#niksfiks

[niksfiks]

Photo Inspo #3

PC: I don’t remember where I got this from. It’s been a minute. Definitely not mine. Gods how I wish it was. 

Tag lists are open

Got it. 

You managed to get the increasingly rare publicly seen genuine smile on film, or memory card, as it were. Not the full-on “big smile” with teeth, not the cheesy grin offered fans with a desire for a selfie and not the “oh hey” smile that came when he was ambushed by said fans. Nope. This was a smile few got to see and you counted yourself blessed each time it appeared. 

Lately, you’d seen it a lot, just never with the camera pointed at him. You saw it in airports and hotel lobbies, across the table and across the stage, on screens small and large, next to you on the sofa and in bed. A smile that offered warmth and joy all the way up to his eyes. Eyes that glittered with love and crinkled with happiness when he looked at you. 

You lowered the camera a bit, smiling back at him, hoping your eyes would convey, or at least reflect, the feelings back to him. The sight of his smile softening made you believe he got the message loud and clear. You winked and pointed the lens in a different direction before someone discovered you ogling each other. You knew that, later, you’d have to share other images with the world. That’s your job, and how the two of you met. 

Poor Luke, forced to swim against the current that was the red carpet to find you and hand you a hastily scribbled and barely readable number. Calls to the PR office were returned with a promise of a photo shoot that almost never happened. When the two of you finally managed to land in the same place at the same time, you took hundreds of photos and spent hours pouring over them with him. He picked his favorites, you picked yours, and the magazine that was to publish them picked their own. The two of you celebrated with dinner. And breakfast. And the rest, as they say, is history. 

Since then, you’ve taken countless snaps of him and everyone else in Hollywood. But this one, the one that showed happiness and exhaustion and love and just a hint of peace, you opted to keep for yourself. A reminder that this man, this god, held a smile for you and you alone. 

[toozmanykids]

A comment by MoonCat163 on AO3 inspired me to make this manip for my newest little fic/drabble that I posted last week - "Why Is He Looking At You Like That?" It was fun! Let me know if you have any tips!!!

I think I need to choose a different photo though. Not sure he looks devilish enough. I think I was just excited bc this is my all time favorite look, and one of my very favorite photos.

Looking up wingback chairs.... Oh damn! I want to see him sitting in every single one!!

[[more]]

@caffiend-queen @nildespirandum @mooncat163 @ladyoftheteaandblood @ladyfluff @bellesquats @reine-sigyn @archy3001 @pedeka @lettalady @cursedcursingviking @just-the-hiddles @yespolkadotkitty @myoxisbroken @imanuglywombat @villainousshakespeare @wolfsmom1 @vodka-and-some-sass @boredbrooder @maniploki @fadingcoast @evieplease @fandom-and-feminism @jtargaryen18 @mooncat163

@lokislastlove @myraiswack @petitefirecracker10 @littletime67 @memenerdlover @tehgvicious @scatteringlikelight-deactivated @what-just-happened-bro @the-undecided-compass @ciaodarknessmyheart

@niksfiks @igotloki

[dangertoozmanykids101]

Omg, I just had so much fun reading through everyone's answers that i could see in the comments section. Each one I think, Yep. Oh yes. Definitely. Holy fucking hell, YES!

Now I discovered and fell in love with Tom during Night Manager. Ohhhhh, he was so seductive with every word that came out of his mouth,

The movement of his body ...

The torture inside him!!!!!

His need to save the damsel in distress made me want to tie myself to a railroad track and wait to be rescued.

BUT..... Dr. Laing is tortured soul who truly needs me.

So lost, flailing looking for a place to belong and figure out who he really is and what he wants to be. You would assume that I'm wanting to save him, right? Nope. I want to slide down his cascading break of reality with him, clinging together as we fall deeper and deeper into the dystopia that forms around us.

His tenderness during his descent into madness is so inviting. I can't help but fantasize about about getting lost with him.

@just-the-hiddles @caffiend-queen @nildespirandum @latent-thoughts @ladyoftheteaandblood @igotloki @niksfiks @fandomandfeminism @archy3001 @villainousshakespeare @scorpionchild81 @wolfsmom1 @cursedcursingviking @yespolkadotkitty @vodka-and-some-sass @myoxisbroken @devikafernando @alexakeyloveloki @dianamolloy @myraiswack @lokislastlove @bellesque @lettalady @fadingcoast @what-just-happened-bro @frostbitten-written @ms-cellanies

I'm trying to remember who else in had answered already, bc I wanted to reply to every single one and scream YES!!!

Who is Your Ultimate Tom Character?

So I was thinking about this while reblogging thirst today.  I love and I am fascinated by how fans have different character that just ring their bell so to speak.  So I ask you: Who is Your Ultimate Tom Character?

I will start.  Mine is of course, that brooding bloodsucker….Adam.

He is a musician, very smart, sassy and a bit of a smartass.  A homebody, and sexy AF and feels compelled to walk around half-naked for a good chunk of the film.  

Tagging some of my fellow thirsty peeps: @is-it-madness​ @vodka-and-some-sass​ @lowhostrikesback​ @izhunny​ @dianamolloy​ @nildespirandum​ @villainousshakespeare​ @myoxisbroken​ @winterisakiller​ @redfoxwritesstuff​ @cateyes315​ @nonsensicalobsessions​ @what-just-happened-bro​ @sweater-daddiesdumbdork​ @trippedmetaldetector​ and absolutely anyone else who wants to play

[niksfiks]

Gotta Get It Right: Chapter 11

PAIRING: Loki/OFC

RATING: Mature

NOTES/WARNINGS: Trigger warning: mentions of dubcon, violence, PTSD, sexual assault, and physical abuse in later chapters. 

Also on Ao3 

Feedback is always appreciated (just being an attention whore screaming for comments/reblogs). Taglist is open

Tagging @fandom-and-feminism @fadingcoast @igotloki  @mrshiddleston-uk @mischievousbellerina  @amwolowicz 

Chapter 11: The Dungeons Below

The mind...is a fragile thing. Takes only the slightest tap to tip it in the wrong direction. Charles Xavier, Dark Phoenix (2019)

Loki suppressed a shudder upon entering the prison block. He was all too familiar with the cells, having spent far more time in them than he ever wanted to admit. Those who now occupied this prison were criminals, tried, and convicted for their crimes. He never should have been held, much less beneath the palace. He had tried to save Asgard from the Jotunheim, and from his brother’s idiotic lust for war. That business on Midgard with the Chitari had not been his responsibility. Even if it had, Odin had no right...

He stopped himself mid-thought, refusing to allow the memory to progress. Things had been set right with Odin gone, Thor off-world, perhaps never to return, and Loki firmly ensconced on the throne of Asgard. Regardless of anything else the woman had done, she had cemented his right to rule. And that alone was reason enough for keeping her alive. The other reasons he kept to himself, forgetting them when he finally reached her cell.

The woman sat on the floor with legs folded, her back against the wall. Her hands lay relaxed on her knees, palms turned upward as if to receive something. Loki watched her for some time, focusing on the slightest changes in her expression. He wasn’t sure if she was lost in a vision or simply dreaming, but her brow remained furrowed while her lips moved in silent speech. Just as he decided to leave, her eyes blinked open and bore straight through him.

“What?”

“Hardly a complimentary greeting, Midgardian.”

“If it’s a compliment you’re after, maybe you should visit your harem.”

Loki smirked. “We do not practice such archaic beliefs here.”

“Sounds like a personal problem.”

“I would think,” he said, approaching her cell, “that you would be more appreciative of the one who saved your life.”

“You’d think,” she responded absently, standing in a swift motion. “But technically, you’re not the one who saved me, are you?”

Loki stood silent.

“Figured as much. So the question remains: what?”

“Are you attempting to ask what it is that I desire by visiting you here? Or, perhaps, do you mean to inquire of the time?”

Aleksa rolled her eyes.

“There are so many possible variants of questions beginning with ‘what’, I couldn’t possibly list them all.” He leaned toward her. “You wouldn’t live that long.”

“Except for the part where you told your people to inject me with whatever happy juice it is that makes you immortal-ish. So I appear to have plenty of time. By all means, ramble away.”

Loki’s brow quirked as he wondered just how long she’d been feigning unconsciousness.

“What is your name?”

“Haven’t figured that out already? You’re losing your touch.” she scoffed.

“You proceed from the assumption that I haven’t.”

Aleksa shrugged, her arms folded.

“Regardless, I thought Midgardian soldiers were trained to recite their name and identifying number over and over when questioned. No matter. The data found on your identification tags has proven quite useful.”

Her hand instinctively went to her neck, searching for a chain that wasn’t there.

“Petterson is quite the surname. Perhaps I should just call you ‘pet’.”  

“Only if you have a death wish,” she snarled as she stepped closer to the force field.

“Pet, it is, then.” Her jaw clenched as he grinned. “There will come a time that your little excursions will wear my patience thin.”

“Stop chasing me and it won’t be a problem anymore. Besides, seems to me that your guards need more exercise now and again.”

“Now and again?” he scoffed. “Are you aware that you’ve attempted seventeen escapes in  three months?”

“And made it outside the walls of... whatever-this-is... fourteen of those seventeen times.” Her voice grew distant. “I still need to step up my game.”

“Your game? Quite the shame to waste such extraordinary talents on a... game.”

“But you’d have me play yours.”

“This is no game, pet.”

“Then what is it, Jotunn?” Aleksa growled.

Loki ignored the insult and grinned, satisfied that he was wearing her down. “Opportunity.”

“For what?”

“Well, that remains to be seen, doesn’t it? You are obviously a warrior of considerable expertise, and I admit to being quite intrigued by your,” he paused, “handling of the Tesseract. Certainly, there are other talents that remain hidden.”

“All in service of Asgard, no doubt.” Her voice soft, she added, “Or did you have something more personal in mind?”

Loki was suddenly aware of the difference in height between them as he looked down at her, trying to ignore the sightline straight to her cleavage. “I’m sure we could come to some sort of an arrangement.”

“Fuck off.” An admonition that sounded both sultry and threatening.

“An insult, the typical human response.” he balked. “Why unleash your hatred on me? Was it not your beloved SHIELD that sent you here to fetch those poor, lost academics? And was it not your decision alone to challenge me to duel in exchange for their lives?”

