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lokisprettygirl · 1 year

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Under his influence (Post Avengers! Loki x female reader) (Series Masterlist)

Chapter 1

Summary : The year is 2012, Loki picks up the tesseract in an attempt to escape from the clutches of Avengers and his brother Thor only to end up in a tiny studio appartment in Minesotta, the occupant being none other than you. You reluctantly agree to hide and help the crazy god of mischief and terrorism wondering why you were even thinking about helping a fugitive?

Warning: 18+ This series will contain smut in the later chapters, Soft loki alert, y/n bein y/n, mention of ecstasy and being high.

His head was pounding as he came back to consciousness. His body was threatening to give out any moment, his vision seemed blurry when he opened his eyes, the last thing he remembered was picking up the tesseract because those Avengers were foolish enough to drop the case carrying the precious cube.

"Morons" he mumbled as he got up from the floor, he immediately took off the muzzle framed over his mouth and the handcuffs from the wrist, the tech was definitely destroyed now.

"Shoddy Stark technology" he mumbled before he noticed that the tesseract was a few feet away from him so he looked into his surroundings. Where in the name of hel was he? His eyes circled around, it seemed like a room or that's what he assumed, there was a kitchenette right behind him while he could clearly see the bed on the other end, there was a closet next to the bed and a dresser, a small ugly sofa was in the middle of the room. He tried to look around but all he found was two doors, one led to a small attached bathroom while the other one had a peephole which he assumed was the door to the outside world.

He spotted a screen in front of the sofa, it was kept at the opposite end of the ugly sofa, few feet adjacent to the main door.

He was familiar with these screens, they had it all around the Stark tower. He stepped towards it and tried to turn it on but the buttons didn't work, he then noticed the loose wire that he probably needed to attach to the plug on the wall so that's what he did.

The loud voice of the newscaster made him jump in his spot, he looked like a squeaky mouse at the moment, thanking the norns nobody was there to witness his humiliation.

And then he saw himself all over the screen. Apparently each and every person on midgard was witnessing his humiliation. Those Avengers had leaked every little footage they had of him, even the one where he was smashed by the Hulk repeatedly.

"The Asgardian terrorist Loki who was being taken back to Asgard has supposedly fled from the Starks tower, brother Thor claims he has no idea where Loki could be" Loki chuckled as he heard that

"Of Course he doesn't, I myself have no clue where I am" he heard a knock on the door and felt frozen in his spot. He tried to turn the screen off but it only got louder and louder so he punched the screen with his fist and well, it was broken but at least it wasn't making that awful noise. He heard the knock again so he walked slowly towards the door, making sure his footsteps were as nimble as a feline.

"Y/n? Are you there?" He heard a feminine voice. Who was y/n? He peeped from the peephole and spotted a middle aged woman. She knocked again but he didn't respond ofcourse, he watched her peeping into the hole so he took a step back, he hoped it only worked one way.

There's no way he could have gotten out there without being caught, he figured he could morph his appearance but there was a risk involved especially if he was walking around with the immense source of power that was the tesseract. Besides, where would he even go? It's not as if he knew much about how midgard worked. Maybe he should just wait for this y/n person. For some reason that seemed reasonable to him, he was extremely exhausted and ravenous, he didn't even remember the last time he had a proper meal.

Looking around the kitchen he found the refrigerator and raided it. He found a box that had chopped vegetables mixed with a type of meat so he munched on it as quickly as he could. He felt extremely warm too, the weather of midgard wasn't best suited for him, he wanted to check his appearance so he walked towards the mirror, looking at his disheveled state he wondered why he even entertained that idea.

"Hideous looking monster"

He mumbled but then he heard the main door lock twisting and it made his heart leap in his chest. He circled around the spot in a futile attempt to hide but it was just one big room, where he was supposed to hide? The closet of course.

"Mrs. Geller, how are you?" He heard a feminine voice again but he knew it didn't belong to the woman he had seen, it sounded sweeter in comparison.

"I'm good my dear, oh you know i heard your tv running in the afternoon so I was wondering if you returned early" He recognised that voice. Was that old woman spying on this particular apartment all the time?

"Are you sure it came from my place? I mean I just got back" he heard the sweet voice again. This voice must belong to the y/n person he figured. He was oddly grateful to not end up in Mrs. Geller's apartment.

He heard those voices going back and forth and finally the main door unlocked.

"I'll just accompany you in case there's a burglar here" Mrs. Geller said and you gave out a little laugh. The laugh sounded even sweeter to him.

"I'm so thankful for you, really..thank you for checking up on me but nobody is here..seeeee?" You told her and she looked around before she left.

"Have a good night Mrs Geller" you quickly shut the door behind her. Taking a deep breath you sighed but then your phone started to ring and it made you groan, you couldn't catch a break today.

"Hey mommm..just a sec" you greeted her in a sing-song manner as you made your way towards the closet. Loki's heartbeat sped as the footsteps approached so he immediately casted an invisibility spell, he wondered why did he even hide in the closet instead of just using the invisibility charm in the first place.

He closed his eyes as the closet door opened and something hit him right in the face. He wanted to squeal but decided against it, once the closet door closed again he inspected the garment that was thrown on his face. It was a brassiere, ladies on Asgard used to wear these too. Huh, why women must torment themselves everywhere he wondered.

Another boring day where nothing interesting happened to you or for you. You were going to turn thirty in a few days and you could feel your life slipping past your fingers. Every person you had ever known in your life were off doing their thing, being successful in their chosen careers, getting married, raising babies and what not while you were stuck in your personal as well as professional life.

"Mom..you know the attack happened in New York right so quit worrying?" Loki heard you talking to someone and you mentioned the attack, the attack that he had caused under the influence of the mind stone.

"Whattt?" You walked towards the refrigerator to take out the chicken salad that you had prepared last night. Your mom just told you that the terrorist had escaped from the Stark tower, it was all over the news "Okayy okay calm down it's not as if he would come here of all places and just attack me in my apartment you know?" You chuckled but your eyes widened in anger as you saw the empty box of Salad. Did you eat it last night? You were too high to remember it. "Look mom I'll call you later, gotta go..food emergency"

As Loki stepped out of the closet he saw a woman in front of the refrigerator, well he saw your jeans cladded plumped arse, you had a white shirt on along with it. And then you turned around. All he heard in that moment was a loud scream that felt deafening to him.

"Stop screaminggg"

There was a man in your apartment. A strange weird looking man, Mrs. Geller was right, oh you were going to die and your soul would haunt this apartment forever. Serves you right for wasting all this time you had to fulfill your dreams and goals in life.

Now you always thought of yourself as the person who'd choose to fight in such a situation but you were getting a reality check now. You had no fight in you, you were frozen in your spot waiting for your impending death by the hands of a burglar. You both kept staring at each other but you finally gasped when you heard the knock on the door.

"Listen to me mortal ..uhhh lady. I do not want to cause any harm so I'd appreciate it if you're just willing to listen to me..just for a moment?" you looked at him dumbfounded, you wanted to run but he was standing near the door and you figured he'd grab you if you even tried that. You grabbed a knife from the knife stand and threw it right at him, which he caught with his mere fingers. Ofcourse. Who did you think you were? Hawkeye?

"Brilliant of you to pass the weaponry into the hands of a supposed intruder" He inspected the knife and then you watched it disappear but for some reason you chose to ignore it, maybe he had a superpower, you were living in a world where anything could happen to anyone except you ofcourse. You were as basic as they come.

"What do you want? I have nothing alright, no valuables, I'm almost broke, almost is the key word here, if you want money I can..just umm transfer it to you, do you have Venmo or any other apps? I also have weed if you want that" He looked at you confused before he attempted to walk closer but you grabbed another knife as quickly as you could and took a step back.

"Stay right there mister or..or–"

"Or what? You'd gift me another weapon that I can add to my collection?" You glared at him. How dare he make fun of you? This was your house. Did he say he had a collection of weapons? You looked at him carefully as he stepped closer, your eyes widened in realization. He was no thief. No no, He was the war criminal. How come your mom was right this time?

"Oh my god you ..you are…you are… whattt..whhyyy?" Your voice came out all squeaky and it made him smile.

"Good to know I am popular in midgard now. Would you say my popularity exceeds that of my dullard brother Thor?"

Thor? He said Thor right? So he was the guy who attacked New York. A terrorist was galavanting in your humble abode, great, just amazing.

"Are you going to kill me?" You asked him as you wiped the sweat beads off your forehead. Your breathing has gotten shallower and you were close to passing out.

"No. But I need you to cooperate with me here, I am just as baffled about the situation as you are lady" he answered immediately, you had seen the leaked videos of him in Stuttgart, he was a cruel man, he was definitely going to kill that old man but the Avengers intervened thankfully. You were still trying to wrap your head around the fact that Loki from Asgard was standing in your studio apartment talking to you. Were you still high? You hoped so.

"What ummm how uhh i mean what are you doing here?" You asked him as you crossed your arms. Maybe you should call the Avengers.

"I do not know, the tesseract brought me here, it's eerie but I have a feeling that foolish Stark was up to something" he looked to the side as he thought about it.

"Hah" you gave him a fake laugh and he scrunched his brows. He was kind of attractive in the "I'm a sexy murderer" kind of way.

"What is so amusing?"

"No it's just..we just call him iron man you knowww" you mumbled under your breath. He could see your body trembling with fear so he approached you, probably wasn't the best idea but he really wanted to put you at ease.

"Look I know what you think of me and I do not blame you for your perceptions but I mean no harm here, I don't want to hurt you and I'm not going to, I am giving you my word" he seemed sincere but there's no way you were going to believe the words of an escaped terrorist.

"Aren't you Loki? The loki? God of lies and trickery and stuff? Why would I believe you?" You asked him so he smiled again. Cute smile. No you stop it.

"You know what, I will just sit down here-" he conjured a chair out of thin air and your eyes widened "And you can tie me up if that would make you feel safer around me"

"Huh wouldn't you want that?" You snickered and his face flushed in response.

He passed you a rope, by which you meant, he threw it right in your face but you caught it. Okay you were starting to think now, if he really wanted to hurt you he would have, he has magical powers plus the knife that you gave him like a moron, there's no way you could fight him if he really wanted to hurt you. Right?

"Why did you attack us? What did we do to you?"

"I did not attack you?" He looked at you confused. "Oh you meant the humankind, that's sweet of you to address yourself as one for all, very sentimental. Anyway it is a long long story, do you want me to narrate it all..from the beginning?" he chuckled nervously.

"It's just..you don't seem that evil..why did you hurt those people?" his eyes teared up as you said that. He knew why he hurt those people, he just wished he was able to stop himself before he did.

"I didn't want to, I don't enjoy hurting innocent creatures" he said to you and the sad little voice affected you. So you were really going to ignore him using the words creatures for humans right? "Your name is y/n i assume?"

He asked you so you nodded.

"What do you want, be honest"

"Just let me stay here until I figure this out"

"No no no no no no..Why would I allow a fugitive to stay with me? I'll be locked up too for I don't know.. abiding you and shit" you huffed

"Did you intend to use the word Abetting?" he looked at you all confused and the embarassment was enough to make you want to die.

"Look mister"

"Call me Loki"

"Mister Loki.. Prisoners under 30 isn't the magazine I have aspired to be featured in all my life.. so I need you to get out of here okay?"

