Tumgik
#so if he sees sylvie in a romantic light then that means he sees mobius in a romantic light
riickgrimes · 6 months
Text
Tumblr media
this feels purposeful…………..much to consider
638 notes · View notes
lokiiied · 5 months
Text
my thoughts on the making of loki s2:
• “our approach was really doubling down on who loki cares about, who we care about.” and then having season 2 centre around loki & mobius’ relationship, how he cares for his friends, and sylvie’s independence & what she wants/fought for like okay cool got it.
• “tom is the author of all things loki” he really, truly is. bless him.
• ke huy quan must be protected at all costs the world does not deserve him
• loml rafael casal 💞💅🏻
• “mobius can be eccentric, because loki is eccentric, he just is. but they don’t see themselves that way. they’re the straight man (???) in this absurd world.” 🤨🧐 kevin…you were going somewhere and then you lost me.
• “this is her first chance to experiment with freedom, with choice.” (about sylvie). and her choosing a simple life, with the comfort of routine and connecting with a few particular humans and just appreciating life. the little things. with no romantic motivations that we see. big aspec energy.
and then replaying the scenes where she says “my life’s here now” and “your friends are where they belong. we’re all writing our own stories” like. yeah. just reiterating how important this life she’s built is to her and she has no interest in going back. she appreciates loki & mobius and the others in helping her to keep/save free will - but aside from that, she’d be fine never seeing them again. because if she did - it would probably mean trouble. fighting again. running again. and she’s already spent her whole life fighting and running. she’s tired. of course she was upset they kept seeking her out, cuz she thought she was done. that she fixed everything that mattered. even though she didn’t. but now she gets to live. and be sylvie. “not a loki” and to figure out who that is.
• 700 PAGE BOOK??!!? isaac bauman, the cinematographer. wrote a 700 PAGE “cinematography bible” of the entire visual language of the show. down to the smallest lights. the pure tism dedication. this is what i’m talking about when i say everything is intentional. every shot. the lighting. the tone. every time someone writes an analysis about these themes in this show - just one page of this mans work is appreciated. i never want to hear anyone talking shit about “reading too much” into cinematography. i have isaac bauman’s loki cinematography bible on my side.
• wunmi is so funny and warm i love her energy
• TOM “HELPING” OWEN UP THE STAIRS. 🫴🏻dead.
• christopher townsend sounds EXACTLY like an older tom holland it’s tripping me up
• “what is it mobius says…” tom says and then recites the line word for word. as if loki wasn’t thinking of that line while sacrificing himself. as if mobius’ words weren’t echoing over him in the final shot of the show. he’s so funny.
• speaking of…owen only talked for like 5 minutes what?? probably started rambling about mobius’ gay feelings for loki and they cut it :/ seriously though did they just not ask him questions?? his presence felt weirdly lacking.
• tom hiddleston everyone. our lord and saviour
98 notes · View notes
lettingtimepass · 6 months
Text
Lokius Nation we won, but at what costs? A quick breakdown of my thoughts on the Loki Finale!
Watch on the Clock App
Transcript below!
Let’s talk about the Loki Finale.
Spoilers incoming.
Sighs deeply
As Twitter user Han (@hansoeii) put it, Lokius Nation, we won, but at what cost?
Tumblr media
Now you might be thinking, but we didn’t get a Lokius kiss or a love confession, how could we have won?!
Let me explain…
In episode 5, when Loki is talking to Slyvie at the bar, he talks about how he wants to give his friends - and Mobius - the chance to choose. To choose to stay at the TVA or to have a life on the branch if they want. Of course, he wants Mobius to choose to have a life with him - but after the time loops and talking with HWR, he realizes this isn’t possible because he’s the only person who can make the difficult choice - To give up his own life to give everyone else the chance to choose. To finally accept his Glorious Purpose, his burden, as Mobius puts it.
The other heartbreaking part is that Loki doesn’t talk to “his” Mobius before making his decision. Because if he did, Mobius wouldn’t have let him make that decision. He wouldn’t have let him go alone. That's why Loki can’t say anything before heading down those steps.
But after all this - Mobius realizes he doesn’t have a purpose at the TVA without Loki. So he goes down to the branch to see Don and his boys - the life he could have had.
Apologies I can’t find the post, but on Tumblr someone pointed out that Mobius might have left the TVA just so Loki could see him on branch. Since the TVA exists outside of time, Loki, and formerly HWR probably can’t see directly into it, which is probably partly why HWR created Miss Minutes to keep an eye on the TVA and report back.
So Mobius goes down to a branch and stands in the light. Sylvie joins him. When we cut between these two, we see this green and gold light around only Mobius. Green and gold? Do I have to spell it out?
Tumblr media
Finally at the end it’s revealed that Loki is watching the conversation, but we specially hear Mobius’ words echo across time. Let time pass.
I absolutely adore this post from @makkarisbelova, “Mobius wanted to just stand there and let time pass simply to feel himself in a timeline sitting in the palm of Loki’s hand.”
Tumblr media
Loki was watching, and Mobius knew.
Tumblr media
The fact that Mobius and then Loki are the last shots of the show solidified that whether you consider them romantic partners or best friends, their friendship is the center - the heart - of the show.
Obviously this is extremely heartbreaking and feels like it’s perpetuating the trope where gay people are never allowed to be together. BUT I will give you one more breadcrumb.
Tumblr user @kcscribbler pointed out that Loki's magic includes duplication-casting, along with time manipulation. Theoretically, he could cast a duplicate of himself into any timeline, without leaving his new throne.
Tumblr media
So I think at some point, whether it’s right after the screen cuts to black or perhaps sometime after when they’re both ready, Loki casts a projection down to Mobius’ branch and he’s able to talk to him and explain why he did what he did. Then Mobius can finally have closure, because remember, he has no idea that Loki went through thousands of time loops trying to fix the loom. Loki can finally have all the time in the world to explain everything to Mobius, including confessing his true feelings.
It’s still not a perfect, happy ending by any means, but all things considered, I think the writers and of course the actors understood how special and important this relationship is. So please don’t be discouraged that we didn’t get a happy ending. Please keep creating art, writing fic, posting your theories, and loving them. And since we now have an infinite multiverse… everything is possible 💚
49 notes · View notes
loneswaggingranger · 7 months
Text
Loki S2E2 Spoilers!
I liked it :)
Tumblr media
hehehehhehehehe loki is so cool i love him sm
Here are some things Iiked!
The opening scene??? Where he's using his sexy little magic to do his sexy little biddings like my man is so fine in a 19th century suit??? I love that he only starts to go full-attacko mode when he sees bradley attacking mobius - like don't you dare lay a finger on my man
That dialogue between him and Bradley. I love that we're tapping into Loki's darker side, that he's not afraid to be the villain if villain is what he needs to be. To threaten, to intimidate, to girlboss, gatekeep and gaslight-
Okay. Okay but Bradley? I will be calling him bradley instead of hunter x-5 because that's what he wanted to be called [side-eyeing the subtitles] but anyway Bradley is also a little meow meow I saw him in the first ep I was like damn this must be a lawful good kinda guy, and then I see him in this ep I was like hooooo noooo I was so wrong. You are a chaotic little bitch. I like him. Needs a hug, probably. Man just wanted to live a life outside of the TVA. Still don't get why he didn't just tell them where Sylvie was and save himself the pain though? Maybe it was just to be a little bitch who knowwwssss
My mind is already conjuring enemy-to-caretaker scenarios between loki and bradley man. bradley needs pat on the head i think
Mobius. Loki. Look.
Tumblr media
I'm not seeing things, am I? That genuine adoration in Loki's eyes, the way he knows how to calm Mobius down, the way he knows that something's wrong with Mobius even though he denies it. The way in the last scene when Sylvie walks away from him, when he says, "It makes it harder to stay." He turns around and places a hand on Mobius' shoulder. Implying that he's staying with the TVA because of Mobius. Maybe not all of the reason, because he knows the world's all going to shit and he thinks the TVA is the last line of defense but PART of the reason is DEFINITELY Mobius and I. I might start shipping them now.
Like I don't mind if their relationship stays platonic in canon, cz platonic friendships are just as slay as romantic ones but. the potential.
I love O.B. too. There's no reason not to. In fact the only option is to love him. I don't make the rules.
Sylvie's being a bit mean to Loki this time round I think. Like, girlie you kicked him out the door and he just wants to keep the world safe 🥺 but I do like that her response to the possibility of more Kangs is simply: murder. My girl is a girlboss for sure.
Also! I loved Loki's brief mention of throwing Tony out the window; made me smile with nostalgia :)))))))))
All in all, this episode really played on both the heavy and light notes that make up the symphony of Loki - he's kind to those he holds close to his heart, he's downright murderous to anyone else that comes against him. i love him.
Tumblr media
29 notes · View notes
themculibrary · 1 month
Text
Spring Masterlist
A Day in Spring (ao3) - ros_bui G, 3k
Summary: "So, as he did a hurried inspection of his immediate surroundings, he was honestly surprised to find this initial prediction to be entirely wrong. For, he pleasantly saw he was most certainly not alone...For underneath one of the few trees, scattered amongst the intricate stonework of the main courtyard, sat Doctor Stephen Strange."
A moment of friendship and lightness between true friends.
A (Not So) Relaxing Stroll (ao3) - gnatromanoff clint/natasha G, 1k
Summary: Within five seconds of walking outside, Natasha sneezes.
Before she can protest it, Clint has a finger in her face as he laughs and laughs.
"You have allergies!"
(She's going to kill him.)
Get Messy (ao3) - storiesfortravellers steve/sam T, 605
Summary: For this prompt at comment-fic on livejournal: Steve/Sam, Sam shows Steve how to have fun again
Hopeful Romantics (ao3) - CobaltStargazer yelena/kate M, 3k
Summary: It was winter when they met, spring when they got married. Kate and Yelena on their wedding day.
In Bloom (ao3) - themirrordarkly G, 1k
Summary: The pink explosions of color so different to the fiery ones two years ago at this very place. Soft petals gently rained down, not burning soot and twisted metal.
"He pulled me out, you know." Steve said, without looking at Sam.
Sam pulled up and walked over to Steve. "Of course, he did."
*** Sam finds Steve reminiscing about what happened two years ago.
in time of daffodils (ao3) - imposterhuman bucky/tony G, 49k
Summary: Tony Stark, Prince of Spring, knew that he was being married off to the Winter King. He knew he'd hate it, he was prepared to hate it.
What he wasn't prepared for was the Winter King himself.
Love is in the breeze (ao3) - Mimisempai loki/mobius G, 506
Summary: Just a tender moment in the spring breeze
One Flower a Day (ao3) - Eva_Swan matt/karen G, 6k
Summary: Matt and Karen are in a good place. But Foggy is growing impatient: he wants his friends to get back together as soon as possible. A wish Maggie shares. She thus gets Matt to tell her all about his plan to win Karen back... and executes it without his knowledge. For a week, she'll send Karen one flower a day, each carrying a special meaning. Will this be enough to bring these two together again?
Photosynthesis (ao3) - bonusholegent loki/sylvie G, 300
Summary: She looked like the sun on the first day of spring.
Seasons (ao3) - aimmyarrowshigh yelena/kate T, 100
Summary: Seasons. Winter turns to spring, as it always does. But everything is different this year.
Splendor (ao3) - deweydrops loki/sigyn M, 68k
Summary: Loki and Sigyn Modern AU, part 4. Spring finds Sigyn on the verge of graduation and looking to see where her next venture will take her. Meanwhile, Loki grapples with the toll his high stress, competitive career has taken on him, and what it means if it's not what he wants after all. Both are in need of a little renewal, but what will it take to fully embrace change?
Springtime in the Park (ao3) - hannahrhen loki/tony G, 873
Summary: On a perfect afternoon, Tony has a question answered.
sweet fine day (ao3) - dogeared T, 425
Summary: These are the things that Bucky likes, now.
The Daffodil Project (ao3) - JudeAndronicus (judeandronicus) steve/bucky G, 987
Summary: It's springtime in Brooklyn, and Steve has something to show Bucky. Complete and utter fluff.
The First Spring (ao3) - GreenQueenOfClubs clint/phil T, 4k
Summary: A new spring brings a new love! Cliche? Yes, absolutly. But then you throw in a world class archer, a super spy and a corgi, and you get a whole new story!
The Nesting Season (ao3) - fangirlSevera clint/phil T, 6k
Summary: Spring is the time of year when families grow, and so it is for Clint who wants to adopt a dog.
In the meantime, professors and students alike are being run ragged as the end of the college semester draws near.
The Sisterhood Of The Ruby Stilettos XXV: A Picnic With Peppery Potato Salad ;) (ao3) - BradyGirl_12 pepper/natasha G, 951
Summary: As spring blossoms, Natasha and Pepper enjoy a picnic in Central Park. :)
Wild Bodies (ao3) - andloawhatsit natasha/sam G, 10k
Summary: Having hexed her last mark, Natasha, erstwhile hedgewitch-for-hire, disappears into the woods, there to begin the balancing of her personal ledger after a seeming lifetime of curses, petty and otherwise, for pay. But the solitude of her strange and living cottage in-between worlds is soon disrupted, first by an unusual bird nursing wounds of their own, and then by a strange child, who appears from nowhere seeking a curse…
2 notes · View notes
Text
Don't know how people are gonna feel about this but Loki should've been dealt with the way they dealt with Lucifer (from the Netflix show) I mean while the show straight up dismissed loki's feelings, lucifer netflix really showed us the natural and organic character growth with ups and downs while still maintaining the comic hilarity (WHICH WASNT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE MC). It's love interest and side characters are all original characters dealt as independent characters rather as brownie or plot points.
And the scenes that prompted me to think this?
1. Lucifer asking his Mazikeen to cut off his wings because he's moved past being a pawn in his father's 'Great Plan'. We could've had loki come to this conclusion and tell Mobius (who would've been an actual all out ally who was forced into doin lg what he did) that he no longer wanted any place in a land that hated him. (Once again like Lucifer calling the silver city hell)
2. Lucifer actually being the way he's supposed to be (angel of light, light bringer etc.) We could've had Loki act like the way he Actually Is. Not like how @iamnmbr3 so eloquently put it 'like larry the dumb lookalike'. We could've had Loki being stern yet having that air of sarcasm and wit that he had in his the films. His eloquence, his physical prowess (none of the falling flat on his face stuff, a lot of people talk about how he was trying not to hurt the people in ep 2 but srsly Loki would just immediately disarm them), and most of all his agency and refusal to cower or the pathetic attempts at lying.
3. Costumes. The lucifer netflix team had an extensive costume department that ironically pales in comparison to what disney is capable of but still we see Lucifer have a wide array of clothes and styles. Have Loki take the first chance to change his clothes. If he wants the 50s aesthetic have at it! he can wear the tuxedos and the nice leather. Or maybe change into some nice Viking-inspired leathers and battle armor. Have him as a pirate, or a knight or a cowboy. You're traveling through time good man! you can at least hit some of the cool spots.
