#mobius is one metaphor away from snapping

[sacredfixation]

Lokis metaphor kit antics

The foam apple would immediately become Loki’s favorite prop. He’d theatrically monologue with it every time Mobius tried to have a serious conversation. “Alas, the forbidden fruit. Who knew the true sin was stealing Mobius’ mediocre lunch.”

Every time Mobius starts to explain something serious, Loki would slowly pull out the metaphor kit, one item at a time, until Mobius snaps:

“Put the damn frog away, Loki!”

Loki, smirking: “I thought it was part of my… development.”

Loki would insist on upgrading the kit. “I require a miniature throne to symbolize my rightful place above such petty metaphors.”

Mobius: “You require therapy, but sure, let’s add a throne.”

Loki, mid-situation where things are spiraling out of control, suddenly pulls out the rubber chicken and squeezes it twice. “This is how you sound right now, Mobius.”

Mobius: “I knew giving you that kit was a mistake.”

Eventually, Loki starts offering metaphor lessons to other TVA agents. “You see, the rubber frog represents mobility through chaos. You must leap before you think. That’s what life is, really- a chaotic jump into the unknown.”

Mobius, walking in halfway through: “Oh god, he’s corrupting people.”

[talesofesther]

what once was mine | ch 8

Loki x Reader

Series Summary: When watching what once was supposed to be the rest of his life, in an empty room in the TVA, Loki sees someone he can't recognize; a girl who's all tenderness and loose smiles, and most importantly, she was smiling at him.

A/N: Yes, this is long overdue and I'm sorry for the long wait; but now it's finally here and I hope you can enjoy it, we're nearing the end :'). If it's been too long since you've read the other chapters, I'd maybe recommend checking them out again because we're picking it up right where we left off. The next chapters will be posted soon <3. Also, Mobius plays cupid here and we love him for it lol.

Masterlist | Read ch 7 here

You kept your head down as you walked, not particularly looking at where you were going. Rogue tears were falling onto TVA's hallways with each step you took, a hand covered your mouth to stifle the sobs. The sight of your rapidly moving shoes became more unfocused by the second.

You needed an out, you needed to breathe. And you didn't care that the bathroom you rushed into was a communal one, you slammed the door shut behind you and turned the lock, praying that the stalls were empty.

Silence hung in the air, the only sound being your heavy breathing. Gulping back a massive lump in your throat, you leaned back against the closed door. The smooth wood was cold, feeling going past the fabric of your shirt and raising goosebumps on your skin. With the back of your hand, you tried drying your tears.

Would this be it? Were you truly broken beyond repair?

You wanted to shout apologies in the air; for the Loki you'd just found, he deserved it, he did nothing wrong; for yourself, for the bruised heart beating in your chest that you'd promised to mend.

Part of you also wanted to berate yourself for being overly sentimental and utterly incapable of processing your feelings. For being stuck in this limbo.

You pressed your palms to your eyes, feeling them dampening, fingers shaking.

His touch had been like a bonfire on a cold night—a strange metaphor, given the fact his skin was usually colder than yours; yet it held truth—it enveloped your heart in a warm and familiar embrace, the most blissful kind of pain. It hurt, you couldn't quite place why, but it did.

Maybe it was the fear of knowing you wouldn't be able to live through another loss.

There were telltales of a steady rhythm thudding beneath your skin and through your veins; the ghosts of it tickled your fingertips and called out your name. His heartbeat, as real as you'd pleaded for in countless sleepless nights.

And when you finally held it in your hands again…

'But you're not him.'

You regretted it, probably as soon as the words left your mouth. Because… they were a lie. A lie you told yourself for fear of losing him, again.

Yet now, you couldn't help but feel like you just did.

─── ·❆· ───

Thor had once told Loki about the red string of fate—when the god of thunder had been strangely obsessed with Midgardian folklore in his teenage years. A red string that connected soulmates, it could stretch and bend as the two souls drifted apart and then met again, however, it would never break.

Now, as Loki heard your steps getting further and further away from him, he couldn't help but hear a snap.

Maybe he was the one who fucked it up, maybe it was his fault. You weren't his to have or to lose anyway. As much as he wished you were.

Loki stood awkwardly by your desk; he felt almost as if he was invading just because this was your space and, as you'd just made abundantly clear, you wanted nothing to do with him anymore.

He took advantage of your secluded nook to brush off the tear tracks on his cheeks—he didn't need anyone asking questions he barely knew the answers to—before running a hand through his hair, straightening the collar of his jacket, and taking a deep, hopefully steadying, breath.

For the first time, he felt utterly lost, without a north to guide him. He stalled by neatly organizing the mess that was your desk, thinking maybe you'd have a change of heart and come back to him. He stacked documents, organized pencils, and even folded a cardigan of yours that was hanging on the back of your chair.

Loki stalled the longest he could, until there was nothing more to tidy and no hope left. When you didn't come back, he walked up to the elevator, and now stared at the many buttons without knowing which to press. Truth be told, his mind was miles away; focused on the feeling of your soft skin against his and the sweet perfume of your shampoo. Would he ever get to feel you so close again?

"Hold it, please," Mobius called from a few steps away, hurriedly walking towards Loki. The god extended a hand to hold the doors open for him.

Mobius skipped into the elevator with a big sigh, clutching a rather large stack of documents to his chest. "Thanks," he breathed, shooting a glance at Loki. A beat passed and he did a double take, with a frown as he looked Loki over, who still glared at the buttons in front of him, all puffy eyes and pouty lips. "… What happened?" Mobius' voice held the tone of someone who probably already knew the answer he'd get. He reached past Loki and pressed the button that led to the cafeteria—a coffee break couldn't hurt.

For long seconds, Loki kept silent, contemplating whether to lie or be honest. He felt too drained to come up with a lie. "I… believe I messed it up."

Mobius didn't need names. He raised a hand to pat Loki's shoulder. "She'll come around, buddy."

Loki's eyebrows softened, he had a faint, bittersweet smile on his lips as his eyes welled up with tears again. It stung, bitterly. Perhaps he was never destined for happy endings. It was okay, he decided, he'd be okay with loving you from afar; so long as he got to love you at all. He already counted his lucky stars that the slim odds were in his favor and he got to meet you. "I don't think she will."

The weight of his words didn't go unnoticed by Mobius, who turned to Loki with a rather bewildered expression. "You really do like her… Don't you?"

Loki lowered his head, lips parting in a futile attempt to try and word his feelings. All he managed was a defeated sigh as he brought a hand up to rub one of his eyes. That was answer enough.

─── ·❆· ───

It's been a week. Or at least what would be the equivalent of a week in the TVA. You didn't know if you were the one avoiding Loki or if he was the one avoiding you. But you haven't seen each other ever since you said those hurtful words to him.

Your spoon clicked against the ceramic of your mug, stirring a coffee that had probably already gone cold. You stared off into space, watching from a secluded corner table as a few of your colleagues walked by with their own coffees, yet not actually seeing it. Your mind was elsewhere, drifting between what-ifs.

It's been like this, for this past week. Your mind mostly numb, stuck on auto-pilot. You couldn't stop thinking about him, couldn't stop missing him; his presence had become such a constant in your life these past couple of months that now that you didn't have it, a part of you felt hollow and empty. There was always a vacant chair beside you that left you feeling perpetually cold and alone.