"There is no way those incompetent men in costumes could find me here and-"

"They are heroes, and there's a woman in the team, her name is black widow ..they saved lives today..they–" you interrupted him and he interrupted your interruption,

"In case they do find me, just tell them that I was the one keeping you hostage over here, they'll believe you in a jiff i promise" he winked as he finished his sentence. You had to be crazy to allow this right? You had to be insane that you were already starting to believe his words.

"Tie..tie yourself up and let me think"

You passed him the rope and he used the magic to tie himself up.

"That's great..you think I'm dumb..huhh? if you can use magic to tie yourself up then you can get yourself out too" he smiled as you said that. Why did he find this mortal.. adorable in an endearing sort of way?

"Well why don't you do it then? I can't use magic if I don't see the knots myself" he told you so you thought about it. You walked towards him and he conjured another rope for you, as you reached closer you noticed the cuts and bruises on his face, he seemed hurt. He looked up at you and you tried to avoid his hypnotic gaze, why did he have to look so good? He was the sexiest man you had ever laid your eyes upon. Why did he have to be a criminal though?

After you tied him up you walked towards the tv, and that's when you noticed the broken screen so you turned around and glared at him. You watched him waving his fingers and the tv was fixed magically, ofcourse.

"Huhhh you will come in handy..if you know what I mean" you laughed as you turned the tv on.

"I actually do not know what you mean"

You saw the news of him escaping and his brother Thor has appealed to everyone that Loki was dangerously manipulative and thirsty for blood so if anyone was to spot him anywhere, there was a helpline number they could call.

"Oh my god there's a number." you jumped up and down in excitement and relief, what if Thor was right and he was manipulating you? Ofcourse Thor was right, he was his brother. You had made up your mind to call but when you looked at him, there was the saddest, mopiest, cutest look you had ever seen on a man's face.

"I can not win" he mumbled under his breath so you walked towards him.

"What did you say?" You asked him and when he looked at you, his eyes were welled up.

"Very well then, you can call them if you want" he told you so you walked towards the kitchen and picked up your phone. The look on his face was still bothering you though. What if there was a story behind what he did? No no.. people got hurt, he was evil, call the bloody Avengers and get yourself out of this problematic situation. But what if he was not evil? Iron man harmed so many lives before he became a hero. You felt crazy playing this mental circus with yourself.

"I must be losing my mind" you mumbled as you put the phone down on the kitchen counter "Okay fine..but if you're even thinking about hurting innocent people again let me tell you mister I'll keep that number on my speed dial and I will call it asap" you crossed your arms as you walked towards him and yelled at him so he nodded like a child

"Okay good..ummm are you like hungry or something..oh wait you must not be hungry since you ate my salad" you glared at him and it made him smile again. You'd rather see that then the glum look on his face.

"I do apologize for my ill-mannered conduct, should have asked for permission before I fed on that well seasoned grass you had prepared for yourself " you rolled your eyes at the comment

"No need to judge..I'm trying to lose fat here"

"You don't have to"

"Really? Because lyla keeps telling me that I'm getting chubbier everyday"

"Well this Lyla needs to shut her muzzle then" your face flushed as he looked at you intently, was he checking you out? Maybe In your dreams.

"I'll untie you, you can go shower.. you smell like blood and burned leather..the bathroom is there" he chuckled as you said that. You weren't wrong about that.

"No need to untie me and I truly appreciate the offer" he flexed his arms and you gasped as the rope was shredded in pieces. He could have gotten out anytime he wanted.

"May i?" He raised his hand forward so you placed your fingers on his large ass hands that seemed to be the size of minnesota. He brought your hand up to his lips and gave it a chaste kiss.

"You're very kind my lady, thank you, I won't disappoint you i promise" he mumbled as he turned around and stepped inside the bathroom. You kept staring at the pieces of ropes all over. He could have gotten out and stop you from calling the Avengers but he didn't. He could have hurt you but he didn't. Huh

"Wash your hair ..you look like a pine tree" You yelled and you heard him laughing at the comment. That was beautiful. How dare he?

What were you getting yourself into here?

🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄🎄

Here we go folks 😁

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#loki x female reader #loki #loki x reader fluff #loki x reader #loki x reader insert #loki x reader fic #loki x you #loki x reader angst #post avengers loki #canon divergent au

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galaxythreads · 7 months

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Foegive me of this is a question you've answered in the past but, what are your thoughts on the scene at the beginning of Avengers 1 where Loki sort of doubles over/trips on his way out of the SHIELD base and it's never addressed?

Also thoughts on the canonicity of various myths to the MCU Loki backstory?

no worries, I don't mind answering questions twice. My blog is long and tales tales, so I understand if people don't want to hunt for answers and just reask stuff.

as far as your question goes,

SCREAMING SCREAMING SCREAMING. Do you KNOW how much I LOVE that SCENE (the answer is no because I haven't talked about it) but I LOVE THAT SCENE! That is THE scene to me. I love everything about how carefully it's handled because what you have to look for is SUBTEXT here, because the Avengers was written in a way that forces you to think. It doesn't lay everything out for you, it's intended you come to your own conclusions.

The Avengers trusts you and that is a very strange thing for media now. It's pretty rare to find one that doesn't treat you like an idiot.

Breaking this down:

The first frame with Loki is of him kneeling. That is the first thing we learn about him. I want you guys to remember that the introduction of a character is HUGE. It tells us the most important things for us to know about that character right now

So what do we need to know about Loki RIGHT THEn. Right at the start of the movie?

he's smart. He opened the portal with the Tesseract, from across space, and teleported himself to another planet. This is something no one has replicated (using an infinity stone from across space). Loki is said to "know it's workings like they never will" which says a lot about him.

Loki was GIVEN the scepter by the Chitauri, but if you watch that opening opening scene, it looks more like it's being forced on him than him GLADLY taking it. (There's this half second where the Other waits to make sure Loki is actually going to hold it. Loki doesn't reach for it until he has to. One of the most powerful objects in existence and it practically has to be shoved into his hands) Look how close their bodies are. Like bro???

-okay, then Loki comes through the portal and he is KNEELING. so the first, and I mean the VERY FIRST thing we need to know about Loki is that he is in the subservience of someone/thing else. This gif below is artwork of that moment, but still. Like. who do you think he's kneeling TO? Well, the opening scene of the Avengers showcases that the Other is kneeling to Thanos, Ergo, using the subtext trust that the director/writers have given us, that means Loki was kneeling to Thanos before he came through the portal.

And then, Loki comes out like a hunted animal, but he legitimately does not remember he's holding the scepter until Fury points it out to him. You can see him look down at it in confusion. And okay, WHY is he confused? I remember watching this for the first time at 14 and going huh, that's kinda weird he forgot he had the weapon. What this is trying to tell us is that this is not a familiar weapon to Loki AND -- it is doing something to him. It's emitting that same misty thing that it does when Loki possesses someone later. That wispy smoke is always so interesting to me because of the implications. The scepter doesn't do that unless it is FRESHLY possessing someone. And what do we know about Loki TWO SECONDS AGO?

he was kneeling to thanos.

Anyway, so Loki gives his name, is not a well man, and the scene you're actually referring to is this one:

which GETS ME EVERY TIME. I could talk aout this scene for hours. The implications of it. (Also if you've read my work YSFSLWFTCA, that man who grabs Loki's back is Nathan Swenson ;)

So I've been getting professional acting training for about 6-7 months now and one thing I have learned is that nothing makes it in the movie by accident. The director has to approve it, the editor, the producer, up the whole food chain. This was not Tom Hiddleston sneezing and then them keeping it in the movie because it's funny. So this was put in on purpose. They WANTED you to know that Loki isn't okay. And a scene like this would get like what? idk 3-6 takes at a minimum, which means that they flimed this ON PURPOSE 3-6 times. Tom Hiddleston was instructed to do this ON PURPOSE. That guy who approaches Loki's back was told to do that ON PURPOSE. Loki was supposed to be shown to be a mess physically. Like. Then they go and KEEP doing this later, when Loki can't get into the car and can barely keep himself upright. Loki doesn't start to look "okay" until Germany and even then he's not doing amazing.

What's interesting to me, beyond the obvious implications toward bodily harm - torture! :) - is the timing. Loki immediately topples when Clint hands the Tesseract to Selvig. There's something about Clint doing that that seems to cause him physical pain. That could be a coincidence, and I bet it is because it's not brought up again in the movie that the Tesseract exchanging hands gives Loki physical pain, but it is interesting.

Another interesting point is that Clint looks away, Selvig doesn't care, but that sheild agent Immediately moves up to put his hand on Loki's back to support him. And Loki doesn't flinch. That always struck me as weird, right, because even people who don't have trauma flinch when someone touches their back and they weren't expecting it. And Loki clearly wasn't? So why didn't he twitch at least a little? Tom Hiddleston is too good of an actor for that to be a mistake.

So to me that means that Loki just... doesn't have feeling in his spine at that moment. Or he was in too much pain to even register it. Loki was clearly tortured with some type of heat. If you watch him in this scene he's displaying all the signs of heat exhaustion. So I kinda think that maybe Loki got burned so badly on his back before this happened that he just... doesn't feel anything anymore. It had to have been recent for walking to nearly send him toppling, but Loki's back is a source of issues for the entire movie.

That is why this scene is here from a directing perspective. to SET UP Loki's back problems. The extent of them are left vague, but I think when Tom Hiddleston and Joss Whedon sat down to talk about Loki for the Avengers, one of the things they must have agreed on was that Loki was not in good physical condition and they planned to show that THE ENTIRE MOVIE. I don't know if they talked about torture or Thanos, but they talked about SOMETHING.

But I just...idk. That guy grabs Loki's back to support him in an effort to help and it's just so interesting to me. Because how does the mind control WORK then? Selvig is obsessed with the Tesseract. He almost seems possessed by that rather than Loki. Clint goes completely silent and doesn't do anything except the mission. THIS GUY immediately comes to take care of Loki, and Loki himself is ruthlessly efficient with one goal in his mind. So it's interesting. Subtext! :D

So what do I think about this scene. I think that Loki was tortured and his back is giving out and I LOVE THIS SCENE BECAUSE IT IS SO DARK BUT TRYING NOT TO BE.

Thanos' immediate response to something not going his way is torture and he knows Loki. Knows him well enough to pick his brother out of a crowd in Infinity War and leave him alive until the end. Knows him well enough to make his death personal. Strangulation is a crime of passion. Thanos hurt Loki and he knew Loki, and the idea that Thanos made sure that Loki wouldn't see the torture coming - by doing it to his back/spine - is just an extra layer of awful. Thanos left Thor alive. On purpose. He could have killed him. He didn't.

That was Loki's punishment. Leaving Thor alone. Because Thanos knew that would hurt him the most.

But Thanos also chose to kill Loki, and in infintiny war, while hunting the stones, Thanos doesn't make any unnecessary bodies. Which to me, means that Thanos had to kill Loki because he saw Loki as a threat.

