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use-your-telescope · 6 months

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When Everything's Made to be Broken - Chapter 8: You're Just Business

Summary: Loki confronts Theo about her avoidance of the other Avengers.

Author's Notes: Fun story/trivia about this song: In an interview with the Grammy Museum, it was revealed that some of the phrases in this first verse resulted from producer Tony Berg’s mishearing of Jon Foreman’s original lyrics: “You come ‘round like a prison ship” was misheard as “pirate ship”, and “You got a fist for a lower lip” was misheard as “fish.” Ultimately, the band decided to record the song with the mondegreens as the song’s final lyrics. I like to think that Theo was aware of this little tidbit and it led to part of why she chose this particular song.

Side note, would anyone be interested if I shared more of these goofy little trivia bits/non-spoiler reasons that certain songs appear at certain times (and maybe even captions that Theo might have posted with the covers)? I’d share them on tumblr as a little “behind the scenes” sort of thing.

I’m posting this a day early because tomorrow is the last day of helping my parents move, which also means saying farewell to the house I grew up in; I’m sure I’ll be all up in my feelings and distracted, so rather than risk missing my (self-imposed) deadline, I’m doing something wild and posting early.

If you enjoy, please reblog!! I'm a lil' blog and reblogs really help me out <3

Content Warnings: None?

Word Count: 5,314

Read on AO3 | When Everything's Made to be Broken Masterlist

Song: I need you (to be wrong) - Switchfoot

You come 'round like a pirate ship You're just business You got a fish for a lower lip You're just business You're the parentless, nightmare kid You're just business You don't answer for any of this You're just business

The end of onboarding meant the return of lazy days off.

Other than the sound of a sleety-drizzle outside, it was probably quiet enough in the tower to hear a pin drop. Any reprieve from commotion could best be described as blissful, and not needing to peer around every corner so Theo didn’t run into the Avengers brought a different kind of relief.

In a normal day, Natasha and Steve were always the first to emerge, since they liked early morning training sessions. With how they timed their workouts, Theo typically had to wake up at the ass-crack of dawn just to have 30 minutes to get into the kitchen, make herself a cup of coffee, and then slink back to her corner of the tower or get the hell out, which meant going down to the hospital to get ready for work.

Then again, when Theo got back to her suite at night and heard the commotion and the raucous laughter echoing from down the hall, something painful twisted in Theo’s chest, making her miss her life before the Avengers. It didn’t help that ever since she visited Mémère, Theo caught herself weighing whether it was worth trying to make friends with anyone while she was here.

She hadn’t planned on staying with the group after her favor was done, so on the one hand she didn’t want to grow attached, then ditch them. On the other hand, now that she couldn’t see her other friends, life had become little more than work, which was a lonely way to live. And though she loathed to admit it, Loki’s visits and Julie’s perspective on the Avengers made Theo wonder if her trepidation was truly warranted.

Then again, the Avengers didn’t know the full extent of her history or her powers. Given the reactions from people who knew her sob story, she didn’t anticipate they’d like her very much if they learned the truth. That meant every social interaction felt like it required Theo to put on a show; every word, every action was a calculated risk. She’d been doing it for so long that it felt like second nature, but it didn’t mean she liked it.

However, none of her concerns around socializing mattered, at least for the time being. According to the side discussions before the most recent debrief, all of the Avengers had plans for the weekend which took them away from New York, so she had the entire tower to herself. Wanda and Vision snuck out on a weekend getaway to Maine, Tony and Bruce were presenting at some science conference in Switzerland (and Peter tagged along), the super soldiers agreed to help with an event for the US military down in DC, Natasha and Yelena decided to visit Clint and his family out at their farm, Shuri happened to be in Oakland, and Thor had gone to New Asgard for something. Theo assumed that Loki had gone with him, since he was also an Asgardian prince and all.

Regardless, Theo’s agenda for the day consisted of one thing: reading. A mountain of SHIELD reports loomed on Theo’s desk ever since she started, consisting of both recent and past missions that would hopefully provide the context she needed to offer her expertise on the shadow creatures. Even if she would have rather been marathoning Queer Eye or visiting Mémère, a rainy Saturday morning without anyone around seemed like just as good of a time as any to check the reports of her never-ending list of things to do.

But even before she dug into the stack of reports, she needed coffee.

Theo padded through the halls of the tower, relishing the echo of her footsteps and the lack of chatter filling the air. Upon entering the kitchen, Theo decided that rather than work her way through the reports in her suite, she’d indulge in a change of scenery and set up shop at the kitchen island.

After starting the coffee, Theo brought out her laptop and the pile of reports, scattering them across the breakfast bar for easy review. She placed her headphones over her ears, cranked up her music, and became so absorbed in reading about the fallout of Ultron and the Sokovia Accords that she forgot about the coffee brewing…

… She also failed to observe that she wasn’t the only one home.

A coffee mug appeared next to her out of seemingly thin air, to which Theo yelped and practically flew out of her seat.

“What the – “ she tore her headphones off and whirled around to find Loki standing there, holding his own cup of coffee. “Jesus, Loki, creep around much?”

“I was in no way creeping. Your decision to wear headphones impeded your ability to hear me.” Loki’s tone remained cool and unaffected as he took a sip of his own coffee, leaning back against the counter. “Perhaps you might demonstrate some gratitude toward me; after all, I prepared your coffee for you.”

“In my defense, I also didn’t realize I wasn’t the only one home – I thought you went back to New Asgard with Thor.” Theo protested, trying to ignore the searing heat that rose on her cheeks. She palmed the mug of coffee in one hand, glancing briefly at the swirls of steam rising from the ceramic cup.

