#there are so many great shows and somehow any time I see Tom hiddleston in a wig I’m twelve again and my brain stops working properly | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

insanityclause · 3 years

Text

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains details of the first five episodes of Disney+’s Loki, & maybe the finale. Maybe.

As always with almost any project from the Kevin Feige run studio, that ride could continue, at least in some form or another. Certainly, the June 9 ‘Glorious Purpose’ premiere of the Michael Waldron penned and Kate Herron directed Loki proved to be the Disney+ and the MCU’s biggest small screen success so far. Also with any Marvel project, past Emmy winner Hiddleston was elusive on what could be coming next, be it in the Loki finale, another season or another appearance in the movies as the MCU shifts into its next phrase.

One thing is clear, after a decade playing the God of Mischief, Hiddleston still has a lot of Loki on the brain, in the best way.Leading towards the finale, I chatted with a UK-based Hiddleston about returning to play Loki and the search for who or what controls the seemingly all knowing, all powerful Time Variance Authority. The Night Manager star also spoke about filming during the coronavirus pandemic, working with Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Richard E. Grant, and Sophia Di Martino, who portrays variant and soulmate Sylvie, and his upcoming AppleTV+ series The Essex Serpent with Claire Danes.

DEADLINE: There’s a great line in this season’s penultimate episode where your Loki and Sylvie are stunned at watch Richard E. Grant’s Classic Loki recreate Asgard to distract Alioth and you say “I think we’re stronger than we realize.” There seems to be a great resonance in the line that there’s a whole lot of Loki coming in the finale and probably more …

HIDDLESTON: I suppose it resonates with the theme that we all wanted to highlight about purpose and about meaning. Loki’s someone who’s probably been deluded by the idea that he’s burdened with glorious purpose, and that perhaps that purpose has been revealed to be fraudulent or meaningless, and maybe his self-image or the role that he has condemned himself to play is redundant.

His experiences through this story have shown him that there are actually more opportunities available to him, and you know, it speaks to this idea, like, can we change? Can we evolve, and in that evolution, is there room to grow? You know, so, I think the stronger than we realize I think is Loki finally understanding that, really, by caring for other people, that maybe there’s power in that, and I found that very touching, and the whole thing is an extraordinary dream.

DEADLINE: Speaking of an extraordinary dream, you have been playing Loki for a decade now, since the first Thor movie, We know you are going to do some voice work in the animated What If…? series, but how has it been having this series directly centering on him, in all his variants, so to speak?

HIDDLESTON: You know Dominic, I have enjoyed it so much, because I felt it was a gift and a privilege to be invited to come and sit at the table and think about what the show might be. Also, I suppose so many of the things that I’ve discovered about Loki as a character in the comics and a character in the Norse myths, in the canon, aspects that I’ve always thought were interesting, and understandably, there hasn’t been time or space in the movies to explore them.

DEADLINE: In terms of who he is?

HIDDLESTON: Those aspects of him have been externalized and embedded into this new story about identity itself and about integrating the disparate fragment of the many selves that he is or perhaps the many selves that we are. You know, we contain multitudes. Loki certainly contains multitudes. We have met many of those multitudes, including Alligator Loki (laughs).

DEADLINE: Sounds like you’re not done with those multitudes yet. From your POV, from conversations with Kevin (Feige) is there more that you see for the character as the MCU heads into its next stages?

HIDDLESTON: Well, I certainly don’t have Kevin’s brain or encyclopedic knowledge or capacity for invention. I’ve been on the ride for a while, and it’s been the most extraordinary journey, and to have lived through different iterations, different phases of the MCU, and I’m so grateful that I’m still here, and it’s been amazing to watch. I feel that the MCU is even more expansive, is even braver, more inclusive than it’s ever been.

DEADLINE: How so?

HIDDLESTON: I think the stories are getting really exciting. Not that they weren’t before, but I think they understand that the investment of the audience is very deep, and they don’t take it for granted for a second. So, yeah, I suppose the perspective I have on how Loki might affect the ongoing course of the MCU is this idea of the multiverse. People have already understood it when Miss Minutes is introducing Loki to the TVA. She talks about the multiverse and the war and that the sacred timeline, which is reality as we know it.

DEADLINE: It opens up the aperture certainly for new stories from all opportunities, doesn’t it?

HIDDLESTON: It raises questions of, well, maybe there are other parallel or alternate universes. Maybe there are other realities, and the possibilities there are endless. I feel that at the end of episode five, Loki and Sylvie are close to discovering the answers to the questions that they have of who is behind the TVA and that, somehow, this will provoke even more curiosity about…

DEADLINE: …Because in the Marvel Universe, answering one set of questions always leads to another set of questions, in many ways.

HIDDLESTON: Right. Yeah. Yeah, and I know that there are lots of, you know, interesting titles of movies that’ve been announced, which kind of hint at where it might be going.

DEADLINE: One of those that hasn’t been officially announced, but is rumored is a Season 2 for Loki, in gear under the temporary title of Architect on call sheets and the like …

HIDDLESTON: Well, yes, maybe, as I say, all the kind of multiple alternate realities are …it’s taken me 10 years to get a handle on this sort of mono timeline. The idea that this might be a multiverse is actually beyond my knowledge of physics.

DEADLINE: Well, I doubt that, but let me ask, and no spoilers for the finale or further, but if Kevin, Marvel, Disney asked you to do more Loki, are you game?

HIDDLESTON: (laughs) I have learned, at this point, having said goodbye to the character more than twice, two and a half times maybe, to make no assumptions. So, I’m also aware that I’m only playing him because of the audience, really. So, it’s not up to me. But I do love playing him, and every time, I seem to find new, interesting things about him. So, yeah, I’m a temporary passenger on Loki’s journey, but we’ll see. We’ll see where the ride goes now.

DEADLINE: On the ride, as the finale looms, there’s a ton of fan speculation out there and so much that people have hooked on to from the show. So, as the man at the center of it, what was your favorite part of Loki the series?

HIDDLESTON: That there was meaning in the making of it.That we crossed the finish line in the middle of a global pandemic and could create something, and more than ever, I felt really grateful for being able to do this job. I think in this there are some of those questions that we were all asking ourselves in the last 18 months in the show, you know, what do our lives mean?📷I love taking Loki in new directions. I love the contributions of my fellow actors, of Owen Wilson and Sophia Di Martino and Richard E. Grant and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Wunmi Masaku, they all brought so much to the table, and I’ll always remember that. You know, I’ll always remember just being in Atlanta with all of them and making our bonkers show. Yeah.

DEADLINE: Making your bonkers show in Atlanta as the world, as America was still in the heat of the pandemic. What was that like, because you were in production and then everything stopped and then you came back, right?

HIDDLESTON: I mean, people have used this word a lot, but it really was unprecedented. I think we did six weeks of filming before the hiatus, and then the production was suspended for four or five months, and we came back. At first, it was unfamiliar because we had to make adjustments, but the thing I remember most of all, quite honestly, is the diligence and resilience and spirit of our cast and crew.

DEADLINE: Really?

HIDDLESTON: Yes, and it remains extremely special for me, this project, for that reason.For me, it just demonstrated the character of these amazing people. It took a huge amount of planning and care and looking after each other. By that, I mean, being in the bubble. So, for many of us, the only other human beings we saw, really, were each other. So, we came to work, and we became a team, and the circumstances fostered this extraordinary team spirit, and so the memory of making it is really my incredible and deep respect and affection for my fellow filmmakers. People like Trish Stanard, our line producer. Richard Graves, our first AD. Kristina Peterson, our second AD. Autumn Durald, DP. Kevin Wright, our supervising producer, and so many others making sure everyone could stay safe and look after each other.It’s really…I find it…it’s very moving, and it’s remarkable, and I just want to salute them all because I couldn’t have done any of it without them.

DEADLINE: In that vein, you have just come off filming The Essex Serpent with Claire Danes for AppleTV+. Very different from Loki, and yet also a tale of what is real and who we are. Is that what attracted you to it on some level?

HIDDLESTON: I read it and immediately connected to it. Read the screenplay, the adaptation. It’s based on a novel by Sarah Perry, which was published in 2016 and is set at the end of the 19th century. It’s an extraordinary story about uncertainty and about our deepest fears and how sometimes our fears can distort our imaginings and how our minds can lie to us. About how we have to guard against that, and Perry sets it in this extraordinary time with a beautiful leading character of Cora Seaborne, played by Claire. Anna Symon adopted it.

There’s this community on the east coast of England who believe that an ancient beast has been awakened by an earthquake and that it’s dislodged all these fossils. But perhaps, it has also dislodged this ancient underwater monster, which has been used to explain certain unusual phenomena. This was in the era when Darwin had just been published a few decades before and people are starting to think, this Charles Darwin, he’s onto something. Still, fear spreads very quickly, and it’s a very fascinating time where science and faith are in conflict.

DEADLINE: When you describe it like that it sounds very Loki indeed.

HIDDLESTON: Maybe the themes are very Loki. Maybe that’s where they join up, but I’m playing a 19th century vicar who is trying to contain his community. You feel very destabilized by all these rumors. So, yeah, to go from Loki to a vicar was definitely new, a new territory.

DEADLINE: Literally and figuratively?

