looks at you, seeing how close you were to crying again, the tears gathering in your eyes as you stubbornly wiped them away over and over.

“Sure. What do you want to watch?”

😔

Well! This is somewhat based (probably like, 25%-30%) on some of my experiences with ADHD, which kinda sucks sometimes.

I hope you guys liked the story, and don't forget to let me know if you want to be tagged in the future! I hope you have a wonderful day!

Also, sorry I haven't been posting, I've just lost all motivation to do anything, I don't even want to watch Youtube. But I'm pushing through! I have exams this week too, so that's fun. 🫥 But yeah. Love you!

@vbecker10 @mochie85 @michelleleewise @fictive-sl0th @silverfire475 @huntress-artemiss @vickie5446 @sheris532 @lokixryss @lokidokieokie @stupidthoughtsinwriting @crimson25 @peaches1958 @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @mybuckynotyours

[use-your-telescope]

When Everything's Made to be Broken - Chapter 2: And You Have Every Right to be Scared

Summary: Theo ends up on SHIELD's Radar. Loki ponders his place among the Midgardians.

Author's Notes: First chapter with Theo POV! This is a much lighter chapter than the last one. Hoping to post Ch. 3 on 10/22, but it depends on how helping my parents move next weekend goes (I have it written, but having the time to post is another thing. If you enjoy, please reblog!

Content Warnings: None!

Word Count: 3,843

Read on AO3 | When Everything's Made to be Broken Masterlist

Song: Some Nights (Intro) - fun.

There are some nights I hold on to every note I ever wrote Some nights, I say "fuck it all" and stare at the calendar Waiting for catastrophes, imagining they'd scare me Into changing whatever it is I am changing into... And you have every right to be scared

It was really easy for Theo to pretend there wasn’t a sudden infestation of shadow creatures attacking Earth until she was locked in a dirty subway car beneath New York City with a horde of them.

Sure, she saw the recent news reports about their appearance in New York, not to mention the videos of different organizations struggling to fight them. Hell, at work she had treated some of the people who came into the Emergency Room after getting into a tussle with the little terrors. However, she was perfectly content to ignore the reports, the calls from Nick Fury, the stalking by Maria Hill, and the pestering by her Mémère to put her abilities to use by helping eradicate the beasts. 

Nick Fury may have done her family a favor a while back, but they already repaid it tenfold. It was no secret that he always kept tabs on Theo, but she assumed it had less to do with him calling on a favor and more with ensuring someone with abilities like hers was always monitored. 

If anything, the more Fury insisted on cornering Theo “to talk,” the more it seemed like Nick Fury had forgotten that Theo swore off everything affiliated with her powers. Theo was a civilian. She left that life behind, trading it in for stethoscopes and scrubs, and she was not about to go back. There was nothing that the Director of SHIELD could offer her that would change her mind. Besides, the hippocratic oath specified that Theo would do no harm, and if she really wanted to push Fury’s buttons, she could argue that the oath could apply to shadow creatures, even if they were eldritch horrors.

Well, that was what Theo told herself. In reality, she was content to ignore the shadow creature problem until a pack of the little monsters barged through the steel door of a subway car, snarling and slithering and reeking of death. Running crossed her mind, until one of the damn demons launched itself at Fran, the little old woman with the perfectly permed hair and smoker voice who always rode the subway back from her poker night at the same time that Theo was on her way home from work. 

Hippocratic oath be damned, Theo was not about to let Fran die right after she won $200 from Eddie (who from what Fran had told her over the course of many train rides, sounded like an absolute asshole). Fran needed to live so she could celebrate, which meant the beasts needed to go, and Theo was the only one around with the skills to exterminate them. 

A bit of strategic maneuvering among the chaos ensured that no one saw Theo activate her powers. Not even five minutes later, the subway car floor was littered with the dust of what was once the pests; she may have chosen to abstain from fighting, but after all that time combat still came to Theo like it was second nature. When all was said and done she slipped into the crowds, deactivated her powers, and returned to the scene, pretending to be just as shocked as everyone else.

In the days following the confrontation, the video of her singlehandedly obliterating the entire pack had gone viral. Even though Theo’s powers altered her appearance so a casual acquaintance could not identify her, anyone who knew about her little secret would instantly recognize her. Unfortunately, Fury and Maria were among the select few who knew exactly what they were looking at. After the video got out, the pair were somehow even more incessant in their attempts to speak to Theo, to the extent that she had to start relying on back doors and climbing out her fire escape to avoid them.

When the other members of the cover band Theo played in noticed her aversion to taking the main exits, they assumed she had a stalker. It certainly didn’t help that there was now a table of middle aged men in suits at every bar gig, standing out like a sore thumb amidst the younger, more casually dressed regulars. The only reason they didn’t call the police was because she eventually made up the claim that Stark Industries was recruiting her for their hospital that they just opened in Avengers Tower, so she was trying to make it less obvious to the people around her that she was being observed.

As far as lies went, it was terrible  - certainly not one of her best - but somehow they believed it.

It was a bit harder to avoid the SHIELD agents when she was at soccer practice. They sat in their vehicles, parked far enough away that none of the other players noticed. Sure, it made Theo wonder if there were times other creeps sat there watching their practices, but she never brought it up. Her team had just qualified to play in their rec league championship, so they needed to stay focused. 

A week after having to talk her bandmates out of calling the cops, Theo came home from a bar show to find Maria Hill accompanied by a collection of SHIELD agents in her apartment. The stalking was one thing, but entering her private space? Theo was moments away from banishing them to an alternate dimension, even if it meant she’d be in deep shit later on. 

Before Theo could unleash her temper on the uninvited house guests, Maria uttered a phrase so startling that even Theo was rendered speechless. 

“Director Fury wants to speak with you immediately - it’s about your parents and your sister.”

Cause there are some nights I hold you close, pushing you to hold me Or begging you to lock me up, never let me see the world Some nights, I live in horror of people on the radio Tea parties and Twitter, I've never been so bitter…

Two decades prior, had one inquired whether Loki could imagine himself living his life anywhere besides Asgard, Loki would have laughed at the preposterous nature of the statement. 

In his naivety, he believed Asgard to be the golden realm, the very definition of a Utopia - why would one wish to live anywhere else? Certainly, other realms had their charms - Vanaheim’s lush landscapes always provided a peaceful retreat, and visiting Midgard to cause lighthearted chaos was a childhood pastime for both Loki and Thor - but why would one ever wish to live anywhere other than the realm of the Gods themselves? 

As he sliced through another of what could best be described as “shadow beasts,” it occurred to Loki that the Norns had a rather cruel sense of humor. How else would he be in his current position, residing upon and working alongside the Midgardians to protect a realm which he was once sent to conquer? That morning, he was summoned to fend off a multiversal threat unlike anything he’d encountered among his many travels. The day before, he represented New Asgard at an international summit on environmentally sustainable food production practices. He had lived upon Midgard for over half a decade, with no sign of leaving any time soon.

Had someone informed younger Loki of what the fates had in store, he would have collapsed to the ground in a fit of relentless, all-consuming laughter which was so intense that one might think him mad. 

Alas, Asgard was no more. The few Aesir who survived Ragnarok were brought to Midgard, to establish a new civilization on the very land where Odin uttered his final words. No sooner had the Aesir landed on Midgard were they called into battle, facing off with the Mad Titan himself, Thanos, as well as the Black Order. More Aesir perished in a truly intergalactic battle which barely succeeded in preventing the Titan from achieving his goal - eliminating 50% of all living creatures in the universe. 

When the dust settled, the once mighty Aesir were reduced to a mere shadow of their former glory. They struggled to make sense of the tragedy, to attempt to rebuild without any of the tools which allowed the Aesir to thrive in the construction of Asgard. 

The initial reaction to Loki’s presence in the realm he once terrorized was not kind. Had it not been for Thor’s advocacy and Banner’s testament that Loki was acting under duress when he attacked New York, Loki would have been banished from the realm, if not outright executed. Whether he deserved his brother’s arduous defense, Loki was skeptical, but without an alternative for where he would go or what he would do, Loki was forced to accept the support.

Selfishly, he was grateful for his brother’s foolish sentiment, though he would rather hug Sutur than admit it aloud.

Preparing the Midgardians for what to expect when Thanos would inevitably arrive, as well as fighting alongside the Midgardians to defeat Thanos brought a tenuous truce. He no longer endured harassment when venturing beyond New Asgard, but scandalized whispers followed him as if they were the shadow of his legacy - a legacy of destruction, of embodying the monster which parents told their children of at night, of betraying those who he claimed to love. Those nearby would put forth a concerted effort to avoid crossing paths with the trickster, providing him a wide berth wherever he went.  

While the Midgardians were unafraid to hide their distrust, the attitudes which the Aesir held towards Loki were more difficult to ascertain. Perhaps they were conflicted; the time which Loki posed as Odin was among the most peaceful and prosperous that the realm had known, though it was at the cost of banishing the Allfather to a care home on Midgard. Banishing the Allfather led to Odin’s passing, which brought the return of Hela, and eventually caused Ragnarok. Though prophesied, it was not a stretch to argue that Loki’s actions served as the catalyst for the demise of thousands. And while Loki ensured the salvation and evacuation of many Aesir by piloting the Statesman to Asgard, it never should have reached such a state where evacuation was necessary. Sure, he unleashed Sutur and ultimately ended Ragnarok, but that was simply a matter of finishing what he started. 

Then there was Loki’s involvement with the interruption of Thor’s coronation, the invasion of Jotunheim, the banishment of Thor, and the killing of his father, Laufey. All of which led to his involvement with the Mad Titan and the Black Order - a time which Loki had no interest in revisiting, but caused irreparable harm to many people and multiple realms. And though most were unaware, Loki could be traced back to the death of Frigga - had he not informed Kursed where to find Jane, the Allmother would have remained alive. He may have nearly sacrificed himself to protect Jane Foster, but one heroic moment was nowhere near the atonement required for his past actions.

The search for atonement was how Loki found himself fighting alongside Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. 

It had been Thor’s idea. The oaf believed that joining the Avengers would cast Loki in a positive light and improve his reputation, which would be important if he were to remain on Midgard and ruling New Asgard by Thor’s side. Additionally, joining the Avengers would provide the younger prince with a means by which to continue practicing magic, as well as access to knowledge and resources which might satisfy Loki’s more scholarly nature.

The case Thor put forth was not terrible; perhaps a lesser being would have been swayed. However, neither of the reasons he provided were the cause of Loki relenting to the constant pestering about assisting the Heroes.

Loki viewed the agreement to join the Avengers as reparations, or paying his penance. He did not expect the Avengers to welcome a villain into their midst, much less a monster - he certainly was no hero. If anything, he expected them to view him as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They would be civil towards the Asgardian, and in exchange he would provide whatever assistance they needed while maintaining a safe distance.

That was years ago. In recent days, Thor swore the Midgardians had come to love Loki, though Loki was hardly convinced. Sure, the Midgardians no longer made a point to avoid the younger prince wherever he went; if he was out in public with Thor, from time to time a passerby would approach and ask for a photo with the trickster instead of the God of Thunder. The media relished opportunities to interview the God of Mischief, during which he turned on his charm and played the reporters like a fiddle. It was all a show. Loki knew that it was a facade, an illusion - a part he played in the elaborate scheme of things. Still, there were moments where he allowed himself to dwell on what it might be like to truly belong, to know he was not alone. 

A flash of movement in the corner of his vision caught Loki’s attention. He turned to find Maximoff unleashing a blast of chaos magic on a pack of the eldritch vermin which had overrun the streets as of late. She offered a bright smile and wave; Loki allowed one corner of his lips to quirk upward as he nodded at her. 

Even if his responsibility was little more than to play a part, there was something to be said for the recent challenge which occupied the Avengers’ time. Shadow creatures, for lack of a better term, randomly started appearing in New York, attacking random civilians and destroying anything they touched. 

In the many years since Loki had adopted Midgard as his place of residence, never had he encountered a situation quite like this. All efforts to identify the origin of the beings had been futile. The creatures were not like anything encountered by any of the Avengers, Loki included, and even among the seemingly endless supply of information available to the Avengers, no record of similar creatures appeared anywhere. The magical aura which emanated from the creatures was quite distinct from anything Loki had encountered before.

And yet, the prospect of a challenge that not only required skill in battle, but a certain intellectual pedigree brought a spark that he had not felt in quite some time. Perhaps it was an antidote to the drudgery. 

Or, perhaps it was a chance to prove to himself that he was in fact worthy of the title of “Earth’s Mightiest Heroes.” 

He didn’t dare dwell on the thought.

And you, why you wanna stay? Oh my God! Have you listened to me lately? Lately, I've been going crazy... And you, why you wanna stay? Oh my God! Have you listened to me lately? Lately, I've been fucking crazy...

She must have lost her mind.

Flanked by a pair of SHIELD security guards, Theo cursed herself for agreeing to go with Maria. Really, she must have lost her mind - that was the only reasonable explanation that Theo could come up with for her lapse in judgment. After all, everyone in her immediate family was dead, and they had been dead for a long time. If she couldn’t bring back the dead, there was no way that anyone affiliated with SHIELD could. 

What could Nick Fury possibly want to speak with Theo about regarding her parents and her sister that hadn’t been discussed long ago?

When she considered the situation, it was more realistic to assume that there was probably some treaty that Theo broke by using her power. Given she wouldn’t come willingly, they must have realized they needed to lure her out so they could lock her up - even if the Sokovia Accords were no longer enforced, it didn’t mean people were still a bit put off by anyone with… abilities. Again, another reason why she had no interest in using her powers.

Along the cool tile floor, Theo’s black oxford shoes clicked with each step. The sound echoed off the sterile halls, while harsh fluorescent lights illuminated the path forward. Staring ahead, Theo had to stop herself from snickering when she realized Fury’s bald head actually shined under the light, as if he polished it for the occasion. 

What would happen if Theo told them she changed her mind? Would they grab her and drag her into whatever interrogation room they undoubtedly had set up for her? Would they skip the interrogation and toss her into a cell? Or would they let her slip away?

Probably the first option. Maybe the second. The third was laughable. This was SHIELD they were talking about; they probably had some kind of ward on the entire compound to restrict any special abilities.

No, it was too late - she had come too far, and she couldn’t turn back. She may as well play along and see what they wanted. If nothing else came from it, she was curious to see what on earth would be related to her family.