“I’ve no reason to be in New Asgard at present.” He shrugged, before narrowing his eyes at Theo. “If you believed you were alone, why not use Stark’s audio system to listen to your music? It is not as if you would cause a disruption.”

“It’s a habit,” Theo shrugged casually, allowing her focus to travel to her new teammate. Unlike Theo, whose heart still pounded in her chest from the surprise, Loki's casual posture and amused expression left him looking cool as a cucumber, because of course he would. “Besides, high quality headphones have better sound quality than any stereo system Tony Stark could build – it’s easier to hear the nuance and little details in the recordings.”

Loki cocked a skeptical brow at her before sauntering over to the refrigerator. As he bent down to rummage through the contents, Theo took advantage of the opportunity to drink in the full sight of Loki in the mornings.

Loki’s Saturday morning attire was more relaxed than she had ever seen from him. Black joggers slung low on his hips and followed the line of his slim form, while a gray t-shirt clung to his torso and hinted at the toned muscle beneath. He pulled his black curls back into a loose bun, but left one strand hanging down to frame his face, highlighting a jawline that cut like glass.

For all the jokes Julie made, she wasn’t kidding about Loki’s attractiveness. But that was like saying the sky was blue - no one would question that a god was objectively attractive.

In comparison, he probably thought Theo looked a bit sloppy in her oversized sweatshirt and yoga pants, her own hair tossed up in what looked less like a bun and more like a rat’s nest…

Channeling her inner gremlin, as Max would say.

Loki turned around and caught Theo studying him.

“Are you enjoying the view?” He smirked.

“I’ve never seen you in anything remotely casual before,” Theo said, mirroring his expression. “Looks good on you.”

Loki hummed, something devilish twitching on his lips to match the glint in his eye. “I should hope so.”

Theo rolled her eyes. Of the many traits Loki held, humility did not seem to be high on the list. Then again, Theo knew that if she was that attractive, she wouldn’t be humble about it, so it wasn’t like she could hold that against him.

Instead of feeding Loki’s ego, Theo returned her attention to the Sokovia report. She knew herself well enough to know if she didn’t make substantial progress on the reports that day, she would never catch up.

However, Loki either did not get the hint that Theo wanted to be left to work or he chose to ignore it, positioning himself across the island from Theo. With each passing moment, Theo felt his burning stare intensify.

“Keep looking at me like that and I’ll hit you over the head with a chair.” Theo threatened, not even glancing up from her work.

“Darling, such a temper from you this morning.” Loki practically purred. “I would have expected gratitude - after all, I prepared your morning coffee for you.”

Theo rolled her eyes, but couldn’t help the hint of a smile that quirked up. Of course the prince would make a big deal out of a small gesture. “Well, thank you for the coffee, your highness, now will you leave me alone to work?”

“How are you settling in?”

Ugh.

He couldn’t have been that dense, right? He must have known Theo did not want to talk to him at that moment. No one became a renowned diplomat if they couldn’t understand basic social cues.

“Fine,” Theo drawled, “Better if you leave me to read in peace.”

“You never choose to spend time in the common areas like this. Why today?”

A loaded question, delivered with a deceptively light tone, had Theo’s hair standing on the back of her neck.

No, he wasn’t clueless or dense - Loki wanted something; information, probably.

Something unsettling lurched in Theo’s stomach.

“Because I thought I was going to be alone?” Irritation colored Theo’s response; she gritted her teeth, debating if she should try to divert the conversation or just piss him off so he’d leave her alone.

Her morals leaned towards the former, but her temper leaned towards the latter.

For the moment, she held her tongue.

“Perhaps this will surprise you, but you are allowed to venture into the common areas while others are around to spend your leisure time and… Do whatever it is that you are doing,” Loki casually gestured to the stack of papers scattered between them. “As you previously stated, you are not a princess to be locked away in a tower.”

“Currently, I’m reading reports,” Theo muttered, “And you’re proving to me exactly why I don’t do this in common areas – because you’re distracting me.”

It took a significant amount of willpower not to slam her computer closed and retreat to her suite; after all, the heavily redacted report about Budapest that was next on her list looked like an enticing read.

“See, that brings me to my next question: why, when you have a beautiful Saturday morning to relax, are you spending your time reading reports and paperwork?” A playful, lighthearted tone graced Loki’s question, but Theo’s patience wore dangerously thin. “If you wish for quality reading material, you only need to ask. I’ve plenty of recommendations.”

“Okay, since apparently you refuse to get the hint, I’m just going to be blunt: I am trying to work. I don’t want to talk right now. Quite frankly, your impromptu interrogation is pissing me off. So for the love of all that is holy, can you leave me alone?” Theo huffed, outright glowering at Loki.

“You may not be interested in speaking, but I’m certainly interested in answers to my question.” Loki arched a brow at Theo, sipping his coffee as if he could wait all day for a response.

“Because the world isn’t going to save itself and I have a lot of background knowledge to catch up on if I don’t want to fuck up one of these missions and get a bunch of people killed.” Theo’s frustration made its open debut, but amidst her ire she failed to hide the undercurrent of anxiety in her answer.

Before Theo even finished, Loki’s demeanor shifted from taunting to serious - he must have recognized that he struck a nerve.

Shit.

She let her guard down and he latched onto it instantly… Careless mistakes like that could get her killed.

