#that most events heavily involve multiple people and i feel like this whole 'attribute each chapter solely to one person' mentality

[300iqprower]

Sorry if I had to say this: *Takes a deep breath while sweatdrop* Sakurai deserve better.

I used to be a sakurai defender like you, then I took an Olympus to the Frontal Lobe. Followed immediately after by a Heian Kyo to the Occipital Lobe.

I stand by everything I said in this post. I never said in that post Sakurai was competent. She was not, is still is not. She's long proven to be an extremely capable writer when given some guidance and/or when someone else is there to keep her fangirling in check. We have proof* of this in Summer 5, Little Big Tengu, Babylonia, and LB4. We also have proof that she's the world's most prolific character assassin when left alone for more than 5 minutes as shown with Shimousa, Septem, Summer 4, and the two aforementioned lostbelts.

*or as much proof as a game that refuses to properly credit its writers can be

It is fairly well documented that part of the reason Sakurai got immediately put so high up at Delightworks is because she was a Nasu superfan and Nasu pretty much just handed her the Prototype and Extra casts to go nuts with. That's not me saying she has no talent or merit and doesn't deserve a place in the industry - those claims are provably untrue. But it's also provable that she got where she is through Nasu's nepotism and that lack of qualification has shone through time and time again.

Lostbelt 2 is what best sums up Sakurai. It's both so bad that I "skipped" about 40% of it and got an empirically better story experience for doing so, and yet it's also so good that it has not one, not even a couple, but several of my favorite moments in the entire story to date.

Characters that have been directly credited to Sakurai like Douman, Tomoe, Xu Fu, Quetz, Sigurd, Napoleon, Surtr, Caligula, Gorgon, and more prove that Sakurai is capable of incredible writing.

None of that changes her track record of not only making the EXACT same mistakes every time she's called in to take the lead in writing a non-event chapter (and more than one event chapter), but arguably been worse about those mistakes every time she's put wholly in charge of a chapter, from Septem to London to Shimousa to LB2 to Olympus to Heian Kyo.

TLDR: Sakurai is not some objectively good or bad character. She's a real person who is not 100% consistent in anything. She's clearly talented but that doesn't change the actual work we've been presented, which has repeatedly indicated she needs someone to reign her in or her work inevitably tanks in quality due to her eccentricities that range from harmless to outright problematic. She is frequently derided as a scapegoat which is not only unjust and typically just how people try and shield Nasu himself from criticism despite her being part of his responsibilities as the one with the final say in everything, but also detracts from the genuine criticism Sakurai still deserves given some of the truly awful content that has been directly attributed to her.

Honestly I just wish she'd stick to writing events. Her style of heavily leaning into certain tropes and hamming it up more than other writers lends itself perfectly to events and lets her strike a balance of drama and comedy that other writers typically go too far in one direction to land, something that again is best exemplified by Summer 5, which was led by Higashide with her [implied to have been] heavily helping with things hence so many of her characters making up the central cast.

[maryxglz]

Emotion, thy name is #RADAHamlet 

by Kerstin - September 17, 2017

It has only been a bit over six weeks that the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) in cooperation with Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company (KBTC) announced there was going to be a Hamlet production on show in September 2017, directed by RADA president Sir Kenneth Branagh and with RADA alumnus Tom Hiddleston playing the lead.

Now, halfway through the run, when googling “RADA Hamlet” for the period of time since its announcement, a roundabout 600 hits come up, equaling 100 a week. Few, one might say. But let’s consider the facts: the short three-week run of this production takes place at the RADA Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre, seating no more than 160 patrons. In total, not even 3,500 tickets were available via lottery, a system that was heavily criticized by some but was, hands down, going to be the fairest option. Little promotional activity in public and no designated press night make for a rather unassuming event in terms of commercial publicity. That’s likely to be owed to the circumstance that the production is primarily serving as a fundraiser in aid for the RADA Attenborough Campaign. As such, it is aiming to help improve the RADA facilities in Chenies Street for their students, providing on-site accommodation, an enhanced library and archive and a bigger theatre seating 250.