So anyway, somehow I'm talking about Loki and Thanos again, who are my favorite horrible duo and I love talking about them because their relationship is so so messed up. I wish that the Loki series had DONE something with Thanos and Loki, but they didn't. :/

But why Loki's back? Like Thanos started with Loki's head in the post-credits scene of Thor 1:

why did he move to Loki's back? Also the fact that Thanos was having Loki hunt down the Infinity Stones through astral projection and/or enchantment is just so messed up and I love it. Wish it had been explored because THIS ^^^ was the giant beast I wanted poked at in Loki season 1.

#loki #loki meta #in defense of loki #loki was tortured #loki and thanos #their relationship is THE torture/torturee dynamic to me #even including Sam and Lucifer from SPN who also have an equally messed up horrible terrible relationship #i just love the torture/torturee relationships that are just digustingly intimate in a non-romantic way #because torture for the same of torture is just business #there's something terrifying about it being personal #so anyway always happy to talk about thanos and loki #like literally always #this makes me want to write about them lol #*sighs happily* so messed up

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cemeterything · 1 year

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thinking about baby me's first ocs again... they were marvel/mcu based unfortunately but in my defence i was literally 13. one of them was a magpie hybrid lab experiment girl with a seriously icky body horror mishmash of bird and human anatomy that was slowly killing her who got infected/possessed by the power cube thing from the first avengers movie (tesseract?) which gave her incredible destructive power she could barely control and regenerative abilities, resulting in a complete rebranding of her image as a superhero instead of a secret agent, and her arc was about her coming to terms with the fact that she was exploited and neglected and learning how to control her newfound power and use it to help people while holding onto her autonomy. also she and loki were bi best friends who hung out sometimes because of having a connection to the tesseract thing in common and because he's my little meow meow who sucks and deserves an annoying bi bestie who steals his shit and eats his fries while maintaining direct eye contact without hesitation or remorse. and the other oc was this cursed space alien priestess who summoned a being called The Devourer (i wasn't very creative), a world-eating force of insatiable hunger which took her as a vessel, who attacked earth as a result of my bird girl magic cube angel oc's powers drawing her attention, and after a series of fights became girl best friends with her because her infinity stone power kept The Devourer inside her from getting too hungry and allowed her to reclaim her selfhood and quality of life. i was actually so real for that the mcu should have hired me i could have fixed it.

#🐉#daisy and mavina my beloveds. i made you at a very cringe time in my life.#also daisy and lokis relationship was unironically great she took none of his shit and when he threw a tantrum about it #shed just be like. what are you going to do about it? :)

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honeycombclaire · 9 days

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You know what I need? I need the Marvel time-travel trope, but everyone goes back to the 40s.

(I say everyone, I mean the Avengers pre-Infinity War.)

Because everyone says Steve Rogers and Bucky Barnes are men out of time (and they’re not technically wrong). But I want to see the Avengers (sans Steve and Bucky) getting sent back in time by some wizard or a freak Asgardian lightning storm or something, and poof, they’re back in the 40s, right smack in the middle of the war.

I want the Avengers to witness what life was like during the war, hiding in bomb shelters and seeing the after effects of the world crawling out of the Great Depression and hurtling into the second World War in twenty years.

Life when Steve really was the weirdest thing science ever created. When he was desperately needed and internationally adored. Because all of the Avengers have PTSD, but Steve and Bucky went through World War II and got spit back out into the 20th and 21st centuries, and that’s a whole different category of PTSD and trauma.

I want the Avengers to actually meet the survivors of Azzano, when Steve marched into the massive Nazi base and saved hundreds of soldiers, part because he could and part because he was desperate to save his best friend, and didn’t think twice about it.

I want the Avengers to see Steve and Bucky thrive. I want them to witness Steve and Bucky with the Howling Commandos. Steve’s first team. I want them to see how Steve and Bucky lived, what life was like, because it was drastically different than the modern world.

I want the Avengers to witness firsthand life on a military base. I want Tony to have to look his father in the eye and pretend he doesn’t know who he is, but get to see all the good his father did because all he remembers is his father being an asshole. How much Steve really did care about Howard (and that Bucky did, too, because Howard made weapons to keep Steve safe).

I want Natasha to see that just because she’s an assassin doesn’t mean she’s a bad person, because there were hundreds of military assassins and spies during the war that did bad things to get information.

I want them to hear about the Tesseract and learn that sometimes Steve’s intelligence should be taken seriously, because he has experience and knowledge that none of the other Avengers will ever have. (“You should have left it in the water.” “This is the guy my dad never shut up about?”)

I want them to see how much Steve loved Peggy, how she and Bucky were the only ones who saw him for who he really was, and realize how awful it must have been for him to come back and work for the organization she created after his death and have to live without her.

I want them to hide and watch as Past Steve screams as Past Bucky falls from the train. I want them to see Past Steve realize he can’t get drunk, and the only way he can cope is to kill the Red Skull and end HYDRA. To avenge his friend. I want them to realize that not only did Past Steve crash the plane for nothing, but that Steve knows, has to live with that knowledge for the rest of his life.

I want them to listen with Peggy as Past Steve realizes he’s going to have to crash the plane. I want them to hear the slight tremble in Past Steve’s voice as he talks about dancing with Peggy, believing he’ll never get the chance, and that he’s going to die alone in the freezing cold ocean. I want them to not get the change to promise him that he’ll survive. I want them to hear the sudden static that cuts off Past Steve’s voice, and the heavy silence that comes after it.

I want them to see the world mourn for Captain America, who died just months before the war ended.

And then I want them to come back to the 21st century and see. I want them to see the way Steve’s eyes linger on pictures of Peggy and Howard, see the rows of records from the 30s and 40s in a whole new light, see rows of 30s-style clothes in his closet that he hardly ever wears because a lot of people will make jabs about it, see the way he always keeps Bucky in his sight, hugs him just a little bit tighter than he hugs everyone else.

I want them to see the bags under his and Bucky’s eyes when they have nightmares. I want Sam to quietly show them Steve’s list, and see that every line on every page is filled because he missed so much. I want them to find two more little books filled up just as much. I want them to realize how lost Steve still is despite how much he’s adapted.

I want them to see the subtle military training still ingrained in Steve’s bones, because any and every war was horrible, but World War II was something else entirely, and so was desperation that existed within the soldiers and the people. I want them to see Steve’s recklessness of jumping out of planes without a parachute, the way his eyes always scan the area when he enters a room, watching ever little detail and listening for any sound that might indicate danger. How he is always, always, on alert, even when he seems relaxed.

I want them to understand why Steve was so against the Sokovia Accords. It wasn’t because he wanted the power to do what he thought was best; it was because he was afraid of the consequences of having too many restrictions. Because even with international laws and the damn Geneva Convention, the Nazis still destroyed half the world, and decades later Nazi HYDRA was still carrying out their mission that Steve sacrificed his life for. Steve was a human experiment. The Serum was a biochemical weapon. The military broke the rules to protect the greater good, and Steve knew that. The war would have gone very differently without him.

Whether he was right or wrong about the Accords, after what Steve experienced, I want the Avengers finally understand where he was coming from. Why he was so afraid of strict regulations.

I want Tony to finally fully understand the significance of Steve giving up his shield in Siberia.

Why he was so determined to protect Bucky from the world. Not just because he was his best friend, or because it was the right thing to do. But also because Bucky was the only thing Steve physically had left of his life before the crash, save for his dog tags, and he was scared of what that would mean if Steve lost him.

Steve Rogers has so much trauma that Marvel completely ignored. They focused on Tony’s and Bucky’s and Natasha’s trauma; and that’s great, that’s important; but so much of Steve’s moral character doesn’t get explained because it gets glossed over with the excuse that he’s “Mr Good and Righteous.” And that’s true, but that’s just scratching the surface.

He’s Mr. Good and Righteous for a reason, and it doesn’t get talked about enough.

#steve rogers #the avengers #marvel #mcu #bucky barnes #don’t come at me steve did crappy things during civil war #but so did everyone else #it’s about time marvel start recognizing Steve’s trauma is so much more than PTSD #that’s my point here

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hainethehero · 9 months

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A JOSS WHEDON HATER FOREVER- a think piece on how Avengers 1 set up Steve Rogers to be the MCU's punching bag for the rest of the franchise

(We all know Joss Whedon is an absolute garbage person. He's done many horrible things including being a racist, sexist moron who should be behind literal bars.) This is a commentary on his absolute shit writing for Avengers 1.

This one particular scene and the one following it is purely poor writing & direction for the character of Steve Rogers.👇

After Coulson dies, Fury addresses Steve and Tony and tosses Coulson's bloodied Captain America cards at Steve. He says something like "guess you never found the time to sign them" which is just horribly cruel and though not OOC for Fury, is not something he'd say lightly. We later realize here👇

...that he's secretly trying to put together the team. This is where he makes his big "there was an idea" speech and mentions that "Stark knows this." Because yeah, Tony was made aware of this in Iron Man 1 when Coulson visited and told Pepper. In contrast, Steve had no idea about the Avengers Initiative.

In fact, the dude was just pulled from the Valkyrie in the ice!! In the beginning scene of Avengers 1, we see him at the gym with the punching bag having LITERAL WAR FLASHBACKS about Bucky and Peggy and the Howlies! He's not stable and yet Fury confronts him and ropes him into the mission to get the Tesseract. Steve says, "you should've left it where you found it." And I can't help but think that maybe Steve means himself as well because dude just lost EVERYONE & EVERYTHING he literally knew and cared about.

Anyway, back to the point, Steve knows nothing about the Initiative but is suddenly made to feel guilty about Coulson's death in some kind of roundabout way of "convincing him to join the team" in honor of Coulson.

And then, to make matters WORSE, in the next scene they make HIM comfort Tony 👇

They make him say, "im sorry" (like it was his fault???!) and "he was just doing his job" and "is this the first time you've lost a soldier?" LIKE WTAF???

*INSERTS JACOB ELORDI MEME FROM EUPHORIA SAYING WHAT THE FUCKKKKK?!*

First of all, Steve barely knows these people! Second, he was fond of Coulson and I'm sure they would've been close friends. But did they have to GUILT-TRIP Steve into joining the team? Like, that's just dumb and proves that they don't actually give a fuck about his character!

AND TALK ABOUT MEAN! Fury at least knew about Steve losing Bucky on that train. He KNOWS Steve's first words when he woke up from sleep was "I had a date" reflecting the tragedy of the man out of time. To just rip him out of sleep and thrust him into a mission and later making him feel guilty about Coulson was just pure cruelty, making SHIELD no better than HYDRA. They all saw Steve as a pawn, another mindless soldier to carry out their missions and I hate JW for that.

Steve's character was not accurately portrayed nor was his trauma properly dealt with and so this is why today, we see alot of MCU "fans" calling Steve the worst avenger, lame, boring and basically a crutch to Tony's genius. (I'm a huge Tony Stark fan, don't @ me). It just felt that the mcu wanted to make Tony the ultimate hero- which is fine, Nothing's wrong with that- but they did it at the expense of Steve's character and trauma.

Sadly, this narrative continues all the way down to Endgame and for that I will always hate JW & the mcu's portrayal of Steve Rogers.

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loki-cees-all · 18 days

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Chapter 7 - All the Tiring Time Between {TLTGYA - Post!TVA Loki x OFC Longfic}

Previous Chapter / TLTGYA Masterlist / A03 Link / Next Chapter

Pairing : Post-TVA!Loki x Oliviette (OFC)

Chapter Summary : Sometimes the sharpest boundaries require the gentlest touch.