“Are you aware that it is not a requirement to memorize every piece of SHIELD’s history?” Loki leaned in so he could look at Theo over her laptop, face shifting to something unreadable before he continued. “Generally speaking, we have only enough knowledge to complete the individual mission. You need not push yourself to learn everything so that you might recall it at a moment’s notice.”

It wasn’t about knowing everything - it was about assessing the risks. Theo needed to know the history in order to understand the potential risks. If she was in an emergency department, she knew the environment. She knew the variables. She had control over her situation.

But in the field? Knowing anything was a laughable thought.

“It’s not about memorizing, it’s about learning what I got myself into,” Theo flatly replied, hoping to make up for her slip. “I know Fury is fond of leaving out important details in favor of creating a narrative, so I want to make sure I know what he hasn’t told me before I’m sent out into the line of fire.”

“And you believe reports are the way to learn such information?” Skepticism dripped from Loki’s question.

“I didn’t say I liked it, but this,” Theo gestured to the mess of documents around her, refusing to let her nerves show once more, “is better than letting Fury trot me around like a prize horse or his little puppet.”

It was a half-truth; he didn’t need to know all the details, but perhaps she could spin it to take some of the pressure off.

“I do not believe you’re giving yourself enough credit.” Loki stepped around the island so he stood next to Theo, then shut her laptop so she would look him in the eye. He certainly accomplished the goal, but earned a frustrated groan from Theo in the process. “You’re an immensely sharp and powerful sorcerer – I can feel the magic pouring off you. You easily handle extreme physical duress during training, you effortlessly adapt to any social situation, and it has not escaped my attention that you’re extremely well-studied in a variety of areas.”

Sure, Loki saw Theo spar with Steve, and obviously they’d hung out a few times; they spoke at the party from the first night, and showed up to the soccer game and the bar show… But a handful of interactions wouldn’t have been enough to draw those conclusions, right?

Maybe it was a bluff, or an attempt at wooing her with his famed silver tongue so she would give him the information he wanted.

It wouldn’t be the first time someone lied to her in hopes of gaining her trust.

“First of all, I’m not sure whether I should be flattered or creeped out that you’ve been watching me so closely,” Theo retorted with a scowl. “Second of all, what’s your point?”

“If you are concerned about your ability to defend yourself on a mission, you need not fret.” Loki sounded cocky, almost arrogant – how would he know what they were up against? “You realize you are not the only one responsible for your safety in the field?”

“You really think that the others, who look at me like I’m a terror, give a shit about my safety?” “They do not believe you are a terror.”

“Cool, tell that to my grandma when she has to deal with my dead body,” Theo muttered. She attempted to snatch her laptop from Loki, but he held firm.

Loki may have been nicknamed a silvertongue, but the only thing his tongue had done was piss Theo off.

Enough was enough.

“ I don’t have time for this shit.” With a flick of her wrist, a swirl of shimmering runes encompassed the reports and her laptop, teleporting them back to her quarters. Theo snatched her coffee mug, then offered a final wave and a bratty sneer before transporting herself to her suite.

In the solitude of her suite, Theo let out a sigh.

So much for a peaceful Saturday morning.

I got a body, but I lost my mind I'm just business Placeholder with a bottom line I'm just business Please don't take this personally It's just business

Standing in the kitchen, Loki gaped at the empty seat before him and replayed the events which led to his current predicament.

In some ways, he could have foreseen such an outcome. Initial interactions with Theo had been far more successful than Loki anticipated, to the degree that he almost believed Theo might actually wish to befriend him. Thus, it was inevitable that he would ruin his progress in a truly spectacular manner.

In his defense, walking into the kitchen and finding Theo there had not been something he anticipated. The circumstances practically begged for Loki to engage; when else would he see Theo anywhere besides her workplace or mandatory Avengers engagements?

Yet, after a handful of occasions spent casually making each other’s acquaintance, Loki expected something with a bit more banter, or at least something more lighthearted. Instead, she met his questions with barbed remarks and vicious glares, culminating in another disappearing act.

The Theo that Loki encountered in the kitchen was vastly different from the Theo he first met, or the one that he spent time with in the research library; that Theo seemed confident and self-assured, sharp-witted and formidable regardless of the circumstances. But when caught off-guard, she became aggressive and downright irascible, to the extent that Loki questioned whether or not it was the same woman who he’d spoken to before.

However, deep within Loki’s chest, something uncomfortable twisted. He recognized the behavior, mostly because he had once acted in such a manner; if he was entirely honest with himself, he knew exactly what motivated such behavior:

Protecting oneself at all costs.

Seeing Theo in such a state brought to mind his mother’s gardens in Asgard. When flowers were cut and taken from the gardens, they eventually wilted and withered, unable to adapt to their new surroundings. Roses, one of his mother’s favorite flowers, eventually developed thorns all along the stem, which made cutting the blooms a much more challenging task; a defense mechanism that evolved over the course of millennia.

Like the thorns that protected the roses, Theo’s hostility served as a defense mechanism, an instinct developed to protect herself from something which previously scarred her, something which might have caused her to wither and wilt until nothing more than a shadow of her former self.

In Theo’s behavior, Loki saw himself. There was once a time where he had been so guarded that the other Avengers called him a cactus because of his prickly, sullen demeanor. Though the moniker had become a relic, the instinct remained firmly ingrained upon Loki’s psyche.

Theo was by no means a cactus, but she certainly had some thorns.

Loki sighed, smoothing calloused fingers over his hair. Ideally, he could remedy the situation with minimal lingering damage to the delicate kinship he struck with Theo; yet the manner in which he could achieve such a feat eluded him.