HIDDLESTON: Well, it’s my first significant time in Essex, where we filmed, which I feel embarrassed about. I’ve been to Essex before, but I’ve never been to the very, very eastern, most eastern coast of Essex. It’s the Blackwater Estuary, which then feeds into the River Thames, and it’s a very ancient part of England. It’s so marshy, it’s where in Great Expectations, that’s where Pip meets Magwitch for the first time. It’s all foggy and muddy and marshy and quite atmospheric and a perfect place to set a story about of uncertainty and fear and gothic romance. Clio Barnard directed it, and working with her has been amazing.

DEADLINE: You know, it occurs to me that of all the main Marvel characters, Loki has been such a constant, yet so ethereal in so many ways too. Is it jarring for you to jump back into the role with all the uncertainty it brings?

HIDDLESTON: You know, I’ve always seen it as sort of an extraordinary and surprising constant in my life for a decade. But, I don’t take it for granted because I don’t often…you know, it may end. It has actually ended, and those endings have been conclusive. I really thought a couple of years ago, after I made Avengers: Infinity War, you know, we all know what happens in that scene, and I thought, that’s it.I thought it’s over, and I was really proud to have been part of it. I was grateful for my time, but I thought that, my work would go off in a different direction. So, the idea that I got to come back and have another go was a complete delight, it truly was.

#Tom Hiddleston #Interview #Loki #The Essex Serpent

70 notes · View notes

tomhiddlestonfanfic · 3 years

Text

Improvising

TITLE: Improvising CHAPTER NUMBER/ONE SHOT: One shot WHICH TOM CHARACTER: Actor Tom PAIRING: Tom Hiddleston/Reader GENRE: Romance sort of INSPIRATION: Hank Williams answers and Loki answers REQUEST: Tom Hiddleston x (non actress) reader where reader is a vlogger who does song covers and has a friend who does interviews, and is able to get a chance to interview Tom, but for some reason was unable to do so on the scheduled date due to some emergency and asked reader to do it,but left questions that reader thinks might be inappropriate to Tom so she improvises and thought of more sensible questions which piqued Tom's interest specially when he finds out of the questions that was prepared for him?

Improvising

You found yourself standing there in the hotel lobby waiting for Tom Hiddleston himself. Your friend, who was supposed to do the interview, got sick and for that reason couldn’t do the interview. So you had gotten called in just over an hour ago, and had no time to prepare. You trusted your friend to have everything ready for the interview, but as you stood there, skimming through the questions, your heart nearly stopped. Was this some sort of a joke? You couldn’t possibly ask him about those kinds of things without sinking through the floor in shame. With a rousing sense of panic, you went through the papers, trying to find the real questions or anything of substance, but you ended up empty handed. You almost felt like crying as you glanced down at your watch, realising that there was only five minutes left until your scheduled meeting. You rummaged through your purse for a pen and a paper and was just about to start writing new questions when the subject of the interview suddenly appeared in the lobby.

“Umm, excuse me mister Hiddleston, are you here for the interview? I mean, of course you are...” you greeted him nervously as he approached you with a warm smile.

“Hi, you must be Riley. Please, feel free to call me Tom,” Tom replied as he shook your hand.

“Actually, Riley is sick, so I’m standing in for her,” you informed him with a shy smile.

“Ah, I see. What’s your name then?” Tom asked with interest as he still held your hand in his.

“[Your name],” you replied.

“Nice to meet you, [your name],” Tom said with a smile

“It’s very nice to meet you too, Tom,” you replied blushingly, feeling a bit strange as you spoke his name so familiarly. “This way,” you added and led him to the room in which the interview was to be held. You both sat down on the chairs in front of the camera as soon as Tom had politely introduced himself to the man behind the camera and the man in control of the microphone hovering over your heads just out of line of sight for the camera.

“Are you ready?” the cameraman asked to which Tom answered ‘yes’ and you answered a truthful ‘not really’.

“I’m sorry,” you apologised flusteredly. “I’m ready.”

“Camera rolling,” the cameraman announced and you could feel yourself grow pale. You nervously glanced down at the papers, but quickly looked away as you struggled not to grimace at the questions on there.

“I’m sitting here with Tom Hiddleston. Welcome to the R and R show, Tom,” you said, grateful that you at least got the name of the show right. At least that was something.

“Thanks for having me,” Tom replied politely.

“The pleasure is all ours,” you said with a smile. “So, Tom… I personally think you really did a great job portraying Hank Williams in I Saw the Light.”

“Thank you, I really appreciate it,” Tom said and smiled at you. You couldn’t help but get caught up in his beautiful blue eyes as he looked at you.

“Um… One thing I found particularly interesting in the movie was the moment when Hank said that everybody has a little darkness inside of them, that he showed it to them and they heard it, but they didn’t have to take it home with them. I was wondering if you would like to elaborate what you think Hank Williams’s darkness consisted of,” you said as you mentally cursed your friend for not having come up with better questions herself so you wouldn’t have to improvise like this.

“Interesting question,” Tom commended and touched his chin thoughtfully before answering. “Ehm, as is well-known, Hank struggled with alcohol and drug addiction, and I suppose you could say that it’s a way of how the darkness portrayed itself. But what exactly this darkness consisted of is difficult to say. In the scene you’re referring to, Hank mentions anger, sorrow and shame. But I think it’s more complicated than just that when it comes to Hank. I think there was something in him that was addicted to the darkness and that it somehow felt more real to him than anything else. I think part of his darkness was his very addiction to it. Do I make any sense?”

“I think so...” you replied and decided to elaborate. “The attraction to the darkness itself was part of his darkness. His unwillingness to let go of it made it darker... Like staying in a dark corner of a room instead of coming out into the light.”

“Exactly,” Tom agreed and his face lit up as he looked at you. “It was like Hank felt more comfortable in his dark corner than out in the light. And I think as he went into the vortex of addiction, into the darkness, he couldn’t stay sober for long enough to see clearly, to come out into the light and see how many people actually cared about him.”

“That’s tragic,” was your instinctive response.

“It is,” Tom agreed.

“Hank Williams isn’t the only character with darkness inside of him that you’ve played... I think you could say that Adam in Only Lovers Left Alive had a bit of darkness inside of him as well. Ehm… would you say that there are any similarities between Adam and Hank?” you asked, trying not to grimace at how far fetched your question felt.

“Interesting question,” Tom said again, causing you to blush. It made you glad to hear that he found your questions interesting, seeing as you got them at the top of your head. “Well, while Adam is obviously fictional and a vampire, I think there are similarities between him and Hank. They are both musicians,” he said grabbing his index finger as he began to count the similarities between the two characters. “They both have a darkness inside of them, like you said yourself,” he told you and grabbed his long finger as well. “They both seem lonely even though they have people around them who care…” he said and grabbed a third finger. “There are probably more things they have in common...”

“Well, how about the differences between Adam and Hank?” you asked.

“Adam is fictional whereas Hank is real. Adam’s a vampire and Hank is human. While Adam had a long life, Hank’s life was tragically short. He died of heart failure at only twenty nine years of age. He was one of those stars that shine brightly but burn out quickly, while Adam is more of a slow burning star,” Tom replied and you found yourself nodding in agreement at his answers.

“Yes... Another character with a long lifespan is the god of mischief himself. Loki. I heard you were working on a Loki TV show, is there anything you could tell us about that?” you asked curiously.

"Well, the series starts right after Loki grabs the tesseract in Avengers: Endgame. It'll be six hours of air time and it will be released on Disney plus in 2021. Sorry I can't tell you much more than that at this point," Tom said.

"That's alright. So we have six more hours of Loki to look forward to, that's great. How did you feel about revisiting the part? You've been playing him for quite some years now," you wondered.

"I've been playing him for ten years now and I really enjoyed revisiting the role as Loki. I feel like I know this character now, and the audience knows him. The most exciting aspect of playing him is to present him with new challenges, which change him in different ways," Tom replied, seemingly happy to talk about Loki.

The cameraman motioned for you to wrap up the interview, leaving you disappointed that your meeting with Tom was already coming to an end.

"I really look forward to seeing what new challenges Loki's up against. Unfortunately it seems our time is up. Thank you so much Tom Hiddleston for coming here and joining us on the R and R show," you said, genuinely grateful to actually meet him in person.

"Thanks for having me," Tom told you, his smile making your heart skip a beat.

"Cut," said the cameraman.

"Thank you for saving me with your interesting answers," you told Tom once the camera was off.

"Saving you?" he asked surprisedly. "I hardly think you needed saving, you did great with the questions," he commended.

"You really think so?" you said, feeling relieved as he nodded his head ‘yes’ in response. "Thank you. I was not at all prepared for this, so I had to improvise," you admitted.

"You improvised? Then you're a natural at this," he praised, seemingly impressed. "Didn't your friend prepare the questions?"

"In all honesty, her questions were not up to standard. Some were downright dreadful," you said truthfully.

"Really? Dreadful you say?" he asked interestedly. "Would you let me see her questions?" Tom requested curiously and you reluctantly handed them over to him while blushing, as though you were somehow responsible for them.

"Oh," he uttered understandingly as he skimmed through the questions about James Bond, Taylor Swift, what type of women he preferred and if he was feeling lonely now that he was single. "Thank you for not asking me about all this," he said with relief and kept reading the questions, grimacing at some and laughing at others.