Chapter W/c : 8.7k words

Chapter Tags / Content : Angst (as always), brief mentions of blood and injuries. Also there's a bunch of Tesseract lore and Loki's history with Thanos that I really got carried away with while writing this.

18+ Only - Minors DNI

⊱ ─ ༓ ── ⋅•⋅⊰ ─ ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ∙ ⋅ ─ ⊱⋅•⋅ ── ༓ ─ ⊰

The silence in the cell was electrifyingly tense, and Loki wished he had something else to focus his attention on.

His jaw ached as he took another bite of the flavorless, perplexing bread that was both stale and damp at the same time. He should have been grateful for it and its distraction, despite the woman having offered it without even so much as looking at him. But it just reminded him of the year he’d spent with the Mad Titan: Wretched. Forsaken. Totally and completely hopeless.

Loki tried desperately not to think about it, but it was getting harder to fight as his exhaustion grew.

The woman sat across from him in the cell, her knees pulled to her chest and her expression blank. She’d said absolutely nothing after dismissing his question about Anathema the night prior, not even when the peculiar guards brought in their cruel attempt at a meal. She didn’t even flinch when they set the tray down in front of her, nor when the duo stared, cold and unmoving, presumably waiting for her to beg for her life like all the others…but she did wait until they were finally gone to pull the tray closer.

She had grabbed the chunk of bread first, and extended it towards him in the shadows like it was second-nature to her. As if it wasn’t ever an option that she wouldn’t share it, and despite the fact that they were in stark disagreement about their respective situations in this place.

He felt guilty for accepting the offering, but unfortunately, he felt like he had no other choice; his eyelids were growing heavier by the minute, his muscles were becoming weaker with each new day of disuse, and his nerves were perpetually fried with wary energy. He was constantly stifling another yawn, and was dangerously close to falling asleep, to having another nightmare again.

Loki didn’t know if he ever talked in his sleep, but he didn’t want to risk revealing any compromising information about himself or his past; the less anyone knew about him here, the better off they all were.

But other than the food she’d shared with him, there wasn’t much else for him to distract himself with. The woman wasn’t talking anymore, and her questions had faded away alongside the hope she may have once had about escaping. That left Loki to alone deal with his questions about her, and their inscrutable answers.

The problem with that, however, was that his mind was nothing but a tangled mess; a rat’s nest, made up of lies and false memories, the betrayals of the life he’d left behind, and all the lives that never were. Before him lay a scattering of dots, all seemingly unrelated and centered around a woman who claimed she didn’t know what they wanted with her, and he couldn’t seem to make heads or tails of any of it.

Loki used to pride himself on his ability to see the bigger picture, especially on a galactic scale. But he had come here to hide and to wallow, to purposely let his mind atrophy into a cobweb of nothingness, because that was easier than continue trying, and failing, to be happy. He felt comfortable doing that, and letting this become his legacy, because he hadn’t ever expected a riddle to fall into his lap again. He hadn’t ever expected her.

As Loki swallowed the last of the bread, he forced himself to look at her again. She was still huddled against the wall, illuminated by the dim lantern light from the hallway and shivering in the cold dungeon like a scared little child. He was flabbergasted that she was still here, that they’d bothered bringing her back after being caught during an escape attempt. And he couldn’t help but hate himself, because the old Loki could have figured out why that was a very long time ago.

Next to her, the bowl of porridge sat on the floor, mostly untouched and definitely not enjoyed. Her expression was sullen as she stared off into the distance, and her limbs were folded around herself as she retreated deeper inward. It almost made him feel…something.

Of what exactly, Loki wasn’t quite sure; the feeling was old and familiar, something that was long lost while never really being understood in the first place. He told himself that the feeling was irrelevant, because it was just the mystery he found equal parts infuriating and intriguing. He just needed a bit more time than usual to settle the question marks, and then he could finally return to the blissful void of apathy.

And maybe she wasn’t lying when she claimed to not know who Anathema was, but he didn’t believe for a moment that she had no idea why the guards were so interested in her. Either she had something of theirs, or she knew some mysterious piece of information they didn’t yet - but they were obviously willing to play the long game in order to acquire it, and that couldn’t have been for nothing.

Perhaps it had something to do with the gem dangling from her necklace. Loki had seen her touching it, frequently and absentmindedly, running her slender fingers over the deep blue stone during stressed and quiet moments like now. Clearly it meant a lot to her; someone who loved her had given it to her. Someone she loved back, someone she probably missed dearly…

As he started to wonder if anyone was out there looking for her, Loki realized he was staring and quickly averted his eyes. They landed once again upon the bowl of uneaten porridge next to her, and a new form of discomfort wove itself between the muscles of his shoulders and neck. It wrapped around his nerve-endings, stinging the open and frayed tendrils that had been worn bare from the pain of still being alive.

He was quite vulnerable existing like this, even though he knew she couldn’t see him hiding in the shadows. That she didn’t know what he was thinking, or where he was looking. That she was unaware of the fleeting relief that poured into his veins when she was brought back to the cell alive, or his shame at feeling anything that had immediately replaced it.

Loki had been flippant when she was initially brought in here. He was angry the first time she tried to share a meal with him. And then he was conflicted, at best, when she was dragged back in the second time. This paltry range of emotions was far more than he was previously used to; he felt like he was drowning in it, like it was slowly collapsing his airways and squeezing out every last ounce of oxygen from his lungs.

Because there was only one person on this planet who knew his name. A single individual, throughout all of space and time, knew where he was. She was the sole witness to his current existence, and he’d never felt more uncomfortable or on display than here and now. She had met him at his worst, in his ultimate moment of triumph when he’d finally been able to remove himself from any and all equations, from every problem that ever needed solving, and he absolutely hated that.

Loki thought he’d finally accounted for everything when he had stepped through the Time Door and into this dungeon. He thought he’d finally fixed the issue, himself, for literally everyone - and then this tiny little variable had shown up so unexpectedly to completely ruin it for him.

He should have been angrier about it. He should have been furious and seething and shaking with rage over this egregious betrayal of the universe. Being alone had been the whole point, keeping everyone safe from him had been his only intention, seeking protection from the pain of both betrayal and being betrayed was all that Loki had left. Why wasn’t he allowed that meager peace of mind?

Damnation clung to Loki like a frightened child clung to his mother’s skirts, trembling in the dark and begging for acknowledgement of its traumatized state. It lurked around every corner and it haunted every shadow, constantly weeping and whimpering and howling out its anguish to cruel and uncaring souls. It was always there, lingering in the corner of his eye, reminding him of just how helpless and useless he was. That he should just give up. That he should just end it already.

But sometimes, the damnation would transform into something far more sinister, into the tall, skulking form of a cerulean demon. Hanging over his shoulder and digging its claws into his neck, the demon would spit cruel maledictions into his ear. Didn’t Loki know that everyone around him was already doomed? Wouldn’t it be kinder to just kill them now, rather than waiting for him to ruin their life and then cruelly and inevitably take it from them?

Hiding in the dungeon was the only reasonable compromise between the frightened child and the viscous demon warring in his mind. If only he had stuck with that plan, if only he hadn’t revealed that someone else was alive in the cell with her, then maybe he wouldn’t be in this mess right now.

Regret, his oldest and only friend, wouldn’t be blaring its horn and sounding the alarm bells and crying out for solace. So why did it bother him so much now that she wasn’t eating?

Loki shifted uncomfortably on the stone floor, weighing the options in his mind. The regret of initially engaging with this woman didn’t mean he couldn’t change tactics; and if she wasn’t eating, then it wouldn’t be too much longer until he was on his own again. That had been his initial plan, and there was no reason he couldn’t return to that now. Wasn’t being alone all he ever wanted?

“You should finish your meal. There’s no telling how long it’ll be before they bring another…” The words felt like acid on Loki’s tongue, dripping down his throat to eat away at his insides. He hoped they had come out as bluntly as he’d intended, but in reality, it just sounded like something his mother would have said.

This time, the woman didn’t shudder when he finally broke the tense silence. She didn’t even react at all, other than to sigh heavily and respond in a low and flattened tone. “What’s the point…?”

“Well, clearly they’d prefer you to be alive, for whatever reason…” Loki’s jaw tensed as he paused, struggling to understand why he was even bothering. “Even if they bring food on an irregular basis, it’s still more than anyone else gets…”

“Maybe the only reason they want me alive is so they can continue mocking and hurting me.”

That was a more difficult point to contend with; perhaps the guards had just grown weary of the simple and mundane murders, and they’d decided to go with something more entertaining this time. What if there wasn’t a more complicated explanation for the guards' motivations? What if he was searching for logic that didn’t even exist?

Loki stifled another yawn as he leaned back against the stone wall, raking his fingers through tangled curls that were just as chaotic as his thoughts. There had to be something he was missing while attempting to put this puzzle together. “So what did the guards say when they caught you escaping?”

The woman let out a heavy exhale, and her tone shifted into a more sarcastic tone. “Oh, normal things like what are you doing out of your cell?, and no one’s coming to rescue you. Typical kidnapper things, you know…”

Loki couldn’t help but roll his eyes at her nonchalant answers, but what else was he expecting? He was beginning to wonder if it was even worth putting this much effort into avoiding sleep. Nothing else in his life prior to meeting her had been easy, so why was he expecting this to go smoothly?

“Actually, the guard did say something strange before knocking me out…” The woman trailed off, pausing as she furrowed her brow.

Loki cleared his throat as he looked towards her again. “Strange how?”

“Maxine - or Nulan, whichever one it was…They caught me upstairs in their private quarters. Just before attacking me, they said what is gone…may never return.” The woman pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she recalled the memory. “I’ve never heard it before, and I have no idea what it means…”

What is gone…may never return. Loki turned the phrase backward and forward in his mind, trying to find its place in this absolutely confounding puzzle. But he’d never heard anyone say anything even remotely close to it, so there was nowhere for it to go. The phrase’s sentiment, however, he understood perfectly well.

“It was probably just a threat, or a taunt…” she continued with a dismissive shake of her head. “They were just mocking me, for losing everything…”

“Or it’s a prayer. A desperate request, for some kind of reprieve…” Loki murmured in reply. He didn’t want to think about whether anyone had ever hoped for the same thing after he’d finally walked away, but he was positive that they had. And he hadn’t meant for his interpretation to sound so melancholy, but as his gaze caught the woman’s matching expression, he could feel her understanding of his meaning. Loki hated that.

She must have sensed that as well, because she quickly forced a false smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “No…surely they must have been talking about me losing my boots.”

Her smile faded just as quickly as it had appeared, shifting into a grimace as a violent shiver shuddered over the limbs she struggled to pull close enough. She breathed out a heavy sigh and lowered her forehead to her knees with another tremble, and for once, Loki was grateful for the Jotun physiology keeping him relatively comfortable. But the woman didn’t share the same luxury of such a curse, and she was clearly suffering in these dank and grim conditions.

Loki turned his attention towards his fingers, twitching and fidgeting restlessly in his lap. This particular guilt was both new and unwelcome, like the haunting of fresh ghosts he thought he’d finally manage to not brutally murder for once. It wasn’t directly his fault she was here, that she was suffering. She was a complete stranger, after all, and this couldn’t have been his problem, or his responsibility.