“I believe Shakespeare and RADA are very good things. This production celebrates both. We bring actors, writers, directors and technicians from last year’s KBTC Garrick season, and team them with RADA graduates past and present, together with artists from the larger creative world to explore Shakespeare’s Hamlet.” – Kenneth Branagh on RADA | KBTC Hamlet

Having been lucky enough to win a lottery ticket to one of the 21 public performances, I had been following the reports and sparse number of reviews on the first few nights and I was pretty sure I had a good idea of what was lying ahead of me. Upon entering the auditorium, though, it became clear to me right away that it was going to be an even cosier affair than I had expected. The audience is sat level with the stage on three sides, the actors performing just an arm’s length away from the front row. An upright piano, strategically placed centre stage and subtly demanding attention, immediately conveys the close proximity of the events to follow.

When everybody is settled and the room goes dark, a silhouette darts to the piano, sitting down. It’s Hamlet (Tom Hiddleston), as the lights reveal, and already on first glance it is noticeable, even before the first note, that he’s deeply grieved. An initial impression that in the blink of an eye is being amplified to off-the-chart heights, when Hamlet starts to softly play and sing a touching song – Ophelia’s And Will He Not Come Again – for his deceased father. Teary-eyed and with a shaky voice Hamlet is mourning, remembering, possibly self-soothing. It’s in that very first minute of the performance that the tone of the entire play is set: emotional, intimate, intense. The audience is drawn in right from the start, frozen in their seats as not to cause any disruption. The choice to begin the play that way feels bold. Bold and deeply impactful.

What follows then are two hours and 45 minutes of raw, sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat emotion. Hiddleston’s Hamlet struggles with grief, anger, betrayal and a thirst for revenge like all Hamlets do, but his sadness and vulnerability mixed with occasional, terrifying bouts of rage, and a little bit of fun and play, make for a well-rounded character that seems very real. I couldn’t help but sympathise with him, even when he makes questionable decisions, because I felt like I had been made to understand his motives driven by all-consuming inner turmoil. Hiddleston’s ability to make Shakespeare’s words flow naturally surely contribute a great deal to Hamlet’s authenticity, too.

The intimate set-up, the close proximity of the events unfolding make the audience part of the journey. An impression that’s being intensified when Tom Hiddleston during his soliloquies seems to deliberately address the theatregoers. Admittedly, the moment he acknowledges the audience, it feels like he is giving a speech more than he is talking to himself. But on the other hand, the whole set-up of Branagh’s production makes the audience feel like participants rather than just observers to begin with, and the fact that Hamlet involves them in that way could be interpreted as sealing their status as confidants. It’s a matter of preference, I suppose, but this much is certain: Hiddleston fills the room with his presence during these monologues, capturing the audience with seeming ease, expertly guiding them through Hamlet’s emotional turbulence – before he blends right back in with the ensemble reemerging on the stage. All actors in this play are fabulously level with each other in what feels like an intense match of tennis. Aptly illustrated at times by the characters being found on opposite ends of the court, the patrons sat on the side made to look back and forth between their skilled playing off each other.

Emotionality, to me, is the keyword to describe this production. The play is utterly immersive and the performances across the board are strong. King Hamlet’s ghost appearing to the young prince sent a chill up and down my spine. Hamlet yelling and rampaging in anger made me duck in my seat to get out of harm’s way. Ophelia swirling around the room having gone mad had me hold my breath with consternation. The shift of energy and aggressiveness in the Hamlet/Laertes brawl shortly before the big duel were so palpable, my pulse was speeding up, my body put on alert. And the many tears Hamlet sheds all throughout the play put a lump in my throat more than once, making my eyes brim with tears of my own.

Mercifully, there are lighter moments, too, joy and laughter the audience embraces whole-heartedly. Particularly Polonius was given several moments of comic relief – which Sean Foley delivered straight to the point – as was Hamlet himself. Although in the case of the latter, these moments held a certain kind of bitterness to me since the underlying sadness and anger never fully disappear, even when Hamlet puts on a facade to the outside world. A subtle and credible facade, at that. He doesn’t go over the top mad but simply acts strange enough for people to wonder about his state of mind.