If he approached too soon, she would only recoil, particularly if she felt cornered. If he waited too long to speak to her, she might suspect his intentions stemmed from less than savory desires - exploitation or a means to an end.

After much dithering, Loki settled upon a plan: if he did not see Theo around lunch, he would knock on her door. If she failed to respond, he would try again at dinner time.

If he still had not heard anything, he would send her a message through his mobile, leaving the onus upon Theo - if she wished to interact she could, however he would not push further.

Any and all confidence Loki held in the plan dwindled when noon came and went with no sign of the silver shadow. Despite the aura of magic radiating from within, Loki’s knocks were met with silence, only dampening his spirits further.

To be on the receiving end of rejection brought a certain discomfort which Loki had not outright encountered in quite some time, and it remained at least as unpleasant as he remembered (if not moreso). Midgardians never outright rejected him - first, they feared him, but over time some came to lust after him. As for the Asgardians, they knew better than to disrespect a crown prince, even if his lineage brought disgrace upon the throne. The more he dwelled on the matter, the clearer it became that he could not remember the last time someone outright turned away from him in such a blatant manner.

Without any sign of Theo in the afternoon, or around the time when the others typically took their evening meal, Loki braced himself for the worst and made the trek down the corridor.

As he approached, the faint sound of music could be heard from inside Theo’s quarters, which combined with her aura confirmed she was present. After pausing for a moment to gather himself, Loki rapped his knuckles upon the door.

Much to his surprise, the music stopped. Footsteps grew louder as Theo approached the door. The noise ceased for a beat, then the lock clicked, and the door swung wide.

Theo stood before him, arms crossed and brows drawn tight as she scrutinized Loki.

“I don’t know if I should be impressed or annoyed by your stubbornness.” Theo skipped any formal greeting, leaning against the doorframe as she gave him a once-over. “Then again, I’m the one that answered the door, so maybe your strategy is effective, or I’m a glutton for punishment. Either way, are you here to continue badgering me about work, or is there something else you want?”

Loki drew in a deep breath.

“It seems I struck a nerve,” he observed. “For that, I apologize.”

“Is that all?” Theo eyed Loki warily, as if she knew other matters remained on his conscience.

Loki sighed; it seemed as good of a time as any to address what Midgardians often referred to as ‘the elephant in the room.’

“I noticed you’ve not yet made the acquaintance of the others.”

“I socialize with the other hospital staff,” Theo countered.

Loki scoffed. “I am referring to the other Avengers.”

“I know.” Theo answered as if she had no intention of continuing the conversation. Loki raised his eyebrows at her in a silent question; she rolled her eyes and sighed. “Look, I’m sure they’re fine, but I’m not really interested.”

“Dare I inquire as to why?”

“For one thing, the only reason they’re pretending to be interested in me is because Fury gave them the mission of convincing me to stay on as an Avenger.” Theo cocked an eyebrow at Loki as she slouched further into the doorframe. “So it’s not like they’re really trying to be my friend. And besides, most of them were more than quick to jump to conclusions about who, or what kind of person, I was.”

“If that is so, then why have you not shunned my company?” Loki challenged. “How do you know I am not making your acquaintance to win over the director?”

“I don’t,” she admitted, “but you don’t seem like the type of person to crave Nick Fury’s adoration, or like you’d let him make you his bitch. I suppose I could be wrong, though.”

“Such rousing praise,” Loki drawled. “Truly, the utmost of faith you place upon me—“

“Okay, fine - you really want to know why I’m willing to talk to you?” Theo interrupted, silencing Loki in the process, “Because in that first meeting, you didn’t automatically assume I was the villain.”

Something painful twisted in Loki’s stomach. Nowhere in the list of potential responses that Loki developed prior to asking the question was Theo’s answer, yet what she described was an experience he knew all too well. The memory of Barton’s initial reaction to Loki’s presence remained painfully vivid to the Asgardian, which only diminished Loki’s confidence in his argument.

Still, Theo’s perceptions of the situation were not entirely true. “I was not the only Avenger who made no assumptions about your morality—”

“Not out loud,” Theo agreed, “But you were the only one who didn’t look at me like I was some kind of terror. You actually looked at me as a person.”

If anyone could empathize with Theo’s experience, it would be Loki. Joining the Avengers, a group who he didn’t truly know or trust, and who didn’t know or trust him… For quite some time, Loki believed wholeheartedly that he made a terrible mistake.

Months passed from when he first relented to Thor’s pleas to become an Avenger to when Loki partook in a movie night, and that only happened because Thor physically dragged Loki from his quarters. He lost count of the number of times he turned Maximoff down before finally relenting to her constant requests to spend time together.

In the end, it took over a year for Loki to feel remotely comfortable simply existing in the common areas during the day, going on missions without his brother, or speaking to anyone that was not Thor. Even after so long, he still questioned whether the others valued his contributions to the team, or if they simply tolerated his presence.

“I will admit, the others are not always the most… open-minded, shall we say. Not in the beginning, at least.” Loki chose his words carefully, recognizing the delicate nature of the situation at hand. “However, I truly believe they have moved past the false assumptions, and I would highly recommend you use the opportunity to demonstrate that you are not the terror they assumed you to be.”

“And how do you know that they even want to get to know me?” Theo pressed, piercing blue eyes scrutinizing Loki’s every move.

“Because I was once in a similar position.” The answer slipped out before Loki could stop it. He carefully schooled the surprise from his features; meanwhile, Theo made no effort to hide her skepticism.