“Just like it’s your decision to keep coming after me every time I escape.” She returned to the back wall, sliding down to the floor. “Maybe you should find a hobby.”

“Oh, I’ve already found one. And it’s proving most entertaining.”

“I repeat,” she said with a sigh, “fuck off. Especially if you’re offended by typical human insults.” Aleksa glared at the sarcastic smile creeping across his face, then decided to disengage. He wanted her attention and she was going to withhold it.

“You can’t ignore me forever, pet.” Loki stared at her, noting the timing of the rise and fall of her chest. His mind wandered to the flesh beneath the tunic, what it might feel like against his own skin.

“It pains me,” he said with a shake of his head to return himself to the moment, “to see a creature of your considerable abilities left down here to rot, but, if that is what you wish...”

With no response, Loki sighed, turned, and made his way to the corridor.

“Oh,” he paused, speaking over his shoulder, “thank you for not instigating another riot during your last escape. It made finding you so much easier.”

He heard the slightest change in the hum of the force fields surrounding the cell before something hard hit him in the back of the head. He spun to find her still seated. The cup that had been in the cell with her now lay on the floor next to his feet. He picked it up, then looked back at her.  She was watching him, her facial features relaxed, almost inviting him to react. He only grinned and resumed his journey out of the prison.

Aleksa sat motionless for some time after Loki’s departure. Her mind raced with new plans for escape mixed with memories that felt more like dreams. She tried to think of simple things like the places or people she knew to settle her mind, but even that failed. Her childhood home in Charleston morphed into an even smaller hut near a cliff. Stifling hot summers spent in band camp became much cooler days walking shorelines with her mother.

Except it wasn’t her mother. Her mother died in an accident. Or was it a raid?

Blue skin.

Red eyes.

So much ice. And fire.

Fire.

“C’mon, Colonel. All you have to do is light the fire. Then you and your friends can go home.”

Aleksa’s eye squeezed shut, trying to block out the vision. They were nightmares, illusions. None of it was real.

Was it?

The desert heat was real. The smell of spice and gunpowder and whatever chemicals she’d been exposed to were real.

“Just light it. You can do that, can’t you?”

She began a breathing exercise, a deep inhale followed by a slow, steady exhale while summoning a white candle in her mind. All she had to do was light it and keep the flame steady.

“The flame will cease to flicker when your mind is calm.” A soft voice, neither male nor female.

“Light the pyre. ” Another voice, definitely male and definitely malicious.

Breathe in.

“You can control matter, control the energy that binds it together.”

Breathe out.

“Just a spark. That’s all. I’d hate for you to have the deaths of anyone else on your hands.”

Breathe.

“What d’ya say?”

“No,” she growled. “Better a few soldiers than thousands of innocents.”

“Never let your gifts be abused.”

How many are dead because of me?

“Poor Rose. Her death will excruciatingly slow without anyone to ensure she receives the proper treatments.”

Rose?

Her mind wandered to a baby, small with bright blue eyes. A child become woman become old, the blue never fading in her eyes, regardless of how distant they became.

Sweet little Rose.

She saw Erik’s face, smiling as he cradled the babe. The smile turned evil as his face morphed into Malick’s.

“Leave her out of this.”

Just kill me instead.

“Then bring me what I want.”

Aleksa’s eyes flew open and she stood, pulling energy from the floor into her body. The lights in her cell flickered, followed by the lights in surrounding cells. The block fell dark for a split second then returned to normal lighting.

None of the other prisoners noticed that the cell at the end of the row was suddenly unoccupied.

D’Varst, on the other hand, thought on all he’d witnessed for a moment before making his way out of the dungeons.

[niksfiks]

Gotta Get It Right: Chapter 1

PAIRING: Loki/OFC

RATING: Mature

NOTES/WARNINGS: Trigger warning: mentions of dubcon, violence, PTSD, sexual assault, and physical abuse in later chapters. 

Also on Ao3 

Feedback is always appreciated (just being an attention whore screaming for comments/reblogs). Taglist is open

Tagging @fandom-and-feminism @fadingcoast @igotloki @mrshiddleston-uk @mischievousbellerina

A/N: Hey y’all. Yes, this is back and bigger than ever (I hope). Seriously though, I’ve got a better idea of where this is headed, so we’re gonna start over. Thanks for hanging in there...settle in and buckle up!

Chapter 1: Overture

Cause we were young and indestructible

With any luck we’ll be unstoppable

And we can last forever - Sixx A.M.

Odin stood motionless in front of the full-length mirror, carefully examining each detail of his appearance: the crimson color of his cloak, the golden armor, each strand of white hair. Satisfied that everything was in place, he focused intently on the plate covering his lost eye, squinting as the metal shifted from gold to silver to black, engraved to plain. 

“Norns,” he grunted, dropping his head with a sigh. When he looked back into his reflection, the plate was gone, replaced by red eyes. Shimmers of gold traveled along his skin, leaving behind the varied shades of blue-gray on a naked form. His head tilted to one side, looking over the taller, leaner body now before him. Muscles flexed visibly where they were once hidden. Bare skin appeared where hair once resided. White hair was now pitch black. Stepping a bit closer to the reflection, long fingers ran over the ridges forming across his chest until he reached a mark just below his ribcage. 

His eyes focused as if to will the scar away. Instead, the surrounding marks faded as blue gave way to pink, leaving the offending defect behind. He turned to see the exit wound on his back, recalling the day he received it. 

“Such a fool.”

I’ll tell Father what you did here today. 

“I didn’t do it for him,” came only as a whisper. “I’m not doing any of this for him.”

Then why continue? Frigga’s voice sounded distant in his memory. Use the authority I gave you, my son. 

Loki looked up, hoping to see some vestige of her in the mirror, but found nothing except his own, tired blue-green eyes staring back at him. Her words echoed in his ears and he decided it was time for one final illusion. 

That afternoon, with the governing council in attendance, Loki accepted Gungir and the mantle of King from the old man, whose eye closed before his head reached the pillow. Loki closed the doors to the Allfather’s bedchamber, leaving him in the care of two healers as he fell deep into the Odinsleep. Guards posted outside the doors to Odin’s suite were ordered to let no one enter or exit, except the healers, lest there be a repeat of the failed attempt on his life. 

A procession moved silently to the main hall, where the court awaited the entourage. Loki’s coronation was subdued compared to what Thor’s would have been with each council member, lord, and lady swearing fealty to the new king. There were no celebrations at the command of Odin Allfather. Life was to carry on as normal. 

Loki retired early to contemplate his new role and responsibilities. Once the door to his own suite closed, a cone of silence fell and the trickster began to laugh uncontrollably. His laughter didn’t stem from the gullibility of the council, or from the genius of his plan finally come to fruition. No. It was a relief, and a sudden realization of joy, that came from his newfound and hard-fought freedom. No more masquerading as the man who’d stolen and bullied him all his life. No more pretending to be something and someone he wasn’t. No one was left to try and control him. Now he could give real truth to the lies he’d always been told, and maybe craft a few new truths for himself. 

[niksfiks]

Gotta Get It Right: Chapter 12

PAIRING: Loki/OFC

RATING: Mature

NOTES/WARNINGS: Trigger warning: mentions of violence, torture

Also on Ao3 

Feedback is always appreciated (just being an attention whore screaming for comments/reblogs). Taglist is open

Tagging @fandom-and-feminism @fadingcoast @mrshiddleston-uk @mischievousbellerina @amwolowicz @dangertoozmanykids101

Chapter 12: Shattered

"Illusions commend themselves to us because they save us pain..." Sigmund Freud

Loki emerged from the en suite as he pulled the tunic over his wet hair. There was no evidence of the maiden that had warmed his bed not twenty minutes prior. Despite the release he’d found in her arms, he still wasn’t able to relax. Continued rumors of traitors in the council, coupled with growing tensions with Alfheim, weighed on him more each day. On top of it all, the distant voice of the Other haunting his dreams.

A soft knock yielded a scullery maid delivering his nightly tea. He nodded and she quickly departed, leaving him alone with his thoughts. The Alfheim has long been a friend of Asgard, welcoming a much younger Loki as a pupil on their shores. Any discontent they felt had to be tied to D’Varst and his renewed grab at power. A grab, he told himself, that he could control for now, if for no other reason than to root out any others sympathetic to the old man’s cause. Rip the treason out all at once and minimize the pain.

You will long for something as sweet as pain.

“No!” he shouted, slamming his fist against the wall and sending a shock through his system. The voice dissipated, pulling the memories of life aboard that ship with it.

Loki’s long fingers wrapped around the handle of the teapot, tilting it to pour the herbal blend. The cup rattled softly, giving Loki pause. A deep breath brought another attempt to pour that ended with papers and books falling across the room.

“What the Hel?” he mumbled.

The entire palace shook violently. Sirens wailed their alert, drowning out the panicked cries of servants and guards in the halls. Loki entered the corridors, the last bits of his armor shimmering into existence.

“Skurge!” he shouted over the din. The burly man met him near a staircase, dodging people as they moved to the side. “What’s going on?”

“Not sure,” Skurge panted, “but it’s coming from the substructure.”

The woman. If this another escape...

“Gather a squad of Einherjar and have them meet me at the dungeon entrance.” Loki barked, slamming into a column with another tremor. “And ensure that the palace is completely evacuated!” Skurge nodded and began a sprint in the opposite direction of his master.

Guards met Loki’s detachment en route to the dungeons, advising them to make for the vault. The woman’s cell was empty, they’d said, and that a hole into the ventilation system had been created. Loki cursed himself for not securing the Tesseract in another location and led the group to their destination.

Energy came in waves from the vault, nearly knocking them to the floor. Loki could hear the structure groaning around them as the waves passed through the palace, and found himself wondering if he shouldn’t order an evacuation of the surrounding city.

The vault lay open, doors blown wide. Cautiously, he stepped inside and choked when he saw what was happening. One of the vault’s guards lay motionless on the floor, the other on his knees to one side of the massive portal swirling in the center of the room. The woman held his head inches from the edge in one hand, screaming at him in a language Loki couldn’t immediately identify. Her free hand was directed at the Tesseract lying next to her feet, golden Sei∂r passing between them. Summoning all the authority he could find, Loki moved down the staircase.

“And what do we have here?”