On the flip side, Ophelia’s (Kathryn Wilder) state of mind is renownedly of nobody’s concern most of the time, but her portrayal in this production is intriguing. Despite the predetermined course of the play, it doesn’t seem like she fades away between the conflicting priorities of her father and Hamlet. She appears strong and proactive despite or maybe in defiance of the hurt and humiliation she endures. Wilder’s performance, particularly but not exclusively when Ophelia has gone mad, is meaningful and stirring.

The ensemble of ten is a solid unit and the fact that some of the actors are playing two or three roles is in principle not a problem, even if a slightly more pronounced difference in costumes would have helped to emphasise the multiple roles. I suppose that for somebody who has little prior knowledge of the play, it may be slightly difficult to follow at times. That said, Ansu Kabia in his triple performance as King Hamlet, Player King and Gravedigger is truly impressive in his versatility. It took me a long time to realise that he is both, the graying ghost of the King and the upbeat gravedigger hilariously jamming to his own tunes on the grave site.

The stage design is sparse but effective, mostly just using props like a couch or a desk to hint at the different settings. Lighting and sound accentuate the main themes, like Hamlet’s soliloquies, and choral music at the end accompanies Hamlet’s exit as he is being carried off the stage by the ensemble in a procession down the aisle of the auditorium, passing by the audience one last time.

The bows seemed slightly rushed for reasons unknown. Caroline Martin as Horatia delivers a truly moving last recital upon the bloodshed and when the lights come back on right after, she just barely manages to wipe away her tears before the first bow. Personally, I didn’t feel like I had made my way back to the present yet, when the actors were already leaving the stage. But one way or another, the standing ovations have surely given the cast an idea of how much the audience enjoyed the performance.

“The play speaks as loudly as ever to our volatile world and we are proud to have Tom Hiddleston lead an exciting group of actors, as he plays the title role for the first time. This work has been in discussion and planning over a period of years. To find its expression at, with, and for RADA, is a privilege.” – Kenneth Branagh on RADA | KBTC Hamlet

I wish we had gotten more insight into the production than just the press release and short programme introductions. A full on interview, for example, or maybe just little behind the scenes statements on the RADA Website. It would have been interesting to find out more about the team’s working process. Was it always going to be Hamlet or did they discuss other options? How did the contemporary setting come about? What was Branagh’s objective? How did the actors approach their roles and has their understanding of their characters changed in any way? The list could go on.

“The actor playing Hamlet really has to bring themselves to the role […] It seems to me that it’s an amazingly open role and the actor is asked to think about fathers and mothers, and revenge and friendship and sex and mortality and philosophy, and all of those things. It’s just the most heart-attack poetry around.” – Tom Hiddleston to Flicks and the City in 2013

In our very short chance encounter, Tom Hiddleston would casually attribute the performance to “blood, sweat and tears” – in both a metaphorical and a true sense, I suppose. Having talked to a few theatregoers after the play, I would say it is hard work that absolutely pays off. We were collectively left in awe and struggling to find the right words. It was only when I was reading through the programme later, that I found a quote by Lolita Chakrabarti – who was wonderfully expressive in her portrayal of the ambiguous Queen Gertrude – that seemed to perfectly summarise what I felt was truly the foundation of this production:

“A monumental work of art such as this can become the property of the learned, owned by those who ‘understand’ it, but Hamlet is a play to be seen, heard and felt. The words are beautifully crafted but the play’s true power is in its exchange with the audience and how it makes them feel.”

Hamlet Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre, Malet Street, London, WC1E 7JN 01 – 23 September 2017

[twh-news]

Now, halfway through the run, when googling “RADA Hamlet” for the period of time since its announcement, a roundabout 600 hits come up, equaling 100 a week. Few, one might say. But let’s consider the facts: the short three-week run of this production takes place at the RADA Jerwood Vanbrugh Theatre, seating no more than 160 patrons. In total, not even 3,500 tickets were available via lottery, a system that was heavily criticized by some but was, hands down, going to be the fairest option. Little promotional activity in public and no designated press night make for a rather unassuming event in terms of commercial publicity. That’s likely to be owed to the circumstance that the production is primarily serving as a fundraiser in aid for the RADA Attenborough Campaign. As such, it is aiming to help improve the RADA facilities in Chenies Street for their students, providing on-site accommodation, an enhanced library and archive and a bigger theatre seating 250.