Then again, Curiosity killed the cat… or some shit like that. 

Well, nothing managed to kill her yet, so it was safe to say that curiosity probably wouldn’t be her cause of death.

Arriving at their destination, Maria scanned her badge to unlock the steel door. Fury entered first, not even offering a nod of acknowledgement to Maria. With a tense smile, Maria gestured for Theo to enter next. Theo forced the closest thing she could offer to a smile before following suit.

Based on the hallway they just exited, Theo expected an interrogation room to await her. Instead, she was greeted by black leather chairs with high backs, which surrounded a relatively small table constructed from metal and glass. A projector dropped down from the ceiling, pointed at a screen on the opposite end of the room. There were no windows. Pale gray walls echoed the metal finishes found throughout the rest of the SHIELD facility.

A conference room. 

“Sit.” Fury gestured to a chair, though he didn’t make any effort to sit himself.

Keeping her eyes trained on the director, Theo cautiously lowered herself into the seat.

“I thought you were done fighting.” Fury began, crossing his arms and glaring at Theo. 

“I thought you could control your interplanetary invasions better, but if it’s between having to fight versus watching little old Fran get ripped to shreds, I’m protecting Fran.” Leaning back in her seat, Theo crossed her arms and returned Fury’s glare. “You know that I want nothing to do with this, so why won’t you leave me alone?”

“We understand that you want to be a civilian, but you know more about shadow creatures and the world they come from than anyone else,” Maria answered, taking a seat across from Theo and folding her hands together atop the table. “We wouldn’t be trying to enlist you if we felt we had other options to stop them.”

“So you lied about having something I needed to know about my family so you could get me down here and beg me to help?” An incredulous laugh snuck out of Theo as she shook her head. “That’s low, even for SHIELD–”

“Your parents and your sister are alive.”

With seven words, Nick Fury rendered Theo speechless. 

It wasn’t possible; there was no way they were alive. Theo was there - she saw their blood spilled on the cobblestone streets, empty eyes reflecting back a city engulfed in flames. Their final cries still rang in her ears on the darkest nights.

Searching his face for proof that he was trying to trick her, Theo only found the harsh glare and narrowed eyes that the director cast at everyone around him. 

Fire coursed through Theo’s veins at the audacity of Fury’s claim; that he believed he could fool her was almost enough to make her leave right then and there. 

“Bullshit.” Theo clenched her jaw, her hands balled into fists as they remained in her lap. “You know as well as I do that they were killed in the massacre—”

“Proof.” To make his point, Fury slapped a manila folder down in front of Theo. “They may have been in the massacre, but they weren’t killed.”

Biting back her ire at Fury for the moment, Theo turned her attention to the contents of the folder. Photos, partially redacted communication records, measurements of their magical signatures, all relatively recent - her mother, her father, and her sister. 

An avalanche of thoughts cascaded in Theo’s mind. If this was the case - if they were really alive, how did they survive? Where were they now? Why hadn’t they tried to contact Theo, or Mémère, or the council? 

Theo drew in a deep breath, holding it for a five-count, then released it slowly.

“This doesn’t make sense,” She said, scanning over the documents yet again. “If you know they’re alive, where are they? Why aren’t they here?” 

“Here’s the deal: you help us with the shadow creature invasion, and we’ll help you reunite with your family.” Rather than answer Theo’s question, Fury leaned forward, folding his hands together and resting them on the table. “Work with the Avengers to investigate and eliminate whoever’s at the center of these invasions. If you do, once you’re reunited with your family, we’ll leave you alone.” 

“Wow, that seems rather manipulative, don’t you think?” Theo drawled, her tone unapologetically sharp as she glared at the pair of SHIELD agents across from her. “Withholding my family from me in exchange for my services?”

“We’ll need to work together in order to reach your family anyways,” Maria pointed out with a small shrug.

“You help us, we’ll help you.” Fury pressed.

Some people believed in fate. Some people believed in destiny. Theo didn’t believe in either - while she had been placed in positions where it seemed like she had no choice more times than she could count, she knew that she, ultimately, was the one who decided her path forward. At times, the decisions were obvious, but there were plenty of decisions made that kept Theo up at night. 

This was one decision she was not ready to make.

“Give me two days to think it over,” Theo countered. “I’ll find you when I’ve made up my mind.”

Two days was reasonable - she needed time to do some research of her own, figure out what parts of the situation Fury was holding off on telling her, and weigh the risks of agreeing to the proposal. 

Then again, if they were alive… What did she have to lose?

There are some nights I wait for someone to save us But I never look inward, try not to look upward And some nights I pray a sign is gonna come to me But usually, I'm just trying to get some sleep... Some nights!

Tag list: @iamlokisgloriouspurpose @thedistractedagglomeration @lokisgoodgirl @simplyholl @mochie85 @coldnique @lokixryss @gigglingtiggerv2 @infinitystoner @loopsisloops @mischief2sarawr @crzyplantladyvibes @buttercupcookies-blog @vickie5446 @wolfsmom1 @sarahscribbles @loki-cees-all @the-lady-amphitrite @tripleyeeet - let me know if you want to be added!

[justanancientfangirl]

A bit of a rant: on Sylvie

Okay, look, as a preface: I do not hate Sylvie. I feel like I see a lot of hate for the character from a lot of people not Sylkie shippers, and I definitely do not hate her, even if the ship is something I struggle to see.

I actually like Sylvie's character a lot. She has had to struggle and fight and flee for something like a thousand years. I honestly don't begrudge her desire to stay in a quiet universe and just live a life. I want that for her, even.

Is she being a huge dick to Loki every time they interact this season? Yes. She refuses to listen to him (though he isn't being entirely straight with her either, to be fair), and she continually belittles his own choices and refuses to take responsibility for her own. She blames him and the TVA for the destruction of timelines, even though Dox's crew was, at the time, acting as a rogue element, and the issues that the timelines and TVA are currently facing are entirely her fault.

Again, I totally understand why she didn't listen to Loki at the end of season 1. It makes sense that she wouldn't want trust anything that He Who Remains had to say, and it makes sense that she wouldn't trust Loki at all. She barely knows him, and she's been alone her entire life. She doesn't really remember her life before the TVA ruined it. She has no friends, no allies. So yes, it was foolish of her to not stop and think for like ten seconds, but killing He Who Remains had been her ultimate goal for centuries. Of course she was going to do it.

HOWEVER. Because she killed He Who Remains, the multiverse is in danger. And just because I understand her inability to accept responsibility for her actions, does not mean I condone it. The lady is incredibly emotionally stunted. Of course she doesn't know how to take responsibility. She's been blaming other people for her problems her entire life (and most of that was 100% justified). To stop doing so now, when she hasn't had a chance to learn, would be bad writing.

I am all for a good character arc and a redemption story. Loki's himself has been...a little rushed. And they haven't touched on the trauma that was his time Before New York at all since that like, thirty seconds in season 1. Sure, he mentions NY a little flippantly here in season 2, but we all know that was just a way to get Mobius to talk. Point is, they have set Sylvie up for a good character arc, and kind of fast tracked Loki's without actually talking about some of the things I'm most interested in, but...eh, whatever. I can rant about that another time.

What I don't understand though, is Sylkie shippers. Like...number one, are we watching the same show? Season 1 seemed to have some unrequited pining going on, on Loki's side, especially before Loki and Mobius made up, but Sylvie has never shown any interest in Loki beyond that of a tentative ally. And really, there's no reason she should. When would Sylvie have had time, ever in her life, to think of romance beyond, possibly, an errant daydream? And this season, it really seems like she can hardly stand him.

Every time they interact, she lashes out, she tries to hurt him. She has told him, unequivocally, to leave her alone, multiple times. She listened to him say that he feared being alone most of all, and then she left him (I assume she has a tab at that bar, otherwise who the hell paid for those shots, and also, I've never met a bartender who would hear 'two bourbons' and just pour shots immediately, if it isn't a common order for that patron, but that's yet another rant for another day).

Like, she just seems to be going out of her way to be cruel, to drag him down, to blame him for everything, and to paint him as the bad guy. Sure, he wants to have his friends back, and maybe that IS selfish, but he ALSO wants to save the TVA because he believes that will save the multiverse, and that isn't, but she knows that once she pokes any holes in the story he's concocted for himself, he's only going to dwell on the bad side. Which he does. Her goal, I assume, is to get him out of her hair and leave her alone. She doesn't want to be involved with all this TVA stuff anymore. And...yeah, fair enough, except that the multiverse is actively disintegrating. Which is at least...oh, 45% her fault. (I'll grant that most of the fault lies on the heads of the old TVA, He Who Remains and Ravonna. And maybe like 3% Loki's fault. Everyone can take somewhat a share of the blame, but she really was trying to do the most. And she is the only one of our 'heroes' who hasn't taken any responsibility for the problems now facing the multiverse).

Look, I have shipped Loki with almost every single character he has had screen time with, if the story is well written enough for it to make sense. I've even read a Sylkie story that I actually managed to really get behind. (It took place before season 2, the premise being that in their fight at the Citadel, there was an accident and they ended up in Westview during the events of Wandavision, and were paired as a husband/wife duo for the show. It made sense, and there was enough of a build of their relationship that I was like...yeah, sure).

The writers of this show have NOT done their due diligence to make Sylkie make sense. In season 1, I could see that he might have a thing for her. But I never saw that being reciprocated.

Sylvie needs friends, she needs to learn how to trust, she needs stability, and she needs to figure out who she is as a person when she isn't on the run. She does NOT need a romance. A romance at this stage would be incredibly bad for her, really, if we give a shit about a fictional character's mental health.

I like Sylvie as a character. I think her arc has been interesting, but she is definitely still in the middle of it, and it is nowhere near resolved. I can't see a single instance in the show where she showed a romantic interest in Loki. (And...what, she kissed him? That was only to get him distracted enough to kick him out a time door so she could kill He Who Remains).

If this season ends with Sylkie endgame, I will have honestly lost faith in Marvel's ability to write a good story entirely. If they want the two of them to be together, they have to write them together. They have to actually be a team, not just constantly bickering (or in this season, Loki begging for her help and her telling him to stuff it). She only comes to help because her own universe gets shredded, not because she wanted to help Loki or save the other universes. She would not be good for him, at least not right now. That relationship would be hella toxic. Has she ever done anything for him? Just for him, not because he was useful to her in some way?

Look, TL;DR, I like Sylvie as a character and I want to see her grow and thrive, but Sylkie makes no sense and if they go that route this season it is bad writing. MCU has always been bad at romance and character development, but this would take the cake.

[sciencestyled]

Chaos, Mischief, and the Fine Art of Utter Pandemonium

There I was, minding my own business (yes, really), flipping through Midgardian channels with no small measure of delight. Humans, it seems, have mastered the art of befuddlement, spinning endless tales of order and control. They think they can tidy up the entire cosmos with mere charts and timetables, as if they’re locking away their laundry. Yet they fail to grasp that, much like me, the universe loves nothing more than a bit of havoc. And so, what do I find? An old bearded scientist droning on about “order in the universe.” I nearly choked on my ambrosial mead.

Naturally, I’m compelled to intervene. The problem was clear: humanity needed a reminder that the cosmos thrives on unpredictability. No better messenger than yours truly, Loki, God of Mischief, Prince of Pandemonium, Sultan of Surprises. But how? I needed a way to worm my way into every mortal’s smartphone, TV, and, dare I say, podcast queue.

It came to me in a flash. I'd orchestrate a spectacle on the very concept humans fear most: chaos. Of course, I wouldn’t simply scare them off with a crash course in mayhem (too easy); I’d play the wise teacher, the sage of… “Chaos Theory.” A bit of irony, don't you think? Me, explaining “the rules” of something that supposedly has none? Perfect. A sprinkle of Newton, a dash of quantum mumbo-jumbo, and, for the pièce de résistance, a deep-dive into that thing they call the “Butterfly Effect.” Oh, I could practically hear the mortals gasping! Just one measly butterfly flapping its wings in some corner of Midgard, and—boom!—your weather forecast’s up in flames!

To get a feel for the human reaction, I tried it out on a few Asgardian folks. Thor, bless his heart, was baffled. "Why would anyone want to listen to you talk about tiny creatures flapping about and weather disasters, Loki?" he asked, scratching his hammer-wielding head. But I saw it in his eyes—the curiosity, the uncertainty. He’ll never admit it, but Thor’s as clueless as a squirrel in a whirlwind when it comes to concepts that don’t involve brute force. If I could get him perplexed, Midgardians wouldn’t stand a chance.

It didn’t take long for the idea to spiral out of control. I soon realized I’d need some visuals. And a human narrator, too. No offense to my velvety voice, but my true visage can be a bit…distracting, and I needed people to actually listen. So, I hunted down a mortal who could manage this without screaming or falling over. Then I set to work.

A little here, a little there—I threw in some math formulas, the kind that makes Midgardians’ eyes glaze over, and a few classic examples of utter chaos. I even sprinkled in bits about stock markets and weather patterns, just to drive home that everything humans cling to is as stable as a house of cards in a gust. It was going to be a symphony—ahem—a true display of unpredictability’s charm.

At last, my masterpiece was ready. And now, it waits in the mysterious web called “the internet,” a place mortals approach with reverence and bafflement alike. Once they hit “play,” they’ll find themselves teetering at the edge of comprehension, wondering if that cup of coffee they spilled this morning could one day cause a typhoon in Tokyo.

Chaos, you see, is not just a theory. It’s a way of life.

[musclesandhammering]

I love all of these analyses. I apologise in advance, but this is gonna be a long and slightly tangential meta.

I’m really big on arguing that Loki is (or has been, at least) a genuine villain- he’s not as innocent as some fans want to believe- but his actual misdeeds are so not what casual fans and the series writers seem to think they are. Like he absolutely has done wrong, but the stuff he’s done is wrong for different reasons than a lot of people seem to think. And the fact that the writers (in my opinion) don’t understand what made him a villain in the first place makes it impossible for them to give him an actual redemption arc.

So I wanna talk about it. What did he actually do wrong? I’ve made a list (based on my personal perceptions) of things he did that were really honestly bad.