Aleksa’s head angled slightly before turning to look over her shoulder, a sinister smirk emerging. She shifted slowly to face him, releasing her grip on the guard just long enough for him to attempt to flee. Sei∂r continued to flow from her body into the Tesseract as she clamped down on the guard’s collar, pulling him back to her side.

“Well, well, well. Look who finally decided to show up.” She leaned down to the struggling man, her voice taking a demonic tone. “Looks like the cavalry’s here, but somehow, I don’t think you’re the one Fury’s picking up, little spay .”

Loki balked.

Fury?

Another energy wave pulsed from the Tesseract, causing everyone in the room to stagger. The woman’s slow return to her feet gave Loki an opportunity to see the location on the other side of the portal. The desert he’d seen before the woman’s first escape blazed behind her, the blinding white sands a stark contrast to the black earth closest to the portal’s edge.

A desert, he thought. Fury reported picking her up in a desert with scorched sand. That she’d...  A plan was already forming in his mind as he signaled the guards to stay behind him while he moved forward.

“What’d you think you’re doing, Colonel?”  

“What does it look like, Nick? I’m interrogating the prisoner.” She growled, squeezing the guard’s neck, eliciting a pained howl.

“We talked about this, Lex.” Loki stepped a bit closer, replaying the conversation he’d read about months ago in his head. “You find the cube, I ask the questions.”

“Problem is, I don’t work for you anymore. But don’t worry. This little bastard is singing like a canary.” She leaned down, kissing the top of the guard’s head before pushing him to the floor.

“If you’re not working for me, who are you working for?”

“Some spy you are.” Mock confusion crossed her face. “I work for the same asshole you do.”

“I don’t answer to him, Lex. Neither do you.”

Aleksa’s laugh bellowed through the vault in time with an energy pulse. Loki could hear power generators begin to shut down above them. “C’mon, Nick. We both know he’s head of the Council. And I know he’s playing both sides.” She ground her heel into the guard’s back. “Isn’t he, spay ?”

Remnants of a burned-out village came into view through the growing portal. It had to be the same decimated village described in Fury’s report. Loki swallowed the brief kernel of doubt, knowing if he didn’t separate her from the Tesseract, the portal would tear the palace apart. Even if it didn’t, she still might.

“Oh, I know. Just like I know these aren’t your run of the mill terrorists,” he gestured to the guards. “And I know this isn’t who you really are.”

“Then what am I, Director? Hmm? A good soldier? An honorable warrior?” She snarled. “ A healer? ”

“Yes.” Loki was close enough to touch her and began to maneuver himself between her and the Tesseract. “You’re all of those things, Colonel. You’re not a cold-blooded killer. You won’t slaughter innocents...”

“Innocents?” she screamed. “These soulless bastards,” she nodded to the guard on the floor, “aren’t innocent! The men in this camp weren’t innocent. And the villagers? The ones who harbored these animals. Fed them, clothed them, watched them slaughter my team one by one, watched as they slit...Erik...” she faltered, the white light from the portal reflecting in the tears running down her face. “They are. Not. Innocent. No one is. Not even you.”

“You’re right.” Fury’s voice fell evenly under Loki’s guidance. “But you’re better than this. Let us take care of this one.” He reached out one hand while trying to send the Tesseract into a pocket dimension. “Let me take you home.”

Her features softened and, for one brief moment, Loki thought he’d gotten through to her. Her eyes turned dark and the sinister smile returned.

“We both know I’m going to die in this hellhole. Care to join me?”

Aleksa lunged at Fury, falling through the illusion to the floor. She rolled to her feet in time to see the Tesseract vanish above Loki’s hand. She howled and scrambled for the rapidly closing portal. Loki dove for her, knocking her back to the floor. She struggled against him, screaming incoherently between languages, begging to be released. A few moments passed after the portal closed before she stilled.

Loki backed away, cautiously waving the Einherjar in to retrieve their comrades. The remaining guards surrounded Aleksa with weapons at the ready. Loki knelt in front of where she sat on the floor.

“Colonel?”

Aleksa didn’t respond. She just stared at the spot where the portal had been, whispering incoherently. Just as he began to rise, she spoke in a voice that sparked both sorrow and fear in his heart.

“Kill me.”

[niksfiks]

Gotta Get It Right: Chapter 6

PAIRING: Loki/OFC

RATING: Mature

NOTES/WARNINGS: Trigger warning: mentions of dubcon, violence, PTSD, sexual assault, and physical abuse in later chapters. 

Also on Ao3 

Feedback is always appreciated (just being an attention whore screaming for comments/reblogs). Taglist is open

Tagging @fadingcoast @fandom-and-feminism @igotloki @mrshiddleston-uk @mischievousbellerina

A/N: I kinda lost track of what day it was. My bad! 

Chapter 6: Dungeons & Demi-Gods

The group was paraded through the darkened corridors of the dungeon. Prisoners howled and taunted the humans as they passed, threatening all manner of tortures should they ever be freed. They were stopped in front of a smaller cell whose occupants leapt to their feet.

“Oh my God, finally,” one of the women cried, “SHIELD agents. You’ve come to rescue us!” Her excitement turned to questioning as the guards shoved their prisoners into the cell. Aleksa stumbled against the corner as the guards restored the electrified wall. Reece leaned over her. 

“You okay?”

“Yeah,” she swallowed, still adjusting to the cell’s environment. “It’ll pass.”

“Fucking useless Inhuman.” Nesis growled.

“This Inhuman is going to get you home, soldier.” Reece spat back.

“How? She can’t even stand up for more than ten minutes, much less mount a rescue!”

“Maybe if your buddy hadn’t started firing on soldiers who didn’t even know we were there...”

Reece stood toe to toe with Nesis, getting louder as they argued. Members of the research team tried to interject without success while Aleksa sank to the floor. The energy surrounding the cell overloaded her senses, making her nauseous and deaf and lightheaded at the same time. She knew she would pass out if she couldn’t find a way to regain her balance.

“Because your ‘classified’ orders have landed us in this damn cell. They got Spartak killed! Just like the last strike team she led...” Nesis shouted.

The smell of turmeric hit suddenly, and it took everything Aleksa had to focus on her breathing, ignoring the commotion growing behind her. She was barely aware of the protests of the research team as she reached for the golden wall of light. The power that briefly surged through her burned her fingertips but cleared her head. The blinding white light turned gold then vanished, leaving behind trails of gold and orange where power lines ran. The static pummeling her eardrums softened, allowing half a dozen languages to become apparent. The phantom scent of the desert faded and she finally was once again aware of her immediate surroundings. She found the entire group staring at her and felt the eyes of her fellow prisoners on her from across the corridor.  

“Yes, this Inhuman is going to get all of you home. My orders were sealed by the Director. And,” Aleksa responded flatly, climbing to her feet. “Spartak is dead because he couldn’t control his impulses, because he couldn’t follow orders. Can you?”  

Nesis only stared.

“Umm, ma’am?” One of the researchers approached cautiously. “What, exactly, are your abilities? I mean, you just took a huge shock and your fingers are barely singed.” 

Aleksa looked down at her hand, watching the skin of her fingertips return to their natural pink color. “It’s complicated,” she sighed.

“What are your orders, Colonel?” Reece asked quietly while checking her hand.

“Same as they were when we got here: get the team home.” 

“And how do you propose to do that when we’re all in an Asgardian dungeon?” another researcher whined. 

“I’m working on it.”

Nesis stepped to her side, pointing to the guards moving towards their cell. “Work faster.”

The glowing wall vanished, allowing the guards access to the cell. They surrounded the group and forced them into the corridor. “You and Reece take flank and be ready. I told you we’re getting out of here.” 

Aleksa walked ahead of the group through the massive halls, surrounded by soldiers. The architecture of the building made their journey sound more ominous, clomping boots echoing through archways and side halls. It reminded her of marching drills in boot camp, minus the relentless shouting. The guards here were eerily quiet. Massive doors opened ahead of them, revealing the open interior of the throne room. Columns reached into the air, supporting arched ceilings that reminded her of the old gothic churches in Europe. The path to the golden throne went on forever, dotted on either side with fire stands that appeared to serve no purpose other than aesthetic. 

The researchers behind her began to mutter amongst themselves, commenting on the symbology of the designs that surrounded them. Aleksa’s focus remained on their return home, looking for strategic opportunities for escape should they be needed. She noticed the pile of equipment near the throne and the guards that surrounded it. Unless they were released, the gear would have to be left behind, she decided, thankful that the transmitter appeared to still be operational. Only when the guards leading the parade to the throne slowed did Aleksa turn her focus to the man descending the dais.

Loki. 

[niksfiks]

Gotta Get It Right: Chapter 8

PAIRING: Loki/OFC

RATING: Mature

NOTES/WARNINGS: Trigger warning: mentions of dubcon, violence, PTSD, sexual assault, and physical abuse in later chapters. 

Also on Ao3 

Feedback is always appreciated (just being an attention whore screaming for comments/reblogs). Taglist is open

Tagging: @fandom-and-feminism @fadingcoast @igotloki @mrshiddleston-uk @mischievousbellerina

A/N: Sooo...between quarantine, recent events, and a certain livestream talkback of Coriolanus, I totally lost track of the day/week and missed posting. But, here we are now. Enjoy!

Chapter 8: Kickstart My Heart

Loki stood in the throne room, staring at the spot where Aleksa fell. The floor had been scrubbed clean of spilled blood, but he could still sense where the duel had ended. The whole incident confused him. He’d been drawn in through ego and hubris, that much was certain. He’d resisted similar bait from others a million times before. This woman, this human, had somehow managed to get inside his head, and that made her dangerous. 

Or did it? If she could become an ally, or at the very least coerced - no, persuaded - to become a warrior for him, the woman could prove quite useful. If nothing else, she put up enough of a fight to make breaking her entertaining, and Norns knew he needed a little entertainment in his life at the moment. The women of court were far too eager to please him. 

He weighed the possibilities, then dismissed the entire thought. The whole concept depended solely on her surviving the treatments she received in the healing suites. It would be a waste, he concluded, if her attempted suicide was successful. She had so much potential.

Curiosity drove him to the healing facilities. Staff nodded and bowed as he entered the observation area where he met Eir emerging from a treatment room. Her face fell at the sight of him. 

