#this has the BIGGEST sif energy

[justanancientfangirl]

Looking back at my old, defunct blog, and discovered a few drafts that never actually got posted. And honestly, they are still relevant to the Loki show at present, so here are some of my thoughts from season one

under the cut

People are really taking everything in this Loki show at face value, huh?Of course the biggest thing is the LokixSylvie thing. I’ve never understood why people get super mad and give up on a thing when the show isn’t even over yet, but that’s neither here nor there.Everyone’s just assuming the relationship is gonna be romantic. And like…why? Because they held hands when they thought they were gonna die? Mobius said it was ‘romance’ but he was also just acting real jealous. There are a lot of explanations for what could have caused a nexus event there that have nothing to do with romance.It’s just as likely that the 'new feeling’ Loki has IS in fact self acceptance. He is so proud of Sylvie, sees what she did as amazing–and it absolutely is amazing, btw. That she figured that shit out as a kid is phenomenal.But what if Sylvie’s nexus event WAS self acceptance? The TVA tells Loki that his whole purpose is to be a bad guy, to cause destruction and death and fail so others can rise up. And people have been stepping on Loki his whole life. He has probably feared that very thing for a long time. If he believes in himself, if he doesn’t lash out constantly in anger and self loathing to prove that he is just like everyone else, then he doesn’t become the villain. That doesn’t bode well for the Time Keeper’s story.If Sif’s response to getting half her hair chopped off is to tell Loki he deserves to be alone forever…that’s a wild overreaction.Loki says that he never thought about it again, but the fact that THAT memory is what his time loop prison was…that is a lot more telling that what he SAID. I think he did, in fact, replay that moment over and over in his own mind. And that he DID eventually believe what Sif said to be true. In realizing that Sylvie is amazing, he is also realizing that HE can be amazing too–and he can “do it on [his] own”. Only then, Mobius tells him that he doesn’t have to. That’s a huge deal.People are saying 'ugh, they’re making him a narcissist’But like…Loki is the one who said that? It’s not like he hasn’t ever just said stuff he thinks people want to hear before. Also, if I’m gonna believe anyone’s assessment of Loki’s character, it isn’t going to be his own.As Frigga said “you’re so perceptive about everyone but yourself”. Just because Loki says he is a narcissist doesn’t mean it’s fact, is all I mean. Mobius suggests it too, but that’s when he is ranting about Loki wanting to romance Sylvie, so I’d take it with a grain of salt.TL;DR people need to stop freaking out before things are actually over, because it is a waste of energy and can ultimately have a really negative long term effect on the show itself. There has been very little actual evidence to point to a Loki/Sylvie romantic pairing if you think about it for longer than two seconds. Also, taking a characters own self assessment as gospel is ridiculous.

I feel like..in realizing that Loki does like Sylvie, he realizes that he can, in fact, like himself. If he believes that SHE deserves happiness…then he also deserves it. I don’t think it is romantic. I think it’s self love. For the first time in his life, or at least, for the first time in a while, Loki realizes that he isn’t just what people have told him he is, that he CAN be more. And he can love himself.

[swirlingreblogs]

Yeah, one thing that gets to me is, Siffrin has particular interest in theatre, as well as trauma around forgetting. Sif has motivations for repeating the same lines until they all become a script to cling to, you know?

I can see how any of the cast swapped in as the looper would probably take multiple loops and a character arc before opening up about what they want after the quest. They've all got things they weren't admitting, and nobody making the first move reinforced them all thinking it was just them feeling that way. But the others don't have the same motivations to repeat themselves word for word, nor ideas in the back of their heads about being guided by fate and needing to follow.

AUs that swap a character in to go through the same overall arc, with many of the same scenes... It's fun to see the characters' respective versions of those expressions, but I wonder if they ignore or generalize aspects of Siffrin's characterization to do so. If they're missing out on exploring other characterization choices. All the cast do have possible motivations for keeping the loops secret, but also possible motivations for saying what they're experiencing, and much less reason to do things word for word.

I like your point that Bonnie would probably break the loops soonest, with some of the biggest hurdle being understanding what's going on well enough to explain. It makes sense! The kid doesn't want to mess around in the House forever, even to stay with their friends, they want to go see Nille again!

I've been pondering Odile loops options, and thinking she'd do very well with figuring out some of the what, initially very willing to explain what she's experiencing, but how much would she sharpen and shorten her explanations until it starts getting cutting and then apologetic, such that it's harder to work through the emotional end of it? That gives a possible reason to stretch things out a bit and get some late act energy, but not a reason for sticking to a script so hard.

I love all the little details people are coming up with for the "anyone else loops" AUs. Don't get me wrong, I do! But also I really think the *particular* nature of how the game's plot gets out of hand is intrinsic to Siffrin's specific neuroses and traumas. (More than just "he doesn't speak his feelings when he should," which obviously they're not alone in.)

I've been thinking about who I suspect would escape the loops quickest, and I'm pretty sure it's Bonnie. They'd definitely struggle to understand what's happening to them at first (probably framing it in their mind as nightmares), but if there's one person in the party willing to spill what's in their heart, it's them. I imagine most of the trouble comes from figuring out the language to make Odile understand, and then after that they're out of there in less than a dozen loops.

[smileysuh]

ok that Lucas infographic was really nice lol, but just wanted to say I'm kinda glad with your choice...

I mean like, you're staying on the safer side by not bringing him up much, but you still kinda support ot23 (from what I understand at least). and yea it's fine that you're more 127 biased (not that you need my validation lol) hence your works are more based around them

idk if I'm making sense, I'm just kinda tired of ppl making up more stories to add on drama honestly... nice that one of my favourite writers isn't doing too much abt it

thanks! I've tried to explain a little more in my response, so again, in case anyone doesn't wanna see this stuff, I've put a cut so you can choose to avoid seeing this :)

yeah- it depends on your definition of 'support'- like, i'm a general fan of lots of groups- i LIKE wayv like i LIKE groups like astro- i listen to some of their songs, watch some content if it pops up in my youtube, and i definitely went through a hyper fixation stage where i learned a lot about them- but for one reason or another, they never went to the next level to become a special interest- i don't STILL actively go searching for info about them the way i do with SVT and NCT 127.

But just because i don't love Wayv or Astro or Itzy the way i love SVT, NCT 127 (and other groups like Pentagon and Monstax) doesn't mean i don't still enjoy them/want to see them successful and happy :)

But because NCT 127 is within the ot23 umbrella, something happening outside of my 9 core members does make waves that reach me- and i know my followers might be more engrained with Wayv than i am- so i think, as someone who isn't REALLY a Wayv stan- it's not my place to make definitive statements about any of the stuff that's been going on- all i can do is respectfully limit the member in question :) and hopefully, the fandom will get some definitive stuff from SM sometime in the future that will clear things up, at which point, i'm sure many people will have to reevaluate how they interact with including Lucas- regardless of what SM ends up saying about all of this.

for anyone who IS a big wayv stan, and has been following all of this- honestly, my biggest sympathies- being kept in the dark about this sort of situation- not knowing what to believe- it's extremely stressful. when there were allegations about SVT's Mingyu being a bully- i was fucking devastated because he's one of my mains- and people were so quick to cancel him or say he was innocent- and it's just- at the time, it's like i A: condemn Mingyu as a bully based on very little facts, and potentially alienate all the fans holding out for a statement, which is horrible, because until we have the exact facts- i'd just be condemning their fav- or B: say Mingyu was innocent, potentially devalidate the victim(s), and latch onto Mingyu even harder if i got pushback- both options lead to the polarization that results in arguments and disagreements- over a situation that NO ONE had the actual facts on until after Pledis investigated-

and this example can be applied to any kpop 'scandal'- Taeyong being called a bully like Mingyu, which were both proven FALSE - or the flip side like the Burning Sun Scandal- which was horribly true

i just- the world has enough fighting and negative energy without me adding my opinion on a 'scandal' that hasn't even been proven- because as i showed above, no matter what i say, someone will disagree with me- because it's still a matter of opinion based on few actual facts

and what even are facts? like- correct me if i'm wrong, because again, i havent been keeping up with this- but some of the evidence presented against lucas was voice messages taken from his bubble and framed to look like personal messages was it not? in this day and age- anything can be warped or edited- but another way to see this is, even if 1 of the persons 'proof' is false, what about the other people who came out with allegations? like- we as fans are not SUPPOSED to be able to sift through and differentiate this shit- which is why they have teams who check the scandals-

however, with this one- this is all we've been given

and looking at sm's track record, this in no way helps clarify what went down- because i believe they made Taeyong apologize when he was accused of bullying too? and it was later debunked???

and while the initial 2 accusers as shown in the article linked HAVE been debunked- maybe i'm blind but the third one seems to have some legitimacy still????

i just- it's a shit show. why would i wade into this- even just looking at the info made my head hurt because things are still so up in the air for Lucas stans (he apologized so is he guilty? some stuff was debunked so is he innocent???)- and again, i feel so bad for everyone involved- because if there's one definitive thing i CAN say, it's: SM has not handled this well

this is how Pledis went about the Mingyu bullying accusation:

and i do think his apology is quite similar to Lucas's- a blanket apology, like- it's true, reflection is good, even if you don't mean to, you can accidentally hurt other people-

the difference is this:

like- did SM even say they were investigating??? did they just- tell him to make an apology then bench him for (7?) months hoping it would blow over and when he comes back, we'd receive him with open arms? (the "distance makes the heart grow fonder" idea)

i think- this tactic definitely worked in some regard- before the lucas allegations, his insta would get like 30,000 comments in a post, then for his apology, he got 700,000 and when he returned earlier this month, his post had 800,000+ when I checked- so like- people HAVE missed him- a lot of fans really don't think he's guilty because i guess someone hired a cyber team- and it's just- very convenient for SM to bandaid it with an apology, bench Lucas, build suspense/longing, and then let him return, with very little actual investigation on their part or communication with the fanbase on what's ACTUALLY going on.

no hate to anyone- i'm not pointing out these numbers to make a judgment, because fuck- if Lucas is ur main, i bet you missed him- i'm merely pointing out the psychological backing of the tactic SM has used in this- and how i really don't agree with it, because as someone who runs on FACTS- i can't fully embrace Lucas ever again until i have a definitive statement from SM in the way that Pledis cleared Mingyu-

maybe this is a low key way of me saying im jealous of fans who trust the debunking in loo of an official statement- because i do wish i could embrace lucas again- i dont WANT him to be this bad person- it's just- it's hard for everyone :/ what a shit show

hopefully we'll get more clear info from sm/a hired investigation team soon- but- i kind of feel like after what SM just did with this- it's unlikely- and they ARE hoping this will just blow over, with as little effort/communication from themselves as possible :/

[legendary-assassin-stance]

4, 10, 18, 19, 22, and 33, for all of your Spirit Avatars! >:3c

4. Has your character ever witnessed something that fundamentally changed them? If so, does anyone else know?

Anton runs from his problems, more often than not, and things slide off his back the easiest -- the whole situation involving Jormag and the corrupted Spirits in Bjora and Drizzlewood, however, did rattle him a little bit.

Verthandi has had a relatively cushy life, so no. Much like everyone else, though, Jormag unsettled her greatly, and she absolutely hates stepping foot in Bjora now.

Magni lost one of his bear companions and her cubs to Svanir traps years ago and it still weighs on him a bit -- by the time that he’d been able to find the trio, it was too far past the point of helping or healing them, so he had to put them down himself. If there are any people in the world that Magni holds a grudge over, it’s the Sons of Svanir.