The last few nights had been more sleepless than not, guilt ate away at your insides and kept you from diving into deep slumber. You wondered if the few grimaced smiles you received from your colleagues today were because you'd forgotten to hide the faint dark circles under your eyes.

"Good morning sunshine," Mobius slid into the chair next to you, placing his steaming mug on the table along with a single donut on a small plate. He took a momentary glance at you and his smile dropped a tad, "or maybe not so good."

You tried giving your friend a decent smile but you could tell by the look on his face that it didn't reach your eyes.

"I'll probably regret asking," Mobius pulled his chair closer, taking a sip of his coffee before continuing, "but what's wrong?"

You've never liked it when people asked you that question, it made you wish that your problems really were simple enough to be put into words. You avoided his eyes, something akin to shame and timidness twisting your stomach. "I'm- I'm not sure," a frown came to your brows, as if you were finally seeing past the fog. You shook your head softly, "I think I messed up."

"So I keep hearing," Mobius sighed. It wasn't condescending, no; it just looked like he was in on a secret you didn't know.

"I'm just… I'm so scared, Mobius." There was a sway to your voice that wasn't there before, with your heart on your mouth beating as raw as the wound you'd carried for so long. "I'm-" You hesitated, words heavy as you closed your eyes briefly. "I'm scared, and I'm still so confused."

You could feel the familiar sting of tears building behind your eyes. "I've wanted him back for so long, and seeing him again like this, it just-" Your lips hovered, trembling. You felt a warm touch landing on one of your hands, reassuring. You squeezed Mobius' fingers in gratitude. "… Now I have memories with him that only I've lived, and part of me still doesn't know what to think, what to do. And if I ever were to lose him again, I- I don't think I could…"

With a gentle nod, Mobius took hold of both your hands, he spoke slowly, "I understand… Well, maybe I don't," he chuckled, and when a small and genuine smile crept onto your lips, a proud glint came to his eyes. "But don't you think that, sometimes, we complicate things too much?" He asked, voice tender and drowning out the increasing hustle and bustle of TVA's cafeteria.

"You got him back." Mobius gave your hands a gentle shake to accentuate his words, voice low yet dripping with hope and excitement; "Yeah, maybe he comes from a little before you two met, but it's still the same Loki." He tilted his head with a tight smile, urging you to take his words to heart. "The one thing you wanted ever since you got here, don't you see how lucky you are? Maybe you should just let yourself be happy about that for a change."

For long seconds that felt like hours, you stayed silent, only feeling the bruising beating of your heart against your ribs. The air left your lungs and you had trouble pulling it back in.

He was right, wasn't he?

Maybe you could allow yourself to be happy after all this time. Maybe you could finally go to where your heart had been trying to lead you to. Maybe you really did get a second chance.

Yet, like freefalling into a frozen lake, the last words you'd said to him came rushing back. "I hurt him, Mobius." You winced at the memory, at the desolate look that had painted Loki's eyes as soon as you uttered the words.

'But you're not him.'

Oh, you couldn't have been more wrong then. Because when he looks at you with that same shine to his gentle eyes that had captivated you since the first time you'd met him on the grounds of New Asgard, when his voice takes on that special tone that's kept for you only, when he touches you with the same delicacy you'd always known, when he has the same bashful smile, laughs at the same jokes, drinks the same tea. How could he not be your Loki?

"It was the last thing I wanted, and it happened, and now I- I don't know if there's a way back from-"

"Listen to me," Mobius cut you off before you could go downhill into a pity party, "he's miserable, okay?" He spoke matter-of-factly, to which you only raised your eyebrows. "I'm serious, you should've seen him this morning, looked like a kicked puppy. Trust me when I tell you you're hurting him more by staying away." He added with a smirk; "and you two are killing me with all this 'will they, won't they'."

A small laugh escaped you as you raised a hand to dry your eyes and squeezed Mobius' ones with the other in a gesture that you hoped conveyed the immense gratitude you felt for him.

You missed Loki. You missed him so much it felt like a part of your soul had been torn out.

"Do you have any idea of where he is right now?"

─── ·❆· ───

You stepped into the smoked glass doorway as if you were walking a tightrope that might snap at any second. You held your breath as you went through, eyes closed, and hands clammy.

A familiarity lay heavy in the cold and fresh air, it has brought you peace many times before. The frozen grass crunched beneath your feet and the rustling of leaves did little to drown out the loud beating of your heart. You didn't need to open your eyes to know where you were, but you did anyway.

The clearing was the same as it's always been, with a few trees on both of the far sides, a clean and starry night sky that adorned the beginnings of the spectacle that was the northern lights, and finally, the lonely wooden bench in the middle.

Loki sat on the far right side of the bench you once shared. The night was cold and he only wore a simple dress shirt, for a second you wondered if he was not cold, before remembering his origins.

The moment feelt intimate, precious. You wondered if he knew you were there and chose to stay silent, or if he was too lost in his own what-ifs. You wondered if he's missed you as much as you missed him.

Your feet were glued to the ground, you noticed. Hands closed tightly into fists and mouth dry. A part of you remained so afraid still, as if, now that you're here, it might be too late.

From afar, you admired how Loki's hair flowed effortlessly with the breeze, coming loose from behind his ears and making you wish to run your fingers through it. He had his left hand lying beside him, fingertips touching the wood of the bench; as if reaching for something, someone, who's not there.

You caught it then, how, with the corner of his eye, he finally noticed your presence. You caught it by how his shoulders immediately tensed up and he looked straight ahead as if bracing for something.

No turning back now. You took the first step towards him.

⋆* ☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ

Ch 9 coming soon.

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Thank you for reading this little story. Feedback and reblogs are literally what keeps me motivated to continue posting here, so I’d appreciate it if you could take some time to reblog and comment. <3

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[mimisempai]

You may be out of my sight, but never out of my mind

Summary:

During his journey with Sylvie, Loki realizes that Mobius occupies his mind much more than he thinks.

5 times where Loki thinks about Mobius and 1 time where he realizes that he misses him.

Notes:

Loki along the episode 3, in the episode Mobius is not present... physically, but in Loki's head... it's another story...

https://archiveofourown.org/works/32141530

1992 words - rating G

1

As he tried to keep up with her, Sylvie wryly asked him, "What exactly makes a Loki a Loki?"

Seriously, why were they all asking him the same thing? Loki remembered their first discussion with Mobius.

"All I seek is a deeper understanding of the fearsome God of Mischief. What makes Loki tick?"

Mobius... who seemed to know him before Loki even answered him. Who seemed to know before him what made him tick. Mobius who had made him tick, who had helped him see his flaws, but who hadn't used them against him.

He wouldn't reveal anything to Sylvie, he didn't know her well enough to trust her yet. Though a little voice in his head whispered to him, "You didn't know Mobius for much longer when you made yourself vulnerable to him."

Yes, but Mobius was Mobius as Loki was Loki.

He sighed before replying, with his usual verve, "Independence, authority, style."

Some would say three words weren't enough to describe him, but it was enough for now.

Sylvie sneered and retorted, "So, naturally you went to work for the boring, oppressive time police."

What a cheeky woman, she didn't know anything.