Ok, so most of his dastardly doings are actually in the first movie, I think. In Thor 1, he:

• Let the frost giants into the vault. Now, most folks would say this is wrong because he did it to interrupt the coronation and because he compromised Asgard’s most valuable weaponry. That’s not the problem though. See, interrupting some coronation is a long way from villainous behaviour and the weapons were never at risk cause there’s no way the jotuns would‘ve ever made it out with any of them. The problem is that Loki knowingly led those jotuns to their death. He knew they’d be intercepted by either the guards or the Destroyer. And he also knew there was a high possibility that one or more of those guards would die as well, and he decided it was an acceptable loss. And even if he really didn’t think the guards would die, he still chose to trick those jotuns into being killed. The disregard for lives that he saw as lesser than his was villainous.

• Manipulated (however little manipulation it took lol) Thor into invading Jotunheim. Here, most people would assume the act itself of manipulating his brother into doing something bad so he’d get in trouble for it is the problem. It’s not. Loki did honestly think this was a good way to make their father see that Thor wasn’t ready to be king, and he didn’t force Thor to do anything he didn’t wanna do already. But, Loki once again knew that there was a possibility (however small and unintended) that by him initiating this, they might actually end up in Jotunheim. And he’s smart enough to know that, when they did, a fight would ensue and jotun lives would most likely be lost. He’s also smart enough to know that it would likely cause an inter-realm war, but in his desperation to reveal Thor’s true character, he decided all that potential carnage was worth the risk. Loki gambling with the peace between two realms and again disregarding the lives of a race of people who hadn’t even provoked anyone at this point, just to prove a point (however important the point was) was villainous.

• Sent the Destroyer to Earth with the command “Destroy everything.” Once again, this one is often misunderstood. The surface level idea is that this was bad because Loki tried to kill Thor. Wrong. He didn’t tell the Destroyer to kill Thor, he said to stop him. It can be argued that he didn’t intend for him to die. And given that he was king at the time and thought Thor returning posed a challenge to his rule, he had every right to do that. But the issue is that Loki knew Thor was in a town full of innocent defenceless humans, and still chose to give the specific command “Destroy everything.” He was aware that this would probably result in the town being demolished and quite possibly civilians dying, but he chose to do it anyway. Giving a reckless order like this, with no concern for how innocent lives would be lost as collateral damage was villainous.

• Tried to destroy Jotunheim. This one is self explanatory. Even though he 100% was not in his right mind at all, attempting complete and total extermination of an entire race is just not excusable. And he succeeded in murdering a lot of them and severely damaging their planet, so… even worse. Genocide is definitely villainous.

So moving on to Avengers. My take on his actions here straddle the fence a little, but if you ask me I think I’m correct (lol).

• He willingly agreed to work with Thanos. Ok so here’s where I get my face mauled off by fellow Loki stans. Listen. I know Thanos used the mind stone to influence Loki’s actions (not completely control, but influence) but it’s highly likely that that came… later. Hiddleston said in interview that Loki traveled around the back alleys of the universe before he finally met Thanos, so we know he didn’t just fall from the bifrost and then immediately land on Sanctuary and immediately get tortured upon arrival and then immediately get brainwashed after that... He either stumbled upon the planet accidentally, made his way there himself, or was summoned there. And at that point, Thanos probably made him an offer to join forces and (given the emotional state he was in at the time)… Loki probably accepted. At least initially. Even if he wasn’t entirely sure what working with him would entail, even if he had no idea what Thanos’s plans were…. Initially, there had to be a little window (however brief) where Thanos openly offered Loki allyship and Loki agreed. Now, I think at some point Loki definitely realised what Thanos was planning and how insane it was and that he’d gotten himself in over his head, and he probably tried to back out, and that’s when the influence of the mind stone came into play. But nevertheless… knowingly agreeing to work with a mad titan is villainous.

• He decided himself that conquering the Earth was what he wanted to do in exchange for that. The Other said (at some point, I can’t remember the exact words) that Loki had agreed to retrieve the tesseract for Thanos and that in exchange, Thanos was letting him use the chitauri army to conquer Earth. There was no reason at all for Thanos to want the earth conquered, and it was implied that this was Loki’s own idea. Which implies that he had slightly more agency in this relationship than a lot of folks think (but that’s a whole other conversation). So when Thanos initially propositioned Loki to go get the space stone for him, he probably said he could offer him great rewards in return (or some bs like that) and loki probably suggested taking over Earth. Because (and you can fight me on this) he was massively angry and bitter toward Thor in particular at that point. And a huge plot point the last time Loki saw Thor was that Thor had grown to love humans and that they were the ones that changed him. So, given that context, it makes perfect sense that Loki (in his still severely mentally unstable and quite feral state) would take that opportunity to go after Thor in that way. It’s a continuation of his family problems arc and it’s completely in character. Now, Loki already knew he didn’t actually wanna rule earth, so if he’d had some time to stop and think about it, I’m positive he would’ve just given up on the whole plan anyway (and maybe that’s what he was doing by the end of the battle), but still… attempting to subjugate a planet for selfish reasons is villainous.

Ok, now Thor: The Dark World. This should be fairly short.

• Loki directed Kurse up the stairwell to where he knew people (probably Odin or Thor) would be. A lot of people love to say he killed his mom, which… ok there’s no way he could’ve known that would happen. He had zero idea she’d be in there. It probably didn’t even cross his mind, so… I give him a pass on that honestly. This one is very very mild. More petty than anything. Because Kurse would’ve found a way out sooner or later anyway and Loki probably thought Odin or Thor could easily defeat him, but still… Loki giving him directions helped him get there a few seconds quicker. And Loki knew there was a chance that would get someone hurt, but he did it anyway so… Assisting a giant monster attacking people- even in a minuscule way- just to be petty, is villainous.

• He secretly took the throne for himself. The usual grievance with this is that Loki stole the throne from Odin and was a bad king himself. False. As a disclaimer, I fully support Loki deposing Odin. In fact, I think given Odin’s mindset at the time, Loki probably saved Thor and the Warriors 4 by doing that. And he really did end up being a good king! So no problems there at all! And I’m not even sure what he should’ve done in this situation tbh, but like… we know Loki never wanted a throne. He was never gonna stay there permanently. So the fact that he incapacitated Asgard’s previous ruler and then just left him at a nursing home without keeping tabs on him and just let the first born heir walk off into the sunset to possibly disappear and never return if he wanted to… while knowing Asgard would eventually need one of them to return because he himself wasn’t gonna stay forever and there were no more heirs.. yeah. Taking a throne yourself while knowing you’re going to abandon it eventually with no successor because you scattered the few remaining royals across the universe, thus intentionally creating a future power vacuum… slightly villainous.

Now Thor Ragnarok! This one’s gonna be real short.

• He tried to betray Thor to the Grandmaster, knowing that it would impede Thor from going back to save Asgard. I have zero problem with Loki refusing to leave Sakaar to face Hela. That’s his prerogative. But he intentionally tried to stop Thor from leaving as well. Now I know Loki was most likely just trying to stop his brother from committing suicide via death goddess… but the fact remains that he knew the asgardian people needed Thor to come save them and Thor wanted to, but that wasn’t enough for Loki to let him go. So trying to stop someone from saving other people, for selfish reasons, is villainous.

*I know a lot of these are similar to things heroes have done so you might ask if that makes them “villainous” too. Well, that’s a whole other discussion.

But my point in all of this long-windedness is that- as far as I can recall- throughout the entire franchise, these are Loki’s only legitimately bad acts. And look at what they are! One of them was straight up pettiness, two of them were born of necessity, two were inspired by his emotional trauma and anger at his family, and four of them stemmed from his complete disregard for lives that he saw as lesser.

So if the writers of the series really wanted to do a redemption arc, they would first establish him in a safe and non-threatening environment where his survival instincts didn’t have to be so knee-jerk. Then they would address his trauma and let him work through his emotional issues revolving around his family. After that, they’d have him spend a good chunk of it unlearning all the destructive ideals Odin and Frigga and Asgard drilled into him as a child. The glorification of violence, the prioritisation of masculine rage, the racism, the imperialism, the god complex, the toxic interpretations of love and trust and community. They did exactly none of that.

If they really wanted to “redeem” Loki, they would’ve actually tried to counter his past misdeeds, but they couldn’t do that because they don’t even understand his past misdeeds.

They saw the first Thor movie and completely missed the sociopolitical undertones. They saw Avengers and completely missed his desperation. They didn’t get what he was doing in TDW because it was a continuation of T1 and they didn’t get that. They saw Loki being painted as ridiculous and shallow in Ragnarok and believed it. To these writers, Loki’s entire motivation in every film was power, and that hasn’t ever been true. Yes, he absolutely did bad, but every bad thing he did had a sympathetic motive behind it. And every single one of them went over their heads. This show illustrates how their entire concept of the character was about as surface-level as you can get.

Loki and trauma

One major shortcoming of the Loki show is the framing of his motivations and personality. In episode 1, Mobius asks Loki “why do you do what you do?” and Loki admits that he hurts people because he sees himself as weak, and thinks that violence is the only way he can attain power. Although Mobius seems to see Loki’s potential for goodness, at various points in the series Loki is presented as an arrogant, spoiled princeling who has betrayed his loved ones because of his narcissistic self-absorption. He’s reduced to little more than a one-dimensional, power-hungry villain (albeit with a bit more self-awareness than your average bad guy).

However, those of us who’ve watched the 2011 Thor movie way too many times know that Loki is far more nuanced; his villainy comes from a place of self-loathing and family trauma. Kenneth Branagh, Tom Hiddleston, and the writing team for Thor1 created a compelling, sympathy-inducing origin story for Loki, which is largely ignored in the Disney+ show. In Thor1, before he learns of his Jotun heritage Loki is self-effacing and even meek, unable to stand up to either Thor (”know your place, brother!”) or Odin (”Eeeaarghh!!”). (If anyone in that family is a narcissist, it’s Odin … but that’s a subject for another post.)

Loki feels like an outsider in his own family, and when his adoption comes to light, he discovers to his horror that his otherness is quite literal. Many fans sympathize with Loki precisely because his trauma stems from the perception that he’s an outcast. Those of use who struggle to fit in with our family, our social group, or society in general – whether due to LGBT+ issues, a toxic or abusive parent or sibling, or cultural/political differences – understand Loki’s brokenness in a way that is difficult, if not impossible, for people who have never experienced this sort of agony.

Loki’s treachery and penchant for betrayal is essentially a bad coping mechanism on steroids. In the Loki series, Mobius’ so-called “therapy” session forces Loki to take a hard look at himself – which is a necessary first step on his path to heroism – but never addresses the root cause of his problems. In order to become the best version of himself, Loki must face the self-hatred that underlies his insecurities, come to terms with his past, and figure out who he wants to be going forward. While the Loki series skirts close to this – Loki comes to admire Sylvie, who is ostensibly another variant of himself – the message stumbles due to the romantic undertones (romantic love is a very different beast than self-love; the metaphor simply doesn’t work) and problematic framing (Mobius calls their relationship “sick and twisted”; Sylvie mostly treats Loki with contempt and yeets him through a time door when he no longer serves her needs). By the end of the finale, Loki has become the voice of reason against Sylvie’s self-centered revenge quest, but his own pain and trauma haven’t been dealt with.

By glossing over the tragic circumstances of Loki’s fall from grace and depicting him simply as a selfish brat, the show’s creators discarded the very things that make Loki such a beloved and relatable character. Instead of truly delving into his psyche and allowing him the compassion to heal, the show punches down hard – sometimes literally. His love interest barely returns his affection before finally betraying him; his one “friend” vacillates between avuncular and sinister in the first four episodes and never apologizes for being a dick. Aside from a few tender moments, Loki is more often than not bullied, humiliated, and scoffed at. At the end of it all, Loki may have made some progress toward feeling like less of an outcast, but his connections with others seem tenuous at best.

Perhaps the gravest error committed by Loki’s family in Thor1 (and the following films, for that matter) was their total disregard for Loki’s mental welfare. He was just expected to roll with the whole adoption thing, be cool with Odin’s favored treatment of Thor, and keep a stiff upper lip when Thor’s friends gave him the side-eye for sitting on the throne (which Frigga actually told him to do, and deleting that scene was some bullshit). Yet in his own show, Loki’s well-being is once again neglected as he endures his “character growth,” whether that be kneeling and begging Sif for mercy, or showing an enormous capacity for forgiveness when Mobius finally lets him out of the torture time loop chamber. (Wow, someone stopped trying to actively hurt him! New friend opportunity!) (To be fair, Sylvie does ask at one point if he’s ok, but a few minutes later she watches with no visible concern as he’s pruned by Renslayer in the Time Keepers’ chamber. Does she really care? Meh.)

Loki’s tribulations are played for laughs, which works (and I’m using the term “works” very loosely) only if we ignore his prior trauma. Casual MCU fans may find this acceptable. However, those of us who identify with Loki’s tragic backstory are more apt to find these scenes truly disturbing.

[worstloki]

appropriate reaction

[softforloki]

I was wondering if you could do one where reader is always taking care of other people. That she has had barely any time for herself. She is getting worn down and no one seems to notice besides Loki.

Loki and reader have been together for a long while and he notices it and she refuses any help when he offers it.

Few days go past and she is growing tired and reader has been falling asleep and not eating and Loki decided he needs to do something

So the next day he lets her sleep in and tells everyone to get out. They all nod in understanding and he makes u food. Makes you laugh, there’s taking a relaxing bath together and massage and then after you braid their hair when he goes into his female form (genderfluid Loki) you even cuddle and you rest your head on her chest and they laugh about it as you fall asleep once again.

YES. Yes. I love everything about this.

Summery: Loki watches as you run yourself into the ground, then is there to pick you back up.

Word Count: 1,924

Warnings: Slight mentions of nudity, nothing overly explicit tho

Masterlist

Rest and Relaxation

As the on-site clinical psychologist of the Avengers meant that you were never not doing you job.

Each and every person on the team had a seemingly never ending list of personal problems. The day you’d asked Tony to list a few of his stressors, and he’d replied “I’m going to need two bottles of whiskey and fifty feet of paper to even begin.” would forever be known as a day that would live in infamy.

Interestingly, it was also the day you started drinking.

Loki knew you had to take care of people- it was literally your job- but when that caused you to fail to prioritize your own wellbeing, that was when he started to have an issue.

“Darling, are you well?” Loki stood behind where you sat at your desk, placing both hands on your shoulders comfortingly.

“Yeah, why do you ask?” You barely looked up at him, your fingers never ceasing their clicking across your computer’s keyboard.