Kai actually had to kill his own father when he was a pre-teen (somewhere in the 10-13 range) -- absolutely no one except for himself and his mother know about this incident. His father had fallen to the sway of the Sons of Svanir, having gained “friends” through drinks at the local tavern, and had come home one night half-drunk and raging about his “worthless” pup of a son and how his wife was “always trying to undermine” his good faith and love for his family. He, of course, made the mistake of trying to assault Kai’s mother, which caused Kai to leap to her defense. It haunts him still, and it’s why Kai very much dotes on his mother as much as possible. He refuses to stumble down the same path his father did.

Sif, Tyr, and Vidar all had to watch helplessly, stuck in a limbo between the physical world and Mists, as their patron Spirits (Eagle, Ox, and Whale, respectively) got twisted and corrupted by Jormag over many, many years. It drained the Spirits of their power and energy, and even with Jormag defeated, they’re still recovering -- all the Spirits, their Avatars, and the Commanders, know about what happened, but anyone outside of that circle (except maybe like, the havrouns?) have no idea.

10. Does your character feel more comfortable with more clothing, or with less clothing?

Anton is usually seen with scant amounts of clothing on -- he hates feeling restricted, and clothes get in the way of movement (and also he just likes showing his body off)

Vidar can go either way, honestly -- it wholly depends on the environment he’s in (i.e: will he need to willingly swim? is it humid enough to want to die? etc.)

Verthandi is much like Anton, except she doesn’t care about showing her body off -- clothes just get in the way, and she only really wears “fancy” things whenever she’s around Hoelbrak

Sif tends to wear less, but that’s solely because she hates the feeling of clothing restricting her movements in any manner.

Magni wears the most Dad Clothes in existence (i.e: anything that shows off his arms, and shorts) so he’s like... middling?

Kai likes to wear hefty armor only if he’s in areas that could possibly be dangerous -- otherwise, he prefers to wear non-restrictive clothing (if he’s in his norn form at all, he greatly prefers his “Become The Wolf” or his full wolf form over anything else).

Tyr prefers to wear armor whenever possible -- she feels vulnerable without it (and it makes it easier to bodyslam bitches on the fly).

18. Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

Anton, Sif, and Tyr admire ambition.

Vidar and Verthandi admires wisdom above all.

Kai and Magni admire both.

19. What is your character’s biggest relationship flaw? Has this flaw destroyed relationships for them before?

Anton is very..... flighty. He doesn’t like to commit to things, let alone other people, and usually finds that having flings, one-night-stands, and touch-and-go friendships means he’s free to do whatever the hell he wants with his life (his Spirit notwithstanding, though Mink doesn’t seem to mind very much).

Vidar, Kai, and Magni are probably the most stable out of all my Spirit Avatars lmao very easy to get along with, and amicable to everyone they meet (usually).

Verthandi is pretty much nonexistent except to the Spirits, the other Avatars, and the havrouns. Trying to find this woman is practically impossible unless you know where and when to look, and she prefers it that way. Being any level of sociable with more than 5 people at once gives her a headache.

Sif is amicable to get along with, though she has a bit of a prideful streak which can definitely cause her to butt heads with people sometimes.

Tyr tends to be...... extremely stubborn. It is possible to knock her down a couple notches if you’re the right person, but she has to respect you first.

22. What does your character like in other people?

Anton enjoys anyone who can take a joke or prank -- he is, above all, a trickster, and being around anyone who gets all moody about his antics isn’t very fun.

Vidar enjoys those he can tell stories to, or that have interest in old tales and wisdoms -- he takes the preservation of tales, legends, and folk songs very seriously, and being able to share them to others who will retell them makes him happy.

Sif can and will leave you in the dust if you don’t keep up with her, so someone who either doesn’t mind that, or can keep pace is someone that she can consider worthy of her time.

Magni can appreciate anyone whose up for drinking contests and just general tomfoolery. He’s very rough-n-tumble, and those who can keep up with that are good in his book.

Kai tends to like everyone -- he’s personable and excitable, and loves going on new adventures and seeing new sights with others!

Tyr and Verthandi are the least social out of my Avatars, but they definitely appreciate those who give them space and understand that their duty as Spirit Avatars come before really.... anything else. They’re here because they need to be, and much of everything else tends to be a distraction to them. (I swear it’s possible to be friends with them, they just have a very. particular. sense of what “friends” are.)

33. In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

Anton is very defensive, depending on your tone (which will also dictate how he handles it; the calmer you are, the more likely he won’t brush it off, but yelling at him is a prime way of making him ignore you).

Vidar takes it in stride, betters himself if he does feel like he’s accidentally wronged others, and generally recollects on it and makes a level-headed decision -- out of all my Spirit Avatars, he handles criticism the best.

Verthandi tends to be rather defensive, but with enough evidence to back the criticism up, she’ll concede. (if you try to come at her with criticism without evidence, however, she’ll bite you. not literally well, maybe but it’ll definitely hurt).

Sif handles criticism like any good norn would: you wanna call her out? then you’ll have to beat her in a fair fight about it (and unlike tyr, it’s in a friendly manner, of course -- what’s some traded blows between comrades if it means you don’t remember what the brawl started about?)

Magni -- much like Vidar -- handles criticism pretty well, though Magni’s way of dealing with it tends to be sharing many, many rounds in whatever tavern is nearby with whoever brought the criticism up, as a manner of smoothing things over with the person(s) involved.

Kai feels horrible when criticized, and (depending on who you are) he’ll bend over backwards to make things right with those who feel wronged, while making sure it never happens again.

Tyr would much rather suplex you than deal with being called out or criticized, even if whatever the issue is was her fault -- she handles criticism the worst, out of everyone.

[scintillatingshortgirl19]

Episode 4 Rewatch Thoughts

So first of all, I would definitely say that I have...calmed down a considerable amount since my first watch, so to speak. @delyth88 said some things in her rewatch post about being able to adapt to things and enjoy the episode more the second time due to knowing what's coming rather than having to deal with the uncertainty - which I how I feel about it as well and is a trend I experienced with episodes 1-2 as well, and in some ways episode 3. Once I had a chance to recover a bit from the narcissist thing and the romance thing, it turned out there were a lot of things I really liked! The big issues I had haven’t gone away by any means, and honestly a couple of the biggest ones aren’t even things that specifically happened in this episode - the first is just the gradual realization I’m having that I don’t think they are ever going to properly address Loki’s past trauma, and all those plot points the MCU just dropped are probably forever going to stay that way. And that fucking sucks, there’s no reason it had to be like this, and I don’t see how I could ever not be upset about that or truly get over it. The other thing is that it’s just incredibly frustrating and sad to me that all those theories about Loki having some kind of other plan in episode 3 to explain the bizarre incompetence we saw, or payoff for the weirdness that was the TemPad breaking scene, literally just amounted to nothing. All these things I hoped were intentional subtext turned out to just be nothing more than...bad writing? So yeah, I’m pretty disappointed about that. But at this point I’m trying to enjoy the series for what it is as much as I can, and on the second watch I really did enjoy a lot about this episode. So yeah, long-ass intro aside, here are my (hopefully more coherent this time) thoughts about episode 4:

Damn, that scene with Sylvie as a child really highlights how inhumane and barbaric the TVA is. Seeing her in that little prison uniform was...oof. Not that we didn’t already know the TVA was terrible, but I appreciate that they’re making it unmistakably clear for the general audience.

It's genuinely a good thing that they're going into Sylvie's trauma, and it's important to the plot, but I can't even put into words how frustrating it is to see them do that while simultaneously refusing to address Loki's. (you know, the protagonist?)

"Kind of an asshole and a bad friend" LMAO Mobius the TVA was holding Loki captive and was eventually going to kill him, can you really blame the guy for trying to escape?? Also an additional episode establishing that friendship would have been good - as much as I'm glad they consider each other friends, it felt premature for either of them to use that word yet.

I have mixed feelings about the Sif scene - overall I like it, but I do have some issues:

Pros: 

-   Loki whump! Both physical and emotional! (I want to see Loki win but I also like whump. It's complicated. Also I'm confused about where exactly she kneed him? Everyone is saying crotch but the first time he's holding his inner thigh so I thought it was there? Anyway if it is the crotch I'm not a huge fan of that particular decision, but my general feelings about whump still stand.) 

-    Lots of sad Loki faces, talking about fear of being alone - good stuff!

Cons: 

-    The first of the dreaded "narcissist" mentions

-    It’s kind of odd that he never even tried fighting back?

-    This also could have been an opportunity to acknowledge Loki's trauma, and as usual, they did not take it. I would have maybe liked a scene where Odin was being a dick to Loki and we got an acknowledgement of some of the emotional abuse. They probably could've worked Loki's fear of being alone into just about any memory. Did it really have to be a scene about how Loki's in the wrong? And in itself I have no issue with Loki facing the mistakes he's made! But I've been waiting 10 goddamn years for just one character or even a single solitary line of dialogue to acknowledge that Loki was wronged too, and by all appearances it still isn't going to happen and I'm just fucking tired.

And about the narcissist thing - it's frustrating because if they would just do it right, it could actually be really good?? If an element of the story was Loki (and Mobius) thinking he was a narcissist and then realizing he actually isn't, that would be amazing. The problem is, I'm fairly certain they are not going to go that route. I feel like it'll be more along the lines of "yeah you're a narcissist but you can be Good!" instead of acknowledging that Loki was never a fucking narcissist in the first place. Tbh it makes sense that both Loki and Mobius might think Loki's a narcissist, or throw around the term without knowing what they’re talking about - there are great explanations and meta about that - the real problem for me is that, in the eyes of the general audience, it confirmed a harmful and unfortunately very popular misconception about Loki, and it also perpetuates an incorrect view of what a narcissist is. Those are the main reasons I'm mad about it; if they purposefully, explicitly contradict it later it'll probably be fine! I just really don't think they're going to.

Tbh, after the second watch I'm a lot less mad about the shitty things Mobius said while interrogating Loki - it still hurt to hear and I'd still love an apology, but from Mobius' perspective it honestly makes sense that he wouldn't pull any punches considering he thinks Loki is partially responsible for killing the minutemen and Hunter C-20, and is trying to bring down the TVA.

I do still think Mobius turning on the TVA felt rushed. I'm delighted he got there, and the way he realized things made sense - it just happened unrealistically fast. I felt like a lot of things were rushed, and honestly I think more things will probably feel rushed in these last two episodes as well. This is something I felt with The Falcon and the Winter Soldier too - like they needed at least eight if not more episodes to give proper space for the story and character arcs they were trying to squeeze in. Six episodes just isn't enough.

Although, that said, while I still think this episode had weird pacing it didn't really bother me that much on the second watch? Probably because I already knew what the sequence of events was going to be.

The scene when Mobius was pruned was amazing - I loved Loki's emotions, and the way he walks down the hallway still kind of crying but mostly just looking utterly dead inside? *chef's kiss*

The timekeepers scene still felt off to me, and I still can't really articulate why. It honestly doesn't matter that much to me so I don't want to waste time on it, but I guess it just felt...sort of low-budget? Like we already knew the timekeepers probably weren't real/weren't what they seemed, but did they have to look that obviously fake? Idk.

I'm going to make a separate post about the romance stuff, but basically where I’m at with it is: it's a terrible shame to see such beautiful platonic/sibling energy go to waste, I'm real annoyed about it but trying to make peace with it for my own sanity, and I think there are a million clues pointing to it not actually being romantic but I don't trust that any of those were intentional. So I guess we'll see? 