“How’s our Midgardian?”

“Not Midgardian.” 

“If she’s not Midgaridan, then...” Loki’s eyebrow quirked as another healer arrived, curtsied, and whispered something to Eir. 

“That doesn’t make sense. Go back to the original dosage and see what happens.” She turned to Loki. “With respect, my liege, my patient’s evaluation, and treatment have been challenging enough without having to consider her heritage. Her body is adapting and becomes resistant to our efforts.”

Curious. 

“And if you stop treatment?”

“I honestly do not know.” Eir sensed Loki’s smirk and pinched the bridge of her nose. The last thing she needed was to be forced to justify her position because of whatever his newest obsession was. But, she had to admit, her patient had her flummoxed. 

“In all my centuries as a healer,” she continued, “I have never seen the likes of this woman. There are odd genetic sequences that suggest forced mutations, which may or may not explain the way her body reacts to the treatment. She has most assuredly been experimented on, and that in itself is likely causing some of our problems.” Eir sighed. “The bottom line is that the more we do, the more she fights us. It’s as if she wants to be left alone to heal. Or die.”

Loki studied the woman at his side staring at her patient in confusion. He stepped closer to the window, watching as the team of healers worked frantically. The soul forge hovering over the woman’s body told him that her condition was still critical, vital signs spiking and plummeting. A glimpse of her face showed him a portrait of calm, relaxed slumber as if she was happy to see her life’s end. He wondered if she stood before the gates of Valhalla, negotiating entrance. Curiosity pushed for more information. Pride demanded answers. 

“You don’t get to leave, not yet,” he whispered before turning to Eir. “Give her the extract of an Idunnian Apple. If that fails,” he looked back through the window, “cease your efforts.”

“Your Majesty, you know I can not give the extract without consent. It could undo whatever the mutations were designed to create. Or suppress. It could be fatal.” Loki’s glare silenced her protests. “Yes, my king.” 

Eir returned to the treatment room, speaking with one of the apprentices. Loki watched intently when the apprentice returned with a vial. The glowing golden fluid was carefully withdrawn and injected into an intravenous line dangling from their patient’s arm. 

Aleksa’s body began to shake violently. Healers attempted to hold her down until a strange cloud began filling the treatment area, sending the team running out. People scrambled around, trying to seal the room while Loki simply stood, watching. Air purifiers whirred to life, sucking the smoke out of the room. Others gasped as Loki stepped even closer to the glass. 

Grey stone enveloped the entire top of the examination table and crawled down the sides. A few loose pebbles fell to the floor as the soul forge flickered back to life, slowly registering the vitals of the woman encased within. Eir and a few brave healers re-entered the chamber, verifying that Aleksa was, in fact, still alive within the shell.  

Loki smiled. He turned to leave until an explosion shook the room. Looking back, he saw Aleksa sit up, the cocoon shattered around her. The wound on her chest closed before she toppled back over as Eir and the others ran back to her side. Loki gestured to one of the apprentices. 

“Tell your mistress that I want a detailed report on our guest at her earliest opportunity. The,” he looked back to the room, “woman is to receive any and all attentions necessary. When she is ready, she is to be brought to me.” The apprentice nodded as Loki strode out of the suites, grinning wide.

“Great potential, indeed.” 

[niksfiks]

Gotta Get It Right: Chapter 10

PAIRING: Loki/OFC

RATING: Mature

NOTES/WARNINGS: Trigger warning: mentions of dubcon, violence, PTSD, sexual assault, and physical abuse in later chapters. 

Also on Ao3 

Feedback is always appreciated (just being an attention whore screaming for comments/reblogs). Taglist is open

Tagging @mischievousbellerina @fandom-and-feminism @fadingcoast @igotloki @mrshiddleston-uk @amwolowicz

Chapter 10: Exit, Stage Right

Aleksa watched quietly as two guards moved along their patrol route, thankful that the back halls were monitored less frequently than the corridor she’d been led through from the dungeons. Accessing the ventilation systems was far easier than anticipated and the large conduits gave her quiet and unrestricted access to her goal. The waves of nausea that had plagued her since awakening had subsided, thanks in no small part to the bits of bread and meat she’d managed to pilfer from the kitchens. The pain was easing as well, a sure sign that her body was adjusting to whatever changes Terragenesis had brought. A silent prayer for not turning into something like Lash went up. 

Some fates are worse than death. Maybe Nick can get these damn implants taken out. Or Malik, whichever comes first. 

Her objective was close. She could sense the energy radiating off of it along with dozens of other objects suspected to be held in the vault. Perhaps something else would be of enough interest to the Council for her to buy her way out of her contract and vanish for good, maybe to some backwater third world country. Wakanda was nice, she’d heard. 

A newly arrived squad of soldiers drew her attention. They were more heavily armed than those standing watch over the vault, speaking in hushed tones. Aleksa was barely able to make out what was said but understood the implication. 

Time to go. 

The larger patrol moved away, dividing themselves down different corridors as they traveled. 

Longer I’m here, the more complicated this gets, she thought, slinking down the shaft. No one said Malik needed to know if or when I got... 

There.

Just beneath her lay the inner vault. The hum of power was nearly deafening. All of Aleksa’s concentration became focused on suppressing the noise until she determined where her target was. Once located, she recalled an old mantra to drown out all sound and dropped into the room. Drawing a deep breath, she concentrated on the energy patterns of floor and walls, noting the changes in color and intensity until she was confident of where everything was: the doors, the guards on the other side, additional ventilation shafts and hidden rooms. 

A lack of distinguishable security measures concerned her as she snuck along the floor, passing artifact after artifact. The concern was short-lived as the doors to the vault swung wide, admitting Loki and a pack of guards hot on his heels. 

Aleksa swore under her breath, breaking into a full run to her destination. The glowing blue cube sat on its pedestal, mesmerizing her as she reached out to take it.  

“Stop!” Loki shouted, Aleksa’s hand hovering over the cube. He approached slowly, followed by the guards, their weapons leveled on her. “You won’t survive if you touch that. You've no idea the power it holds.”

“Oh, really?” Aleksa smirked, looking at the cube and back at Loki, daring him to continue moving forward while she scanned the room again. None of the possible exits were going to be accessible from where she stood. The only option was behind her but there was no guarantee that there was an exit on the other side of the grating.  

“Better to burn out than to fade away,” she muttered and reached for the cube. 

Before Loki could respond, the soldiers behind him opened fire. An explosion of blinding blue light knocked them all to the floor. He rose slowly, trying to shake off the effects of the blast. Taking a cautious step forward in the rubble, he saw the woman laying on the floor, staring at the ceiling, the Tesseract glowing in her hand. He stopped as she climbed to her feet, watching in awe while her eyes shifted from the same blue glow of the cube to gold to the hazel he’d seen when they met. 

“Give me the Tesseract,” he cooed, “and no harm will come to you.” 

Aleksa just stood there, her brain racing to keep up with the volumes of information being fed into it. She thought she heard Loki’s voice, but wasn’t sure she understood the words. The sound of rushing water caught her attention, spurring her to the newly formed opening in the vault wall. A river flowed below her, awakening memories of distant lands.  

Loki stepped back when new strands of light began swirling between them. Aleksa’s eyes went wide, a sly grin crossing her face as the room disappeared behind a widening circle of blue and white. She watched in awe as greens and browns came into focus. While the homes she’d known were gone, she was certain she was looking at her birthplace. 

A portal without a sling ring. Wait...what? W-why do I know that?

Aleksa blinked and the portal started shrinking. When the circle closed, Loki was almost directly in front of her, his hand outstretched. 

“You can’t hope to control it. Give me the Tesseract and I’ll send you home.”

“Already got a ride, thanks.” She spun around and kicked him in the chest, sending him flying backward. “That’s twice,” she laughed.

Loki scrambled to his feet, watching her move to the other side of the hall only to launch herself through the open wall. When he saw her again, she was emerging on the bank opposite the palace, flipping the cube in her hand before taking off in a sprint across the plain. 

“I want her brought back alive,” he growled. He turned back to the guards, all staring in shock. “NOW!”

-----

Aleksa was able to hide easily enough from the ships patrolling above her and the two ravens sent out from the palace now and again, but her progress was slowed by the sheer amount of energy she had to expend to shield the surges of power the Tesseract would give off. She felt sure that if she could sense it from a distance, so could Loki. She was hopeful that the proximity of the Rainbow Bridge and observatory housing the Bifrost was helping to mask it, but couldn’t risk being discovered. The more she felt her own energy draining, the more she concentrated on her memories of the rescue plan and made for the fields between her and the Earth-bound portal. 

The portal. There was no guarantee that it still functioned, that the intervals were still stable, or how long she’d have to wait for it to open. Even if it was operating as normal, she had no way to know who would be waiting on the other side, if anyone. There were just too many question marks for this escape route to work. 

Another skiff roared over her head and she dropped to the ground. Perhaps commandeering one of those ships would prove a better option. Find a transport off Asgard and vanish into the universe. Surely, someone else would want Loki’s magic cube as badly as he did. 

Or...

She looked around and saw no signs of pursuers, then gently slid the Tesseract out of its pouch. It glowed brighter in her hand, sending a sensation of warmth through her body. 

Mesmerized by the changing light floating in front of her, she stared into the cube, imagining all of the places she could go. Her eyes fluttered closed as she relaxed, focusing on where in the universe she wanted to be. 

“Keeper of the Stone, master of space,” a soft voice whispered in her head. A voice that she’d heard a million times before but just couldn’t align with a face. “Come home.”

She held the Tesseract out in front of her and allowed the energy to surge through her, willing the portal into existence. White light began to arc around the cube, sending sparks into the air. 

Aleka’s eyes opened as the portal widened, giving the faintest glimpse of the ocean stretching into the distance. Sand appeared next, then the familiar beach grass and fencing. She stood, stepping toward the portal while watching her home materialize in front of her. The shouts of soldiers distracted her, sending the portal to another location. When she turned back, Aleksa saw sands scorched black and structures smoldering in the distance.

“No! Nononononono!” she screamed, falling to the ground. The portal hissed shut when the Tesseract dropped from her hands and rolled into a boot. Aleksa looked up to see a large, heavily armored man towering above her.

“Back you go, dearie,” was the last thing she heard before the world went dark. 