“Because you missed dinner. Have you been here the whole time?”

“It’s fine, I had a snack earlier.” You dismissed.

“What are you even doing?”

“Compiling a list of books and texts on the study of alcoholism as a coping mechanism. Both Tony and Thor tend to turn to booze when they’re trying to get through something emotionally- which I’ve told them multiple times is unbelievably unhealthy, but don’t listen to the licensed mental health counselor, I guess- so I’m trying to find them some actually concrete evidence so they don’t just have to take my word for it.”

Loki normally found it adorable and endearing when you spoke of your occupation and what you learned. This was different, though. You weren’t talking excitedly about something you were passionate about, your words were tense, manic, even. You stumbled over them in an effort to get them all out.

“Dearest,” Loki began, gently pulling your swivel chair away from your desk. “I think you need a break.”

“I’m fine, I have to-”

“It’s not your job to micromanage everyone’s behavior.”

You scowled, pointing indignantly to your framed college degree hanging on the wall of your office. Loki couldn’t help but let a chuckle slip at the look on your face.

“I was under the impression that your job involved you giving your expert opinion to your clients on how they can better handle themselves. Whether or not they improve is entirely up to them.” He pointed out. “I believe you told me once, “I get paid regardless of whether they get better or not”, does that not still hold true?”

“That’s different,” You insisted. “With regular clients, yes. But I act more as a consultent with you guys. My job is more to monitor everyone and step in if I see someone going off the deep end. Besides, I’m genuinely worried about Tony and Thor.”

Loki narrowed his eyes at you. “If I let you continue here, do you promise that you’ll go take a break when you’ve finished with this?”

“Yeah, I’m almost done, anyway.” You smiled weakly. “I’ll go get a snack, or something.”

Loki sighed and acquiesced, letting you roll your chair back to the computer. He leaned down to kiss your cheek. “Your work here is admirable, love, but please don’t run yourself into the ground for our sakes.”

“Hmm,” You leaned into his touch, gazing at him so lovingly that it made his knees go a little weak. 

It had not escaped Loki’s noticed that you hadn’t agreed not to keep tiring yourself out.

. . .

He couldn’t blame you, Loki realized. He certainly wouldn’t want to be put in charge of the mental and emotional wellbeing of the Avengers, a group of people who had long histories of trauma and other personal problems.

You were working as hard as ever, gluing yourself to your computer for hours at a time, or sitting and talking with a member of the team, trying to convince them to either get their own therapist or take better car of themself for stretches of time that seemed to go on forever.

To their credit, a few of them started to take your advice (mostly after Loki haggled them to do so), but it still didn’t stop you from crashing and burning.

Loki had only started showing up to group meals with the team at your behest, but you starting showing up less and less. He stopped seeing you around the tower at all, having to seek you out in your office.

He knocked on the door one evening after the table had been cleared at dinner. “Darling, you missed dinner.” He held the plate of food carefully in one hand, knocking again with the other when you didn’t immediately respond. “Darling?”

Still no reply. Loki cracked open the door, peaking inside. You were slumped over at your desk, head cushioned by your folded arms. He silently approached you, gently setting your dinner on the desk, and leaning over you. You were fast asleep.

He sighed, smiling fondly at you. He carefully eased you out of your chair and into his arms. He magically transported you to your apartment, setting about putting you to bed. He made a mental note to later take care of the food he’d brought to your office as he carefully changed you into sleepwear.

“Sleep well, my sweet.” Loki whispered, pressing a delicate kiss to your forehead as he tucked you into bed. Before he left, he made sure your alarm was turned off. 

. . .

You woke up the next morning to the smell of breakfast cooking. You looked around your bedroom, confused, not remembering coming back home. You were even more confused when you saw that you’d slept in. 

You got up, feeling more well-rested than you had in days, and went to investigate the kitchen.

Loki stood at the counter, pouring coffee into two mugs. He turned at the sound of your foot steps. “Good morning, my darling love,” He greeted with a smile. “Did you sleep well?”

“Yeah, actually. How did I get here?” You rubbed your eyes, squinting at him.

“You feel asleep in your office last night. I brought you here. You’re taking a day off.”

“Lokes, I can’t-”

“You most certainly can. I’ve already told everyone that you’re not to be disturbed. They were all quite understanding- it seems I wasn’t the only one to notice your lack of self care.”

You sighed, knowing there was no arguing with him. “I’m sorry you have to do all this. I’ve just been so busy lately I haven’t had time for much else.”

“You needn’t apologize, love, it’s alright.” Loki pulled you into his arms, his hold on you tight but secure. “I’m always happy to take care of you.”

He kissed you, and you finally let yourself relax. You realized just how much you’d missed this. You’d been so busy trying to solve everyone’s problems you’d left yourself no time for Loki. Your hand creeped up to tug lightly on his beautiful hair as he deepened the kiss, humming in contentment.

When you parted, you reached around him to grab one of the coffee mugs. He laughed as you attempted to maneuver yourself so you could drink, but still be held by him.

. . .

You were drawn into the bathroom by the sound of running water that was too loud to be the sink, but was definitely not the shower.

You peeked inside to see Loki crouching at the bathtub, carefully monitoring the gradually increasing water lever. You watched, smiling in realization that the hand which turned the hot and cold water knobs was smaller, daintier, and more prettily manicured than before.

“Hey there, pretty lady.” You joined Loki by the tub as she looked up at you, a flirtatious smile on her lips. 

“Hello, darling. Care for a bath?”

“I can’t remember the last time I relaxed and took a bath,” You admitted. “Join me?”

Loki pressed her lips to yours in a chaste kiss. “As you wish.”

You undressed as she finished adjusting the water. She let out a low whistle as you exposed more of your skin, to which you responded by throwing your shirt at her face.

You slipped into the hot bath as Loki followed your lead and began stripping. She’d gotten it perfect, because of course she had. The water was perfectly warm without being scorching. She tucked herself behind you, pulling you close so you were practically resting in her lap.

Her hands crept up your arms and over your shoulders, gently squeezing as she went. You groaned appreciatively as she carefully kneaded the tense muscles, her lips trailing kisses in the wake of her hands.

“Loki,” You practically whimpered as she mouthed at your neck.

“Feel good, love?”

“Feels perfect. You’re perfect.”

 She chuckled, wrapping her arms around your waist and leaning forward to rest her head on your shoulder. “And you are divine, and deserve the best things I and this universe can offer you. I’d pluck the stars from the sky if you asked me to.”

“I think I’ll pass on the giant balls of heat.”

Loki laughed at that, pinching your side. “You make it sound utterly unromantic when you put it like that,” She complained.

“I’m just saying; it’s a cute idea in theory, but a disaster in practice.” You protested, squirming away from her fingers.

When you were dried and dressed, Loki pulled you into your bedroom. She collapsed with you in tow, landing in a tangle of arms and legs.

You laughed, grabbing a lock of her hair. She always let it hang longer when she presented femininely, so tonight it cascaded down her back instead of pooling at the shoulders. Either way, it was gorgeous. “Can I braid your hair?” You asked.

“Oh, please do. You always make it look so pretty.” She quickly sat up and turned around so her back faced you.

You followed suit, leaning over to your bedside table to grab a hair brush. You ran it gently through her perfect inky curls, marveling at how it seemed to flow like water through your hands. Loki always liked when you did her hair, so you’d taught yourself to do every type of braid you could think of. You decided on a relaxed fishtail tonight, so you could have tendrils loose in front to frame her face.

You were silent as your worked, savoring Loki’s quiet hums and low groans of pleasure as your fingers brushed her scalp. She leaned into your touch, eyes slipping closed as you deftly wove strands of hair together.

“Done,” You announced, tying off the end. 

Loki brought the braid over her shoulder to see. “I love it.” She declared, shifting so you could see her face.

You smiled, taking her hand in yours. “I love you,” You told her.

“I love you, too.” She pulled your gently down so you were lying on the bed again. You adjusted so you could lay your head on her shoulder.

“Thank you for taking care of me today.”

“It was my pleasure. I look forward to doing it more.”

You laughed, snuggling further into you. “Hopefully I’ll learn how to do it myself so you don’t need to.”

“Don’t think I won’t still pamper you.”

“I wouldn’t think that for a moment.” You kissed her gently, feeling her smile into it. “I know you too well.”

She laughed quietly, holding you tightly as you drifted off to sleep.

[youlackconviction]

not me reading this romance writers’ tips masterlist and noticing a whole bunch of red flags about the way they wrote LOKI x sylvie in the “bad relationships” section...

this post will address three topics: 1) signs you may be in an abusive relationship 2) why the ‘surprise first kiss’ must go 3) signs your story is sexist against men

this gets long so... after the cut

let’s start with, signs you may be in an abusive relationship. of the supplied list of 12, the sylvie-attitude-towards-LOKI checks five of those boxes.

we see this all the time in the series. idiot, clown, shut up, not a serious man... there’s more but i don’t want to rewatch it right now to collect them up. sylvie is continually verbally abusive and LOKI just allows her to speak to him that way throughout and never once calls her out, or, flings names back at her.

everything is LOKI’s fault, nothing is because of sylvie’s bad planning or rash decisions. for example, she has a tempad... in fact she has MANY tempads. but only keeps one on her person when she goes to the TVA, despite being intimately familiar with their operation, having collected and used them for many years. she doesn’t confirm that it has sufficient charge for escape or further use, despite knowingly walking into danger. yet it’s LOKI’s fault when it goes flat on lamentis1. she accepts none of the responsibility for their plight, even though he was only trying to save them both from being pruned. knowing of course that she wouldn’t offer to save him too, if he left the choice up to her.

in the final episode, sylvie turns on LOKI and accuses him of betraying her, refusing to abandon the monologue despite having no evidence. she’s guilt tripping him into compliance by making him feel bad about breaking a promise to her - which he legitimately has not broken; but she’s framing it that way to get what she wants. you can see how hurt LOKI is by the accusation, he’s almost in tears that she would even say something like that after everything he’s done to support and help her. then - she kisses him, to distract him so she can take the tempad from the desk - another emotional manipulation.

plenty of evidence of this. it can be argued that initially they are enemies from her POV so attacking him is not part of a toxic relationship, but what about in their final scenes? she reverts pretty smoothly to type, wouldn’t you say? and in that whole final fight scene while ‘he who remains’ munches popcorn, she’s the aggressor, and LOKI is just trying to stop her hurting anyone.

LOKI is definitely the victim here. he only defends himself, not actually attacking her in retaliation, throughout their association. his entire approach to her is to de-escalate, to talk, to be rational and calm. yet somehow he’s the villain and she’s the hero? bitch please.

okay. now let’s move on to the “surprise kiss” scene at the end. this article has a lot to say about why it’s so damaging and inappropriate. and here’s a couple of relevant excerpts:

SURPRISE KISSES ARE FORCED KISSES

this gets especially squicky when you understand that sylvie kissed LOKI to distract him so she could gain a tactical advantage. so not only was she ignoring consent and therefore dismissing his right to choose, she was also LYING to him at the same time. but it’s not presented as being an underhanded villainous tactic which is the real problem with the scene. it’s dressed up as fluffy true love and honestly that makes me feel a little bit sick.

if it was presented as a dark and ‘evil’ act by someone with questionable morals whose goal was to win at any cost, then sure, put that in the script, but don’t try to convince the audience that it’s a pure or healthy cornerstone emotional moment between these two individuals.

at best LOKI was deceived (if we decide that he secretly wished she might kiss him even though we have zero evidence of that from anything that he said or did for the entire six episodes “i just want you to be okay”); at worst he was sexually assaulted AND deceived.

if this is what passes for a love story with disney these days, miss me with that shit.

finally, although there’s so much more to say, i will touch on the idea that the sylvie series is sexist against men, and more specifically, feminine men.

MALE CONSENT IS DISREGARDED

we have already noted how sylvie’s unilateral decision to make their association sexual/romantic was not presented to LOKI respectfully in order that he has the option to decline or discuss it. she just made the choice, and he went along with it. imagine if it had been reversed? if LOKI had forced a kiss on her at that high-stakes moment and then used her flustered and distracted state to take advantage of her the way sylvie did? newsflash it’s gross either way, folks.

FEMININE MEN ARE MOCKED OR DEMONISED

i mean if this entire passage doesn’t SCREAM how LOKI was portrayed in the series to you, we might not be talking about the same character.

he wasn’t shown as cowardly - small mercies i suppose - but he was definitely shown as physically incompetent - which given LOKI’s extensive screen combat history was just totally unjustified.

his decorative and deeply expressive personal clothing was literally stripped off his body in the opening sequences, and we cannot overlook the symbolism in having him actually displayed naked “for the fans” demonstrating very clearly that this story was not going to be about respecting LOKI as a person. i mean this is LOKI, we’d barely seen his wrist bones before, he was not a person who flaunted his physique in those gratuitous ways, which made the strip scene all the more distressing and uncomfortable to witness.

and once he “earned” his way out of the prison jumpsuit by agreeing to cooperate with his jailers LOKI was dressed as OfficeMan™ for the entire remaining show, explicitly contradicting several remarks he made about attire and his own views on it, IN the show.

“well i think i would have worn a suit” and “being a LOKI is about style...”

not anymore apparently.

his whole personality (even his legitimate hurts and personal tragedies... “ice runt”, anyone?) was played for laughs, and scenes which were genuinely distressing were turned by the wider fandom and the showrunners into thirsttraps (LOKI being beaten in the genitals by sif) or opportunities to laugh directly at him (whenever some decision or other of his backfired foolishly).

for marvel to treat this beloved queer character in these deeply harmful and abusive ways and then try to tell us it was all in fun... no. not sorry, just no. what a shame they didn’t hire actual competent showrunners who understand these harmful fiction-tropes and why they should be avoided in good writing.