I'm very intrigued by all the Loki variants. Also I'm curious if Mobius is there as well, or if each variant person has their own world? Either way I'll be shocked if Mobius is actually dead (there's a million reasons for that but the main ones are that it's likely pruning doesn't actually kill any of the variants (not just the Loki ones) and anyway he's supposed to be in 5 episodes). I'm really curious about the variant world in general though and I wonder what exactly the dangers are - why Loki "will be [dead]" if he doesn't come with the other Lokis.

[taichissu]

In light of the eng a3 server getting shut down, do you have any (preferably mobile) game recs besides the jp server? Hope you have a great day :)

i'm not the right person to ask that bc i mostly just rotate between 5 apps nndbfbdnnf

keep in mind i dont really like games like a3 which are wholly story-driven and have no actual gameplay other than card collection, so you're gonna have to ask someone else for recommendations on that, but if you're open minded here's some recs from me

rhythm games:

love live is a long-running franchise so there's A LOT of content and many various characters to work with, the game is rather polished, if not a little cluttered bc of the updates over all those years, the gacha mechanism has become very generous too so thats refreshing, and as for songs you can find music of various genres but all within similar quality so its nice, i would consider the art style its biggest flaw, but we cant have everything

project sekai is fairly fresh (the en servers were just opened in december) and i very much prefer the gameplay of it to love live sif, it feels very clean and satisfying to play, the art style is also lovely, as is the music which additionally gives many great indie producers a better platform, the worst thing about it is the gacha though (the odds arent very high and the pity system is as ridiculous as on a3)

titles i dont play regularly but still think are fun: arcaea, dynamix, uta no prince sama, deemo

team-building games:

love live school idol festival all stars is a spinoff of sif, it focuses mostly on building your team and making your girls stronger, the gacha is pretty generous in my opinion, as it tends to be in this franchise, i find art much better here than in sif, the MVs are a lovely part of this game, a HUGE plus of this game is how easy it is, sometimes you just need to play a game casually and still do well bc you cant afford to use upore of your energy (i can assure you you can get every event UR just by doing your dailies, ive done so multiple times before)

revue starlight re:live is a very addictive team-building game which i'm pretty sure was based of magia record, the mechanics of it are the exact same so if you've played magia record you know what to do; you collect stage girls, make them stronger and fight monsters/other stage girls, i have to say i pretty much only play this game because of nana and fumi anymore; the gacha and the related to it pvp are awfully unfair and unbalanced, the game keeps releasing new game-breaking girls every few days and it's simply impossible to pull every single banner if you're f2p, so pretty much everyone in pvp ranks above S is p2w

grand chase is another one that i havent played in a while but its a huge comfort game, the music is super nostalgic and the modern re-designs of all my favorite characters are so high tier

thats it for my main apps and now on to time-killers if youre not bored yet

idle games my guilty pleasure:

masketeers has been my most recent addiction, the art style is lovely and its not littered with ads whenever you touch your screen, their there but its Actually optional

other idles i used to play a lot but i took a break and now the sole thought of opening the app fills me with unreasonable dread: legends of idleon (top tier), afk arena, pet idle

other games i dont know how to categorize but good games for killing time: evan's remains, data wing, fantasyxrunners, magic survival, meow tower, old friends dog game, post knight, sky children of the light, sonic forces running battle, world flipper, zen koi

[castiels-majestic-wings]

Sixth Sense - Chapter 4

Paring: Loki x Female!Reader

Word Count: 2,761

Warnings: Character Fake!death, injury and violence.

Posted: 10/01/2021

A/N: This one is based on 'Thor: The dark world'

Thor had taken you to the best healer in the palace. Odin had asked questions but Thor thought it best to let you explain. You had passed out not long after you left Loki’s cell. You had been unconscious for two days before finally waking up. You stirred before sitting up, the nurse making her way to you.

“Are you alright? How are you feeling?” Your nose wasn’t hurting as much, you assumed they used some sort of magic to heal you. Looking down you saw bandages surround your waist. Had you started bleeding? Looking at the nurse you saw how small she was. About 5’5, small face, short blonde hair framing her face, and her dark brown eyes filled with concern.

“I’m fine. I need to speak to Loki.”

“Thor insisted that you rest”

“Well, it’s his fault I’m injured in the first place!” You swung your legs over to dangle on the side of the bed.

“I’m sorry? He didn’t tell us the cause of your injuries. I-I assumed Loki-” You glared at her.

“Loki didn’t do shit to me. Thor threw a punch at him and I took it. That’s all.” You gaze fell as you hopped off the bed. Ignoring the pain on your waist.

“Where’s Thor?”

“Thor has returned to Midgard. He didn’t say where but-”

“Thank you. But I need to check on Loki.” The nurse knew not to interfere Thor had said you were stubborn, so she let you leave. Walking around the palace you decided to go to Heimdall. He could see over the realms, you had to find out what Thor was doing. Making your way to the Bifrost you saw his figure ready to open a Bifrost. Thor must be returning soon.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?” Heimdall didn’t need to look at you to know you were there. A giggle escaped your lips as you walked closer.

“I should, but it doesn’t mean I will.” Stopping next to him, you looked up at his figure. “Where’s Thor? I was told he returned to Earth”

“Yes. He went to find Jane after I lost sight of her.” Heimdall seemed lost. He had never lost sight of anyone before.

“Jane? Wait, you lost sight of her? But you see everything within the 9 realms”

“That is why Thor was concerned for her. I assume the convergence has opened portals to places even I cannot see”

“Can you see her now?” Heimdall ignored me as he opened the Bifrost. Thor and Jane appeared as Heimdall removed his sword.

“Thor! When I’m done with you I swear- Jane?” You stopped noticing the brunette stood next to him. “The- Thor, she has, power within her. It’s the same energy as Loki’s. It’s dark- powerful.”

“You can see it?”

“Yes, but her body can’t handle it for long. Her aura is fluctuating. Her body is fighting it. It will kill her if you don’t remove it.”

“Thor-” Jane sounded timid. You realised your mistake after you spoke but it was too late.

“Jane, humans cant hold powers like that for long, I don’t know what it is, but it’s not meant for humans to wield. How did you get it?” As you were walking to the palace again Jane and Thor explained everything they could. Your tactician senses were kicking in. You knew a power like that would draw in enemies. If it was hidden for so long, you knew it was dangerous. You sensed it. Thor had told you to rest. He said he would take you back to Midgard as soon as he could, but for now he needed to help Jane. That was before the attack. How didn’t Heimdall see it sooner? You didn’t know, but you knew something bad was going to happen. Thor had you with Jane, out of the way. Safe. After the attack, you found out that Frigga had died defending Jane, or at least the illusion of Jane she used to deceive the Dark Elf. The funeral was held later that night. You knew Odin sent a guard to tell Loki of her death. You wanted to check on him, see how he was doing. You knew he loved her, even if she wasn’t his real mother. She raised him as her own. He must be broken.

After her funeral, you had been told to stay put until you can go back to Midgard. You obliged. No one was in their right mind after the loss of their queen. You couldn’t exactly fall asleep until Thor came to you. He needed your help. You followed him until you made it into a room, under the castle, unknown to most of the palace. Heimdall, Sif and the Warriors Three were there. They had a plan to save Jane. Thor walked you through it. When the time came he asked for my company to see Loki and get his help. You were the only one who knew Loki’s true self. He would listen to you. When you entered, you knew it was an illusion, you saw Loki’s aura, but it was against the wall. Not the figure you saw standing there. He didn’t want to show how vulnerable he was.

“Loki enough. No more illusions” Loki removed the illusion and the room was trashed, and there sat Loki, right where you sensed him. He was broken, more broken than you had ever seen him. His hair was tussled. He no longer wore his elegant clothing. The furniture was scattered around him. Things were broken and out of place. Yet the way Thor spoke at him. He didn’t care. He no longer believed him to be the brother he grew up with. He wouldn’t even answer his questions. You got mad. But let him continue either way. Loki then hid his feelings again. Before we left. Getting ready to escape. You walked behind them. Loki was messing with Thor using his illusions. You had to admit it was funny. But you were worried about his wellbeing. Being able to look so, normal. So, mischievous. After seeing how broken he was you didn’t understand how he did it. But you knew you shouldn’t ask. Sif escorted Jane to our meeting point. Jane began speedwalking as Loki went to introduce himself she slapped him. You stood forward but was held back.

“That was for New York” A mischievous grin appeared on his face before he replied.

“I like her.” You huffed but didn’t think anything of it.

“Okay, now that we’re all here- let’s get to that ship” Guards appeared as you spoke.

“On my command” Thor got ready to attack before Sif intervened.

“I’ll hold them off. Take them” She nodded her head to you and Jane. You walked with Thor not before noticing everyone’s threats to Loki. You made it into the ship and Thor had tried to control it, but he was being aggressive with it. He didn’t have the patience. You leaned over him and looked at the console. You pressed what you thought was the engine. The ship started. Thor looked at you confused as to how you guessed it, while Loki looked proud.

Thor had turned the ship hitting every column in the area, but one.

“I think you missed a column.” Sarcasm was dripping from his voice. While you giggled Thor growled.

“Shut up.” Thor had started flying the ship, very unstably. Loki knew he wasn’t capable.

“Look why don’t you let me take over? I’m clearly the better pilot”

“Is that right? Well. Out of the two of us, which one can actually fly?”

“Boys! Now is not the time! We’re being attacked!” You looked at Jane, she looked bad. At that moment she fainted.

“Oh, dear. Is she dead?”

“Jane!” Thor yelled, hoping she could hear him.

“I’m okay” Her voice was weak as she raised her arm slightly before it fell back to the floor. Loki looked behind us noticing the guards ships approaching.

“Now they’re following us.” The ship shook as you heard weapon fire.

“Now they’re firing at us” Loki wasn’t helping Thor’s patience but he was at least making me laugh in such a dire situation.

“Yes thank you for the commentary Loki it’s not at all distracting” His voice was strained, but rough. He manoeuvred the ship around avoiding whatever buildings he could but he hit a statue at its neck.

“Well done. You just decapitated your grandfather” Thor growled lowly before you made it over the waters. The ship was unstable, you had no idea how you were going to get put in this.

“You know, this is wonderful. This is a tremendous idea! Let’s steal the biggest most obvious ship in the universe and escape in that!” Loki raised his voice showing his frustration. “Flying around the city, smashing everything in sight, so everyone can see us. It’s brilliant Thor! It’s truly brilliant-” Thor then pushed him out. You heard his scream and got angry.

“Why did you do that?!”

“We must jump Y/N”

“Ju- You want me to jump?!” Thor had picked up Jane and stood next to the open door.

“Trust me!” You looked at him questioning everything. But you knew he was your only way out. You and ran towards the door, closing your eyes as you leapt out the door. You fell until someone caught you. You then felt the thud of Thor’s landing before opening your eyes. You looked up and saw Loki facing you. He placed you down, struggling a bit with the cuffs but he tried not to show it.

“You lied to me. I’m impressed” Loki smiled in Thor’s direction. Proud of his brother’s deception. Loki started piloting to his secret passageway for us to escape. You sensed many people coming your way. You turned around and saw another Asgardian ship approaching.

“More ships incoming!” Thor and Loki both turned to confirm your inquiry. Loki began to avoid the ship’s attacks while you ducked. You forgot your weapons back on earth. You didn’t think you would need them. Loki turned the ship suddenly heading toward a mountain.

