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villainousshakespeare · 1 year

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Therapy Fit for a God Chapter 24

Loki/OFC Rated E: Trigger Warnings: Smut, Sex, Oral Sex, Angst, talk of suicide, therapy, unhealthy family dynamics, mention of torture and mind control, touch starved, drinking

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4, Chapter 5, Chapter 6, Chapter 7, Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, Chapter 11, Chapter 12, Chapter 13, Chapter 14, Chapter 15, Chapter 16, Chapter 17, Chapter 18, Chapter 19, Chapter 20, Chapter 21, Chapter 22, Chapter 23

Loki’s plans to conquer and rule Midgard have come to a disastrous end. After being captured by the Avengers, he is being held on Earth. Odin has refused to interfere, and the outlook for the God of Mischief appear bleak. His only hope may lie in one mortal woman, a Psychiatric expert brought in to interrogate him.

Dr. Caroline Thorpe is intrigued by Loki and thinks that more lies beneath his actions than is commonly known. Can she find out the truth before he is shipped off to die for crimes against the Earth? And can Loki bring himself to care?

@yespolkadotkitty @just-the-hiddles @hopelessromanticspoonie @wine-and-whines @arch-venus25 @caffiend-queen @devilish–doll @enchantedbyhiddles @hiddlesholic @i-do-not-fangirl-i-fanwoman @kellatron55 @ladyoftheteaandblood @latent-thoughts @yespolkadotkitty@maryxglz @myoxisbroken @nuggsmum @nildespirandum @pedeka @redfoxwritesstuff @sinfully-lustful-darling @vodka-and-some-sass @wrathkitty @kingtwhiddleston @wolfsmom1 @poetic-fiasco @shiningloki @dangertoozmanykids101 @bookworm-christina @amwolowicz @delightfulheartdream @frostbitten-written @what-a-flammable-heart @tom-hlover @nonsensicalobsessions @myraiswack @loki-yoursaviourishere @ghostypau @ms-cellanies @colorfulfreakstudentpizza @mareebird @colorfulfreakstudentpizza @szycha22 @chokemedaddyloki @queenofallhobos @just-the-hiddles-reads @alwida10 @justjoanne242 @chantsdemarins @lovelysizzlingbluebird @lokiprompts @evieplease

It had taken a satisfyingly short time to convince Thor and their mother that he was not going to be delayed in returning to Midgard. Friga had wanted to summon Eir and attempt to repair the sieve that they had made his memory. Thor had babbled some nonsense about danger if he set foot in the mortal's fortress. Loki had ignored them both with ease. The threat, made with just the right amount of intensity, that he would use his own weakened powers to access hidden paths to Earth were enough to have them both agreeing to bring him there themselves by a less strenuous route.

Loki didn't understand why they didn't just have the Gatekeeper open the Bifrost to the compound where this mortal woman was at present, but Thor was rather insistent that a stealthier course was called for. This was such an aberration from his brother's normal tendency to barrel in hammer first that both Loki and Frigga were quick to acquiesce, although their mother looked a little uneasy with the method it left to them.

"You do still have the Tesseract I assume, brother?" Thor had asked.

Another wave of sensation had rocked Loki, and he had to steady himself physically to avoid falling once again.

The Tesseract. Yes, the name filled him with something that was not quite comfort, but yet still offered a sense of relief. It was as if an escape card had been slipped into his pocket. It made sense; from what he knew of the Tesseract, container of the Space Stone, it could carry someone of sufficient mental strength to command it anywhere they wanted to go. One of the primal forces of creation, nothing he knew of would be able to stop it from taking him to Earth or anywhere else.

He had it?

Loki closed his eyes and mentally reached into his pocket dimension, paying much more attention than would usually be required in order to retrieve an item tucked away. He felt the auras of his usual items: knives, quills, paper, armor, anything he might need in his roamings, and dismissed them all. There were a few things he had not remembered adding, such as a rose-colored parka, some sort of projector, and a pair of sorcerous handcuffs. He would have to explore more later to see what else he had acquired in his missing days. There! in the midst of all the objects was a gently glowing blue cube that emitted a powerful aura.

Loki had pulled it out into the night air and held it aloft. How had he come to have one of the building blocks of the universe in his possession? It was yet another mystery to be solved. Right then however, he had been too concerned with the first problem. Who was this woman, this mortal of all things, who filled him with such a sense of need that he was willing to put his health at risk in order to find her and assure himself of her safety?

"Oh Loki, the Tesseract?" Frigga sighed in a voice he had been hearing his entire life.

"Apparently," he shrugged, tossing it up and catching it just for the effect. He couldn't have them realize how off his game he truly was after all.

"Give it to me, you are in no condition to use it."

"Mother -"

"Do not try to dissemble with me! You can barely stand on your own accord, how do propose to control an artifact of such power? More like than not you would end up on some random moon if you tried on your own. If you want to go, and must go now, then you will let me provide the guidance. End of discussion."

When it came right down to it, he had not been feeling at his best, and if there was any person he trusted to turn over such a weapon to it was his mother. Reluctantly he had handed the cube to Frigga and seen her breathe a sigh of relief.

"Thor, you know where this place is where Loki's friend is being kept?" Frigga asked in a brisk tone.

"I believe so," Thor answered. "My guess is that friend Stark should have been able to keep her in his rooms, rather than seeing her put into the prison."

"His rooms?" Loki growled, not liking the sound of that one bit, even though he had no idea who the person they spoke of was.

"A very large suite, Brother," Thor hastened to assure him. "Several rooms. In any event, you need not fear. He is only a little fellow, and a mortal, though fierce in battle."

"I fear nothing," he had said automatically, still not liking the situation Thor presented.

"Alright," Frigga had cut through their discussion. "Each of you place a hand on my shoulder, like when you were children. Thor, I am going to enter your mind; visualize where this woman would be for me. As much detail as you can. Loki, no over-extending yourself, but gently reach for me. That's it. Now, brace yourselves my sons."

The teleportation had taken more out of him than Loki cared to admit. Frigga's firm arm locked with his had been all that kept him steady as the terrace around them disappeared and reconfigured itself into some sort of sitting room filled with human furniture in silvers and grey. He was grateful for her discrete support and shot her a quick look of thanks while Thor shook off the trip like a pet emerging from a lake.

Too late he had reached for the Tesseract, only to see Frigga turn her wrist and remove it to her own impenetrable storage with a smile that dared him to protest. Well, that too would be a battle for another time. He had to find this person. This doctor. His heart screamed that everything else was second no matter how much his intellect told him otherwise. It was extremely irritating.

"Where is she?" he had demanded of Thor, looking around and not seeing anyone.

"Calm down Brother," the note of ill-concealed amusement in Thor's voice rankled to no end and made him itch for his knives. "I told you the suite was large. She should be here somewhere, assuming Pierce didn't kill her."

And then a dagger had been in his hand, and a snarl escaped his lips. If anyone had laid so much as a hand on her, he would make them long for an easy death.

"Loki, control yourself," Frigga had snapped at him. "And Thor, show some respect for your brother's feelings. I am sure that this Doctor Thorpe is safe and near. Ah, I think I hear voices coming from that direction. Thor, perhaps you should lead, since you are friends with the Mortal who's home we have invaded."

Loki had showed his opinion of that plan by roughly pushing past his brother and wrenching open the door out of the room. He could hear the voices then, though not what they were saying. One was low and masculine, the other had a bell like quality that went right to his heart. It was her. He would bet what remained of his soul on it. He had to see her. Once he did, everything would be right again.

Charging down the corridor, he had come at last to another room with couches, chairs, and a low table, artwork decorating the walls. He hadn't seen any of it. There, seated on one of the couches, had been Her.