[blackstarising]

coming back to this post i made again to elaborate - especially as the ted lasso fandom is discussing sam/rebecca and fandom racism in general. there are takes that are important to make that i had failed to previously, but there's also a growing amount of takes that i have to, As A Black Person™, respectfully disagree with.

tl;dr for the essay below sam being infantilized and the sam/rebecca relationship are not the same issue and discussing the former one doesn't mean excusing the latter. and we've reached the glen of the Dark Forest where we sit down and talk about fandom racism.

i should have elaborated this in my last post about sam/rebecca, but i didn't. i'll say it now - i personally don't support sam and rebecca getting together for real. i believe what people are saying is entirely correct, even though sam is an adult legally, he and rebecca are, at the very least, two wildly different stages of life. for americans, he's at the equivalent of being a junior in college. there are things he hasn't gotten the chance to experience and there are areas he needs to grow in. when i was younger, i didn't understand the significance of these age gaps, i just thought it would be fine if it was legal, but as someone who is now a little older than sam in universe, i understand fully. we can't downplay this. whether or not you think sam works for rebecca or not, even despite the gender inversion of the Older Man Younger Woman trope, whether or not he is a legal adult, i don't think at this point in time, their relationship would work. i think it's an interesting narrative device, but i don't want to see it play out in reality.

that being said!

what's worrying me is that two discussions are being conflated here that shouldn't be. sam having agency and being a little more grown™ than he's perceived to be does not suddenly make his relationship with rebecca justified. i had decided to bring it up because sam was being brought into the spotlight again and i was starting to realizing that his infantilization was more common than i felt comfortable with.

sam's infantilization (and i will continue to call it that), is a microaggression. it's is in the range of microaggressions that i would categorize as 'fandom overcompensation'. we have a prominent character of color that exhibits traits that aren't stereotypical, and we don't want to appear racist or stereotypical, so we lean hard in the other direction. they're not aggressive, they're a Sweet Baby, they're not world weary, they're now a little naive. they're not cold and distant, they're so nice and sweet that there's no one that wouldn't want approach them, and yeah, on their face, these new traits are a departure and, on their face, they seem they look really good.

but at a certain point, it reaches an inflection point, and, like the aftertaste of a diet coke, that alleged sweetness veers into something a lot less sweet. it veers into a lack of agency for the character. it veers into an innocence that appears to indicate that the person can't even take care of themselves. it veers into a one-dimensional characterization that doesn't allow for any depth or negative emotion.

it's not kind anymore. it's not a nice departure from negative stereotypes. it's not compensating for anything.

it's patronizing.

it is important that we emphasize that characters of color are more than the toxic stereotypes we lay on them, yes, but we make a mistake in thinking that the solution is overcorrection. for one thing, people of color can usually tell. don't get it twisted, it's actually pretty obvious. for another, it just shifts from one dimension to another. people of color are still supposed to be Only One Character Trait while white people can contain multitudes. ted, who is pretty much as pollyanna as they come, can be at once innocent and naive and deep and troubled and funny and scared. jamie can be a prick and sexy and also lonely and also a victim of abuse. sam, however, even though he was bullied (by jamie, no less), is thousands of miles away from home, and has led a protest on his team, is usually just characterized as human sunshine with much less acknowledgement of any other traits beyond that.

and that's why i cringe when fandom calls sam a Sweet Baby Boy without any sense of irony. is that all we're taking away? after all this time? even for a comedy, sam has received a substantive of screen time over two whole seasons, and we've seen a range of emotions from him. so as a black person it's hurtful that it's boiled down to Sweet Baby Boy.

that's the problem. we need to subvert stereotypes, but more importantly, we need to understand that people of color are not props, or pieces of cardboard for their white counterparts. they are full and actualized and have agency in their own right and they can have other emotions than Angry and Mean or Sweet and Bubbly without any nuance between the two. i think the show actually does a relatively good job of giving sam depth (relatively, always room for improvement, mind you), especially holding it in tension with his youth, but the fandom, i worry, does not.

it's the same reason why finn from star wars started out as the next male protagonist in the sequel trilogy but by the third movie was just running around yelling for REY!! it's the same reason why when people make Phase 4 Is the Phase For Therapy gifsets for the mcu and show wanda maximoff, loki, and bucky barnes crying and being sad but purposefully exclude sam wilson who had an entire show to tell us how difficult his life is, because people find out if pee oh sees are also complex, they'll tell the church.

and the reason why i picked up on this very early on is because i am an organic, certified fresh, 100% homegrown, non-gmo, a little ashy, indigenous sub saharan African black person. the ghanaian tribes i'm descended from have told me so, my black ass parents have told me so, and the nurses at the hospital in [insert asian country here] that started freaking out about how curly my hair was as my mother was mid pushing me out told me so!

and this stuff has real life implications. listen: being patronized as a black person sucks. do you know how many times i was patted on the back for doing quite honestly, the bare minimum in school? do you know how many times i was told how 'well spoken' or 'eloquent' i was because i just happen to have a white accent or use three syllable words? do you know how many times i've been cooed over by white women who couldn't get over how sweet i was just because i wasn't confrontational or rude like they wrongly expected me to be?

that's why they're called microaggressions. it's not a cross on your lawn or having the n-word spat in your face, but it cuts you down little by little until you're completely drained.

so that's the nuance. that's the subversion. the overcompensation is not a good thing. and people of color (and i suspect, even white people) have picked up on, in general, the different ways fandom treats sam and dani and even nate. what all of these discussions are converging on is fandom racism, which is not the diet form of racism, but another place for racism to reveal itself. and yeah, it's uncomfortable. it can seem out of left field. you may want to defend yourself. you may want to explain it away. but let me tap the sign on the proverbial bus:

if you are a white person, or a person of color who is not part of that racial group, even, you do not get to decide what is not racist for someone. full stop. there are no exceptions. there is no exit clause for you. there is no 'but, actually-'. that right wasn't even yours to cede or waive.

(it's also important to note that people of color also have the right to disagree on whether something is racist, but that doesn't necessarily negate the racism - it just means there's more to discuss and they can still leave with different interpretations)

people don't just whip out accusations of racism like a blue eyes white dragon in a yu-gi-oh duel. it's not fun for us. it's not something we like to do to muzzle people we don't want to engage with. and we're not concerned with making someone feel bad or ashamed. we're exposing something painful that we have to live with and, even worse, process literally everything we experience through. we can't turn it off. we can't be 'less sensitive' or 'less nitpicky'. we are literally the primary resources, we are the proverbial wikipedia articles with 3,000 sources when it comes to racism. who else would know more than us?

what 2020 has shown us very clearly is that racism is systemic. it's not always a bunch of Evil White Men rubbing their hands together in a dark room wondering how they're going to use the 'n-word' today. it's systemic. it's the way you call that one neighborhood 'sketchy'. it's how you use 'ratchet' and 'ghetto' when describing something bad. it's how you implicitly the assume the intelligence of your friend of color. it's the way you turned up your nose and your friend's food and bullied them for it in middle school but go to restaurants run by white people who have 'uplifted' it with inauthentic ingredients. it's telling someone how Well Spoken and Eloquent they are even though you've both gone to the same schools and work at the same workplace. it's the way you look down at some people of color for having a different body type than you because they've been redlined to neighborhoods where certain foods and resources are inaccessible, and yet mock up the racial features that appeal to you either through makeup or plastic surgery.

it's how when a person of color behaves badly, they're irredeemable, but a white person performing the same act or something similar is 'having a bad day' or 'isn't normally like this' or 'has room to grow' and we can't 'wait for their redemption arc', and yes, i'm not going to cover it in detail in this post but yes this is very much about nate. other people have also brought up the nuances in his arc and compared them to other white characters so i won't do it here.

these behaviors and reactions aren't planned. they aren't orchestrated. they're quite literally unconscious because they've been lovingly baked into western society for centuries. you can't wake up and be rid of it. whether you intended it or not, it can still be racist.

and it's actually quite hurtful and unfair to imply that concerns about racism in the TL fandom are unfounded or lacking any depth or simply meant to be sensational because you simply don't agree with it. i wish it was different, but it doesn't work that way. i'm not raising this up to 'call out' or shame people, but i'm adding to this discussion because, through how we talk about sam, and even dani and nate, i'm yet again seeing a pattern that has shortchanged people of color and made them feel unwelcome in fandom for far too long.

coach beard said it best: we need to do better.

[astaroth1357]

The MC is a Valkyrie

Demigod MC Series: Intro

Greek: Aphrodite, Hermes, Hades, Dionysus, Demeter, Athena, Hades Pt. 2, Poseidon, Ares, Hestia, Nyx

Norse: Valkyrie

A bit of a change of pace this time! No worries, I'm not done with the Greeks or anything. I just had this idea and wanted to get it out. 

Valkyries aren't really demigods, but are a part of Norse myth as the minor divinities that help choose and deliver fallen warriors to Valhalla to join the ranks of the einherjar (the souls who will fight when Ragnarok comes). Valkyries are depicted as women who are fierce warriors in their own right. Despite their place as the gatekeepers of the Chosen, they've been said to sometimes take heroes and mortals as lovers or take residence in Midgard posing as daughters of royals/nobility. 

Lucifer 

At first, they thought they grabbed an heiress - which would have been bad enough - but then the MC grew wings, drew a spear, and asked who among them wanted a glorious death...

How hard is it to find ONE damn human on Earth? Isn't that realm supposed to be full of them??

Diavolo was thankfully able to talk their winged friend down from skewering Asmo and accepting the exchange on behalf of the human wo-… Midgard. 

Living with a Valkyrie is different for sure. The MC is a proud woman who takes her role very seriously and she's seemingly deemed him and his brothers as candidates for einherjar (despite being demons).

He's tried many, many times to explain to her that they're not interested, but she's unconvinced. Now the MC watches his brothers like a hawk waiting to cart one of them off to Valhalla! Any mortal wound could be an excuse...

He's had to save Beel and Satan twice from getting dragged to that infernal palace… For whatever reason, she seems to have taken to them the most. Is it old Norse culture to favor the brash and strong? He has no idea...

At the very least, she knows better than to try to drag him into her little plans. Though he's sure he could qualify for the einherjar (obviously, why wouldn't he?) he has no interest in leaving his life here behind.

To think he'd actually have to put surveillance on his own brothers for their safety… But they're not going to get drafted into some ancient Norse war, not if he can help it.

Mammon 

She’s an heiress… An heiress!!

Well, her human world identity is an heiress to a well-respected (and rather magical) rich family but that still technically counts! She’s crazy loaded back there! He’s in love!!

The only problem is that in the Devildom she doesn’t have a cent.

… and the fact that she keeps trying to get him killed. That’s also a problem.

In a way, things are not as bad and exactly as bad as that sounds. The MC apparently wants him to go to Valhalla (dope) but she can’t just take him there… He technically has to die in some kind of “vallent battle” first.

Her solution? Pick fights with nearly anything that moves and drag him into it!

Honestly, it’s pretty annoying… Sometimes he just wants to have a fun night out without getting into a barfight, you know??

At least the MC can handle herself… Hell, he was her "babysitter" but she barely even needed him. A lesser demon once made the bad idea of trying to cup her ass and lost a hand for his trouble…

Though, what this amounts to is the MC starting something then fighting alongside him like back-to-back badasses while looking for any excuse to scoop him up and fly him to Asgard!

Why does he put up with this? Well for starters human world rich is still rich, all he has to do is get himself a portal then he's living the high life! And secondly, well… what's the harm?

Sure, she technically wants him dead but he's the secondborn! The list of people who can take him down is so slim that it's not like he's in any danger. She even fights with him so things are a piece of cake!

Is this a case where he's 100% more forgiving because she's rich? Yes. Absolutely. But a golddigger's gotta eat somehow, right?

Leviathan 

Is it weird to be jealous over someone not wanting you to die...?

Okay, that's an oversimplification but Levi can’t help but feel snubbed that the MC doesn’t have any interest in taking him to Asgard. Like, none! And why not??

He’s strong! He’s tough! He’s part snake too! Don’t the Nords have a thing about that? Like, there’s a giant snake they’re all worried about?? Maybe he could communicate with it!

Logically, Levi knows that he really shouldn’t press her on this… MC is pretty much a Grim Reaper with a Norse coat of paint and Asgard doesn’t really sound like his speed. No anime, no video games, not even cable! It’s just eat, train, and drink all day… Ew.

But still… What makes him an odd one out? 

At best, she just knows he wouldn't be happy there. At worst, she's underestimating his skill… or maybe she's gauged him just right? He's always known he was weak!! 😫

Oh well... at least she's not a bore to be around. Far from it. She treats EVERYTHING like a life or death trial - he's pretty sure that if he challenged her to rock, paper, scissors she'd commend him for his bravery and swear on her sisters that she won't lose.

He once made the mistake of inviting her and Simeon for a game of Devil Party and they both got so into it that they nearly had a duel to the death as a tiebreaker… 

Thank Devil that the game had a pre-programmed minigame for that kind of thing… It would have gotten messy otherwise.

Well, even if his other brothers go to Asgard, he can just chill out here with Lucifer and Asmo… right…? Actually, no, that sounds horrible! MC, he changes his mind!! Take him too!!! 😭

Satan 

How many times does he have to say that he doesn’t want to go to Asgard?!?

Well, okay that’s not entirely true. Out of scientific curiosity, seeing the godly realm of the old Nords would be fascinating but he doesn’t want to stay, which the MC seems to have trouble understanding…

He’s not even sure why she's singled him out for einherjar status… Any one of his brothers are powerful beings in their own right and he’s not particularly, uh, “even-tempered” himself...

His best guess is she saw him wipe out a handful of lesser demons at some point and declared him Ragnarok material. He always ends up throwing around at least three of those idiots a week so checks out… 

If he's being honest, her very existence raises so many questions… Does this mean that Ragnarok is real? Will the human world be swallowed up by the sea? Will the gods of Asgard fight and die as a new world is established? When??

Unfortunately, the MC won't tell him when it all will come to pass (he suspects even she doesn't know) just that Loki will trigger it… Someone keep tabs on that guy.

Until then, he just has to put up with her attempts to convince him but his patience is wearing thin… He's pretty sure he threw a bookshelf at her once but she caught it anyway so yeah...

He did challenge her to a proper duel too but… well let's say she's a Valkyrie for a reason and leave it at that. (Being saved by Lucifer was so humiliating… He's done here, move on already!!)

Asmodeus

First things first, she's gorgeous. Beautiful! Divine! (Literally 🤭)

Now that that's out of the way… She may also have a screw or two loose.

Like, he gets it. She's a Valkyrie and snapping up strong souls is her thing but come on… Mammon? Really? Why would he get into Valhalla instead of him, huh??

Why can't he get to go to the beautiful afterlife of the old Norse with all their strapping warriors, lovely maidens, and endless partying?? It's not fair!!