“I believe Shakespeare and RADA are very good things. This production celebrates both. We bring actors, writers, directors and technicians from last year’s KBTC Garrick season, and team them with RADA graduates past and present, together with artists from the larger creative world to explore Shakespeare’s Hamlet.” – Kenneth Branagh on RADA | KBTC Hamlet

Having been lucky enough to win a lottery ticket to one of the 21 public performances, I had been following the reports and sparse number of reviews on the first few nights and I was pretty sure I had a good idea of what was lying ahead of me. Upon entering the auditorium, though, it became clear to me right away that it was going to be an even cosier affair than I had expected. The audience is sat level with the stage on three sides, the actors performing just an arm’s length away from the front row. An upright piano, strategically placed centre stage and subtly demanding attention, immediately conveys the close proximity of the events to follow.

When everybody is settled and the room goes dark, a silhouette darts to the piano, sitting down. It’s Hamlet (Tom Hiddleston), as the lights reveal, and already on first glance it is noticeable, even before the first note, that he’s deeply grieved. An initial impression that in the blink of an eye is being amplified to off-the-chart heights, when Hamlet starts to softly play and sing a touching song – Ophelia’s And Will He Not Come Again – for his deceased father. Teary-eyed and with a shaky voice Hamlet is mourning, remembering, possibly self-soothing. It’s in that very first minute of the performance that the tone of the entire play is set: emotional, intimate, intense. The audience is drawn in right from the start, frozen in their seats as not to cause any disruption. The choice to begin the play that way feels bold. Bold and deeply impactful.

What follows then are two hours and 45 minutes of raw, sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat emotion. Hiddleston’s Hamlet struggles with grief, anger, betrayal and a thirst for revenge like all Hamlets do, but his sadness and vulnerability mixed with occasional, terrifying bouts of rage, and a little bit of fun and play, make for a well-rounded character that seems very real. I couldn’t help but sympathise with him, even when he makes questionable decisions, because I felt like I had been made to understand his motives driven by all-consuming inner turmoil. Hiddleston’s ability to make Shakespeare’s words flow naturally surely contribute a great deal to Hamlet’s authenticity, too.

The intimate set-up, the close proximity of the events unfolding make the audience part of the journey. An impression that’s being intensified when Tom Hiddleston during his soliloquies seems to deliberately address the theatregoers. Admittedly, the moment he acknowledges the audience, it feels like he is giving a speech more than he is talking to himself. But on the other hand, the whole set-up of Branagh’s production makes the audience feel like participants rather than just observers to begin with, and the fact that Hamlet involves them in that way could be interpreted as sealing their status as confidants. It’s a matter of preference, I suppose, but this much is certain: Hiddleston fills the room with his presence during these monologues, capturing the audience with seeming ease, expertly guiding them through Hamlet’s emotional turbulence – before he blends right back in with the ensemble reemerging on the stage. All actors in this play are fabulously level with each other in what feels like an intense match of tennis. Aptly illustrated at times by the characters being found on opposite ends of the court, the patrons sat on the side made to look back and forth between their skilled playing off each other.

Emotionality, to me, is the keyword to describe this production. The play is utterly immersive and the performances across the board are strong. King Hamlet’s ghost appearing to the young prince sent a chill up and down my spine. Hamlet yelling and rampaging in anger made me duck in my seat to get out of harm’s way. Ophelia swirling around the room having gone mad had me hold my breath with consternation. The shift of energy and aggressiveness in the Hamlet/Laertes brawl shortly before the big duel were so palpable, my pulse was speeding up, my body put on alert. And the many tears Hamlet sheds all throughout the play put a lump in my throat more than once, making my eyes brim with tears of my own.