But as Loki lifted his gaze again, carefully moving his eyes to avoid looking upon her once more, he caught a glimpse of the woman’s forgotten boots in the shadows, the ones carelessly stripped away while the guards were searching her the night before.

He recalled one of the first lessons Odin had explained about ruling a kingdom, that sometimes tact and finesse were far more effective than blades or might. Perhaps if Loki was kind instead of harsh, and if he returned the boots to the frozen woman, then she might help alleviate the nagging questions he still had and allow him to fight off sleep for just a little bit longer.

His brow furrowed, and he swallowed hard as he realized this was the least he could do for the both of them. It wasn’t much, but it felt like chopping off a limb when he cleared his throat and forced himself to speak again. “Your, um…boots are in here. They might help you with the…cold.”

The woman’s head popped back up, and her eyes narrowed as she scanned for them in the darkness. “Where are they? I don’t - ” she replied, clumsily attempting to push herself upright, obviously eager to get them back on as soon as possible.

Loki felt an odd sense of duty, one that had been buried deep underneath the many eons of pain, and it compelled him to act before he had the chance to second-guess himself. He moved slowly, shifting his weight onto his hip, and extended his arm out. His fingers were just long enough to barely grasp the black leather pull loops, to drag them closer and then place them within her reach while maintaining a safe distance, and without the need for him to stand.

A faint smile crossed her lips as she stretched to pull them closer. “Thank you so much, Loki.”

He couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact anymore; it was hard enough to listen to the bewildered gratitude in her voice. His every movement had stayed within the safe confines of the shadows, and he imagined that she saw her boots reappearing as if from the loving aid of a benevolent god, of someone else who was capable of caring.

“It was nothing,” he told them both.

He had fully intended to return his attention back inward, but he found himself distracted by the woman as she shifted on the floor. Curling and stretching her limbs, gracelessly attempting to pull a boot back on with a single hand, and then reluctantly, with both hands. She let out a gasping whimper as she tried to extend out her left arm, and Loki noticed her fingers trembling as she tried to push through the pain.

Obligation flared along his spine again, but this time, Loki questioned it. A childhood memory surfaced, of when his father would return home from war, bruised and exhausted and weary, and Loki would rush to his side, eager to help with removing his armor and assist in any way he could. He thought maybe if he proved himself useful, eager and determined, like his older brother was, then Odin might finally give him a chance to fight alongside him.

But even though his seidr had been well-advanced for his age, his father had always refused to bring Loki along, despite never leaving home without Thor. Odin had said that Loki wasn’t ready yet, that he wasn’t strong enough, that it was too dangerous for a little boy to be out on the field and surrounded by their mortal enemies.

“Such a young prince falling into the hands of Asgard’s opponents could prove disastrous to the realms,” his father had said, even though that fear had never stopped him from bringing Thor into battle. It wasn’t until much later that Loki realized the truth, that the only real use he had wasn’t needed back then - not until the direst of circumstances forced his father’s ultimate and final hand.

The woman let out a sharp groan, bringing Loki back to the present. She had collapsed back against the wall, sniffling and brushing the messy strands of crimson hair away from her face. “Loki, I’m so sorry…but can you please…?”

His eyes widened, and hers were full of tears. Her cheeks reddened, and her lower lip trembled as she spoke with a cracked voice. “Please help me? I’m so cold, and I can’t…I can’t get these back on…”

It wasn’t like the cold, calculating demands he was previously used to, and Loki realized that it pained her to ask like this. She wasn’t trying to get anything out of him, she wasn’t manipulating her way into something more than she deserved, or trying to get him to commit atrocities in her name.

It wasn’t a game or a trick designed to be laughed at later with her friends; she genuinely just needed his help. But the problem was that this kind of assistance not only required him to vacate the shadows, to come closer and share the same air as her - it necessitated physical touch. Loki was sure he couldn’t handle that.

The muscles in his fingers articulated of their own accord, separating and curling into just the right place to summon and concentrate his seidr, intent on disassembling the atoms that made up the woman’s boots and reassembling them back where they belonged.

A suitable compromise, Loki believed, except that absolutely nothing happened. The warmth that normally accompanied his magic was nowhere to be found, that familiar connection to the past and the present, to his mother, wasn’t opening its loving arms to welcome him back home - and that was when he finally remembered.

Loki’s seidr was dead, because he was supposed to be dead.

He’d forsaken his magic as soon as he’d arrived here. Once he willingly stepped through the Time Door and into this dungeon, once he’d realized that the first thing this newly-freed universe had done was trap him yet again, he decided that this time it was really meant to be.

So he didn’t bother fighting it, and he willingly let go of the tendrils of seidr he had once clung so tightly to. He didn’t deserve the honor of wielding it, not after what he’d done in New York. And what use would that magic have been to the hollowed-out shell of a person he was now? What good could he have possibly done with it anyway?

“Loki?”

Once again, the woman’s quiet voice refocused his attention. Her expression had fallen even further during his silent brooding, and she was staring woefully into the dark, desperately hoping to see him finally coming to her aid. A deep sense of dread rose up within his chest, thick and impenetrable, oozing between his ribs to singe and suffocate his lungs like molten lava.

Loki didn’t know what to do, and yet, he moved anyway. Pressing his palms flat against the stone floor, he bent his knees and carefully pushed himself upright. His joints cracked and popped, his muscles were stiff and sluggish as he slid one foot forward, and the belt around his waist was far looser than when he’d initially put it on.

Taking another step closer, his mind suddenly dizzied, and his body began to sway dangerously from the juxtaposition of pushing himself forward while he’d been wasting away. He quickly grabbed onto the wall with a sharp gasp, trying to steady himself as his legs tingled themselves awake.

“Loki…are you alright?” the woman murmured, her brow furrowing with concern.

“I’m fine, it’s just - ” Loki sighed heavily, his heart pounding and muscles trembling. “I’m just not used to…standing.”

Loki closed his eyes and leaned against the wall for a moment, willing his body back into operating under his own control. But despite his best efforts, weariness and exhaustion were still permanently at the helm, relentlessly steering him back towards collapsing and passing out again.

“It’s alright. Take your time…”

Loki’s eyes snapped back open, painfully aware that she was still watching him closely, and he did everything he could to both avoid her gaze and her reassurance. Nothing about this was alright, and he could hear his father’s chastising voice from beyond the stars, criticizing him for allowing enervation to consume him - even though that was the only way to keep himself out of trouble.

His eyes flitted across the dungeon cell, feverishly taking in the stone walls and steel bars of the door, then out to the flickering lantern light of the hallway. Loki had never even bothered to take a good look at his coffin before committing to staying in it for all eternity, but from this elevation, he could clearly examine the cuts that made up the large slabs of the walls and floor. Meticulous, flawless, precise - too perfect to have been sliced by hand.

His gaze moved to the cream-colored candlestick suspended within the single lantern in the hallway, evenly melted away and without a single speck of soot upon the glass encasing it. From there, he could make out the grooves carved by the steel bars into the doorway’s arch as it swung open and closed, and the streaked and dark stains, smudged against the grayed and leadened floor, leading from the hallway back into their cell.

The woman’s blood, he assumed, and Loki’s hands clenched into fists. His throat tightened, and the slightest hint of outrage began to reluctantly wake from its slumber.

Forcing the feeling away, Loki finally closed the distance and carefully crouched in front of the woman; only then did he let her be the focus of his attention. Loose and uneven strands of crimson had been pulled free from the long, disheveled braid nestled untidily over her shoulder;her skin was wan and pallid, and her lips were tinted with the faintest hint of blue.

Dried blood had smeared on her ear, her neck, the lengths of her hair and along her cheek. It was everywhere, mixed with the dirt and muck from the floor, coating the corners of her cracked lips and the freckles that dotted her cheekbone. The fact that the blood was dried, meaning the original wound was at the very least no longer actively bleeding, did nothing to make him feel better.

Loki lowered one knee down to the floor, precariously settling his weight onto one ankle, and the woman’s attention was now entirely fixed on her boots. She swallowed nervously, and Loki silently agreed with the sentiment. How long had it been since he’d touched another person? Did he even remember how to be gentle? How to not contaminate?

Moving cautiously, he took a boot into his grasp, threading his fingers between the loops and slowly pulling to loosen its laces. While he worked, he focused on the soft leather: its scent was herbal, earthy, and with just the barest suggestion of sweetness. Intricate designs, swirls and constellations and rays of light emanating from an overly-stylized sun were stitched into the leather, extending from the collar and flowing down way past the ankle.

Soft, pliable and shiny, the leather still showed signs of its latest polish, applied with a healthy dose of high-quality wax, from underneath the layers of grim. The boots had been methodically cared for, regularly and recently, and probably not too long before the woman found herself in custody of the mysterious guards. Loki found himself curious about the circumstances of her capture.

Stained in the same shade of night as the leathers covering her legs, they blended seamlessly together with the rest of her clothing, from the thin stockings on her feet to the chipped lacquer on her fingernails. Everything was the exact same color, save for the thin, flowing emerald tunic that had long since come untucked, and the gem that hung from her neck.

And everything she wore was undoubtedly expensive, most likely customized for this particular owner, and she had obviously not dressed for being locked inside a damp and grimy dungeon. At best, she was prepared for a pleasant walk through the woods on a mildly chilly evening; Loki tried not to think about it too much.

Out of his peripheral vision, Loki could see the woman stealing glances up at him. She watched him carefully, her sea green eyes shifting cautiously between his face, his hands, and the boot he was unlacing - obviously examining and judging the hideous monster whose help she had no choice but to accept.

Loki began to feel self-conscious. There was no doubt that his own appearance wasn’t any better than her own at the moment; in fact, he was sure it was much, much worse. Dark and unkempt curls hung way past his shoulders like sinister snakes. The skin on his hands was sullen and pallor, shifting dangerously close to bluish gray, and he had no idea if his eyes had begun to drift back into their original shade of ruby-red or not. He promised himself that this would be the only time she ever saw his face up close.

When he could no longer justify stalling with the laces, he cleared his throat, and forced his fingers to tap the underside of her leg; a featherlight touch that could have been easily missed if one hadn’t been expecting it. But the woman again mercifully sensed his meaning, and she positioned the appropriate foot for him to slide the boot on.

Too well, Loki noticed, as he pulled the collar up to settle around her calf; she was exceptionally practiced at having others put footwear on her - at tensing the right muscles at just the right moment, and extending the leg with just enough force to seat the foot comfortably against the insole.

“Sorry about this…” she mumbled as Loki pulled the laces tight and began looping them back and forth around the hooks. “Although, this is probably the most exciting thing you’ve done in a while, huh?”

She was trying to lighten the mood, to distract from the previous awkwardness of such close quarters. Loki’s response was flat and measured, his attention focused on tying instead of talking. “Like I said - it’s nothing.”

A nervous silence followed, one that was far more uncomfortable than the awkwardness. Loki hadn’t meant to be so dismissive, and perhaps he’d been far too frigid for someone who was supposed to be helping her. When he finished the final loop, he cleared his throat again and forced himself to look up again.

“Is that…too tight for you?” he murmured softly.

