#sylki meta

[alaskanna]

Well, here is chapter two!

#sylki #sylki meta #sylki endgame #loki series 1 #loki 2023 #loki and sylvie #loki speculation

[ftmwillz]

sylvie’s character essentially functions as a narrative device to remind the audience of how loki *would* have reacted to challenges, frustrations, and difficulties in the past

she’s an externalization of everything he is outgrowing, and every conversation they have had this season has driven that point home

the “love triangle” at the center of this season isn’t really about loki’s feelings towards sylvie or mobius, it’s about loki’s internal struggle to grow and become better without betraying his core identity

#despite the way this post opens i swear it is not sylki wank #to be fair i AM a lokius girlie through and through #but i just feel like we’re all missing the point a bit #it has been stated that the entire point of this series is to facilitate loki’s personal growth #loki #loki series #lokius #loki season 2 #loki meta

[percheduphere]

It troubles me when fans find Loki in his own tv series "out of character". Since the first Thor movie, Loki has shown a certain sweetness, protectiveness, and level-headedness that was overcome and eventually self-suppressed by rage and tragedy. He didn't have an environment in which he could thrive and, in Frigga's words, succeed at being who he truly is.

Loki desperately needed a support system outside his immediate family. That support system simply couldn't have been built on Asgard because of:

1. Odin's political machinations, including the intentional creation of an environment rife with sibling rivalry and blatant favoritism.

2. The racist if not xenophobic views of Asgardians.

3. The inherent masculine-dominant, warrior society culture of Asgard.

To break Loki out of his self-destructive patterns, it took the empathy of 1 brainwashed and memory-wiped TVA analyst to rightly recognize that Loki as a person has incredible potential and that he could actively do something about it. That Mobius uses this reasoning for the advantage of the TVA (then under HWR's helm) is a plot point I'll discuss later, but the fact still stands: Loki was given a second chance to be who he really is because of the choice Mobius made to intervene. Loki would have been pruned before he would have had the opportunity to meet Sylvie, B-15, Casey, and OB. This is fact.

Mobius literally drops everything--the case he's actively investigating--to intervene. The fact a minuteman immediately reports the variant of Loki he is most interested in has been taken into custody suggests that Mobius has been planning this intervention for some time.

Some fans hate Mobius for his treatment of Loki in the first episode. It is, indeed, manipulative, condescending, and to a certain extent, emotionally abusive. I'm not denying any of this, but from a narrative perspective, Mobius, to be a fully well-rounded character, necessarily must have his own flaws and personal conflicts to battle. Loki's evolution as a character, and thus his positive impact on others, would be missing an emotional beat of mutual reciprocation otherwise. That emotional beat pays off in every episode of S2, culminating in the final scene of the final episode. This is to say nothing of the likelihood that Loki would not have been receptive to any form of gentleness at that point in time to begin with.

Crucially, Mobius gets Loki to admit that his villainous persona is exactly that: an illusion constructed in a bid for control. Some viewers might interpret this scene as a shortcut for getting Loki to behave "out of character" by S1E2, but Thor 2 proves otherwise:

This scene with Thor demonstrates that Loki has a high pain tolerance and is adept at hiding pain. His need to mask his vulnerability, and how that vulnerability is intrinsically tied with the misplaced shame of who he is, resonates deeply with queer, people of color, immigrant, colonized, and adopted fans, many of whom have intersectional lived experiences (including myself). I believe it is for this reason that so many of us are desperate for blatant representation in mainstream entertainment, and to shame us for the sin of hoping is disturbing.

But I digress. Frigga, Thor, and now Mobius are among the few who can see through Loki's deception. That deception has the unfortunate effect of hurting not only innocent civillians but his loved ones and himself (closeting, internalized racism).

Once Loki is able to drop that persona through admission, however, he is able to relax and be himself in the TVA. And in being himself, Loki is consequently able to love himself, which manifests through loving Sylvie. S1 shows Loki holding her up on a romantic pedestal: he chases after her, he sings a song for her, he wants her to be okay. He loves her, yes, and though it appears she does not reciprocate (in my opinion, your mileage might vary), Sylvie does love Loki enough back to buy him a drink and counsel him about what he really wants. This scene is critical in Loki's development in the same way Mobius sheds light on his potential to be whoever he wants.