Mercifully, there are lighter moments, too, joy and laughter the audience embraces whole-heartedly. Particularly Polonius was given several moments of comic relief – which Sean Foley delivered straight to the point – as was Hamlet himself. Although in the case of the latter, these moments held a certain kind of bitterness to me since the underlying sadness and anger never fully disappear, even when Hamlet puts on a facade to the outside world. A subtle and credible facade, at that. He doesn’t go over the top mad but simply acts strange enough for people to wonder about his state of mind.

On the flip side, Ophelia’s (Kathryn Wilder) state of mind is renownedly of nobody’s concern most of the time, but her portrayal in this production is intriguing. Despite the predetermined course of the play, it doesn’t seem like she fades away between the conflicting priorities of her father and Hamlet. She appears strong and proactive despite or maybe in defiance of the hurt and humiliation she endures. Wilder’s performance, particularly but not exclusively when Ophelia has gone mad, is meaningful and stirring.

The ensemble of ten is a solid unit and the fact that some of the actors are playing two or three roles is in principle not a problem, even if a slightly more pronounced difference in costumes would have helped to emphasise the multiple roles. I suppose that for somebody who has little prior knowledge of the play, it may be slightly difficult to follow at times. That said, Ansu Kabia in his triple performance as King Hamlet, Player King and Gravedigger is truly impressive in his versatility. It took me a long time to realise that he is both, the graying ghost of the King and the upbeat gravedigger hilariously jamming to his own tunes on the grave site.

The stage design is sparse but effective, mostly just using props like a couch or a desk to hint at the different settings. Lighting and sound accentuate the main themes, like Hamlet’s soliloquies, and choral music at the end accompanies Hamlet’s exit as he is being carried off the stage by the ensemble in a procession down the aisle of the auditorium, passing by the audience one last time.

The bows seemed slightly rushed for reasons unknown. Caroline Martin as Horatia delivers a truly moving last recital upon the bloodshed and when the lights come back on right after, she just barely manages to wipe away her tears before the first bow. Personally, I didn’t feel like I had made my way back to the present yet, when the actors were already leaving the stage. But one way or another, the standing ovations have surely given the cast an idea of how much the audience enjoyed the performance.

“The play speaks as loudly as ever to our volatile world and we are proud to have Tom Hiddleston lead an exciting group of actors, as he plays the title role for the first time. This work has been in discussion and planning over a period of years. To find its expression at, with, and for RADA, is a privilege.” – Kenneth Branagh on RADA | KBTC Hamlet

I wish we had gotten more insight into the production than just the press release and short programme introductions. A full on interview, for example, or maybe just little behind the scenes statements on the RADA Website. It would have been interesting to find out more about the team’s working process. Was it always going to be Hamlet or did they discuss other options? How did the contemporary setting come about? What was Branagh’s objective? How did the actors approach their roles and has their understanding of their characters changed in any way? The list could go on.

“The actor playing Hamlet really has to bring themselves to the role […] It seems to me that it’s an amazingly open role and the actor is asked to think about fathers and mothers, and revenge and friendship and sex and mortality and philosophy, and all of those things. It’s just the most heart-attack poetry around.” – Tom Hiddleston to Flicks and the City in 2013

In our very short chance encounter, Tom Hiddleston would casually attribute the performance to “blood, sweat and tears” – in both a metaphorical and a true sense, I suppose. Having talked to a few theatregoers after the play, I would say it is hard work that absolutely pays off. We were collectively left in awe and struggling to find the right words. It was only when I was reading through the programme later, that I found a quote by Lolita Chakrabarti – who was wonderfully expressive in her portrayal of the ambiguous Queen Gertrude – that seemed to perfectly summarise what I felt was truly the foundation of this production:

“A monumental work of art such as this can become the property of the learned, owned by those who ‘understand’ it, but Hamlet is a play to be seen, heard and felt. The words are beautifully crafted but the play’s true power is in its exchange with the audience and how it makes them feel.”