The woman managed a weak smile as she flexed her ankle. “No. It feels fine.”

Loki noted that her pupils dilated ever so slightly when she met his gaze, and he took that as a good sign that her head injury wasn’t a completely serious one. He wasn’t sure why he was noting that, but nonetheless, he had, and he didn’t have the energy to start questioning it. Instead, he busied himself with picking up the other boot and threading his fingers underneath its laces like he’d done with the first.

“Is this all I have left? Just waiting in this cell to die?”

Her voice had taken on a somber, more sorrowful tone now; apparently open anguish was much easier for her than polite small-talk, and if she hadn’t been so exhausted, Loki would have guessed there would have been more than a tear or two accompanying her questions. He wasn’t sure how to answer her; bringing up the fact that the other prisoners before her had never lasted more than a day or two, or the fact that they were never returned once removed from their cells, probably wasn’t going to help her mood very much.

“At least they’re leaving you alone for the most part,” Loki answered, lightly tapping his fingers underneath her other leg for the placement of its boot. “Be thankful for relative peace.”

The woman sighed heavily as she cooperated. “Relative peace. That’s all I have to look forward to?”

“For some, that’s all they’ve ever wanted,” Loki said absentmindedly. “They’d kill for it, and others willingly die in its pursuit…”

The woman’s eyebrows raised in troubled concern, and Loki tried to ignore it. He couldn’t understand why he was like this, either speaking too familiarly with the woman, or far too flippantly. He was out of practice when it came to any sort of normal conversation, but he didn’t want to be accustomed to it again. In the end, she was just a temporary distraction, and he wasn’t supposed to even exist at all.

“That’s very enlightened, coming from someone who has nightmares every time he closes his eyes…” the woman replied as he finished tying the laces on the other boot. She flexed that ankle, and then nodded her approval while pulling her knees back against her chest.

Loki’s brow furrowed as he met her gaze once more. Her eyes were wide and open, appearing to be without a single shred of judgment, only empathy. Loki couldn’t help but scrutinize her for that. If she only knew how little he deserved kindness, and he was irritated that she’d noticed how bad his nightmares were at all. He’d rather have not known that his weakness was on complete display, and thus, beyond his complete control.

Slowly pushing himself back up to standing, grateful that the task and its requisite close proximity were finally over, Loki’s fingertips trailed along the cold stone as he backed into the shadows again. But lethargy was creeping back in, along with the ever-present unsettled and restless energy, and when Loki returned to sitting, he wasn’t quite as far into the dark as he had been before.

“You know, it may help your nightmares to talk about them,” the woman suggested cautiously. “Perhaps unburdening yourself a little would be a good thing…”

Loki grimaced. Of all the ways she could have worded it, he wished it hadn’t been in that specific way. As it were, various burdens of all sorts were already going to haunt him until the end of time, it seemed, and he preferred not to be reminded of the purposes initially set upon him by Thanos. And even if he wanted to, where should he begin?

He still didn’t quite understand what exactly had happened to him on Knowhere; that entire year was just a chaotic haze of torture and manipulation, through both physical and psychological means, and it was impossible for him to decipher what was real and what was a lie. Even now, he couldn’t even recall the exact circumstances that led to his descent from the Bifrost and into Thanos’ control.

Sometimes, he could clearly remember the decision to let go of Gungnir and fall into the abyss; other times, he was absolutely convinced that his brother had pushed him in a jealous rage, furious that Loki’s short tenure as King had proved far more successful than any longer one Thor could have ever managed.

Either way, the fall had resulted in him becoming Thanos’ prisoner, and then later, as a member of the Black Order - but only after they’d finally conceded that physical torture was never going to work on the body of a Frost Giant, on an Asgardian prince raised as a warrior, or on a powerful sorcerer who already had extremely complicated feelings about being alive in the first place.

But once they realized that he just wanted somewhere to belong, they finally started to see real progress, and the emotional manipulation that followed was probably more effective than they could have ever hoped for. It was so very easy to muddy the rough waters of Loki’s psyche thanks to the Chitauri Scepter and his tremendous heartbreak - a kind word here, a clever lie there, and nothing but speeches about revenge and betrayals, destinies and purposes, salvation and redemption, and scorned Kings and their disgraced sons.

After Loki had been welcomed into the fold, Thanos explained his need for the Tesseract; if Loki acquired it, then he would be granted an army to help take Midgard by as excessive and violent force as he deemed necessary. The God of Mischief already knew that he wanted to be as destructive as possible - to both completely cripple his brother’s fondness for the pathetic humans, and to show Odin that he would settle for being a terrifying leader if he wasn’t permitted to be a good one.

His idea for retrieving the Tesseract had been a clever one; so clever that Loki wasn’t surprised that Thanos or the Black Order hadn’t ever considered it before. But getting to suggest it meant that his new Master was immediately pleased with his usefulness, something that had rarely happened with his previous keeper, and Loki was so grateful for the opportunity to satisfy.

Out of the six Infinity Stones, the Space Stone was unique in that it could generate massive amounts of self-sustaining energy. Its power signature was incredibly easy to track, and it didn’t take long for Loki to determine the Tesseract’s location inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. research facility. Under Fury’s careful and watchful eye, the mortals were studying its capabilities for power production, no doubt to be used in some kind of advanced weapons manufacture instead of something that could actually be used to help mankind.

A stereotypically short-sighted action, one that would soon be their downfall, because none of those weapons would ever be able to stop him from completing his task. Had they realized the stone’s true potential, as Loki had, then perhaps the humans might have fared better during his invasion.

Because he knew something that apparently no one else did, something he now prayed that no one else would ever be able to figure out. Loki was in the unusual position of understanding exactly how the Bifrost had operated, of how it could easily send and receive anything from across the galaxies with frightening and pinpoint accuracy. As a child, he was fascinated by the Bifrost, and more than once Heimdall had to stop him from attempting to disassemble it while searching for the details of its inner workings.

Once informed of her son’s unyielding curiosities, his mother had patiently redirected that energy towards Asgard’s massive libraries. There, he spent many late nights pouring over the texts and histories of the magnificent Bifrost. Once he’d devoured all he could from words, he then spent his time exploring the Realm and looking for means of travel that didn’t involve going to the Bifrost at all.

And thanks to the Mad Titan’s relentless and universal conquest in search of the stones, Loki had access to incalculable amounts of lore, research and history that had been stolen from countless cultures and societies. He spent months buried in books and manuscripts, performing calculations and practicing his seidr, searching desperately for the perfect combination of science and magic to get him what he needed.

All of that, when combined with his extensive knowledge of the Bifrost, allowed Loki to realize that all he needed was a power-source. It must have been fate and its impeccable sense of humor, because the Space Stone could be the engine, and the Tesseract was going to be the gateway - a terrible, incredible bridge between where you were, and where you desperately wanted to be.

For Loki, the Tesseract was going to deliver him to vengeance, respect, authority and glory - in a way that no one would be able to undo once he finally got it. His brother, his father, the entire Nine Realms and beyond, all of them would be powerless to stop him once he figured out how to open the Tesseract’s portal from the other side.

Returning to his research with a new sense of delirium, he gave up on sleep, and food, and his sanity while he searched for the answer. His cheeks became hollow, his eyes were sunken deep into his skull, and his skin grew weak and frail. His nerves were on the verge of total disintegration, his heart ached and his mind was hazy.

His every waking thought was consumed by the Tesseract, and on the rare occasion that he actually passed out, so were his nightmares. He became too lost to even carry on a conversation; all he could manage were grunts and groans and strange approximations of the word “Tesseract”. Every part of himself, anything that had once been Loki, had all but slipped away.

But occasionally, Loki would come back to himself. He would look down at his hands in horror, and he wouldn’t understand where he was or how he got there. While screaming and lashing out, the one called Ebony Maw would preach about balance, about salvation and judgment and how Loki was destined to assist the Great Titan in saving all of life, by ending half of it. He was instructed to be grateful for being allowed to take part in it.

But it didn’t make any sense, and Loki tried so hard to resist, to fight them off, to scramble to the exit and free himself, to warn someone of the terrible thing that was coming. Then, something would happen, something would touch him, and his mind would cloud back over with rage and madness. The dangerous craving for the Tesseract would return tenfold, and then he would be back on task, more eager than ever to please.

After a quick journey through the minds of the men known as Selvig and Barton, Loki finally had everything he needed to complete his sacred mission. The astrophysicist filled in the last remaining gaps about the Tesseract’s functionalities, and the archer revealed information about S.H.I.E.L.D.'s security protocols - how many personnel were on site, what types of weapons they had, where they’d been trained. The details of every file stored on their secret servers, every individual’s personal histories - including that of the beings once considered to join the so-called Avengers, the ones that might be called upon to stop him.

On his first attempt, Loki succeeded in opening the Tesseract’s portal. One moment, he was standing on Thanos’ ship, and the next, he was inside the research facility, shrouded within a haze of smoke and mania. By the third second, he was ferociously attacking, moving and acting without consideration for the stealth or secrecy he’d been trained with as a child. He didn’t even bother dodging the humans’ pathetic projectiles; instead, he focused on murdering the ones he had already deemed useless to his cause, and using the Sceptre to convert the ones that were worthy of it

Nor did he bother mincing words with Fury as the Director stalled for time, not even the ones ripped directly from Ebony Maw’s impassioned and self-important speeches. Loki already knew how unstable the gateway was, and that was by design. During his maniacal studies, he had determined how best to sustain the portal’s opening for safe and easy passage - first, in order to allow entry for the Chitauri forces, and then to facilitate easy travel for Thanos to find the rest of the stones later on.

Loki’s first act of murder had been intentionally not stabilizing the portal as it opened inside the S.H.I.E.L.D. facility; he had wanted the structure to collapse in a stunning display of destruction. Whether it was to be an ominous warning for what he was about to do, or if it was to serve as a call to action for the only ones who could have prevented him from succeeding, he still wasn’t quite sure.

Either way, he ultimately failed in the only way that had mattered. Loki didn’t achieve vengeance or respect or authority, and there was no victory or glory waiting for him after it was over. The Chitauri Forces were destroyed, the Tesseract was not handed over to Thanos per their agreement, and he’d made a great many vicious and unforgiving enemies that day.

In the end, the only thing waiting for him was a prison cell on Asgard, and all he’d managed to do was to make everything worse.

And presumably, after it was over, Thanos still had access to all of Loki’s research. Losing out on the Tesseract would have infuriated him and the Black Order; a minor inconvenience, sure, but it wouldn’t have hindered their quest in the slightest. Thanos still knew how to use the Tesseract because of him - and more importantly, he understood how to use it in the most destructive way possible. That was completely and entirely Loki’s fault, and he just hoped that Thanos was arrogant enough to keep that information to himself, that no one else would try and fail in the same catastrophic way that Loki had.

Maybe the Tesseract wasn’t meant to be used as a gateway, and in doing so, Loki had ensured that he’d never get what he wanted, and that he’d lose what little he had left. All of that madness and frantic chaos and deliberate carnage had been for absolutely nothing. Maybe the Tesseract was cursed, and maybe, so was he.