Both Mobius and Sylvie are integral for Loki to arrive at his turning point, his ultimate sacrifice. Loki loves Sylvie. He therefore chooses to not kill her. Killing her, moreover, would not solve the issue of free will. Sylvie is right in believing free will, and thus the multiverse, is right and necessary. Sylvie's moral question and Loki sparing her life, answers Mobius's belief that Loki can be whoever he wants.

On the other side of this coin, watching Mobius in the final scene, hearing Mobius whisper, "Let time pass..." answers Sylvie's question of what Loki wants, and what he want more deeply than not being alone is for his friends, most especially Mobius (whom he also loves and cares for most, to LIVE.

The series ends with only 2 characters heartbroken with the outcome of Loki's heroism, which Mobius knew existed within him from the beginning. He saw those little but important moments: Loki comforting his brother, Loki protecting Jane, Loki giving up his life to buy Thor time, and so much more, he saw and he knew Frigga's words were right.

#loki #mobius #lokius #loki season 2 #loki series #loki meta #my meta #loki spoilers #queen frigga #frigga #sylvie #sylkie #sylki

[sheliesshattered]

I've seen some posts going around expressing frustration with Loki not telling Sylvie how he feels, at least as of the third episode of season two. And I'm not saying you're wrong, but like, can we just take a minute to think about this from Loki's point of view?

When they fought in the citadel at the end of time, the last thing Loki said to Sylvie was that he just wants her to be okay. Nothing else -- not power, not a crown, not the ability to rewrite time to his desires. He just wants Sylvie to be okay.

And in response, she kissed him. For those of us who ship them, obviously that was The Moment, and it probably felt like it to Loki, too. But then Sylvie immediately pushes him through a time door and kills He Who Remains, exactly what Loki was trying to keep her from doing.

We don't really know how Sylvie feels about Loki, but from Loki's point of view? That wasn't a kiss because she has feelings for him too, or even to acknowledge his feelings for her. That kiss was a trick, just as much as Loki creating a double or Sylvie enchanting someone. She used it to get him out of the way, because she realized she couldn't kill him and she couldn't convince him. So she kissed him to distract him long enough to get rid of him.

Loki has to have realized that pretty immediately. His face after she pushes him through the time door certainly looks like he knows exactly what Sylvie just did, and why. He tells her he just wants her to be okay, and she betrays him with a kiss. He looks appropriately heartbroken.

He then spends the first two episodes of season two trying to find Sylvie. Not just because the TVA is falling apart, but because he still wants to make sure that she's okay. She killed He Who Remains, she completed the one goal she'd had for so long, and Loki knows she would have been alone at the end of time after killing He Who Remains. Even before the TVA crises start piling up, he wants to find Sylvie, just because he needs to know that she's okay.

We as the audience get to see how desperate Loki is to find Sylvie, and it's obvious to everyone at the TVA, even Brad who has been off on his own on the sacred timeline for however long.

But when they finally find Sylvie, she really doesn't seem happy to see Loki. Her face falls, her posture is distinctly cold and defensive. When they talk, she tells him that she just wants to be left alone. She tells him that she's happy living there in that branched timeline, that she just wants to stay there, alone.

And once Sylvie makes that clear to Loki, he backs off. His feelings for her haven't changed -- but from his point of view, she's just reinforced that the kiss didn't mean anything to her. Because he loves her, Loki just wants Sylvie to be okay. And she makes it clear that she is okay, living a quiet life of her choosing.

Personally, I read Loki's behavior in the most recent two episodes as him intentionally respecting Sylvie and her wishes. All he wants is for her to be okay. All she wants is to be left alone to live the life of her choosing. He loves her, so how could he do anything other than give her what she wants?

#Loki #Sylvie #Loki show #Loki series #Loki season 2 #Loki spoilers #Loki and Sylvie #Sylki #pro Sylki #meta #character analysis #Sylki antis do not interact #ship and let ship

[starlight-bread-blog]

Why Lokius Should Have Been Canon

This is a sort of combo of two metas that didn't quite get point my across. Some parts will be copied directly, but there's a lot of original content. I will discuss the ship between Loki and Mobius, their place in the show, and the MCU at large. My focus for this meta won't be parallels or motifs, because these things border on well-written friendships. But there will be some of that.

Romance in the MCU

There are a lot of straight couples in the MCU. (Almost) Every main hero is in some heterosexual relationship, Loki included.