He protested, "I don't work for them. I'm a consultant."

Even though several people at the TVA had repeatedly reminded him of his place in the short time he'd been there, Loki liked to think that Mobius considered him as such.

If Loki was honest, he had enjoyed "working" with Mobius. Not to mention the way they had "grown closer."

But now... he didn't even know if they would get reunited and if they did... he didn't even want to think about it. He couldn't. He didn't have time for that.

Sylvie replied, "You don't know what you want."

Loki answered with a deflection, even though deep down he knew exactly what he wanted, or rather who he wanted.

Mobius...

2

"I can't sleep in a place like this."

Loki, surprised, asked Sylvie, "You can't sleep on a train?"

She replied, annoyed, "No. I can't sleep around untrustworthy people."

That he could understand.

Of course, he couldn't help but think of the last time he had slept like that.

In the TVA archives, while he and Mobius were doing research, Loki had fallen asleep. He hadn't just dozed off, he had fallen deeply asleep.

One could argue that it was because since New York he hadn't really been able to sleep, so exhaustion outweighed caution, or that he was bored with the research, but Loki knew it wasn't either of those reasons.

No matter how exhausted he was, no matter how tired he was, he had never slept in the presence of anyone else without his subconscious being in a state of minimal awareness.

It was ingrained in him. Few people had given him reason to trust.

In a place like the TVA, filled with hostile people, the presence of one person had been enough for him to let his guard down and sleep soundly.

He couldn't help but wonder why.

What was it about Mobius that was breaking down Loki's defenses one by one? Worse, what did Mobius have that made Loki's defenses fall one by one without making him want to run away?

Mobius...

3

Sylvie was a little more open and asked, "Hang on a second. So, tell... Tell me about your mother."

Sylvie was different in a way, kind of like Mobius, she made him want to confide... a little. Or was it because she was a variant of himself? In any case, he didn't mind answering, even if the news of his mother's death was still tough to accept.

"I barely remember her. Just blips of a dream at this point. You know, when I was young, she'd do these little bits of magic for me. Like turn a flower into a frog or cast fireworks over the water. It all seemed impossible. She told me that I'd be able to do it too because... Because I could do anything. You wanna see?"

He twirled his hand and mini fireworks erupted from it. He smiled, proud of himself.

Sylvie snorted and said, "Not bad.

Then Loki added, "She was the kinda person you'd want to believe in you."

Knowing the truth about his mother's death now, his sadness was all the greater. He could never again give her reason to believe in him.

The same little voice came again, "But there is someone else..."

There was someone else he would want him to believe in him.

Someone else who had believed in him enough to ask him for help, even if it was to fulfill his own agenda.

Mobius who had put his head on the line so that Loki wouldn't be reset, because he had seen something in Loki the same way his mother had always seen something in him.

Mobius had told him something that had resonated with him, like an echo of his mother's words.

"I guess I'm wondering why does someone with so much range just wanna rule?

But then things happened and Loki had to make this choice in a hurry.

He wondered if Mobius still believed in him now.

He could still hear him shouting just before he went through the portal.

"Loki wait!"

He couldn't help but hope that the man would listen to him before judging him.

That Loki would still have time to show him that yes, he could be believed in.

Mobius...

4

"How about you? You're a prince. Must've been would-be-princesses or perhaps, another prince." Sylvie punctuated her sentence with a little wink, as if she was daring him to prove her wrong.

But Loki was proud of who he was, and he wouldn't hide, he answered her with a little smile, "A bit of both. I suspect the same as you."

She nodded and Loki continued, "But, nothing ever..." he paused because what he was about to say was not completely true anymore.

However, Sylvie finished his sentence for him, "Real."

As he heard Sylvie say this word out loud, he realized it was no longer true. He took a sip.

This sort of relationship they had started with Mobius before they left for Alabama, Loki didn't want to believe it wasn't real.

He, the master of illusion, didn't want to believe that the emotions Mobius stirred in him weren't real.

He couldn't believe that the caress of his fingers, the taste of his lips that he could still feel were not real.

The very idea that the understanding and compassion he had read in Mobius' eyes was not real, it was terrifying to Loki.

Because for once he'd caught a glimpse of something that could only be his, not a throne, not a title, not glory. Just something real.

Mobius...

5

Sylvie had fallen asleep and Loki found himself alone with his thoughts, his thoughts that were only directed towards one person.

So he continued to drink and as the musicians played a melody that reminded him of Asgard, uninhibited by alcohol, he felt like singing and dancing.

With a snap of his fingers, he changed his borrowed uniform into that of the TVA.

It wasn't the leathers of Asgard, nor his god-like outfits, but he felt better right away.

Because it was the same as Mobius and it made him feel like he belonged. That the bond was not broken.

The jacket, even though it had the horrible name of Variant on the back, it was Mobius who had given it to him, who had told Loki that he looked smart in it.

Okay, drunkenness made him particularly sappy, but after all, for a short while, he felt like letting go.

He began to sing and dance in the middle of the dance floor, with some of the other passengers joining in.

When she sings, she sings “Come home”,

When she sings, she sings “Come home”

He almost burst out laughing when Sylvie woke up and saw him on the dance floor. She asked him where his uniform was. He just shrugged his shoulders and continued to sing and dance happily.

Suddenly the music became slower and more nostalgic, similar to a song his mother used to sing to him, and he leaned against the bar and couldn't help but sing along,

I stormsvarte fjell, jeg vandrer alene

Over isbreen tar jeg meg frem

I eplehagen står møyen den vene

og synger “når kommer du hjem?”

Men traner danser og fossene stanser

når hun synger, hun synger “kom hjem”

And before the emotion took over, he began to dance and sing happily again in an attempt to keep the nostalgia from overwhelming him.

When the music stopped, he returned to Sylvie and took his place in front of her.

She asked him with a raised eyebrow, "What did you just sing to look so troubled?"

Loki with a slightly tight throat, but trying not to let it show, answered, "It's Asgardian, it says :

In storm-black mountains, I wander alone

Over the glacier I make my way

In the apple garden stands the maiden fair and sings,

"When will you come home?"

Loki had to stop, overwhelmed by emotion.

Sylvie, her eyes devoid of all mockery, said softly, "So there is a would-be-princess somewhere..."

Loki chuckled sadly before replying, "I like metaphors you know, in this instance, it's not a princess, it's a prince, and I don't know if he's waiting for me or hoping to see me again, it's not even really my home, but..."

"...but you'd like to believe it, right?"

Loki could only nod.

Mobius...

+1

Sylvie was explaining to him how her power worked as they made their way to where they could escape.

"That young soldier from the TVA, her mind was messed up. Everything clouded. I had to pull a memory from hundreds of years prior, before she even fought for them."

Loki stopped, shocked, not wanting to realize what Sylvie's words implied.

He asked her, urgently, "What? What'd you just say? Before she joined the TVA?"

She answered as if it were the most normal thing, "Yeah. She was just a regular person on Earth."

"A regular person?"

"Loved margaritas."

Loki continued as he began to understand, "I was told that everyone who works for the TVA was created by the Time-Keepers."

Sylvie laughed, "That's ridiculous. They're all Variants, just like us."

Loki appalled, "They don't know that!"