4. In depth analysis of lucifer's mental health. the only episode of the Loki tv show I liked (loose term) is the first one cause it's the only one that gave a fraction of what we were promised: an insight into loki. That's it.
5. Lucifer's organic growth. This is self-explanatory. Loki watched one video and was good. Very good five stars. I understand that they only had six episodes but come-on. You could've had the subtle changes through out all the eps and lead to the big finish finally. With each episode focusing on certain aspects of Loki.
5. Lucifer's exploration of self-loathing. This deserves to be a separate point because Istg it was done so well. Basically lucifer messes up and he's faced with the hatred that's been conditioned into him (not unlike Loki) and then he learns what it is and actually tries to love himself. And not by kissing a female variant of himself (ew and also respect the gender fluid persons). He actually saw the good in him by reflecting and his actual good friends helping him.
6. Lucifer actually wanting to be good. Look Idc what shut mike waldron wrote, loki is not selfish when his whole arc has been doing things for asgard, thor, odin, frigga etc. We all know that New York was mind control, I do not know why it's being swept under the rug. But here's the thing, that self loathing I mentioned earlier is a huge part of Loki thinking he's some monster and intent on proving it.
7. Lucifer facing his 'devil-face'. Loki should've come to terms with his Jotun heritage. The TVA could've had a case in Jotunheim concerning the Royal Family and Loki could've seen the entirety of Jotunheim and it's people not just that most-likely war propaganda the Asgardians force-fed him. Maybe have him meet his siblings or better yet his mother. There's a very nice fic on A03 called Asgardian Galdr that deals with this beautifully.
8. Luicfer having a Breakdown and Crying: First off this happens gradually, his problems pile up etc etc. and he faces off his father and gets angry until he finally breaks down. And basically God says, "I'm sorry but i can't fix you," And Lucifer in all his grief and desperation asks, "But you're God,'. I know we talk a lot about Loki being made weak in the Show but that's specifically about him being made weak and helpless to make Sylvie seem like a stronger character (Don't get me started on the Sif and Narcissm scene istfg), But maybe seeing Loki try awkwardly to be good and near the finish of the show we see it blow up in some angsty way? only for some conversation like this to happen and have Loki understand that being good is something that is innate and something he already had the potential for all along. Maybe learn that he's not lawful good but as always the morally grey character we know him as. (Protector of misfits, god of outcasts i.e all the shit Marvel shat on) and rise as the God of Chaos and Stories against the rigid bonds of The TVA and essentially Kang.
9. Lucifer having a nice healthy romantic interest and relationship. Lucifer and Chloe's relationship is more often than not the main point of the show but no matter how much it is focused on it remains health, organic and not a weird allegory for something disgusting. Even if Sylvie weren't a Loki (once again ew) the whole dynamic was toxic. She constantly put him down, and invalidated his feelings (Sounds like Odin huh?) and guess what Loki fell in love with her after one day, one conversation of what love was and Mobius calling her his girlfriend (he also said that it was freakish and i agree). We could've had Sigyn sweet lord. (I'll make another post about this)
10. Lucifer's Sexuality. There is a whole episode in which Loki's paramours are getting murdered and they all vary from men to women to all that comes in between. And there's no shame, no offensive jokes. Have Loki flirt with dudes, i understand ms.karen that this is for children, don't worry the casual sex ;) was offscreen. Have Loki turn into a woman and flirt with woman cowards, maybe make some questionable remarks about horses (That make Sigyn laugh)
11. Lucifer's Powers: lemme sum up, Lucifer can, let's call it, use compulsion on people. He is known for his strength and prowess and abilites to grant favors. Have Loki shapeshift into animals, absolutely mauling people. Have him use his silver-tongue to coax people into making or changing history (Yes Brutus, Caesar is getting to be a bit much, say have you heard how sharp knives are?)
I'm pretty sure there's more that i can't remember rn. And here is one thing i would like to make very clear.
You are not bad for liking the show or hating it whatever. The problem is that the show framed a lot of bad things as good (Anything the TVA did, Mobius' torture session with Loki, the way Sylvie treated Loki only for them to become romantic partners, the Sylkie fiasco as it was offensive to genderfluid people and the bare fucking minimum of LGBTQ and POC rep). The show was also marketed specifically to make us think hey! Loki might actually be the main character only for it to blow up in our faces. We were also promised an actual plot rather than a constantly plot twisting concept that could've been worth something.
Also i'm still working on a Loki fic rn after which i will write a Loki(TV) Rewrite but unitil then ig.
111 notes · View notes
Text
“Love is…” …new to Sylvie.
Here’s a bit of something from https://www.marvel.com/articles/tv-shows/sophia-di-martino-sylvie-loki where Sophia di Martino shares some insight into Sylvie and Loki’s blossoming romance.
Though Sylvie is a person who’s very sure of herself, “very confident”, as Mobius describes her, she’s “this wild cat who’s just on a survival mission”, says di Martino of Sylvie, who hasn’t had time to fall in love or even experience love of any sort, given how her life had gone before Loki had quite literally stumbled into hers.
Somehow, within 12 hours of “formally” meeting each other by way of a scuffle in front of the golden elevators that lead to the Time Keepers, she warms up to Loki. Something about him gives her pause, and she’s not so sure why, nor does she quite know how to respond to this new feeling she’s got.
Within mere minutes of a planet obliterating the moon that Loki and Sylvie find themselves on in Ep4, they both share a small but short-lived moment that was so powerful Mobius and Hunter B-15 stepped in to haul the wayward pair back to the TVA. 
No matter how Loki and Sylvie’s moment may be interpreted, two things were clear: 1) they both knew, in that moment, that there might’ve been something new between the two of them; and 2) whatever they did caused a massive and nearly vertical spike on the timeline that was impossible to ignore. Whether both were related, or that one was a causation, or that both were correlations of each other, it didn’t matter. What had happened, happened, and now, Loki and Sylvie are left to figure out their feelings for each other.
According to Sophia di Martino, Sylvie and Loki are like
“…two teenagers who have never had these feelings before.”
Di Martino adds,
“Obviously, Tom’s a super charming, very easy to fall-in-love-with guy. With Sylvie, I was really aware that she's never had feelings like this about anybody. This is a hugely vulnerable position for her to be in. I really wanted it to be not too easy for her to just sort of go there. It’s that moment where it's so awkward. They just don't know how to put it into words. They don't know how to behave around each other. It's all a bit too intense and a bit much.
Sylvie still feels extremely uncomfortable showing that vulnerability and admitting that she likes someone in that way, or that she has feelings for someone in that way. It's something that she's just never been able to do. Never have the opportunity, never met anyone that she's ever liked, let alone cared about. She's got a wall built up. She's not going to just let that down for anybody, and even if she wants to, it's difficult to get rid of.
You know those people that are really awkward at hugging? I imagine it's almost like that [for Loki and Sylvie]. [The kind of] people that need a hug the most but kind of just don't know how to do it. It's a little bit like that. I just want to hug both of them and say, ‘It's all right, guys. It's all right. Let's have a group hug.’”
-
That entire mini scene where Loki and Sylvie talk about their feelings by not talking about their feelings was one of my favorite in the episode. It’s also hilarious how when we first see them start talking, they’re not even touching each other, but somehow by the end of the conversation, they’re shoulder to shoulder somehow, without even moving or scooting closer.😂
Sylvie: “Mobius isn’t so bad.”
Loki: “Or so good.” (Sylvie glances at him.) “I think that’s why we get along.”
Sylvie: “He cares about you.”
(Loki considers this for a second, then looks up at Sylvie. She looks back at him and smiles. He looks away, and for a brief moment, away from all the chaos that has been happening so far, Loki realizes that the breeze that permeates the air around them is particularly chilly. He wraps his arms around himself.) 
Loki: “It’s cold.”
Sylvie: “Mm-hmm.”
(Loki looks off into the distance, before looking back at Sylvie. A thought comes to mind, and he conjures a blanket out of thin air, and has it wrap around his shoulders. He glances up at Sylvie again, and smiles.)
Loki: “I could conjure one for you if you like.”
(With a small grin, Sylvie scrunches her nose and tugs on her collar.)
Sylvie, jokingly: “Tell you what, you could conjure me a new outfit. You have no idea how uncomfortable something like this is.” (Loki casts his eyes down at the ground before him, shakes his head, and chuckles. Sylvie inhales awkwardly.) “So… Mobius and his, um, “theory”…”
Loki, just as awkwardly: “Oh right, right. About my nexus event.”
(Sylvie strikes down the possibility that whatever’s going on between them has got anything to do with the spike, and looks at Loki.)
Sylvie: “Total rubbish right?”
Loki, agreeing: “Absolutely, of course! I mean…”
(Sylvie, awkward as she is in this conversation, brushes a nonexistent strand of hair from her face, and looks at Loki.)
Sylvie: “I don’t mean it wasn’t, y’know, a nice moment.”
(Loki glances back up at Sylvie.)
Loki: “No, it was great. It was really nice. It was, it was great.”
Sylvie, in denial: “It sounds just like another TVA lie.”
Loki, also in denial: “A hundred percent. Totally. Yeah.”
(He shakes his head awkwardly and looks away, before glancing back at Sylvie. He nudges her arm. She’s nervously still. She glances at Loki and looks away just as quickly.)
Sylvie: “… I don’t know how to do this.”
Loki, quietly: “I don’t even know what we’re doing.”
(Sylvie glances at him and smiles ruefully. She admits her loneliness.)
Sylvie: “I don’t have friends. I don’t have… anyone.” (To be with, she means.)
Loki: “Well, you know, there’s more important things, right?”
Sylvie: (She looks at Loki, half incredulous.) “Right? Yeah. Like, like… bringing down the TVA.”
Loki: “Well, saving the universe, when you think about it.”
Sylvie, agreeing: “Well, no need to be dramatic, but yeah, kind of.”
(The breeze picks up a little, and a faint clap of thunder sounds off in the distance. Sylvie shrugs her shoulders once, not wanting to admit that she’s feeling chilly as well. Seeing this, Loki uses a little magic to drape part of his blanket over Sylvie’s shoulders. She glances at him and tugs it closer gratefully. New as this emotion feels to him, and as awkwardly romantic as it looks, Loki is unable to prevent an embarrassed smile from forming on his face.)
Sylvie: “…It’s not very snuggly.”
(Loki is amused by her odd comment.)
Loki, laughing: “…Okay?”
Sylvie: “Is it a tablecloth?”
Loki: “No, it’s a blanket.”
(Sylvie pauses for a second to gather her thoughts, then…)
Sylvie, softly: “Thank you.”
(Loki bows his head slightly in her direction and looks at her.)
Loki: “My pleasure.”
(He smiles, then, quiet. The comfortable silence the pair find themselves in lasts a few seconds before…)
Sylvie: “How do I know that in the final moments you won’t betray me?”
(Loki knows exactly why she’s asking him this question. She had asked him not too long ago, “What makes a Loki a Loki?”, and he had answered her with qualities he knows himself to have. But that was then, and this is now. Perhaps recalling the ruckus at the bunker earlier and knowing all too well what it is what a Loki would do, he latches on to the word “betrayal”. Perhaps also recalling how he had, when he was first arrested by the TVA, declared how he would not let other people decide how his story ends, he makes Sylvie a promise, reassuring her that though betrayal runs deep in every Loki that has ever existed, not to mention himself, he has made the conscious choice to not let that rule his life like it did before. He turns to face her.)
Loki: “Listen, Sylvie, I…” (He exhales once, acknowledging the weight of Sylvie’s question. His blue eyes, having nothing but true sincerity behind them for what is possibly the first time in a very long while, meet hers.) “I betrayed everyone who’d ever loved me. I betrayed my father, my brother… my home. I know what I did, and I know why I did it. And that’s not who I am anymore. Okay? I won’t let you down.” 
(Sylvie searches Loki’s eyes for answers.)
Sylvie: “You sure?” (He nods.) “Because if we make it, and the TVA is gone, there might be a timeline for you to rule.”
(Loki recognizes the inside joke for what it is, as he knows ruling is also something that any given Loki would want to do. But for him now, here, ruling anyone or anything is a thing of the past.)
Loki: “Ah. And then, I’d finally be happy.” (They smile at each other, recognizing the statement as a light-hearted jab.) “What about you? What will you do when this is all over?”
(Loki looks down at the ground before him before glancing up at her. Again, Sylvie brushes another nonexistent strand of hair from her face, but lifts her head, her eyes meeting his.)
Sylvie: “I don’t know.”
(Loki looks away, considering his answer.)
Loki: “I don’t know either.” (He takes a breath before meeting her eyes again.) “Maybe… maybe we could figure it out… together.”
(Sylvie, feeling that she might like that idea, thinks about it for a second before answering.)
Sylvie: “Maybe.” 
-
104 notes · View notes
vidavalor · 3 years
Text
"You're my favorite" is a dialogue callback & a major hint as to what's up with Mobius
Let's talk about Mobius, Ravonna, the drink rings, the pen, the trophies, and "you're my favorite" because I don't think the clues are leading towards Mobius being a villain or a clone or a Loki... but they are leading towards him being a lot more *like* Loki than maybe we realized at the start... meta/analysis under the cut
Mobius is not a villain. The set of scenes meant to really underline this fact are when we see him sneak off to the library with Ravonna's Tempad to watch the Hunter C-20 video and see for himself that his suspicions that Loki was right about the agents being variants is true. If he were a villain, he would have already known this. That said... there are some clues that there *is* something that Mobius already knew and let's look at what those clues are and just what Mobius may be up to.
Mobius is something that Ravonna and the TVA need-- he's smart, inquisitive and a good leader. Their problem with that is he is smart, inquisitive and a good leader. That makes him a bit dangerous should he get too close to the truth. Other agents love him and might be more likely to follow him if he told them they were being lied to so that can't ever happen. On the other hand, it's far easier to "fix" someone that's broken by TVA definition than to just outright destroy it because good analysts don't grow on trees. That other agent who collected the other half of the trophies in Ravonna's office? The one who left drink rings on her table that overlap (in a Mobius loop-like pattern) with Mobius' own? That was the dude whose name is literally his name *twice over*-- Mobius himself. That is why there is no other analyst for Mobius to have ever bumped into in the hallway or been introduced to. Now, think about how Mobius must have thought about this other analyst. Like, a *lot*...
Mobius likes his puzzle and his ears are sharp, too. He brings up the other analyst to Ravonna in conversation, keeping it light, to watch what she says about this person. The more vague she is, the more he realizes that what he's beginning to suspect is likely true. He jokes with her to cover up that he's beginning to understand what's happened and what does he say? He jokes that he hopes that he's her *favorite*, a line of dialogue that he uses when hugging Loki and looking at another version of Loki in Sylvie. What does this mean? It means that while Mobius didn't know that all the agents are variants who were kidnapped from their timelines until Loki told him-- and we know that's the case because we saw him steal Ravonna's Temppad to watch the proof of it that he needed to see for it to be true, even if it was clear that he believed Loki when he was told of it-- Mobius *did* know something already at the start of the show: he knew that he had been reset.