(That's not all, not remotely).

But in the LGBTQ+ department... uh.. I think it was mentioned that Valkyrie had a girlfriend... uh... America Chavez had a pride pin... and Loki:

One line. Queer experiences are never a focal point of a show/movie the same way heterosexual experiences are. And that needs to change.

Romance In the Show

Wrong, toxic, or unsuccessfu romantic love is a recurring theme in the show.

Sylki

Sylki was an icky relationship right off the bat. They are the same person. I can't find the post at the moment, but someone has pointed out in their post that them being the same person is referenced in every episode in season 1 (edit: here it is), which is when the romance took place. This made their romance uncomfortable for many viewers.

(Some consider Sylki a toxic relationship, but for this post, the topic is too large to handle with the nuance I'd like to handle it with).

When he's drunk, Loki compares love to a dagger, stating that it hurts you, but when you try to find strength in it, it's not real.

Which is exactly what happens. Sylvie pushes Loki into a portal and they never get back together.

The Love Triangle

In 02×03, Ravonna Renslayer is infatuated with Victor Timely, but he leaves her behind and betrays her when Miss Minutes told him to. One episode later, we discover that they were indeed an item, and established the TVA together. He Who Remains deleted her memories and they never rekindle their love.

Later in the episode, is the best example of "wrong" romance in the show. Miss Minutes, the AI clock, confesses her love to Viktor Timely. He, obviously, freaks out and shuts her off. Nothing ever comes of this.

Brad and Dox

This one is small, but a big indication to romance being a theme. In 02×01, we're shown this:

The gap in the age of the actors is uncomfortable, and a character in universe has this reaction to it. It is never mentioned again.

So what does all of this leave us with? Not much. None of this properly ties to the finale, or anything really. If I were to write the show I would cut a lot of this out, since it serves no purpose. But it does make you keep romance and its shortcomings in mind. The writers want it to be there, in the back of your head.

Loki and Mobius

Finally! I got to talk about them. The two people in question. First things first, who are they, together? They became really supportive, close friends.

Fans even drew parallels to Chaos & Order, which is a very important theme in Loki. But I'm not here to unpack them. These things don't necessarily make them in love. So what does make them in love? I'll present you my evidence, and you ask yourself,

Would it be valid to suggest romantic implications if a man and a women are:

1) Extremely thouchy with each other.

2) Riding on a tandem bike together.

3) Willing to suffer a fate worst than death for another.

4) Falling on each other after that^

5) Literally the Interrupted Declaration of Love trope. (Ex)

6) Being framed in a circle.

7) Waiting & giving permission to attack.

8) Fixing themselvs before seeing the other.

Of course yes. Maybe you think some of these are a strech, but ultimately, people would point out romantic connotations across the board. And I'm here, pointing them out right now. Some scenes between Loki and Mobius have romantic implications.

Conclusion

Loki is a queer protagonist in the MCU, a universe that lacks representation of queer experiences. His show constantlty reminded us of romance, sometimes for seemigly no reason. In the second season, they wrote him and his best friend with romantic implications. And then, nothing. It should not have been nothing. Lokius should have been canon.

#loki series #anti sylki #antisylki #lokius meta #lokius gif #lokius #loki x mobius #mobius x loki #loki laufeyson #loki odinson #loki #loki season 2 #loki s2 #loki spoilers #loki 2 #anti loki series #anti loki show #loki series criticism #loki series critical #loki and mobius #mobius mcu #mobius marvel #mobius m mobius #tom hiddleston #tom hiddelston loki #owen wilson #marvel mcu #mcu loki #lgbt #queer

[i-dagger-you]

THEY'D BETTER MAKE SYLVIE THE ENCHANTRESS IF THERE'S A SEASON 3 WHERE SHE ENCHANTS ALL THE BRANCHES TOGETHER AND YANKS LOKI OUT OF THERE SO THAT HE'S NO LONGER ALONE AND CAN BE WITH HIS LOVE AND FRIENDS AND ACTUALLY BE HAPPY

#sylki #loki #loki season 2 #loki series 2 #meta #rant #disney+ #i-dagger-you text posts

[musclesandhammering]

I’ve heard so much criticism about how Loki should’ve been the one to kill He Who Remains instead of Sylvie- because he deserved to be the one the free the timeline, because he deserved to represent chaos but instead ended up representing order, because having him side with a dictator was ooc, etc.