Mobius doesn't know that. The way he talks about the TVA, the jetski, Casey not knowing what fish are. They don't know that!

As they ran toward their destination, Loki couldn't stop the stream of thoughts that swirled in his head.

Mobius...

He thought back to their discussion.

"I think a TVA agent showing up on a jet ski on the Sacred Timeline, that would create a branch for sure."

"It'd be fun, though."

"Yeah, it'd be really fun."

"So, why read about them?"

"Just helps remind me of what we're fighting for."

How would he react if he learned that his whole life was a lie?

Loki knew it. Loki had lived it. He had been devastated when he learned that his parents were not his parents.

Loki's heart bled for Mobius, even though the man didn't know yet.

Mobius who had that kind of candor that Loki had lost for so long.

At that moment he realized how much he missed the man and how much he had become an important presence in his life. For the first time since they met, he didn't want his comforting and protective presence. He didn't want Mobius to be there for him, he, Loki, wanted to be there for Mobius.

He felt like protecting and comforting.

He felt like fighting for something other than himself.

At that moment, it wasn't the time keepers, or the tempad or anything else that mattered to him.

He had only one thought, only one word in his mind.

Mobius...

__________

The whole serie here : The story of Loki and Mobius

🌈 Happy Pride month ! 🌈

To celebrate, 1 day, 1 story.

Be ready for smiles, laugh, fluff, tooth rotthing fluff, positive vibes and a lot of love!

Not beta'd

[midnightsnace]

A Thousand Worlds

Summary: Fix it fic of sorts after the trauma that was episode 6 of the Loki series. Loki is in pain after discovering Mobius doesn’t remember him. He’s been living in apocalypses to avoid capture by this new TVA until he formulates a plan to get his Mobius back.

Rating: T for later chapters

Emotional angst.

Chapter One.

Chapter Two.

“And so that’s where I grew up, the ends of a thousand worlds.”

The ends of a thousand worlds. The words of his accomplice echoed through the god’s mind as he fiddled with the straps of his worn and tattered holster. The fluorescent above him flickered with every gust of wind that battled against the sides of the building that Loki was crouched down in. He slid his long legs out against the tiled floor in front of him and sat with his head propped against the wall. He sighed. Loki tapped his foot on the door of the space he was hiding in to close it, drowning out the cries of fear from the people outside in their final hours of life. There he sat waiting for the tempad to charge. Alone. Living in another world where every person he met would be dead by the end of the day. Another world where Mobius didn’t exist. His Mobius.

Was this what it was like? For her? To never be able to stay in one place for more than a day? To always see the same faces riddled with fear as they awaited their painful fate? To only know destruction, screaming, fires, earthquakes, the literal gates of hel? To be utterly alone with your only desire to live in the hope that one day your glorious purpose would be fulfilled?

Glorious purpose.

Loki scoffed. The god didn’t know what his purpose was anymore. Taking down the TVA was a complete failure. The chances for fixing the mess they started seemed impossible now as branches grew and new timelines erupted, with endless TVAs to monitor every universe. At least, that’s what Loki assumed. He knew next to nothing about what they had unleashed. It wasn’t the same TVA. Different hunters, different analysts, different ruler. Many he recognized, but they were still different people. They weren’t the same. She wasn’t the real B. He wasn’t his Mobius. And Loki was at a complete loss on how to find them again.

The first tempad he stole only brought him back to the place he snatched it from. The same Time Variance Authority where Mobius didn’t remember him and not a single file existed for Loki Laufeyson, God of Mischief, God of Outcasts, God of Lies. Even when he dragged the analyst through the timedoor into the roxxcart parking lot to access his memories, nothing existed of him. No laughter over silly metaphors, mischief at pompeii, not even the memory of their first encounter in the elevator. It was like they never met. This led to Loki wasting away their days hopping from one disaster to the next until his brain racked up a solution. The TVA never once did follow him. Why would they? No one remembered his brilliant discovery about the apocalypses. He could run free. But as the days whittled by, the hope Loki had began to fade into nothingness.

For awhile he kept track of the places he went and the time that had passed.

Day 1 - I finally stole a tempad and left that dreadful place. I came here first. Hoping I’d see you. But I guess that’s not how time travel works in apocalypses. No trace we were ever here. The storm reminded me of my brother. I hope to see him again one day. Now that I know we could have been friends. Everything was eventually going to be okay.

Day 24 - I’ve been sitting in a coffee shop awaiting the earthquake of 2098. Met a lovely redhead with the most peculiar of tattoos. But alas! Little does she know this friendship could never blossom in the wake of death!

Day 37 - I miss him. My brother. The pain that solitude brings makes me think of home more often. How ironic that the very place that caused me the most pain I miss. But anything is better than this. So today I visited home right before its destruction. I saw my brother. I saw Thor from afar. Oh how I wish I could have talked to him somehow and tell him i’m sorry for being such an ass.

Being there brought back memories of the silly metaphor he made using Mobius’ lunch. The corners of Loki’s mouth crept into a smile at the thought. But that smile faded away in the next second and was replaced with tears.

Day 56 - I went to Pompeii again. I stood in the shadows. I tried to picture your expressions of skepticism at my insane ideas. I tried to picture how your face lit up with pride and joy when you realized I was right. I wish I could have stayed longer but I never can anywhere I go.

He whistled like a bird before he exited through the time door.

By day 125 he had lost his will to live again. It was their fourth visit to Lamentis-1. Perhaps it was a mistake on his part to journey here once more and feel both the pains of betrayal and heartache at the prospect of never seeing Mobius again. The second time they had visited Lamentis, the god decided to stay until the very last second with the false hope that maybe him facing death would create a nexus event. His mobius would come find him and save him at the last second. But the time door never came. Maybe it was because he knew there was a chance to escape and he could take it. Or maybe it was because there were so many time branches no one would care to fix a world that was about to end.

“You were always meant to be alone.”

And so this time Loki threw the tempad to the ground and waited. He watched as the lethal disaster unfolded before his eyes once more, ready to die. Alone. Alone with no one to assure him everything will be alright in the face of death. Not a single soul would know he was gone. No one would care.

But at the last second they saw something on the tempad that made them change their mind. A glimmer of hope.

Any hope Loki had, a glorious purpose he had left to fulfill, it was in finding Mobius. It was the only desire left that fueled him to keep existing. He was all that mattered. His only friend. The only person left among the universes who trusted him and saw beyond his flaws. The only person left who hadn’t betrayed the fragile levels of trust the god could give. He was his hope that one day, he wouldn’t have to be alone.

And so he found himself walking the streets of New York in the summer of 2197, on the brink of some disaster he knew nothing about. Not a single idea when it would happen, where it would occur, and what he was doomed to witness. He saw something that could potentially lead him to his destination. The tempad had given him an alert for an aura match - two of the same people in one place. An oddity. Something that wasn’t supposed to exist.

They weren’t just any entity either. They were registered hunters in the TVA database. Which meant one had to be from another universe.

And he knew the TVA would be coming for them.

He had to get there first.

Loki speed walked down the sidewalk frantically scanning his surroundings for any clue as to what was happening. He couldn’t read any signs of fear or confusion on the faces of those who passed him. He didn’t know how much time he had.