He knew he was not the first version of Mobius that had existed.
That first version was the man he couldn't remember, who had gone on other TVA missions and collected half the stuff in Ravonna's office and had whole other conversations with her where he left other drink rings and that person was just gone now to him. This? Is one of the reasons why he's so empathetic towards Loki and bends over backwards so much to give Loki another chance at being the person he wants to be-- because Mobius himself has been doing that too, in secret. He probably blames Ravonna more than the TVA as a whole at that point-- he turns on the TVA more after he discovers that the agents are all variants-- but it's also why he's willing to take more risks and do things like bring Loki in to help because he identifies with him. Mobius has figured out that he was Ravonna's other agent but he knows that if he ever said that aloud or led Ravonna to think that he had realized it, she would reset him again or prune him and Mobius doesn't want to die. Ravonna tests him frequently with that pen, in particular-- it's either tied to who Mobius was in his timeline or it's something he brought back from before he was reset. She's looking for any signs that Mobius has remembered any of the resetting or any of his life from before. Mobius pretends that he doesn't but he does remember who he was before he was reset into who he is now-- at least enough to know that he was reset in the first place.
Another clue to this? When he rescues Loki from the judge in the courtroom, he's saving him from undergoing the same fate he previously did. There are only two options that we saw-- don't take a ticket (and so prove that you are not pliable and of no use to the TVA) and you get pruned to The Void. Take a ticket (and so prove that you have potential to follow orders) and the judge sentences you and then you get "reset"-- have your memories wiped & be turned into a TVA agent. That was about to happen to Loki when Mobius ran in but look at what Mobius said to him about it. Loki asked if he was taking him somewhere to kill him and Mobius said no, that that's where Loki just was. But think about that for a second-- it was clear that Loki had passed enough of the ticket test that he wasn't going to get pruned to The Void.
If Mobius at that point thought, like most do, that pruning = death, then Mobius would know that Loki had already saved himself from that by taking the ticket. So what is the "death" that Loki would have faced instead, if Mobius hadn't saved him? Mobius knows now what it is because he knows it happened to him before. He saved Loki from having his memory wiped and this version of himself from being killed by the TVA. Just as he's giving Loki another chance to embrace the moment and be whoever he wants to be, Mobius is also trying to do the same thing for himself. Whoever he was is gone now, in some ways, and Mobius can't even remember the missions he went on before, the trophies he brought back to the woman who killed who he was before and made him yet another version of himself. He struggles with what it is to be *him*-- an individual in the midst of similar copies-- and to have an identity of his own... just like Loki does.
Then, Loki uncovers the truth about the TVA from Sylvie and tells Mobius that all the analysts are variants-- that they were people kidnapped from their timelines to serve in the TVA-- and while Mobius does seek out the proof (and I think he also just is trying to figure out what happened to poor C-20, now realizing that she knew before the rest of them did), he believes Loki enough to seek out that proof. He instantly doesn't trust Ravonna. For a man who has spent his whole life (as far as he knows) in service to the TVA and its mission, it's a huge leap, even if he suspects Loki to be correct. The reason why he believed him so readily is because he already had reason to distrust Ravonna and the TVA brass because he already had figured out that he had been reset.
It's also possible that B-15 was also reset alongside Mobius, namely because she works with him all the time and might begin to notice that he wasn't remembering their previous missions. If there is anybody in the TVA that Mobius might have told about his suspicions that he was reset, it might be her and she could have been helping him. (For instance, who is it that tells Loki that he *has to take a ticket* in no uncertain terms? Why does B-15 care if he does or doesn't? What was it to her if they pruned Loki at that point? He was just another variant. Unless Mobius, whom she trusts and is her friend, told her to do everything she could to keep Loki alive in there long enough for him to get there.) So, there's a slight possibility that B-15 knows she and Mobius were reset but I also think he probably didn't tell anybody and if B-15 was helping Loki in the courtroom, it was just because Mobius asked her to.
Which means that Mobius has been wanting to fuck with the TVA a bit-- or at least annoy Ravonna-- for awhile, hence his willingness to go traipse around with Loki. His whole of the word "favorite" though is more loaded than it seems. When he says it with Ravonna, it's a dry joke only he really gets. He's flirty, he's joking with her that he hopes that she likes him more than this other analyst guy who is bringing back these other trophies for her. He makes it sound like a romantic rivalry between him and her other time-hopping Indiana Jones. Mobius at this point *knows that other analyst is himself* when he's saying this but he can't let her know that he knows, so he pretends it's a whole other person, and not a previous sense of himself that she has tried to erase and reset into a version of himself that he wants. Worse, Ravonna *never answers him*-- she never tells Mobius that he is her favorite. She talks about their friendship being uncommon and keeps trying to gaslight Mobius into believing that they have a thing between them that is exclusive to them when Mobius knows damn right well that she had him mind-murdered and he can't trust her. So, even this reset version of Mobius gets the run-around from cold fish Ravonna.
So, when Mobius is then in a moment where he's saying goodbye to the god he loves who is on a paralleling journey to his own, in terms of trying to be the best version of himself he can be with the single chance he has left, he says "you're my favorite" in such a way that while he is saying it, in a whisper, to the Loki in his arms, he's looking at Sylvie when he says it and that's intentional. He respects Sylvie, whose end goal isn't to do harm so much as to free the imprisoned and whose determination to that end is freeing Mobius more than he had previously thought possible, and he loves Loki-- and he's determined to not have them feel what he feels with Ravonna. He wants them to know they are both good as they are, that they can be their own selves and don't need to be more than just the best versions of themselves that they can be. Ravonna makes multiple copies of Mobius and tries to strip him of his sense of self and he's been fighting back quietly, recognizing the same type of fight in all of the Lokis that he meets, taking in their various issues with stride because he just admires all of it and feels a kinship to it. Telling Loki and Sylvie "you're my favorite" is a way of giving them what he hasn't had for himself, which is a sense that he's fine the way he is and he's loved and enough and who he is as a person-- the same traits that make him a good agent-- are not inherently subversive in a bad way or wrong... and if you read that last sentence and realized that Loki is then the perfect person to love Mobius, I agree. :)
90 notes · View notes
lokiondisneyplus · 3 years
Text
Every Marvel Cinematic Universe TV series to date has had its own distinct look and feel, from the sitcom-derived pastiche episodes of WandaVision all the way back to the grim-and-gritty, dimly lit street narratives of Jessica Jones and Daredevil. Marvel’s Loki has been one of the MCU’s more distinctive-looking series, though, from the dimly lit, industrial-brown corridors of Time Variance Authority HQ to the vivid neon city of Sharoo on the doomed moon Lamentis-1.
Series director Kate Herron confirms that some of these designs were directly inspired by classic science fiction, while others were more personal experimentation. We sat down with Loki’s cinematographer, Autumn Durald Arkapaw, to break down what went into designing some of the most striking and memorable sequences from the series’ first three episodes.
This interview has been edited for concision and clarity.
EPISODE 1: TIME THEATER INTERROGATIONS
Tumblr media
Autumn Durald Arkapaw: Kate [Herron]’s sensibilities led me to get the job in the first place. We shared those sensibilities, around noir films and more moody thrillers, so we were already on the same page as far as lighting and tone. So when it came to the Time Theater, Kasra [Farahani], the production designer, did a fantastic job of creating a space that had a lot of opportunity to feel textural and moody, and create symmetry. I’m big on symmetry. I like to frame center-punched, keeping in mind the architecture of the room, and framing for the architecture and the people at the same time. Stanley Kubrick does that very well. A Clockwork Orange obviously came up in our discussions. Some of our main references were David Fincher’s Zodiac and Terry Gilliam’s Brazil, and the original Blade Runner, in terms of creating spaces that feel strong and weighted, with the people in them placed in a way where the conversation feels very heavy, so you’re paying a lot of attention to the lines, and where your eyes are drawn.
We did some lighting changes above, in the Brutalist ceiling. The lights move, so when we’re cutting back and forth, you see the lights change on the actors. We’re trying to time those movements to the dialogue. The editing was fantastic with that scene. We shot a good amount of coverage, and [series stars Tom Hiddleston as Loki and Owen Wilson as Mobius] play in that space a lot. So we’re trying to always keep it interesting, every time they go back there, changing up the lighting and the projections. That’s probably one of my favorite spaces in the show.
And then the acting, obviously — they’re riffing off each other, and you’re in the room with them and feeling the energy. It was very exciting. That scene was up front in our schedule, so Owen and Tom were getting to know each other in general. We got to watch that happen before our eyes, and it was very comical.
One of the most noticable things about that space is the harsh, rectangular overhead spotlights — Tom Hiddleston starts his interrogation under a spotlight, and when he gets angry, he moves himself back under it. How did you discuss that kind of blocking and framing?
The thing with Tom is, he’s a genius. He’s just a fantastic actor, The amount of things I could say about how amazing he is on set, and character-wise, the list goes on and on. You can introduce marks and let actors know where you’d like them to be for a shot, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s where they’ll go. Some actors like to be more freeform. But with Tom, I wouldn’t have to say “Stand under that light.” He just knows, and he’ll play off that because of the space. He walks in, sees how it’s lit, knows our agenda, and uses that in the character.
So there were certain moments where he asked, “Is this what you’re thinking?” or we would have a discussion. But mostly, he uses the environment around him to tell the story as well, and he took in that lighting as part of the character. Actors know how they look in certain types of light. He’s very good at that. So he played with that in that space, for sure.
When we pull back and take in the whole room, the lighting feels punitive — the striped shadows are noir-movie standards, like light coming through blinds, but they also feel like prison bars. Is that something you discussed?
We never talked about prison bars, but in designing that space, Kasra was thinking about what that space was — being arrested, and being judged. It’s a claustrophobic space. Loki is slightly free to communicate and move around, but the walls and ceiling are concrete, there’s this fake light coming in, because obviously, in the TVA, there’s no day or night. You can see the light moving above, but there’s no sun there. It’s just moving at certain moments.
I had an idea, after seeing the latest Blade Runner, where Roger Deakins moves the lights around: Why don’t we have the lights move? It’s not easy to have big tungsten light sources above a ceiling set move like that, because it takes heavy motors. But my gaffer and key grip are amazing, and they figured out a way we could move the lights without causing shadows between each of the sections of lighting. It looks all like it’s moving at the same time. That took a lot of thought, getting those lights to move, and not just creating shafts of light that fade in and out. I think it helped a lot, because it’s very subtle. You’re only going to see it as they’re sitting. You’ll see sometimes the light moves from Owen’s shoulders into his eyes at the right moment, when you get lucky in the edit, and catch it at the right moment. It was great to have the resources to actually do stuff like that.
EPISODE 2: THE ROXXCART VARIANT PURSUIT
Tumblr media
I’m a fan of green. If we’re designing a clinical environment, or a shopping mall, and we’ve got overhead fluorescents, I like to use cool white fluorescents that have kind of a green kick. I’m a big David Fincher fan, and there’s an undertone of green in his setups that I appreciate. So Roxxcart is a bigger shop that is now closed down, and Kasra outfitted it like a big-box Costco-type place? That wasn’t a full set — we went to this big warehouse, and he made it feel like that kind of store.
Above the space where we shot in, there were a bunch of fixtures. We completely removed those and put in our own tubes. They were RGB, and we could fade them and turn them off and on to our liking, flicker them, make them red when we wanted. When they’re cool white, I appreciate that green kick. I did a lookup-table color correction as well, to give it that tone. It’s meant to be clinical, but make you feel like you don’t know what’s at every turn. And we’re keeping lights on or off depending on which way we’re looking. Kate was a big fan of that space being very dark, with pockets of light. Our antagonist is supposed to come out of the darkness as people change identities.
We’re also trying to make that space look bigger than it actually was. We’re creating depth with light. That was a bitch to shoot — we had so much rigging. My team was amazing. If you go into a space like that, a Target or something, you’d think “The lighting here is not that big of a deal. It’s just overheads.” But being able to control all those overheads and make them different colors and flicker them takes a lot of rigging, with a dimmer board and the programming. In the editing afterward, it really does feel like a space that’s a lot bigger than it actually was. The red sequence is one of my favorites, for sure.
The camera is below waist level a lot in that sequence. What are you communicating there?
I always like to shoot low! It’s just how I see things. Some of my favorite films are detective thrillers from the past, Zodiac being one of those. I’ve always just loved shooting below the eyeline. Obviously there are moments in features I’ve shot where I want to be higher, because it’s more emotional or romantic or something. But in this kind of story, where you have these amazing spaces, and you have multiple characters you’re trying to frame, all facing off and being strong, I’m just a bigger fan of seeing a ceiling than a floor. It’s an appreciation I have, as far as it feeling more mysterious. When a character is looking more mysterious, and you’re not trusting them, you’re trying to figure them out, I love that kind of framing. It’s amazing.
EPISODE 3: FIGHTING TO REACH THE LAMENTIS-1 ARK
Tumblr media
That sequence has a great backstory. I did a lot of prep with Kate. We started prep in Los Angeles before we ended up in Atlanta. We knew that sequence was coming up. but in the script, it just says “Okay, so they end up at Sharoo, and then go on.” The description of that sequence went through an evolution, with the filmmakers discussing things, building the set, and collaborating, so early on, we spitballed about what we thought that could be. Having the support of Marvel and being able to build, and being able to do great stunts, we went bigger.
With the sequence as it evolved, Children of Men was a big reference for us. Kate was really interested in that feeling. She wanted to be with the characters the whole way. We tried to figure out, should the camera be handheld? Should it be Steadicam? We ended up with Steadicam. We looked at some previous oners, because we wanted this sequence to feel like a oner to the audience. Obviously, there are cuts in there, but we seamed certain shots together so the audience wouldn’t feel as though we cut. The intention was to feel like you’re on the run with Loki and Sylvie, racing to the ark, building up tension. You’re there with them as they’re fighting.
My husband’s a DP, and he shot True Detective season 1. That oner in True Detective was something we looked at as well, because it’s just one of those great oners that feels real and has those kinds of textural elements. We did pre-viz, we did rehearsals in the space, prior to shooting there. We went there a couple times and did camera rehearsals. We had an amazing Steadicam operator who I’ve worked with on my last four projects and features. He’s very in tune with my eye, and he’s great with those kind of moves. Kasra understood that we needed certain paths to go down, to help us get from point A to point B, so it feels like a run, it doesn’t feel like people keep entering the same space. Obviously, it’s hard to build really big sets where you can go very far. So he did a great job of knowing what we needed, and then adding stunts, and figuring out how we could feel like we were turning corners whenever we’re moving into different spaces.
How big was the physical space? How much of what we’re seeing there is digital?