[niksfiks]

Gotta Get It Right: Chapter 4

PAIRING: Loki/OFC

RATING: Mature

NOTES/WARNINGS: Trigger warning: mentions of dubcon, violence, PTSD, sexual assault, and physical abuse in later chapters. 

Also on Ao3 

Feedback is always appreciated (just being an attention whore screaming for comments/reblogs). Taglist is open

Tagging @fandom-and-feminism @fadingcoast @igotloki @mrshiddleston-uk @mischievousbellerina

Chapter 4: The Plan

Armed guards stood their posts, watching Coulson, Daisy, and Aleksa disembark the Quinjet and head towards Agent Melinda May. Coulson had his usual self-satisfied grin on his face. 

“Told you she’d come.” 

May just grimaced, turning her attention to the redhead in front of her. “I’m more worried about what you promised to get her here.” She turned to the woman in front of her. “Lex. Back to your natural color?”

“Figured it was time for a change. I heard about Andrew. I’m sorry.”

“So was I.” 

Aleksa nodded, following the group into the base, peeking through what windows she could as they traveled deeper underground. The constantly changing tech available to SHIELD was mind-boggling and only served to grow her concern. They finally arrived at the conference room where three other soldiers waited. Coulson introduced everyone.

“Specialists Altair Nesis and Christen Spartak, and you know Captain Brian Reece, SHIELD Special Forces. They’ll be your extraction team.”

“This is it? Three men?”

“We are the best of the best, ma’am.” Spartak stepped forward. 

“Semper Fi, Marine. Stand down,” she answered, immediately recognizing the stance drilled into the man. “Still a little light, given where we’re going,” she sighed. “Alright, Reece, what’s the story?”

Reece moved to the large projection screen, calling up the profiles of the missing people. “Research team of 5: two men, three women, all experienced SHIELD field ops with minimal combat training. They’ve been off-world for six weeks, due to return in a few days. Communication from the team stopped 24 hours ago, following reports of a decreasing frequency. A beacon near the portal is still broadcasting, but there’s nothing coming through.”

Aleksa hummed. “How stable is the portal?”

"Relatively,” Coulson answered. “We watched it for almost a year before we sent the team through. It runs on a forty-three-minute rotation, open for about five minutes before going dark.”

“Does it close or just go invisible?”

“That’s what we’re hoping you can tell us.”

Aleksa quirked an eyebrow. “Any other operatives on Asgard?”

“None that have any intel. No mentions of captured humans or of planned executions.” Reece replied.

“He’d kill them?” Aleksa moved closer to the screen, scrolling through data. 

May shrugged. “Who knows? It’s Loki.” 

“That’s comforting. Why are they up there to begin with?”

“Research.”

Aleksa turned to Coulson, who was leaning against the desk. “Thank you for the tactical update, captain obvious. What kind of research?” 

“It’s classified.” 

Aleksa rolled her eyes before glaring at him. “Infinity stones, Asgardian military strength, or tech?” Coulson’s expression never changed. “I suppose you’ll want the equipment back as well?”

“Of course.”

“Any visuals of that side of the portal, or their base camp?” Reece called the appropriate photographs. “You dumped them right next to a training facility? Jesus, Coulson. When you jack something up, you go for broke, don’t you?”

“There’s sufficient cover to cross between worlds.”

“Then why didn’t they just come home?”

“We don’t know. That’s why we’re sending you.”

“Great.” Aleksa sighed heavily. “Any other portals between Asgard and Earth?”

“The team thought they found two more, but we never received confirmation one way or the other. Another reason why we need you.”

“So they might not even be on Asgard?”

“It’s possible but highly unlikely. Beacon images showed the team right before the line went dead.” May answered. 

Aleksa turned to Nesis. “And what’s your role in all this?”

“To cover your ass, ma’am.”

“More like I’d cover yours.” Judging by the shift in his posture, the soldier took her statement personally. “Me, two hired guns and an ops guy, with practically no intel, versus a megalomaniac demi-god and an Asgardian battalion. Should be fun.” Aleksa shook her head. “Is this an ‘any means’ assignment?” Coulson and May looked at each other. “Oh for frak’s sake...” 

“Returning the team is your top priority.”

“But you wouldn’t be upset if I put a spear through Loki’s chest?” 

Coulson blanched. “Just get the team home.” 

Aleksa watched him leave without another word. May followed him with her gaze, then turned back to the woman staring at a map with Reece. 

“That was a little harsh, even for you, Lex.”

“Probably,” Aleksa responded absently. “I’m not exactly at one hundred percent right now.”

May’s brow furrowed. “Dreams again?”

“Still.” She glanced up to see dark brown eyes boring into her. “They never stopped. Now they’re just...weird. Like someone decided to create a B movie of a bad acid trip.” 

“Maybe you should get checked out before you go.”

“And have yet another doc tell me it’s the PTSD and want to add more meds? Hard pass. Besides, I need full access to all my toys if I’m going up against Frosty the Bad Mood Reindeer.”

May smirked. “At least your sense of humor is intact.” She looked up at the map still glowing above them. “Think you can pull this off?”

“I’d feel better if you were going with me. And,” Aleksa toggled the map to another screen, “it’d help if I knew what I’m really going up there after.”

“I wish I knew.” 

“Gentlemen,” Aleksa turned to the soldiers behind her, “give us the room, please. You, too, Reece.” 

They stood and filed out with Reece at the end of the parade. He paused when he reached the door and looked back at Aleksa, a sad smile on his face.

“It’s good to see you again, Colonel.” 

She nodded and he left silently. Her head shook after the door closed. 

“He looks like he’s seen a ghost.” 

“Maybe he thinks he has,” May answered. “He hasn’t seen you since...”

“I made him escape? He’d have ended up like the rest of the squad.” Aleksa keyed off the monitors, mumbling, “I had to save someone.” She blew out a breath, fighting back hazy memories. “So why did Coulson send a bunch of brainiacs to Asgard?”

“He didn’t.”

“Then who...Fury?” Aleksa’s eyes narrowed while May’s expression never changed. “Is the rescue a primary or secondary order?” 

May said nothing as she pulled a small piece of paper from her vest. Aleksa took it and read it over several times before speaking. 

“Oh, my aching Christ...you’ve got to be kidding me. Does Phil know about this?” 

May didn’t move. 

“Gods dammit. SHIELD will end up blowing the whole damn planet in two for the love of keeping secrets.” Aleksa muttered, giving the paper back to May as she walked out of the conference room. “I want hazard pay.”

[niksfiks]

Photo Inspo #1

A/N: I’ve always had the idea of using images as a source of inspiration for writing short drabbles stemming from something I see in a photo or drawing. It’s especially useful if I’ve been encased in a solid writer’s block for a while. So, here’s the first in what will probably become a series. Enjoy! 

Photo edit by @jennphoenix

He played with the coffee cup, smiling softly at the warmth the ceramic held. The warmth that crawled up his fingers at this moment reminded him of the warmth he felt from your hands whenever he held them. The warmth the flowed from the cheek he would brush while you kissed. The warmth that poured from the skin he caressed as you slept next to him. 

He missed that most, he decided, the feel of your body next to his, whether you were both tangled naked in the bed, or curled next to each other on the sofa to watch a film, or strolling along a beach with an arm around each other. Soft and warm. 

The thought filled him with calm, just as you did. This warmth that he adored - and craved if truth be told - came not just from your physical being, but from your soul. It was always there in your eyes, regardless of how much or how little sleep you’d had. Patient warmth you’d shown countless fans as they clamored for autographs and selfies, calming some of them down from the hysteria of meeting their idol. Or calming him down after a long shoot or longer interviews or just frustrations with life and distance and the dog.

Yes, he missed that warmth most. He’d been too long without it, too long without you. He’d lost both when life got in the way, your schedule and his taking the two of you in opposite directions. There’d been no deceptions, no betrayal of trust. You’d simply grown tired of sharing him with the world, frustrated as you’d entered a season of needing his warmth more than he could provide at the time. A long conversation, a lot of tears, and enough lovemaking to last someone for years gave you both the strength to call a break between you. 

You still spoke on occasion, a note to him offering congratulations on a new gig or accolade. He’d call simply to check on you, especially during the busy seasons of work. Each call held a fear that the warmth in your voice would be gone, replaced perhaps by annoyance at his contact, but it never came. Even the accidental call at 3 a.m. netted him the smile and soft, “Hey, you.” But, offers to visit were declined, citing the mania of life. He felt your warmth starting to diminish, and steeled himself for its impending loss. 

He was shocked when you’d called him, asking if the rumors were true about the show on Broadway. He spent the next hour giddy as he told you of the details of the play, the cast, the theatre, even the process of bringing the pup with him. The call ended before he even remembered that you’d called for the first time in months and he didn’t even ask why. He called back, greeted by the laugh that came when he got that excited and warmed his heart. 

Having found a weekend to actually be off, you wanted to take a trip to the city, see the sights, and see him on stage, if that was really going to be an option. He’d planned everything within hours - your flight, transportation, tickets to the show, and meals. The hesitation in his voice, and yours, didn’t go unnoticed by either of you when he asked where you wanted to stay. You’d decided that having a room near the theatre was a good idea in case things didn’t go well when you reunited. He agreed grudgingly, asking if you wanted to meet for coffee before tackling whatever the weekend held. You accepted. Now, he sat, waiting, trying to pull the remaining warmth from the half-empty coffee cup as a sad replacement for you. 

You entered, spotting him immediately.  The smile he’d found in the memories of you somehow made its way to your face as you approached, returning to his when you wrapped your arms around him, holding on for far longer than anyone would’ve thought appropriate. He breathed a deep sigh into your hair, drinking in the scent of it and you. When he felt the warmth of your hand touching his, followed by the warmth of your eyes when they finally met his, he knew - he prayed - that everything would be alright. Even though the coffee had gone cold, he wouldn’t have to. He’d have your warmth back and swore to make sure that you had his whenever you needed it.

[niksfiks]

Gotta Get It Right: Chapter 9

PAIRING: Loki/OFC

RATING: Mature

NOTES/WARNINGS: Trigger warning: mentions of dubcon, violence, PTSD, sexual assault, and physical abuse in later chapters. 