Upon hearing shouts of anger, Loki broke out into a run across the street towards the source, dodging every dystopian vehicle that nearly collided with him in the process. It was coming from the roof of the parking tower. With a snap of his magic, Loki teleported himself to the top, hiding behind a parked vehicle to assess what he was working with.

There were two agents standing about 10 feet away who looked nearly identical, one waving her arms frantically while the other looked on stoically, possibly from shock, with a pruning stick in hand. Loki locked eyes on the tempad fastened to the belt of the frantic one. Then he glanced at the one in the other hunter’s hand.

Well shit.

Now he had to figure out which agent had jumped from the other timeline. He quickly flashed himself closer to the two, but not before one caught on that someone was there.

“I was given orders by a man to…what was that?” one of the hunters asked.

Loki crouched down farther on the other side of the wall. He reached for a dagger, ready to pounce once their suspicions subsided. They listened intently to the words from the first hunter for the first clue on who to attack.

“He sent me here to grab this,” the hunter pulled up someone on her tempad, “entity and leave. Those were the orders given to me. So if you’ll excuse me.”

The other hunter planted herself in front of her clone. “I can’t let you do that. Not until you’ve told me everything I want to know. How are you me? How is this possible?”

The first hunter was from an alternate timeline. Loki took that as his cue. But before he could sneak behind the hunter, he was shot backwards by a blast of energy from a ring of light.

Out from the ring stepped a peculiar man with graying hair who was wearing blue robes and an assymetrical cloak that sparked the curiosity of the confused hunter. Within a split second, the portal closed behind him. Loki laid very still on the concrete and held his breath in the hopes that the man would believe him to be dead.

“You know I can tell when someone is playing dead.”

Loki grimaced and winced as he heaved himself off the ground. He came face to face with the strange man, his hand lingering in the air where he placed the pocket for his dagger.

“You.” was all the man said.

“Am I supposed to know you?” the god questioned.

“You always manage to show up in New York again at the most in-opportune times.” The man raised his hands and Loki mimicked his movements, summoning his daggers in place.

“I’m gonna assume we’ve met before sir, perhaps in the future? I don’t know! And i’m terribly sorry about New York! Look let me explain…” they lowered their hands in their attempt to make peace with the angry man in front of him.

“Dr. Strange.” He kept his fist in the air, golden sparks flying from whatever spell he had in mind to attack the prince with. “And until you prove otherwise Im going to assume you are here for hostile reasons.”

Loki blinked. Well he’s kind of not wrong, they thought.

“Well I’m afraid I can’t prove anything else.” and with that the god blasted the sorcerer into the nearest column with their magic and teleported across the space.

Loki noticed that one of the hunters had disappeared. He assumed she had returned to the TVA. The other was charging towards him fast. He whipped out his daggers to face his attacker, but suddenly his feet were dragged out from under him and he hit the concrete hard. He was being dragged backwards, body scrapping against the concrete. So fast, that the god could barely think about what was happening to him.

When he came to his senses he cut the magic ropes with his powers and rolled across the ground. So he was dealing with another magic user, this “Dr. Strange.” Loki teleported again before he was up on his feet to where he was standing directly behind the hunter.

“D-11…” Dr. Strange said with a hint of caution in his tone.

So this was the man Hunter D-11 was working for. Before the hunter could turn around to face them, Loki snatched the tempad off her belt and snapped himself to the furthest side of the building. Dr. Strange reacted quickly and stood his ground in front of Loki, prepared to attack again.

“Loki, perhaps we can work out some type of deal. What is it that you want? Maybe I can help you. Maybe we can reach a compromise.”

Offer him a deal? Nah.

“I’m done trusting people I’ve just met. All they ever do is stab me in the back.” he conjured the time door behind him.

Strange titled his head. “You do realize we can follow you right straight back to the TVA?”

Loki turned to face him and D-11. “You’ll never find me. You won’t know the first place to look.” The time door closed with Loki inside of it, before the two even had a chance to reach their hands out to follow the god.

…….

And that’s how Loki had ended up here. At Roxxcart again, waiting for the new tempad to charge up before hopping through timelines again.

He breathed in deeply as he felt the bubble of excitement, relief, and happiness build in his chest for the first time in months at the prospect of achieving his goal. Being reunited with the only one who mattered: Mobius. His Mobius.

But as he released his breath in a sigh, his chest tightened again and worry clouded his mind. What if this didn’t work? What if this was just another dead end? What if this was just another one of the countless TVAs that might exist in the vast multiverse?

At first, all Loki felt was sadness and regret in the days following Sylvie’s betrayal. But now all he felt was anger boiling deep inside him. That same unwelcome feeling he experienced after discovering his father lied to him. The feeling that harbored in the abyss of Thanos’ chambers. The feeling that never left his soul until Mobius looked him in the eyes and assured him that he didn’t have to be the villain in his story.

She had taken everything from him and he was afraid he couldn’t wash away the resentment this time. He wanted desperately to feel anything besides the pain he had known for the past year.

He needed to feel love again.

“He cares about you.”

Loki couldn’t wait any longer. He picked up the tempad and tapped the time door request for the TVA home base. He drew in a shaky breath as he paused in front of the portal.

This was it.

He was either about to be reunited with his greatest source of happiness, or find himself hiding in apocalypses again for months as he searched for another plan.

And he would do it. He would search through a thousand worlds to find him.

[himbowashington]

M O B I U S X L O K I

INTERUPTED

“No, you’re just a little pussy cat.” he remarks confidently to Loki stretching out his legs to thread through his. “I do like your metaphors though, i’m a big metaphor guy, makes you look smart.” Loki is quick on the de defensive, “I am smart.” He hissed, yet Mobius said there calm and still like a marble statue of a greek soldier. “I know.” he said simply, looking back at him. “what do you know?” Loki snapped beside himself. “Oh, I know all about you, kitty and all of your moods angry, playful, and content.” he rattled off and Loki leans back in his chair, shifting. “the mouth on you, too quick witted for your own good” Loki chastises lightly. The older man licks his lips subconsciously but says nothing. Loki runs one of their tangled together legs up Mobius’ thigh. He still states calming back at the other but his knuckles are white gripping into the armrests, Loki notices, to his own personal joy. “What was it you said to me earlier?” Mobius asks turning his head to the side. Suddenly he had over taken Loki’s foot anchoring him there to the other. “It’s adorable how you think that you can manipulate me?” he says wistfully, “it’s the adorable part that gives you away in the first place.” “I knew there was something I was missing,” “and you say i’m arrogant” Loki replies rolling his eyes. “Hey!” he smacks the table to get Loki’s attention. It works. “Or what agent?” he asks, silky smooth, devious. Both hold their breathe , the tension high before Mobius shakes his head as though to clear himself from a fog, “stop.” He says suddenly pushing out his seat from the table and standing up. Loki’s eyes track him but he makes no move to try and hold him still. “You said I was a scared little boy.” Loki says in a ghostly voice. “I could fix that.” Mobius says quietly, earnestly in a way that scared Loki. “What by playing house? Daddy’s home?” Mobius shifts gripping the back of the chair. “Now that wasn’t fair and you know it. That was below the belt.” Mobius admonishes the other, looking him dead in the eye. “Loki stop this. I cannot take it, right now. I cant stand being your little pawn piece.” You would be a king.” Loki says suddenly staring him down, “what?” Mobius blinks confused. “If we were playing house. i am a prince so you’d have to be one with me so we’d rule together as kings equally.”Mobius lip quirks up in a smile. “You’ve seem to have had a lot of time to think about this.” Morbius replies smiling ear to ear. “Come here.” Loki demands. Now feeling the panic rising at the older man’s want to flee the scene. Mobius tenses ever so slightly, but stays where he is. “Up on the table, Loki.” he says so quietly at first Loki thought he was imagining until he could see the look on Mobius’ face. There was Something so vulnerable yet just out of reach about him. “You ever play doctor as a kid?” he asks in an innocent tone as Loki gets up to shift up on the edge of the elder’s office desk. Loki widens his legs, allowing for Mobius to situate himself firmly between the taller man’s legs, legs hooked on his waist loosely. The older runs a hand up the others thigh picking up the other. “Tell me if you want anything to stop or don’t like it, okay?” Mobius asks gently, and all Loki can do is nod simply. The other groans, scratching lightly with this finger nails to the back side of his thigh. “You make me crazy, Loki.” mobius mumbles into the crook of Loki’s neck. they slot together like puzzle pieces, Loki holds onto the older man for dear life, clawing at him. For second he swears he can see danger flash over Mobius gaze for a moment, it’s the gears turning, Loki realizes. His boy scout was trying to work out what to do. “See what happens if you’re a good boy?” Mobius whispers into his ear in a rough voice, unlike his normal passive tone. Loki bucked into the other causing him to hiss. He had never seen Mobius like this before, still his quiet tempered self, but with an edge to him , an authority, a rawness and recklessness to him. He looks debauched, eyes wild pupils blown wide. “Ah ah,”