“Loki?!” Thor seemed like he knew what Loki was doing, but you feared he would kill you all.

“If it were easy, everyone would do it” Loki seemed calm. He wouldn’t risk his life over this, He knew what he was doing.

“Are you mad?”

“Possibly” Thor held on to Jane while you held onto the side of the ship. The ship became unstable as he went through the passage until the ship made it to a different planet. You didn’t know where you were but you knew you would need a weapon of some kind. A gun, a dagger. Anything to protect yourself. The ship was gliding to our destination. You had calmed slightly. Seeing Loki’s aura pulse, however, made you concerned.

“What I could do with the power that flows through those veins”

“No Loki, you’re body is already reacting to just being near it. It would not only consume you, but it might kill you. God or not.” Your eyes narrowed towards him, he knew you were serious.

“How is she?”

“She’s holding up alright. For now”

“She’s strong in ways youd never even know”

“Say goodbye”

“Not this day”

“This day, the next, a hundred years. It's nothing. It's a heartbeat. You’ll never be ready. The only woman whose love you've prized will be snatched from you.”

“And will that satisfy you?”

“Satisfaction is not in my nature”

“Surrender is not in mine” You couldn't hear the rest of the conversation. Your mind was focused on the other entities nearby. You tried to count them. You tried to control the power you had, Jane had sensed them to. The aether within her woke her up as dark elves entered the realm. She whispered the name of their leader. Malekith. You exited the ship following the brothers. Loki was still in chains. He lifted his hands, gesturing to his brother to remove them.

“You still don't trust me brother?”

“Would you?” Thor rolled his eyes as he freed Loki of his shackles. He rubbed his hands together before speaking quietly.

“No I wouldn’t” He conjured a dagger stabbing Thor. Your eyes went wide. This wasn’t Loki. Not the one who opened his heart to you just days prior. Thor was thrown off the hill and rolled down. Loki jumped down, ready to attack again while talking to Thor. As Thor summoned Mjolnir, Loki cut off his hand. Your hands covered your mouth in shock. You couldn't believe he would do that. Loki picked up Jane, and held her tightly making sure she couldnt leave his grip. He was bargaining with them. You ran towards them focusing on Thor’s hand, but it was still there. You could see the aura around his hand. It was an illusion. Making Malekith think that Loki was on their side. Malekith removed the aether from Jane. As she fell to the ground Thor yelled towards his brother.

“Loki! Now!” With a flick of his wrist the illusion faded and Thor’s hand reappeared. Loki shielded you and Jane as Thor tried to destroy the aether. Afterwards there was a giant force that would've injured you greatly if it wasn't for Loki. After the smoke cleared you looked up and saw the shards of the aether. It wasn't destroyed, but crystalised. As you three stood up, Malekith absorbed the aether. Making him more powerful than ever. He left for his ship while the others attacked. One of the aliens activated a grenade and threw it at us. Loki pushed you out of the way as it detonated, becoming a black hole, that was sucking him in until Thor flew past and grabbed him. You knew you needed to help. You might be a tactician but you were also a S.H.I.E.L.D agent. You were trained in combat.

“Loki! I need a weapon!” He considered the possibilities before conjuring another dagger and throwing it in your direction. Loki and Thor had the big guy. You had the grunts that were left. You held the dagger in your dominant hand before charging the grunt. You slashed at it’s chest before it jumped back dodging your attack. It attacked you and stabbed your stomach. You almost fell but you needed to finish this, You knew you had to act like Natasha on this one. You wrapped your legs around its head before flipping it onto the ground head first. Which knocked it out cold. You looked around trying to find the others when you saw a red beam destroying the last enemy. Seeing Loki on the ground made you panic. You tried to run over to them as Thor held Loki to his chest. You started crying, thinking of the worst. You made your way over slowly, jogging as fast as you could with the stab wound. Once you got there, you heard his last words.

“I didn’t do it for him.” Loki shut his eyes, as his breathing stopped. You waited for his aura to disappear. But it didn't. Once someone dies, their aura is no more. But his was still there. With tears streaming down your cheeks you narrowed your eyes. He wasn’t dead? But why was he faking it? You didn't know but you knew you had to find out.

“Thor! He has the aether! The conversion is upon us! We don't have much time!” Thor looked at His brother grieving. But he knew he had to fight for the 9 realms. For earth. He found a way to get to earth but insisted you stayed behind in Asgard until it was safe. You would have insisted on going with him but with your injuries, you would be no help. Using Nat’s move probably wasn't best suited for them, but you had to help. You agreed to return to Asgard with his help you made it there safely on your own. Once you got there your head felt heavy from the blood loss. You almost fainted then and there. But you were stubborn. You wouldn't let your body fail you. Not right now. You began walking the long distance over the bridge, keeping pressure on your wound. Ready to return to the palace you were determined to make it. You made it halfway before you saw soldiers heading toward you. Letting your body fall, you knew you couldn't take much more. You passed out before you were picked up and taken inside.

Taglist: @lovermrjokerr @lord-byron @lucywrites02 @violetica @quirkyreaderwriter @prettysbliss

[calzonekestis]

Steve, time travel, and the butterfly effect...

Even if he exposed HYDRA, interrogated Zola, and found Bucky in the alt. timeline... things would still be fucked up. Bit time. This is why.

You want to know what Old Man Steve’s timeline was like? Let’s break it down.

It’s the butterfly effect thing. The sliding closet doors thing. The smallest thing can make the biggest difference.

Peggy doesn’t marry the guy she did in our timeline.

Because that guy didn’t marry Peggy, he wasn’t in this place at this time.

Because he wasn’t in that place at this time, it affects another person. Which in turn affects another person.

By going back to live with Peggy, Steve could still fuck up the timeline.

Ok, you want an example on how?

The Avengers. Thor: The Dark World.

If Steve stays back in time, saves Bucky, and by proxy Howard...

There’s a chance Tony doesn’t become Iron Man.

There’s a limitless supply of Steve’s blood, so Banner never tries to recreate the super soldier serum with Ross. No Hulk.

There is a Captain America in this universe, but he’s still frozen in the ice somewhere. Until they apparently thaw him out and get his shield.

Are Clint and Nat still at SHIELD? Who knows.

But ok. The events of the first Thor film, happen. For the sake of the argument, let’s say Jane’s life isn’t at all affected by the butterfly effect. Even if it is, then we’re still fucked. Okay though, so Thor is still humbled. Stops Loki. Fights Loki on the bifrost. Loki lets go, he is found by Thanos.

SHIELD still has the cube. Steve knows that in 2012, Loki will come for it with Thanos. Does he warn SHIELD not to fuck around with it? To find a way to destroy it, then?

Again, butterfly effect.

Can Thor stop Loki and the chitauri on his own, without the rest of the team? Again, no Iron Man. No Hulk. Maybe no Clint or Nat. There’s a Cap in the ice, let’s say they unthaw him and find him. Maybe Steve warned Hank and Jan about the missile.

There was still an Ant-Man and the Wasp, but they’re retired. Has Hope inherited the mantle? Maybe.

So it’s just Cap and Thor. Maybe Hope as the Wasp. So let’s say they can’t save the day on their own.

Let’s say he can’t. Let’s say they get killed. Or just Thor gets killed, the alternate Steve can live and give Old Man Steve his shield.

Heimdall sees Thor die. Odin sends himself or others to Midgard to capture Loki. Conjuring much dark energy again sends him back into the Odinsleep. Loki doesn’t get to rule for long, at the end of the day.

2013, the convergence. Jane is sad and she misses Thor, but like in our timeline, he never saw her during/after New York. She goes to London. Finds the aether.

Malekith comes during the convergence. After destroying Asgard when Odin is in the Odinsleep. Again, we have a dead Thor. Heimdall, Frigga, Sif and the Warriors Three put up a good fight. They still kill die.

Malekith kills Odin in his sleep, like Laufey was going to do.

This releases Hela.

While she takes over what is left of Asgard, Malekith goes to Earth.

Again, Jane still got the Aether. Kills her. Takes the Aether. Plunges the universe into darkness.

Hela has none of this, and goes to fuck this up.

Old Steve realizes all this will happen, steals some Pym particles. Returns to our timeline, waits by the lake for Sam and Bucky.

Sam: so you want to tell me about her?

Steve, knowing he left his aged wife in a timeline where the Goddess of Death is in a war with evil elves former Doctor Who: I’d rather not

[mattelektras]

Comic book people (men & women) with big dick energy?

talia al ghul without a doubt has the BIGGEST dick energy in all of dc thats just a fact. artemis. deathstroke. superman but its unintentional he doesn't know he's doing it. big heart energy and subliminal big dick energy. lady shiva. ive read like 3 hawkman things but both the hawkpeople. they have MACES. aquaman. possible correlation with trident. mera too actually 

elektra obviously, thor obviously, pretty much all asgardians aside from loki. valkyrie (ESPECIALLY mcu valkyrie. tessa thompson knew what she was doing to people aiming that gun). sif. angela. heimdal. hela. both luke cage and jessica jones that's what makes them such a power couple. misty knight. daken but not logan so he must get it from his mother. silver sable 

[tarithenurse]

Defense of Asgard (10/11)

Wordcount: 2897 (sorry)

Warnings: violence, maybe language, smut (fingering), fluff

“Keep reading” for obvious reasons.

Loki’s PoV

Loki’s victim is gurgling on the ground in a last, futile effort to breath, and around him his fellow Asgardians are either finishing off their own adversaries or using the lack of golden maniacs to recover. Straightening up, he pushes a strand of jet-black hair out of the eyes and looks around for [Y/N]. It feels as though a cold void threatens to pull him off the planet, when he sees the weapon aimed at her face. Lurching into motion, he barely makes it three steps before the blast of the gun makes him stumble in shock. NO!! He watches as the momentum makes the love of his life collide with the bastard, sending them both sprawling onto the ground.

NonononoNO! Scrambling frantically for what feels like an eternity, it only slowly dawns on Loki that [Y/N]’s left hand is snaring the wrist of the Sovereign, keeping the gun pointing away, while the other hand is closing around the golden neck. Even from here, the prince can see how she’s biting back a scream of pain until her skill takes effect, draining the downed would-be-murderer of life and leaving him skinny and pale beneath her. The way she arches her back while the brief moment of ecstasy rolls through her, should perhaps make Loki jealous…instead it entices him. The woman is mysterious, deadly, yes even magical. And she is mine. The thought makes him smile, as his picks his way across the battlefield.

“[Y/N]?” He squads next to her, ready to leap away if instinct still is ruling her.

Turning to face him, his wife’s eyes are clear blue-grey with the tint of pleased golden freckles, but the milky sheen that would have clouded them as she drained the life out of the Sovereign is long gone. Finding her hand, Loki gently pulls her off the corpse and into an embrace. Both their heartrates are beginning slow, simultaneously with their breathing, after the fighting, and resting together for a moment allows a different kind of peace to envelop the couple. Over a field, one of the turrets hits its mark and brings down another transport in a flaming ball that lands the snow beneath before it has hit the ground.

“We’ve better get ready…” [Y/N] sighs, clearly not enjoying the battle as much as the Asgardians.

Cupping her face, Loki wipes away a smear of her own blood that has tracked red paths down her cheek and past the jaw. Despite the attempt at cleaning her, the face he adores is still blushed, although now it may be for different reasons, but she avoids meeting his eyes and there is no easy way to tell what she is feeling and thinking.