But I would just like to point out that it’s established now that HWR wanted them to kill him. That was literally part of his predetermined plan to reincarnate and stay in power. By doing so, Sylvie continued to follow right down the path he paved for her. She wasn’t being a rebellious hero, she was being a pawn.

Loki saw through the manipulation- he immediately smelled something fishy and refused to just mindlessly go along with it. And if Sylvie had listened to him and just took a minute to talk about it, Loki would’ve tried to come up with some other third option. Because that’s what Loki does- thinks outside the box, finds work-arounds, figures out clever ways to rebel against the status quo.

In that scene, Loki was the one refusing to play the part HWR wrote for him, and sylvie was the one being a perfect little cog in the machine. Despite the fact that he was actively being the voice of reason while she was being erratic and reckless… narratively speaking, he was chaos and she was order. It irritates me that people missed that.

#loki series #loki season 2 #loki 1x06 #loki 1x6 #antisylki #anti sylki #anti sylvie #not rly but I don’t feel like arguing with her stans #loki #he who remains #loki meta #loki series meta

[rocketrouquine]

So I watched the 2 last episodes of Loki (including the finale) and well I have thoughts.

All in all, except for the beginning and the last two episodes, I really thought it was not as good as the first one. (Probably because Majors as Timely was excruciating, I hate when actors are trying stuff like this, it feels forced, it doesn’t work, I wanted to punch him every time he was opening his mouth) BUT …lokius. Yeah let’s talk about it.

It’s crazy to me how in the first season I was all for sylki because I thought their relationship and feelings were really well done and realised (whereas I saw what the mobius shippers saw but thought that it wasn’t really there there) BUT in the second season, I felt absolutely nothing between Loki and Sylvie. There was no more chemistry at all (it was like it never existed in the first place, it was bizarre) and even the actress playing Sylvie played it like a sibling or a good friend kind of fed up, just want to be left alone, not missing him for a second. And Loki pining for her but like a nerd is pining for a cheerleader in a bad teen movie (like boy, you’re not obligated to love her, you know), like you don’t even understand why except for the fact that it was here (emphasis on the was)

NOW Mobius and Loki in the second season ??? BAM 💥 Like sheesh everything : chemistry, banter, touch, exchanged looks,protectiveness, an ease like they are really soulmates. You could feel it all in every single one of their exchanges, it really was like watching a romcom where the protagonist fails to see what is in front of him and I was getting frustrated each time he was going all misty eyes for her, I was like « come on man let her go, we don’t fucking care about her anymore !! » Then, the finale…. The scene with Loki coming to see Don at his place with all the tension of a « is he here for this or ? What should I do? » gay panic, with Loki fucking putting his hair back and taking a breath before going to see him, like WHAT ?! That’s not what a friend does before seeing one other !!! You know what you are doing, so commit for fuck’s sake. But well… then they did (sort of) with the end of the finale. And it gutted me.

The moment with Sylvie and Mobius looking at him through the window… we know you put her there because it would have been impossible to brush it off if it was just Mobius juxtaposed with Loki’s « for you » but we know. I mean the last exchange with Sylvie at Don’s place before Mobius is saying « let time pass » (gu-tted I tell you). You can see that Sylvie is like « whatever » and Mobius is devastated. Also the shot of him in the dialogue was just all Loki’s colors green and yellow (hers was in a normal sunlight, his backlit) That is not an accident, to have these colors you have to plan it the day of the shoot and enhance it in color grading during post. This was a choice.

Anyway, I am not a sylki shipper anymore (and I even question why I ever was, after seeing the second season : I’ll probably cut myself some slack if I do a rewatch of season 1 because it was well executed at the time) and I’m diving in the pits of despair of Lokius. These fuckers.