He emphasizes reaching a strong hand to grasp Loki by the neck, his thumb lightly resting against the youngers jaw. “Don’t do that again.” He growls in a warning. Loki feels light headed. Mobius squeezes slightly, and Loki let’s out an embarrassing keen he didn’t know he was capable of making. The elder laughs but it sounds more like a low vibration. “Of course, you like don’t you? It turns you on, you sick fuck.” Loki struggles to breathe, and he reaches up reflexively to latch onto the arm at his throat. “You know I could tell earlier too, when a called you kitten, you liked it. You like this.” He reenforced taking a step closer. Loki was just about to really begin to beg when a loud noise alerted them to the door handle, which gave them enough to pull apart, only for Casey to come in. Loki quickly removes himself as quick as he can pushing Casey onto Mobius’ responsibility, slinking away from the back walls. He double times his pace on the way back from the room, he’s afraid if he slows any he’ll pass out. Jesus Christ, he thought to himself, and to think i could’ve been pressing all those buttons to begin with, to see Mobius teeth bared, hand wrapped around Loki’s throat. Loki gasp, this man only seemed to become more and more complicated the deeper Loki dug, but this never gave him cause to stop digging. Mobius was special, Loki simply wanted to see all the reasons why.

[spell-card-fusion]

Day 1 - Valentine’s Day (or something like it).

Summary: Rollin’s world has always been diverse, and with the introduction of humans and aliens into it it just seems to get more diverse over time. Rollin and Blaze talk about the various holidays in their respective world.

Rollin loved her planet, that much was obvious for anyone to see. She loved travelling and exploring every inch of Mobius. She loved trying all the new foods, meeting new people, learning about all the different plants and wildlife, that sort of stuff. Something she loved above all else about her planet was the different cultures and holidays. It was always interesting to see just how different people were all because of their roots, it always tended to be fun to join people in their celebrations even if she had been raised differently. Her world had many facets, and all of them were worth exploring, acknowledging, and accepting. It’s partially why she spent so much time in Station Square and other human territories once they rose up from the ocean, she couldn’t stand there being new places to run through and not exploring every inch of them.

Her wanderlust only increased when she learned of other worlds. It’s only been a year since she’s been dating Blaze, and this will be their first Lover’s Hunt together, just as it will be their first Lover’s Labour as well! Their world’s different holidays is something they both had discussed at length before, and that Blaze had actually convinced Rollin to help plan to some degree. They were very different holidays after all. As the couple made their way through the woods they both began to reminisce about the conversation they had about this a few months back. It had been near the end of the year. The Annual Descent was coming soon to Mobius, and Rollin couldn’t have wished for a single gift except to get to party with her packmate, exchange gifts, enjoy all kinds of good food, and kiss when Little Planet finally showed up at Midnight.

Sadly they both knew this couldn’t happen, as Blaze had The Annual Invasion to worry about back home. Rollin would’ve happily missed her favourite holiday to spend time with Blaze back in Solace, but the Prince had been adamant about avoiding any kind of meeting between Rollin and her family. She respected it, if only because she had her own family issues, but it didn’t stop her from worrying a bit. The hedgehog instead proposed to celebrate early, which Blaze had ALSO been hesitant about.

“I’m not sure it's a good idea,” She sat on the edge of the top of one of Green Hill’s loops. Her legs were carefully kept close together and her hands rested on her lap. She was sitting all fancy again, which Rollin knew was a sign she was growing less comfortable. “I’ve never been one for the holidays.”

“I get what’cha mean,” Rollin was laying on her stomach, legs kicking the air absentmindedly, an elbow resting on the grass, hand on her cheek. “But this is different! Different world, different rules, different holidays, different people! You’re not being forced to spend time with people you don’t actually like! It’ll be a good chance to loosen up!”

Blaze hated when Rollin made sense like that, just as she appreciated her for it. She was still apprehensive, but thinking about it she was really just going to spend time with Rollin’s-with both of their friends, and with Rollin’s family. It wasn’t the world she knew, or the same holiday season she often dreaded. She guessed in a way there was nothing to fear, except of course her brain still made her feel anxious for no reason.

Rollin picked up on it, she always did. “But you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, dude! I’m sure we can have fun some other way.” She reassured with that ever-present smile, so much warmer than anything Blaze could ever produce.

She wanted to give back to that smile, so she kicked her anxieties down a flight of stairs and said yes to her initial proposal. If her brain had anything to say about it then it can climb back up the stairs later with those two broken metaphorical legs it has.

The party was actually fun. Blaze got to try more of Mobius’ cuisine, she got to get closer to her friends. One particular conversation however had baffled her at the time. One with a Mx Amy Rose.

“Ugh! You two are so lucky!” Amy said with a clear tone of frustration. “You’re gonna get to spend your first Lover’s Hunt together soon and I still haven’t found anyone to spend Seedlings with yet!”

Rollin rolled her eyes and had a chuckle, they did have this conversation every year. “Come on rosy, at least you’ll get to visit home soon,” She took a sip of her juice while Blaze was trying to figure out what they were talking about before everyone realized she wasn’t good at social interaction. “Plus I thought you and Tekno were a thing already?”

“Why does everyone keep saying that?!”

Rollin has a laugh, which is so contagious both Blaze and Amy actually start laughing. The pink hedgehog waves a temporary goodbye, sticking their tongue out playfully saying she needs to talk to someone else so they can try to ignore all the hearsay. Blaze is still left very confused.

“Seedlings?” She asks for clarification, and then she thinks one word questions make her look kind of uneducated so she turns away and takes a sip of her drink so that no one can see the shame on her face.