“I understand that you may not fully trust me yet – I’m the trickster god, I have a history of manipulating people. Quite frankly, it would be in your best interest not to trust me. But!” Loki admitted, then continued before Theo could get a word in edgewise: “You remind me quite a bit of myself, when I first became an Avenger. I believed the others assumed the worst in me. I held no trust in the others, and in turn they placed no trust in me. It remained as such for quite some time – too long, in hindsight.

“The change in my relationship with my colleagues came when I finally relented to my brother and Maximoff’s incessant attempts to force me to socialize with the others. If it were not them, I would still remain hidden away in my quarters at all hours.

“Honestly, at the time I desired nothing more than to kill them in a spectacular manner for their belligerent pestering and sickening optimism. But between you and I, it helped me far beyond simply becoming a part of the Avengers – it helped me move on from the past that used to define me.”

To be so genuinely forthcoming was a bold decision. Had it been anyone else, he would not have dared to reveal such information, particularly someone so new. However, Theo had a knack for drawing the unexpected from Loki, even if it often caught him by surprise. Additionally, the mystery surrounding Theo piqued his curiosity, which only grew with the reluctance to socialize with the others.

Without taking a risk, there would be no reward.

Theo narrowed her eyes at the God of Mischief, chewing the inside of her cheek as she mulled over his words.

“I remind you of… you?” Distrust clung to every word, only amplified by the doubt written across her expression in big, bold letters.

“Well, yes,” Loki replied coyly. “but you are far more charming and engaging. When I first arrived, I was simply full of spite.” He chuckled, earning a hesitant smile at Theo as a faint hint of pink rose on her cheeks from his compliment. “Had there been no consequence, Stark would have gleefully made a spectacle of launching me off the top of the tower.”

Theo’s shoulders bounced as she chuckled at Loki’s remarks. A sense of relief washed over Loki - perhaps he hadn’t made a mess of things after all.

“The winter soldier, the scarlet witch, myself - at one point or another, we were enemies of various factions of the Avengers. Romanoff is a former black widow, as is Belova. If we can be accepted into the Avengers, I’ve no doubt that you can as well.” Loki assured her, his confidence building with every passing moment. “However, you must be willing to engage.”

Before Theo could roll her eyes and offer a snarky dismissal, Loki held up a finger to silence her.

“At least humor Maximoff once,” he bargained. “I’ve listened to her prattle on endlessly about her excitement at your addition to the Avengers ever since she learned the news, and if I have to endure any more of her moping because you’ve rejected her invitations to socialize, I very well might lose my mind.”

After far too long of a pause, Theo finally answered.

“Okay, fine. I will stop turning down the invites to hang out and I’ll try to ‘play nice’ with the others,” she relented, sounding none too pleased as she straightened up. “For the record, I never agreed to any of this. I am here reluctantly, at best.”

“Yes yes, the reluctant Avenger - you’re not the first one. I wrote the book on it.” Loki ribbed, earning a real laugh from Theo. “Now come, it is far too beautiful of a day to spend it reading such dreary reports. Why not spend your time on something you might enjoy?”

“You know it’s raining outside, right?” Theo pointed to a window behind her, where an onslaught of water undoubtedly pounded against the glass.

“Of course I do;” Loki lightly scoffed. “That’s why it is such a beautiful day - it is perfect for settling in with some literature and forgetting about the tomfoolery the rest of this dreadful realm subjects us to.”

Theo didn’t argue with him, but she continued to peer at him rather suspiciously.

“You have worked non-stop ever since you started here. What is the phrase that you mortals love? All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy? I fear you might become dreadfully dull if you keep this up.”

“Good thing my name isn’t Jack.” Theo winked, her quick-wit making its blessed return.

“All work and no play makes for a rather wretched existence.” Loki amended his statement, smirking at Theo. “What you ought to do is put those reports away, find a novel that you actually enjoy, and join me in the sitting room to indulge in some reading. We might even listen to some of your music over the speakers, since you seem to be averse to silence yet easily startled when you wear your headphones.”

“I don’t know, this Budapest report looks like a great mystery to crack.” Theo shrugged, though her tone no longer held any trace of the tension or animosity that had previously dominated her replies.

Loki rolled his eyes, though he couldn’t bite back a smile.

“Okay,” Theo finally agreed, “let me put this stuff away, and then I’ll come join you.”

As she joined him in the corridor, Loki concluded that one thing was certain: he much preferred Theo’s banter to her thorns.

I need you to be wrong (All along wе both were wrong) I need you to be wrong (All along wе both were wrong)

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snydergurl · 10 months

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Cover version of "Meant to Live" will feature on the band's The Beautiful Letdown (Or Version) deluxe edition, alongside Jonas Brothers, Owl City covers - RollingStone [X]

Hear Jon Bellion Transform Switchfoot’s Millennial Grunge Angst into Orchestral Pop

#owl city #adam young #switchfoot #cover album #rolling stone #article

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artofkhaos404 · 7 months

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🤘🖤YO! It's Art of Khaos!🖤🤘

× I'm a Christian Anarchist, plus size person, artist, aspiring author and alternative rocker.

× Jesus is sick as hell, love that guy.

× I listen to at least one band from every alternative subculture, my favorite genre is folk punk.

× I'll destroy any box you put me in, so don't even try it. Labels betray, constrict, confine and change you- if you let them. Break free.

× You love some good rawk and are a respectful person? We'll get along just fine!