Shiroo was very different from Roxxcart. At Roxxcart, we had blue at the end of the aisles, so they look like they’re going on a lot longer than they are. But we traveled to that space. It wasn’t built. Shiroo was built on a backlot. That was a set we had full control over, to build to our liking. Above a certain point, as you’re looking up at the buildings, that’s VFX. But we built the actual buildings up to a certain height, and then beyond that is a digital extension. As far as the depth as well, beyond a certain part of the street, it’s a digital extension. Obviously, the ark is an extension, and we’re using the explosions as cues to do a lot of lighting cues. But it was a very big set, a gorgeous set. It has a lot of texture.
Kasra had the idea of painting a lot of the set in black-light paint, which I’d never seen before, and putting black lights everywhere. Also, we had a bunch of units on top that lit the set for the moon color and those sources, and we had VFX helping us stitch it all together. We had to shoot the sequences and look at the overlays on set to make sure we were creating matchups that would work in the final edit.
For me, that’s a very successful collaboration of in-camera elements — that whole set was real — and having explosions on set along with lighting cues, and then the effects to seam it together and do the extension above and the depth. So everyone really had to play like a good chunk of that. But they’d be effects overall, I think taking what we shot and making it feel like something that big, you know, the buildings are falling. Obviously, we didn’t drop buildings on people. There’s some foam stuff. That was really fun. We shot all that stuff at night.
The camera work in that sequence is some of the most dynamic movement in the series. What was the most difficult part about coordinating that sequence for you?
Rehashing it now, it was the prep. When we were actually there in the space with Tom and Sylvie, running through all of this stuff, it really made sense by that time. We’d been pre-vizing it and reworking it and massaging it for so long that ultimately, once we got on the set and had to follow them with the camera, and the energy was going, and we had the extras there, it all fell together. I think one day, we even wrapped a little early, because we’d just nailed it. When you’re prepping those types of shots, in your mind, you’re always like, “This is gonna be hard, it’s going to be difficult to seam these together, I like perfect headroom.” And you also want it to feel real, and people have to jump and fly and tumble into the frame. But on the day, our execution ended up being pretty good. So that was the most surprising thing to me, because it was kind of a pain in the ass prepping, because there are so many elements. And we’re doing six episodes, so we’re always working, trying to chase the next prep. But it really fell into place nicely.
62 notes · View notes
shotofstress · 3 years
Text
The time cell loop and its meanings
Ok, so I was seeing Loki again and now that I saw it for the second time I realized that in truth Loki's relationship with Sylvie was not written to be a couple, but Loki doing for her what Mobius and Thor (in the movies later, not the relationship they have before Loki was taken over by TVA), but above all Mobius did for him. They are written even if you like as a platonic romantic couple. In all this process of Loki accepting what he really wants and needs, we have him developing a relationship with Mobius, with whom he feels accepted, he sleeps in front of him (not like Sylvie) and they have a body language that we see develop (with crossed arms sitting far away at the table and then with their legs open and their legs between each other under the table). This changes when Mobius feels betrayed, but not only because Loki was "a bad friend", but because he thought they had something and was filled with jealousy when he thought he had left him for Sylvie.
During all of episode 4 Mobius and Ravonna say that they DO NOT KNOW what caused the Nexus Event, but during the interrogation Mobius speaks not from his role as an agent, but from his own person, from his jealousy, anger and grief, with a broken heart he tells Loki that he cannot be trusted because he betrays people and is unnecessarily hurtful in saying that what he asumes happen between Loki and Sylvie is twisted and egotistical. What he assumes is the Nexus Event, which not only breaks the reality of the Sacred Timeline, but " is breaking my reality right now. " So, when Loki tells him that of all the TVA lies the biggest one is the one Mobius tells himself it takes on a double meaning. Now, and here is the other important thing: Mobius choose a memory for the loop that will serve as a catharsis against Loki, where he can express what he feels, but without having him say it, and what is that memory? when Lady Sif hits him and tells him that he is a shit and that will always be alone. Context? Loki cuts his hair to get the attention of Lady Sif for fear that she will leave him, but also not knowing how to process the possibility of having a relationship with her. Lady Sif and Loki had been in a relationship at the time (this was confirmed by the actress) and so Lady Sif was particularly hurt by Loki's imbecility. Mobius chose THIS moment knowing the whole story behind. Lady Sif represents Mobius, the pain and feeling of betrayal caused by Loki, a mockery of his and her love. The first thing Mobius says to Loki when he takes him out of the time cell loop? That if he really believes that he, Loki, deserves to be alone. He also says that he doesn't really know what caused the Nexus Event in Lamentis 1, so he was just speaking out of jealousy. But what caused it? Loki and Sylvie opening up, Loki telling Sylvie that she is great, very good with magic, intelligent and strong, attributes that are generally pointed out in a negative light against Lokis, but not by Mobius or Thor with their Loki. In fact, what caused Sylvie's Nexus Event was that she did not go down the path of misery, sadness and destructive chaos assigned to the Lokis; We see her as a child playing with a Valkyrie (who represents the good, the heroic) fighting a dragon (the bad, the destruction, the devil) thus avoiding the apocalypse, her apocalypse because we also see a Nordic ship to reinforce what is being plamting here, and the scene is completed with a wolf that is Fenrir, son of Loki who is supposed to be one of those responsible for Ragnarok but will no gonna win in Sylvie's game thanks to the valkyrie. Sylvie was rejecting everything negative about Loki and being taken by the TVA and escaping literally returns to that logic to some extent, that's why she lives in apocalypses and kills He Who Remains, but before that she has the moment with Loki in Lamentis, a small space where she is not driven by her pain, trauma and injustices in a destructive way.
Going back to Mobius; Later we will see the famous framing of Loki and Mobius hugging where we clearly see the sword and before this, we see Mobius passing his daggers to Loki in the locker room. Love is a dagger and the closest relationship to romantic couple love is Lokius, and if Mavel and Disney weren't some leech fascist bastards they could have maintained the narrative line between the three characters that were at play in all the first 5 episodes, and even camouflaged a polyamorous relationship between the three. ; Loki and Sylvie in love with Mobius and Mobius with them, but not Sylvie with Loki. But that is and that is what she had to say. Now I'll wait for the fics and the fan art.
EDIT: When I say polyamorous relationship it is not necessarily in the standard dynamics of girl/boyfriends or marriage in a traditional loving sex-affective relationship narrative, polyamory has various dibamics and types of relationships and interactions. Due to the cognotation that the term "amorous" usually generates in people, I personally prefer to call it polyaffective (since you do not necessarily have to be in love with all or some of the people with whom you generate this group or relationship), but I don't know if it is something in the polyamorous community. I point this out due to a tag that someone put, in order to clarify something that this person pointed out and also make my opinion more clear. So, yes, could be polyam even if is a platonic thing between Lokius and Sylvie :)
32 notes · View notes
fallinwitstyle · 3 years
Text
In Your Arms
characters/pairings: Loki / Mobius
rating: general
word count: 4821
summary: Loki and Mobius find one another again in the apolycptic New York and while on the run, share a moment.
Notes: I am such shipper trash and in no way do I think this will happen, ever, but I needed to write some fluff for these two. Hope you enjoy.
Read on A03
They had been running for who knows how long. 
Loki didn't tire as fast as mortals and truly he could have kept running, his determination to escape this hellscape fierce but he was accompanied by a human.
A human man who, by all means, had done very well for himself in keeping up with Loki for as long as he could.
But eventually Mobius was starting to run on empty, his pace slowed and his breathing was far too heavy. 
When Loki looked back at him, his cheeks were red from exertion, and sweat beaded on his forehead. 
He had long since shed his TVA jacket and tie, undid a few buttons of his shirt and rolled up his sleeves.. 
"Loki," he gasped for air and Loki, despite where they were and the situation they were in, still got a little thrill that Mobius was alive and was able to say his name. 
"Loki….hold..." Mobius breathed again and slowly came to a stop and leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees.
"Are you alright?" Loki stopped, briefly surveying their surroundings for any signs of danger but quickly turned his attention to his friend. 
He was consistently amazed by how much he actually cared for this man. He could count on one hand how many people he genuinely cared for and all of them, save for Mobius, were gods. 
He had only ever seen human beings as inferior creatures who needed to kneel before him but right from the start Mobius had been different. He never seemed afraid of Loki, he was never intimated, and in fact was almost amused, intrigued and as time drew on, seemed to have some kind of affection for him. 
Mobius panted for a few seconds and Loki watched, his brow furrowed in concern. 
"I just…" he gasped between breaths, and waved a hand. "I need a minute."
Loki frowned and glanced around him. It was getting darker and the other Lokis had warned him of the dangers that lurked in that land. 
They had no protection other than Loki's magic, which could sufficiently protect them but, and he'd be loath to admit out loud, he still felt a little uneasy.
He took a few steps toward Mobius and put a hand on his shoulder and then once more looked around them. 
"Perhaps we should stop here for the evening." Loki suggested, spotting a bit of shelter that would sufficiently keep them safe, at least for the night.
He glanced back at Mobius when the man weakly grabbed onto his forearm. 
His face was pale, despite the pink in his cheeks and his eyes were slightly glazed over. 
"You look like death, Mobius."
Mobius scoffed breathlessly, his lips twitching very slightly at the corners. "Oh thank you."
He wobbled on his feet and Loki tightened his hold on him.
Once Mobius caught his breath, he shook his head, looking up at Loki. "We should keep going."
Loki pressed his lips together and scrunched his nose. "If we do, it leaves me with two options: carrying your dead body or leaving you here. Frankly, neither are attractive options for me."
Mobius blinked up at him and then gave a slight roll of his eyes. "I am not going to die, Loki. I'm a little offended that you don't think I can handle myself."
"I believe you can handle yourself just fine under normal circumstances. However, your body is still recovered from being pruned and we've been on the move for hours. You're only a mortal, you don't have the stamina…"
"Oh spare me the superior god speech…" Mobius breathed out and Loki raised an eyebrow at him. 
"It is the truth."
Mobius continued to glare at him in annoyance and then sighed. 
"If it will make you feel better, then we'll stop."
Mobius came off like he was doing Loki a favor but Loki could see the relief in his face, and felt the way his body relaxed, even slumping forward a little.
"Oh yes, for my sake then." Loki remarked sarcastically and Mobius nodded his head weakly. 
Loki swore the human could sometimes be as stubborn and hard headed as he was, which Loki admittedly admired and the smallest hint of an affectionate smile pulled at his lips, just out of sight of Mobius' gaze as he attempted to straighten himself up and turn.
Loki watched, his brow raised as Mobius began to stagger around aimlessly.
Finally, Loki cleared his throat. "Mobius?"
"Yeah?" Mobius paused and looked back at him and Loki pointed over his shoulder. 
"Shelter's this way."
Mobius grumbled something under his breath and turned on his heel and shuffled back towards Loki. 
The only truly safe space, that wasn't entirely covered by rubble and who knows what else, was a small room just barely big enough for the two of them. 
Mobius immediately took to one wall and let out a groan, his eyes closing, a grimace covering his face as he lowered himself to the ground.
Loki looked around but then decided to take a seat beside him.
Mobius opened his eyes and blinked blearily to Loki. 
"Any more cracks about  human fragility?"
Loki smirked. "Oh I have many. None that I'll say now. For another time perhaps."
Mobius let out a little scoff of a laugh and then leaned forward with a small groan and a large sigh. 
Loki's brow furrowed and he felt an odd pang deep within. Something he was learning was concern. That deep, visceral pain that cut into him. Of course the grief of watching Mobius be vaporized before his eyes thinking he was dead was much worse in comparison but he did care for his health as well. 
Mobius swallowed hard, closed his eyes and tilted his head back to lean against the hard wall. 
"I think perhaps you were right." Mobius muttered softly. 
"Of course.” Loki remarked quickly. “About what?"
Mobius' lips twitched slightly but he didn't open his eyes. "I need to rest. I need to…" he trailed off.
"Rest." Loki surprised himself again with how gentle the command was. "I'll watch over us."
Mobius let out a small hum, but that was the only energy he had left to acknowledge.
Loki kept a watchful eye on him until it seemed he fell asleep. 
Then he let out a small sigh, straightened out his legs and looked out of the small crack in the wall that was letting in what bit of light there was. 
His thoughts drifted - to how they had ended up here, to what the existence of all the other variant Loki's meant, which of course then brought his thoughts to Sylvie.
It wasn't too long ago at all that he was trapped in another apocalypse with her as his companion. 
It somehow seemed fitting he'd end up on some doomed distant moon with another variant of himself and yet somehow wind up on Earth, in New York of all places, with the human responsible for taking him to the TVA in the first place.
Sylvie kept up with him on Lementis. In fact she was very much his equal, perhaps even his superior in some ways. 
She was astounding to him and he wouldn't have minded spending more time with her. 
Having Mobius as a companion was entirely different and by all accounts he should have been annoyed that he had to slow down and take into account a human's shortcomings.
But he wasn't. No, he was entirely too grateful to have Mobius alive to be annoyed with his presence. 
He was extremely irritated, angry even at the TVA and the situation they had put them in but Mobius was just as much of a victim. 
His heart ached at the way Mobius talked about his life before the TVA and how he couldn't remember it. 
Loki vowed to somehow, someway get Mobius to remember. Whether that was somehow finding Sylvie and having her access his memories or learning to do so himself.
He deserved to know the truth. 
Loki suddenly startled when he felt a sudden, solid warmth pressed against his side. 
He turned his head to find that Mobius had leaned in toward him, his head landing on Loki's shoulder, his arm pressing against his. 
Loki stared at the top of his head and his lips parted in slight awe. 
He recalled the brief conversation with Sylvie and how he couldn't let himself fall asleep in her presence because he didn't trust her. 
He knew he had fallen asleep with Mobius before but he was truly stunned that Mobius trusted him enough to not only fall asleep in his presence but seek him out for comfort.
It was a new and thrilling emotion, to have someone so comfortable around him and to be so comfortable around someone else
He had been beginning to feel that way with Sylvie as well but Sylvie was not like Mobius. 
Sylvie was like him and he admired her strength, her determination, her cunning, and wit. She seemed to be the very best parts of him.
Mobius was different- he was human, he was kind, he was good, almost irritatingly so but it was also admirable to Loki and he felt himself drawn to Mobius in a way he had never experienced before. 
He hated the look of disappointment on Mobius' face when he chose to follow Sylvie through the time portal. He hated the anger and betrayal and hurt that Mobius tried to hide when he accused Loki of working with Sylvie...of being in love with Sylvie. 
A ridiculous notion. Loki scoffed to himself and he was loath to admit how much Mobius words to him had stung. Of course he cared for Sylvie. If he knew what love was he might even admit to loving her but not in that way. In the same way he loved his mother. Another being on the same level as him who understood him in a way that no one else could. That was Sylvie.
Sylvie was connected to him, a part of him and he didn't want to let her go but he knew what he felt for her was anything but romantic or even lust, though she was incredibly beautiful, but that was to be expected, as she was, of course, a Loki. 
No, what he felt for Sylvie was nothing like lust and nothing like the warm, soft feeling deep in his belly when he looked down at the man sleeping peacefully on top of him. 