He had known the minute his eyes clapped upon her. A relatively small woman, she was dressed in a grey sweatshirt several sizes too big for her that was rumpled and unflattering. Her hair, a mess of snarled curls, was tied up on the top of her head somewhat crookedly, several large chunks falling down at random. Deep, dark smudges shadowed her eyes, speaking of sleepless nights and tearful days.

Loki had never seen anyone more beautiful in his life.

He had stood in the doorway, transfixed by the sight of her eyes. They were red and watery, but that could not disguise the sharp intelligence and, even more breathtaking, the kindness that shone forth from them. Those eyes, he had thought in a brilliantly clear moment, could take all the sorrows in all the world and make them bearable. Compassion, acceptance, and humor glinted in their bottomless depth. He wanted it, all of it, for himself.

Which made the fact that at that very moment they were shining on someone else, someone who was clasping her hand and smiling back at her, absolutely unacceptable.

An intense haze of red colored all before him. Loki did not know who she was, but he knew with a certainty beyond anything else that it was his eyes she should be staring into, his hand that belonged in hers. He would kill this worm of a Mortal for daring to touch the match to his soul. Menacingly, his grip on his knife tightened.

"If you want to keep that hand," he spoke quietly from the doorway, "I suggest you remove it from my Lady's. Now."

***

That voice, low and filled with menace, was the most wonderful sound she had ever heard.

Caroline's eyes flew from Matt's face over to the entrance. He was there. Standing in the doorway to the sitting room was the only man she would ever love. For the first time in over a week, Caroline's heart seemed to beat once more.

"Loki," she said, his name and nothing more, rising to her feet.

"In all my glory," he smiled, eyes moving over her.

Caroline felt a momentary pang of embarrassment for how she must look. Since the horrible incident she had taken the bare minimum of interest in her personal appearance, only doing enough so that her friends would stop hounding her about it. As her eyes took in Loki, however, she forgot her own state as his registered in her mind.

Loki had always been thin, although Caroline knew firsthand how much lovely muscle was hiding beneath his clothing. Now though, his cheeks were hollower and the soft green tunic he wore seemed to drape loosely on his frame. His beautiful pale skin contained even less color than before if that were possible, and his sharp eyes betrayed the slightest hint of exhaustion.

She had spent quite a bit of quality time with her alien prince; Caroline knew how carefully he guarded his appearance. If he was showing visible signs of fatigue, then he must have been in a bad way indeed. He was alive yes, but he had been hurt, grievously, and it was all her fault.

"Loki, I am so sorry," she stuttered, taking a step but not daring to approach closer. "I swear, I never meant to hurt you."

An odd look flickered across his face, and she realized that his eyes, which had become open and shining when he looked at her during their time together, were guarded once more. Of course. How could she expect anything else? She had shot him, almost killing him. Their relationship could not be the same.

"Doctor Caroline! You are here!" Thor bounded up to stand next to his brother. "You see Loki, I told you she would not be killed or incarcerated."

"I am relieved to see that you were right for once," Loki's eyes had still not left her face.

"Pierce tried, by Tony insisted on keeping me here," she said, wishing he would open his arms for her but not wanting to presume. "I guess for once the rich having undue influence worked in my favor."

"Ah, well I suppose I owe you thanks then," Loki's voice did not sound particularly friendly.

To her surprise, she found that his eyes turned away from her to gaze improbably to Matt with an open hostility.

"No, Brother, that is not friend Stark," Thor whispered loudly in Loki's ear. "I know it is difficult, as most Midgardian males look the same, particularly the smaller ones. I myself have made similar mistakes in the past."

"Matt Murdock, attorney," Matt said, extending his hand.

Thor shook Matt's hand with enthusiasm, but Loki only looked at it. Matt waited a moment, and then pulled it back with a shrug.

"I take it you are the Asgardians," he said.

"Oh, yes. Matt, this is Loki and Thor. Princes of Asgard," she didn't know what Loki's feelings were for his family at the moment, but he and Thor seemed to be forming a united front.

"Although they are not acting like it at the moment," a female voice dripping with disapproval added.

Caroline tore her eyes away from Loki with an effort to see a tall woman come up to stand beside him. To call her beautiful would be an understatement. Tall and regal with intricately styled red-gold hair, the woman personified grace. Caroline at once felt even more bedraggled in comparison.

"Forgive us, Mother," Thor lowered his head, but Loki kept his green eyes flickering between Caroline and Matt.

Mother. This was Frigga, Loki's mother and Goddess in her own right. Of all the times to be introduced to her, Caroline could not think of a worse one. Not only did she look like a street urchin, but she had committed an act of violence on the other woman's son.

"Your Majesty," she said, dipping her head since there was no way she was going to try a curtsey.

"Ah, so you are Doctor Thorpe," Frigga said, giving Caroline a quick once over that she was sure saw every inch of her.

"I am."

"My son has been anxious to see you. I am pleased to make the acquaintance of one so dear to him, although I could wish the circumstances were different."

"I'm honored."

"You are honored, she is pleased," Loki drawled, looking around the room. "Now that we are done with that, all of the rest of you to go away."

"Loki!" Frigga chastised.

"Very well," Loki said with a melodramatic sigh. "I would very much like for everyone to kindly leave Caroline and I alone. Now. Better?"

"Barely," his mother allowed. "Very well. We will wait in the next room."

Frigga turned and departed with an encouragingly smiling Thor. Matt began to follow, but stopped at the last minute, putting one hand on Caroline's shoulder and looking disconcertingly straight at her.

"You'll be okay?" he asked her.

"Far more than you will be if you keep insisting on touching what you shouldn't," Loki said dangerously.

"I'll be fine," she lied, thinking she was like to combust on the spot.

"I'll be right next door," Matt ignored him. "My hearing is excellent, so just yell if you need me. Loki, it's been educational."

With an ironic twist of his expressive lips, Murdock followed the Asgardian contingent out. Caroline noticed the way Loki's glare tracked him, and she felt a horrible surge of excitement. Surely if he was that unhappy with Matt's attention to her he couldn't have completely written her off.

The door shut, and they were alone. Caroline stared at Loki in exquisite torture as he remained silent. She had hoped and wished for nothing more than to see him again, alive and well. No matter what happened, she would be forever grateful that he had survived the blast she had shot him with. Still, it was hell to be so close to him and not touch him, not assure for herself that he was real and there and whole.

Finally, when she thought she might explode, Loki walked the few short steps and stood looming over her. One of his long, elegant fingers traced the side of her face, and Caroline let out a trembling sigh at the contact. His eyes, hooded and revealing nothing, captured hers and seemed to bore deep inside her soul, looking for something. She would have happily given him anything in that moment, if he had only named. it.

"My love," he said at last.

Just those two words, but Caroline let out a sob nonetheless, throwing herself into him and tightly wrapping her arms around him. Loki smiled, lifting her chin and claiming her mouth for a long, desperately needed kiss that nourished her more than any meal could ever do. He did not hurry, letting his hands explore her body as his tongue did the same to her mouth. It was searching, like his gave had been, giving her the chance to relearn how it felt to be in his embrace. When he finally pulled away, it was to sink down onto the sofa, bringing her down next to him. She felt at home and safe at last after the nightmare of the past days.

"So, you are Caroline," he mused, looking at her. "I am relieved to know what good taste I have."

As she stared at him in shock, Loki burst into manic laughter.