× I show my art occasionally, but I mostly post or reblog about:

Alternative culture and music, anarchism, anime, Jesus Christ, fashion, DIYS, body positivity, mental health awareness, bpd... plus some random AK Rants.

× Don't like it? Keep scrolling.

× FANDOM MASTERLIST

Bungo Stray Dogs, My Hero Academia, Sk8 the Infinity, Horimiya, Team Fortress, Tekken, Hunger Games, Batman, Lunar Chronicles, Doki Doki Literature Club, Promised Neverland, Legend Series, Divergent, Aurora Cycle, many others.

× BAND/ARTIST MASTERLIST

TwentyOnePilots, Disciple, the Front Bottoms, Relient K, Skillet, Fight the Fury, I Am Empire, Switchfoot, Dead Artist Syndrome, Everybody's Worried About Owen, Ramshackle Glory, Citizen Soldier, Showbread, QBomb, MCR, Green Day, Grandson, Pigeon Pit, Vorsa, the Ramones, NF, Ren, Tom MacDonald, BoyWithUke, the Clash, Motionless in White, Nate Parrish.

(My vent tags for betrayal, fake friends, etc is #make them pay for my funeral)

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caityrayeraye · 2 months

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Introducing:

Everyone meet my OC Nori Foreman, daughter of Tim Foreman and the niece of Jon Foreman, both from the popular band Switchfoot.

She’s a “bonus member” for @bejewled-wahlberg ‘s KOTNB and a friend of Phineas.

She’s a generally happy and positive girl from San Diego, CA, and when she’s not skateboarding, surfing with her dad, uncles, and twin brother Jett, she’s helping out in her community, hanging out with her cousins and siblings or touring around the world with Switchfoot, she’s working on becoming a travel photographer.

#oc #kids on the new block #kotnb #wild kratts

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sojourner-between-worlds · 7 months

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I finally did it. I finally organized my 5Ds playlist. If you saw the original post eons ago, some songs have been abandoned for this one, but, uh, I also added, like, 30 more. So. There's that.

Full track list, all 109 119(currently) organized (roughly) by character under the cut. The first song of each section is linked for (slightly) easier navigation.

General - The Greatest Show - The Greatest Showman (Riding Duels) - Whatever It Takes - Imagine Dragons - Catalyst - Linkin Park (Satellite) - NEW Nerves - Icon for Hire (Satellite) - Land of Broken Dreams - Jonathan Young, feat Caleb Hyles (Satellite) - NEW Round and Round - 3 Doors Down (City and Satellite) - Hero - Skillet - Lost and Found - Zack Hemsey (First two arcs in particular) - Witching Hour, feat. Brooke Griffith - Tommee Profitt (Dark Signers Arc) - This is War - Thirty Seconds to Mars - Here We Stand, feat. SVRCINA - Hidden Citizens - Ready Aim Fire - Imagine Dragons (Pre-WRGP-Ark Cradle arc) - Finish Line - Skillet (Specifically always makes me think of Jack pushing his runner during the WRGP, but... lol) - See You Again, feat. Charlie Puth - Wiz Khalifa (The final few episodes, as everyone is parting ways)

. . .

All Six Signers - Young - Hollywood Undead - Renegades - ONE OK ROCK - Relate - for King & Country - We Are - ONE OK ROCK - Hey Brother - Avicii - Meet Me on the Battlefield - SVRCINA - Fight the Night - ONE OK ROCK - Answer the Call, feat. Claire Guerreso - Hidden Citizens - Saviors of the World - Skillet - Time To Go To War - Manafest x UNSECRET - Not Gonna Die (+Intro) - Skillet - We Won't Give Up - The Afters (I specifically associate this with the WRGP but) - NO-LIMIT - Fairy Tail OP25, English cover by AmaLee - Caught In the Fire, feat. Sam Tinnesz - Tommee Profitt - Strike Back - Fairy Tail OP16, English cover by NateWantsToBattle - Unleash the Power, feat. Sam Tinnesz and Rayelle - Tommee Profitt - Born For This - The Score - NEW Lead the Way - Nathan Wagner

. . .

Yusei - Child of the Stars - Fish in a Bird Cage - Speechless - Aladdin, cover by Caleb Hyles (Specifically early FC arc) - Soldier, feat. Fluerie - Tommee Profitt - NEW Fine - Mike Shinoda (DS arc) - Darkness Before the Dawn - Caleb Hyles, feat. Lacey Sturm (DS arc) - Believe in Myself - Fairy Tail OP21, English cover by NateWantsToBattle - Rise - Ashes Remain - Not Alone - Linkin Park (Arc Cradle) - If I Die Young - The Band Perry, cover by Sam Tsui - Where the Skies End - Starset - Can You See Me? - Krista Siegfrids (Second verse doesn't totally work but eh.) - The World You Want - Switchfoot - NEW Shining A Light Over You - Gentle Sparrow (Post-series)

. . .

Jack - Kings - Tribe Society - Leave It All Behind - Cult to Follow (Pre-series-DS) - Vagabond, feat. FJORA - Tommee Proffit (Pre-series-DS) - Lost Souls - Nathan Wagner (Pre-series-DS) - From Now On - The Greatest Showman (Post Fortune Cup) - When I Was King - ONE OK ROCK (Post Fortune Cup) - Run Run Rebel - Hidden Citizens (Burning Soul arc)

. . .