[lunamusings]

Gravity Well

Chapter 7: The Dual Abyss

A Loki x Lithium Fanfiction (CanonxOC)

Set before the events of Thor, Loki receives as large mysterious crate of alcohol the day before his birthday. What seems like a strange yet benign gift from an anonymous person ends up being more than he, or the woman at the bottom of the crate bargained for.

Chapter Warnings: Loki dwells on cleavage for a hot second, old people accuse Loki of assault in vague terms

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Loki could not place the exact time it happened but he was certain it did.

He had been actively putting it out of his mind, using his work as the new king as an excuse not to dwell on where his thoughts took him. This was not that difficult, considering his father and brother both left him with a realm on the brink of war. Even in the warrior culture that was Asgard, there was still a great deal that was required to handle this in a way that did not incur tremendous costs.

The moment Lithium floated into the hall with his mother though, waiting for the beginning of a small ceremony that would serve as his coronation, bedecked in a deep shimmering charcoal gray with that brilliant green lining in her long, floating sleeves, all excuses for ignoring what was happening inside him made a mad dash through the nearest set of curtains and into the world. His face was schooled into a polite smile befitting the arrival of his mother and his friend, rather than the awed lopsided grin that existed behind the mask.

Such resplendence is perfectly befitting the woman who should be my queen.

Wait…what?

He swallowed down the lump in his throat and smiled at both women in his life, looking much like sagely day and bewitching night had come watch him take the king's vows. He had been perfectly composed until their approach, and now his palms seemed to be sweating, which did nothing for his grip on Gungnir.

Frigga reached over and adjusted his collar. "It's okay to be nervous."

Had it been anyone but his mother saying this, he would have been confident that the true nature of his unsettled condition was hidden. Frigga saw far more than anyone else he knew so she could either genuinely think him to be nervous, or she could know exactly what vexed him, and may have picked Lithium's dress just to exacerbate the issue.

His money was on the latter, given that carefully chosen hues and neckline with the exact depth of plunge to be enticing, but not so much that she would be considered immodest.

People often wondered where his cunning and trickery came from. They clearly did not know Frigga.

He sighed softly, rolling his shoulders. They seemed to hold his arms heavily as of late. There was so much to work through, that even this small ceremony seemed like just one more obstacle between himself and the hours of preparation needed to bring Asgard back into a safe state. Once that was done, he could rest. He could even hand the kingship back without regrets when his father woke. Maybe then, Odin would be proud of him. He would succeed in doing what Thor had not.

Loki followed Lithium with his eyes as she slipped through the door to take her place in the crowd. She glanced back at him for a brief moment with a bright smile before the guard closed the door behind her. He took one last deep breath and let it out slowly before holding out his hand to his mother.

She took it with a knowing smile. "You wish it was Lithium here with you."

"Whatever do you mean?" Loki's voice was steady, but he knew the moment he looked away, even with how brief it was, that he gave himself away.

"Don't worry my son, you secret is safe with me." Frigga grinned. "Shall we begin then?"

Loki nodded toward the guards to open the door.

Lithium was still standing in her place when the others in attendance had already filed out. He had given the ceremony his full attention, so he was lost on why, the moment everyone else was out of sight, her hands balled into fists, every muscle tensed and her shoulders began shaking. She looked up at him and only when their eyes met did the snarl ease from her face.

He was down the stairs in seconds.

"What's wrong?" He put a hand on one of her trembling shoulders.

She looked up at him, eyes glimmering with fresh tears. "I wanted to punch the smug, self-righteous sneers off of the face of everyone around me…"

"Whatever for?" He let go of her shoulder and took her hand, feeling the trembling start anew. He tucked it into the crook of his arm.

"They were whispering all kinds of terrible things." She followed his gentle tug on her arm and fell in step with him. "About you…"

Loki sighed. To say he was used to such things would be an understatement, but Lithium had only been there a little over a month and had met few people she spent much time with. There were people present who had no idea who she was or to whom she was attached. He was not surprised in the least she heard every doubt and fear muttered by those around her, given her bizarrely keen sense of hearing.