#Loki #lokius #loki finale spoilers #loki season 2 #loki x mobius #loki x sylvie #sylki #i changed ship and I have zero regret #why won’t you let them be happy #come on there is some room on this throne no? #on his laps there is room #wgaf about your sons where there is a god to pass the time with #fuck you Kevin and Sean go find your mom or something #loki meta #loki finale #a lot of thoughts

[ifisawyoueverydayforeverwill]

IF MOBIUS DIES I'M UNSUBBING FROM DISNEY+ FOREVER

#It just occurred to me and I really really didn't like the thought #JUST THINK ABOUT IT #It's the only way for Sylkie to make sense or happen at all #MY baybygril Mobius deserves so much better #Don and his children need a stepmom Loki #loki #lokius #loki season 2 #loki season two #mobius m mobius #sylkie #meta #someone tell me that I'm delusional please

[lokittystuckinatree]

I’ve heard the claim that “Sylvie doesn’t love Loki as much as he loves her”

Here’s the thing. She did, and she will. Deep down, she still is and always will be. He was the only person to comfort her and understand her and relate to her and believe in her and risk everything for her. He was the first person she trusted and opened up to and was close to and felt safe with. He is the love of her life. Her soulmate. Then, from her perspective, he betrayed and abandoned her. Like Loki, she fears rejection above pretty much all else, both of them not feeling accepted and loved as they are by their respective authority figures. A year has gone by for her, and because she does not know that only a few days have passed for him, she now thinks Loki doesn’t even care enough to look for her. She thinks he moved on. She thinks his presence will ruin the life she has built for herself (something she would not have gotten without his help, btw) and get in the way of her happiness and safety yet again. She is closing herself off to protect her feelings from a perceived threat to that happiness and safety.

I know deep in my soul, that once they are in the same place and she feels safe enough to be vulnerable and trust fall into him, especially if they finally get security and stability together, she will allow herself to love more fully and deeply than anyone can comprehend. She will want to die with him again.

#Sylki #pro sylki #loki #sylvie #Loki meta #Loki series

[alaskanna]

“…when animus and anima meet, the animus draws his sword of power, and the anima ejects her poison of illusion and seduction. The outcome need not always be negative, since the two are equally likely to fall in love (a special instance of love at first sight).”

Sound familiar? It literally happened in the show. 😂

“Both of these archetypes (animus and anima), as practical experience shows, possess a fatality that can on occasion produce tragic results. They are quite literally the father and mother of all the disastrous entanglements of fate*, and have long been recognized as such by the whole world. Together they form a divine pair, one of whom, in accordance with his Logos nature, characterized by his pneuma and nous (soul and mind) rather like Hermes and his ever shifting hues, while the other, in accordance with her Euros nature, wear the features of Aphrodite, Helen (Selene), Persephone, and Hecete. Both of them are unconscious powers, ‘gods’ in fact, as the ancient world rightly conceived them to be. To call them by this name is to give them that central position in that scale of psychological values which has always been theirs whether consciously acknowledged or not; for their power grows in proportion to the degree that they remain unconscious. Those that do not see them are in their hands, just like a typhus epidemic flourishes best when it’s source is undiscovered.”

Quotes are from Carl Jung’s essay, “The Syzygy: Anima and Animus” originally from his book, “Aion”. Everyone who was involved with this show must have shredded Aion and snorted it crack for breakfast.

#sylki #sylki meta #loki series 1 #loki series #loki and sylvie

[andy-skull]

I had to rewatch Ep02 to appreciate it

In my first rewatch, I really despised this episode, mostly for it's pace and how bad the reunion felt like. But then I watched it again and this time I realized something important

During the first and second episodes, we follow Loki through his misadventures, meaning we're seeing the world through his POV. So everything feels rushed, overwhelming, and there is this sense of urgency because (as Loki) we know the TVA is breaking down and that threatens the multiverse so Loki has to do something.

So we go with him to find Sylvie but there this sense of urgency and desperation. So in the rewatch I chose to see things from Sylvie's pov and let me tell you, Sophia fucking delivers!!!!

First, their initial meeting inside, yes, angsty, and nervousness, the feelings are there for both and despite all that happened before, Sylvie could have told Loki to go away, that she didn't want anything with him, neither talk or see him, but instead...

Sylvie cares about what he wants to say, she's been waiting for him to find her, and to talk to him. She still feels betrayed and awkward, but she still cares enough to hear what he wants to say. So then they talk outside, Loki's been looking forward to this moment, so has Sylvie.

When Loki suggests he's the last one she wants to see, Sylvie rushes to confirm that, yet in her rush, her voice breaks on that single word. Because it's too much, he's back, he wants to talk to her, it's time to face the consequences and she doesn't know what's gonna happen now and she cares so much!!! Loki states he's not there to make trouble and Sylvie answers with the only way she knows, being direct and rough.