Also on Ao3 

Feedback is always appreciated (just being an attention whore screaming for comments/reblogs). Taglist is open

Tagging @fandom-and-feminism @fadingcoast @igotloki @mrshiddleston-uk @mischievousbellerina

A/N: So, consistent posting is just not a thing I can seem to do. Thanks for your patience with that. But, here we are, onward and upward!

Chapter 9: New Dreams, Old Legends

Aromas of lavender and sage lulled Aleksa from her slumber. Laughing children outside her window told her it was afternoon, setting off a small spark of panic until she registered that she should’ve been smelling plough mud and oysters. Whether she’d slept through another morning’s work or not, the bed she awoke in was too flat, and the room that came into focus was too barren. Somehow, though, she felt at home.

Aleksa stretched to shake off the last bits of sleep but winced when a sharp pain tore through her chest. She sat up slowly, pushing the furs aside to swing her legs over the side of the bed. Her fingers found the wrappings around her shoulder and chest, reminding her of the blade she took fighting Loki...

No. This wound was closer to her shoulder than her heart. She tried to remember how she got it. The children outside laughed again, and she turned to gaze out of the window. They were running and playing, slowing only when Fiske couldn’t keep up. Fiske. The lost child. The one she saved, taking a blade to the...

The memory was suddenly clear in her mind. She sighed, still lamenting the necessity to end a man’s life to protect an innocent, but she’d done what she felt was right. The monster couldn’t be allowed to live.

Unsteady steps took her into the main area of the little home. Modir stood before the fire, humming as she stirred the brew in a large cauldron. Aleksa smiled at the sight of her, forgetting her footing and bumping into a table.

“Lítit minn, you’re as wobbly as a babe,” Modir scolded. “You should not be about!”

“I’m sorry, Modir. I overslept again.”

“Shhh, sit before you fall.” Modir pulled a chair from the table and led Aleksa to it. “I don’t mind you sleeping to heal, but I shall be most cross if you reopen that wound.” She began to fuss with the wrappings, checking the herbs packed beneath it. “You must learn not to draw your blade first, Aleksa. You are a healer, not a warrior.”

“But Fiske,” Aleksa bit her lip to mute her cry of pain.

“Yes, Vidar told me of the child you saved. As did the child’s parents. You must visit them when you’re recovered.”

Aleksa sat silently for a moment, hovering between consciousness and sleep. It didn’t make sense. This woman wasn’t her mother, but she felt a love and trust that had long been missing in her life. This home wasn’t her own, not the one she remembered. Or was the house she remembered the dream?

Her mind swirled with images she both knew and didn’t, faces she both recognized and yet couldn’t place. Smells, tastes, sensations were muted in one world and enhanced in another. The harder she tried to sort it all out, the more blurred everything became.

Loki was manipulating her mind.

He had to be.

“It’s not safe here,” she whimpered, sending a bolt of pain through her body when she jerked awake.

Modir balked. “Not safe? You mean from Horgsholt? Childe, your imagination is running away with you.”

“Asgard,” Aleksa grabbed the woman’s wrist, “I’m not safe here.”

“Asgard?” Modir’s brow furrowed as she touched her hand to Aleksa’s temple. “You’re burning with fever again. Come on, back to bed.”

Aleksa tried to struggle as Modir led her back into the bedroom but found her strength gone.

“I have to escape,” she whispered as Modir pulled the furs back over her body while darkness descended. “Get back...to...home...”

Two guards opened the doors to Loki’s study, nodding to Eir as she entered. Loki rose to her bow and strode around the table.

“After nearly three weeks, I was beginning to think you were not going to honor my request.”

“This has been my earliest opportunity, your Majesty.” Eir’s voice stood firm to his implications. Loki considered her for a moment, then smiled.

“Sit, please, and tell me of our not Midgardian.”

Eir placed a small device on the table and waved a hand over it. A holographic strand of genetic code appeared, rotating and highlighting certain sections as it moved. Loki’s gaze moved between it and the healer several times, the confusion on Eir’s face far more concerning than the strands floating above the table.

“Eir?”

The woman seemed to snap awake. “Apologies, your Majesty. This is...a truly unique case.”

“So you continue to mention. Now, if you don’t mind, explain why.”

“This woman is, for all intents and purposes, Asgardian. Much of her DNA has transformed because of the Idunnian extract.” Eir sighed.

“The extract doesn't cause that level of mutation,” Loki spoke softly, critically eyeing the woman across from him.

“Not in the first administration. Any subsequent uses, however, tend to have a far stronger impact on the subject’s physiology.” The image shifted into two strands of code. “Original evaluations indicated that the mix of Asgardian and Midgardian blood was closer to an equal balance with some traces of other races known to have inhabited Midgard at some point. I suspect, however,” she paused as she pointed to blue-green sections of the original code, “that the Kree markers were forcibly increased by these.”

Two small vials clinked on the table.

“Odium?” Loki pondered as he picked up a vial and examined it in the light. “I wasn’t aware that Midgard was still in possession of this.”

Eir nodded. “Neither was I. It seems they warrant closer monitoring in that respect. Though, in her case, the alterations were made easier by her inborn mutative abilities, among other things.”

“What other things?”

“Beyond the gifts of self-repair, increased metabolism, strength, and so on that come with her mixed Asgardian blood, I’m not sure.”

“Mixed with what?” he questioned, sensing the hesitation in the healer’s posture. “Eir, What other blood does she carry?”

“Again, your Majesty, I’m not sure...”

Loki leaned closer and growled, “Guess.”

Eir sighed, pressing the bridge of her nose between her fingers.

“I’ve been doing considerable research into the history of the Nine Realms during the time period I suspect she was born into. Most of it is available, however, significant portions of Asgard’s history are missing or damaged. This is why my report has taken so long, Majesty, and I fear I may not yet have all of the answers.”

“If I wanted a history lesson, healer, I’d visit the librarians,” Loki growled.

“And if I wanted to debate the significance of history’s impact on medicine, I’d be teaching novices.” She answered flatly. “Shall I continue delivering my report, or do you wish only to receive the details that matter to you only in this moment?”

“Continue,” he paused to release a slow breath, gesturing to the papers strewn across the table. “But know that I have very little patience for riddles this day.”

“There have always been stories of what the Allfather was like prior to Frigga’s arrival on Asgard. Legends that Odin was a warmonger, violent, Hel bent on not just ruling the Nine Realms, but conquering them.”

“Following in Bor’s glorious footsteps or some such nonsense. I've heard these tales,” Loki paused, looking back at the hologram, “but that doesn’t answer the question of this woman’s bloodline.”

“Actually, it does. A tribe of Asgardians was banished to Midgard after openly dissenting against Odin and his conquest. It was his wedding gift to Frigga to not execute the traitors. While he’d ordered no contact or assistance to them from any of the Nine Realms, some Vanir and Light Elves joined the tribe in order to help it thrive.

“I’ve heard this story, too. The tribe fell in the last Jotunn raid on Midgard with no survivors.”

“As far as the Allfather was concerned, that is an accurate assessment. However, Vanir history tells a different story. That tribe survived for at least another century, possibly two before it was lost to time. There are also accounts that the Jotunn raids started much earlier than Odin believed, and that there were children born as a result.”

“Which is why Odin put a stop to it, and to the Jotunns.” Loki paused, lost in thought. “If I recall correctly, that tribe was supposed to have been of an ancient line that pre-dated the Völva?”

“Precisely. The Allfather knew that if the Jotunns had access to the magics of the Völva and the Vanir, they could, over time, become more powerful...”

“And therefore more difficult to control.” Loki cut her off. “So what does this all mean for our guest?”

“Given her age and the abilities she’s shown thus far, I suspect she’s a descendant of that tribe, if not born into it before the last raid on Midgard.” Eir waved a hand over the floating image, transforming it into a few tables of data. “This is a breakdown of the genomes we found: Midgardian, Asgardian, Vanir, Alfheir, and,” she paused to look at the man now standing beside her, “Jotunn.”

“Jotunn,” he whispered. He moved silently to the window, staring out over the city as he considered the implications. She was a half breed. A monster, just like him. Would she understand what it was like? Would she understand herself? Would she understand him?

“My king,” Eir hesitated, “there is another matter.”

“And that would be?” he growled.

“She may not be aware of what, or who, she truly is.” Eir open and closed her mouth several times before she sighed, waving a hand over the projector. Loki returned to the table as the golden strands of data morphed into a model of a brain, and Eir pointed to an area glowing more than the rest. “This is what concerns me. Cellular damage too specific in location to have been caused by a traumatic injury. I believe that she’d had some portion, if not all, of her memory, wiped away.”

Before Loki could question his chief healer any further, an apprentice burst through the doors.

“Teacher!” she shouted, before stopping short. “Forgive me, your Majesty.”

“What is it? What’s happened?” Eir stood.

“The woman,” the apprentice panted, “she’s gone.”

[niksfiks]

Gotta Get It Right: Chapter 7

PAIRING: Loki/OFC

RATING: Mature

NOTES/WARNINGS: Trigger warning: mentions of dubcon, violence, PTSD, sexual assault, and physical abuse in later chapters.

Also on Ao3

Feedback is always appreciated (just being an attention whore screaming for comments/reblogs). Taglist is open

Tagging @fandom-and-feminism @fadingcoast @igotloki @mrshiddleston-uk @mischievousbellerina

A/N: Soooo....I have not only missed a week, but I can’t keep track of what day it is. Better late than never, right?

Chapter 7: Shall We Dance?

Only when the guards leading the parade to the throne slowed did Aleksa turn her focus to the man descending the dais.

Loki.  

He was shorter than she’d imagined. She knew he stood just over six feet tall, a good eight inches above her, but the massive horned helmet resting on his head added at least another foot of clearance while making him appear shorter, if not slightly ridiculous. The cloak around his shoulders didn’t help. It seemed to have been designed for someone else, dwarfing his thin frame. Asgardians have a fetish for bizarre apparel, she thought, though the research team would have assured her that it was all symbolic. It only made her distaste for monarchies worse.

Loki strode to the equipment stack as the guards stopped, dropping to one knee. He looked over the gear before turning to see the human military members still standing.

“Have you no respect for your superiors?” Condescension dripped from his voice.

“We don’t cower before our leaders, your Highness.” Aleksa noticed a flick of his fingers before their guards were suddenly upon her, forcing her to her knees.