“Oh right! Sorry doll, that was probably kind of confusing.” She says while averting her gaze; She doesn’t want Blaze to feel uncomfortable if she doesn’t want anyone staring at her right now.

Unfortunately Rollin is entirely unaware of the huge kick to Blaze’s heartbeat she delivered when her wonderful packmate, in her beautiful dress, with her comforting voice and casual tone and absolutely smooth self called her ‘doll’. Blaze could only respond with a quiet, reserved, all too outwardly stoic yet innerly panicked “Mmhmm.”

“Okay so,” She takes a Chilli Dog from the table opposite to the wall they were standing close to and comes back in less than a second having already taken a bite of it. She swallowed. “Amy’s from Little Planet! She was raised by Seedrians- i already explained Seedrians right?” Blaze nods. “Okay so Seedrians celebrate Somber Seedling, which is when packs- or I guess bouquets as they call ‘em, they get together and write everything they love about each other down in leaves or petals, read them to each other. they tell each other all they want to say in case the other dies soon, they have a special kiss, then bury the box with all the compliments underground hoping their kids inherit all those good traits.”

The blush eventually fades out of Blaze’s face, and Rollin is none-the-wiser. “I see,” She makes a thoughtful hum. “So Lover’s Hunt is the Mobian equivalent?”

“Pretty much, yeah!” Rollin already finished her Chilli Dog, and a new one has found its way to her hand. Blaze didn’t even notice when she dashed off this time. “So in Lover’s Hunt we used to take long trips into the wilderness with our packs and hunt down food for the ancient tribes, we shared it in the woods, then we come back and share whatever’s left with our pals! Nowadays though people don’t really hunt anymore so what we do now is we take a bunch of food and camp for a few days away from everyone we aren’t dating, then share the food when we come back.”

“Interesting,” Blaze could tell Rollin had celebrated both of these traditions in the past. It was hard to imagine she had a hard time finding someone to spend any day with, something Blaze envies. She could travel the world, see any place she wanted, learn about every culture and celebrate every party- maybe even at once. Her envy was put aside for her curiosity, if only for just a moment. “What about the humans? Do they have their own...Love based holiday?”

“Oh boy do they!” It was hard to stay in any kind of sour mood when Rollin would just reply to her question like she’s just so excited to keep talking to her. Sure, she knew it was one of the hedgehog’s favourite topics, but it didn’t lessen the fact that she felt special. “The biggest one is Valentine’s day! It’s actually a pretty simple one, couples- most humans only do romance in twos for some reason? They exchange gifts, cards, and chocolate, then go on dates and stuff. It’s way more vague than our holidays but it leaves room for any kind of thoughtful gesture y’know? Oh! Also lots of heart symbols everywhere, cartoon hearts not the gross real ones.”

Blaze is just standing here hearing Rollin talk, and she’s just so entranced. Not just because she loves her pridemate (though that’s a big factor), but also because she’s just so...Excited about this. She didn’t think Blaze was stupid or ignorant for not doing research into this world’s cultures first, or ignore her question, or show any kind of annoyance really. She was just excited to talk about her home, about Amy’s home, about this planet that she’s lived on her whole life, and she does it with such love and passion. Blaze is often amazed by how much Rollin just loves life, she loves living, she loves being herself more than anything else and it's hypnotizing. She pulls her in like a raging wind that forces her to walk towards her direction. Blaze feels so much stronger next to Rollin, in and out of battle. It feels good, natural, Blaze starts to wonder if maybe Solmates are r-

“So you got any ‘quivs on your world?.” She asked, snapping Blaze out of her trance. Rollin chuckles a bit to herself, thinking the little surprised look on Blaze’s face is cute.

“What are ‘Quivs?” Sol, she is so bad at this.

“‘Quivs, apostrophe quivs, it's short for equivalent.”

Blaze has never laughed so freaking hard at anything, not at a party, not anywhere in public, and not in her entire life period. She doesn’t know why this is what gets her to cackle like a maniac. She’s had her guard up for so long that when something that can make her laugh finally HITS her it's a deathly blow. It doesn’t even cross her mind that people might be staring, that she might look ridiculous, only that Rollin is laughing too and it feels so contagious. Rollin actually stops laughin first. She has the proudest smile on her face, this is someone that has taken down entire robot armies on her own and faced gods without breaking a sweat, yet this has gotta be the proudest moment of her life. Her ego has never been so boosted.

“I’m literally the funniest person alive, add that to my list of great qualities.”

Blaze punches her lightly on the shoulder, but she doesn't refute her. “To answer your question,” Rollin’s eyes immediately shift into focus. Blaze’s heart skips a beat, she suddenly feels incredibly important in a non nerve wracking way. “We have Lover’s Labour. Originally prides got together to build homes on this day to make up for Tiny Fortress’ yearly invasion, a safe place to be together and such. Nowadays we just take the time to create something together, anything really. Something that would take effort and time, that people look back on fondly, a representation of something beautiful.”

“I freakin’ love that!” Rollin’s eyes shine a bit greener, not metaphorically. Her eyes literally shine a little bit brighter, there’s sparkles, little shining spots across her like a bunch of stars. Like Chaos itself, her eyes beckon anyone to make a wish. “We should do that!”

Blaze manages to keep a smile on her face and still look absolutely dumbfounded. At this point it’s not that it surprises her, not that this doesn’t make sense for who Rollin is, but she’s just so...New to all of this. To people in general really, or at least people outside her very small yet frighteningly big Political Drama bubble. She’s too used to her Shakespearean play of a life and leisure is just foreign to her. “I…”

She snaps back to reality. Her cheeks are heating up a lot, and while she’s far past setting herself aflame for no reason she’s still glowing slightly. “I was hoping we’d get to do Lover’s Hunt actually.”

“Gotcha!” Rollin puts a hand to her chin. Her other hand rests at her hip, her foot tapping on the floor rapidly as she thinks of something. Whatever it was it took her only a few seconds before she snapped her fingers, a victorious look on her face. “I have an idea!”

Months later they find themselves hiking through the woods. The sun shines kindly onto the earth below. Spots of sunlight sneak in to kiss Rollin’s skin everytime the wind blows gently through the branches and leaves to allow its passage. The wind caresses Blaze’s fur gently as they take their steps through this beautiful serene place. Blaze takes in a deep breath, it smells like fresh grass and dirt after the rain. Rollin is leading the path through this remote place, holding a map that she made herself.

“This is one of my private spots,” She says while walking. It occurs to Blaze that the two of them are just...Walking, it makes her glow a bit brighter. “Well, kinda. The actual spot is deeper into the forest, but no one really comes here. I guess this place is just for us!”

“Darling,” Blaze speaks up with a shaky voice and the brightest, reddest face. “I’m convinced that you’re trying to kill me at this point. No one is this nice, or this perfect. Do you mean to bury me where no one can see me? Setting this up in a forest where fighting back would harm nature around us is a good strategy, I think you’ll find that I’m not an easy mark.”