This is the moment when Loki decides to take a step back from the emotional speech and make it all business. Sylvie just doesn't seem to cooperate. He starts his explanation and she's looking annoyed. She's not buying it, he's stuttering. But then he says "It's been a problem," and THEN Sylvie changes her expression

Hubby is in trouble! so she's listening now... Keep going, what is it? But he just keeps stuttering and babbling about timey whimey stuff and she's at the edge cause she's only thinking about them, that they are having the conversation about what happened the last time they were together

She can't handle the emotions anymore, and by this point, she's even holding back her tears even!!! Aaaaand Loki starts talking about the TVA and she closes herself. This again, TVA this and that. She's out. He's here just because of the TVA and not her. He probably doesn't even care about what happened at the end of time, he's over the betrayal and the kiss.

The teenage argument starts because at this point none is really listening what the other is saying, nor are they saying what they really want or what they feel.

The fight is rushed and chaotic so I'm skipping that part

Sylvie is chilling while they clean the place and take Dox away, but Loki is aware of her. Sylvie still refuses to look at him. He has to pass her by when Mobius tells him they have to go back.

By this point, Sylvie has rejected Loki in different ways, verbally mostly and with "Don't overthink it," she hasn't given him any emotional clue of sympathy, so he's giving her the space she asked for.

And YET, Sylvie:

Has her eyes on him. While he's determined and giving her space, she has a moment to decide for herself. And she takes it to follow him. Was it because he looked back?

Maybe....?

And so Sylvie goes to the TVA again, she follows him into the place that represents all wrong in her life. Why? if he's only there for business and everything went wrong anyway. Maybe because, she hopes there's something for her, with him?

But then not lol and she's pissed and leaves. It's fair. I support her completely.

Finally, the last scene is Sylvie on the hood of her car vibing with music, and at the moment Jack gets out, in a split second, Sylvie can be seen fidgeting with her tempad to quickly hide it away.

It's a quick move, look at her hands. That's because she's been there for a while, reminiscing....

Jack asking her if everything is all right only makes me think that this is not a common behavior for Sylvie. And when he's worried, she quickly changes the subject to cover whatever is actually wrong with her, and even then, her voice is forced out, her throat is tight and the sound comes from a runny nose

Overall, the episode is not that bad, but it's still lousy to me. A rewatch made it better though and gave me a lil hope for Sylki.

But what I have no doubt over whatsoever, is that Sohpia Dimartino is an absolute Queen, delivering such a good acting for such a complex and layered character 10/10 for Sophia as Sylvie Laufeydottir

#sylki #meta? #long post #my thoughts on ep02 #opinionated opinion #with images #Loki show #sylvie laufeydottir

[percheduphere]

Okay. First post trying to use gifs properly. I've switched out improper gifs for these type for my last 3-4 posts. Gonna work on some more corrections tomorrow when I have time. Please let me know if I'm misstepping anywhere. Thanks for your patience! That said...

LET'S TALK ABOUT SYLVIE💕, INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM (SYLVIE & LOKI)✊🏽, AND QUEER REPRESENTATION (LOKIUS)🏳️‍🌈🏳️‍⚧️!

SYLVIE

I'm rooting for Lokius, AND I also love how much Sylvie has forged a life for herself in S2. A lot of her development is implied, so I think it's worth looking at her growth outside the context of Loki himself: She found a job, locals know her by name, she has friends and acquaintances, she has hobbies!

People call her by name in her timeline on 4 occasions:

1. When the McDonald's shift manager (John) checks in on her after work. See the kid with the tie in the image below. I couldn't find any gifs of him visiting Sylvie at her truck. She asked him if his mom was gonna pick him up to make sure he was gonna be okay late at night. 🥹

2. When a customer picks up their McDonald's order and thanks her (cheerfully). Also note how many employee stars she had on her badge! Queen.

3. Lyle at the record store. They seem like really good friends, and I got the "beginnings of an attraction" vibe between the two of them. Unfortunately, the gifs below are the only ones I could find of him and I'm still searching for the source. His interaction with Sylvie before spaghetti-trauma was so sincere. He could tell she was down and offered her Velvet Underground. Come on, that's a solid move.

4. Eric at the bar, who comments 2 shots of bourbon is a good choice. Let me tell you, finding a gif of Eric was like finding a needle in a haystack, but here he is leaning close to Sylvie. Thank you, @zehiiro!