"If your friend was seriously going to ask me those questions, I'm almost glad she was sick," Tom said jokingly, causing you to laugh. "It not just because I wish to avoid another awkward interview, but because it was a real delight to be interviewed by you."

"Oh, thank you," you said feeling flattered. "I found it really nice talking to you too."

“I still have some time left before my next interview, if you would like to grab a cup of coffee,” Tom offered.

“I would love to,” you answered, barely able to contain your excitement.

You continued talking to each other about different kinds of things. This time it was almost as though he was interviewing you, asking about your life. When he found out that you had a vlog where you posted song covers his face lit up.

"I'll make sure to check it out," he promised and pulled out his phone to write down the name of your vlog.

When it was time to finally part, Tom added, "feel free to contact me if you want to grab another coffee or something. It was really nice talking to you, [your name]." He handed you a piece of paper with what appeared to be his phone number on it before leaving. You stood there dumbfounded for a moment. Then you smiled to yourself thinking that sometimes improvising really pays off. You had never expected that you would be so glad that your friend had come down with a cold.

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston fanfiction #tomhiddleston #tomhiddlestonfanfiction #tom hiddleston real person fanfiction #request #tom hiddleston x reader

171 notes · View notes

cabin7-hufflepuff · 3 years

Text

Would I be friends with these characters?

Percy: We’d probably only be friends because a mutual introduced us. He’s the type of person I’d want to be friends with, but when I get to know him, I actually get annoyed with him sometimes. We would be in the same friend group, but rarely talk to each other.

Annabeth: Short answer, no. I would get so irritated by her, I just know it. I would only ever talk to her because I know Percy and other people she does, but I might go to her for homework help.

Grover: I would love to be friends with Grover. I don’t think I would ever seek to hang out with him, but we’d get along swell. Not a best friend, but a good friend.

Luke: He’s someone who I would innocently be friends with until I found out the crap he’s done. Then, like I’ve done so many times before, I cut him out of my life, and years down the road, remember with an ache in my heart the friendship we used to have. (what I’m not drawing from life experience)

Nico: I would want to be friends with him so badly, but I think he would hate me. Maybe not hate, but it would never even cross his mind to talk to me. Plus, I’ve only ever had a few friends who are similar to him, and, uh, I was never close to them so. Rip him being my favorite character.

Will: YESYESYES. Will and I would get along so well, it’s not even funny. He and Leo are up there at the top. We could literally just go sit outside on a nice day and discuss random things about life and the world. I also want to be a Physical Therapist when I’m older, and boy howdy does Will probably know a lot of interesting medical terms and all that jazz. PLS I WOULD NEVER GET BORED TALKING TO HIM. Watch Nico maybe sort of become acquaintances with me cuz of Will.

Jason: I think we would get along a lot better than people would expect. We’re somehow polar opposites but also the same person. I don’t know if I would have a crush on him irl other than for his looks, but he’s who my friends pester me for having a crush on, so I, of course, think I do.

Leo: OF COURSE. Out of pretty much everyone in this group, I would probably be closest friends with Leo. We’re both smart (in different ways, mind you) but don’t get the best grades all the time. Stupid, silly jokes are literally my only version of humor, and watch the two of us just quip back and forth. He’s who I’d have a real crush on over Jason, honestly.

Piper: No. No way. I don’t think I would be able to stand her. Ever. She’s not mean, but there are just those people you don’t like. The only reason I even tolerate her is because of Jason and Leo.

Reyna: We’re the pair that are great friends on whatever team we’re both on (definitely volleyball, excuse you) and then we end up never seeing each other in the halls. The only discussion topic we know is volleyball or shitty gossip on our coaches lmao.

Frank: YES. oh my gosh, he would bring out the soft side of me. We’re the type of friends who could chat over tea or something. We would have deep, but civilized conversations about either the most useless things, or the most important. Also I love hugs, and he’s most certainly great at them.

Hazel: She’s like a little sister to me. I would give her tips about Frank even though I barely have any dating experience of my own. She would push me to create the art that I’m too scared to make. I would have such a fun time showing her a bunch of movies she was never able to see, and she would be so patient when I’m ranting about something stupid. She’s just the sweetest.

Lester: I- somehow, yes. I don’t really know why, but I know the answer is yes.

Meg: Nope. Nada. Non. Thumbs down. Sorry y’all, but just no.

Magnus: Not great friends, but yes. I honestly would probably think he’s weird and I have zero explanation as to why. I can’t blame him though, cuz I’m just as weird as whatever story I’ve made up for him in my mind.

Sam: Yes. Purely a school friend though. We’re in a few classes together, and there’s one of the teachers who always lets us be partners for things, because we’re so persistent.

Alex: PLS I’d wanna be friends so bad, but I would be invisible to Alex.

Carter: WE WOULD LITERALLY BE BEST FRIENDS I KID YOU NOT. Ask any of my friends and they’ll tell you that Carter is basically me as a book character. Sometimes we tire of having each other around, since we’re so similar, but we would always go to each other, if not our siblings, to vent or rant about something or someone. (aka us being flustered about Zia and Tom Hiddleston respectively). We try to sit next to each other in every class we have together, and the teachers miraculously allow it, because we’re well behaved students and always pay attention.

Sadie: YES. It’s a good thing Carter and Sadie don’t hate each other, or I would be doomed. The three of us plus my own brother would all get along so well, it’s ridiculous. Any time she and I are together, Carter is constantly rolling his eyes like Oh no, they’re at it again. Two Sadies? What will I ever do with them?

#percy jackson #annabeth chase #grover underwood #luke castellan #jason grace #leo valdez #piper mclean #reyna avila ramirez arellano #frank zhang #hazel levesque #lester papadopoulos #meg mcaffery #magnus chase #samirah al abbas #alex fierro #carter kane #sadie kane

24 notes · View notes

kneamet · 3 years

Text

Angel of cards (13/16)

Trigger Warning: no.

Summary: Joker, Mr. J, anarchist psychopath, Tom Hiddleston. He had many nicknames. Joker was Gotham’s most dangerous and insightful man, with sharp makeup and horribly memorable scars on his face in the form of a smile. He was absolutely crazy and deadly. No one knows his real identity and everyone is afraid of his cruel jokes. But what happens when he becomes obsessed with an ordinary girl?

She belongs to him. No one can take her away from him. Even The Batman.

Chapter thirteen: the Hospital

"Dear Bruce,

I'll be honest with you... I'm going to marry Harvey Dent. I love him and I want to spend the rest of my life with him. When I said that if Gotham didn't need Batman anymore... we can be together... I wasn't lying. But I'm sure the day will never come when you don't need Batman.

I hope I'm wrong. And if so, I'll be there. But as a friend. If you have lost faith in me, please keep your faith in people.

With everlasting love, Rachel, " Bruce whispered the last sentence softly, resenting the loss. There were gentle tears in his eyes. The hand clutched the paper on which the love words were written.

Why Rachel? Why her? Why exactly the love of his life, and not... someone else? Why did the Joker say this address and not some other address? Why did he name the place where Harvey is?

"Alfred?" Without taking his eyes off the window, his right eyebrow slightly raised, but still with an emotionless, steely voice that had an anxious and trembling note in it, Wayne asked.

In his peripheral vision, Bruce could see that Alfred had entered the room, dressed like a string. He couldn't see his expression or feel his feelings, but he knew that his beloved butler was also deeply sorry.

"Yes, Master Wayne?" asked Alfred, in his usual voice, with a hint of regret in it. He knew how much his master loved Rachel.

"Is it my fault?" Bruce asks with a sigh, feeling the paper get wet because of his sweaty palms from the fear of responsibility. "I was supposed to inspire good... not madness and death, " Wayne's always calm voice faltered. His jaw trembled slightly. A single tear rolled down her cheek.

"You inspired good, but you spat in the face of the Gotham mafia. Did you think there would be no consequences?" Alfred asked, still holding the bottle of wine in his old hands, which Bruce would probably drink in one gulp. "Life always gets worse before it gets better," he sighed again and stood up from his comfortable black chair, turning to Pennyworth.

"But Rachel, Alfred," he countered, raising his voice slightly. It was too much to bear. Will Bruce be able to cope with such grief on his own? Would the general darkness swallow him up?

"Rachel believed in what you stood for. Gotham needs you, " the butler said in a reassuring old voice, moving closer to his master. He just looked down.

"Gotham needs a real hero," a real one. Not like him. Gotham needs someone who can always defend their rights and protect Gotham in a truly legal way. "And I almost let that psycho blow him to hell," Bruce whispered softly, referring to the Joker.

Wayne's hand, which was already holding the piece of paper with the love and voluptuous words, only tightened and tightened. The Joker. This blood-pumping and frenzied lunatic who only thinks about how to destroy Gotham.

And what about his equally beloved Blake? The same person who could always support him when Rachel was away? And if Rachel, he sighed, could be subject to that darkness, he didn't notice it for Blake.

Still, what does this fucking nutcase want with his best friend's niece? Bruce licked his parched lips of honey that had become wet from the tears of the meek.

He must understand everything.

***

"She wanted to wait for me," Harvey mumbled, gripping his aching knuckles tightly. He could still see the pleas and screams of his beloved as she died. Rachel. He opened his mouth slightly in annoyance, pulling his lower jaw forward. Will he be able to live without everything now?

First, the Joker took away the first ray of light in his life — Blake. His beloved niece, whom he adored with all his kindred love. Would he have been able to break into the ranks of prosecutors if he hadn't been there? Hardly.