Aki - Brick by Boring Brick - Paramore (Pre-series-DS) - Innocence - Nathan Wagner (Pre-series through mid-way Dark Signers) - Paper Crown - Alec Benjamin (Pre-series. Arguably ship-y but only if you watch the video, lol) - NEW I Didn't Ask For This - Beth J Crowley (Pre-series through-DS) - Monster - Beth Crowley (Pre-series through Fortune Cup) - NEW Demons - Icon for Hire - I Want To Live - Skillet - Masayume Chasing - Fairy Tail OP15, English cover by AmaLee - Surviving the Game - Skillet - Unbreakable - Fireflight

. . .

Rua/Leo - Pretender - AJR - Battle Symphony - Linkin Park - The Chosen One - Smash Into Pieces - Something Big - Shawn Mendes - Prove - ONE OK ROCK - Children of the Sky - Imagine Dragons (Kinda all of them but heavy focus on Rua/Leo)

. . .

Other Assorted Characters - Fight Song - Rachel Platten (Ruka/Luna) - Counting Stars - OneRepublic (Crow) - A Shot in the Dark - Smash into Pieces (Crow) - Far From Home, feat. Sam Tinnesz - Tommee Profitt (Crow, Dark Signers arc) - Higher - The Score (Crow) - Memories - Maroon 5 (Bruno, or rather the others about him)

. . .

Kiryu/Kalin - Watching As I Fall - Mike Shinoda (Pre-series) - Monster - Fight the Fade (End of Team Satisfaction) - Hell's Comin' With Me - Poor Mans Poison - All Eyes on You - Smash Into Pieces (Crashtown arc) - Face to Face - Citizen Soldier (Crashtown arc)

. . .

Villains - World So Cold - 12 Stones - Monster Made of Memories - Citizen Soldier (Dark Signers) - Feed the Machine - Poor Mans Poison (Rex Godwin) - How Villains Are Made - Madalen Duke (Pretty much all of them, but specifically Godwin and Z-ONE) - With You Til the End, feat. Sam Tinnesz - Tommee Profitt (Z-ONE et al) - Last Survivor, feat. Nilka - Unsecret (Z-ONE) - The Sound of Silence - Disturbed (Z-ONE) - Cold World - RED (Z-ONE) - SCAVA - Hollywood Undead (Z-ONE et al)

. . .

Combinations - Mad World - Tears for Fears, cover by Smash into Pieces (An odd combo: Pre-series Kiryu/Kalin and Aki) - Ready As I'll Ever Be - Tangled: the Series (Signers vs Dark Signers. I feel like this one needs a breakdown but only upon request, lol.) - Hold On For Your Life, feat. Sam Tinnesz - Tommee Profitt (Yusei vs Kiryu/Kalin; Jack vs Carly) - NEW It Had To Be You (Dark Version) - Tommee Profitt x Tiffany Ashton (Jack vs Carly and Yusei vs Kiryu/Kalin) - Battle Scars - Paradise Fears (Team 5Ds and Team Taiyo) - Running Up That Hill - Kate Bush, metal cover by Jonathan Young and Caleb Hyles (Aporia and Team Ragnarok) -The Antihero vs The Hero - Nathan Wagner (Z-ONE et al and Yusei)

- Where We Rise - Neoni (Jack and Yusei) - No Limits - Zayde Wolf (Yusei and Jack) - Who I Am - Citizen Soldier (Yusei and Aki) - This Is Me - The Greatest Showman (Fortune Cup Yusei and Aki. I wish I could use the movie version solely for what’s going on in the background at one point but the only video has ridiculously quiet audio...) - Collide - Skillet (Yusei and Aki, FC-DS arcs) - Wake Up - Smash into Pieces (Jack and Aki, pre-series) - Running Away from Home - Smash Into Pieces (Jack and Aki) - Already Over - Mike Shinoda (Jack and Aki) - Alive - Daughtry (Yusei, Jack, Crow, Aki) - The Musician - 14th Melody (D.Gray-man OP), English cover by AmaLee and Andy Stein (Yusei, Jack, Crow, Aki) - Brother - Kodaline (Yusei, Jack, Crow) - Save You, feat. Redlight King - Manafest (Yusei, Jack, and Crow) - Hall of Fame - The Script (Jack, Crow, Rua/Leo; post-series) - NEW Cool Kids - Echosmith (Rua and Ruka/Leo and Luna)

. . .

Ships - Still Worth Fighting For - My Darkest Days (JackxCarly) - Angel With a Shotgun - The Cab (JackxCarly) - Stolas Sings (Owl in a Cage) - Helluva Boss [Sam Haft], cover by Caleb Hyles (One-sided JackxCarly) - Bleeding Out - Imagine Dragons (JackxCarly, specifically Carly as a DS and their duel) - Slip Away - Ruelle (JackxCarly, specifically their duel in the DS arc) - Counting On Me (Acoustic Version) - Smash into Pieces (JackxCarly, DS arc) - NEW If You Fall - UNDREAM & Brad Arthur (YuseixAki) - Better Than One - The Score (In my head, YuseixAki, but any really) - Monsters - Katie Sky (YuseixAki. Could absolutely be interpreted platonically too imo.) - I Found the Answer in You - Loving Caliber (YuseixAki)

#yugioh 5ds #yusei fudo #jack atlas #crow hogan #izayoi aki #rua and ruka (5ds)#zone (5ds)#kiryu kyosuke #scoopshipping #faithshipping #for the love of all that is good please give me songs for ruka/luna #i only have one that i kinda vibe with for her and that is Sad #rua and crow used to be the same way but...#anyway #check back once in a while im always adding new stuff lol

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a-strange-inkling · 10 months

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So curious thought but with Chrissy’s religious upbringing but musically would she be into Creed since they’re rock and they had some religious meanings in their songs? And how would Eddie feel about the band too if I may ask?