#Loki fic #fan fiction #Loki/ofc #romance #memory loss #post Avengers Assemble #Loki gets therapy #love #angst #smut in previous chapters #Thor #Frigga #Matt Murdock #snarky Loki #Loki has issues #Tesseract #reunion #the course of true love

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haylorinthewoods · 1 year

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taylor is in her Hiddles era, next time she’s going to be wearing I <3 MH t shirt

I just wanna say that if the roles were reversed, if Joe was pulling this nonsense, swifties would have his HEAD. It’s truly messy and I have no clue what led to the demise of their relationship, but if Tay wants to rebound with a trash ex hook up then so be it.

#we’ve all been there #flashback to when i broke up with a guy i dated for (only) 6 months #and immediately after leaving his house i drove to my exes and acted in messy ways #IT JUST HAPPENS YOU KNOW?

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youlackconviction · 2 years

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I don't wanna be rude or anything, but can I just take a moment to... talk about the costume and makeup department for the show? I mean, Hiddles is a cutie no matter the situation or setting, but there's just something about the makeup that makes them look... Idk, older? I know he's not as young as he was in 2011 or in 2012, but for some reason his forehead seems weirdly wrinkled? I mean, I've seen recent pictures of him, and while Hiddles does have a few wrinkles it almost seemed exaggerated in the show? There's also the matter of the hair which... maybe their trying to go for an Agent of Asgard look? But coming off of 2012 it just looks way too short and way too curly. Straight up looks like George Washington hair in some shots. I honestly don't care for Sylvie at all, but the least you can do is dye her hair black? That or make it clear whether or not that she's an Amora variant, but that's besides the point I'm getting at.

Moving onto the costume department... it feels sorta like a mixed bag for me. I actually kinda like Sylvie's outfit? Didn't care for the black cloak in the beginning, could maybe use a green cape, but overall it doesn't totally compliment the actress nor the makeup. The TVA makes sense with their outfits? I won't complain about them, though it would've been cool if Ravona and Mobius got outfit changes towards the end to signify the changes they'd put in since the start. Loki, above all, is the worst offender imho. The business attire was okay for maybe one or two episodes, but after that it just became gross, and weirdly fitting. I've seen concept art that originally showed Loki wearing an outfit similar to what Sylvie wore which I feel would've been perfect... But it got scrapped. And the other Loki's? I liked classic Loki well enough, but I was honestly too distracted by the fact that he and all the other Variants looked like they were wearing things from Spirit Halloween. Okay, don't give Classic Loki a muscle suit, that makes sense, but don't make it look like the costume department had a budget of 10$ and a rusty penny, my god.

As far as Kang goes... I'm not even gonna make a comment regarding them. I hate the character so much for how passive aggressive/arrogant/incel-like they are I don't even have words to describe how much I hate them. It's the same deal with Thanos, their ideas are completely nonsensical and the smug arrogance makes me want to gouge their eyes out with my thumbs. Thanos at least had power to back up his bluster, but Kang? He's just a tiny incel fuckboy who relies too heavily on his tempad and is completely powerless when it ceases to function. I hate Sylvie with a passion, but if I was in her shoes Kang would not have gone out as quick as he did, nor as pretty.

... that's my 2¢, anyway. Take of it as you will. I'd honestly better stop before I get too pissed off, I've been having an alright day this far.

you're not wrong about the costuming and makeup. i've done a few other posts about it... comparing seriesLOKI promo pictures to avengersLOKI promo pictures; discussing serious lighting issues in the mongolia desert scene (TWO SUNS, ANYONE?), talking about his hair...

and as the very recent press photos of tom at the essex serpent premieres demonstrate, he still looks fucking gorgeous and vibrant and youthful. what they did to him in the series was nothing less than character assassination in every sense of the word.

as a photographer with an obsession for continuity and detail, stuff like that has really bothered me. it makes the whole thing reek of "IDGAF" and LOKI deserved better.

also classicLOKI should have got his muscle suit; richard was so crestfallen over that. who would it have hurt? but they wanted to mock and belittle everyone called LOKI. make them seem foolish, useless, stupid, irrelevant, untrustworthy, weak, cruel.

#in defense of loki

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smokeybrandreviews · 2 years

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Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Sweet Child of Mine

I’m a massive Marvel shill. If you’ve been around these parts, you know. I literally start all of these reviews like this because i want to be absolutely transparent about that. I am bias as f*ck about The House of Ideas so, if i hate something Marvel made, it’s because it’s objectively terrible. With that on the record, i hate Thor. I hate Marvel’s take on Thor. Always have. I never understood how Thor would work in a world full of superheroes. Plus, what even is that costume? Sh*t is corny as f*ck. When he got his first film in the MCU, i went because of course i would. Unimpressed. Hemsworth sucked at acting but Hiddles was an absolute peach. That movie was bad but, at the very least, it gave us MCU Loki. Then The Dark World happened. The less said about that nonsense, the better. While Feige floundered with giving the MCU Asgardians an identity, the comics were going a long way to redeeming the characters.

Unworthy Thor came through and turned the entire character on it’s head. That arc went a long way to making Odinson properly compelling. This was followed swiftly by Mighty Thor, revealing that a cancer riddled Jane Foster was taking up the mantle. This was part of the All New All Different initiative which sucked ass but three was a ton of good stuff in there, Lady Thor being one of them. After that, we got the best Thor story ever written to date, the God Butcher arc. I actually read all of that arc and thoroughly impressed. Around the same time, Taika Waititi blessed us with Ragnarok and it finally clicked; Thor was good. Taika had solved the puzzle and gave us one of the best Phase Three films so when it was announced he was going to adapt that masterpiece Bog-Butcher arc, i was all in. Well, it released yesterday and i saw it. Does this cinematic take hold up to what’s on the page? Well, i got opinions

The Great

Christian Bale. Dude took a character that was already pretty compelling but entirely a plot device and made him feel whole. Bale's Gorr is the gem of this film and it’s a shame there was so little of him throughout. As far as performances in the MCU, this one was easily one of the best. As antagonists go, Taika is two for two. Bale’s Gorr is just as delicious as Blanchett’s Hela.

The Good

Chris Hemsworth continues to deliver as Thor Odinson and this character is all the better for it. You got see a little bit of this in the first Avengers film and he really got to do some heavy lifting in Ultron but Ragnarok is where this character truly came into being. That awesome continues into this, the fourth standalone Thor film. Hemsworth has said he will play the character as long as Disney keeps asking him back. I hope the Mouse House has this man’s number on speed dial because i need four more of these things. AS long as Taika is in charge.

Natalie Portman is absolutely brilliant as Mighty Thor. It’s weird seeing her back onscreen after so long and even weirder seeing her out on the battlefield like that. I’m not mad, mind you, she holds her own and even has a few really touching moments during the film. It feels a little bittersweet if I'm being honest because we won’t have anymore of her going forward. Or will we? Death means nothing in comics so we’ll see. Also, Variants.

Also-also, man, is Natalie smoking hot in this thing! As Mighty Thor or Jane, she is just so goddamn gorgeous. I forgot how beautiful this woman was. Sh*t was a little jarring at first, especially hen she got all Asgardian for them scraps. Didn’t know i needed Muscle Mommy Natalie but i am glad i got it!

It was a joy seeing the Guardians again, even if they just had a glorified cameo. I mean, i am in love with Karen Gillan so anytime i get some Nebula action, i am golden.

Speaking of cameos, there are a ton. There are some shots pulled straight from the comic and even characters we haven’t seen in years, making their grand return. Missing an arm. There’s even a Heimdall easter egg that properly gives closure to his arc. Again, bittersweet, but i thin that’s kind of the theme to this film.