The second thing the Joker took from him was Rachel. His favorite, his sweetest girl, for whom he was willing to do anything. Exactly the same one. The one who always supported him, helped him.

He didn't listen to Gordon's useless talk. Even aside from the fact that he was a very nice person who really felt sorry for him, Harvey didn't want to see him right now. His obsessive and mumbling behavior only irritated him and injected more anger.

"I'm sorry about Rachel," he said suddenly, after a long silence that lasted about a mortal two minutes. Dent choked on his breath. "The doctor says you have a terrible pain, but you don't take your medication. That you refuse... from a skin graft, " knowing that it would not entail anything good, Gordon said quietly. Harvey only stifled a guttural growl. Idiot. Idiot. What kind of mumbling creature is this?

"You remember that name... what you gave me... When did I work for you?" Dent asked, turning to face Jim, who was standing with his head down and his brown-and-green cap in his hands.

He could see the flash of fear in the commissioner's eyes, but immediately suppressed. Is he afraid of him? But why? What's there to be afraid of? These burns on the second half of the face? Or what?

"How was it, Gordon?" he asked in a more severe voice, squinting his right eye.

"Harvey, I am..."

"Speak up," Harvey said in a steely and very stern voice, feeling an uneasy shiver run down his spine. He knew the nickname. Knew. "Speak up!"

"Two-face. Harvey is two-faced."

"Why hide who I am now?" the man asked, baring his teeth and swallowing.

"I'm sorry," Gordon said in a low voice, only clinging more tightly to himself. He didn't like being shouted at, even though he'd seen a lot of things in his life.

"No," came the steely reply again.

***

Damn Moroni! The Joker thought furiously. His thoughts were now just a hailstorm of thoughts and a chaotic chaos that couldn't calm down. He licked his dry, bland, cold lips with a rough tongue. He was walking briskly toward Harvey Dent's room.

Oh, yes, the very man he had almost killed, and whom Batman had saved just in time. What a good boy he is. He would have to do it again somehow, and arrange a soft and favorable game for his favorite toy.

Although to be honest, Batman was eerily boring. That mumbling, stern voice and thoughts that he couldn't even properly show and say. Were you sure he was Bruce Wayne, the son of rich parents?

The Joker clenched his fists. His nostrils flared wide and he drew in a sharp breath. He resisted the urge to grimace. He likes the smell of the hospital. Medical supplies and equipment. Terribly. It's disgusting. Antiseptics for surface treatment, autoclave, hospital food, quartz, and the patients themselves, who apparently rarely wash, also had an unpleasant smell.

The Joker pressed the black plastic doorknob, pushing open the white door and entering a room that was clearly designed for premium guests. He chuckled, licking his painted lips again. Sloppy.

He quickly looked around the room, trying to find something that could be used against him. His quick and deft eye caught only a small silver tray, but he was unlikely to be able to defend himself with it.

The Joker sat down on the brown chair next to Harvey's bed. What beautiful burns the fire had left him, the Joker grinned. It definitely suits him. And how he hadn't done that to himself before. He stifled a small laugh.

"Hi," the Joker drawled, grinding his teeth together and making an unpleasant sound. Harvey, of course, woke up. The man saw the body of the injured patient tremble slightly and suddenly Harvey turns his head, shuddering slightly and trying to stand up.

"You know..." the Joker drawled again, prolonging the intrigue, until suddenly he noticed the terrible look of his interlocutor. Why is he looking so surprised? Oh, yes, the nurse's costume. In general, he liked it.

The Joker, or rather Tom, always liked to dress in women's suits. He felt to the bottom sometimes... more complete, or what? Yes, I suppose so, considering that it was only his mother who took care of Tom at the time.

He pulled back his fake red hair, trying to mess it up even more. Although it would seem that much more? They were already in a very sloppy state.

"...I don't want any hard feelings between us, Harvey, " the Joker curled his lips in disdain, slightly pinching his nose and frowning. "When my angel..." The Joker liked this savage look of Harvey, who was ready to tear anyone up for his favorite girls in the form of Blake and Rachel. But now that neither one, that is, Harvey, nor the other, that is, Bruce, has a favorite, how will they cope now?

How good it was that he had an angel of his own.

"Blake!" said Harvey loudly. The Joker grinned imperceptibly and raised his hands in the air, as if admitting the truth of the other person.

"...my angel was kidnapped ... " the Joker continued, taking great pleasure in Dent's anger. "...I didn't kidnap her. More precisely, I kidnapped her, but not to kill her. I'll do you a huge favor... My angel, or yours, or maybe Bruce's, Blake, is still alive. And I confess from the bottom of my heart, I'm being a gentleman to her," he saw Harvey's displeased face.

What doesn't he like? His niece is alive and well, she is happy to spend time with him, what is the problem?

"By the way, I didn't detonate those bombs," the Joker said quickly, as if trying to get off the subject, raising his hands again and licking his lips. To be honest, it was not pleasant for him to go without his favorite gloves.

It's terrible to look at your scars. They're so awful, Tom thought, suddenly breaking into the Joker's thoughts. Go away, Thomas! You're in the way! And didn't the Joker tell you that it's not exactly the right time to show up? Yes, and that very moment of obsession.

"These are your people. Your plan!" accused Harvey loudly, trying to rebel again, but the Joker only let out a nervous laugh, after which Det immediately stopped moving, froze with his eyes wide open.

"Do I look like someone who has a plan?" the Joker asked in an insistent tone, arching an eyebrow. He chuckled. However, suddenly, his eyes widened and he quickly jumped out of the chair, lowering his shoulders down and taking quick steps towards the door.

Harvey asked when the Joker was already out the door, but still not closing the door. The man just smiled reassuringly.

"My angel will miss you, I know, but I promise I'll beat the crap out of her and she'll be my wife," the Joker said unctuously, watching as Harvey's eyes began to grow larger. He tried to do something again and began to move quickly, trying to free himself and stand up. Suddenly, a door slammed. "Goodbye, Harvey-ee-ee," the Joker sang.

The man began to walk quickly towards the main exit. Now the fun begins. I wonder if the media will like this show? But he didn't want to think about it now. His biggest concern right now was his angel. Oh, how she must have missed him... Hungry and bored for sure. Well, he would help her.

And now we need to kill Harvey Dent.

9 notes · View notes

winterisakillerwrites · 4 years

Text

Becoming - Part Four

Title: Becoming

One Shot: 4/6

Character: Tom Hiddleston

Genre: Realistic(?) fluff; Angst

Rating: T

Summary: Learning about his son was only just the start of the story. As Tom Hiddleston struggles to adapt to this sudden change in his life, he comes to learn that becoming a father might be the biggest role he’d ever taken on. *Sequel/Continuation of Lovers’ Eyes*

Authors Notes/Warnings: This story came about because I knew there was still so much about Tom and his son that I wanted to explore. I fully intended this to be a quick flash forward into their lives, a snapshot if you will….They had other ideas and so here we are. This is technically all one story but has been broken down into parts to make the reading easier.

Thanks so much first and foremost to @ciaodarknessmyheart who has dealt with me throwing all of these ideas at her and has helped shape them into something coherent and wonderful.

Hope you all enjoy!

Tag List: @tinchentitri @messy-insomniac-bookgirl @noplacelikehome77 @blacksuitofdoom @nonsensicalobsessions @theheartofpenelope @ms-cellanies @nuggsmum @inkededucatednnerdy @redfoxwritesstuff @just-the-hiddles @wolfsmom1 @theoneanna @hiddlescastle @sabine-leo @alexakeyloveloki @echantedbytwh @finchbaggins @kenzieam @ciaodarknessmyheart @ladyblablabla @trippedmetaldetector

Breakfast, while more than a touch uneasy, had been nowhere near as awkward as Tom feared it would be. Not that he’d set out expecting to be invited in, especially after turning up on their doorstep at just after eight in the morning with absolutely no warning at all. It had been an impulsive, reckless decision but Tom could not find it in himself to regret it. Even as Keira glared at him coolly, her hand resting on Jaime’s shoulder as the boy bounced excitedly. They passed several moments in awkward silence before she gave a curt nod and invited Tom into the house. It was abundantly clear to Tom that while she wasn’t against him being involved in the boy’s life, dropping by as if he had the right to do so as he pleased was a step too far in her book. But she hadn’t fought him on it and for that Tom was incredibly grateful.

An extra place had been set and Tom found himself pulled to sit next to a bright eyed Jaime who was speaking a mile a minute. He smiled indulgently as he took in the food laid on the table. Eggs, toast, crispy bacon, and sausages. Tom piled a fair amount onto his own plate, watching in fascination as Jaime ate between rapidly firing questions. His sleep logged mind struggled to keep up.

The coffee Keira had set before him was a godsend in more ways than one. He nodded at her, offering what he hoped she would see was a small, grateful smile. Things were never going to be easy between them, too much bad blood lingered between them for that, but Tom hoped somehow they would be able to find middle ground. For Jaime’s sake at least.