I tried to find more gifs of all the people Sylvie has in her life but couldn't find any, which is a darn shame because there are so many subtle cues she's built a support system on her own and she's thriving.

She's a regular at many places in her timeline, and when people greet her, they do so with a smile. She loves music, a hard drink, and punk fashion.

When she engages with Loki, she may come across as cold, but I honestly think she's being firm with her boundaries and true to her beliefs. The TVA threatened her life for centuries. I don't doubt setting foot in the building is traumatic for her, which may explain why she was more harsh than usually in S2E4. Her psychological defenses were all on overdrive. Yet when Sylvie's in her own timeline, far away from the TVA, she can be her real self. Turns out, her real self is pretty well-liked! (I'll talk about how this is mirrored in Loki soon).

INTERSECTIONAL FEMINISM

Sylvie's an unapologetically "selfish" woman who knows what she wants, wants it on her own, is doing it on her own, and isn't afraid to put her foot down when it comes to her personal boundaries. We should be applauding all of that!

This is exactly the kind of female representation we need, but the show did Sylvie a disservice in S1 by coming at her character as a love interest first (look at all the media promos classifying her as such) instead of more thoughtfully showing how badly she has been affected by the TVA and planting what her desires are throughout. If they had done this with more intention and finesse, her position in S2 wouldn't come off as completely irresponsible.

As a result of this apparent marketing and pre-production development decision, her perception as a character (by both lokius and sylki shippers) is muddled by the question of her relationship status with Loki. This truly isn't fair, most especially to Sophia Di Martino.

Of course, Sylvie isn't perfect. No well-written character should be. I just think she's cooler than she gets credit for precisely because her character arc doesn't require the fulfillment of a romance. She will be fine whether or not she ends up with Loki. It's very feminist!

Loki, in turn, found safety, belonging, and love at the TVA. All the things that are the complete opposite of Sylvie's lived experience. I often see fans complaining about how Loki is ooc in his own series.

The thing is, and Loki admits this himself: it's all part of an illusion.

This illusion started far before the first Thor movie. He comes from a hyper-masculine (dare I say toxic-masculine) warrior society. His true nature doesn't conform with this, so he has to overcompensate with some (genuinely awesome) bad assery.

BUT he doesn't like it.

As a comparison to a far lesser but more relatable degree: imagine putting on a customer service persona 24/7. UGH. It's just not sustainable without becoming increasingly angry and bitter, which is what Sacred Timeline Loki becomes. Mobius gets ahead of this.

In the series, Loki can finally TURN OFF that persona, and TURN IT ON again when it's needed (and fun!).

He also now has the freedom to be silly, expressive, and magical (unapologetically queer!) without anyone making fun of him for it.

The end result is a much calmer, happier, likable person (like Sylvie in her timeline, his defenses are no longer on overdrive!). Who shows him this is possible?

Here's the receipt:

QUEER REPRESENTATION

Sociopoliticaly, Loki and Mobius come from a different angle. A lot of men (cis, fluid, trans, or otherwise) struggle with the social expectation of burying feelings and never ever showing vulnerability, especially to another men. Now, some might argue that shipping men together perpetuates this construct. There's some truth to this, but only through the lens that it is shameful to be gay. In order to get to a point in society where there's no shame in being mistaken as gay (or queer, generally) when being affectionate with another man, there must be continuous positive representation of homosexual relationships in which the characters are not stereotypes. Loki and Mobius are exactly this, especially Mobius.

Whereas Loki, on Asgard, represents the openly queer oppressed (i.e. magic and cunning, qualities historically tied to witches or "immoral women" instead of brute strength), Mobius can represent the closeted repressed.

In S1, Mobius was much more uptight, rule-abiding, and just shy of holier-than-thou. The power structure in which he existed perpetuated this, until Loki reveals to him it was all a lie (an illusion).

In S2, he becomes more flexible, more fun-loving, and more expressive in his affection. In S1, most of his support of Loki manifested as words of affirmation. In S2, his support extended to physical touch and bonding. Mobius, if seen through the lens of a closeted man allegory, finds the courage (and partner) to slowly come out.