This movie cooks, man. The pacing is akin to a full-on sprint. that makes for a decent viewing experience but, goddamn, did i want to linger in certain scenes a bit longer. A good example are the scenes with all three Asgardians together. Those shots with Brunhilde (Yes, that’s Valkyrie's actual name), Jane, and Thor were fantastic. They have great chemistry together. Also, Korg was there a little bit. I wanted more of that but, what we did get, was solid as f*ck.

The Meh

The story, overall, is kind of pedestrian. No, that’s not fair. i Liked the story but it feels... poorly stitched together? Yeah, that’s closer to what i want to say. I mentioned the above comic arcs, Gorr the God-Butcher, Unworthy, and Mighty, specifically because these are the narrative Waititi pulled from to create this story. And it feels that way. There is a lot here and you kind of feel like there wasn’t enough time to properly tell tale because it needed to cover so much ground.

This movie is funny. A little too funny. Like, sometimes distractedly so. The joke often takes precedence instead of the the plot and that can get kind of frustrating. Ragnarok walked that line very well and it did wonders for the Thor character but in this? It feels they crossed that line a step or two too much. Cats are saying it’s as f*cked up as Batman and Robin but no. Absolutely not. Nothing in the MCU is as bad as that, and i am including The Dark World in that brazen statement, but i will admit there was a hair too much levity in this entry. Just a smidge.

The Bad

There’s too much going on, man. I mentioned this before when i gave the pacing some lukewarm praise but there are just too many plot lines to cover. They never organically focus and you just feel like “Why?” As much as i enjoy Valkyrie, why was she here? Aside from the fact she was f*cking the director, i mean. Why didn’t we get a Thor and Mighty Thor adventure? Why the f*ck were the kids there at the end? Why the f*ck Zeus? Why a lot of things? If the plot was more focused, we’d have these answers but it wasn’t. It was kind of all over the lace, all of the time.

Definitely not enough Gorr. Bale is the best thing about this flick, one of the better MCU villains as a whole, and dude has, like, five minutes of screen time. I understand why they changed the design of the character from it’s rather plain comic appearance because Bale really delivers in his performance. Would have been a shame to hide that behind makeup or CG. It still is a shame because we got so little of it.

This sh*t is basically the origin to Singularity. Like, this is a Thor flick in name only. Love and Thunder is as much a Thor film as MoM was a Doctor Strange film. That’s not a terrible thing, mid you, but if your title character is more a supporting character, then you have a problem with your movie. Thor is much more present than the good doctor was in his, but you’d be forgiven if you thought this was a Mighty Thor film or if the whole thing was literally just to introduced Singularity as a character. That sh*t doesn’t bother me too much but it is indicative of Phase Four Marvel, which is a little disheartening. I’ll probably get into that in more detail later because i got opinions.

The Verdict

Thor: Love and Thunder is pretty good. It’s a solid watch and probably the second strongest cinematic entry in Phase Four of the MCU. Obviously, No Way Home is the best film so far but Thor 4 is easily the silver medal so far. While i enjoyed MoM, Love and Thunder is just a better film, overall. I loved seeing Portman finally doing more than Surprised Pikachu Face and getting damsel’d all the time. I always thought Jane deserved better than her two outings and this one really redeems her character. We get more fantastic Thor development as well as some solid Valkyrie work. Overall, i enjoyed L and T, even though this thing definitely feels like a filler arc. The narrative definitely could have been tighter and we absolutely should have had more of Bales Gorr, but, ultimately, this was a solid watch. If you’re a fan of the MCU, then this one is a must watch, especially with the introduction of Singularity. If you just want to have a surprisingly heartfelt good time in the theater, Thor: Love and Thunder truly delivers that, even if it’s a little flawed.

#Smokey brand Movie Reviews #Thor: Love and Thunder #Marvel #MCU

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smokeybrand · 2 years

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Smokey brand Movie Reviews: Sweet Child of Mine

The Great

The Good

It was a joy seeing the Guardians again, even if they just had a glorified cameo. I mean, i am in love with Karen Gillan so anytime i get some Nebula action, i am golden.

The Meh

The Bad

The Verdict

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thehumming6irdwrites · 4 years

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@tinchentitri Look closely! I definitely need to write that one shot now, don’t I?

#*mutters*#Just get a thicker jumper Thomas ffs #Tom Hiddleston #Hiddles Nonsense #Hiddles Threads #Hiddlestoners #problematic Hiddles things #Hiddles hands #not my image #just my random edit for research purposes #;)

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loricamebackyetagain · 2 years

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Confess your sins😈

I'll confess things I never did if he wants to punish me for them.

#i honestly am speechless #ive never seen this one before #now all i can think about is being tied up on the bed and being punished by that god #damn you sheila #loris nonsense #hiddles and skittles

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reachexceedinggrasp · 3 years

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I’m so not excited for the Loki show for the very reasons you mentioned AND apparently the Loki show creator is doing Feige’s Star Wars movie 🙃

Yep, exactly. Everything I would want for him as a character, all the conflict he never got to resolve, is just not possible to do in the show even if they wanted to do it. And given Marvel’s perfect track record of never knowing what to do with him or how to write him effectively, total failure to understand why he’s so popular, and rebooting his personality every time he appears, I was just not interested.

‘Feige’s Star Wars movie’ is a cursed fucking sentence. Ugh.

#I also think it's a waste of Hiddles' time and he deserves better but obviously the industry is what it is #to me I'm just going to keep my Original Flavour Loki and my lokane fanfic and block the rest out #and if people post gifs of the show I will enjoy them on a totally shallow level lmao #and try not to find out about whatever nonsense they will inevitably pull #one day we will have a Sad Space Prince with a good ending #it'll happen #One Day #loki

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gemsonaresources · 6 years

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I’m screaming so loud ?!?! ITS SO GAY AND SO PURE I JEED TOMORROW TO COME RN

ZZZZ wake me up when it’s TOMORROW ALREADYYY

#steven universe #su #so gay- so pure- need more #mod nonsense #caps #caps warning #hiddle-tiddle-trash

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sableseb · 3 years

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so uh. imagine professor!seb degrading you as he fucks you in his office. god he’d just be pounding you into the desk and another professor shows up (chris? tom hiddles?) and joins in?

Oh goodness😳 thank you for this amazing request. I hope you enjoy this lil somethin, somethin❤️

word count: 1.2k

warnings: smut, bit of degradation, voyeurism, exhibitionism, oral m receiving

tags: @fuckandfluff @meetmeatyourworst @greeneyedblondie44

The reason for having straight A’s in all of Mr. Stan’s classes isn’t because of what you have in your head, but rather, what you have between your thighs.

Your professor could never tear his eyes away from your form, sitting all prim and proper in the front row, hooked on every word that escaped his lips, wearing skirts so short that if you shifted your legs right, he’d catch a glimpse of those cute pink, pastel panties.

Little to your knowledge at the time, he was completely enamored with you. You always missed his glances and lingering touches when he’d hold the door open for you. Too oblivious to his assertions.

Each time he’d do something so gentlemanly like, you fell even harder for him. Those well tailored suits that hugged his form, those perfect teeth, the way he’d run his fingers through his thick hair when he was tired or frustrated made you lust after his forbidden fruit.

You find yourself bent over his desk for what felt like the hundredth time this semester and each time just got better than the last. But, behind the heavy oak door of his office, he’s a different man.

Gone is the sweet and charming guy, who always makes you blush. He’s replaced by someone harsh, feral almost. And you love this side just as much in some sick way.

“That’s it. Take this fucking cock.” he grunts as he pummels in and out of you.

Your panties are in his jacket pocket, skirt hiked over your hips displaying your reddened ass from his slaps and thrusts. He thrusts into you particularly deep this time, making you cry out. You try to move away to give yourself a break from his onslaught.