After breakfast, Jaime had lead his newly discovered father into the back garden to run and play. The weather was thankfully warm and surprisingly dry in a way that Tom was certain was tempting the weather gods. Especially this late in the year. They ran about for what felt like ages until Keira called them back inside, sending the boy upstairs to wash up and change for the day. Tom found himself rocking back and forth on his heels, wondering if he was overstepping the unspoken lines Keira had laid at the start of this. No matter what he or Jaime felt, Keira was the boy’s legal guardian. He was bound by her rules unless he took the steps to change it and with his life as uncertain as it was, that day seemed far off indeed.

Things weren’t exactly easy after that strange morning, but they were slowly drifting in that direction. Jaime had clung to the idea of Tom as his father in a way Tom hadn’t expected. The boy was a mess of questions, curiosity, and joy. Over the years, in countless interviews, he’d been asked to describe his idea of happiness. And he’d always had the same, sweet but safely generic answers; lyrics or a quote he’d heard years ago. Things that captured the idea but not perhaps his reality of it. Never the real answer; his family or the first time he’d acted on stage, his first time on a set. Things that, looking back, were wonderful…But now, now he knew with absolute certainty that his happiness was seeing the pure unadulterated joy in the eyes of his little boy.

It amazed him at times, thinking that something so simple, so small in the scheme of things, could come to mean so very much. Things were better yes…But they still had a long way to go.

While Jaime had taken to Tom’s new role in his life like a duck to water, Keira had been wary. She didn’t hinder the relationship growing between Tom and Jaime nor did she actively encourage it. It had been a constant source of frustration for Tom. He knew why she acted the way she did, understood his behavior in regards to her daughter coloured the way she viewed him now. And he couldn’t fault her for that. Had he been in her position, Tom couldn’t say he wouldn’t have done the same.

But he knew, even if he hadn’t wanted to acknowledge it, that sooner rather than later they would need to sit and talk, properly talk, about what was happening. About the role Tom would play in Jaime’s life.

Tom had intended to find time to set aside to do just that, had even called his agent about starting to look for a good family solicitor should push indeed come to shove, but as it always did his life managed to throw itself in the way. He’d known filming for his latest project was coming up, and much sooner than he liked, but he hadn’t predicted the change in schedule which pushed up his need to be on set by a good three weeks. All the time he’d thought he’d had to prepare Jaime (and in all honesty, to prepare himself) for the looming separation his work would bring had been snatched from him. They needed him in five days’ time.

He’d cursed after his agent had broken the news (a call shortly after he’d made it in the door from his morning run) and cursed a great deal more when it hit him he’d have to explain, yet again, to Jaime why he had to leave sooner than he’d promised. It killed him to think about the disappointment he knew he’d see in his little boy’s eyes. Disappoint that he, again, would be the sole cause of.

They’d had so many things planned in those three weeks; trips to the park, the zoo, playdates and other things Tom’s agent and Luke most definitely hadn’t been thrilled with (especially without any formal public statement regarding his newly found status as a father) but begrudgingly agreed to look the other way. Things Tom himself had been looking forward to. How could he not, with the way Jaime’s face had lit up whenever he talked about it? And now he had to crush that hope, had to disappoint him yet again. The all too familiar doubts raged; would he every truly be a good father for Jaime? Didn’t Jaime deserve someone who could be there? Who could keep the promises they’d made?

His mother’s voice, who had swiftly become his voice of reason (had been for the majority of his life if he was being completely honest), scoffed at him. ‘It doesn’t matter what you think the boy deserves, you are what he has. And you will find a way to make it work, even if it’s far from ideal. You will make it work because you don’t have any other choice.’

Jaime had been understandably upset by the news, tearful and not quite understanding why the father he’d just found had to leave again and so quickly. Tom did his best, again and again, in those few days leading up to his departure to explain as best he could the whys of his leaving. To explain that it didn’t mean Tom loved him any less or that he didn’t want to be his daddy anymore (when Jaime had uttered those words Tom was sure his heart had broken into a thousand sharp and painful shards). This was a temporary thing; he would be available by phone or by video and that as soon as he could he would be home.

Keira said nothing but watched him with knowing eyes. Tom knew the picture he must be painting and hated that in her eyes he was only proving her opinion of him correct. But what could he honestly do? He was under contract and breaking it now would cause more trouble and strife than it was worth. Not that he hadn’t tried, but his agent (and his solicitors) had been firm. Walking out now would be as good as blacklisting himself. He’d already lost enough good will over the stunt he’d pulled several months back. Backing out of another project so soon after…That would certainly be the final nail in the coffin. And then what would he do? Acting was as much a part of his life as breathing. And as selfish as it was, Tom wasn’t sure he could ever fully walk away.

He let her quiet stares go, the fight that would ensue should he push the matter wasn’t one he thought himself mentally ready for. Not at this time. But he’d spoken to both Luke and his agent and started the ball rolling, he would be ready and he would fight tooth and nail if he had to. He was Jaime’s father and he owed it to not only the boy but to himself and to Eliza to be the best father he could be. To be as fully involved in his life as he was able to be.

Tom kissed and hugged Jaime goodbye on the last day before he was scheduled to fly out. They’d played in his grandmother’s back garden and Tom promised to call as soon as he had settled to show Jaime his temporary home. The drive back to London had been hellish; traffic was a nightmare and his nerves were only serving to make the already short fuse of his temper glow hotter still. He’d snapped at Luke when his friend had called reminding him of his flight details and when the car would be around to drive him to Heathrow. Tom had apologized immediately after, it wasn’t Luke’s fault and god knows he didn’t want to repeat his mistakes in this upcoming production. Didn’t want to slip back into that angry, frustrated man he’d been.

“You’re tired, mate. And you’re stressed. So I will let that slide, just work on keeping yourself in check. I like working with you Tom, but lately you’ve been making me earn my pay and I’m not entirely sure I like that.”

What was said no doubt in jest wriggled in the back Tom’s mind the rest of that evening and well into the following day. He’d managed to scrape up enough sleep to not be a complete mess when the hire car arrived in the morning. His bags had been packed and left by the door the night before and his carryon was at his side. He threw in the last of the bits and bobs he needed for the journey and headed out into the pre-dawn light.

Bags packed securely in the trunk of the car, they sped off towards Heathrow and towards months of long, hard work that normally spiked a fevered excitement in him but now left him on edge and apprehensive. Once he got settled into a routine, he knew the unease would ebb away but until then…

The flight was long and despite the perks of first class flying, the seats were never terribly comfortable and sleep was elusive. When he’d finally disembarked the only thing on Tom’s mind was the warm, comfy bed awaiting him. The drive from the airport to the hotel had been long enough that Tom found himself nodding off in the backseat. He’d nearly jumped out of his skin when the driver shook his shoulder to wake him. Check in was mercifully a quiet, easy process and before he was consciously aware of it, Tom was in his room and laying face first onto the cool, white duvet. He drifted off again, only to be woken by the ringing of his mobile.

Confused and still in the clutches of sleep, it took him an embarrassingly long amount of time to recognize the sound for what it was and then to dig his mobile from his trouser pocket. He smiled, blearily as he recognized the number and slid his finger across the screen to answer.

“Jaime, lad.”

Filming had gone far better than Tom had dared hope, especially given its inauspicious start. He enjoyed his role and had developed a genuine report with his cast-mates. It was nice to be able to escape into someone else’s life for a short time. To live through someone else’s emotions. He spoke with Jaime nearly every day, enjoying the small bits of information Jaime told him of his day. He’d shared what he could as well, sending Jaime pictures of himself in make-up and costume. Taking him on a virtual tour of the set. Reading bedtime stories to him. Time did not speed by, but it passed soon enough.

When wrap was called after just over three months, Tom felt both an acute sadness that the end of filming almost always brought in him and an immense relief that he would be home soon. He’d managed to duck out of the wrap party after a few hours and was thankfully dropped off at the airport shortly thereafter (he had packed before heading to the party, checked out of his hotel, and left the baggage stored safely in the back of the hire car). He spent the entire flight back to the UK in nervous excitement.

He’d rushed home from the airport, grateful to shower and sleep in his own bed. His sister had thankfully stopped by the day before to air out the house and to make sure his fridge and pantry were stocked. He had people who could easily have done this for him, and he’d used said people in the past, but this time his sister had gotten the idea in her head and nothing could budge her from it.

Tom woke the next morning, confused but comfortable. It took him several moments to remember he was home. He blinked at the dimly lit room, getting his bearings. He’d no idea what time it was, hadn’t even remembered putting himself to bed. He glanced at the bedside table, midafternoon then. Which meant he’d slept at least ten hours. That’ll do wonders with acclimating to BST, he thought with a groan. He sat up and scrubbed his face with his hands. He needed to get up and get back into a routine or he’d never get himself back on track.

Padding downstairs, he fixed himself a cup of coffee and set about throwing together a light breakfast. Once finished he ate it hastily, carrying the plate into the living room and settling on the sofa where he set about checking his mobile for missed calls or texts. He had a few from Luke and from his agent, which he returned. A solicitor had been arranged regarding his paternity claim should he wish to pursue custody. He also had a few interviews scheduled for later in the week regarding various projects.

There were messages from his mum and sister as well as one from Jaime. He sighed as he played the message from his son, guilt coursing through him. He’d mean to call Jaime once he’d made it home but must have passed out before he’d done so. He called him back, apologizing and explaining that he’d gotten in late and fallen asleep soon after. Jaime seemed to accept this and immediately launched into a tale about his day, asking breathlessly after when Tom was going to come by. As soon as he showered, Tom promised (Keira be damned). Excited at the prospect of seeing his daddy, Jaime ended the call with a happy laugh. Tom chuckled to himself, taking the stairs two at a time.