Ugh… and now she's got him sounding like LEVI! How frustrating…

Well, it may not be that bad. According to MC, he'd have to do battle training in Valhalla and that wouldn't really agree with his beauty routine. Like dirt, sweat, blood, and muscles? No thanks! Not for him.

He asked MC if he could get some kind of pass, but no dice… Maybe he could still convince her to let him vacation there… Or go for a visit? Just one? Surely that couldn't be so bad right?? He's heard that Thor looks NOTHING like people think he does and he's so curious!!

The closest he's ever gotten was challenging the MC to a fashion contest for a visit, but he dropped that idea quick when she proposed that they somehow include a wrestling match in the dressing room (and he knows she didn't mean the fun kind...)

As much as he'd love to get skin-to-skin with MC, the idea of getting locked in a chokehold was less appealing for some reason. 🤔

Ah well, he'll just have to make due admiring her wonderful body clothed for the time being… There's something to be said about muscular ladies, no?

Beelzebub 

So she’s almost convinced him to join the einherjar like twice now…

He’s not the best at making decisions when he’s hungry and the MC keeps hyping up the food… Apparently it’s really good up there and MC says that she’s never seen an empty platter... Just thinking about it makes his stomach do backflips.

Thankfully for him, Lucifer usually steps in before Beel can sign his soul away and reminds him that he can’t just abandon the family for a meal, even if it is a feast.

You'd think he'd be annoyed but Beel isn't really bothered by her habit of trying to bring everyone to Asgard. At least not on a personal level.

Like Lucifer, he doesn't want to see his family broken up so he'd rather she wouldn't… But she's a Valkyrie right? It's what she does. It's not like she can help it.

In a weird way, he also thinks she means well. She just respects them and wants them to have a good afterlife. It would be kind of sweet if they didn't have to die for it first…

If he's being honest, he's not that worried about it anyway. His family is pretty tough, not a lot in the Devildom can take them down. As long as they're careful, everybody should be alright. 🙂

Maybe he could get MC to make some Valhallan food for them in the Devildom… Or he could get one of those immortality apples?? Though those would extend his life wouldn't they…? Oh well...

Belphegor 

Belphie's attempt to kill the MC went something like this:

Belphie: *switches to his demon form* "I can't believe you actually trusted me!"

MC: *blinks* "Oh. So you want to challenge me then?"

Belphie: "What?"

MC: "Ah, now I see! You want to fight to prove your valor then die by my hand??"

Belphie: "What are yo-??"

MC: *summons wings and golden spear* "I like your spunk, demon!! Fight me with all you have and perhaps I'll take you to Valhalla! May you join us in our fight as a brother!!"

Belphie: "What the hell are you talking about!?!"

To his credit, he put up a good fight and probably would have gotten into Asgard if Lucifer hadn't intervened to save his life.

It can be said that the MC's Valkyrie-hood took Belphie completely by surprise. Sure, he thought she was a little weird for a "human" but challenging him to a duel to the death? That came out of nowhere!

His uneasiness about her only grew after he found out that she's been literally trying to get Beel killed! How in the world were his brothers so relaxed about this?? She's insane!!

So say what you will about the MC, but she's managed to do the impossible. She got Lucifer and Belphie to make up and work together on something! (i.e. making sure she doesn't send them all to their deaths)

Between Lucifer monitoring his brothers and Belphie watching the MC, they'll keep everybody in the Devildom where they belong. That's a promise!

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

Saw this review of MoM and compared it with Loki and thought of you.

Ugh I hate the layout of the submissions, I swear, this is so weird.

Thank you @i-sudoku! Loved it, they're so right.

I agree with most parts but I disagree that MoM is WandaVision 2. The series took the time to address her issues and her past, they even had an entire episode that tackled absolutely everything: from the murder of her parents, to Hydra experimenting on her and Pietro, to losing her brother and falling in love with Vision, then EG and seeing what Sword were doing to his body... MoM never cared about any of that, they just took the post-credit scene and ran with that.

Elizabeth Olsen does steal the show as Wanda though, I hate the story they had with her but damn if it wasn't pleasant to see her doing it.

We keep seeing that Dr. Strange and Christine Palmer don't work out in any universe, which we already knew, but they keep repeating it for some reason

Mikey might have seen DS1 many times but he didn't understand that both Stephen and Christine had already moved on in that movie. So instead of having them as friends who clearly still love each other, since he thinks the only relationship you can have is romantic, he acts like instead of a mutual understanding this was an unilateral decision from Christine who chose to dump Stephen, she even has a scene in which she tells him she didn't love him. Excuse me?!! They always loved each other, just because you love someone it doesn't mean you have to be with them. But hey, Mikey doesn't get that.

Dr. Strange realises that he's really no different from the other versions of him [...] But he also realises that he can choose to be different from the other versions of him. [...] Which one is it? What does he learn from the other versions of him?

He could have learned something from them but since he only met one of them and spent more time fighting him than talking to him... and the others were given a couple minutes each so we didn't learn anything either. He's the same but he can be different but also being him is not bad. It's perfectly not confusing!

I gotta say though, I do believe they were trying to show him as being different from them because 1) He kept rejecting Wanda's offer to move to a universe where he could be with Christine, 2) He let America save the day unlike Defender, 3) He took the Darkhold and used it only to get to America, once he was done he left it on the floor and never bothered with it again.

So he does learn, it's just that the execution of the story wasn't exactly a good one, but what do we expect, this was Mikey writing it.

There are times when it felt like the writing room had an extensive Q&A session where they tried to cover every possible viewer doubt, concern or plot hole, but instead of weaving the details in naturally, they just made the characters parrot their explanations verbatim, which sounded contrived and awkward.

This is a huge problem with Marvel these days. They got rid of "show, don't tell" and it hurts the narrative.

But this part comparing MoM with Loki is so good (purple annotations are mine):

Waldron was chosen because of his experience with multiverse stories, especially Loki. This sounds great until you realise that Waldron has already run out of ideas and just wrote the same story again:

Main tension: The powerful protagonist is put in cuffs and deprived of his powers.

He is brought before a powerful tribunal of celebrity cameos with AI assistants to account for crimes against the natural order. [Just adding this to say that both Stephen and Loki are blamed for something a variant of them has done]

The tribunal has some heroic story for the public, but they are hiding a sinister secret. They turn out to be staffed by imbeciles who couldn't catch a shoplifter.

Main plot: A female character is being pursued because she has powerful abilities to transport herself across time and space and keeps evading everyone.

Main threat: A female character possesses the minds of other people to attack.

Lazy and blunt exposition technique: Protagonist uses a machine to bring his memories to life.

Lazy and blunt character development: Protagonist is forced to encounter an alternate version of a significant female character from his life to make him realise something about himself. She otherwise serves no story purpose.

Eventually, protagonist finds a deranged man who lives alone inside a castle in a post-apocalyptic realm. He knows more about the vaguely defined dangers of the multiverse and must be dispatched.

In short: Waldron is a terrible writer.

[tokoyamisstuff]

This Is New For Me

Loki x Reader

Summary: Life on Asgard can be straining - especially if the God of Mischief has taken a liking to you.

Warnings: Loki being so terrible at flirting it physically hurts, bullying, this got way angstier than I initially intended

Words: ~2800

A/N: I’ve written this trying to distract myself from personal problems, but honestly I can’t think straight rn. Dunno I kinda hate how this turned out but here you go I guess...sorry.

Loki Odinson must really despise you.

No matter how often Thor would stand up for his brother and try to justify his behavior, there was no other explanation for you other than that he must truly hate you with every essence of his being.

In the beginning, having been invited in the palace to train magic under the Allmother sounded like a once-in-a-lifetime chance - yet all that’s left from your initial excitement had been replaced by pure annoyance.

Lately, whenever you knew that you had to attend class with that certain raven-haired prince, your insides would churn before you even arrived.

Weeks have turned into months, never once ceasing his condescending remarks or childish pranks. Of course, he wasn’t called the God of Mischief for nothing.

All nine realms had tales to tell about his sheganinans - yet with you, he seemed especially invested. There was not one encounter where he could leave you at peace, always ending with you being victim to his wicked humor. 

The man did not seem to respect you at all - and it made you furious.

Today, you’d show him just what you were capable of!

“Greetings, great Allmother.” Polite as always, you bowed deeply in front of your queen, her magnificent presence still making you jittery beyond belief.

“No need for formalities, my lovely student” she responded heartily, only making you admire her even more - until a loud, exaggerated sigh cut through the calm atmosphere.

“Her again?” There he stood, maintaining his defensive pose as he rolled his eyes at you. “Mother, why would you keep on bringing a lowlife like her to defile this holy place?”

This was probably the millionth time that Frigga apologized deeply for her son’s behavior, and you were always amazed by her patience with him. How could a person so formidable end up raising such a troublemaker?

But then again...if she believes that there is good in the God of Mischief, then so would you.

“For today, I have prepared a spell that can only be cast by two mages at once”, Frigga explained, while Loki would still not bid you a single look. “So throughout this lesson, you will need to work together to succeed.”

Irritation was clearly visible on his face - and if you were perfectly honest, you weren’t really fond of that idea either. Yet if it was your scolar’s wish, none of you would protest.

“Spontaneous creation of complex concepts puts a huge stroll on one’s mind and body, so do not be frustrated if it doesn’t work within the first try.”

The idea was simple: Create a blooming meadow in midst of the palace floor, since creating life would be way too complex - only masters of the sorcery arts could take this spell to completion.

You and Loki were now sitting on the bare floor in front of each other and only now you realized how tense he had become, sweat dripping from his forehead and biting his bottom lip.

Was your presence really so terrible that he couldn’t bear with it?!

“Hey” you whispered, taking his hands to form a ring just as instructed “Don’t worry, we’re gonna get this!”

“I don’t need your encouragement...” he spat between gritted teeth, now that you noticed his palms were just as sweaty as his face seemed to be.

One second. Two, tree...fourty....a hundret and two...

“Relax” Loki repeated to himself as if it was his mantra - but now, with your fingers entangled in his? Sheer impossible.

Distraught, he shot his mother a desperate look, just for her to point  towards you, sitting cross-legged and seemingly completely relaxed.

Since your eyes were closed, Loki took this chance to observe every detail of your face, without having to fear that you’d notice his little infatuation.

By the norns - you were as fair and bewitching as always. So way, way out of his league. An unreachable, vigorous being. No angel, valkyrie or similar could ever reach up to you - at least in his eyes.

Was this what they called love at first sight? Loki only knew those sentiments from novels he always ridiculed before he got to know you.

Slowly and steadily, Loki aligned his breathing pattern with yours, picturing the cycle of energy the two of you formed. Carefully, he began infusing you with his magic, trying his best to allow yourself do the same to him.

Another minute passed by and you were finally able to let your magic flow through each other’s bodies entirely, like a serene stream.

With things being like this, he felt so different from the Loki you knew.

His magic was strong, indeed - but so gentle, warm and somehow comfortable to be coated with. You wondered-

“HEY!”

As soon as Loki slapped your hand away, breaking the cycle, all of the flowers that had previously bloossomed through you would wither in an instant.

“What the hel do you think you’re doing, you mewling quim?!” Loki shoutet as loud as his lungs allowed him to, while his mother’s face distorted in second-hand-embarrasment at her son’s choice of words. “Who do you think you are?!”

“I-I’m sorry, I just-” You only wanted to scan his emotions through the magic bond you shared, just peek under the cover for a mere second - what was he so afraid of you to find?

“Know your place, woman!” The god pointed at you before he rushed up, ignoring the ache in his heart as he saw your face contort in sadness. “You are beneath me, never forget that!”

Why were you even surprised?

“You’re right” you sniveled quietly as you balled a fist in your dress, and Loki hated himself so much that he wished to just disappear. “My apologies. You don’t have to put up with me ever again.”

As always, instead of fighting, you made your leave without ever fighting back.

Frigga’s pleads for you to stay and talk this over were all for naught when you rushed away, muttering curses directed towards youself rather than anyone else.

Instead of scolding her son, she’d punish him through her silence, furiously shaking her head as she rushed away as well.

Why did he always have to ruin everything?!

The God of Mischief was very well aware that whenever you were close, his mind went completely blank - and that made him panic.

Never before he had felt so goddamn vulnerable in front of anything, terrifying him beyond belief.

And Loki loathed that feeling: Losing control over himself, being reminded once again how alone and  unloveable he is, facing a goddess as stunning as you are every single day.

So he concluded it to be best to cope like he did all those millenia: Cover up those insecurities, shove his anxieties in the back of his heart and protect his heart from anyone coming close.

Good thing you believed that presumptupus, disoblinging duplicity of his to be his true self.

That would make it easier for the both of you, having as much distance as humanly possible. Vicinity could become dangerous terrain.

Yes, he would only save you some time - it would be a waste if you would try to actually give him a chance, just to be let down by what kind of disappointment he truly was.

But it wouldn’t end here - since the only way Loki Odinson first and only communication was through causing mischief.

A scream of yours startled the servants early in the morning, with your personal maiden being the first to rush to your side.

“Milady, wha-” She stopped in her tracks as she saw you standing in front of the mirror, touching your scalp in disbelief, where everything had been cut short.

That was it. Enough of it!

Dismissing the servants, you took a scissor and tried to at least make an acceptable hairstyle out of the mess he had made, before you would leave to the royal garden.

“You!” Pointing towards Loki, innocently sitting on a bench to watch the sunrise, you screamed and let a strand of hair run from your fingers to the floor. “You did this!”

“Now relax, would you” he chuckled, wearing his smug grin like a trophy as he defendingly held his hands into the air. “You should be grateful, it looks much better like this.”

Next thing he knew was the feeling of your backhand, mercilessly crushing against his collarbone.

Usually, you’d be shocked at yourself, for you had never been a person to choose violence ever before - but right now, you were too full of anger and hurt to even realize.

“You conniving craven pathetic worm!” you exclaimed, breathing heavily as you swung yet another fist towards the prince - however, he grabbed your wrists, trapping you in his hold.

In his life full of wrongdoings, he had been called worse than that - yet still, hearing insults coming from you of all people shot arrows through his heart with every word escaping his lips. Not that he’d ever admit, though.

“It was just a little prank.” Loki would’ve never thought that his actions would affect you this much. “What are you so worked up about?”

“All this time I believed there could be a good person beneath all that...but now what?” The compassion you detected in his eyes were only upsetting you even more. “You are a selfish, cruel and terrible person, and I gave up on you.”