Sebastian grips your hair to push your face down against the mahogany desk. “I don’t think so, baby. You wanna keep those good grades? You better keep these fuckin’ legs spread.”

With a pitiful sob, you do as you're told. Letting him use you like he always does. His dress pants are rubbing your thighs raw, each graze of the fabric makes you wince. But, the speed of his thrusts and the pleasure building up in your core overpower the rawness, the sting of your scalp from his tight hold, and the way your heart clenches at his words.

Your breathless gasps grow as your climax approaches. Your walls are pulsing around his thick girth, trying to suck him back in each time he pulls out. The sounds of his grunts send you farther towards the edge. You wish to see the face he makes when he paints your walls, always loving the way his brows furrowed and his jaw slacks.

Before you can let yourself be consumed in pleasure, the door opens. You snap your head up from Sebastian’s hold. He lets you lift your head, never once slowing his thrusts. The doorway showcases Mr. Hiddleston and his expression of sheer embarrassment.

“My, I-I’m terribly sorry. I didn’t see anything, I promise.” he stutters out, fumbling for the door handle.

“Nonsense, come have a seat. Watch what a good little slut our star student is. “ Sebastian says behind you clear as day, as if he wasn’t balls deep inside you.

“No, really. I best be on my w-”

“I said sit, Tom.”

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Tom makes his way into the office. He knew it was wrong, knew he should report both of you, but the way you’re bent over getting your brains fucked out has him hardening in his slacks and curiosity swirling in his head.

You watch as he sits across from you, shame starts bubbling up in your chest as his eyes look into yours. You never questioned Mr. Stan’s motives. You always let him have his way, even if this time his way is putting you on display for another man

Your orgasm is long gone, even Sebastian’s constant thrusting is a dull reminder of how close you were.

He jerks you up by your neck, keeping you pinned against his hard chest. “I’m gonna need you to be loud for me, baby. Let Mr. Hiddleston hear how good I make you feel.”

The hand that’s not currently holding your head in place snakes down your front, the tips of his fingers finding your clit. Your pussy clenches around him at the contact.

“Shit. You should feel how tight she’s squeezin’ me. Who makes you feel this good?”

Sebastian thrusts into you deep, rolling his fingers over your sensitive nerves. “You do, Mr. Stan.”

“That’s right, baby.” He bites your ear, sending a shiver down your spine. “And don’t you forget it.”

He slaps your pussy, causing your knees to buckle in, before pushing you back down against the harsh surface of the desk.

Tom’s hand has been rubbing languidly over the tent in his pants the whole time. It seems like his coworker knows just what your body needs. It makes him wonder how long you two have been sneaking around together. Before any more thoughts can enter his mind, Sebastian’s voice calls out to him.

“Come fuck her mouth. I promise she works wonders with her tongue.”

Tom watches as Sebastian reaches under your jaw and squeezes your cheeks together, holding your head up so he can get a good view.

“Just look at this pretty pout.”

The thought of two men fucking you at the same time sends you reeling. You want Mr. Hiddleston to use you almost as much as Mr. Stan. So, when he makes his way over to you, hands fumbling his belt, your tongue is already out and splayed across your chin.

“She is an obedient one, isn't she?” Tom says as you runs to tip of his cock along your lips.

He slides himself into your wet, warm mouth. He’s heavy on your tongue, tip grazing the back of your throat with each shallow thrust. You treat him with the same enthusiasm you give Sebastian, licking and sucking the head, taking him all the way down your throat.

Sebastian’s hips pick up their harsh pace once more, causing you to let out groans that send vibrations down Tom’s shaft. The man above you can’t hold back any longer, his pace is almost as erratic as the one behind you. Both men are abusing your holes and you’ve never felt more wanted.

Your orgasm built back up again embarrassingly fast. Sebastian knows this, he can feel how close you are by the way you meet his thrusts. “That’s right, fuck yourself on my cock. I know my dumb slut wants to cum.”

The damn breaks and you gush around Sebastian’s cock while you're still choking on Tom’s. You lay there spent as both men chase their pleasure. Tom caresses your hollowed cheeks while Sebastian grabs your ass tightly, hearing him let out a grunt as he fills you up.

Tom holds your head in place, forcing himself down the back of your throat, the tip of your nose hitting his pelvis. It doesn’t take long before he spills his seed down your throat. His salty cum coating the inside of your mouth.

When both men pull out, you gasp for air. Your senses are muddied as you lay there against the desk, completely and utterly used. The conversation your professors are having falls upon deaf ears. You’re too blissed out. You shouldn’t be feeling sated right now. You should be running away, crying, feeling shame for letting your professors use you.

But, you couldn't find a care, not when you’ve never felt more complete than you do now.

#asks #sleepover #sebastian stan #sebastian stan x reader #sebastian stan smut #tom hiddleston #tom hiddelston x reader #tom hiddleston smut

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villainousshakespeare · 2 years

Text

Secret Santa

Hey! So somewhere in the past few months I passed 1,000 followers! I am shocked, amazed, and worried for all of your mental health, lol. Seriously, I love you all!

I haven’t really had time to do a celebration, but to say thank you, here is a tooth achingly sweet Loki Christmas One Shot! I hope you enjoy!!!

Secret Santa

Loki One Shot Loki/OFC Warnings: light angst, guilt, post Avengers Assemble Loki dealing with his actions while mind controlled, tooth rotting fluff Summary: Thor badgers Loki into participating in the Secret Santa at Avengers Tower. He is reluctant, but his gifts soon have him changing his mind.

@yespolkadotkitty @just-the-hiddles @hopelessromanticspoonie @wine-and-whines @arch-venus25 @caffiend-queen @devilish–doll @enchantedbyhiddles @hiddlesholic @i-do-not-fangirl-i-fanwoman @kellatron55 @ladyoftheteaandblood @latent-thoughts @yespolkadotkitty@maryxglz @myoxisbroken @nuggsmum @nildespirandum @pedeka @redfoxwritesstuff @sinfully-lustful-darling @vodka-and-some-sass @wrathkitty @kingtwhiddleston @wolfsmom1 @poetic-fiasco @shiningloki @dangertoozmanykids101 @bookworm-christina @amwolowicz @delightfulheartdream @frostbitten-written @what-a-flammable-heart @tom-hlover @nonsensicalobsessions @myraiswack @loki-yoursaviourishere @ghostypau @justthehiddleswrites @ms-cellanies @colorfulfreakstudentpizza @mareebird @colorfulfreakstudentpizza @szycha22 @chokemedaddyloki @justthehiddleswrites

“But Loki, you have to! You promised!”

”I most certainly did not!” The God of Mischief glared at his brother with affront. “And I think I would remember making you any such a vow.”

”Ah, but the promise wasn’t made to me,” Thor said triumphantly, preparing to play his trump card. “You promised mother! The day we left Asgard, you promised to do your best to get along and become a member of the team!”

”I… that is… you can’t really think I meant…” Loki stuttered, finding himself at an unusual loss for words as his lunk of a brother watched, arms crossed over his massive chest and a smug look on his face. “Surely Frigga wouldn’t expect me to participate in such a cloying, useless exercise.”

”She would and you know it!” Thor insisted. “I don’t see what all your complaining is about, brother. It is very little work, after all. You just pull out one name and buy that person gifts for a week. And in exchange, you get gifts! Seven of them, including a big one at the end on Christmas Day!”

”Christmas,” Loki sneered. “Why should we, Gods ourselves, have to celebrate the birth of one little Midgard deity with all this fuss?”

”Because it’s fun! And it makes the mortals happy, it builds team moral, and because you promised Mother!”