By the end of that sentence Blaze had gone from a flustered glow to a daring grin. The glow has gone from her body to her eyes, an intense yellow that emanates an aura that mimics the sun. Rollin had let out a chuckle initially, and then as she’s left mesmerized her resting face is still a silly smile. Her cheeks flush and her eyes sparkle and she just feels hypnotized. “You’re so freaking cool…”

“I know.” Her smile turns soft. They hold hands the rest of the way through.

They eventually reach a clearing. There’s a pretty little circular lake that is surrounded by flowers of various colours, that when seen from above look like a rainbow ring. There are Chao everywhere, rolling around the flowers, or swimming, or sitting on the branches watching everything with their little curious eyes. Overlooking the lake is the biggest tree Blaze has ever seen. She had seen it from a distance, but only now does it hit her how massive it is, absolutely dwarfing every other tree in this unnamed forest. Then there’s a second hit as Blaze once again realizes how much of Rollin’s world is like this, completely overtaken by nature. This world has so many huge trees and looping hills and floating landscapes that this beautiful little place has gone completely unnoticed by everybody else. Her heart aches, because for a moment she wants so badly to stay here and never go back to her world.

Blaze feels Rollin let go of her hand, her heart skips a beat. There’s a very real second where she fears waking up on her bed to a world where this was nothing but a dream. Instead she’s reassured by the breeze Rollin leaves behind as she dashes over to the lake. The hedgehog girl’s steps are so light, somehow managing to not crush a single flower as she steps over them. She jumps over the lake itself, striking a sick pose in the air, then curling into a ball as she falls, rolling on the grass then doing a handspring back onto her feet. She shoots Blaze her trademark grin, and really it’s hard to not be impressed, even if Blaze knows she’s just fishing for attention.

“Very impressive,” Blaze gives a gentle clap. It’s amazing how that’s enough to light up Rollin’s face even more. “Shall we get started?”

“It’s juice and jam time!” She gives a thumbs up and winks.

The next few hours were spent carefully hollowing out the tree without killing it. Rollin would Spindash into the tree making a door shape, then keep doing that while inside the tree to get rid of the inner layer. Blaze directed Rollin’s actions, making sure the measurements are correct, that there’s a ceiling, then a hole for that ceiling as well as wood to make stairs with before they move onto the next floor. Obviously they don’t finish it all in one sitting, the tree is too big for that, and even if they’re both fairly fast and efficient it still would take a great amount of time and coordination. Instead they focus on finishing the first floor. The first floor to their new secret base has a cute perfectly round window, and carpets. There’s pictures of flowers, chao, trees, and a couple of selfies Rollin took on the way here with her instant camera, now framed on the walls. There’s two chairs around a small perfectly round table facing each other, both still attached to the floor and just carved out of the wood that was already there. There’s a mantle over the table and cushions over the chairs.

The two girlfriends look at this, sweaty, somewhat tired, but satisfied. Rollin is already setting up the food on the table, which Blaze would’ve helped but Rollin got it done too fast. She sits down on the chair, patting her hands over the wood of the table and tapping her feet. She has a huge grin on her face. “Alright! Time for eats!”

“Wait!” Blaze takes out her phone. Rollin immediately notes how cute it is, the casing’s blue and has a little green emerald charm. She’s been taking pictures too of course. She takes quick pictures of the biryani, curry, and samosas. Then she leans into Rollin’s chest, who responds by putting a hand around her shoulder and giving a peace sign as she takes the selfie. She has a huge smile on her face as she looks at it on her phone. “Alright, thanks for the food.”

The meal is amazing. They eat and laugh and talk, and it’s the best day of their lives.

After the meal is done Blaze is ready to go out explore the woods with Rollin a little bit more, but she’s stopped at the door. Rollin has something in her hands, a heart shaped box, filled with chocolates.

“Happy Valentine’s Day” Rollin says with shining stardust in her eyes.

“Happy Valentine’s Day” Blaze responds, and she’s already starting to glow.

[sacredfixation]

Mobius files a report on the misuse of the metaphor kit he gave Loki

TVA REPORT – INCIDENT #58738:

Distribution and misuse of Dedicated Metaphor Kit, a Post-Incident Analysis

Filed by: Agent Mobius M. Mobius

Date: [REDACTED]

Subject: Laufeyson, Loki

Incident Summary:

Following a series of disruptions, including but not limited to the unauthorized confiscation of my lunch (henceforth referred to as The Salad Incident), a decision was made to provide Loki with a “Metaphor Kit.” The kit was intended as a pedagogical tool, designed to aid the Variant in understanding abstract concepts without resorting to the destruction of personal property. Items included:

• One (1) foam apple (temptation)

• One (1) rubber frog (chaotic leaps into action)

• One (1) small sand timer (time management and consequences)

• One (1) rubber chicken (disruption and disorder)

The kit was presented to the Variant under strict guidelines for appropriate use, which were immediately ignored.

Immediate Outcome:

• Loki expressed initial amusement, followed by sustained misuse of the provided materials.

• The foam apple became a recurring prop during mission debriefs, often accompanied by sarcastic monologues.

• The sand timer was repeatedly flipped during tense moments, exacerbating existing tensions in high-pressure situations.

• The rubber chicken was deployed in multiple inappropriate contexts, including as a distraction during a classified briefing.

• The rubber frog was used symbolically to mock my efforts at maintaining order, culminating in an unauthorized “leap” onto my desk during work hours.

Impact on Agent Mobius:

• Emotional Toll: Elevated stress levels resulting from constant ridicule and prop-related disruptions.

• Workplace Disruption: Significant time lost attempting to refocus Loki after metaphor kit-related antics.

• Personal Well-being: Persistent headaches reported, likely caused by repeated interactions with the rubber chicken.

Recommendations:

1. Discontinue the use of metaphor kits with Loki

2. Institute a stricter no-prop policy during debriefings.

3. Consider mandatory “Respecting Personal Space and Property” workshops for Loki.

4. Implement mandatory approval process for new teaching methods

Any future attempts to introduce non-standard educational tools or methods to Loki should require pre-approval from senior TVA staff, preferably after thorough risk assessment.

5. Establish designated metaphor-free zones

Common areas such as the cafeteria, briefing rooms, and hallways should be designated as metaphor-free zones to prevent Loki from staging impromptu ‘lessons.’

6. Introduce a post-incident recovery protocol for affected agents

Several agents expressed confusion and mild existential distress following Loki’s metaphor lessons. Consider introducing a support group or brief counseling sessions for agents exposed to prolonged philosophical ramblings.

7. Avoid future attempts to teach Loki lessons through tangible items, this approach is prone to backfire in unpredictable and highly irritating ways.

Agent Commentary:

I initially believed that providing Loki with a non-consumable, symbolic toolset would curb his tendency to disrupt order. Instead, I inadvertently handed him an arsenal of chaos disguised as learning aids. Loki now considers himself a ‘Master of Metaphors’ and insists on offering unsolicited ‘lessons’ to fellow agents, turning the office into something resembling a chaotic philosophy seminar. In hindsight, expecting Loki to handle anything with seriousness was a lapse in judgment. I regret everything.

Conclusion:

This experiment has proven that attempting to outsmart Loki Laufeyson with symbolic gestures or educational tools is futile. Future containment strategies should prioritize direct action over clever solutions. Attempts at intellectual engagement will inevitably lead to frustration, chaos, and, in my case, severe metaphor-induced migraines.

End of Report