Loki walked towards the group, studying each of them. He found them unremarkable, except for their leader. He was struck by the range of colors in the woman’s fearless eyes. She was attractive, even for a human, but he sensed something different about her, lurking just below the surface. With his curiosity peaked, the sadistic smile appeared.

“In the end, you will always kneel,” he whispered.

Aleksa suppressed a shiver. The man definitely had the charisma to be a god, and the ego to boot.

“Why are you here?”

“Cultural and anthropological archaeology. These researchers were trying to better understand the worlds around Earth and the races that inhabit them.”

“By sneaking onto Asgard and gathering intelligence about the strength of my armies?”

“The camp’s proximity to a training facility had no bearing on the work these people were doing...”

“But you know where they are,” he snapped. “You intended to launch a quiet strike against us. Why else would *you* be here?”

Aleksa shook off her guards and stood, eliciting gasps from the court members around them as she forced Loki back. “*I* am here to ensure that these innocent people are safely returned to their families by any means necessary.”

Loki stepped closer to her.

“Are you threatening me?”

“Not at all,” she responded. He was surprised at the calm in her voice. “We have no quarrel with you or Asgard.”

“Then why send a military outfit to lead these so-called innocents home?”

“Would you not send warriors to a potentially hostile world to recover civilians?”

“*I* would not allow unarmed civilians to enter a potentially hostile situation.” Loki stared at her for a moment, again caught up in her eyes, watching the slightest shift in their color. As he fought his body’s reaction to her scent, he wondered if he'd touched a nerve.

Aleksa found herself examining his face, noting that the gold helmet was reflected in the emerald green eyes boring into her. The harder he tried to intimidate her with his posture, the more she could see something hiding behind the malice. Something she recognized within herself.

“With all due respect, your Highness, what are your intentions with us?”

“I’m taking your research and adding it to the vast collection of our own. Outside of that, there is nothing you have that interests me.”

“Then you will release us?”

Loki shook his head. “Hmm, no. You were caught committing acts of treason against Asgard. The punishment is death.” He waved them off, striding back to the dais.

“Based on what charges?”

“The slaughter of two of my Einherjar. Take them.”

“How in the hells is that...” Aleksa struggled against the guards now holding her. Loki ignored her and the cries of the people behind her. She fought off one of the guards before being tackled by two others that pinned her to the ground. Out of options, she screamed.

“I challenge your claim to the throne of Asgard!”

Loki whirled around, laughing. “You what?”

“You heard me.” The guards holding her down released her, scrambling to get out of Loki’s way. Before she could even blink, Loki was in front of her, fuming. “Your claim to the throne is unjust. You are, at best, a regent in Thor’s absence. I challenge the legitimacy of your absolute rule!”

“How dare you! I am Loki, son of Odin, king of Asgard as named by...”

“You are Loki, son of Laufey, adopted by Odin.” The gasps of everyone gathered in the hall didn’t go unnoticed. Somewhere in the crowd, D’Varst allowed himself a small smile. “And as long Odin’s firstborn still lives, you have no authority.”

Loki’s rage filled the room.

“Neither do you, Midgardian.”

“Any soul of the Nine Realms may make a claim against the king of Asgard. That is your law.”

“Name your terms,” he sneered.

“My party are returned to Earth regardless, along with all of their materials, intact and unharmed.”

“And if I win?”

“You may do with me what you will.”

“There is no advantage to me in this.” He snorted, walking away as he continued. “You will die last, watching them suffer for what you have dared attempt.”

“Then you legitimize my claim against you.”

“How? When I win, I will do with them...”

“Me. You may do with ME what you will.” Loki began to scoff, then realized that he’d neglected to amend her terms. She’d outmaneuvered him into releasing his captives regardless of how their duel ended. And she’d done it in front of his court and half of Asgard. He wondered if she was valuable to him after all.

“Choose your weapons,” he growled.

“Daggers. No armor. And no tricks. The first illusion you cast, I win.”

“To the death, then?” Loki smirked when she nodded. “Too easy. You may have your challenge.”

Aleksa nodded and moved back to her group, shedding her flak vest and weapons belt. Reece approached her.

“Are you out of your mind? He’ll kill you before you even get close.”

“Probably.”

“You’re betting our lives on a promise from the god of deceit? You actually trust him?”

“Nope.” She smiled. “He’s arrogant, but not ignorant. Something tells me that he knows his seat on the throne is precarious. He won’t dare defy an agreement made in front of the entire court. Half of the people here are likely looking for a reason to get rid of him. He’s not stupid enough to give them one. Either way, I win and you go home. Get them off-world before the fight ends.” She took the daggers offered by one of the guards.

“Lex, I am not leaving you to die again.”

“Didn’t die the last time.” Aleksa met Reece’s fearful gaze. “Plan C. That’s an order, Captain. Tell Coulson we’re doing a full renegotiation of my contract when I get back.” She turned just in time to see Loki charging for her. She pushed Reece in one direction and dodged to the other, dropping into a roll. “GO!”

The group, led by Reece and Nessis, turned and hurried out of the hall, followed by two guards.

Loki watched the crowd close in around him before turning back to his opponent.

“I do hope you enjoy pain,” he grinned.

Aleksa lowered her stance. “Oh, for fuck’s sake. Shut up and fight.”

“As you wish.”

Loki charged again, spinning right just before he reached her. Aleksa saw the shift a second too late, yelping when his blade caught her bare arm. She swung around, blocking his next strike and delivering a blow of her own, her blade finding the soft flesh of his cheek. The fight continued in equal measure for some time, each combatant trading hits and drawing blood. He knocked her to the floor with a backhand swing, she landed a kick to his chest that sent him sliding into the crowd. Furious that he was unable to gain any headway in the fight, he grabbed her from behind, knocking the blades from her hands. He spun her to face him, wanting to watch the life drain from her eyes when he slit her throat.

[niksfiks]

Gotta Get It Right: Chapter 5

PAIRING: Loki/OFC

RATING: Mature

NOTES/WARNINGS: Language. Trigger warning: mentions of dubcon, violence, PTSD, sexual assault, and physical abuse in later chapters. 

Also on Ao3 

Feedback is always appreciated (just being an attention whore screaming for comments/reblogs). Taglist is open

Tagging @fadingcoast @igotloki @fandom-and-feminism @mischievousbellerina @mrshiddleston-uk

Chapter 5: Cleared for Departure

Summary: Everyone loves a field trip, right?

The trio of soldiers stood a few hundred feet from the portal location, securing the final pieces of equipment to their uniforms. A SHIELD tech ran to Aleksa’s side as Coulson approached, handing her a small box.

“...shielded against just about every kind of energy we know about, including the light pillar they use to travel.” She opened the box and removed a microSD chip. “32 terabyte capacity, with software to begin a data dump from any device the reader is attached to, foreign or domestic. And,” the tech continued, “it will also start transmitting to the beacon and back to the systems here.”

Aleksa smirked. “You can pull data from another planet but I can’t get a wireless signal inside an elevator. Brilliant.”

“What’s this?” Coulson asked as she slid the chip underneath her watch.

“Plan F.”

“We need the equipment back.”

“And I need you to stop calling me out of reserve every time some field trip goes south. What’s your point?”

“Loki could use that data against us.”

“Loki could use a self-inflicted paper cut against us.” He folded his arms. “It’s not like they were searching for the technical readouts to a battle station. Were they?”

"The Empire would be easier to defend against.”

“Says the man with all the high powered laser cannons.” Aleska suddenly doubled over like she’d been punched in the stomach, hands flying to her ears. “Fuck! That’s loud.”

Coulson looked around, confused. “What is...” Aleksa pointed to the area where the portal would form. “That isn’t due for another ten minutes.” He watched her straighten up and shake her head.

“You sure about that?”

Just as he was about to debate the point, the portal hissed into existence. “Huh.” He turned to face her glare. “Looks like you’re leaving early.”

“Phil, I swear to God...”

“I wouldn’t do that too loudly. Loki might hear you.”

“I hate you.” She grimaced and turned to the men behind her. “Saddle up, boys. Time to go.”

“Lex?” Coulson called as the soldiers each stepped through. She turned to face him. He fumbled for a moment. “Good hunting. See you when you get back.”

She nodded and stepped into the center of the swirling light.

And promptly collapsed when she arrived on the other side.

“Easy, Colonel,” Nesis spoke quietly, offering a supportive hand. Spartak was doubled over a few feet away, emptying his stomach. Reece knelt down to check on him.

Aleksa took several deep breaths to steady her spinning head, placing a hand on the ground. Energy surged beneath her fingers. She opened her eyes and focused on the electromagnetic patterns running through the terrain, noting how the colors changed the closer they ran to the portal. The hiss of the portal behind her slowly grew softer, allowing her to hear broken calls from Coulson. She nodded to Nesis and stood.

“Alpha team to base. We’re through. Give us a minute to get our bearings.” She switched on the tiny camera attached to her vest. “Base? Do you copy?” She turned to the portal, feeling it dissipate from existence.

Spartak finally stood, leaning on Reece. “We’re on our own?”

“It would appear so, for an hour at least,” Aleska answered. “We’ll head for the research camp, see if we can find any clues about where our friends wandered off to.”

“Their beacon is still transmitting. Camp’s about half a kilometer that way,” Reece said, pointing to a soft glow in the distance.

“Distress signal or regular transmissions?” Spartak mumbled.

“Neither.” Aleksa stepped to his side, looking at the device in Reece’s hand. “No signal. It’s just on.”

“I don’t like it,” Nesis sighed. “If it’s on but not transmitting, then no one came back to turn it off.”

Aleksa and Reece exchanged glances. “Only one way to know,” he said.

“The sooner we find them, the sooner we go home,” she responded, chambering a round in her weapon. “Move out.”

The group moved quietly along the tree line towards the encampment, only pausing now and again to check their progress. Aleksa took these moments to survey their surroundings. Asgard’s golden palace shone like a beacon in the distance, glistening above the city’s glow and the purple topped horizon behind. It all seemed familiar to her, as if she’d seen this place before. She couldn’t shake an unsettling feeling that ran deeper than deja vu. The desire to retreat to her tiny beach home grew stronger.