He took a shuddering breath and cleared away those thoughts before he allowed his mind to go there. Those thoughts were frightening and just a little too much to deal with. 
He'd much rather just enjoy this rare moment of peace and comfort beside a man who seemed just as content to be with him. 
He knew he promised Mobius he would keep watch but as the hours drew on, and he reveled in the warmth of the body beside him, he slowly found himself drifting. 
He used just a little bit of magic to shield their little shelter and then closed his eyes, his head leaning to the side until his cheek was pressed lightly against Mobius' soft hair. 
He inhaled slowly, taking in the scent of smoke and sweat and the faintest hint of the most bland shampoo in the universe. 
He tensed only for a moment as Mobius shifted against him but he only moved closer, his hand lightly falling against Loki's thigh. 
A small smile tugged at the corners of Loki's lips and he allowed himself to get lost in the moment, even if it was just going to be just this once. He clung onto it and sank into it, the feeling of Mobiua warm beneath him and slowly drifted off to sleep. 
--
Mobius felt like he was hit by a train. 
He had had particularly arduous missions that left him tired, chasing Variants through time but nothing like this. 
His mouth and throat was so dry that it hurt to swallow.
His whole entire body ached down to his bones and he felt completely drained. 
His head pounded as if there were a thousand hammers trying to knock out his skull.
He now regretted ever having anyone pruned, not only because of what the TVA was, how they had stolen his life, but because it was not an experience he would wish on anyone. 
Yet despite all of this pain, he felt strangely comforted.
His eyes seemed glued shut so he dare not try to open them yet.
As his mind woke up he began to feel his surroundings, it was hot and humid, and there was a tinge of smoke in the air. 
He could feel that he was lying against something solid, yet soft and warm and there was a comforting pressure against his head. 
Loki. He suddenly realized and his chest tightened. 
He finally managed to crack open his eyes and blinked past the initial blurry vision. 
His eyes scanned the area, dimly lit by that smoky haze. 
He vaguely remembered stopping there for the night, but he had been so far past the point of exhaustion that everything was a blur. 
He cast his gaze downward and his heart leapt when he found his hand rested on Loki's thigh and what's more, Loki's hand lightly covered his own. 
He realized then that while he had fallen asleep against Loki, Loki had also fallen asleep against him. 
He was beginning to feel the ache in his neck and back from his position but he didn't want to move. He knew as soon as he did Loki would also wake up and he wanted to marvel in this moment for a little while. 
Loki - the God of mischief. The variant he took control over, the narcissistic, infuriating being who tested his patience at every turn.
Loki had fallen asleep in front of him before, a few times in those early days when they were scouring through files, searching for the other Loki variant. 
However, Loki had never fallen asleep beside him, holding him even. Protecting him, just as he said he would.
Loki's promise had suddenly come to him and his chest tightened again. 
He'd never forget Loki's cry as he was pruned, never forget the look of awe and relief on his face when he saw him again, the smile that lit his face. 
Whatever transgressions Loki had committed against him, the betrayal of leaving him to chase after the Variant - Sylvie - were all forgiven. 
The last thing Loki had said to him before they were confronted by the TVA was the promise of friendship and this time, perhaps despite his best instincts, he believed him.
And so far, Loki hadn't done anything to lose his trust. He stuck by his side, made certain he was alright and watched over him, all the with the air of genuine concern.
Loki easily could have made his escape. Left him behind without a second thought but he didn't. He sat down beside him and went to sleep, holding onto his hand like he wanted to do the very opposite of run away - as if he was holding onto Mobius with all he had. 
The thought warmed something inside of him - sparked the ever growing flame of fondness he was gaining for this Loki. 
Someone good. 
He knew he could have stayed there for hours, his head rested comfortably on Loki's chest. 
That is where he was, he realized, when he became aware of the soft thumping of Loki's heart beneath his ear. 
He couldn't remember the last time he had been this close to another being. Certainly never at the TVA and before that…
His stomach twisted at the harsh reminder that he knew nothing of his life before the TVA. His only memory was that of a jetski and it only came in his fascination with them. He didn't know if he had ever ridden one. 
Finally the ache in his neck became too painful to stay where he was and he slowly lifted his head. 
Just as he suspected, Loki's head shot up, his body tensing as he leapt to the defensive. 
"It's only me." Mobius croaked and winced at his scratchy and sore throat. 
Loki turned his gaze downward to him and instantly relaxed.
Mobius was still aware that their hands were still together on Loki's lap but he couldn't keep his eyes off of Loki's face. 
His eyes were tired which put just a touch of humanity in him but he was most certainly a god and most certainly looked like one. 
Mobius took in a breath and finally broke their gaze and slid his hand away into his own lap. 
Loki's brow pressed together, his lips pursing as he looked down at his own lap. His fingers stretched where Mobius hand had been under his and then he clenched them in a slight fist. 
He forced a tight, small smile to his lips and looked back at Mobius.
"You stayed." Mobius said quietly, looking back up at Loki and his breath caught again at the look in his eyes. 
His gaze had softened, a rare look on Loki but one he had been seeing more and more often, particularly directed at him. 
"Of course." Loki answered like it was the most obvious thing in the world, like he hadn't been known for consistently stabbing people, Mobius included, in the back. 
There was a smirk on Loki's lips but he said with utter sincerity, "I'm not going to abandon you."
Mobius mouth went impossibly dryer and he couldn't speak, just stared at this marvelous being in wonder. 
"Not when you cannot fend for yourself." Loki continued and Mobius released a breath. 
"You still look utterly horrible."
Mobous clenched his jaw and attempted a swallow but his throat was like sandpaper and he only winced and Loki frowned. 
His hand lifted and hovered in the air, almost looking like he was going to reach out to grab Mobius but then his hand fell back to his lap with a small sigh. 
"I'm fine." Mobius insisted, his voice barely recognizable to his own ears and he knew that he wasn’t. His whole body felt like it could combust any moment if he moved.
Yet still he tried. He attempted to push himself up but his head spun and his legs shook and he fell back down. 
Loki's hand did move that time, pressing a steady hand to his back which then slid around his middle to rest on his side.
Mobius closed his eyes tightly, holding his breath while the world spun around him and his stomach churned. 
"I very much doubt that." Loki commented but he could hear the concern in his voice. 
"What do you need?" Loki's voice was quiet at his ear and though he dare not open his eyes to look at his companion, Loki's presence was comforting. 
"Water." He rasped and rested his head between his knees as waves of nausea rolled over him.
"Right." Loki muttered and then his hand was gone from Mobius. He sat in silence, concentrating on his breathing and trying not to throw up, vaguely wondering where Loki was going to find water.
He jumped, letting out a painful screech as suddenly ice cold water poured over him like the heavens had opened up in a personal rain cloud above him.
His head shot up and he ignored the splitting headache and glared in disbelief at Loki. 
The god was standing beside him impishly, his hands hovering in the air where he had conjured the water. 
"To drink, Loki." Mobius hissed at him as the water trickled down his back.
Loki raised his brow. "But do you not feel better?"
Mobius opened his mouth to yell at him but instead took a few seconds to take in what he was feeling. The cold water not only cooled his body but shocked his system back to somewhat functional. His head was still pounding but he no longer felt nauseous and could focus on something other than his pain. 
He huffed, pressing his lips together and ran a hand over his face, pulling the water down from his hair and towards his chest. 
"A little warning would have been nice." He grunted. 
Loki merely shrugged but then waved his hands again and in them appeared a small container of water. 
He extended it toward him and Mobius eyed it suspiciously. 
Loki rolled his eyes at his hesitance. "I'm not going to poison you Mobius. If I wanted you dead there are a million other ways I'd do it."
Mobius lifted his eyebrows at that.
"I won't." Loki quickly added. "But I could."
"I don't believe you would intentionally poison me." Mobius said and the surprised look of what might almost be joy in Loki's eyes made his heart soar. "But in case you haven't noticed, we're in an apocalyptic wasteland. I don't think anything is safe to consume here."
Loki gave him a small smile and extended hisnhand further. "Trust me."
Mobius' got a taste of the water that dripped off his nose onto his bottom lip and was too parched to think about it further. There were worse ways to die he supposed.
He eagerly grabbed it from Loki and at first took a cautious sip but once the cool water hit his throat, he guzzled the rest of it down.
"Thank you." 
He looked back up at Loki and Loki's hand was still outstretched, now palm up for him to take. 
He placed his hand into Loki's and Loki helped him up. He got a brief flash of memory of their first day at the TVA and how Mobius had done the same for him. Their eyes met and Mobius could tell he was remembering the same moment. 
"Like I said…" Loki started, his eyes never leaving his. "I don't feel like carrying around your dead body."
Mobius lifted his brow, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Is that the only reason?"
There was a flash of something in Loki's eyes that made his stomach flip. Then Loki blinked and his smirk returned to his lips. 
"Should there be another reason?"
Mobius shook his head slightly, pulling his hand out of Loki's and moving it to his hair. He quickly rubbed the water out of it and got a little burst of amusement at the droplets of water that sprayed across Loki's face. 
Loki shot him a faintly annoyed look, a few drops of water rolling down his cheeks.
Mobius chuckled lightly and taking a quick, deep breath, then moved to swiftly wipe then away with his knuckles.
Loki reared back in surprise at the sudden contact and Mobius swore he could have heard his breath catch and stutter. His eyes widened slightly and his eyes followed Mobius' hands as he then patted Loki's chest. 
"Well, friends do typically care for each other's needs."
Loki visibly swallowed and his eyes drifted back to Mobius’ and his gaze softened once more and Mobius felt his heart ache just a little.
Loki always seemed so surprised by gentle, intimate, genuine touches and words and Mobius made it his goal to make sure he did those things more often around Loki. Especially if it earned him the look Loki was giving him now. 
"Yes." Loki murmured slowly, as if he was just realizing this fact.
He realized then that his hands were still resting on Loki's chest. He gave Loki another small knowing smile and then began to pull away but Loki's hands quickly shot up and brought them back. 
Mobius blinked at him, his eyes widening slightly and Loki stared back at him, just as wide-eyed. 
"Mobius….I…" he choked over his words, his mouth hanging slightly open and Mobius smiled at him. 
"I understand Loki. You don't have to say anything."
Loki's brow pressed together and he shook his head. "But I do because I've...I've never had anyone to ever say anything to and now that I do…" he trailed off again and something warm flourished inside Mobius chest as he stared at the god in anticipation.
Loki's face scrunched in slight frustration and he tilted his head up as he searched for the right words. 
Feeling just a little bit daring, Mobius lifted one hand to Loki's cheek and pulled his attention back to him. Their eyes locked and Mobius gave him an encouraging nod. 
Loki was silent for another few seconds, his eyes exploring his. 
"Whatever you need to tell me, Loki, I'm listening."
Loki opened his mouth, taking a breath and then closed it again. His eyes quickly darted back and forth as he clearly argued with himself about something and then he quickly grabbed a hold of Mobius' shoulders. 
Mobius brow shot up and he opened his mouth to question Loki when he was suddenly silenced by Loki's mouth upon his. 
He froze in pure shock but then quickly felt himself melting into the kiss. 
He wouldn't deny that it had crossed his mind once or twice what it would be like but all of his fantasies paled in comparison to the feel of the pressure of his lips, the burning of his hands against his shoulders, the heat that grew within.
It was over just as nearly as it had begun and Mobius was left wobbling on his already weakened legs. His mouth still hung open as he blinked up at Loki. 
His eyes were alive with a spark of desire, and awe and surprise of his own actions. His intense eyes burned into him and he was breathless as he stared back. 
"You are perhaps one of the most irritating and stubborn humans I've ever met." Loki said and mobius blinked a few times, trying to connect his actions with the words. 
"Extremely complimentary Loki…" he breathed.
"I'm not finished." Loki cut him off and Mobius shut his mouth, staring at him silently. 
"I have never encountered a man like you before. You never give up - even on someone like me."
Mobius pressed his lips together in a slight smile. "You're worth it." He said quietly and Loki's eyes widened and he took a breath. 
"You are the only one to ever think so." His voice broke a little as he spoke and Mobius' thumb brushed across his cheek and Loki shuddered beneath the intimate gesture. 
He took a steadying breath and grabbed Mobius’ hand in his. 
"I've never cared about anyone, not really, but somehow you...you...you and all your ridiculous human quirks…." He shook his head and lifted his head. "I find myself caring more than I ever thought I could and it's...very unusual."
"It's good, Loki.” Mobius countered. “Embrace it. You don't have to hide your feelings with me. I promise, no matter what, you are safe with me."
Loki stared at him in awe, searching his eyes for any sign of deception but he'd find none and his eyes began to glisten. 
"You know…" Loki spoke finally, his voice slightly raspy. "I rather think I like you."
Mobius laughed quietly and glanced down wrinkles and then back up at him. "I rather think I like you too. For everything you are, Loki."
Something flashed in Loki's eyes again and he leaned forward toward him when a large explosion suddenly shook the small, faulty shelter they were standing in. 
They fell into one another, Mobius pressing himself against Loki's chest while one of Loki's arms surrounded his back and the other slid to the back of his head securing him to him. 
They closed their eyes as rubble fell around them and Loki created a bubble of protection around them. 
"I think we'd better keep moving." Loki said, once they opened their eyes and found themselves standing in a pile of rubble, now exposed to the smoky open air. 
Mobius frowned as he looked around them, suddenly reminded of where they were and how much danger they were in. 
A brand new cloud of smoke was billowing in the distance, rising from the explosion caused by who knows what. 
"I think you're right."
Loki turned to him, a serious look in his eyes. "I will get us out of here, Moby. Whatever it takes."
Mobius' heart flipped at the nickname. Loki certainly wasn't the first one to use it but it held something special coming from him. 
Mobius nodded hisbhead and lowered his hand, grasping Loki's in his tightly. "I'll be right by your side through it all."
Loki's eyes flashed, a mischievous glint that Mobius had seen countless times but it was accompanied by a certain fondness that was absent before and then he smirked, tugged at his hand and they were off again, prepared to face anything together. 
44 notes · View notes
mimisempai · 3 years
Text
Wait for me on the other side 8/8
Summary:
The long awaited end! Will they finally overcome all the obstacles?
Here we go! Enjoy the journey!
https://archiveofourown.org/works/32948254/chapters/82452802
Chapter 1 - Chapter 2 - Chapter 3 - Chapter 4 - Chapter 5 - Chapter 6 - Chapter 7 - Chapter 8 (End)
Tumblr media
The months and seasons have passed for Mobius and Loki.
Mobius moved out of the house on the cliff and into an apartment above the store. After Ravonna's death, Casey saw no reason to stay in TK and joined Mobius at Miss Minutes.
With his client base expanding, Mobius needed someone to help him and thought of Casey, who had been more than enthusiastic at the idea.
They had formed a curious friendship with Sylvie and life was flowing smoothly.
Casey could see that at times Mobius' eyes seemed lost. His face wore a melancholic expression. But Mobius said nothing, smiled and Casey pretended he hadn't seen anything.