#loki #sylvie #mobius #lokius #sylki #loki meta #loki season 2 #loki spoilers #sylkie #my meta #loki series

[feral-sylki]

“Get in the car, I’m getting you a drink,” she says. She honestly doesn’t know what else to say to this man, Loki, who’s just nearly been ripped in half and just stands there, shaking ever so slightly, eyes wild. Pulled across time and space like a doll in the jaws of a possessive terrier, torn almost to breaking. She’s seen some weird shit in her time, some really weird fucked up shit, but this takes the biscuit. So, “Get in the car,” she says, and he does. “Okay,” he says, and climbs up into the cab beside her. His knee bounces the whole time she drives, and he sneaks glances at her when he thinks she’s not looking.

She sighs. She’s missed him. She knows she pushed him away, when he first showed up. She knew that this little world she’d built for herself would never be the same, now he’s back in it, and she was angry at him. And then all he would talk to her about was the TVA. And sure, maybe she’d quietly fostered dreams of having him here, waking up in the apartment and hearing him moving around, going walking together, dreamed of this, even, finishing work and having him meet her at the door, of them going on a night out on the town. A normal life, like she’d always wanted, made all the sweeter for having him in it.

But no matter how many times he glanced at her as she drove them to her favourite bar, he said nothing. She couldn’t be the one to say it first. How could she, when all she’d done was push him away? She couldn’t regret pushing him through the door, she couldn’t regret killing He Who Remains, even now. But loosing him, this distance, the cold and the confusion that had crept in to replace the hesitant tenderness they’d had between them? That she regretted. She just didn’t know how to fix it.

She parked the car up. Loki didn’t move, like he’d frozen, like he’d been sewn into the seat of the car on the drive over. He seemed distracted. He seemed dazed. She didn’t know how to fix them, but maybe she could discover a bit more about who he was now, and what he wanted.“Come on,” she said, hopping out the car. She hoped and she feared, and her emotions made a hard knot somewhere below her sternum, but her tone was gentle. “Let’s talk.”

#sylki #pro sylki #this started as a meta but ended up more like creative writing honestly #I love them and I hope they figure it out

[starlight-bread-blog]

It's time to be a mindless shipper again

Observation: When Loki confesses fo Sylvie he puts his hands on her arms.

Conclusion: In Loki, putting your hands on the others means being in love with them.

All clear? Good!

Observation: Mobius puts in hands on Loki's arms, and is insistent about it.

Conclusion: Mobius is in love with Loki.

Let's do another one!

Observation: When Loki "dies" his implied confession is interrupted.

Conclusion: Loki saying something important, getting interrupted before death = confession.

Observation: Before Loki went to his possible death, he wanted to tell Mobius something important, but was interrupted.

Conclusion: Loki was about to confess his love to Mobius.

#Lokius is canon

#lokius meta #it's not a meta #but i'll still tag it as such #lokius #loki x mobius #mobius #mobius x loki #loki season 2 #loki series #loki spoilers #loki laufeyson #loki show #loki season two #loki #anti sylki #not really #tagging to be safe

[celerieth]

The only way the Loki series can redeem itself at this point is if season 2 ends with Sylvie dead and a threesome between Loki, Sigyn and Theo Bell, along with accurate rep for all three of them.

Of course, I know it isn't going to happen because a) the second series has already been filmed;

b) Disney would never go for any actual queer rep;

c) Disney is also too focused on their self-insert/OC who makes for a nice cishet-looking relationship to kill her off;

d) Theo's supposedly gay (I mean, that's his generally accepted sexuality in the fandom, but it's a bit ambiguous in the book itself; Mrs Sharpe alludes to the possibility of him being bisexual, but then says she hasn't talked to him about it, and Theo's feelings didn't seem to change when Loki told him about their genderfluidity, though admittedly that might be because Loki was male-presenting throughout the book.);

e) it's too late;

f) Where Mischief Lies is somewhere in the grey area between actual canon and legal fanfiction;

g) I don't trust Marvel Studios with Sigyn after what the comics did to her;

and finally h) Marvel/Disney hates Loki too much to give them that kind of happy ending.

Thank you for listening to this.

Update: I've found the passage I was talking about where Mrs Sharpe alludes to Theo possibly being bisexual. It's just below, found in the last paragraph of page 218 ⬇️

#loki #theo bell #sigyn #ot3 #anti sylki #anti loki series #loki series negativity #i want this so badly #where mischief lies #biseuxal #possibly #loki season 2 #loki meta #please #polyamory