"I am sorry you had to listen to that." He paused to nod to the guard who opened the door to the long balcony just outside the hall for them. "There are those who do not approve of my kingship. Some are more vocal about that than others and most unfortunately, you were likely in a substantial group of those individuals."

They stood at the railing, Loki reluctantly letting go of her hand and she leaned her arms on the railing. They watched a flock of small, jewel-toned birds flow through the air, their freedom in altitude in contrast to the weight of the silence. Then Lithium looked up at him, her face soft yet serious.

"People are entitled to their opinion, sure." Her jaw tightened before she continued. "But they have no excuse for what they were saying…how could they think you would bring Asgard to ruin?  Or somehow at least cause the downfall of traditional values?"

She chuckled wryly, her serious expression cracking at little. "Also apparently I'm multiple women, a whole "collection of ill-used women to sate your lascivious proclivities", and your dressing each of me similarly so no one will notice."

“Lascivious proclivities?” Loki blinked repeatedly, before letting his face fall into his hands. "That would explain the downfall of traditional values. You were surrounded by the more elderly guests."

"Funny that they attribute that to you, when Fandral is a million percent more likely to have a harem." She pantomimed gagging. "Though the man has the worst pick-up lines, so it wouldn't be particularly large."

Loki turned away for a moment, disguising the fullness of his laugh into one hand. While she underestimated the effect Fandral's "pick-up lines" because she laughed in his face the first time he directed them at her, the former part of her assessment was accurate.

"Maybe I should be flattered that they thought me capable of such feat of charm, given the that Thor and Fandral have never been short on such attention, and I am different type of person."

Dark, sullen, effeminate, untrustworthy, deviant…and now a monster…

Lithium shook her head. "I wish it had been more complimentary. They were already predicting succession difficulties with all the bastard children you've supposedly made already."

That would be quite the revelation when these fictional children came out blue…

The ridiculousness of these accusations and rumors would have been genuinely hilarious had they not also been suggesting unsavory things of her. While Asgard was not particularly strict about intimacy outside of marriage relationships, it was strongly encouraged to be responsible about it. It was frowned upon to make children out of the context of a committed relationship. With protective measures for all involved in the making in abundance, there was little excuse for bastard children.

And Lithium had no idea about the implications for herself.

"I apologize for their unfounded assumptions about your character."

Lithium's eyebrow raised and she shrugged.  "I can't exactly rate having your kid in an unconventional context among the top million bad things that could happen to me. My problem is that they assume that you would use magic on people to get what you want in that manner."

She rolled her eyes. "As if you would need to do that."

Loki stared at her as she watched another flock of birds pass them. After a few moments, she turned back to him, her expression mirroring the confusion that was on his own face. She tilted her head, blinking a few times.

"Whatever do you mean, Lithium?"

"I don't know what the stereotypical preferences are around here, but on Earth, you would not be short on attention, regardless of gender." A strange expression flitted across her face, just behind the earnest one. "And I just made this conversation awkward…."

The only thing awkward is that yours is the attention I want, little lady…

Lithium gestured broadly with a wry grin. "Regardless, at least we aren’t alone as the subjects of ol' rumor mill."

I rather would be. I'm used to this.

"I am more concerned that they think such things about you, merely by associating with me."

"Loki, this is small potatoes compare to my brother hitting on me."

He looked sternly down at her. "Both are equally terrible…also…small potatoes?”

"Well, then stop downplaying the fact that they are saying horrible things about you." She gave him an equally stern look right back. "I don't care if you're used to it, lies are lies. Lies are big potatoes.”

He nodded with a sigh. Perhaps I can confide in her and it will take the sting out of their jabs. She listens at least.

And why potatoes?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Lithium stayed beside Loki as the cracks began to form, so she continued to as the cracks multiplied, an untold number of fissures across his soul. His mask was impeccable but not so much that she did not see the quickening swirl of emotion that shone through it. She did her best to fill them in when she could, but only a couple hours around dinner were not sufficient to undo the damage being done. She was nowhere near qualified to put a whole man back together by herself, let alone one who had over a thousand years of emotional damage.