On New Year's Eve 2022, Mobius, Casey and Sylvie were celebrating together and as the fireworks started, Mobius couldn't help but think of other fireworks with nostalgia and wondered what Loki was doing, where and with whom.
January 2021 - Miss Minutes
It was already late and Mobius was hunched over his drawing table, looking focused as Casey poked his head through the door.
"Mobius, I'm going in. I've got it all locked up, you'll just have to close the main door and the blind."
Mobius focused, simply replied, "Hm..."
Casey, seeing that he hadn't been listening, approached and looked over Mobius' shoulder at what he was working on.
"A new project?"
Mobius looked up, a little embarrassed, "Oh. No. It's just... a personal thing."
Casey shifted to get a better look at Mobius' work.
Mobius tried to hide it.
"Mobius, let me see."
"No, it's nothing."
"Come on."
Mobius gave in and Casey's eyes widened at the drawing.
It was the house on the cliff but re-imagined. There was a terrace that ran along the back, and stairs that went down to the water - the stairs that Mobius had described to Loki. There were trees planted along the way, and lights shining in the trees. The house was just as extraordinary as before, but much less austere, much warmer, almost romantic.
Casey said softly, "I like it."
Mobius asked casually, "Do you like it?"
Casey nodded enthusiastically, "Before, it looked like a place you would go to be alone. In this one, I can imagine taking someone there."
Mobius nodded. Casey looked at him with his piercing eyes, and asked softly, "Who is he?"
Mobius answered without hesitation, "Loki. His name was Loki."
"When you lived there?"
Mobius nodded and Casey continued, "I knew it, that there was something or rather someone. What happened?"
Mobius replied simply, "I lost him."
"How?"
Mobius replied with a hesitant voice, "It's hard to explain. It's mostly... it was... bad timing."
"You miss him?"
Mobius couldn't deny it and Casey insisted, "Make him come back."
Mobius ran a hand over his face, "It's too late. Or too soon..."
"What?"
Mobius shook his head, "Nothing. I don't even know where he is. And even if I did, I couldn't walk up to him and say, ``Hey, I'm here, let's pick up where we left off."
Casey defiantly asked him, "What would you have to lose?"
Mobius didn't answer.
**********
Loki was still living in the same place and the tree had continued to grow in front of the building.
He spent a lot of time with Thor, who had apparently decided to take him under his wing.
He was alone, but he had a friend, friends even, that he could count on, and if sometimes one or the other tried to encourage him to date someone, they never insisted.
He devoted his life to his classes, the students liked him a lot, and Kamala who kept coming to see him after class had brought other members of the gang with her, and the discussions around Norse mythology had turned into a reading club.
Early February 2023 - Loki's apartment
Loki had decided to clean up, because in two years, he was starting to pile up things, and it was time to sort out.
He was organizing his clothes when he came across the outfit he had never put back on since the missed date. His throat tightened as he was about to put it in the pile of clothes to be thrown away, but he couldn't bring himself to do it and put it in the back of the closet.
Later, as he was vacuuming, he noticed a creaky floorboard. He bent down to examine it and found that it could be lifted quite easily.
Loki pulled the floorboard and to his surprise, there was an empty space underneath. He bent further to examine it. He saw that there was something there, put his hand to grab it and pulled out a package wrapped in dusty plastic. He opened it. His heart leapt out of his chest, it was his copy of PERSUASION.
One page was marked with a rose, now dried and withered by time. He opened it to the marked page and saw that a sentence had been underlined.
There could have been no two hearts so open,
no tastes so similar, no feelings so in unison.
He stared at the words, breathless.
February 14, 2023 - September Academy
Thor and Loki, along with the other teachers, were sitting in the school's conference room waiting for the presentation to begin.
Thor leaned over to Loki, "Hey, since Jane won't be able to spend this Valentine's Day with me, how about a hallmark movie night with some popcorn and good beer?"
Loki smiled softly, "Sounds good to me, but in the meantime we've gotta get through this presentation."
Just after his words, a short dark-haired man entered the room and took his place on the stage, greeted by Natasha who spoke up, "Hello everyone, thank you for coming. We are pleased to welcome Casey Fish, from Miss Minutes."
Loki startled slightly, the name ringing a bell.
"Casey is here today to introduce us to a new line of electronic organizers for students and teachers, allowing for better communication between the various parties. Thank you for giving him your attention."
Casey cleared his throat and began to speak, "Hello everyone! Thank you for your welcome Ms. Romanov, Miss Minutes is basically a small watch store, but over the years we wanted to expand its business to include time management in all its forms, and its founder had the idea a little over two years ago to create this."
He pointed to the screen that just displayed a small rectangular device, much like a flip phone.
"Let me introduce you to The Tempad. The Tempad, thanks to its small holographic avatar, allows you to be connected at any time with your colleagues, with your students."
He clicked on the remote control to bring up the next image.
"This is Miss Minutes for you."
Loki gasped, of course he knew Miss Minutes, it was exactly like the little picture Mobius had drawn when he had written to him about his store.
Thor, sensing his friend's confusion, leaned toward him and whispered, "Loki? Are you okay?"
Loki nodded.
He listened to the rest of the presentation in a daze, and as Casey was packing up his things on the stage, Loki rushed in without further ado, almost shoving some of his colleagues in his way.
February 14, 2021 - In front of Miss Minutes
Casey and Mobius came out in their winter coats, but they realized it was surprisingly warm.
Mobius growled, "Honestly, what the hell?"
Casey shrugged as he replied, "Global warming."
Mobius asked Casey, "Do you want to come to my house for dinner tonight?"
Casey replied with a small air of pride, "I can't. I have a date tonight, it's Valentine's Day."
Mobius continued forward for a few steps, then stopped.
"What?"
"What, is it so weird that I have a date on Valentine's Day night?"
Mobius looked around. The day was really hot. People everywhere were enjoying the sun. He turned to Casey, a strange look on his face.
"What's the date?"
"Valentine's Day I told you, so it's February 14."
Mobius repeated, "February 14, 2021."
Casey looked at him, curious, "Yeah. What's up with you?"
Mobius with pensive eyes replied, "He told me about today."
"Who? You mean the guy?"
"Yes!" replied Mobius excitedly, "There's a letter that says where he's going to be!"
Casey understood less and less, "He wrote you?"
Mobius nodded quickly, "Yes. I could see him today. You said it the other day...what have I got to lose?"
Casey replied matter-of-factly, "What are you waiting for?"
"I just need to find the letter!"
Mobius ran to his apartment above the store, rummaged through his old boxes, until he remembered that Loki's letters were still in the house on the cliff, in the attic. He looked for the spare keys to the housel, ran to his old pickup and drove off at full speed.
February 14, 2023 - September High-school
" Mister, uh... Casey, can I ask you something. Miss Minutes' founder, who is it?"
Casey, with a surprised look, answered him, clearing his throat, "He's a friend, Mo... Mobius M. Mobius."
Loki repeated, his heart pounding, "Mobius..."
Casey replied, "Yes. Do you... do you know him?"
Loki nodded, "Yes. He... where is he? Could you tell me how I could contact him?"
Casey suddenly looked very sad, "I'm sorry. You don't know?"
"What?"
Casey replied with a tight throat, "He died. Two years ago." He swallowed before resuming, "Two years ago today, in fact, there was an accident..."
Loki, shocked, gasped, then whispered, "Where?"
A few seconds later, Loki ran out of the school and headed for his car under the rain that had started to fall. Thor was behind him, bewildered, and called him, "Loki! Wait! What's going on?"
As he continued to run, Loki told him, 'It's an emergency! I don't have time!"
Thor asked, "Is that him?"
Loki, while running, replied, "Yes!" and heard Thor shout back at him as he climbed into his car, "Go Loki! Get him!"
Loki drove out of the city toward the house, rain pouring down on his windshield. He weaved between lanes, passing cars, driving recklessly, as fast as he could.
House on the cliff - February 14, 2021
Mobius stopped in front of the lake house. It was closed, empty. He ran across the path and unlocked the front door.
House on the cliff - February 14, 2023
Loki arrived at the house and stopped skidding in the rain in front of the mailbox. He pulled out a notepad and began to write, desperately.
House on the cliff - February 14, 2021
Mobius ran to the attic. Inside was the only box he had stored there when he moved out. He opened the box and searched frantically. He found the bundle of letters from Loki. After a few moments, he found the one he was looking for and read it.
Last February, I remember it was Valentine's Day, but it was really hot for a day in February.
I was at the fountain in Valhalheim Square.
He said aloud, "The Valhalheim Square Fountain."
House on the cliff - February 14, 2023
Loki finished writing the note and jumped out of the car. He put it in the mailbox and raised the flag.
He stayed there, and fell to his knees in front of the box, soaked by the rain.
House on the cliff - February 14, 2021
Mobius jumped into his pick-up , and quickly drove away from the house. He passed the mailbox.
Valhalheim Square - February 14, 2021
Loki closed his eyes for a moment, letting the sunlight warm him. Just aware of the surrounding sounds, the water in the fountain, the splashing and laughter of children playing in it, an old man grumbling about global warming, pigeons landing nearby.
Mobius could see the fountain from inside his pickup. He looked for a parking spot, finally found one and jumped out. He started running towards the square.
In his hand he clutched a piece of paper, the words of which echoed in his head.
Dear Mobius.
I know it now... it was you at the fountain that day.
It was you on the square. Please, don't go there.
Something terrible will happen if you go there.
Mobius continued to run toward the fountain.
He stopped at the curb, separated from the fountain by a dense road full of traffic. He looked away, searching for Loki beyond the noisy traffic, among the crowd in the park.
Please don't look for me.
He finally saw him, a distant figure, eyes closed, enjoying the warmth of the sun. He smiled.
Don't try to find me.
They are now only separated by distance.
Don't run to me.
The traffic became less dense and Mobius had a clear view of Loki, straight ahead.
Do you understand? Please. You must wait.
Mobius stepped off the curb, wanting to get closer to Loki.
Forget everything I said before.
We both have to wait.
If you love me and if I love you.
I love you, it's taken me this long to say it but I really love you, so wait for me.
Mobius saw Loki open his eyes, as if drawn in his direction. He looks alarmed.
Wait with me. Wait until time catches up with both of us and we can be together. Please. Just... wait.
House on the cliff - February 14, 2023
Loki soaked, was in tears at the foot of the mailbox and only whispered, "Wait, wait..." and continued to cry.
The rain continues to fall.
Loki, finally, having lost all hope, tried to pull himself together and began, very slowly, to get to his feet.
He looked at the box and gasped, the flag was down.
With trembling hands, he did not dare to open the door and when he did, he saw that his letter was gone.
Valhalheim Square - February 14, 2021
Mobius was standing on the road, straining to see Loki and at the last second, he backed up to the sidewalk, safe. He continued to watch Loki, he desperately wanted to run to him, but he didn't, he folded the letter, put it in his pocket and reluctantly turned and walked away.
House on the cliff - February 14, 2023
Loki looked at the empty mailbox, his face soaked with tears and rain.
A hand came up from behind him and gently closed the box. He slowly turned around.
Mobius stood silently and looked at him, holding the worn letter Loki had just posted. Loki stared at him for a moment, trying to convince himself that this was real.Then Mobius took a step toward Loki and smiled, shyly.
"Have we waited long enough?"
Loki, still shocked, his eyes filled with tears, whispered, "Yes."
Mobius approached again, and smiling more openly this time, brought his hand to Loki's face and wiped a tear with his thumb.Loki rested his head in his palm and then finally they fell into each other's arms, squeezing each other, inhaling each other's scent, prolonging the embrace again and again, making sure it was real. Making sure that each of them was real.
Then Mobius finally pulled back and captured Loki's lips in an endless kiss. For long minutes they separated only to catch their breath before kissing again, over and over again, indifferent to the rain that fell around them.
Much later, they separated to catch their breath and Mobius took Loki's hand to lead him home.
Loki gasped. The house on the cliff had changed.
In the two years of Mobius' life, the life Loki had saved, Mobius had transformed it.
He had brought to life the design he had shown Casey two years ago, with the deck, and the stairway to the water they had talked about, and the trees planted along the path, lit and glowing in the rain.
Loki laughed, astonished, and turning to Mobius he took his face in his hands and kissed him again.
Then they walked together along the path, stopping often to touch and kiss.
As they passed the door, Loki held Mobius by the sleeve, "Wait."
Mobius turned around and couldn't help but touch Loki's face with his fingertips once more.
Loki grabbed his hand and interlaced his fingers with Mobius' as he said softly, "I don't want to wait to tell you for real this time." He paused and with a trembling smile and bright eyes, he told him, "I love you."
Mobius didn't want to wait to tell him in turn either, "I love you."
They hugged each other tightly again, tasting the happiness of hearing those words spoken by the beloved voice.
Then much later, they entered their home, ready to start a new life where everything was still to be discovered. Together.
**********
The house on the cliff - Summer 2024
"Cwoki! Cwoki!"
"Lila! Go slowly honey and wait for your little brother!"
"Wait my love, I'll help you." Clint came to support Laura who was struggling up on the small path leading to the house on the hill. She huffed a little, laying her hand on her belly rounded by her 6 months of pregnancy.
They watched, fondly, as their two children gave gentle pats to a Croki who seemed to enjoy it.
"Lila, Cooper, stop spoiling Croki, he'll keep coming to us for petting afterwards."
Both children stood up and grabbed onto the legs of the man who had just spoken.
"Uncle Mobius!"
He picked them both up, carrying them each in one arm.
"What about me, don't I get a hello kiss?"
Each of the two children placed a sounding kiss on Mobius' cheeks at the same time.
"Should I be jealous?" a voice behind Mobius spoke up.
"Uncle Loki!"
Cooper was already reaching out to Loki, who didn't hesitate. The little boy gave him a big kiss on the cheek and wiggled to be put back on the ground.
Loki and Mobius, side by side, welcomed Laura and Clint.
"Clint, Laura, Welcome!"
They all embraced and then headed to the terrace.
Loki guided Laura to a comfortable chair, stuffed with cushions for her. She sat down with a sigh, "Thank you." then looking around, she continued, "I may have been here many times before, but I'll never tire of this view."
Mobius motioned for Clint to sit next to Laura, before taking a seat as well.
Loki was about to sit down when he heard the unmistakable sound of a car pulling up in front of the house, Mobius started to get up, but Loki motioned for him to stay seated. "Stay seated, love, I'll welcome them."
He walked down the path toward the cars that had just arrived.
Thor was the first to walk over to him, "Loki! My friend!" before hugging him. Loki was now used to Thor's overflowing affection and allowed himself to be patted on the back.
Soon Heimdall, Bruce, Carol and Natasha joined them and followed his lead into the house. When they arrived on the terrace, everyone greeted each other, and sat around the table chatting happily. Lila was in awe of Natasha's red curls, and Cooper laughed out loud as Thor spun him around at arm's length.
"Is this the direction for the little party?"