Because every single time Loki had come into contact with it, his life had taken a drastic and even more devastating turn for the worse. Attempting to acquire it for Thanos had broken him - mind, body, and soul; fleeing New York with it had landed him in the clutches of the TVA; and apparently, it had been his ultimate destiny to die while trying to keep it from the Mad Titan.

The absolute last thing Loki ever wanted was to be reminded of the Tesseract - more than he wanted silence, or solitude, or to rot. And now this woman wanted to know what his nightmares were about?

Even if he had made it to the prison cell on Asgard, he wasn’t planning to explain himself to anyone. What was he supposed to tell his brother, his mother, his father? That he’d been deceived? Were they going to believe that he’d fallen for someone else’s lies so easily, and without question? That the God of Mischief himself had been tricked, played for a fool and made to be the universe’s largest and most pathetic scapegoat?

No, trying to justify his actions would be a grave disservice to the innocent lives he’d taken, and telling the truth was next to impossible. Even just talking about the betrayal of his family would be too much for him to bear, and that was the only aspect of the entire thing that Loki had never, ever second-guessed.

The woman continued stealing glances in his direction, from just a few feet away now. Still waiting for him to say something, anything, to help keep her mind distracted from her own plights. For the briefest of moments, he actually considered asking if she’d ever heard of the Tesseract, or the Infinity Stones. If she knew who Thanos was, if he’d ever been to this planet before…but as Loki fidgeted with his tie, running his fingers over the frayed and broken seams in the cloth, he knew the answer didn’t matter.

The appropriate time to have asked that question would have been when he’d first arrived, back when the TemPad still had the power to take him some place else if need be. But now the TemPad was dead; he was trapped here, and the longer he could go without hearing about the Tesseract, the better. The longer he could go on in the blissful ignorance of relative peace, and without talking about himself, the easier this would be for everyone.

“How did you wind up here anyway?” He winced as he spoke, hating himself for being more than a little curious about it. “I can’t imagine the guards asking you to come along nicely…”

The woman hesitated for a moment, no doubt replaying the events in her mind and wishing she had done something differently. Her fingers grasped the gem that hung from her neck, and she swallowed hard. “I was…taken from Tessaway, my home, in the middle of the night.”

She paused, her eyes focused on something non-existent in the distance. “I don’t know how they made it past the sentries, but they…managed, somehow. They took me from my bed, while I slept…”

Loki shook his head, trying to appear sympathetic. “You lived in a heavily guarded city. It must be a very dangerous place…”

“Tessaway isn’t a city,” she corrected, furrowing her brow as she looked over at him. “It’s the castle in Fayrest. You know, the capital city…?”

He didn’t know any of that, of course, having never left this cell. The woman looked like she wanted to say more but was afraid to, and he couldn’t help but think about why she had seemed to imply before that no one was going to rescue her. “Wouldn’t someone from the castle have noticed your absence? Surely they have to be looking for you by now…”

“No…” The woman shifted uncomfortably in place, her expression broken and forlorn. “No, I was just a servant. No one important enough to miss…”

Loki had been studying her carefully ever since he’d realized her captors were going to keep her alive for much longer than they had the others. Her movements were elegant and refined, her clothing and jewelry expensive and customized, her speech graceful and enchanting; the kind of charming that could only come from years of practice. He didn’t believe for a second that she was just a servant working in a castle.

But she was also clearly in a tremendous amount of pain, and for whatever reason, was keeping the origins of her birth a secret. Loki wondered what might have happened to him if he had been given that luxury, if he hadn’t been the only one to not know the truth about himself.

“Ah, a servant,” he replied, trying to lighten the mood a little. His unpracticed lips curved into a forced and lazy grin. “That certainly explains why you’re so concerned about my well-being…”

The woman’s eyebrows raised in amusement, and she tilted her head curiously as if taking his comment as a challenge. “What’s the matter? Are you not used to someone worrying about your well-being?”

Loki’s jaw tensed; perhaps he hadn’t been behaving as opaquely as he hoped, and he hated that she could see through him just as well as he could through her. He glanced over, and decided to provoke her right back. “Well, I’m sure they’ll miss you at the castle eventually. Like when there’s pots that need washing, or linens that need changing?”

“Yes, yes, that’s very funny…” she replied, rolling her eyes. “I get it, the thing about servants is that no one knows your name until something you normally do suddenly isn’t being done anymore…”

The woman turned, and she met his gaze with a considering and dissecting one of her own. “Like you - you don’t need anything from me, so why would you ever bother learning my name?”

From just a few feet away, the woman stared deep into his soul, tugging at the strings that still held him upright and all but questioning if they were even necessary. He waited until she looked away to furrow his brow again, because while she was right about him not needing anything from her, she was surely mistaken about the other half of her point.

Because he did actually know her name; it was the first new name he’d learned in such a very long time, and he thought it suited her quite well, all things considered. But he had been trying to avoid acknowledging it, not wanting it to mean something more than what it was.

It was just a name, after all; a series of specific vocalizations designed to get her attention. Saying it out loud didn’t mean that they were friends, or that they were even important to each other. It wouldn’t bind them in any way, or obligate him to care. But if that were true, then why did he have such a problem with saying it?

Loki could feel a nervous energy creeping relentlessly up his spine again. He wished it would stop receding, that it would stay put, because the constant shifting between relaxing and stressing was completely wearing him out. He told himself he just needed to say it out loud and get it over with, before he could start second-guessing and talk himself out of it again - especially now that she had noticed his careful avoidance of her name.

“What kind of servant knows how to fight with a staff anyway?” Loki asked, affecting an innocent and casual tone. “I guess servants named Oliviette do…”

After he answered his own question, Loki looked towards her again, and Oliviette was already smiling back at him; it was a bleary and quiet acknowledgement, but the sentiment was definitely noteworthy. For the first time since they’d met, he could see the dimples in her cheeks, and it was impossible to miss the way her eyes lit up with mirth, or how her lips pursed before she finally responded.

“What? Am I not allowed to have hobbies outside of work?”

Loki struggled to not return her smile. He almost felt a sense of appreciation for her snark and the much-needed diversion from the constant aching in his chest. It was only then that he remembered that this was supposed to be a temporary distraction; he couldn’t afford to spend needless energy that didn’t directly involve finding out why the guards were keeping Oliviette alive for this long.

Keeping a safe distance was paramount, his new glorious purpose. Trust was for children and dogs, wasn’t that how he’d put it to Mobius during their first meeting? As long as he stayed here, keeping himself isolated and protected, then he couldn’t ever be tricked into being someone else’s attack dog ever again. He couldn’t ever hurt anyone again.

Besides, it was highly implausible that her life would end in any way other than tragically. Loki’d already had quite enough of that - and would it be worth getting close to her, even if it didn’t?

⊱ ─ ༓ ── ⋅•⋅⊰ ─ ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ∙ ⋅ ─ ⊱⋅•⋅ ── ༓ ─ ⊰

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spider-gem · 6 months

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What if Mobius was a villain/anti-hero in his past life?

Here’s why I think there’s a good possibility for this:

While it’s probably easier for Marvel to go the boring route (Mobius was simply a normal dude with a normal job and a normal family, etc), I think there’s more to Mobius than we think. Owen Wilson himself teased Mobius has a deeper story arc this season:

In the latest episode, X-5 (or Brad) strikes a nerve when asking Mobius why he’s not interested in his past. Mobius tells Loki that he likes his life at the TVA- that’s his purpose and he’s good at it (My Lokius heart also tells me that it’s because he likes being with Loki and doesn’t want to lose him if he goes back to his past life- yeah yeah, I’m delusional, I know…)

I may be looking to hard into this (I’m a writer and reader, over-analyzing is what I do) but what if there’s a reason Mobius prefers his life at the TVA? Don’t get me wrong, I do believe that his memories have been wiped, but what if there’s something deep within him (part of his subconscious perhaps) that’s telling him to avoid his past?

I looked into Mobius’ comic counterpart to see what I could learn about the character. There’s not much. He’s had interactions with the Fantastic Four and She-Hulk, but there aren’t any details on his past. However, there are a few things I found interesting:

We all know that Kang created the TVA, but could this imply that Mobius may have known Kang personally and chose to work with him? Let’s dive deeper:

Mobius is also known as Mr. Tesseract. Why? I have no idea. He doesn’t seem to have any relation with the Tesseract. (There are some VERY cool fanarts though, so check them out if you have time). However, there’s more:

There’s a Mr. Orobourous and a Mr. Paradox as well. We just met Orobourous (spelt as Ouroboros) in the first episode of season two. Also, connect the dots: Mr Paradox = General Dox? I may be looking too deep into this, but I feel like these three may be connected in some way.

While this still isn’t a lot of information, there’s still a chance that this alias has something to do with Mobius’ backstory in the show. So, here’s my theory:

What if Mobius, once known as Mr. Tesseract, worked closely with Kang? What if he helped build the TVA? There’s a possibility that he has powers he doesn’t know about (as well as O.B. and Dox) that helped structure the TVA. Mr. Tesseract may have powers similar to his namesake. Mobius balances the TVA’s power over space, Ouroboros (which, in definition, is a snake that represents infinity) balances the power over time, and Dox balances the power over reality.

So, why don’t they have their memories? I theorize that Mobius (and maybe the others) eventually realized that Kang was wrong. Maybe he attempted to overthrow him. In the end, Kang defeated him and took away his memories as punishment, making him forget about his powers. We also know that Mobius’ memories have been wiped more than once, so there’s a chance that Mobius’ powers (in theory) eventually resurface, causing Kang to repeat the process.

This may be just some wacko theory that I overanalyzed and spent too much time on (probably) but the idea excites me. If this is in anyway true, how will Mobius react? How will Loki react? How will this impact the course of the show?

I can’t wait to find out more. Again, Mobius may have just been some random jet ski enthusiast on the time line. But that’s the boring option. Marvel, please don’t be boring. (Marvel’s probably going to make it boring).

So, what are your theories?

#this ended up being longer than I expected #yes im delusional next question #please share any theories you have!#loki #mobius #mobius m mobius #lokius #loki series #loki theory #marvel #ouroboros #general dox #o.b.#spider-man #Mr Tesseract

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worstloki · 2 years

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wondering if Thor only connected the dots about Loki already knowing Thanos to the invasion after he died

#i know bruce shows up going on about how new york or whatever was thanos and he was behind loki but. i consider it an incongruency #Thanos knows Loki has failed experience on Earth but that's the entire convo they have. But Thanos KNOWS Loki for the Tesseract at least #did Thor see how Thanos and Loki clearly knew each other and not wonder about how until after the fighting?#did Thor push any history to the side as Loki clearly having betrayed someone big only to hear the story from Gamora or Nebula?#did he think the familiarity and Thanos strangling Loki didn't matter till he landed on Wakanda and saw the chitauri?#did the Avengers meet up later when recounting the lead-up to the snap and did Thor piece it together after hearing the freedom jargon #that they were reciting - not unlike Loki's in Avengers 1 #did Thor ever find out that Loki didn't start attacking midgard of his own volition #did he figure it out long after Loki was dead and Thanos was dead and there was nothing to be done #and if so did he tell anyone else about what he realized or was there no point #did this contribute to his depression #just wondering

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creative-caramel-coffee · 10 months

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REST AND REGRET

Prompt: "I should have stayed home"

Pairings: Wandanat x R

Word count: 1.1K

Summary: you got sick and went on a mission anyway. Wanda and nat clean up the aftermath.