A pair of Asgardian soldiers made their way around the edge of the camp just as Aleksa and her team approached. The four dropped to the ground, watching the Asgardians poke through the tall grass a few feet away, muttering to each other. Just as they resumed their patrol, a branch snapped in the forest behind the human party, and all involved turned to see the cause.

“What the hell?” Nesis gasped when a massive creature emerged from the shadows of the forest, emitting an ear splitting shriek before charging.

Aleksa and Nesis rolled to one side, Spartak and Reece to the other while the Asgardians tried to run. Reece held Spartak down when he tried to stand and fire on the creature currently distracted by the Asgardian trying to rescue his companion, impaled on an antler. The creature simply snapped the would-be rescuer up in its mouth and stomped back into the forest, followed by the sound of crunching bones. The four remaining humans held their breath, waiting to see if the creature would return.

“Well, there’s a new level of terrifying,” Reece sighed after a time. “What was that?”

“Best guess is bilgesnipe. Thor described them once on the helicarrier,” Spartak answered quietly. Aleksa stood, dusting the grass from her uniform.

“You were on the helicarrier?” Nesis asked, following Aleksa’s lead.

“Yeah. I don’t recommend it.”

“Let’s go,” Aleksa began walking toward their destination. “We need to search the camp before their buddies come looking for them.”

“Do you think one of those things got the research team?” Spartak asked.

“No,” Reece answered. “Someone would have triggered the distress beacon.”

“But if it snapped up...”

“Cut the chatter,” Aleksa barked. “Hypotheticals aren’t going to help us right now.” She tried to adjust her vision to follow the path of the creature but lost it in the trees.

They completed the silent journey to the camp on high alert. Every tiny sound caused someone in the group to jump, making their search of the camp even more nerve-wracking with the noises coming from the training facility nearby. Nesis and Spartak stood guard outside of a tent while Aleksa and Reece began their investigation.

“It looks like they left with the intention of coming back,” Reece said, looking through scattered papers. “They would’ve taken their notes with them if they were planning to escape.”

Aleksa turned on one of the laptops, shaking her head while scrolling through the data. “I don’t think they were intending to come home anytime soon, either.”

“Coulson lied to us?”

“Or Fury lied to him.” Aleksa sighed. “They had secondary orders.”

Reece looked up at her. “Do we?”

“No.”

“Do you?”

Aleksa just looked at him. Reece’s protest was cut short by a series of gunshots.

“Shit. We’ve got company.” Reece whispered. Aleksa switched on the transmitter she’d attached to the laptop, and both stepped out of the structure. Spartak was firing wildly at a large company of Asgardian soldiers approaching from their facility.

“Spartak!” Aleksa screamed. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“I’m tired of running away from these fucking aliens thinking they do whatever they want to us,” he growled, feeding ammunition into his rifle.

“You idiot! We’re on their turf. Let’s go!”

He ignored her, screaming as he opened fire again.

Aleksa pulled her weapon and pointed it at Spartak. “Goddammit, Marine! Stand down! That’s an order!”

Spartak continued to fire at the soldiers until they reached him. The rifle flew from his hands, landing somewhere in the tall grass. Aleksa and Reece tried to grab Nesis as they attempted an escape, but he broke away and ran towards his companion when Spartak fell.

“We can’t leave him!”

Reece grabbed Aleksa’s arm, pointing to the soldiers approaching from the forest. Both made for the spot where Nesis struggled with one of the Asgardians that Spartak had managed to wound. Without thinking, Aleksa disarmed one of the Asgardians and knocked him to the ground. She took two others when the group from the tree line arrived. A quick glance over her shoulder saw more soldiers coming from the camp, and she knew they were grossly outnumbered, despite the struggle Reece and Nesis were putting up.

“Stand down! Stand down!” she screamed. Reece and Nesis stopped their fighting and were immediately knocked to the ground.

Aleksa knelt beside Spartak, her fingers searching for a pulse under Spartak’s jaw. “Fuck.” An Asgardian soldier approached as she pulled one of the tags from the chain around his neck, pocketing it. “He’s dead.”

The three humans were dragged to their feet and marched back to the training facility in chains. As they were loaded onto a skiff, Aleksa watched the electromagnetic fields shift to signal the opening of the portal. She made a slow turn to show Reece, Nesis, and their captors to the camera still strapped to her chest. Coulson’s voice swore in the tiny IFB in her ear. Reece exchanged glances with her and signed “plan B” to the camera. Aleksa nodded when Coulson’s confirmation came, then turned her attention to the golden building growing larger in front of them.

[niksfiks]

Gotta Get It Right: Chapter 2

PAIRING: Loki/OFC

RATING: Mature

NOTES/WARNINGS: Trigger warning: mentions of dubcon, violence, PTSD, sexual assault, and physical abuse in later chapters. 

Also on Ao3 

Feedback is always appreciated (just being an attention whore screaming for comments/reblogs). Taglist is open

Tagging @fandom-and-feminism @fadingcoast @igotloki @mrshiddleston-uk @mischievousbellerina

Chapter 2: Council Me This

“We have a right, nay, a duty, to check on the condition of the Allfather personally,” D’Varst growled. 

Loki just rolled his eyes. The old man seated across from him had been demanding access to Odin’s chamber from the instant it was ordered sealed, despite the Allfather’s assurances that he would be well cared for by his adopted son. 

“My lord,” Enji, a newer member of the council spoke over steepled fingers, “we have had daily reports from the healers, at your insistence. Even Eir has been most gracious in delivering her assessments of the Allfather’s condition at a moment’s notice. Surely that is enough to satisfy your curiosity?”

“It is not!” D’varst bellowed his response. “We can not be certain...”

“Oh, stuff it, you old windbag.”

 Loki lowered his head to hide the grin crossing his face as Gefn spoke. He was unsure of her age, but he knew the minister had always been on this council, and never had any patience for Odin’s former warlord. “You weren’t nearly this obnoxious the last time the Odinsleep fell. Is it because you would’ve had to contend with the Allmother if you visited?”

“That,” D’Varst glared at the woman, “has nothing to do with it. I know Frigga kept careful watch over...”

“Are you saying that Eir and her healers are incapable of caring for Odin?” Loki’s head snapped up. “Or that you distrust the very same healers who have treated you far more often than they should because of some of your,” he paused, then grinned, “tastes?”

D’Varst’s face flushed as he sputtered for a response. Everyone on the council that the old lord enjoyed some perversity in his life that usually required medical interventions, but D’Varst liked to pretend that it was his little secret. When he couldn’t calm himself enough to form a response, Loki relaxed in his seat.

“My friends, we all know that the Allfather has been fighting the onset of this Odinsleep for some time, and is in the best possible hands in terms of his care. And, each of you heard and agreed to, the terms he set forth before falling into his rest. We are duty-bound to honor his request. Wouldn’t you agree?” Nods and murmurs came from around the table. “Excellent. I trust that this is the end of discussion on this particular topic?”

All eyes fell on a fuming D’Varst, who finally nodded his agreement.

“Unless there is anything else, we are concluded for the day.” Loki rose, followed by the rest of the council, who filed out after a bow to him. D’Varst was the last to leave. 

“I will uncover your plot against Odin, boy,” he huffed. “If it’s the last thing I do.”

“Accusing me of treason? My lord, that statement is, in and of itself, treasonous. Have a care how often you say it, or that will be the last thing you do.” 

The two men glared at each other for a moment before D’Varst turned and left. Loki watched as he disappeared into the hall, making a mental note to keep a close watch on him. As he made his way back to his seat, Skurge approached. 

“Your Majesty,” the burly guard hesitated, “I didn’t want to bring this up with everyone here, but we’ve gotten an odd report from one of the camps near the Ironwood forest.” When his king failed to respond, he continued. “The men stationed there claim there's some activity near the forest’s edge they hadn’t seen before.”

“Probably just some foolish hunters trying their luck at catching a bilgesnipe.” Loki’s words sounded annoyed as he read over the document in front of him.

“Well, I would agree with Your Majesty, but,” Skurge stuttered when his king raised an eyebrow, holding out the printed report, “they discovered some equipment with some kind of logo that looked like a bird. No weapons.”

Loki snatched the papers from Skurge’s hand and reviewed the photos repeatedly.

“No weapons?”

Skurge nodded, not that Loki saw it.

“Find the humans and bring them to me alive. Quietly.” He shoved the documents at Skurge’s chest then waved him off. The guard bowed and nearly ran for the door, slamming it behind him.

Once he was gone, Loki leaned back in his seat, absently running a finger over his lips. 

“Fury. What are you up to?”

[toozmanykids]

@ladyoftheteaandblood @ladyfluff @bellesque @reine-sigyn @archy3001 @pedeka @lettalady @cursedcursingviking @just-the-hiddles @yespolkadotkitty @myoxisbroken @imanuglywombat @villainousshakespeare @wolfsmom1 @vodka-and-some-sass @boredbrooder @maniploki @fadingcoast @evieplease @fandom-and-feminism @writernotwaiting @jtargaryen18 @mooncat163

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@niksfiks @igotloki @imnotrevealingmyname @talklokitome @realityhelixwrites @kaoerin @threeminutesoflife

Loki needs to escape Meowthra. Use the Tesseract, Loki! HURRY!!Use the Tesseract!

Phew! That was close.

If I wait until I add "special effects", you'll never see this.

@tarithenurse @scorpionchild81 @simplyclockwork @littleredlilith @marvelgirlonamarvelworld @smutsonian @omgviolette12 @sabine-leo @saiansha @milky-maid @tinaferraldo @otakumultimuse-hiddlewhore @lotus-eyedindiangoddess @khadineberry @marveldownunder @incoherent-excitement @hallotom @bambamwolf87 @shiningloki @theluckykittencalvin @thewidowlaufeyson @he-is-chaotic-she-is-psychotic @peterman-spideyparker @the--sad--hatter @tilltheendwilliwrite @kalimav6 @annievvv7 @missinstantgratification @gingerwritess @icybluepenguin @hurricanerinwrites @muchobsessedwithpretty06 @nrthmnsplbnd9 @caffiend-queen @messy-insomniac-bookgirl @wickednerdery @cherrygeek86 @nildespirandum @latent-thoughts @emeraldrosequartz @devilish--doll @alexakeyloveloki @devikafernando @nuggsmumreads @redfoxwritesstuff @tinchentitri @fanficshiddles @winterisakiller