Heads turned to the source of the voice as Mobius exclaimed, "Casey, we weren't expecting you anymore!"
Casey laughed lightly and added, "Where do I put this?" he pointed to the cake in his hands.
"I'll take it." replied Loki. He took the cake into the kitchen and there he felt suddenly overwhelmed by emotion. He waited for a while before returning to the terrace.
"Hey handsome, what are you doing here alone?"
Loki looked up and smiled, "Mobius."
Mobius, who after more than a year had learned to decipher Loki's expressions, noticed that something was wrong.
"Loki, sweetheart, what's going on with you."
Loki wanted to start talking, but the emotion was too strong,
"Hey, come here." Mobius took him in his arms and gently stroked his back, waiting for the worst of the crisis to pass.
After a few moments, Loki straightened up, a trembling smile beneath the tears, "I'm sorry, I don't know, I'm not sad, not at all, on the contrary, but I suddenly had this irrepressible urge to cry."
Mobius nodded, pushed a strand of Loki's hair back behind his ear.
"Just too much emotion maybe? What were you thinking?"
"I... I was putting the cake on the table and I thought, if you hadn't read my letter, none of this would be real. I wouldn't be here. There wouldn't be all these people on our deck. And it freaked me out for just a short moment, to realize that I almost lost everything."
Mobius, also visibly moved, pressed a tender kiss on Loki's mouth and said softly, "But on the contrary, you have, we have gained everything. You saved me, gave me a new life, and in doing so you gave us all a different and more beautiful life."
Loki nodded his head, then shook it as if to collect himself.
He kissed Mobius tenderly in turn, then stepped aside and grabbed Mobius' hand and pulled him toward the terrace, a confident smile on his lips.
"Come on, let's go celebrate!"
As Mobius let himself be pulled along and they walked through the living room, his gaze fell on Ravonna's book. His first family. His sister. Then his gaze slid to Loki in front of him and by extension everyone else on the terrace. Their new family. Not by blood, but by heart. All because one day, Loki had posted a little letter.
Dear new tenant.
Hello and welcome to your new home and congratulations, blah blah blah. You have made an excellent choice, New Asgard is a wonderful place and this house is a gem, as you may have already noticed.
I'm sure you'll love living here as much as I do.
Loki had not known that these words would be so prescient, even though they came from the future and were addressed to someone from the past.
Oh yes, Mobius loved living here, but not because of the house, because of the love that filled it. Because of Loki.
Together. For All time. Always.
_________
That's it, everyone is happy, including me. I hope you enjoyed it to the end. 1000 thanks to all the comments left, it's the fuel for each chapter. I love you all!
14 notes · View notes
cyclogenesis · 3 years
Note
👀👻
I had some beverages at the tiki bar this evening, so you have come upon me at the right moment where I'm like "here's some words!!!" Click the read more for fic snippets!
👀 Do you have any WIPs that you would never let see the light of day? If yes, what are they about?
I started a Loki/Mobius fic after episode two of the show, but then I ended up liking Loki/Sylvie more, OOPS. Sorry to be a problematic het shipper. I just had some dialogue, but it was pretty good I think.
👻 What is one WIP you think you may never pick back up?
Aside from the above, one of the first Sam/Bucky stories I started involved Bucky asking out Joaquín, but then I got too attached to Joaquín and could never figure out a way to make it Sam/Bucky without hurting Joaquín's feelings more than I would like. Also I fucked up by making it Sam POV, which was hilarious, but did not allow for Joaquín getting railed by Bucky, which is unfortunate because I like thinking about that.
Here is what I had of both of these stories:
Loki/Mobius whatever:
When they land in Sodom on a quiet summer’s day, Loki turns to Mobius and demands, “Are you flirting with me?”
“I’d say this has moved beyond flirting,” says Mobius. “It’s really more of a romantic gesture.”
“Very amusing, the fall of Sodom. You’re very funny.”
“You’re not the only one who can make a joke.”
“Yes, but I’m the god of mischief. That’s like being the god of jokes as a concept. It takes a lot to impress me.” He’s in front of Mobius, with the slightly drunken progression of a man used to popping in and out of sight without all the awkward steps between being visible. “You’re quite funny, for an infinite bureaucratic being. I could begin to like you.”
“So what’s it been so far? Lust?”
“Well it would be a little too on the nose to say I’m horny, wouldn’t it?”
“Not the god of romance, that’s for sure.”
“I had Eros myself centuries ago, he wasn’t much to write home about. Bit uncreative. May I kiss you?”
“You think you can hold off on stabbing me in the back?”
“Do you mean until the perfect moment? Would you like it right as you climax?” Loki says, with great interest.
“No, thank you.”
Bucky asking out Joaquín (honestly there's a lot in here that I still love, but I'm not very efficient at cannibalizing stuff like this for other fic. I might still try though idk):
“Hey, Joaquín,” Bucky said.
From ten feet away, Sam looked up from his laptop, his senses instantly on high alert. There was something amiss; not danger necessarily, but something about the situation was off, Bucky didn’t sound right -
He was using his flirting voice.
“Hey, Bucky,” Joaquín said, in the tone of someone not just honored to be nominated as the momentary focus of Bucky’s attention, but downright thrilled. “What’s up, uh,” - Joaquín swallowed, Sam could see his throat work as he focused on taking in every detail of the scene in order to understand what exactly the fuck was happening - “man?” Joaquín finished.
“That bar we passed on the corner,” Bucky said, or, purred? Sam might classify it as a purr, if a well-honed killing machine could purr. Well, cats did, so. “How about going for a drink with me there after we’re done here?”
“Yes,” Joaquín said. Bucky smiled at him. “Yes,” he said again, fainter.
“Great,” said Bucky. He reached out and touched Joaquín’s shoulder, his grip lingering just long enough for Joaquín to start, Sam swore, low-key blushing. “I’ll see you then.” He didn’t technically swagger off, but it was a close call. Sam would not have been surprised had he started whistling to himself in old-timey contentment.
The silence stretched out as Joaquín stared at the doorway through which Bucky had exited as if he might reappear at any moment and declare it all a prank. Sam watched him stare, and was thus caught the moment that Joaquín turned to him, absolutely dazzled.
They looked at each other, then Joaquín came over and took the chair facing Sam. He put his hand on the table, then took it away and folded his hands in his lap, then put them both on his thighs, then looked at them as if he hadn’t seen them before. “So, that,” he said, then stopped. Sam had never seen a person look so simultaneously confused and blessed.
“I wouldn’t have thought he was your type,” Sam said. Joaquín, having not grown up in the ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ era, was comfortable both asking and telling, and thus Sam knew that Joaquín’s vibe was more twink-for-twink (Joaquín’s phrasing) than twink-for-whatever-Bucky-was.
“I mean, I’ll give it a try for sure,” Joaquín said. “He could be my type. He could be anyone’s type. Have you seen his face?” Joaquín sat back in his chair, exhaling. “His face,” he repeated, the word italicized, bolded, and overlaid with a glitter filter.
“It’s fine,” Sam said shortly. They’d been working together for a minute now, and Bucky had met a number of his colleagues. Sam had not missed the exchanged glances after each introduction among some of them. There were unwritten rules about meeting Bucky Barnes: don’t ask about the metal arm, don’t bring up the Winter Soldier thing, and yes, everyone knows he’s hot. Don’t make it weird.
“Yeah it’s fine,” Joaquín said, his raised eyebrows driving the point unnecessarily home. He was making it weird. “Is this…okay with you?” Great, the weirdness was now intensifying.
“Why wouldn’t it be?” Sam asked. If Bucky wanted to go out with Torres, that was fine. Bucky could date. Joaquín could date. Sam could date, if he wanted to. He was just busy being Captain America now rather than getting distracted by romance, that was all.
Joaquín shrugged, in the world’s least convincing show of uninvested disinterest. “Some of us thought you guys were, you know. Partners.” He put a lot into that word, too; in fact, he practically punctuated it with the two guys holding hands emoji.
Some of them? Was that what the exchanged glances were about? Sam could stand outside of himself and draw some conclusions about his assumption that people were just thinking Bucky was hot, but no thanks actually. “We’re coworkers,” Sam said.
“Sure,” said Joaquín. “Life coworkers. In a committed domestic coworkership.” Off Sam’s look, which was probably frownier than necessary, he put his hands up. “But if you’re not, that’s great, because then I’m going to date him. I didn’t know that was on the table before and now that he’s asked me out I’m having a great day. Thank you for your blessing.” He nodded, then got up to return to his wing repairs.
“I didn’t say you had my blessing,” Sam muttered.
“No worries, it was implied!” Joaquín gave him a thumbs up.
Sam frowned.
8 notes · View notes
jewels2876 · 3 years
Text
Always. - A LOKI finale synopsis
So I thought I could write something magical or be inspired by the Loki finale for @the-th-horniest-book-club as it's their last day of celebration.
And it hit me. I can't.
Here's what I can do: dissect this episode down to its heartbreaking ending because at the end I still have a million questions and it's gonna take a cartoon What If?, a Spiderman movie, maybe a Hawkeye show?, and a Dr. Strange movie to answer them all and I'll STILL have questions after that.
Consider for just a moment what happened to 2012 Loki when the TVA captured him way back in Episode One - what the hell did removing Loki do to the MCU timeline? Thor: The Dark World never happened. And no I don't mean you can pretend Marvel put it out there because they did, and it's one of the worst Marvel movies, there I said it. But if TWD didn't happen, what else could have been affected?
And with that disturbing thought we begin...
The opening credits HAVE AUDIO! Every tag line uttered as the characters flash on the screen, EVEN LOKI gets his "We have a Hulk" in. It is awesome; it is glorious; it is expected with EVERY Marvel creation going forward.
Loki and Sylvie should know better than to stare at a door; they always seem to open on their own when that happens. Miss Minutes pops up out of nowhere, scaring the bejesus out of 70% of people, the other 30% wanted to see her one last time. And she's not the same Miss Minutes we first met. She's edgy, she's less peppy, and she gives our duo an offer. Honestly, she should have known the result but 🤷🏻‍♀️
Ravonna is doing something in her office; if she's cleaning it's a piss poor job. Miss Minutes shows up and tells Ravonna she gave her what she needs. Ominous.
Back to Loki and Sylvie who finally meet "He Who Remains." Now we all know guys with names like "He Who Must Not Be Named" are bad news. Guys, to answer the question asked in the show, I'm a little disappointed. The disappointment lasts about five seconds... The office they get transported to reminds me IMMEDIATELY of a certain movie and certain buildings we've seen before (insert duh at this point because you too have seen every Marvel movie ever.)
****** Side note: anyone know if Tom takes his tea with only two sugars? No? Yes? Okay getting back to other things ******
At this point, we get back to Ravonna and her lack of cleaning when Mobius shows up with the pruner (it has to have a cooler name! side side note: nope just glowing batons) and we get a nice little flashback to Original Ravonna (maybe?)
****** 2nd side note: since when did everyone who's not a Russo brother start using OHIO for origin stories? Seriously, go watch Black Widow. I'll wait.******
Now back to Loki, Sylvie, and He Who Remains, hereto known as HWR, who pulls the same trick we saw in the first episode with the "read and sign" guy with the adorable kitten. HWR needs a kitten, a pet at the very least. "You can't get to the end until you've been changed by the journey." HWR s is winding up for a pitch and also summarizes the show too. Loki asks if it's a manipulation; HWR finds the word interesting and I do to. Here's why:
Odin manipulated Loki's abandonment to his advantage
Thanos put Loki under mind control and used him
This is the 2012 Loki as a reminder, so he hasn't been subjected to imprisonment on Asgard or the brotherly banter/squabbles he and Thor have escaping Asgard, nor “Get help” from Ragnarok so it should come as no shock that Loki looks angry. After all, Odin and Thanos kind of killed any hope in Loki of feeling wanted or needed. Aren’t father figures supposed to instill hope, instead of disgust? Yeah, I can answer that one but that’d be an entire other post.
Now we’re back to Ravonna and Mobius and they spat over who was more betrayed - news flash: it was Mobius. But Ravonna has to do for the digs. “Those variants?” “You threw it away for a couple of Lokis.”  Mobius tries to reason with Ravonna, sounding exactly like Glenda and Elphaba from Wicked (his “together” is spot on Glenda!) Ravonna opens a portal looking for “free will” after giving Mobius one last beatdown.
And we’re back to Loki, Sylvie and HWR. HWR gives them a bit of his backstory; I have a suspicion he’s glossed over some of it (he admits being called a conqueror for cryin’ out loud!) He has a maniacal moment, standing on his desk, voice getting a little shrill and thin. He also admits he’s probably the saner of his variants (my words not his.) Then after his real-man-behind-the-curtain routine he makes them an offer. Take his place. Loki, who has been remarkably non verbal, asks why HWR would give up control. Good question from the guy who wants to be in control yet was meant to thrive on chaos he creates. If anyone is keeping score, questions have been asked but not a single ANSWER has been given! Sylvie isn’t believing a single word while our Loki’s wheels are turning.
****** 3rd side note: the acting has been PHENOMENAL this entire series. Forget what Marvel promised and didn’t deliver (fluid Loki) and a scene we’ll be getting to, Tom and company have been nothing short of an Emmy, which I expect next year.******
HWR finally gets fed up with Sylvie and tells her to grow up. Because she took her pruning personally. Now I’m not going to say she shouldn’t be upset about her pruning; Marvel made it A POINT of showing her playing, content on Asgard, when they took her. But HWR has a point. He’s offering an option that allows Loki and Sylvie to do whatever they feel is best and it’s the wrong time for Sylvie to get in her feelings. Of course 99% of us know that’s EXACTLY when feelings choose to surface.
Then something happens - we don’t know who or what did it. Was it Ravonna and her leaving? Did Ravonna meet someone we suspect? Was it Mobius? Miss Minutes? The agents? We may never know exactly but now HWR is actually in the dark. Mr. Know-It-All suddenly doesn’t know it all.
Sylvie thinks she has her opportunity to fulfil her quest but it’s our Loki who protects HWR. Loki doesn’t tell her she’s wrong or right, just to stop and THINK. And now we get a glimpse of 2018 Loki:
See the bigger picture
Let’s talk about it
I believe HWR
What fills the void of a dictator?
What if we unleash something worse than HWR?
Now here’s where Marvel gets an B+ in character development. They took the 2012 Loki hell bent on destroying Earth to rule it and gave him just enough growth to become the 2018 redeemed Loki ODINSON, willing to sacrifice himself to Thanos (even if he did think he wouldn’t die.) It’s not a perfect arc by any means, but Marvel got there and this is one thing I applaud.
Sylvie now thinks Loki is lying to her to get to a throne and is clearly upset they are not seeing eye to eye on this and another point to Marvel. Loki, for only seeing a few videos that Mobius showed him, still has more life experience in his SINGULAR moment with Thanos to know that there is ALWAYS something bigger, badder, WORSE around the corner and he does NOT want to make the wrong decision. Wow.
To trust or not to trust. 