The conflict with Keira came to a head a few short weeks later. After a trip to the park, and while Jaime had been upstairs in his room, Keira’s quiet disapproval became too much. He hadn’t meant to call her out as he did, had intended on trying to keep the conversation civil but stress and frustration (both at her attitude and at the sneaking suspicion that he’d seen a photographer at the park watching him and Jaime) had brought his words out with far more force than he had intended. Keira had been taken aback, clearly not expecting such vehemence and had fired back with equal force. It was only after hearing Jaime’s footsteps on the landing that the two seemed to remember themselves.

They plastered smiles on their faces and put the matter aside until after the lad had been fed, washed, and sent to bed. It was clear this was a conversation neither of them were delighted about having but one they knew needed to come to pass. Keira put forth her opinion that while Tom was biologically linked to Jaime, that didn’t mean he was able to be a proper parent to the boy. Jaime needed structure, support, stability. Tom worked a great deal and often in far flung locations. With Jaime preparing to start his schooling, what would that kind of disruption do to him?

Her words stung. They were things he’d thought himself and often. But he had a right to be as involved in Jaime’s life as he could be and he’d said as much. Yes, his work meant his life was less structured or home based than most, but it wouldn’t always be. Now that this project was completed, his future work would be much more local. And save for promotional work, his schedule was clearer than it had been in years. He wanted have a tangible, legal stake in Jaime’s life. That didn’t mean he was planning to snatch him from her or that he wanted to turn the boy’s life on its head. He simply wanted to have a say in his life, to be responsible for him in more than just name.

“Jaime is my son, Keira. He is all I have left of Eliza. I messed up terribly with her and I can never, ever take that back. I won’t let that happen with Jaime, not if I can help it.” Tom sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I want to do this as friendly as I possibly can but make no mistake I will take this as far as I need to. Please, please let us do this in a way that will cause the least disruption to his life.”

Tensions still running high, Tom had left and spent his entire drive home wondering what the hell he was going to do. Keira called the next morning and told him that if he was serious then maybe it was time solicitors were engaged. The words sent a shiver of real fear through his gut, though he didn’t truly think she’d meant then in any malicious way. The courts would need to be involved, in some capacity and Tom had always known that. But the irrational part of his brain worried that in doing so he would be inciting a chain of events that could bring the boy more harm than good.

#Tom Hiddleston #Tom Hiddleston RPF #Becoming #original child character #grief #guilt #Dad!Tom #winterisakiller writes

63 notes · View notes

redfoxwritesstuff · 5 years

Text

I’m Back (Tom Hiddleston x ofc 18+)

Good morning, Loves. You’ve made it. Are you excited? Got your water ready? Good, because she’s here and waiting for you. Almost 11k words and a lot of smut.

Buy me a Ko-fi and contribute to my birthday trip to NYC to see Betrayal.

Part 1 is here- not really required reading and the Masterlist is here

Warnings: Dub con, Succubus, unprotected sex, oral sex (Male and female both receiving), aggressive blowjobs, hair pulling, rough sex, choking, public masturbation, occult rituals

Summary: She’s back and she’s hungry. This time however, she’s still riding on the sustenance from her last meal. Mothers always tell their children not to play with their food but Lilith never had a mother to teach her that and has every intention of playing with her food while he finishes his day of Convention events.

I’m Back

The gaggle of teenage girls giggled as they gathered around the bright screen in the dark basement room. A laptop was perched on a table, playing the latest interview. The man on the screen was one they adored with that pure and somewhat scary fever only possible by young girls only beginning to discover the power hormones and sexual desire can hold over their hearts, minds and sanity.

On the screen, the long legged object of their desire smiled. His voice filled the room. They would describe it all differently, if asked. They hadn’t had the years and maturity to really give voice to what it was about the voice that made them weak in the knees.

They’d been sipping at a bottle of too sweet Koolaid spiked with vodka from the ringleader’s parent’s bottle. In true teenage fashion, the difference in volume was masked by water. Someday, when they were older, they would understand how that failed to fool anyone. On this night all they knew is that’s what the cooler teens in the movies did, so that’s what they did.

The interview came to an end and there was a debate over what to do next. They could re-watch any number of his past films. They could marvel upon his clean shaven face and how young he had looked in older films they didn't care for otherwise. They could take in the way pale skin and insanity somehow complemented his features in superhero movies they only watched for him.

What they wanted to do was go out to the theater again and see his newest movie, ‘Black Death’ yet again. It was something so unlike many of his prior films. It was steeped in mystery and the supernatural while dripping in murder and detective goodness. They’d already seen the movie five times as a group. After having spent the day at prior day one of Comic Con in New York City, they didn’t have a penny between them. Travel was expensive and after begging for a group trip nearly across the country for just one day- none of their parents were likely to humor them.

“Do you remember the ritual?” One of the girls, brown curls in a mess of fuzz and words slurring from the spiked Koolaid.

“Yeah, how could we forget!” Another girl laughed, her tight curls bouncing around her head as she swayed.

“He looked so sexy tied to the chair during it- is that weird? Like- am I weird for that?” Asked the blonde. She found it important in the moment to question what it was okay to find attractive in the way youth do, only beginning figuring themselves out.

“He totally did!” The last girl rocked back where she sat, falling onto her back.

“We should do it.” The brunette perked up after a long drink of Koolaid.

“Do what?” The blonde asked, reaching for the bottle and pretending her small sip was actually a deep drink.

“The ritual.” Brunette was standing and rummaging through the shelves in the back of the basement. Bubble mix and all manner of outdoor toys had been stored away for the impending winter. With a cheer of victory she pulled out a box of chalk. “Let’s do it. Just to see if we remember it.”

“Who would sit in the center?”

“We can put Tom in the center.” Spoke the girl with the dark tight curls, rummaging through her bag. The excitement was catching. “The spell, it was to turn the detective to their side right? What if we turned Tom to our side?”

“You can’t think it would actually work- it’s a movie.”

“My mom,” Started the girl still resting on her back on the ground, long slick black hair spread around her. “She used to say the magic in any ritual is in the intentions.”

“What is your mum, a witch?” Asked the blonde even as she was pulling things out of the center of the room. “Move, get off the floor so I can move the rug.”

“This is dumb, it’s not like Tom’s going to come and sit in our circle.”

“We have the picture he signed, we can use that.”

~~~~~<3

“Here’s the fuckin’ ale, now stop you’r bitching.”

The large, red skinned horned demon slammed the mug down, spilling amber liquid and froth over the rim. He looked almost human in shape but that was where the resemblance ended. She didn’t bother offering him a response as she picked up the heavy horn mug and brought it to her lips.

A unseen and unfelt breeze twisted around where she sat on the bar stool. It picked up the ends of her fire red hair, waves dancing with the energy of it. Her tail, thin as a whip yet full of coiled power lazily cut through it. Red dust picked up off the floor and swirled around her, settling on the toes of her black boots, thigh high with needle thin heels.

Light, dim though it was, reflected off the silver threads woven through the body of her corset. The fabric was soft to the touch but the bone ribs did their job, clenching her waist beyond what a human could withstand. It assured that one of the first things anyone saw when they laid eyes on her was her breasts, pushed high.

The not wind was strong enough to move her earrings, causing them to catch the light and come alive with a million little points of fractured light within the blood red stones. No human could ever mine stones such as these. In the past, stones such as these had been traded for kingdoms, formed with the blood of Eve.

There was a murmur through the room as the not wind died around her and everything again began to still. Lilith’s red lips, stained rather than painted, curled up into a sharp smile. She had felt it- near attempts at summoning her all day. But now, whoever had called for her had succeeded and she had once again been granted passage to the realm of life.

It’d been something like a year and a half since her last meal and while she hungered, she was far from starved. She’d gone much longer between feedings but who was she to turn down a chance to roam the earth for a short spell? Who knows how long it would be until she could again see the moonlight she so loved and feel the fire of passion?

~~~~~<3

Tom smiled and waved, feeling the electricity in the air. It was officially announced and as he had expected, news of Loki’s show on Disney+ had garnered him a roaring cheer. Truth be told, it pleased him more than was proper that it was his show that drew the loudest cheers.

He hadn’t been expecting Loki to even get a show but try as they may, Disney and Marvel couldn’t seem to cut themselves free from the Prince. They never did love or understand Loki the way he had. At least a good number of his fans saw it. He had put so much into Loki and for so long.

The lights dimmed and for a moment flickered out but before anyone could even question anything, they were one again on and as bright as ever. It was probably just a power surge, lord knew they were running enough power through the building with this event.