The last reminder cut off Loki’s snide response and he lowered his head in defeat. He had promised Frigga that he would do his best to play nice, to fit in. But the truth was it didn’t matter what he did, no one here would ever see him as more than the soulless, would-be-tyrant who had tried to kill them all. Never mind that he had been under the influence of a powerful, malevolent force at the time. Never mind that he had done his best even so controlled to sabotage the takeover. They saw the monster, not the person.

“No one wants me there, Thor,” he said at last in a sad, quiet voice. “I will just ruin the fun for everyone else.”

”Nonsense! I know at least one person who would love to have you involved!”

”Oh really? And who would that be?” Loki tried to make his voice snide, but inside he was desperate for one, just one of these mortals to see the real him, to understand.

“Why me, of course!”

Loki tried to not show his disappointment. What else could he expect? As Thor smiled at him expectantly, looking for the world like an over grown puppy, Loki sighed in defeat.

“Very well. Explain to me how this works. “

***

”So this is how it works,” Rogers, standing in the midst of a throng of fifty or so heroes, agents, and scientists enthused. “The names of everyone who has chosen to participate are in this hat. You each draw out one, and for the next week you buy that person a gift and leave it for them in secret. On Saturday, Christmas Day, you give them their final, largest present and reveal your identity.”

"Yeah, tell us again Gramps, how does Christmas work? It's not like we've all been doing this for years or anything," Stark snarked from where he leaned against a wall.

"Not everyone was here last time," Steve's voice was calm despite the slight blush that colored his cheeks. "And there are one or two new rules..."

"Such as? What, were our gifts not wiz bang enough for you?" Tony challenged.

"Such as no trading names," Steve gave a hard look around at his grumbling colleagues. "The name you draw is the name you buy for. Also, there is a strict price limit on the amount of each gift. We don't need a repeat of last year."

"Hey, I'm not complaining, I love the Thunderbird!" Clint chimed in with you a grin.

"It suited you," Tony said, popping a blueberry into his mouth. "All about the branding, my friend. A bird for the bird man."

"True as that maybe," Rogers struggled to pull the conversation back, "it's not really great for team spirit when one person gets a vintage car and another gets a sweater."

"Not my fault if you all suck at gift giving."

"Whatever, just stay in the limit!"

Loki slouched lower into his chair, wondering how long this farce was going to continue. Why could they not just give his a name so that he could escape this collection of battling egos all hopped up on cookies and self importance? Not that the cookies were bad. He would definitely steal some more of those on his way out.

"Okay, Peter, as our youngest Avenger, You're the best suited to play the part of the elf. Bring the hat around and let people pick."

"These people have clearly never seen elves before," Thor chucked to him. "The boy is far to short for one."

"Clearly," Loki sighed.

Peter took the red felt hat with the fake white fur from Rogers and smiled happily around at them all, shaking it to mix up the names.

"Loki, why don't you pick first?" Thor boomed with over compensating volume.

"Makes sense, reindeer bringing the toys and all. Although I think Rudolph's on the naughty list himself," Stark quipped.

"You're hardly one to talk, Blitzen," Rhodey snarked back at him. "Go on, Loki, pull a name."

Sighing heavily, Loki reached in and pulled out a name.

"Ridiculous," he said without thinking. "I have no idea what to buy for the spider child."

"He's a boy, Loki," Thor shrugged as Peter gaped at them. "All boys like weapons. Sword, knives, a battle axe perhaps?"

"Okay, let's put that name back in the hat!" Tony insisted, snatching the piece of paper out of Loki's hand and placing it back in the hat.

"But Cap said no trading!" Parker protested.

All eyes swung to Rogers, who looked torn about how to proceed.

"I think we can make an exception in this one case," Natasha made the executive decision. "Go ahead and pick another name. And this time, don't tell us who you get."

Rolling his eyes, Loki pulled another name. He didn't even bother to read it before sliding it into his pocket. A disappointed looking Peter moved on with the hat and the weary God sunk back into his chair. It was not much longer before a general rowdiness had overcome the room and he was able to slink out and back to his room. It was less lonely there, alone.

***

It was approaching noon when Loki made his way to the kitchen area for his first cup of coffee. Mornings were not his favorite, so he tended to avoid them whenever possible. This gave him the added bonus of also avoiding most of the others, like his brother who would bound out of bed with the rising sun. In Loki's opinion, no one should speak before noon or three cups of coffee, which ever came second.

As he took his giant mug with the snake handle down off the shelf, Loki noticed something was rattling around in it. Right, he thought. Today was the first day of the pointless gift exchange. He had almost forgotten about it in the three days since the names had been drawn. He himself had drawn Scott Lange, the annoyingly verbal man with the resizing trick. It had been an adequately simple selection. The man was inordinately fond of what passed for magic in this world. All Loki had needed to do was select a few items from his pocket dimension and repurpose them as gifts. He had done so that very afternoon, dropping them on Thor's coffee table and declaring that he was not dignifying the proceedings by wrapping or hiding the presents. Appeased by that much participation, Thor had promised to make sure that they were delivered each day, congratulating Loki like a difficult school child for making an effort.

Well, time to see what the poor fool who had the misfortune to draw his name had gotten for Loki. No doubt something trite - a candle, or a pair of sox or some such. If he were lucky, perhaps it would be some sort of candy. He did enjoy the sweets on this realm, he had to admit. Mostly, he just hoped it wouldn't explode.

Pulling the object from the mug, he found a narrow box wrapped in green paper and decorated with gold ribbon. It was pretty, for all that it was unwanted. He slid the ribbon off the end and carefully unwrapped the paper, still half expecting some trick to blow up in his face.

Opening the box, Loki looked inside to see a deceptively simple looking gold pen. When he took it out, he noted how nice it felt in his hand. It was not one of the cheap plastic instruments that cluttered most desks in the tower, but made of a sturdy metal. There was a nice weight to it, and the smooth surface was comfortable to grip. Taking off the cap, he pulled a discarded newspaper to him and drew a simple rune on it. The ink, a lovely shade of deep emerald, came out smooth and easy. Instinctively his signed his name and was impressed by how elegant it looked.

"Oh Loki! Your first gift! What did you get?" Thor demanded, coming up behind him and looking expectantly over his shoulder.

"A pen."

"Ah. Well, I'm sure your next present will be better. don't worry," Thor patted him overly hard on the back."

"What did you get?" he asked absentmindedly, twirling the gold pen between his long fingers and appreciating how it felt.

"A plastic rifle that shoots water!" Thor enthused. I've just come to replenish my ammunition, then I'm off to find Banner!"

"Say hello to the beast for me," Loki rolled his eyes as his brother bounded out of the room, toy gun in hand. With a small smile he pocketed the pen and sat down to drink his coffee.

The next morning a book awaited him, again wrapped neatly in green paper. At first he was annoyed by the subject: "Christmastide, the Yule Traditions that Spawned it and How We Celebrate it Today." True, he was not an expert on the Mortal holiday, but there was no need to rub in his deficiency. Still, as he sat drinking his coffee he allowed himself to glance at the preface. Two hours later he looked up and realized that he had finished the entire book in one go. He had never realized how much of the festivities of the season came from Norse origins. While he might not particularly like the idea of the omnipresent Santa Clause being a variant of Odin and the Wild Hunt, he did look over at the decorated tree with a new appreciation. He supposed he might have to give the holiday some more thought.