“Why do you blush, my flower?” A soft kiss is enough to coax her face towards him.

She bites her lip, coy and stubborn at the same time. “I guess you saw what happened…” [Y/N] sighs when he nods. “Yeah, well…I’m not gonna run and hide.”

“I know.” Standing up first, Loki pulls the healer to her feet. “Yet you cannot stop me from worrying.”

“Just look out for yourself, mister Trickster.” Smiling playfully at him, the woman heads off to attend to the minor injuries the defenders have sustained.

Pacing down the road, he reaches Tyr and the Warriors Three who are discussing the situation above. There, against the dark of night, it’s possible to see the faint shadows of the many different vessels. Many of them have retaken formation and Loki can guess that they are not the Ravagers, but the Xandarians who value discipline. A lightning blast slams into the ground, functioning as a warning of where his king and brother is about to land. Show off. Even if the prince rolls his eyes and sighs at Thor’s talents, it is good humoured rather than coveting, although (or perhaps because) it feels unsafe to get near it – too often has the God of Thunder amused himself by zapping his friends with small electric jolts, and it is for that very same reason, that Loki waits patiently out of reach until the air surrounding the tall, blond warrior has stopped buzzing.

“There you are, brother.” The younger of the two is leaning on his spear when he flashes a grin at Thor. “How fares the battle above?”

“Not bad,” looking around, the king takes in the scenery on the ground, “yet…they do not seem to appreciate the warm welcome.” He rolls a corpse over with a foot and nods thoughtfully. “They have retreated for now.”

Sif and [Y/N] join them, the former rubbing the stomach of her armour absentmindedly before reaching out for her husband. “I hope they are not running away?”

Her comment makes Thor snort with ill-contained amusement. “Hardly! They are too thick-skulled and proud to know when to stop!”

A slender arm snakes around Loki’s waist, and as he looks down he’s met by serious dark-blue gaze that he knows so well. Those eyes are truly a window to [Y/N]’s soul because the altering dispositions change the colours of her irises, each shade corresponding to a different frame of mind. He had learned the hard way that violet was a warning of anger or aggression. Pulling her closer, Loki hopes that she can find some consolation to stave away the sadness and regret that is filling her.

…

Reader’s PoV

Being held by her husband makes things a bit better, but [Y/N] truly hates when people die…even if they are actively trying to kill someone else. In fact, the whole reason for becoming a nurse and later a hero (thanks to the skillset the Inhuman DNA has given her) was to save lives, and she still managed to find herself in one situation after the other where not only her friends were fighting to the death, but she too had to kill. But of course, having been a member of the Avengers and SHIELD had forced her to adopt a different mindset. Everyone on the teams had had their fair share of battles and death, making them the best people to help [Y/N] deal with it when it became her turn to take a life for the first time, and it’s what had kept her relatively sane during the showdown against Thanos. And now here.

Trying not to look at the lifeless figures strewn on the ground, [Y/N] glances around at the faces of her friends in arms. They have fought hard already, but the Asgardians have impressive reserves of energy when compared to humans home on earth. They’re gonna need it. A faint glimmer has appeared on the edge of her perimeter, signaling the arrival of something living within the 50-odd meter radius of her skill’s range. Even though the Sovereign have golden skin, hair and eyes, the particles (that they are made of to [Y/N] when she closes her eyes) don’t always match, and she’s forced to judge the identities from other signs: the physical attributes (each Sovereign is frighteningly similar to the next, thanks to cloning), the mutations (that should have crippled them, but somehow doesn’t), and the itch that spread across the Inhuman’s own skin as her body tunes in on theirs.

“Incoming.” [Y/N]’s warning is echoed by Heimdall.

Facing the new threat, she plants the spear in the ground to free her hands. The round discs on her belt detach with the right leverage and pressure on the center flips a series of serrated blades along the edges with a click turning them into shuriken. There. The first one has stepped into a circle of light from the elevated brazier, making an obvious target of itself, and [Y/N]’s about to let one of her throwing weapons fly when Thor hurtles his artwork of an axe towards the doomed enemy, releasing cascades of lightning that fries anything in its path. Tony had offered plenty of snide comment the first time he saw the weapon leaned against the wall, most of them had been about compensation, but he stopped once he saw Thor use that thing. There are no jokes now, although some of the king’s friends dare to complain that they have no one to entertain themselves with. Jinx. Once more, Heimdall’s voice booms from above, calling for Thor to go elsewhere and bolster the defenses there.

…

The pale grey of the morning is slowly diminishing and allowing the pastel colours to take over. All around [Y/N] are the remnants of the latest Sovereign wave to attack them, this time fueled by desperation rather than conviction. The Asgardians are walking among the slain, checking to see if the job has been done to satisfaction by jabbing the golden bodies with whatever weapon they carry. By now, everyone has had enough of the maiming and killing, and [Y/N] is more than happy to rest in Loki’s arm while they have the chance. He’s brushed a bench free of snow and spread the bottom of his cape over the still cold surface for her to sit on, before dragging her against his own body and shielding her inside a cocoon of arms and soft, green fabric.

“You fight well, my love.” His breath is warm against her hair. “You have made me very proud.”

Tilting her head up, she finds Loki’s emerald eyes. “Proud?”

The taunting smile proves that she knows that it downright excites him, and it has given him more than a few ideas to use at other occasions.

The God of Mischief doesn’t have a chance to answer before you sit up straight, looking over at Sif who’s limping back into range. The queen and a handful warriors had followed in pursuit of a number of stragglers who were trying to make it to the tower where Heimdall has been (and still is) keeping watch. The Watcher would most likely have been able to deal with them himself, but it would have removed his focus from the events in the sky and thus any new waves of attackers. As [Y/N] untangles herself, the concern for the queen grows stronger.

“My queen.” The healer rushes to the queen’s side.

“It was just a bash by a blunt weapon…my armour took the brunt of it.”

It’s true, there are no lacerations or outwards trauma, save for the biggest bruise in newer Asgardian history. But the hip is slightly dislocated and, which is worse, the sacrum has been knocked crooked, creating tension in the lower body…including the uterus with the fragile life. Already the tissue is preparing for the first spasms that will release the blood, growing placenta and the peanut-shell-sized embryo.

I have to act fast. “We need to find a place where you can lie down.”

The urgency in [Y/N]’s quiet voice is enough to stop any objections, and Sif enters the nearest house. Only pausing to close the door after them, [Y/N] is pleased to see how nimble her sister in law lies down on the rug covering the cold floor. Kneeling between the legs of Sif, she bends the knees and slide a hand under the royal ass until the fingertips have found the right places to apply a gently pressure through which the healing power flowers in a steady stream, making the cells bend to her will.

Moments later, the Inhuman can help the Asgardian back on her feet with the promise that everything is fine again…for now. “But I have to say that you should take it easy for a few days.” Like that will ever happen.

“Who am I to argue with my midwife.” Sif smiles sweetly before striding out of the house.

It takes a moment for [Y/N] to come to terms with the new title she’s been bestowed, so when she too leaves the house (closing the door carefully) Sif’s already out of view. Instead Loki’s leaning casually against the wall, playing with an icicle he’s broken off the low reaching eave.

“What was that about?” He’s pointedly looking anywhere but at his wife.

Think fast. This is not for me to reveal. “What d’you mean?”

“I mean,” this time he turns towards her, “it could appear that you and the queen are keeping secrets.” The silence stretches for a moment as they study each other’s faces. “Are you?”

“Pfft.” A pokerface is easy to master when in complete control of every single cell…but Loki is unparalleled at picking up on the smallest details. “Firstly…my role’s that of a medic, so I had to ensure she wasn’t wounded. Second…she’s my queen and friend, and commander during this battle. She tells me where to go and what to do. I wanted to ensure that I wasn’t needed elsewhere.”

In a few long strides, the tall, slender god has covered the distance between them. Grabbing [Y/N] by the shoulders, he bends down to pierce her with a burning gaze as if he can will her to tell her anything else. His eyes are glittering turquoise and green, and [Y/N] has to concentrate to keep her own from shifting like his.

The voice of the god is soft and cold when he finally speaks. “There is something you are not telling me, darling. I do not like it.”

“Women sometimes do that, you know.” A smile dance across her lips as she allows an age-old truth to save her rather than lying. “We confide in each other. Help each other. Console each other.” Reaching up, she cups his frost-flushed cheek gently. “There’s nothing wrong with that, and you have to be able to trust, that it does not mean I’ll betray you.”

It’s like watching a balloon deflate quietly and suddenly [Y/N] finds herself in his arms once more. “Forgive me, my flower. My mind is burdened with the many troubling events of late, and my heart is wrought with worry for my people and you.”

“There’s nothing to forgive.” She stands on her tiptoes to kiss him tenderly. “And no need to worry for me at least.”

…

Loki’s PoV

As it were, there was no need to worry for any Asgardian either. It was not long before it became apparent that the last Sovereign had fled and while the Xandarians and Ravagers landed on the snow-covered fields, the Asgardians that had not participated in the battle re-emerged to take part in the recovery and cleaning up. It was a task that would last days, as many buildings and ships had been destroyed and was now littering the streets and surrounding areas, but the first priority was to create a pyre and burn the fallen enemies. [Y/N] busied herself by tending to the lighter injuries, although the Asgardian healers tried to convince her it was beneath her. She only paused to recover her energy, but eventually fatigue caught up with her, and she allowed Loki to walk her to their chambers.

“The bath is ready, my flower.”

Loki turns towards [Y/N], only to find her dozing of, still fully dressed, on the low bench in the bathroom. He wakes her gently before using his own magic to rid both her and himself of the armour and clothes they have been wearing since the previous morning. Then he lifts her easily and steps into the large tub where he sits down. A content sigh and smile grace her fine features, encouraging him to settle her with the back against his chest.

Using the sponge and soap, he cleans every inch of her soft skin, and Loki finds himself so engrossed in the work that he does not realize how her breathing changes until the cupping of her breast makes the nipple perk. Pinching it softly between a finger and a thumb, he smiles at the tiny gasp [Y/N] lets out and it encourages him to abandon the cleaning utensils, so he can use both hands to slide over the gorgeous nakedness. One hand slides down the expanse of her chest and stomach to tease the fine curls where the thighs meet, the other plays with the bosom he so dearly admires, and already his cock is showing exactly how much he approves of the sight before him. I could watch this all day. The woman is biting her lower lip in pleasure, her head and wet curls leaned back against his shoulder to grant an unobscured view.

Loki has to stop her, when she tries to get in position to reciprocate. “Not this time. Just let me please you.”

For a moment, golden eyes appear under the heavy lids, but as his fingers slide further between her legs and finds the small bundle of nerves, the eyes close again and it’s the perfect lips that part instead. Weaving unimaginable patterns and interchanging the pressure and speed, Loki explores every fold and crevice, playing at the entrance to her core or pinching and stroking her clit until her moans transform into pleas for more. Then he slip a few fingers into the silken cave, slick with pleasure and need, teasingly increasing the speed and depth until the first shiver wrecks her frame.

Loki gives her time to calm down again, only adoring her body with long strokes as he kisses and nibbles her mouth, neck, shoulders…anywhere he can reach. Once relaxed, he finishes their bath, dries them both and carries her to bed where she falls asleep in his arms.

…

[aion-rsa]

What If…? Episode 7 Review: Party On, Thor! Party On, Loki!

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This review contains spoilers for Marvel’s What If…? episode 7.