A part of him feared that wasn’t the case and instead thought back to that woman he shouldn’t have allowed into his bed. He couldn’t remember her clearly and though he knew he hadn’t had much to drink, he couldn’t explain why he hadn’t called the police. There was no reason to think of her now. He hadn’t thought of her much in the last year and a half.

~~~~~<3

As Tom walked toward the booth, there was a coiling tightness around his ankle. Reaching down, he adjusted his sock but the feeling didn’t go away. There wasn’t any time to worry about it. He’d hardly had time to eat, let alone worry about why his sock felt tight around his ankle.

That feeling slunk up higher and higher and he did everything he could to ignore it. It coiled around his thigh as if a snake had been trapped in his pant leg. There wasn’t anything he could do, fans were back to back. Ignore the feeling, smile, sign this, next and repeat. The feeling was distracting, though it was slow moving. Higher and higher.

“One second.” He didn’t wait for anyone to chastise him and though he knew full well it would hold up the line, he gave himself a few seconds to breath.

He had to do something about the way his pants were getting tighter. All he could think of was to yank his jumper down, rather aggressively and smile. Back to signing. Can’t hold up the line. The staff were already giving him looks. Fine, he decided and made a point of leaning forward, over the table just a bit more than he needed to. Bending at the waist, he was able to hide himself as things slowly got tighter.

Just keep signing, just keep signing. Smile, nod. It’s great to meet you. Thank you for the support. Just keep moving.

In the back of the hall, remembered by all though that would be unbelievable should you ever ask anyone who had seen her, was a woman leaning against the wall. Her eyes, violet and alive with an inhuman light, watched her prey. Mothers often told their children not to play with their meals but she had every intention of doing that exact thing.

~~~~~<3

Tom was beyond thankful when the signing ended and he could excuse himself into the back halls. He had only one hour until it was time for the photos and he needed to see to it he wouldn’t embarrass himself or anyone else.

He walked the busy halls, his fingers twitching with every step. Every time someone made eye contact with him, he would pull at his jumper. It was ridiculous, he wasn’t a school boy. His body was simply reacting to something, though he couldn’t even begin to guess as to what. It was natural. Perfectly natural.

Near the photo setup was a private bathroom for staff. He wasted no time in slipping inside, flipping on the switch and locking the door behind him. Three long strides took him to the sink where he turned the water on full blast. Giving into the urge that had plagued him, he pawed at the hardness in his pants and swallowed a groan.

He wasn’t some bloody school boy. He didn’t need to have a quick wank in the bathroom of a public building before he could continue on with his day. It would go down on its own. But what if it didn’t?

Rather than unbuckle his pants like he very much wanted to, he splashed cold water on his face with little care of if he got his hair wet. So what if some of the product in it washed away.

“I could help you with that.”

The voice was melodic, haunting and oh so familiar. Lead balled in his gut as he jerked his head up. Looking in the mirror, there was a woman- The woman leaning against the bathroom door. Red hair alight and a mischievous smile that would have made Loki proud playing on her bright red lips.

Turning around in a rush, he demanded “Who are you?”

But there was no one there. He was alone in the bathroom and he could very well see the door was still locked. Agitation was building within him and he shoved his hand through his hair, almost enjoying the way his fingers caught the tangles and yanked. Anything to ground him. He was losing his mind. He was sure of it.

Thin arms reached around him, hands slipping under his jumper causing him to jump clear out of his skin. He looked down to see nothing, no arms and no hands. Turning back toward the still running sink, he closed his eyes tightly. Gripping the end of the sink, he told himself over and over that it wasn’t real. He was alone. There was no one in this bathroom with him.

Small hands roamed up his chest. Though he couldn’t make sense of it, he could feel as she dragged the edges of her long nails down his abdomen. Muscle twitched and jumped at the touch that shouldn’t be there. Ragged breaths slipped from his lips as a body pressed against his back.

Now the unseen nails traced up his body, up his chest while one hand was holding him to her. How it was a her, he couldn’t say. The tip of a nail traced around his nipple, circling and teasing. It was a light touch, almost tickling until she pinched it.

He couldn’t help the soft moan it pulled out of him. God, it had been forever since he’d gotten laid. He hadn’t been with anyone since the mystery woman. That was what the issue was, or so he told himself. He needed release. His hand wasn’t doing the job well enough anymore. It would have to be good enough for now.

When he reached to unbuckle his belt, his hands were shaking. The action was rushed and he felt relief the moment his fly gave way and his jeans were no longer constricting his manhood.

“Let it out.” The whispered voice urged in his ear and again he looked around to find himself still alone in a locked bathroom.

His mind was foggy with need and he obeyed without a thought. At first he was just going to pull himself free but the idea of having the fabric hunched around his base wasn’t one he liked. He hadn’t exactly picked out his boxers today planning on having a raging erection in a thankfully clean bathroom.

Instead, he shoved his boxers down, allowing them to gather with his jeans around his knees. The air was cold on his exposed flesh but did nothing to put out the fire raging under his skin.

Wrapping his fist around his base, Tom slowly pumped it. Fine, he had decided. A quick wank wouldn’t hurt. Anything to calm the storm of need within him. He needed to calm it for now, so he could finish his day. After, after he could find someone to take to bed. After.

His eyes fell closed for a moment and he signed in relief. The phantom hands were back, resting on his thighs and roaming around to grip his ass. When he cracked open his eyes again, he could see the red headed women who had been at the door before. She was kneeling on the ground with seeming disregard for the fact that it was a bathroom floor.

The hands belonged to her but he couldn’t think about that now. All he could see, all he could focus on was how his need only became greater with her violet eyes looking up at him. Her red lips parted and pink tongue running along the top lip made for a sinful sight.

Faster and faster, he worked his hand over his length, his eyes falling to slits as he watched her. His mind didn’t work, didn’t process or retain what was happening.

She stilled his hand with her own and leaned up. With pure reverence she ran her tongue along the underside of his length. His knees were weak and he had to hold himself up with the sink behind him. Warmth surrounded him as she sucked him into her mouth. Down, down she went, taking every inch of him in a way he’d never seen another woman manage. Sharp teeth scratched at him as he passed into her throat. He could feel every swipe of her tongue, every twitch of her muscles as she swallowed around him.

He moaned as she pulled back, painfully slow. Reaching forward, he tangled his hand in her hair and guided her back down his length. Her hair was even softer than her mouth. As her nose nestled into the patch of coarse curls at his base without even so much as a gag, he pulled her back and off.

Her mouth hung open, ready for him to fill it again. Begging for him to fill it with his cock and who was he to make her wait? Down again, she swallowed him easily as he began to fuck her mouth. Harder, faster. Panting moans slipped from his lips though he tried so hard to hold them in.

Just a moment more. Only a little more. So close. God she felt so good, whoever she was. Right there. A groan ripped from him, low and guttural as a knock sounded at the door, jerking him out of the fog as he spilled hot ropes of seamen over his fast working fist. He was alone.

“Tom, mate? You in there? Photos in five.” Luke’s voice called through the door.

“Y-yeah.” He had to clear his throat and tried twice to get the word out.

“You okay?”

“Fine.” Tom looked around as he softened in his hand. What was he, a boy? How ridiculous was this, caught having a wank in the bathroom. Somehow, he’d burned through almost an hour- how he couldn’t imagine. “I’ll be right there. Have a coffee waiting for me?”

“Sure thing. Get your head on and face the masses.”

Tom held his breath for a few moments, waiting to make sure Luke was really done and gone. Looking around, he spotted the paper towels and shuffled around his mess toward them. After tossing a few onto the mess at on the floor and wiping his hand down, he had to turn his attention back to the mess he had made of his person.

Feeling completely ridiculous for being in this situation, he wiped himself with a damp paper towel. It was quick work, removing traces of his seed from his thighs where he must of flung it off his hand in his hurry. Once that was done, he set to work cleaning the mess from where it had spilled onto his dark jeans then the floor.

~~~~~<3

The first hour of photos had gone well. He was relaxed and at ease. It seemed as much as he had been against it, having that wank had helped get whatever that was out of his system.

It was in the second hour that the tightness around his leg began again. It moved faster now and he did everything he could to focus on the fans. It pained him when a woman would come for her photo, wearing a costume that hardly covered anything. He’d give them a hug, most of them wanted a hug and he tried so hard not to think about how their bodies pressed into him or how they felt in his arms.

Within thirty minutes of the tightness starting around his leg, it felt as if some coiled thing was caressing his thigh. He tried to ignore it but as one fan was replaced by another, higher it crept. He would paw at it, scratch at it in the few short seconds when one fan was being shown out before the next one was brought in.

The tightness was building again in his jeans and he wanted nothing more than to hide away and end the photo session early. A new fan was brought in, young and blonde. She was short, so short that when he looked down at her, he could clearly see her breasts down her shirt. She wasn't wearing a bra and the shirt didn't do anything to hide her from his gaze. That feeling in his leg moved just a little higher as the woman wrapped her arms around him.

She told him her name and he couldn’t be bothered to remember. Her dress was short and with her arms reaching up around his neck, it drew even higher up her thighs. That thing, wrapped around his leg was coiled around him now. It was caressing his balls in a way that nothing should have been able to while he was wearing tight jeans.

His pants got tighter as she explained that she wanted her photo of him holding her from behind. She moved into place and he wrapped his arms around her small frame. For a moment, an impulse surfaced to cup her breast, it wouldn't fill his hand but looked so soft and warm but he fought it off.

Instead, he pulled her to him and swallowed a moan when her back pressed against his crotch. His jeans were far tighter than they had any right being.

“Like this?” He asked, his voice heavy. He hoped she wouldn’t notice, wouldn’t question it.

“Yeah.” She nodded, not noticing how he looked down at her and completely unaware that he could see down the top of her dress. He could see the way her nipples pebbled against the fabric of the dress, unaware of the war within him. The neckline was low and wide and from his vantage towering over her, she may as well not be wearing it.

He would have gladly bent her over the chair behind the curtain and fucked her, if he could have. Instead, he wished her a good day and waved while hoping that it was a smile on his face rather than a grimace.

A couple was shown in as he pawed at the length of his cock, having tried to shift it to a more unnoticeable place. Tom prayed for the tightness to go down as he faced them. A hug for the wife, a handshake for the husband. Eye contact was hard when all he wanted was touch his cock again.

He prayed she wanted to stand in front of him or a similar pose but he wasn’t so lucky. They had paid for two pictures so two they would get. The first was easy, though it was painful to kneel, he was able to mask his manhood when he held out a supplied black velvet ring box to the wife while her husband stood glaring from the side. Pictures of a mock proposal, how classy.

Standing was a relief. It felt like the pressure from kneeling in his jeans was going to crush his cock. It was painful but did nothing to calm the hardness. He couldn’t be so lucky.

The second photo was simple. Tom would sling an arm around each of them and they would hold him. Smile into the camera and pray that whoever was in charge of photo editing would do something about the very clear erection that would show up.

“One second.” The photographer called out, turning to the computer. “It came out weird- going to retake it.”

“Don’t think about how well I sucked your cock.” That velvet voice came in his ear.

“What?” Tom choked on the word.

“Almost ready.” The photographer called out.

He could feel those phantom hands on him again, nails tracing under his shirt. He hadn’t thought it was possible to get any harder. An unseen palm ran down his thigh, over his cock and he struggled not to moan. Whatever it was he was feeling, surely a hallucination for lack of food and too much work, it was going to make him come in his pants.

“Alright. We’re good.” The photographer announced and Tom tried to focus on him. He was an older man who looked to be on deaths door. It was far better to focus on him than the way the phantom hands felt.

“Remember how good it felt to fuck my mouth?” The voice asked and Tom told himself again and again that he had been alone in the bathroom. There hadn’t been a woman in there with him and she wasn’t there now. He told himself she wasn’t real even as his stomach tightened and he spilled into his pants.

Luke was going to kill him.