It’s a beautiful sword fight that HWR sits back and watches like it’s ESPN. The lighting is gorgeous behind the action and is leading up to my next OMG moment: STOP.
Loki asks Sylvie to stop, almost like a child. Like someone who knows exactly where the fight leads, where it goes, and where it ends. And he says as much to her as well. Sylvie feels like that person who just wants the fight to be over; she hunches into Tom’s space and the lighting suddenly stays green and blue. Guess who’s green? Guess who is blue?
This goes back to my Emmy mention. Even if it’s ONLY for technical work, it’s so deserving. Sylvie, in green, tired, emotional, struggling with something we aren’t supposed to know just yet. Loki, in blue, almost as if his Jotun form has taken over, strong, sensible, relatable, empathetic.
And then that damn kiss!  Marvel missed another opportunity here. Two Lokis had the opportunity to show self-love, familial love, friendly love, ANYTHING BUT A DAMN KISS!!! I’m not saying they couldn’t have feelings for each other, but it NEVER has to be romantic just because it’s a guy and a girl. **dramatic sigh goes here**
Sylvie pushes Loki through a portal she has opened, then turns to stab HWR through the chest, as he predicted. HWR actually chuckles, which makes me wonder if he expected this exact turn of events. As if we’ll ever know for sure.
Of course the timeline is going nebular and we’re treated to a shot back to the TVA. Mobius and B-15 exchange words as they watch the timelines grow and grow. Loki is sitting on a couch at the TVA and decides he’s not done? You’re supposed to guess the motivation because everything seems normal at the TVA. Loki finds Mobius and B-15 and admits to everything. Loki calling HWR terrifying is terrifying all on is own. And this of course is where it ends.
The post credit scene is just a “Loki returns in Season Two.”
Guys, this season was a mixed bag. There was some good, there was some not so good; there were laughs and a couple of tears. But it also has me SO HYPED for what’s to come. More Loki, more Marvel content, more... everything, I hope!
11 notes · View notes
Text
Loki Episode 5 Response Pt. 2 - The Positive
On to the positive post! I really did enjoy this episode overall, so here’s the stuff I liked/loved:
Hair flip! Only one this time (I believe?), and from a distance (it's when he first stands up in the Void) but glad to see we're keeping with the pattern.
I LOVED Classic Loki and Kid Loki! I had more or less zero expectations regarding them - didn't expect to like them or dislike them - so I was pleasantly surprised to have pretty strong positive feelings for both of them! Both had emotional stories and Classic Loki's sacrifice at the end was really well done. It was interesting how even though he was dressed so ridiculously, I almost found myself forgetting about that? Or at least not really noticing, because the character was so good and the narrative never used the outfit for comedy. I also have a lot of feelings about Kid Loki and Classic Loki's dynamic, thanks to this meta.
And obviously Gator Loki is glorious and I stan him for all eternity.
I have...a lot of feels about Loki calling the other Lokis monsters. Can I articulate said feels? Not really, but just know I have a LOT of them. I also just like his face in this shot - very lost, very sad, (very good lighting), 10/10.
Tumblr media
MOBIUS YESSSSS. Loved him showing up in the car, and - "You should be careful jumping into a stranger's car like that" - lmao he is such a DAD
I know the TVA is obviously being framed as the bad guys now, but I appreciate the continued verbal acknowledgement with what Sylvie said about annihilating realities and orphaning little girls, and Mobuis' apology to her. And also, his statement about thinking the ends justified the means - even from episode one, Mobius stuck me as someone who was brainwashed and stuck in an ends-justify-the-means mentality/echo chamber, and who would do the right thing once he got out of it (which is why I found myself liking him even at the beginning, despite some of his actions early in the series) so it was nice to have that confirmed. And this just now occurred to me, but I'm wondering if my sympathy for Mobius early on has something to do with my conservative Christian upbringing and eventual complete belief change, and maybe I relate to Mobius on some level? I wasn't part of a cult like the TVA, and it was stuff like homophobia instead of murder, but still...huh, I might have to think more on that one lol.
I'm actually feeling moderately ok with the romance - better about it than last episode, for sure. I'd still much, much rather it be platonic...but they're just so cute, is the thing. Whether in a romantic or platonic context, I'm always a sucker for the trope of two emotionally closed off characters being soft with each other. And they're both just so awkward but really sweet at the same time, and neither of them are very skilled at this friend thing but they're really trying, and it's cute. I was terrified they were going to kiss (as many of us were lol) but the story really didn't go too hard on the romance this episode - it caught me off guard in episode 4 and seemed so out of the blue and sudden, but now they’ve slowed it down and just kind of focused on the general bond between the two (with some romantic undertones as well, though I think even those could potentially be read as platonic). So yeah it still depends on how they handle a next episode, but at this point I'm pretty ok with it, and it's starting to feel slightly more earned. Do I wish all that awkwardness and cuteness was centered around being friends instead of potential romantic partners? Hell yes I do. But the two of them are still cute together regardless of whether it's romantic or platonic - and I guess it is actually centered around friendship either way, because the romance is at least starting with a friendship foundation? Even if they do go full romance with it (likely) they're at least also friends - and that's something a lot of couples lack so that's definitely refreshing. So I guess my tl;dr on the romance is: I wish Loki's heart-eyes were platonic heart-eyes but either way the heart-eyes are pretty damn adorable.
LOKI WITH A BLANKET. Listen, do you - do you know - do you have any idea - how long and how desperately I've wanted to see Loki wrapped up in a blanket? A thing I once thought would only ever be in fanfic?? Yet here it is, right before my eyes, on my very own screen???? I'll never be over it. I cannot stand how cute he is. LOOK.
Tumblr media
Although I must say, I am with Sylvie here - Loki should up his blanket-conjuring game just a little and conjure something fluffier next time. (Also @thelightofthingshopedfor posted some good meta on it being green.)
I loved the “burn it [the TVA] to the ground” and “thanks for the spark” lines. AND THE HUG!!! Talk about things I've been wanting to see for a very, very long time. Loki tearing up was great, always love that, and just...yeah. No words, only feels. 
I liked that Loki was taking charge more in this episode and actually had a plan. While I didn't love that Sylvie ended up having the better plan, Loki definitely had more of a purpose in this episode than in the others. Besides, it was really beautiful at the end when they enchanted Alioth together (I’m proud!!), and it's possible Slyvie saying "we're the same" was meant to contradict Loki's line near the beginning about how Sylvie's different than all the other Loki's? I couldn't tell if that was intentional or not, but I think it was? 
Anyway, I loved this episode overall! In a lot of ways I liked the tone and comedic moments better, I am extremely proud of my son, and I’m excited/terrified for the final episode. 
@delyth88​ @thelightofthingshopedfor​ @iamanartichoke​
7 notes · View notes
mimsylovesloki · 3 years
Text
Episode 4-Play by Play Reactions (Spoilers)
(I accidentally spoiled a major part for myself by browsing tumblr after the episode aired but before I watched it because I’m dumb)
I’m watching this on my TV and not my phone this time so I’m excited
Previously on… the show I’ve been obsessed with months before it released. As if I need reminding lol.
Friggin marvel opening gotta remind me of Tony snapping every episode
Interesting watching this on my flatscreen cuz the show is wide screen
Oh asgard!
Little Sylvie!
Oh my gosh that would be horrifying as a kid… she just got kidnapped pretty much
“Crimes against the sacred timeline” oh for cripes sake she’s just a kid!
Oh my gosh this would be terrifying
Oh is this when Renslayer was still a hunter
Clever girl!!! She escaped before even being sentencing
There’s a lot more to Renslayer I bet
TIME KEEPERS BABY
Space lizards finna meet the business end of a pruner
Mobius yay!!!!! I’ve missed him!
And what’s so bad with different branches?
Oh is that hunter locked up?
Oh nvm
That “how?” from Mobius is the closest thing we will get to hearing him say “wow” in this show and that makes me sad.
Dawn of the Final Day
Aha iconic promo scene!
Serious Loki moment?
“The universe wants to break free so it manifests chaos like me being born the goddess of mischief.”
I don’t believe C-20 is actually dead
Soooo does Loki not still have the tesseract? Or are we gonna get a silly clown Loki moment of “OHHHH I FORGOT I HAD THIS.”
“Do you think what makes a Loki a Loki is the fact that we’re destined to lose?”
“No. We may lose. Sometimes painfully. But we don’t die. We survive.”
Please don’t romance them
This is sweet and sad
Don’t kiss please don’t
What set them off? How did they find him?
He really should have an equal amount of security
Mobius shut up.
Bad friend? Oops
Uh oh
TELL HIM THE TRUTH LOKI DO IT
Oh? Asgard?
Uh oh
Lmao
Bully Sif
Ouch
Poor Loki
Ohhhhhh lmao time loop of being beaten up by Sif… ouchie
Cmon Loki fight back.
Or break her mind lol
Loki don’t fall for it— ahhhh ok
Ouchie
Controlling woman huh
Easiest to break huh? Shut up Ravonna
Titans? (Lmao please tell me they arrested a variant Thanos)
Vampires??? Hinting at a Blade reboot????
Hunter B-15 knows something is up
Oh my gosh Loki real moment confessing to Sif “because I’m scared of being alone.”
Genuine or??? Is she gonna throw him? Poor Loki…. “You are alone. And you always will be.”
Mobius you scumbag. That’s literally torture.
Mobius shut up
Mobius shut up. You don’t know the real Loki.
Oh so even they don’t know what caused it
Now Loki is lying just to avoid being hit by Sif
Oh no. He thinks she’s gone. Loki can’t lie very well when he’s sad.
No not swooning… please don’t ship them I beg you.
Not romance please stop no.
MOBIUS SHUT THE HELL UP
Please don’t make it romantic please please please please
SHES NOT HIS GIRLFRIEND PLEASE SHUT UP
YEA LOKI TELL HIM THE TRUTH
Maybe he had a family, a life… maybe… maybe a jetskii?
Mobius shut up.
Shut up about “girlfriend”
Yea Mobius. Let it stew. You’re a liar.
That Hunter B-15 is onto something.. OH YEA SHE WAS ENCHANTED FOR A BRIEF MOMENT TOO
SHE MUST BE REMEMBERING SOMETHING
Theremin. Nice.
Odd music choice for a date I gotta say.
How much older is Owen Wilson than Gugu Mbatha Raw? (Googling) Owen Wilson is 52… Gugu is 38
Mobius is onto something. But I’m still mad at him.
“What we do here matters.” Doubt
Friendzoned
What trophy?
Oh the sword
SNEAKY MOBIUS SWITCHING THE REMOTES NYAHAHAHA
He’s not the best liar tho
For all time. Always. Doubt
She knows he’s lying.
Hunter B-15 interrogating Sylvie at Roxxcart
Yea Sylvie tell her!
FRIENDS? Please?
Oh my gosh poor Hunter B-15…
Hug?
Team up?
Yay???
Damn C-20 really is dead?
Funny with all that technology but that video looks like my old handheld game from like 2010 that I bought from Walmart.
Mobius having an existential crisis. Good.
Please stop hinting at a romance between them…
Friends yay!
Renslayer you scum…
Uh oh
Maybe he had a Jet Skii!
NO
NO
LOKI JUST LOST ANOTHER FRIEND
Renslayer I will revel in your demise
“But she’s just doing her job.” Shut up. She saw what Hunter C-20 said…
Loki is crying again… he just made another friend and he’s gun… HE NEEDS TO COME BACK. If Mobius is gone forever I will never forgive the TVA.
Awww she asked if he’s okay… I’m still praying only friends. Please nothing more.
What was the event? Come on Renslayer. You remember you crap hole.
Oh my. Time keepers??? Aha this IS where the stairs on the wall and a fight breaks out.
Lmao that one time keeper sounds like a dopey dog from a cartoon.
YEA HUNTER B-15 I LOVE YOU
Oh that’s how Loki gets that cut
Now he has a sword babyyyy
Renslayer I hate you
Loki help her!
Oh nvm she’s good
Child of the time keepers?
I KNEW IT
JUST ROBOT PUPPETS!!! ITS ALL A TRICK
So… who’s really in control???
Seeing Loki in this blue light… cmon give me Jötunn Loki.
Where’s hunter b-15?
Don’t confess love pease I beg you
Please please please don’t romance them. For all that is good in this world.
Oh gosh
Hug?
Please just hug
NOOOOOOOOOOOO
WHAT????
PRUNE HER DO IT
Loki?????
What???? NOOOOO
HE CANT BE GONE!!! We still haven’t gotten that scene where he has the flaming sword!!!!!!!! Pruning HAS to not kill them please!!!!!!!!!
Dammit I KNEW something would happen. They had their backs turned to them and it was too quiet.
LOKI BETTER NOT BE GONE I SWEAR TO GOD MY HEART CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH AGGHHHHHHHHH
I’ve seen him die too many damn times agahahshehhdheiebdusienenridiehehejd
And now the credit song has love in it
I really really hope they don’t have some sort of self-cest between Loki and Sylvie…
POST CREDIT SCENE WHAT????
LOKI YES
OH MY GOSH THANK GOD HES ALIVE
Oh
My
Gosh
MY JAW JUST DROPPED
ALL THE OTHER LOKIS
SO WHAT THE HELL DOES PRUNING DO?????
WE GOT KID LOKI, BLACK LOKI, OLD COMIC LOKI, AND EVEN A FRIGGIN CROCODILE LOKI LIKE WHAT???????
And what is black loki (I feel bad for calling him just that but I don’t know his name DX) holding? And what is old comic Loki holding?
What is this place that looks apocalyptic??? Why are they all here?
WHAT IS HAPPENING
THIS IS MY FAVORITE EPISODE YET AGGHHHHHHHHH
SO IS MOBIUS STILL ALIVE THEN????
IS EVERYONE WHO HAS BEEN PRUNED STILL ALIVE?
Is each pruned person sent to a place with all the other variants of themselves???
I HAVE TOO MANY QUESTIONS
NO WONDER TOM HIDDLESTON SAID POOR LOKI IN THESE EPISODES
My biggest concerns now are: how on earth are they going to wrap this up in only two more episodes? And PLEASE DONT ROMANCE SYLVIE AND LOKI!!! I mean, I get it… if Loki should fall in love who better than his parallel. She’s different enough from him to have it not be too weird I guess, but it’s still a variant version of him. And it seems a little too forced. Like sure a crush maybe, but don’t you dare say love when they’ve only known each other for like a couple days.
My mind is melting. I’m so glad I waited to watch this in the morning instead of at night so I could appreciate it in all its glory.
BUT NOW I HAVE TO WAIT ANOTHER WEEK AGGHHHHHHH
Oh and is Hunter B-15 okay? We saw her get knocked down but that was it. She didn’t appear in the rest of the fight.
AND WHO MADE THE TIME KEEPERS????
IS IT KANG? IS IT…… MEPHISTO??? WHOOOOOOOOOOOO?????
Gonna go browse tumblr to cry and reblog gifs from the episode to help me cope until next week.
10 notes · View notes