TW: exhaustion, talks of medication, fever, secrets, blood / nosebleed, cold, fainting, stitches, injury, swearing, fighting

You had felt like death warmed over since you woke up, you knew you were sick but you were also stubborn as all hell. so you slipped on your suit and joined the others at the jet. Wanda noticed your unusual quietness but wrote it off as pre-mission jitters. it was you, nat, wanda, steve, bucky, peter, tony and sam. so the mission was pretty serious.

steve droned on about the mission plan with you only half listening you got the gist. it was way to cold in here and you know you were developing a fever.

"I should have stayed home" you muttered under your breath. nobody heard you, all too focused on the mission.

hydra had taken the tesseract to a highly secure base in Moscow, Russia. you simply had to take out the guards, in and out to get the tesseract and then blow up the base once you were all clear. spiderboy and tony were going after the tesseract because of peters ability to climb and web things up. like the cameras to buy the team some time. plus he could grab the tesseract and swing his way out. tony would fly behind him and provide cover. wanda and bucky were to take out the guards so you and nat could lay the charges. and sam and steve were going to search the base for anything of value that shield could use to bring down hydra.

knowing you would need something to keep your stuffy head grounded you slipped in a earbud and hit play on your playlist called “ass-kickin.”

when you and nat slipped off the jet after the others had cleared a path you made your way into the base.

“i think we should split up to cover more ground.” you found yourself saying. nat hesitated but nodded, she hated leaving you alone. you feigned being alright for long enough but it was a tough act when you felt like complete death. jogging off down the hall, you paused once out of sight to lean against the wall. sliding down it to catch you breath and steady your beating heart.

“Y/n/n” nats voice came over the coms. “coms on please. open channel.”

you doubled over on the floor as coughs racked through you. when you finished gasping for air your voice was raw.

“ok nat coms are open.” you sounded bad even by your own standards luckily nat didn’t say anything.

wanda had cleared the halls with bucky, and you began laying charges across the base. but of course things were never smooth for you. you had just rounded another corner when a group of guards spotted you. you swore and got ready to fight. they luckily weren’t armed and you were pretty good with hand to hand combat.

“nat i got company.”

“on my way.” she sounded

“left wing.” you replied. raising your fists you dodged the first blow. your limbs felt heavy and sluggish. you threw a dagger at the man clocking him in the chest. he spat blood and collapsed. you were pretty proud of your aim given you felt like shit.

the second man threw a punch and you were to slow to doge as it connected with your nose which started bleeding. it made you sneeze and the blood dripped down your chin. wiping it with the back of your hand. you but your hands back up. clocking him in the face and snapping his neck.

the third man managed to land a hit with a knife on your arm that would need stitches later. when you brought him down your body had had enough. your vision swam as you collapsed.

nat found you moments later.

“guys Y/n’s out cold and shes been hit.” nats voice sounded over coms.

“get her back to the jet.” steve’s voice came.

“i’ll meet you there I’ve finished clearing the halls.” wanda sounded feeling guilty. the left wing was also hers to clear but she couldn’t help it if some doubled back without her knowing.

nat scooped you up ignoring your still bleeding nose staining her white suit red. tony owed her a favor anyways and she needed a new suit soon, hers was starting to go.

you felt warm in her arms and as she brushed the hair from your face she hissed at the heat radiating off you.

“wands?” nat asked

“yeah?” she replied

“our stupid baby has a fever and still went in the field.”

“what?!” wanda cried

“i’ll meet you at the jet.”

by the time you and nat arrived your nose had stopped bleeding but not before thoroughly destroying nats suit beyond repair.

she set you down on a medical bed before wanda rushed in.

“Is she ok?” wanda asked seeing Nat covered in blood. your blood.

“yes, she had a pretty bad nosebleed and will need stitches.” she gestured to your arm as she pulled out a first aid kit. “i was just about to get started.”

wanda came to stand by your other side while nat got to work. she brushed the hair from your eyes and laid the cool back of her palm to your flushed cheek.

“i should have noticed.” she cooed.

“wands don’t blame your self, i didn’t know either and I’m a trained spy. she hid it very well.” nat sighed not looking of from stitching you up.

“she needed us and we weren’t there for her.” wanda said

“baby we didn’t know and we’re here now. thats what matters most.” nat replied. and wanda nodded silently.

“I’m going to see if we have one of those fever pads to stick on her forehead i don’t like how hot she is baby.” wanda said rummaging in the large first-aid kit before finding one and putting it on your forehead.

nat finished stitching you up and you began to come around.

“natty? wands?” you slurred still exhausted. nat grabbed you hand and drew circles on the back of your hand while wanda sat by your other side and wiped the hair from your eyes tenderly.

“we’re here baby. we got you.”

“‘m tired.” you slurred

“go to sleep baby. we’re here. and we’re not leaving.” nat said

“the three of us have a date with the bed and a bottle of pain medicine when we get back.” wanda smiled

“‘m s’rry ‘bout your suit” you said having barely cracked open an eye to see nat covered in your blood.

“its ok baby don’t worry i needed a new one.” she cooed wiping a cool rag over your face to get rid of the dried blood from your nosebleed.

“still sorry.” you replied eyes still shut.

“hush now bubs go to sleep and when you wake up we’ll be right here my love.” wanda cooed.

you sighed falling asleep to the feeling of her fingers in your hair.

MASTERLIST

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simplyholl · 6 months

Text

The Villain’s Weapon Pt. 2

Summary: When you hit your head and lose your memory, you fall into Loki's clutches.

Warnings: 18+ ONLY. Minors DNI. Smuttish. Memory loss. Villain Loki. Thanos.

A/N: Thank you @lokisgoodgirl for helping me get out of the corner I wrote myself into. ❤️

See my Masterlist here

Part One

Your breath hitches as your back presses against Loki’s hard torso. His arms wrap around you before slinging you down. He stands above you, and something about it feels familiar. Probably memories of him training you before. He reaches his hand out to help you up.

“That’s enough of that kind of training for today. After lunch, I will help you with your magic.” You follow him down to the basement area. He introduces you to Dr. Selvig who is helping him with the Tesseract. He gives you a tour, trying to jog your memory. He was still the only constant so far. He felt safe. He felt like home.

You held your hand out, concentrating. “It’s no use, Loki. I don’t remember how.” You sigh, ready to give up after twenty minutes had passed. Loki comes up behind you, placing his arm on yours, guiding yours upward. “Don’t think too hard. My mother taught me that it should come naturally. Close your eyes, relax.” Your shoulders slump, as you free your mind, only concentrating on his velvety voice.

“Think of something that makes you happy.” You turn to look at him. “I don’t remember what makes me happy.” You cast your eyes downward, cursing yourself for your situation. You would give anything to remember what your life was like. “Think of what has made you happy today. Surely there is something.”

You close your eyes again, thinking of how happy you were when you recognized Loki on the battlefield. How you were so relieved to have him there. You thought of how tenderly he patched your wounds, how his touch started a fire within you. “That’s it!” Loki shouts. You open your eyes, seeing a blue glow in your hand. You turn around, practically jumping into Loki’s arms. After two hours, you were managing your powers significantly better.

While you were taking a shower, the floral scent of your soap brought forth some memories. They were of your childhood and your parents. You were shocked you remembered anything at all. You hoped your next recovered memories would be of Loki. As you wash yourself, you ache between your legs thinking of him training you. You stroke yourself trying to soothe the ache and your mind fills with memories of your second boyfriend on top of you, thrusting sloppily. You quickly stop, ready to get out of the shower. It was overwhelming to remember so much at once.

“She is a fast learner. Her instincts are still there. She fights like she always has. In a few more weeks, she will be better than before. I can’t wait to see the looks on my brother and those imbeciles’ faces when they see their precious teammate helping me.” Loki gives The Other the update. “He still thinks this is a bad idea, Asgardian. But he won’t go back on his word, it’s only been a day, so you have some time to use her against them.”

Loki paces his bedroom. Why was the Titan so against his plan? He would show him that he was wrong. He had one of his goons prepare the evening meal. He insisted you dine together. He needed to keep an eye on you to make sure your memory hadn’t returned.

When you were finished, he walked you back to your room. “Loki, sorry if this is awkward, but I need to know something.” He nodded in response, curiosity eating away at him. “Have we ever?” You gesture between the two of you. His face lights up in surprise at your question. That was the last thing he thought you would ask.

“I’m only asking because of the way my body reacts to you. And I didn’t mean to look, but I noticed you were aroused when you left last night.” Loki takes a deep breath, considering his words carefully before answering. “No darling, we never had that kind of relationship. We are just friends working toward the same goal.” Disappointment floods you, but you try to hide it from him. “There was a time when you came onto me." You raise your eyebrows, already embarrassed by where this was going.

"The Avengers had us cornered. We were certain death was near. You confessed your desire for me and I was concerned you were going to rip my clothes off me before we escaped. But nothing happened. We never spoke of it again." You wished the floor would open up and swallow you whole. You just had to ask. "Loki, I'm sorry. I just felt like there was something there. That's why I asked." You cover your face with your hands, trying to look anywhere but at him.

He was pleased with himself. He knew you were attracted to him, but now he made you think you were a wanton slut for him. That would make you avoid touching him more than necessary. It was for his benefit. If your unexpected touches and embraces were an everyday occurrence, he might grow fond of you. He could not let that happen.

But he couldn’t help but notice you looked disappointed. Did you want him that badly? Of course you did, he was a prince, a god, the rightful king of Asgard. And very soon he would rule over this pathetic planet. He watched you carefully. Chest heaving, eyes darkened, thighs clenched, you wanted something to happen when you asked him that.

Loki’s blue eyes gleam mischievously. He could tease you a little. He pins your body to the wall with his, leaving no room in between you. He trails his large hands over the straps of your dress, sliding one down your shoulder, he notices your breath hitch. He smiles satisfied with the effect he has on you.

“Is this what you want, little one? You want me to touch you?” You nod, knowing you would be unable to utter a coherent word. His fist trails between your breasts, stopping to cup one. He gives the tender flesh a firm squeeze. You think you might burst into flames if he doesn’t do something soon.

“Loki, please?” You beg, and you swear he’s holding back a laugh. “Please what?” He smiles. “Please touch me.” You beg him. He spreads your legs with his own. His large hand caresses your inner thigh. “Like this?” He asks you, hand getting higher.

His long fingers finally reach your damp panties. “Norns, you’re so wet for me already.” He purrs in your ear. “Hey boss” Clint bursts into your room, taking notice of Loki’s bulky body holding you against the wall, the strap of your dress hanging off your shoulder. How Loki’s hand is under your dress and you are both breathing heavily. “Sorry I didn’t mean to interrupt.” Clint clears his throat, looking up at the ceiling.

“What do you need, Agent Barton?” Loki asks, fingers still caressing you through your panties. “Sir, The Other needs you to get into contact with him immediately.” Loki reluctantly pulls away from you. You whine when his fingers aren’t on you anymore. You see the smirk on Loki’s face when he hears it and the blush on Clint’s. “Lead the way then.” Loki gestures to Clint. They both leave the room, Loki doesn’t even look back at you as he exits.

Part Three