In episode 7 of Marvel’s What If…?, ‘What If… Thor Were an Only Child?’, we get to find out what would have happened if Odin had decided to return the wee babby Loki to his Frost Giant family instead of keeping him, and Thor had grown up believing he was an only child. I’m phrasing it that way because, y’know, Hela still exists. Lest we forget her majesty.

It’s a fun, fluffy episode that ends with a terrific cliffhanger that seems to set up the finale of this consistently entertaining animated series, and gives us plenty to talk about until it arrives. I’m sure they’ll find a way to kill Tony Stark at least one more time before it does.

If you’re a regular here and often read our weekly What If…? reviews, you may already know that they have a bit of a unique format – more of a breakdown that we hope will satisfy die-hard Marvel fans but still help bring those less familiar with the MCU up to speed.

With that in mind, it’s time to dig deeper into ‘What If… Thor Were an Only Child?’.

Required viewing

Certainly the first Thor movie needs to be on your radar, along with Thor: Ragnarok. There are plenty of references to the initial installment of the soon-to-be Guardians of the Galaxy trilogy here, too. Oh, and Captain Marvel! And Avengers: Age of Ultron! Phew.

Voice cast

As we’ve come to expect, Uatu the Watcher is Jeffrey Wright. Chris Hemsworth is Thor, Tom Hiddleston is Loki, Natalie Portman is Jane Foster, Kat Dennings is Darcy Lewis, Samuel L. Jackson is Nick Fury, Jeff Goldblum is The Grandmaster, Cobie Smulders is Maria Hill, Clark Gregg is Agent Phil Coulson, Frank Grillo is Brock Rumlow/Crossbones, Taika Waititi is Korg, Karen Gillan is Nebula, Jaimie Alexander is Lady Sif, Seth Green is Howard the Duck, Clancy Brown is (amazingly) Surtur, Alexandra Daniels is Carol Danvers/Captain Marvel, and Rachel House is Topaz. Frigga is played here by Josette Eales from Blended and Covert Affairs.

What’s different?

Jane Foster and Darcy Lewis are camping out in the desert monitoring a rather familiar astronomaly that turns out to be Thor and his gang arriving in Las Vegas with the intention to party, and party hard. The Watcher then jumps in with a bit of exposition: in this universe, Odin chose not to raise Loki as his own after finding him on the battlefield as a baby, and brought him back to the Frost Giants instead.

Growing up minus a testing – but pivotally maturing – relationship with Loki, Thor has evolved into a Party Prince who jumps at the opportunity to capitalize on his bad boy behaviour when his father slips into Odinsleep and his mother Frigga takes her eye off the royal ball.

Inviting all and sundry from the Nine Realms to the biggest party ever witnessed on Earth is certainly a surprising series of events for Jane and Darcy to cope with – they were expecting a much more malevolent alien invasion. But despite his lack of wisdom, Jane is still attracted to Thor and is pulled into his orbit. Meanwhile, Darcy marries Howard the Duck. Boy, that escalated quickly.

After partying all night with a gaggle of MCU faves, including Foam Party Grandmaster and Nebula, Jane is paid a visit from SHIELD, who are looking for a way to get rid of Thor and clean up the mess that he and his revellers are making on Earth.

Maria Hill decides to call on Captain Marvel to get the job done. She arrives and kicks his ass for a while, but explains that using her full power to get rid of him might cause catastrophic damage to the planet, so Maria and Carol plot to lure Thor into a remote area where his annihilation won’t be as much of a problem.

Jane thinks SHEILD’s plan is way out of pocket, and concocts a different one to tell Frigga about Thor going off the chain. Frigga appears and lays down the law, while Thor promises he’s definitely not partying and is in fact studying the Nine Realms on a “cultural exchange” as agreed.

Efforts to clean up his mess before Frigga arrives on Earth are mixed at best, but Thor nearly manages to sell it to his mother when she lands, thanks to Captain Marvel.

As the episode appears to wrap up, Thor and Jane’s relationship develops further, with the pair agreeing to go on a date.

How does it work out?

Well, we almost got a happy ending in this one, but even The Watcher didn’t see this cliffhanger coming!

As some romantic music soars around Jane and Thor, a portal opens and out marches Infinity Ultron. He’s in the body he created during Avengers: Age of Ultron that the Avengers nabbed and used to bring Vision to life in the Sacred Timeline, and he has all six Infinity Stones. But will it be James Spader’s voice flowing from Ultron’s mouth when we next see him, or Paul Bettany’s somehow? I can’t wait to find out. There are a lot of tantalizing questions here.

Standout moments

In an episode jam-packed with delightful moments it’s tough to choose just a few, but I know that the regular What If…? comment crew will find any I missed in the comments.

Both Chris Hemsworth and Tom Hiddleston seem to have had a grand old time bringing these versions of Thor and Loki to life in the booth, and their banter is just the gift that keeps on giving in episode 7. It was a treat to see the pair interacting without so many years of rivalry and resentment having built up between them. Turns out they would have been the best of friends – something that perhaps both of them suspected in the Sacred Timeline, but could never quite achieve given their taut family history.

Kat Dennings was on hand to deliver most of the episode’s killer lines, and in a series where some of the voices sadly haven’t really matched the energy of their animated hosts, Darcy jumps out as a successful incarnation. I never thought I’d witness Darcy and Howard the Duck tying the knot, but sometimes the MCU gives us things we didn’t know we needed. I’d now give my right eye (sorry) to see these two interact in live action.

The fight sequence between Carol and Thor was spectacularly put together, and the design work on display during the duo’s first battle was visually quite stunning. It was interesting to work out how evenly matched they were throughout, even if Carol was holding back a little. I wondered if we might even get to see Carol wield Mjolnir, but this episode answered that question pretty definitively, didn’t it?

Episode 7’s Infinity Ultron cliffhanger was also superb. I know that Marvel have teased it in various marketing materials, but What If…?’s finale showdown, which will seemingly bring all these universes together for a huge battle that includes Captain Carter, should be quite the eye-popping denouement.

See you next week! Same Watcher time! Same Watcher streaming service! In the meantime, if you want to dig deeper into What If…?, please consider subscribing to Marvel Standom on the Den of Geek YouTube channel, where we dish out weekly episodes on all the new Marvel TV series, trailers and movie releases. Can’t stand our faces? That’s fair! You can listen to Marvel Standom on Spotify and Apple, too.

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from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/3kxwNNe

[icestorm1196]

People are really taking everything in this Loki show at face value, huh?

Of course the biggest thing is the LokixSylvie thing. I've never understood why people get super mad and give up on a thing when the show isn't even over yet, but that's neither here nor there.

Everyone's just assuming the relationship is gonna be romantic. And like...why? Because they held hands when they thought they were gonna die? Mobius said it was 'romance' but he was also just acting real jealous. There are a lot of explanations for what could have caused a nexus event there that have nothing to do with romance.

It's just as likely that the 'new feeling' Loki has IS in fact self acceptance. He is so proud of Sylvie, sees what she did as amazing--and it absolutely is amazing, btw. That she figured that shit out as a kid is phenomenal.

But what if Sylvie's nexus event WAS self acceptance? The TVA tells Loki that his whole purpose is to be a bad guy, to cause destruction and death and fail so others can rise up. And people have been stepping on Loki his whole life. He has probably feared that very thing for a long time. If he believes in himself, if he doesn't lash out constantly in anger and self loathing to prove that he is just like everyone else, then he doesn't become the villain. That doesn't bode well for the Time Keeper's story.

If Sif's response to getting half her hair chopped off is to tell Loki he deserves to be alone forever...that's a wild overreaction.

Loki says that he never thought about it again, but the fact that THAT memory is what his time loop prison was...that is a lot more telling that what he SAID. I think he did, in fact, replay that moment over and over in his own mind. And that he DID eventually believe what Sif said to be true. In realizing that Sylvie is amazing, he is also realizing that HE can be amazing too--and he can "do it on [his] own". Only then, Mobius tells him that he doesn't have to. That's a huge deal.

People are saying 'ugh, they're making him a narcissist'

But like...Loki is the one who said that? It's not like he hasn't ever just said stuff he thinks people want to hear before. Also, if I'm gonna believe anyone's assessment of Loki's character, it isn't going to be his own.

As Frigga said "you're so perceptive about everyone but yourself". Just because Loki says he is a narcissist doesn't mean it's fact, is all I mean. Mobius suggests it too, but that's when he is ranting about Loki wanting to romance Sylvie, so I'd take it with a grain of salt.

TL;DR people need to stop freaking out before things are actually over, because it is a waste of energy and can ultimately have a really negative long term effect on the show itself. There has been very little actual evidence to point to a Loki/Sylvie romantic pairing if you think about it for longer than two seconds. Also, taking a characters own self assessment as gospel is ridiculous.

[sidrisa-blog]

Power and Magic

Read it here on AO3

Pairings: Loki x Reader and the lightest Sif X Thor

Chapter: 12/104  Lighting in a Bottle And The Storm's Coming Soon

Warnings: the usual: sex, death, and violence with light smatterings of misogynoir

Summary: The princes come with their exalted Father arriving amidst a hail of pomp and pageantry all parties would rather forgo. This is war, where men die, their blood purchasing land and peace until it's time for more men and more blood. But your mother adheres to the old rules of hearth and hospitality. The Lords of Asgard must be given their due despite the grim business precipitating their arrival. It is too bad they don't deserve it. There is nothing to recommend him, Loki, Prince of Asgard. He is rude and cold and childish. You try to find some merit in him. You find none. Exactly none. But maybe, after trial and tribulation,

You will.

You and Se’risa spend a week together, crying, hugging, talking in your mother tongue, overjoyed there is finally another pair of ears that understands.

You can't make her miss her mother any less, no more than she can do the same for you. At night she still cries, she's still only a child. But her tears don't last the night anymore, instead of waking bleary eyed and ashen faced, she wakes curled next to you, a little vine twisting around a trellis.

It's not home, but it's damn close.

Before long, Mistress Aleene makes complaints, asking for the return of her scullery maid. You refuse.

So Mistress Aleene takes her complaints to Lady Frigga.

“How am I to run your palace without suitable maids to empty the chamber pots? Are we to empty our own?” Aleene titters as if the idea is absurd.

“Find another!” You growl. You’re protective of Se’risa, if the world were yours she’d be the Princess now, not you, coveted and cared for by her loyal Cavalry captain.

“Lady Aleene,” Frigga asks “Do we not have the staff?“

Aleene takes too long to answer ensuring anything she say is a lie. “Se’risa is a young girl, she does the work the older girls…”

“You mean she does the literal shit jobs no one else wants!”

Granted asylum by Lord Odin and retaining your title as Princess, you start to feel a little bit like your old self. The woman who was always the Cavalry Captain first and second before she was ever the Princess. That soldier’s voice returns, making you forget--or not care--you are in Lady Frigga’s presence. The words fly out of your mouth before you remember yourself making Lady Aleene screech in scandalized shock and even Queen Frigga has to raise an eyebrow in subtle reproach.

Loki has an audience with his mother this morning. He's late of course, incapable of rising before noon and all that. He slinks into her audience chamber hopefully to avoid detection only to find his mother's attention already diverted between you and the majordomo of the palace.

“She should be in tutelage with the other palace children!”

“And you should remember your tongue, girl, you are in the presence of Queen Frigga! To suggest someone lowborn --and of the low countries no less-- be taught with the children of Asgard Lords--the arrogance!”