Loki let go off of you, staring at you in disbelief:

You actually believed in him, all this time?! That was impossible!

If anything, the Odinson had always believed you to ignore his existence completely, if he wouldn’t use such drastic measures to attract your attention.

“Wait a second, I-”

“I hope you know that you deserve to be alone...” you sniveled, turning around to face him one last time before you fled the scene. “And you always will be.”

Several minutes had passed until Loki had given up in silencing he voices inside his head that told him you were right: He was indeed a despicable being, tainting your pure goodwill - repelling anyone that would still be willing to give the God of Mischief a chance.

Out of a whim, he jumped up from his place, wanting to rush after you. He was very well aware that he was probably beyond forgiveness by now, yet he at least wanted to make things up to you - even though he had no clue where to start.

“Calm down, Lady Y/N.”

Thor’s voice drang to Loki’s ears just a mere second before he saw that particular heart-wrenching scene unfold in front of him:

You were lying in his brother’s arms, crying to your heart’s extend while soothed you, softly petting what remained from your hair.  Loki remained hidden in the shadows, even though his guts told him to stab his brother right here and now.

“My brother...you know-” The God of Thunder was trying to find the right words, even though poetic speeches were not really his forte. “It’s just his speecial, twisted way of interacting. Who knows where he got that from.”

“I rather wonder if he realized how his behavior truly makes me feel” you snapped back, unwilling to keep defending him. “Weak and worthless, that’s how I feell. And every time our ways cross, he’s making it worse!”

By the gods, Loki never wanted to make you feel that way, let alone think such ways about yourself! He of all people, who knew best what its like to feel unfit and nowhere near enough.

Loki grabbed the fabric of his shirt tight, feeling that his heart might burst if he didn’t. It took everything in him to not let out a loud sob and be caught - but then, his brother snapped him out of it with an impossible question:

“Do you still love him?”

“L-Love might not be the right word, I mean-” Lately, you had let Thor in on your secret admiration for his younger brother. “With the way he’s treating me, and all-”

You just couldn’t help being drawn to him against all reason. After everything you had endured, just to be close to him - and he never even acknowledged your feelings.

And still, here you were, crying over a man that didn’t want you.

“Lady Y/N?”

Loki’s voice made you panic, immediately wriggling out of Thor’s embrace. The Odinson understood immediately, nodding towards his brother before leaving the two of you alone.

“Since when have you been standing there?!” Panic dropped to your stomach, wondering just how much he had heared.

“From the very beginning.”

Before you could even think about what to do now, Loki summoned a dagger, cutting off his raven locks in one swift move. “Wha-”

“Please, accept this as means of apology.” The man now dropped to one knee, humbly facing the ground. “I have never intended to make you doubt your most perfect self.”

Frantic, you were scanning his voice, face, anything for the slightest hint of a lie - but nothing. Loki seemed determined and sincere when he looked up to you, hesistantly taking a hold of your hand.

“This is new for me...” he uttered under his breath as his lips graced your knuckles, and only now you realized that he was trembling ever so slightly. 

“I-Is that another trick?!”

“What kind of vicious being do you think I am?” Well, after everything he had commited it was only natural of you accusing him. “There are lines not even I do not cross.”

Only for a brief second your heart felt a little bit lighter, as his eyes were locked with yours, lost in this moment you have been waited for so long...

...a little too unexpected, right?

Suddenly, you tugged your hand away, and Loki could only sigh in frustration. Of course it won’t be that easy for him to gain your trust. “I don’t need your pity, Loki...”

No matter how he racked his brain around the matter, he had burdened your shared past probably beyond the point of repair.

That would be his last chance, maybe the last time he’d ever see you again. He was so desperate in his attempt, and yet - what else could he do?

So for the first time in millenias, the God of Mischief decided to speak from the heart for a change:

"Y/N, I-I...As I said, this is new for me, so...” he cleared his throat before continuing, stress literally dropping out of every pore. “From the first day we’ve met, you...I mean...you were the most magnificent being I ever laid eyes upon, and...when I think about it now, I-I may be enarmored with you.”

Your eyes widened at this wholeheartedly confession, a sincere smile playing on his lips in contrast of sole tears running down his face.

Never before you had seen him like that: Flustered, vulnerable, and honest...

“I thought to be unworthy of your affection, so I tried to belittle you, to...I don’t even know. I’ve been told many times I am quite assertive of anyone but myself. I-I mean, I am a mess...I don’t understand my own feelings and thus drive away any chance of happiness, and...how could you ever-?”

“Mhh...” you silenced the man as your lips crushed over his, falling straight into his arms. It took Loki quite a second to fully grasp the situation before deepening the kiss, his arms wrapping around you as if you’d disappear if he was to ever let go.

“Y/N...” the prince gasped when your lips parted from that breathtaking kiss - and this time it was you who wore that thug grin on your face.

"Apology accepted” you giggled, just to smother the face of this flabbergasted man in yet another thousand smaller kisses.

This had to be a dream, he thought...and immediately, a wave of guilt washed over him. He did not deserve this in the slightest.

“Now, don’t give me that look.” Cupping Loki’s face in your hands, you gifted him that heartwarming expression he had ignored for so many years, thinking it was not meant for him. “That kiss wiped my memory from everything you’ve done...by now.”

Out of sheer, genuine happiness, Loki leaped from the floor and excitedly swirled you around in his arms.

After another kiss that would kick the air right out of your lungs. the god would peck a more gentle one afterwards, as sweet and tender as no one ever thought he could be.

Even if it’s gonna be a long way, Loki would prove to be worthy of your love.

“Lady Y/N...if you are to believe in me, then I swear I will be on my best behavior from now on!”

"Let's see about that."

[sserpente]

A/N: Request from @wrenstrange! Put up the decorations, it’s finally time again! Enjoy, everyone!

Words: 1957 Warnings: pure fluff, blood sample/needle/syringe, soft!Loki, fatique, fainting

You dropped like a piece of wood right about when you were making yourself a cup of tea in the kitchen. Knees ceasing to support you any longer, vision darkening, stars dancing around you making you dizzy. Your eyes rolled to the back of your head and before you knew it, your body finally won and shut down.

Although if you could have chosen, you would not have fallen straight into Loki’s arms whose reflexes caught you, preventing you from hitting the hard floor beneath you. He cradled you with his brows furrowed, his blue gaze almost helpless as he looked at Thor and Stark for support.

Then, everything went black.

-

“Welcome back.” You blinked, the artificial lights above your head blinding you. A hand held you down when you attempted to sit up drowsily. Bruce was leaning against a metal table in Tony’s lab, hands crossed before his chest and with a concerned expression on his face. “You blacked out,” he explained, “out of the blue.”

“How are you feeling?” Tony added.

You only realised then that it was Loki who had held you down. He was sitting on a chair right next to the makeshift bed they had carried into Tony’s lab and he was observing you with Argus eyes. Your heart sped up when you noticed. You usually tended to avoid the God of Mischief at all cost. There was a part of you that was afraid of him after watching him making an entire crowd kneel in Stuttgart, the other was hands down swooning over him. It had all started when he had rescued a cat from a tree, honouring a cliché he had not even been aware of. But someone who helped defenceless little kittens had to have a soft heart deep down, no?

Thor had brought him to Earth along with him after Asgard had been destroyed. He could not exactly be considered an Avenger but he had long surpassed the villain image… at least, to some extent. Well, you were no Avenger either. You used to be a SHIELD intern and then somehow ended up with the superheroes themselves. Apart from some basic fighting skills and the ability to use a gun, you had been trained to spend most of your time in front of a computer, often working twelve hours or even more a day. What did they say? Evil never sleeps.

“Any idea what might have caused this?” Bruce continued.

You shook your head. “No. But I’ve been having migraines and a persistent fatigue that just won’t go away.”

“I see… anything else?”

“Um…”

“You can talk to us, (Y/N).”

“Well, I… I’ve been dizzy a lot lately but that sometimes happens during my special week of the month so I didn’t think anything of it.” You took a deep breath but hesitated.

“And?”

“I’ve been sweating way more when working out. Like, a lot more. Instead of making progress… I feel like I’m getting weaker every day. It’s frustrating.”

“Uh-huh. I’m taking a blood sample. FRIDAY will run a couple of tests on you to figure out what’s wrong.”

“What? No! Nothing’s wrong! We don’t need a b-blood sample.”

“No one faints for no reason, (Y/N), especially not on Loki.” Loki rolled his eyes but did not leave your side, even when Bruce started fiddling around with some gear and apparently, a first-aid kit and then approached you with a syringe and a small clear vial.

“I’ve done this a million times before, I’ll be gentle.”

“No! No, no blood test, Bruce, please!” Almost hysterically, you moved back on the bed, your heart in your mouth.

“(Y/N),” Loki suddenly said calmly. You shivered when he spoke your name, his head tilted slightly. “Are you afraid of needles?”

“N-n-no…” You lied. Loki raised an eyebrow.

“Look at me.” He said. Hesitating only a little, you did as you were told. It wasn’t like his tone allowed any contradiction anyway. In fact, it reminded you a lot of his strict and bossy tone when he had caused chaos in Germany. “It has to be done. Hold my hand and do not take your eyes off of me.”

“Who are you and what you have done to Reindeer Games?” Tony tossed in, throwing the Trickster a suspicious glance. Loki rolled his eyes once more. As if he had any obligation to explain himself to Stark of all people.

In the meantime, you were panicking even more. Loki was being nice and considerate with you and Bruce was about to pierce your skin with a needle. Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck… your breathing sped up.

“Look. At. Me.” Loki repeated. You obeyed this time, allowing him to take your hand and press it gently. Much to your surprise, it immediately calmed you down a little. You gaped at him unbelievingly. You didn’t even feel the needle going into your skin and drawing blood. Wait… was he casting a spell on you?

“There. All done.” You could not bring yourself to look where Bruce brought your blood sample but when both Tony and he stepped away and turned their backs on you, you swallowed.

“T-thank you…” You had to ask—not because you did not think he was not capable of offering his help without seeking a personal advantage and not because you didn’t think he was too evil to even think about being selfless… but because you were genuinely curious about his motivation. Loki did nothing without a reason, he was always one step ahead. “You put a spell on me, didn’t you?”

He nodded. “Why… why did you do that for me?”

“We are all afraid of something.” It was the only response he gave you. For a few moments, you merely sat there quietly, neither of you uttering a single word. Only when Bruce and Tony returned did you realise that Loki was still holding your hand.

“Okay… I’ve got the results from your blood test and FRIDAY couldn’t find anything suspicious.” Tony announced, scrolling on his tablet. Bruce adjusted his glasses to take a peek.

“You said you’ve been feeling tired? You sweat a lot, you get dizzy, and I’m presuming you barely have an appetite?”

“I don’t have time to eat a lot to be honest…” You confirmed.

“Any concentration problems?”

Pressing your lips together to a thin line, you thought about it for a moment. Now that he mentioned it… it had gotten obnoxiously hard to focus on your work lately. Eventually, you nodded.

“Sounds like severe exhaustion to me.” Bruce said. “Do you have issues with low blood pressure or diabetes or any other medical condition? No, FRIDAY would have found something like that. You know what I think? You overworked yourself.”

“Like… a burnout?” You probed.

“Most definitely.”

You grunted. Oh, that was just great. There you were, attempting to squeeze in regular workouts in this awesome training hall the Avengers called the HARM room after work to get stronger and hence, eventually gather up the courage to speak to Loki and now you looked exactly like what you did not want him to see you as—a weak and meagre human.

“The best medicine would be for you to quit work for a while and stop physical exercise altogether.”

“Banner is right,” Tony added. “Take a few weeks off and rest, sleep in, eat more and healthy… the whole program. I officially give you a holiday.”

“You’re not my boss, Tony, you can’t give me a holiday.” Your smile was weak. “But I don’t have time for this anyway! I can’t believe this is happening so soon before Christmas!” You whined. “I can’t stay in bed, I’ve got so much to do! I have to buy presents and decorate and bake biscuits and make gingerbread… Besides, I’m gonna fall behind on all the data.”

He shrugged. “I’ll take care of that. Let me talk to Fury. You let us know if you need anything. Can you take her to her room, Reindeer Games? And please, no funny business.” Beside you, Loki was just frowning, utterly ignoring the billionaire’s request.

“Why were you pushing yourself so hard?” He finally spoke when the two Avengers had left—whether it was genuine confusion or mere curiosity in his voice, you were not sure. “Why were you training for battle in the first place? I have never seen you out on a mission.”

You sighed. Time to let the cat out of the bag, it wasn’t like you were still going to make a good impression on him anymore now.

“I wanted to impress you, I guess…”

“Impress me?” Loki repeated incredulously.

“Yeah… catch your attention… in a way. I mean, part of me is still terrified of you, of course but… you have a good heart, Loki. I knew when I saw you rescuing that cat from the tree.”

The God of Mischief rolled his eyes. “I knew this was going to damage my reputation.” He responded with a sly smirk, making you grin. “It was an innocent kitten, what was I supposed to do?”

“See?”

Your heart skipped a beat when his blue eyes locked with yours. He appeared… uncertain; not used to dealing with affection. Loki swallowed.

“Can you walk?”

“I’m not sure…”

The God of Mischief sighed, his lips pressed together to a thin line. Without any hesitation, he snuck one of his arms under your knees and wrapped the other around your waist. He lifted you off the makeshift bed as if you weighed nothing—and to him, you probably didn’t.

Loki carried you to your room in utter silence and eventually lay you down in your bed. Your heart jumped when he sat down on the edge of the bed himself, with a peculiar interest in his hands so he would not have to look you in the eye.

“There is no need to impress me.” He suddenly said. Your head shot up. “I did not think anyone would even… never mind.”

Oh. It almost felt like you were finally getting to know each other, for real this time.

“Do you want to stay for a while? I was going to watch some Christmas movies if I’m not allowed to get out of bed.” You sighed. “I can’t even decorate. You have no idea how many decorations I have to put up. None of the others care to make it a little more festive here, especially not Fury.”

“Yes, I have seen the boxes.” Loki replied. “It’s a little… corny, wouldn’t you say?”

“Honestly, when living among superheroes who risk their lives every single day, you could use a little corny.”