Much to his surprise, when Loki wandered into the kitchen the next morning he realized that he was looking forward to finding what gift would next be awaiting him. It turned out that his wish of the first day came true - it was sweets. No store bought candies were left for him, however. A box of homemade cookies cut and decorated to resemble little men was addressed to him. Looking closer, he saw that some of the cookies were dressed as the Midgard version of Elves, some as Santas, and that a few had been cunningly cut so that they appeared to be wearing tiny replicas of his helmet and cape! Loki stared in bemusement at the little representations of himself in among the other Christmas cookies. Dressed as they all were in green and gold, it seemed as though he fit right in with the other characters. He was uncertain how he felt about that, but the aroma coming from the box left no doubt in his mind as to how he felt about the cookies. Picking up a Santa and remembering the book linking them to Odin, he took a large bite of it's head. Delicious and therapeutic in one!

As his mood improved each day, Loki also found himself waking earlier in anticipation of his presents. The fourth day he arrived so much earlier than usual that other people still sat about finishing up their own morning meals. From beneath his eyelids he scrutinized each and every one of them as he walked to the cupboard. One of these people with whom he had been living and working was the purchaser of these gifts, he realized. Why that had not occurred to him before he wasn't sure, but the realization hit him hard now.

Who could it possibly be? Each of the gifts had been thoughtful, unique, and perfect for Loki. Someone had obviously put quite a bit of thought and effort into selecting things for him. Suppressing a strange pang at the pile of accumulated arcana he had dumped with Thor for Lange, he mentally ran through the people he could remember from the drawing. None of them seemed likely. Who was his gifter?

As he pondered this, Loki saw a square box on the shelf next to his mug with the telltale green and gold wrapping. He pulled it down off the shelf, ignoring his snake mug, and tore off the paper, wanting to know what knew unlooked for surprise awaited him. A tinkling of music played as he reached in and pulled out a fragile looking orb on a porcelain pedestal.

A music box, he realized. The globe was made of clear glass, and inside was some sort of liquid in which floated little specks of something made to look like snow. In the center on what looked like a frozen lake stood a woman with long, reddish gold hair in a blue dress and a little boy with black hair in a green coat. Carefully, Loki turned the little gold key sticking out of one side of the pedestal and the pair of figures began to move about as if skating while a song he distantly recognized as belonging to this season played from the base. He had never realized how pretty the tune was before.

Looking around quickly, he put the music box back in the packaging, surreptitiously wiping a tear from the corning of his eye and hopefully making it look like a hair flip. Foregoing his coffee, he returned to his room where he spent over an hour watching and listening to the toy.

***

"Who is participating in the gift exchange?" he demanded as Steve Rogers opened the door to his rooms.

"Oh, Loki, hi. Good to see you," Rogers looked almost comically confused as he blinked at the God who had been banging on his door. "Can I help you with something?"

"Yes," Loki struggled to keep his voice even. "The Santa exchange -"

"Secret Santa. Yeah, what about it?"

"Who is participating?"

"Lots of people. You were there, you saw as well as me."

"Do you have a list?"

"A list?"

"Yes, a list of who put their names in. Of who is buying gifts, and for whom?"

"What? No. No, I didn't make a list. Why? Hey, if someone got you something inappropriate or mean, or if they aren't giving you your presents, just let me know and I'll take care of it..." Rogers gave him a sympathetic half smile.

"There's no list?" Humans were insufferably inefficient.

"Afraid not. Everything okay? With your gifts?"

"Yes. My gifts are fine. More than fine, in fact. That's the problem."

"Why is that a problem?" Rogers asked.

"Who would get me satisfactory gifts?" Loki demanded, sounding almost aggrieved. "Who could?"

"Someone who pays attention?" Steve suggested.

"If it is you..." Loki narrowed his eyes, assessing the hero.

"Not me, I got Thor," Steve said, raising his hands. "Don't tell him that though. Or Bruce. I hear he's getting the brunt of the attacks."

"The little suction arrows were clever," Loki allowed with a grin. "One of them made a mark on Banner's forehead that has yet to fade."

"Aw, man. I'm going to pay for that."

"You truly don't know who my gifter is?"

"Nope, sorry, Loki. You're going to have to wait for Saturday to find out."

Waiting was not among Loki's talents in cases like this. Thwarted in his attempt to obtain an official list, he decided to try and cobble together one of his own. Sitting at his desk with his superior green and gold pen, Loki attempted to create a list of all of the people who had been in the common room when the drawing had taken place. There were the Avengers themselves, of course. Loki considered each of them, but with the exception of a brief moment when Wanda Maximoff seemed as though she might possibly be a dark horse, he quickly scratched them off. None of them possessed the type of personality to look at their foe and see the man beneath.

This left agents, scientists, and a few other functionaries. Try as he might, Loki could not put names to any of them beyond two or three particularly unfriendly spies who had made perfectly clear that they would gladly throw him out the same window he through which he had sent Stark flying. He would need to do more investigating.

Practically sprinting into the kitchen the next morning, he ignored the strange looks he received from the other occupants and grabbed a parcel in the now familiar wrapping. As he tore into it he wondered what new delight would be within. When he unrolled the large book he gave a bark of laughter. In contrast to the heartfelt gift of yesterday, today's gift was a book of pictures to be colored, all of them depicting mythical creatures such as unicorns and dragons happily offering off color invectives. As he flipped through the book, Loki couldn't help but chuckle at the juxtaposition of cute, fanciful animals and obscene comments. He would enjoy coloring them and leaving them as gifts for Thor and the other Avengers.

Rolling the book back up and stuffing it into his back pocket, Loki headed down to the main science lab. He spent the balance of the day prowling the floor, peering through lowered eyelids at all of the busy workers. Could one of them be the person selecting all of these items for him? It seemed more likely somehow than one of the agents. Scientists would have less first hand reason to dislike him, and might also understand a nature such as his that hid as much as it showed.

By the end of the day, he believed he had narrowed the candidates down to four. All of them were on the quiet side. One was a geneticist, one a cryptologist, and two worked in the medical ward. He could not decide who it was amongst them, but he knew who he hoped for. Silently, keeping his distance, he followed her upstairs at the end of her shift. How had he never noticed her before?

Despite staying in the dining area, not his usual habit, Loki could not quite work up the nerve to talk to her. Once or twice her eyes flicked his way, but then they always went right back to her food. He couldn't exactly blame her. Loki knew he was staring. He couldn't help it.

Once last mystery present awaited him. After that, on Saturday, the rules stated that the "Santas" reveal themselves. Loki was not about to leave that to chance, however. He needed to know who it was, and he need a chance to talk to them. He knew that the morning's present would arrive in the usual spot. Grabbing his now precious pen, he scrawled a quick note.

Showing once more a kindred spirit, he discovered that his donor had also written him a missive. Nestled in a box beneath a ring - gold wire with small green stones - was a brief folded piece of parchment printed on with an elegant hand.

"I noticed like me you need help getting through all the long meetings and briefings," the note read. "Perhaps this will be less conspicuous than a knife." After, in a sloppier postscript, was added, "I will meet you tomorrow as requested. I hope you are not disappointed."

He couldn't sleep. All night, Loki paced his room, playing with the beads on ring that fit perfectly on his finger. He would meet them - he didn't want to commit to the idea that it was the woman he suspected - tomorrow. He would get to talk to this person. Perhaps they would not flinch when he approached. He would look into the eyes of someone who seemed to have seen into his soul. What would those eyes do? Smile welcomingly, or shut down? If the latter, how would he survive the disappointment?

***

"MERRY CHRISTMAS!" Thor bellowed, barging into his room. "Loki! You're awake!"

"After that greeting, how could I not be?" Loki snapped.

"And dressed," Thor narrowed his eyes. "You're excited, aren't you? For Santa!"

"Santa is a myth," Loki huffed, fixing his hair once more in the mirror.