He watches you, watches the frisson of anger arc across your body, straightening your spine and balling your hands into fists. You are lightning trapped in a bottle seconds from breaking free and glorious to behold.

He hasn't had the chance to see you since Se’risa, but his lips still tingle with the memory of you. That kiss was soft and timid, the introduction of a guest who doesn't stay overlong but one he desperately wants to meet again, for longer, more intimate conversation.

He wonders then, if he kissed you now what would he feel? Could his touch command your anger to sizzle away in his hands? Or would he make your energy change states, transforming burning rage into burning passion?

He wants to know, he’s sorely tempted to interrupt. To seize you by the shoulders and kiss you thoroughly, testing his hypothesis over and over again, scientific rigor and all that.

“Oh, Loki, you’re here.”

You're embarrassed by how quickly his name makes you whip around to see him. Lady Aleene remembers her courtesies and bows, you don't. Forgetting everything that wasn't that kiss. It wasn’t your first, but it was definitely your best. And by the stars you hope it won’t be your last.

Aleene mutters something about manners, and you finally remember yours, bowing so hurriedly your legs buckle, knees hitting the marble hard enough light pain in every nerve from ankle to shoulder--reminding you one more time you aren’t all well yet.

“Princess.” He calls your name and the sensation dulls a bit. When he helps you up with a tender hand at your arm, the sensation dulls completely. “I think you and I are past such formality yes? After all you are a princess as I am a prince. Wouldn't courtesy demand I bow to you?”

You, Frigga, and Loki know that's not how etiquette works between royals but Aleene doesn't, forced to remain bowed and silent until acknowledged.

And Loki takes his very sweet time lifting you to your feet.

Frigga is so delighted she nearly squirms out of her chair.

Aleene coughs once, then again, then fakes a coughing fit to remind someone that she’s still here.

“Oh, you.” He doesn’t acknowledge her name, as though he forgot it, even though this woman has been around so long she likely helped deliver him. “Was I interrupting something important mother?”

“No, son, no.”

Loki lets you go, lets his touch linger at the back of your arm before stepping a formal distance away, convinced he can feel lightning jump from your body to his. He’s ready to lie, make an excuse to defer the meeting so he can have more time with--

“Lady Aleene.” His mother interrupts his thoughts before they can turn carnal corners. “I trust you to run the palace competently. And I would not have your abilities hindered. At the same time, Princess, I would not deprive of you someone who obviously means very much to you.”

Frigga smiles so wide it’s obvious she’s not only talking about Se’risa. Your face explodes in so much heat you’re convinced the edges of your hair are starting to smoke. Loki takes in in stride, churlish enough to wink at his mother. He trusts her enough to let her have this one truth.

“I trust you ladies can come to some kind of suitable agreement between yourselves yes? For now, I must excuse you both, my son is egregiously late for our meeting as it is.”

“Yes my Lady,” you answer.

“As you wish Queen Frigga.” Mistress Aleene responds.

Satisfied, you both are dismissed.

**

Outside you try to smooth things over with Aleene. “I can pay you for her and you can use the wages to hire another.”

“We all know your money comes from Asgard’s treasury.” Aleene spits. “You would rob Riorn to pay Odin!”

“You asked me to remember my tongue in the presence of a Queen, remember yours in the presence of a Princess, Mistress.”

“You’re a Princess in name and naught else. You best tread carefully, wear out your goodwill and see that name revoked!”

You open your mouth to fire back but find your quiver empty of arrows. Aleene is right. Frigga is kind to you no doubt, but there’s no way to know she’ll always be. And Odin, honor or no, you don’t have any idea how long he’ll tolerate you.

And Loki? Is there anything…? How long will he last?

Is there anything to last?

“Still, I am kind. I can be persuaded to give up the girl.” Aleene reaches for your hand in a gesture of friendship, her thumb sliding over the braided gold cuff around your wrist. You try to withdraw your hand but Aleene squeezes tight, intent plain. Hava saved this for you and your crown. The best of your family jewels she stuffed into a sack, the last things that prove who and what you are. Se’risa and her happiness mean more to you than a title or an ornamental lump of gold and yet when you say,

“Name your price.”

And Aleene slips that ornamental lump of gold off your wrist,

It hurts.

**

This is an important meeting, he really should be paying attention. His father's jubilee will be the biggest event Asgard has seen in an age and his mother will require every scrap of help she can get. He really should be paying attention.

“Loki?”

He’ll use whatever pretext he can come up with as an excuse to see you when this is over. Or maybe he won’t. Maybe he’ll just show up. Does he need a reason now? Does he still need to keep making excuses to be in your presence?

Frigga sighs, she knows he hasn't heard anything she's said for the last hour. She can't find it in her heart to be upset though. When has this son ever gone about his day with such a smile on his face?

“It seems the princess must possess some magic of her own for you to be so enchanted.”

Loki snorts. “I bet you thought that joke was clever.”

“I did! I am not as humorless as your father my child.”

“Praise be for that.”

Frigga shakes her head and puts aside her notes. They aren’t really accomplishing anything anyway. “I had wondered who would accompany you to the jubilee, I guess I need wonder no longer.”

“Mother the jubilee is months away.” Loki answers errantly.

Frigga’s smile droops. “Will you tire of her so quickly? I had thought she was special.”

“She is.” He answers quickly, and you are, he means it.

“Then act like it. Be honest with her.”

“You say that as though I’ve already fallen in love with her.”

“You haven’t?”

“Of course not. One kiss does not true love make.”

Because it takes things like your kiss, and your smiles, and your laugh, and your snarl, and your wit and

Frigga fixes her child with a deadly glare. “Don’t toy with this one for sake of your silly games, Loki. She deserves better than that.”

She dares her son to lie to her. Make excuses for the string of bloodied hearts he’s left behind him. You are special, you stand out, you’re different. Frigga has to believe that this time will mean something.

“I know.” Is all he answers her with.

[csrgood]

Don’t Miss Sustainable Investing’s Biggest Annual Awards

For three decades, The SRI Conference & Community has hosted sustainable, responsible, impact investing practitioners to examine the current state of the industry, and to celebrate achievements in academic research, marketing and individual contributions to the SRI field.  In 2019, The 30th Annual SRI Conference will present these major industry awards:  The Moskowitz Prize, The EthicMark Award, The SRI Conference 30 Under 30 Awards, and The SRI Service Award. 

Recipients of the four awards –will all be honored during a dinner at The SRI Conference on November 13, 2019. 

The SRI Conference 30 Under 30 recognizes the contributions of investment professionals, social entrepreneurs, financial advisors, researchers, academic professionals, journalists, investment marketers, issue advocates and employees of mission-driven organizations who exemplify the spirit of SRI.  SRI 30 Under 30 winners will be announced in advance of The SRI Conference on October 1, 2019. 

The prestigious Moskowitz Prize is the only global award recognizing outstanding quantitative research in sustainable and responsible investing. Since its launch in 1996 by Berkeley Haas and US SIF, its winners have explored shareholder activism, socially responsible mutual funds, and social responsible investing as a catalyst to financial performance, among other topics. 

The EthicMark® Awards were founded in 2004 by futurist Hazel Henderson and are supported by Ethical Markets Media (USA and Brazil), a Certified B Corporation.  In 2008, management was taken over by the World Business Academy, and the awards grew to two categories: for profit and non-profit. EthicMark® award-winning companies are examined by all-encompassing standards for the value of their message; the product or service being advertised; and the merits and reputation of the company itself, bottom-to-top.  This ensures the integrity of the Awards and esteemed winners can rightly broadcast their inclusion in this list 

The SRI Service Award recognizes individuals who have demonstrated leadership, innovation, high standards of professional conduct, and accomplishment in collaboration with other SRI industry leaders. The recipient is chosen by conference participants from a list of nominees.

The SRI Conference & Community CEO Paula A. DeLaurentis, said: “The SRI Conference is pleased to host the distinguished winners of The Moskowitz Prize for outstanding achievement in SRI research, as well as leaders of Ethical Markets, to honor companies who uphold the environmental, social and governance (ESG) values that our industry takes so much pride in offering to both retail and institutional investors.  As we celebrate our 30th year, The SRI Conference is introducing a companion to the SRI Service Award:  The new SRI 30 Under 30 Award – will spotlight the best and the brightest of an emerging generation of SRI professionals. The future of our industry – and the outcome of so many pressing environmental, economic, and social challenges is vested in these outstanding individuals.”

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The SRI Conference sponsors include: Aberdeen Standard Investments, Act Analytics, Advisor Partners, Allianz Global Investors, Appleseed Capital, Axiom, Brown Advisory, Calvert Impact Capital, Calvert Research and Management, Capital Good Fund, Capital Impact Partners, College for Financial Planning, Community Capital Management, Dell, Energy Income Partners, Entelligent, EQIS Capital Management, First Affirmative Financial Network, Folio Institutional, General Mills, Green Century Funds, Gurtin Municipal Bond Management, Hope Enterprise Corporation, Iroquois Valley Farms, Jantz Management, Kiva, Matthews Asia, Miller/Howard Investments, MSCI, Natixis Investment Managers, Open Invest, Parnassus, Pax World Funds, Praxis Mutual Funds, RBC Global Asset Management, Riskalyze, Sarasin Asset Management, Saturna Capital, Self Help Federal Credit Union, Shelton Capital, S&P Dow Jones Indices, TerraCycle, Thornburg Investment Management, Tides, Trillium Asset Management, Vanderbilt Financial Group, Vanguard, and Vert Asset Management.

ABOUT THE SRI CONFERENCE

The SRI Conference is the premier annual gathering of the sustainability/SRI/ESG/impact investing world.  The 30th SRI Conference takes place November 11-15, 2019 at The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, CO.  For more information, go to www.SRIConference.com.

Folio Financial, Inc. is the parent company of The SRI Conference & Community.  Folio Financial (formerly FOLIOfn, Inc.), Folio Investing, Folio Institutional, First Affirmative, and VIA Folio together comprise the Folio brands, delivering innovation that benefits investors and those who serve them. 

MEDIA CONTACT

Patrick Mitchell for The SRI Conference at (703) 276-3266 or pmitchell@hastingsgroup.com.

source: https://www.csrwire.com/press_releases/42702-Don-t-Miss-Sustainable-Investing-s-Biggest-Annual-Awards?tracking_source=rss

[gyrlversion]

Heating up: Investors green targets go beyond just big oil

NEW YORK (AP) — It’s not just big oil and power companies that investors are pushing to do better on the environment.

In the next few weeks, Amazon shareholders will vote on a proposal made by one of their own to push the company to describe how it’s curbing its use of fossil fuels. In California, investors of Ross Stores are asking the retailer of off-price clothing to set goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. And in Kentucky, Yum Brands shareholders are pushing for an annual report on what the parent of KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell is doing about deforestation caused by its suppliers.

As the earth gets warmer, shareholders with the environment in mind are widening their focus and increasingly targeting consumer businesses, internet companies and others that don’t first come to mind as big polluters.

Every year shareholders try to place proposals on the agenda for their companies’ annual meetings. Five years ago, only 33% of all proposals related to climate change were aimed at companies outside the energy and utility industries. So far this year, 60% of such proposals are targeted at companies outside energy and utilities, according to ISS Analytics.

“Climate change will affect all industries,” said Kosmas Papadopoulos, executive director at ISS Analytics, the data intelligence arm of Institutional Shareholder Services, “and I think we’ll see more in other sectors.”