And it was not like anyone else could see it.

Not even Frigga seemed concerned, so sure of his abilities as she was. Lithium was sure he had the capacity to lead, but she also had to be realistic about what she was seeing.  Loki has a great head for this, but he had been off ever since he was made king. She was positive something else happened that day, something beyond his father falling into Odinsleep or Thor's banishment..

Something that rattled him to the core.

She sat on the couch in her sitting area, dinner waiting for the two them. He had not been in when the maids tried to deliver it, so they brought it to her. It had not been that long since they had, but she was still beginning to worry. Where had he gone that it would take him this long to come back? He had sent her back to her room after lunch to deal with some matters she did not need to be involved in.

But for him to be this late was not remotely in the realm of normal.

All thoughts of dinner drained from her mind the moment she felt the air shift about her. That same sharp cold scent in the air she remembered not so long ago, at Thor's interrupted coronation. She was out her door so quickly, she barely remembered if her feet touched the floor.

The smell had all but died by the time it led to the chamber where Odin slept. She was there in time to watch Loki blast Thor, of all people, through a wall in a room scattered with the remains of large blue men. Loki turned to her at the sound of her gasp and she saw it.

Lithium did not know the face that looked back her. The feral energy of his green eyes sent a shiver of dread down her spine. It took all her strength not to step back when he approached her. Just past her instincts screaming at her to run, she heard the voice telling her to stay, that if she abandoned him now, there was no going back for him.

Loki had completely shattered.

There was the smallest glimmer of who he was within the chaotic depths of his eyes when they met hers, but so quickly was it swallowed again by the colliding pieces of his decimated soul. She knew that look, that face all too well. She had seen it before.

She had worn it before.

She took a deep breath as he crossed the last bit of tile between them, leaving  only a modest sliver of space. "Loki wha-"

Her feet were out from underneath her in one smooth flash of movement and they were through the corridors. All she could see was a blur of upside down stone and metal. The snarky side of her brain pondered the indignity of being carried over his shoulder past confused servants, but the rest of it was still trying to figure out if there was anything she could do for him.

According to him, apparently whatever that was included a brisk horse ride to the Observatory, with her holding on for dear life. She pressed her face into his cape and let her mind slip into her meditative state she used with her shift practice, though that snarky side of her refused to go there.

This is not at all how I pictured my first horseback ride with a man…there were more scenic forest trails and less mental breakdowns…

Just outside the observatory, he dismounted and put his hands around her waist to help her down. Her face was burning red by the time he had her feet back on the ground, all the more so when it felt so wrong to be thinking such things while Loki was falling apart in front of her.

"Apologies for the sudden trip, but time is not a luxury I have at this moment."

"What's wrong, Loki? What happened to you?"

"Do not worry, little lady, I am going to punish Jotunheim for their attempt to kill my father."

Lithium frowned. "You can't go alone."

"I have no need to go there." He gestured toward the Observatory. "I have everything I need right here to end their treachery for good."

Lithium once again forced herself to stand and face him, but her knees nearly buckled under her. Wasn't this the exact thing that he had criticized Thor for wanting to do? Wasn't it only a little while ago that he said that he wanted to keep Asgard out of unnecessary conflict?

Then again, Odin banished Thor for treason…not genocide…

"Loki, is this really what you want to do?" She fell in step with him as he strode confidently into the control room of the Observatory, where Heimdall was suspiciously absent.

Loki stepped up on the platform. "What else would make Father proud of me? I have saved his life, and now I shall exact revenge on the people who dared attempt to take his life."  

Lithium's eyes flew open. "They did that? How did the get here? IS that why Heimdall is gone?"

The silence he lapsed into was all the answer she needed, but his eyes said more. He activated the Bifrost with the sword Heimdall would have used had he been there, a tree of cold white light erupting from the pedestal. Loki stepped back, admiring it, while it sent shivers skittering up her spine. The sound it gave off set her teeth on edge, eased only by her pressing her hands to her ears.

No words passed between them before Thor blasted into the room.