“I see.” Loki simply waved his hand and before you knew it, your entire room was decorated. Green and red tinsel shimmered on your window sill, holiday lights were blinking above your door and fake—but incredibly real-looking—snowflakes hung from the ceiling. Many of your favourite decoration items were now sitting on your nightstand and your desk, including your tiny little Christmas tree. The rest of the decorations, so it seemed, Loki must have spread all over the Tower.

“Oh my Goodness… Loki, this is amazing!” The God of Mischief winked and when you looked down on yourself, you noticed you too were wearing a green and gold Christmas sweater. Heavens, you could kiss him. “Thank you so much! What did you… is the entire Tower…”

“Yes.” He confirmed. He didn’t have to. Tony did only a fraction of a second later.

“Thor! Can you tell me why my Ironman helmet just grew metal antlers? I swear to God, if Reindeer Games has something to do with this…” It was then you exploded with laughter despite your exhaustion.

-

A/N: If you enjoyed this story, I would appreciate it so much if you considered supporting me on Kofi! It’s either for caffeine or red wine, I’ll take both. ko-fi.com/sserpente ♥

[iam93percentstardust]

Prompt: Stony, animal transformation

I realized about halfway through writing this that you probably meant a spell or something but I wrote shifters instead and I really liked what I had so I kept going. Sorry it’s a lot crackier than you were probably expecting; you can blame @maguna-stxrk for that

As always, everything I write is also available on ao3

~

“No.”

The first time Tony met Steve Rogers, he was both delighted and irritated. Delighted because hey! Captain America is another cat shifter! And that means that Howard was wrong and Tony is, in fact, like Captain America (in some ways at least; in others, that remains to be proven).

“I won’t do it.”

And irritated because Captain America is another cat shifter.

“You can’t make me.”

Tony knows that there are cat shifters out there who are perfectly friendly and like being around other cats. He is not one of them. There are multiple reasons why he and Steve clashed on the helicarrier and only one of them is Loki’s staff. Tony’s breed is highly territorial and everything in his tower is his and he doesn’t want another cat in there rubbing up against his stuff. But there Fury is, insisting that the entire team move into the tower.

“I don’t want them there,” Tony says flatly. That’s not entirely true. He doesn’t really want any of them there but he’s willing to put up with them. The only one he really truly genuinely doesn’t want there is Steve.

It’s probably a good thing none of the rest of the team is here to hear him complaining about them. But, well, they should know better than to expect friendliness out of him. He’s not friendly. He’s majestic and aloof and not in the mood to have anyone else around to see him when he’s not being majestic and aloof.

Fury eyes him. Tony doesn’t know what kind of shifter he is—he keeps that kind of paperwork on actual paper, ew—but he wouldn’t be surprised if it’s something sneaky and devious like Fury himself (probably a snake. Tony hates snakes).

“Stark, the ways I could make you do what I want—”

“—are all against the Geneva Convention,” Tony finishes smoothly. In his reflection on the table, he realizes that the tuft of hair behind his ear isn’t lying flat. He licks the back of his hand and reaches up to smooth the hairs back down.

“Stark.”

“Fury.”

“We are running out of options—”

“Well, that sounds like a you problem.”

“—for Clint.”

Tony shuts up. Sighs. Glances through the window of the conference room where he can see Clint leaning against the wall, stuck in partial shift since Loki and the invasion. His golden tail is tucked between his legs, his ears are drooped, and he flinches like a kicked puppy (not an inaccurate description) every time someone walks by.

“How bad is it?” he asks.

“People don’t want him on the helicarrier,” Fury says. “He makes them nervous. His pack bonds were broken when Loki took him, and with Coulson—well.”

Yeah, that. Dog shifters like Clint rely on pack bonds, even those formed between non-dogs. Tony’s always been more of a loner so he can’t really imagine what Clint is going through but judging by the way Clint looks, he can guess it isn’t easy.

“They’ve all been briefed on what it’s like living with a cat, even Rogers, and they know about your idiosyncrasies in particular.”

And that’s the crux of the matter. “I don’t want him there,” Tony says quietly.

“He’s not the same breed—”

“But he’s got the same instincts!” He sighs frustratedly and almost runs his hand through his hair before he realizes how much that’ll mess up his hairstyle. His tail lashes agitatedly behind him, instincts urging him to claw, to bite, to protect his home from the invader. “Why can’t it just be Clint?”

“Because where Clint goes, Natasha goes. Besides, Clint needs the pack bonds, which means he needs the whole team.”

Tony hisses, crosses his arms, pouts. “Fine,” he says eventually. “But I don’t like it.”

And then, before Fury can feel too smug in his victory, he keeps aggressive eye contact and knocks Fury’s water glass off the table, darting away before he can hear more than the bellow of rage.

 ~

“I don’t want you here,” Tony says, ears laced back irritably. It’s the first time he’s come across Steve in the tower so far and of course the man (well, actually he’s shifted into his cat form right now) is lying in Tony’s favorite sunbeam. The nerve of some people.

The single eye that Tony can see slits open and stares at him for a long moment. In the next moment, a ripple comes over the cat and then Steve has partially shifted back, stretching lazily as he yawns. “Okay, Tony,” he agrees.

“You’re in my sunbeam.”

“Okay, Tony.”

“I want you out of it.”

“But it’s such a nice sunbeam.”

“It’s mine.”

“We could share it.”

Tony lets out an offended yowl. They can’t share it. That would defeat the purpose of it being his. Steve stares at him for a long moment and then stretches again, muscles rippling in interesting ways that make Tony want to knead them for—no. No kneading. No accepting the interloper.

“Come on, Tony. It’s sunny and I want to nap. We can share the sunbeam,” Steve says around another yawn before flopping over onto his side, still mostly human. Tony wants to bite his tail. But… he does want a nap. And this is favorite sunbeam. And he shouldn’t have to find another one since there’s no way Steve will be leaving this one (sadly Tony has not yet figured out the right strength the armor needs to move him).

He carefully lays down, putting several inches of space between him and Steve. Almost immediately, he can feel the effects of the warm sun on him, pulling him under into a light doze. It’s not enough to fall asleep entirely, not when he can still feel Steve at his front but then Steve starts to purr and oh, that’s kind of nice. He hesitantly lets out an answering purr of his own. Steve’s rumble grows louder and almost without meaning to, Tony finds his hands kneading the ground contentedly.

~

But that won’t stand. It can’t stand. He conceded ground on the sunbeam because it and Steve were warm and that was clearly a mistake because now Steve is standing in the kitchen, drinking coffee from Tony’s favorite coffeepot out of Tony’s favorite mug as he talks to Natasha.

And this injustice cannot stand!

“Mine,” he hisses, fingers shifting into extended claws, ready to tear into Steve for daring to drink from what clearly belongs to Tony.

At his hiss, Natasha’s skin ripples until she’s scaly and blending in with the cabinets. Smart of her to stay out of his way. Few things are worse than a territorial cat and even someone as lethal as Natasha would hesitate to face him when he’s like this, even though Steve gives her an amused look and says, “Really?”

Steve takes another sip out of the mug. Tony’s hiss turns into a full-throated growl. “Tony, you have to learn to share.”

“No.”

“Yes, you do.”

“Mine.”

“Yeah, you said that.” Steve doesn’t sound very impressed. Or even particularly intimidated, damn it.

“It’s my mug, it’s my favorite mug, you have to give it back,” Tony says, eyes tracking the mug as Steve lifts it to his lips again—wow, they looked kind of pink and pretty in the morning—no, focus. “Give it.”

“Alright,” Steve says agreeably and holds the mug out. “Here you go.”

Tony’s tail lashes and he hisses again. “You know I don’t like to be handed things.”

“Oh right,” Steve says, sounding remarkably unconcerned. “Too bad then. Guess you’re not getting your mug back.” He takes another sip from the mug—Tony’s mug.

“No,” Tony whines, drawing the word out so that it has at least eight additional syllables. He flops over onto the kitchen table, rolling around mostly so that he’s treating this situation with the hysteria it deserves but also so that he can scent mark the table, which currently smells of the rest of the team and not like him.

“Tony, stop being overdramatic,” Natasha orders, apparently deciding that she doesn’t need to blend in with the background anymore. “Steve, stop being a shit and give him back his mug.”

“No,” they both say petulantly.

She pulls out one of the many, many knives she keeps on her person. Tony hurriedly rolls off the table. Steve quickly puts the mug down and pulls out another one. Immediately, Tony darts to his mug—all his, no one else’s—and cradles it to his chest.

“That’s better,” Natasha says smugly and stalks out of the kitchen.

Tony waits until she’s gone and Steve has filled his new mug. Then, as Steve busies himself with cooking his breakfast, he slowly, cautiously reaches out and bats Steve’s mug off the counter. He gleefully sprints out of the kitchen to the sound of Steve’s outraged yowls, clutching his own mug close.

~

“Clint says you’ve been working too long,” Steve says, surprising Tony so much all the fur on his tail stands straight up.

“Fuck,” he spits. “I have a heart condition, you know.”

“Yeah,” Steve agrees like the asshole cat he is. “But I don’t think I’m going to give you a heart attack just by sneaking up on you. Not my fault you were in a zone.”

Tony grumbles wordlessly under his breath. It’s true that he’s been in a zone for the last couple hours or so, something that he achieves only through kneading or inventing, but that’s no reason for Clint to be concerned.

“Why do you care if Clint says I’ve been working too long?” he asks. Steve picks up one of his screwdrivers and spins it between his fingers before setting it back down. Tony immediately picks it up as well and rubs his cheek on it to cover it in his scent again. Steve shoots him a mischievous grin and promptly moves further away to do the same thing to a different screwdriver. Tony resigns himself to losing another couple of hours to scent marking everything once Steve is gone.

“I don’t,” Steve says, now rubbing up against one of the armors (and no, Tony is not thinking about how good Steve looks like that). “I thought we were doing a great job of ignoring each other. But he says it’s been more than twenty-four hours, which means it’s time for a break.”

“Says who?”

“Pepper, apparently.”

Tony winces. Okay, yeah, he can ignore pretty much everyone except for Pepper. She’s important.

“So you’re… what, here to drag me upstairs for dinner?”

Steve shakes his head and holds up a bag in his hand. “Thought I’d offer to split a bag of catnip with you.”

Huh.

“Huh,” Tony says out loud. He eyes it suspiciously. “It’s not laced with anything else, is it? You’re not going to take me to knock me out and take me to Medical.”

“Just pure catnip.” Steve opens the bag and Tony’s eyes dilate at the intoxicating scent. “Why, do you need to go to Medical?”

Tony thinks of the two cracked ribs he suffered during the battle yesterday that he’d wrapped himself. “Nope,” he says blithely. Steve’s eyes narrow but he doesn’t argue. “Are you going to judge me for straight up eating it?”

“Are you going to judge me for doing the same?”

“Fair,” he says and holds out a hand for the bag. Steve upends it and dumps half in Tony’s hand, watching without judgment as Tony stuffs half of it into his mouth.

And when Tony comes back from his catnip-induced high to finds himself fully shifted, Steve’s own shifted form wrapped so tightly around him that his short tabby fur is mingling with Tony’s longer white fur, there’s no judgment there either, just Steve purring and purring and purring.

~

“Why do you do it?” Tony quietly asks Steve one night. Some animated movie is playing on the screen but Tony doesn’t think anyone is actually paying attention to it. The rest of the team is busy sleeping together in a cuddle pile in their shifted forms, Clint’s golden retriever spooned by Thor’s panda, Bruce’s owl perched on top of Clint with his head tucked under his wing. He can’t spot Natasha’s chameleon but he can smell her so he knows she’s there somewhere. He and Steve are sitting apart from the rest of the team, studiously ignoring them. It had surprised him when Steve hadn’t gotten down there to join them—tabbies tend to be more social than other cats—and instead chosen to curl up next to him on the couch in his partial shift, but to his shock, he isn’t complaining about it.

Idly, Steve twines his tail around Tony’s twitching one and purrs, relaxing him until he’s a puddle on the couch. “Nat said it was a good way to get your attention.”

“What, picking a fight with me?”

“Tony.” Steve gives him a long look and then leans over to lick his ear. It should make Tony stiffen, run away, groom over that one spot until he no longer smells of Steve anymore. It doesn’t. It just makes his ear flick curiously. “I never wanted to fight with you.”

Oh.

Oh.

Suddenly, Tony’s brain is sifting through every interaction he and Steve have ever had, looking at them in a new light. Okay, and yeah, now that he’s thinking about it, he can see that this has all been Steve’s clumsy, well-intended attempt at courting him. And maybe he’s never really thought about Steve like that before but he’s thinking now and what he’s thinking is that when Steve isn’t stealing his things and laying in his favorite sunbeam, he actually really likes Steve.

“You’re not very good at this,” he informs Steve.

“Yeah, I’m getting that impression.”

“Natasha gave you bad advice.”

“I’m pretty sure she did it on purpose to stir up trouble.”

“She’s worse than either of us,” Tony agrees. “Now, hold still.”

“Wha—” He leans over Steve and licks at his ear, carefully grooming him. Steve purrs beneath him, eyes half-closed with pleasure. Tony’s own eyes drift shut as his heart beats a rhythm to the tune of mine, mine, mine.

~

“Hey, babe,” Tony says, coming up behind Steve. He drapes himself across Steve’s shoulders like the affectionate cat he is, giving a very sharp grin to the young socialite who has been holding onto Steve’s hand for the last minute. Doesn’t she know that that’s Tony’s? “I was wondering where you got off to.”

“Hey, sweetheart,” Steve replies, relaxing now that Tony is here. “Got stopped by Miss—I’m sorry, I’ve forgotten your name.”

Tony knows Steve well enough to know that that’s absolutely not the case. He’s just saying it to irritate her. But she doesn’t know that, especially because none of them are allowed to be in partial shift for tonight’s gala—Fury’s orders—and Steve’s shifter form is a closely guarded secret. So she doesn’t know that Steve’s just following his instincts as a cat. Tony does though, and he smothers his laugh in Steve’s shoulder.

“Whithers,” the girl says, irritation bleeding into her tone.

“Pleasure,” Tony says, making no attempt to hide the fact that he thinks it’s the opposite. He twines himself around Steve so that he can reach his lips for a quick kiss. “If you don’t mind, I have to borrow Steve here. Although, I really don’t care even if you do mind. See, he’s mine and I don’t really like it when people touch what’s mine.”

And then, before her face can do much more than register shock, he bats her champagne glass out of her hand.