"I've heard how you've been getting up early to look for your gifts. And now, look at you! Up and ready, dressed for the occasion!"

"I always wear green."

"With red accents? I think not. No need to be embarrassed, brother! Christmas is magical! A time of peace and love! Now, come on! I want to see what weapon Santa has brought me today!"

Suppressing a moment of fear, Loki followed him out the door and down to the common area. It was still a few minutes before he had arranged through his note to meet them. Internally his tension rose to an almost unimaginable. Level.

"There he is!"

As Loki raised his coffee to his lips he was hit from the side by a flying tackle, sending hot liquid down his chin and onto his green cashmere sweater.

"I knew it had to be you!"

Pulling a kerchief from nowhere and wiping at his face, Loki turned to glare at Scott Lange.

"Oh, hey man, sorry about that. Here! Let me help!"

With a wide grin, the human pulled his own handkerchief from an invisible location and ineffectually swiped at Loki's chest. He had to admit, the man had produced the fabric with some skill. Perhaps he was not completely inept.

"I loved every one of my gifts!" Lange was babbling at him.

"You did?"

"Oh man, you have no idea! I am the king of the PTA Dads' Club! Look, I can pull an actual rabbit out of the air!"

"No no," Loki stopped him quickly before the animal could appear. "I believe you. I am glad the gifts pleased you."

"They are awesome. Listen, if you ever want to get together and talk about magic, just let me know! I am up for anything!"

"You are... alright. Well I will keep that in mind."

"Oh, look! There's Strange! I'm going to go show him my bunny! Call me man!"

In bemusement Loki watched the man spring away, smirking as he accosted the obviously unamused Strange. Well, so much for feeling guilty over his lack of thought! His gifts had been a great success.

It was still a few minutes before the appointed meeting time, but Loki could wait no longer. Downing the rest of his coffee and doing a quick spell to freshen his breath, Loki headed through the glass doors onto the enclosed balcony that ringed the floor. Before him the streets of New York glittered under a fresh blanket of snow. He could see, in that moment, why people thought this time of year was magical.

meow

The noise startled him out of his contemplation. Looking down, Loki saw a small black kitten stalking towards him, tail raised but tipped at the end in a sign of play.

"Well hello, little one," he smiled, going down on one knee. "Where did you come from and how did you get out hear?"

The animal scampered over to him and began chewing on his pinky as he attempted to pet it. Loki chuckled and indulged in a brief game of tug, impressed by the tenacity of such a small cat.

"Oh, there you are!" the voice was full of equal parts exasperation and relief.

Loki's eyes shot up and he rose quickly to his feet as the woman came out onto the balcony. It was her. Dressed in a pretty yet simple green top and skirt, hair tied back with a green ribbon, she was a picture of understated Christmas beauty. As her eyes rose shyly to his, Loki's heart began to beat faster. He had not dared to hope, but yet in his heart, he had always known.

"Me, or this little fellow?" he asked with a smile.

"Um... both actually," she answered nervously with a smile.

"Then it is you."

"Me?"

"My Santa."

"Ye-ah. It's me," she ducked her head, obviously embarrassed. "I'm sorry they weren't more... I don't know... grand?"

"Grand?" he echoed.

"Fancy? I mean, you're a prince. A pen, a coloring book... I'm sure you must be used to better presents."

"If only you knew," his voice was laced with irony. "How did you know? How did you know just what to buy me?"

"You.. you liked them then?"

"No one in my life, not even those who have known me hundreds of years, could have found gifts more suited to my nature."

"Oh, good," she breathed a heavy sigh of relief.

For a few moments they both stood there, neither speaking, both blushing awkwardly.

meow! The cat began trying to climb Loki's leg.

"Mischief! Behave yourself!" she scolded, scooping the kitty up into her arms and making Loki jealous of a cat.

"Mischief?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"If it's okay with you," she hurried to add.

"Why should I get a say?"

"Because he's yours," she said in a rush. "If you want him, I mean. I know you're not supposed to give pets as presents, and if you don't want him I will happily keep him for myself. But I was thinking and thinking of what to get you for your final present and I thought 'well, what does Loki need more than anything else?' and I realized it was obvious. You needed love. You needed someone to love you best and unconditionally. We all need that, of course, but after all that you've been through... every thing done to you and the way some of the others treat you... you need it more than most. And then I was remembered that Shannon's cat had kittens, and she was looking for homes for them. This little fellow just seemed like he belonged with you. The black coat, green eyes..."

"And inability to behave himself?" Loki added as Mischief attempted to climb onto her shoulder.

"Well, yeah," she admitted with a rueful laugh. "I mean, would you want a cat who always did as he was supposed to? Where would be the fun it that?"

"Too true."

"So, do you want him?"

"Very much."

"Here."

Carefully, she passed the squirming bundle of fur into Loki's hands. The kitten, over excited and uncertain how to react, began to simultaneously purr and nip at his sweater. Loki laughed softly, knowing just how he felt.

"I knew you were made for each other! I have stuff for him as well, I wouldn't just drop him on you. I can have it brought to your rooms. Well, Merry Christmas, Loki."

"Caroline, wait," Loki said desperately as she turned to walk back inside.

"You know my name?" she sounded in shock.

"I do. I was hoping it was you."

"I didn't think you even knew who I was."

"I didn't," he admitted. "Not until two days ago. I was going insane, trying to determine who had gotten me such well suited gifts. I winnowed down the possibilities to a few and well... when I observed you my heart insisted that you were the one."

"Observed us? Is that why you were skulking around the ER the other day?"

"It was. I was watching a certain capable doctor going about her rounds. Well, and an orderly, but I was fairly certain it wasn't him. He only ate salad for lunch, and after the sinful cookies I knew it had to be someone who appreciated sweets. I am so very glad to be proven correct."

"You liked the cookies? It's my grandmother's recipe."

"I liked everything you gave me. But more than that, I like that you thought to give them to me. That you thought of me."

"I think of you more than I should," she said, and then turned bright red.

"I have thought of nothing but you since I saw you."

"Why? I'm not exactly a beauty, Loki. I mean, like you said you never even noticed me before."

"No, you don't have a beauty that jumps out at one. Yours is a quieter beauty. Subtle, lovely and lasting. And more than that, there is a kindness in you. It was in each of your gifts and it is in your eyes as well. It lights you from within."

"Thank you," she whispered.

"I asked to meet you out here for numerous reasons," he said, taking a step towards her. "First, it is private. No brawling heroes to interrupt. Second, the view is superb. And third..."

"Third?" she prompted when his voice trailed off.

"The book you gave me spoke of mistletoe. Now, while I categorically reject the role it claims I play in the story, I do appreciate the idea of rebirth. Of life and hope returning after a period of long darkness."

"I think we can all use that," she agreed quietly.

"I was also amused by the tradition surrounding it at this time of year."

"You mean..."

"Look up Caroline," he instructed.

Her eyes flew upward to see the orbs of the greenery Tony had hung from the ceiling of the balcony in decoration. They then darted back down to his, wide and uncertain.

"It is Christmas, and it is the custom," he reminded her, hand going to the side of her face. "May I?"

She nodded silently and Loki brought his lips to hers in a long, sweet kiss that filled him with a swelling joy. Stiff at first, Caroline melted as his kissed her, swaying into him.

MEOW!!!

Mischief, suddenly finding himself squashed between them, gave out a angered yell and dug his claws into Loki's chest. With a rueful chuckle the god stepped back, chastising the feline in Norse.

"Merry Christmas, Loki," Caroline said, smiling up at him.

"It is indeed," he smiled back. "A very Merry Christmas."

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