I could see Chrissy being like me and enjoying rock bands like Creed, Lifehouse, Switchfoot, Skillet, The Calling etc with their religious undertones.

I think Eddie wouldn’t mind them too much either, he’d would admittedly like a few of their songs and vocals, especially Skillet.

#hellcheer #eddie x chrissy #eddissy #munningham #chrissy x eddie #hellcheer fanfiction #hellcheer fanfic #old haunts #ask answered

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hanasnx · 1 year

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general headcanons.

WC: 0.8k | CHARACTERS: anakin skywalker, reader NOTES: current personal headcanons for anakin that i carry with me through every piece of content i write for him. may misalign with canon content i haven’t read WARNINGS: sexuality details | cursing | mentioned: nudity, media pieces from irl

updated 12.10.22

he wears contacts for battle, but has wire reading glasses he uses alone at home. is no longer ashamed of them as he was when he was a boy, but he has no reason to bring them up in conversation therefore not many people know about them (link to full version)

won’t wear a shirt if he can help it. shirtless when at home, or working out. sleeps naked or in just sweatpants. goes commando. doesn’t like the way clothes feel on his skin especially if the fabric is rough

is capable of cooking, but does not cook or eat for taste. it’s an enjoyable experience to fill his stomach and no longer feel hunger, but the taste of food means nothing to him and eats for nutrition. his meals are bland because he doesn’t care

the only time he is picky when it comes to food is the texture. he’ll not eat something if he disagrees with the texture. things slimy will not enter his mouth. however, he would eat a bug randomly for a “battle pick me up” and say its because theyre “full of protein and nutrients” and he really likes it when it catches people off guard. likes it even more when they’re visibly disgusted

he loves drinks though. at one point he’s introduced to a magenta-colored fruity drink that is not made on any other planet. he’s surprised by how much he likes it, and gets it every time he’s on world.

will not say no to a hot chocolate but it must be prepared a very specific way

his dorm is messy, but he knows where everything is

the genre of music he likes the most and most frequently listens to would be called “90’s alternative and indie rock” in our universe. bands like muse, switchfoot, radiohead, rage against the machine; a little of u2, linkin park, nirvana, deftones, remy zero, vertical horizon. would venture into snow patrol, coldplay. etc.

there’s a song he can’t stop listening to, from a holo-film he can’t stop re-watching called i’m still here from treasure planet. he doesn’t fully understand why. it moved him so deeply he’d have dreams of running through a field and feeling the wind in his hair, using the full extent of his powers in an uninhabited environment to be reminded of what he’s capable of without his life or the lives of others on the line

listens to music when he pilots his squadron on his ship because he feels like it “pumps them up”

heavyweight on the mats, but lightweight when it comes to drinking— is embarrassed of that

he finds himself jealous of people with loving families, but quickly snuffs it out.

loves working out, loves endorphins, loves blowing off steam. makes the room shake when he uses the punching bag. has broken one off the chain with his metal arm when he forgot to pull his punches

uses grown people as weights to bench press as a party trick

sings well but does not sing in front of other people. it’s very gravelly and light as a feather. he doesn’t know how to put power behind his voice, but its pleasurable to listen to if one is lucky enough he hasn’t noticed one in the room

is not a gifted dancer. rhythm does not come easily, nore dance moves. he’s stiff and uncomfortable doing it. and will sit out the entire night during a celebration that features a dance floor and blaring music— however, noble dances with rigid movements and steps he can memorize? considerably better at those

is not the best conversationalist because he lacks a certain class with it. he skips pleasantries and gets straight to the point. direct, blunt, and impatient. lacks a filter.

his sexuality eludes him for the most part, it’s not something he takes a lot of time thinking about. he’s demisexual, so he can only be attracted (sexually or romantically) to someone he knows and has spent time with. anatomy doesn’t matter to him, but he’s more inexperienced with amabs as opposed to afabs. that’s purely coincidental

he’s uncomfortable with emotional conversations and physical touch because he always assumes the other person is uncomfortable with/during it. he struggles with physical attention the most to the point where people avoid touching him because they believe so steadfastly he does not like it. he’s much more reserved when it comes to people that aren’t within his inner circle of companions

as said previously— he has a way of conversation that’s very direct which aids him when he’s inspiring those like his troops and ahsoka. he won’t hide things from them, and he’ll say his honest piece. and he’ll inspire those around him doing it

doesn’t like pets; likes droids bcos “there’s not a mess to clean up”

programmed c-3po to care because he wanted his mom to be cared for and worried about

any vehicle he uses is used until it’s barely holding together. he doesn’t waste, and that includes swapping ships out for a newer shinier one when his latest model can be fixed with a couple new parts and some elbow grease. besides he’s named it, and once he names it, he feels obligated to keep it running til it dies

has a very specific brand of humor and when he finds something funny it’s usually something odd or unusual. his laughter is contagious and sometimes the surrounding circle laughs simply because he’s the one laughing first

acted like a fuckboy when he was a virgin, used it for attention. however he can’t flirt for shit when he’s talking to someone he actually really likes

insomniac. not just because of premonition dreams, those came later. he has a hard time staying asleep

hobbies include: working out, eating a bantha’s share, searching for a cheap thrill like a fix, learning languages, working on ships and droids that require it when he has the time, sparring

x reader hcs. —

he’s gross and he will take your gum from your mouth with a kiss

likes it when you ask him to open things for you or grab something from the top shelf out of your reach

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