Once limited to a niche group of mutual funds that simply promise not to own tobacco or gun stocks, sustainable and responsible investing has grown increasingly mainstream and more comprehensive in its decision making. These investors see additional profits to be made — and losses to be avoided — by considering how the world’s changing climate affects companies, as well as how those companies are affecting the environment.

Consider PG&E, which some investors call the first climate change bankruptcy. It filed for Chapter 11 protection earlier this year due to potential liabilities piling up following devastating wildfires in northern California.

Famed value investor Jeremy Grantham, who correctly predicted the dot-com and housing bubble crashes, sees climate change investing offering decades of growth. His firm, GMO, launched a climate change fund in 2017. Competitors around the industry have been launching their own funds that value companies’ approaches to environmental, social and corporate governance issues, which are known in the industry as “ESG funds.”

Sustainable, responsible and impact investing currently accounts for $1 of every $4 invested under professional management for a total of $12 trillion, according to US SIF. That’s double the proportion from 2010, when it was roughly $1 of every $8.

“You’re definitely seeing investors ask for it, but you’re also seeing companies wanting to talk a lot more about it, in particular on climate change issues,” said Peter Reali, senior director of responsible investing at Nuveen, the asset management arm of TIAA. “We have meetings or phone calls with hundreds of companies annually, and boards are really interested in what investors think about this stuff.”

Of course, most shareholder proposals pushing for environmental action fail to pass. Company managements typically recommend voting against them, with many saying they’re already paying increased attention to the environment.

At Starbucks’ annual meeting in March, for example, shareholders voted against a request for a report on progress in recycling cups and reducing waste that ends up in the ocean. When making its recommending against the proposal, Starbucks’ management said that it has already committed to eliminating plastic straws, among other sustainability moves.

But the proposal lost by a five-to-four margin, which may be a stronger signal than it sounds.

“It’s very difficult to achieve majority support on shareholder proposals, even for some of the issues where you may have seen consensus in the market,” said Papadopoulos. “Anything above 30%, we generally consider as significant.”

Such levels of support are becoming more common, as shareholders increasingly vote in favor of environmental proposals. Nearly half of all such proposals reached at least 30% support last year. That’s more than double the rate of a decade earlier. So far this year, the rate has been even higher, at 60%, according to ISS Analytics.

Not only have investors cast a wider net for companies, they also are pushing companies to set specific goals for measuring environmental impact.

Consider Flowserve, a company that makes pumps and valves. On May 23, shareholders will vote on a proposal for the company to set goals for greenhouse gas emissions, taking into account the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. President Donald Trump pledged last year to withdraw the United States from the agreement.

Flowserve is recommending that investors vote against the proposal, saying that it already writes an annual sustainability report and that disclosing strict emissions goals “would not provide significant incremental benefits” to the company, shareholders or the environment.

But the biggest successes for environmentally minded investors may not take place at shareholder meetings at all. They may come, instead, during the conversations happening privately between shareholders and companies.

Last month, for example, Green Century Capital Management said it withdrew a proposal made to Royal Caribbean Cruises related to food waste management. The cruise operator agreed to document annually how much food waste it has and what it’s doing to reduce it.

That’s why some investors see withdrawals as just as successful, if not more, as wining proposals. So far this year, 68% of all shareholder proposals related to climate change have been withdrawn, excluding those that are still pending.

“We tend to have conversations off the record, so to speak,” said Fran Tuite, a portfolio manager at Faripointe Capital who helps manage its ESG Equity fund. “I think that’s how a lot of change is being influenced.”

The post Heating up: Investors green targets go beyond just big oil appeared first on Gyrlversion.

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Toys R Us Reveals Slate of SDCC Exclusives: Star Wars, Transformers, Voltron, and Much More

Toys “R” Us has, in the past few years, offered an impressive slate of SDCC exclusive items and this year that trend continues. As in years past they will be offering exclusives at the Entertainment Earth booth (#2343) with select exclusives being available both online and in stores later in the year. See below for the full list of exclusives and where they will be available (at SDCC, online and in stores).

The following Toys“R”Us exclusives will be available at the Comic Convention (Entertainment Earth booth #2343) from Wednesday, July 19 – Sunday, July 23, and online at http://ift.tt/1J7EIX3 fromThursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23. These items will also be available at Toys“R”Us stores nationwide later this year.

Star Wars™ The Black Series Commander Gree™ from Hasbro

Star Wars fans will love this exclusive 6-inch Commander Gree figure from The Black Series because of its incredible features and craftsmanship. This collectible includes premium detail across multiple points of articulation that only The Black Series can offer.

TRANSFORMERS Masterpiece Optimus Prime (MP10) from Hasbro

This TRANSFORMERS Masterpiece Optimus Prime collectible figure will definitely be a favorite among TRANSFORMERS enthusiasts at this year’s show. The figure is an MP10 variant and the perfect Masterpiece figure for any fan to start their collection! The figure features a unique color variant inspired by the original TRANSFORMERS: GENERATION 1 animated series. Featuring a high level of detail and intricate articulation with poseable fingers, the figure stands at 9.5 inches when in robot mode and converts between robot and truck modes in 24 steps. The Masterpiece Optimus Prime comes with numerous classic Optimus Prime accessories including the Spike Witwicky figure, Orange Energy Axe, Matrix of Leadership, Ion Blaster Rifle and Roller Unit. The Matrix of Leadership accessory is comprised of mostly die cast metal and a blue, gem-like center which can be carried in the figure’s chest. Fans can fold the Ion blaster Rifle in half and store it in the figure’s back. The Masterpiece Optimus Prime figure also comes with a trailer that converts into a battle station and a repair bay. Rubber tires are also included.

 Marvel Legends A-Force Heroines 6-Pack from Hasbro

Expand your collection of iconic heroines in the Marvel lore with this Marvel Legends A-Force Heroines pack that comes with 6 comic-inspired figures, including Marvel’s Singularity, She-Hulk, Lady Loki, Elsa Bloodstone, Monica Rambeau and Sif. Each 6-inch tall heroine figure is highly articulated and features a beautifully detailed design allowing fans to recreate their favorite comic book arcs right at home.

POP!® X-Men X-23 from Funko

X-Men fans rejoice because X-23, the cloned daughter of Wolverine, has officially received the POP! vinyl treatment. Available exclusively at Toys“R”Us, X-23 measures 3.75-inches tall and comes packaged in a window display box – perfect for collectors and a must have at the show.

DreamWorks Voltron Metal Defender – Black Lion from Playmates Toys

Conventioneers will rejoice over the Black Lion of Voltron that’s now available in premium diecast. This detailed figure is fully articulated and made from high quality materials. When combined with the other Lions, the Black Lion transforms into the head and torso of an 8-inch scale Voltron figure. Collect all 5 diecast lions to combine to form an 8-inch articulated Voltron figure.

DreamWorks Voltron Metal Defender – Red Lion from Playmates Toys

Voltron fans can add to their collection with this Red Lion of Voltron in premium diecast. This detailed figure is fully articulated and made from premium materials. The Red Lion transforms into the right arm of an 8-inch scale Voltron figure, perfect for collectors. Collect all 5 diecast lions to combine to form an 8-inch articulated Voltron figure.

DreamWorks Voltron Metal Defender – Green Lion from Playmates Toys

Available in premium diecast is the Green Lion of Voltron, conventioneers will love the fully articulated figure made from premium materials. When combined with the other Voltron Lions from the Metal Defender series, the Green Lion transforms into the left arm of an 8-inch Voltron figure. Collect all 5 diecast lions to combine to form an 8-inch articulated Voltron figure.

DreamWorks Voltron Metal Defender – Blue Lion from Playmates Toys

Fans will love the Blue Lion of Voltron available in premium diecast. The highly detailed and fully articulated figure is made from high quality materials. Attendees can add this figure to the collection because the Blue Lion transforms into the right leg of an 8-inch scale Voltron figure. Collect all 5 diecast lions to combine to form an 8-inch articulated Voltron figure.

DreamWorks Voltron Metal Defender – Yellow Lion from Playmates Toys

Voltron aficionados can finish off the collection with the Yellow Lion of Voltron. Available in premium diecast, the Yellow Lion is fully articulated and made from exceptional materials. When combined with the other Lions from the Metal Defender series, the Yellow Lion transforms into the left leg of an 8-inch Voltron figure. Collect all 5 diecast lions to combine to form an 8-inch articulated Voltron figure.

  The following Toys“R”Us exclusives will be available ONLY at the Comic Convention from Wednesday, July 19 – Sunday, July 23, and online at http://ift.tt/1J7EIX3 from Thursday, July 20 – Sunday, July 23.

Marvel Minimates Spider-Man Homecoming Spider-Man vs. Adrian Toomes Exclusive 2-Pack from Diamond Select Toys™

This exclusive Marvel Minimates 2-pack delivers the new film’s hero and villain. Spider-Man aficionados can enjoy Peter Parker (aka Spider-Man) with his mask raised and Adrian Toomes (aka the Vulture) in his civilian clothes. Both mini-figures are fully posable and feature up to 14 points of articulation, as well as interchangeable parts and accessories.

 Power Rangers Micro Morphin™ Capsule Figures Translucent Edition Convention Exclusive from Bandai™         

It’s Morphin’ Time! Fans can power up with this Comic Convention Exclusive Power Rangers Micro Morphin™ Figure 5-pack. These translucent mini action figures are an awesome addition to any Power Rangers collection.

RWBY Ruby Rose from Jazwares

Attendees can bring home Ruby Rose, the leader of team RWBY, in a Toys“R”Us exclusive 3.75-inch scale figure. Featuring Ruby Rose’s hood up and variant paint, fans will adore this figure of the brave, ambitious and cookie-loving heroine on a mission to protect the people of Remnant.

WWE® Elite Collection Flashback Series Isaac Yankem™ Action Figure from Mattel

Conventioneers can capture the blowout action of WWE® Superstars with this WWE® Isaac Yankem, DDS™ Elite figure. Featuring one of WWE’s biggest personalities and champions, this bold and colorful figure captures Isaac Yankem’s deranged “drilling.” The figure also includes deluxe articulation, a detailed character expression, authentic ring attire, and comes equipped with a dentist jacket and headgear.

 Metals Die Cast 4-Inch Comic Convention Gold Spider-Man from Jada Toys

Attendees can bring the action and excitement home with a Comic Convention exclusive “Gold” Spider-Man! This action-posed and stylized 4-inch scale die cast Spider-Man weighs-in at half a pound and will serve as an excellent addition to any collection.

POP! Movies®: Scott Pilgrim – Scott Plumtree Tee from Funko

This POP! vinyl figure features Scott Pilgrim with his bass guitar in hand. Standing at 3.75-inches tall, Scott Pilgrim also sports his infamous Plumtree t-shirt that fans will undoubtedly recognize.

  The following Toys“R”Us exclusive will be available ONLY at the Comic Convention from Wednesday, July 19 – Sunday, July 23 and at Toys“R”Us stores nationwide later this year.

  Madame Alexander Marvel FAN GIRL 13.5-inch Action Figure – Black Panther from Madame Alexander

Dressed from head to toe in an ebony ensemble, Fan Girl Black Panther will steal attendees’ attention at this year’s show. Fans will adore this 13.5-inch collectible doll featuring a sweetheart keyhole bodice, long gloves and Black spiked high heels booties. This articulated Fan Girl collectible channels Black Panther undoubtedly, with accessories such as a layered claw necklace, choker and headpiece, as well as panther ear inspired hair buns.

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