~~~~~<3

Tom slipped into the back of the black SUV and pretended to listen to Luke. He looked forward to nothing more than getting back to the hotel and locking himself away for a shower. Once he washed away the shame of the day, he needed to go out to a club. He needed to find someone who wouldn’t mind never speaking of the night again and taking her back to his room.

“You listening at all?” Luke sounded exasperated. The day hadn’t even made it to a close without people noticing he was a bit out of sorts and picking him apart in pictures. There were rumors that he was aroused in them and Luke was wanting to know why it looked that way.

“I’m sorry.” Tom sighed. “Must be coming down with something. Head’s not on right.”

“Well get your ‘head’ straightened out.” Luke’s words were heavy with warning. He would not be pleased if this happened again and Tom understood. It was a PR nightmare.

“Yep. Understood. Night.” Tom didn’t wait for Luke when the car rolled to a stop.

The last thing he needed was to risk Luke noticing that his… situation hadn’t improved. The whole drive, Tom had to sit suffering while trying so hard not to fidget in his seat. That thing he had felt coiling around his leg was back. It had been for a while but at this point it was painfully high on his thigh, rubbing against his stiffness.

Grabbing the first elevator he saw, he was thankful for the empty car and Luke being slowed down by a group of guests leaving the building. Tom took deep breaths as he waited for his floor. That feeling was coiled around his member now, pulsating and he rubbed it through his jeans, cameras be damned.

The moment the doors slipped open, he was jogging down the hall. It took three tries to get the card reader to let him in. The moment the light turned green, he opened the door while working his belt opened.

There was an urgency in his mind that he couldn’t explain but he needed to be free from his clothes right away. He needed them off. Before the door had even clicked shut behind him, he had yanked his jumper up and over his head and kicked his feet free from his boots. Tossing it aside, he pulled his belt off the loops and sent it across the room without care or thought to where it would land or what it would hit. Warm hands slipped around his back as he unbuttoned his jeans, sending a bolt of adrenaline through him and snapping him out of the fever.

“Who are you?” Whirling around, he came face to face with the woman he had seen in the bathroom. “You’re not real.”

Her hips swayed as she seductively closed the distance, coming close enough to walk her red painted nails up his abdomen “Do I not feel real?”

“What are you?” He backed away but she only stepped forward, refusing to allow him to put any distance between them.

“Whatever you want me to be.” She answered, her voice honey sweet. “And whoever your wish me to be. Your deepest desires, darkest wants, let me grant them.”

Before Tom’s eyes, her form shimmered and shifted until the woman standing before him was one he had known before. She was taller now and hair a mess of blonde and ironed flat. Wide eyes were full of innocence and ocean blue looked up at him. He knew it wasn’t her. She had grown and chanced since they had been together, she had moved on as had he. She didn’t want him anymore and he didn’t want her.

Yet, in that exact moment, he wanted her more than he had ever before.

“What the bloody hell are you?” He demanded, stepping back.

She reached out and hooked a long finger in the waist band of his jeans even as her form again shifted and shimmered. Violet eyes looked up at him once again as her finger traced the line of his underwear.

“I’m what I am. And right now, I am hungry and-” Her finger dropped down, tracking down the front of his pants, along the zipper and down the hardness straining against his thigh. “judging from this, you are too.”

“Don’t touch me.” Tom forced out, stepping away and this time, she didn’t chase him. “Leave me alone.”

“You don’t actually want that.” She turned and meandered through his hotel room as if she belonged there, completely unconcerned. “I was summoned, sent for you. I cannot change that, nor can you. My purpose must be completed, so you may as well enjoy it.”

“Summoned?” Tom attempted to put the bed between them.

“It matters not.” She shook her head and Tom watched mesmerized as her waves of red hair moved as if liquid fire. “You want me and until you have me, you’ll not be satisfied. Have I not shown you that already? Why fight it? Just come to me. Give yourself to me.”

“You where there.” He needed to leave. This was wrong. She wasn’t human. It was insanity.

“In the bathroom? Oh you tasted so good, using my throat.” A moan slipped out of her as she tilted her head back, running her fingers down her exposed neck. It was milky white and begging for him to leave his mark on it.

“Leave.” He demanded again. His voice louder now.

“I was there, during the photos too. You heard me.” Her tail was swaying out behind her and Tom was very sure that a tail was exactly what it was. The small horns on her head were real. She was real and Tom vowed to go to church weekly from here on out. She was a demon and she was here for him, though he had no understanding about why. “You felt me. Oh what a dirty man you were, letting me work over your cock while you stood for photos with your adoring fans.”

“You did that!” He yelled. “It’s my career, not a game for your sick amusement. Leave me alone!” He was roaring now, praying that someone would hear, come and save him from whatever demon this was.

“I did.” She purred, stepping closer to him once again as he made a move for the door. Turning, he took his eyes off her for a moment and in that instant, he found her leaning against the door. It couldn’t be possible for her to be there already but somehow, she was.

“How?” He stuttered out, backing away from her a few steps. Each step took him closer to the bed and each step was harder to make. Absently, he reached down intending to pull his jeans up and button them but instead he ran his palm over his straining cock.

“Was it hard,” She purred, stepping forward as his eyes roamed her chest for a moment before darting around the room, looking for a way out. “to keep from moaning when you came in your pants? Right in front of a camera too!”

She brought her hand to her mouth to hide the giggle that slipped out. Again, Tom ran his palm over his cock, trapped in his pants. His mind reminded him how good her mouth had looked, wrapped around him while she knelt on the bathroom floor.

He hadn’t seen her move but she was before him again, slipping her hand under his. Long fingers wrapped around him, gripping his cock as best she could through the jeans and this time, he couldn’t contain the moan that slipped from his parted lips.

“You want me.” She purred, slipping for a moment into the skin of a woman he had dated so long ago. Brown hair and eyes were highlighted by perfect makeup. The next instant she was in the form of a girl, the one he had lusted over as a school boy before once again slipping into her own skin.

“Don’t do that.” He pleaded as a shuddering breath escaped him. He wanted to back away but couldn’t.

“Those forms do little for you.” She signed only to have her red lips curl up in a smirk. “No, I think you’re far more naughty than I give you credit for. One taste me from what, over a year ago and now it’s only me you want.”

“How?” He tried to make his feet move as she began to run her nails over him, lightly scratching and tracing the contours of his muscles.

“I’m what I am.” She purred her non-answer and Tom tried to challenge it. The longer this went on, the more he was urged to question why he cared. He had a plan, coming into his hotel to have a wank and go to a club, find a woman. Was this really that different?

“You can turn me down, if you wish.” As her nail traced over his nipple, he wondered if that was really true. “Seek satisfaction from another. Give it to yourself. But it won’t be the same.”

“What do you mean.” His voice was shaking and heavy. She was so close, he could smell her. It was a scent, heavy with smoke.

“I think you know.” Her nail again trailed low, down his torso until it caught in the valley where the zipper to his jeans had slowly began to work its way down. “You won’t find satisfaction from another. You’ll be haunted with want, need until you call for me yourself. And I can wait- I’ve got all the time in the world and while I hunger for you again, I can sustain myself on the memory of our last meeting. Do you really wish to do that to yourself?”

She sank to her knees, looking up at him with those bright violet eyes. He couldn’t even begin to deny how good she looked on her knees before him, breasts pushed up by the corset she wore. Fingers ran over his abdomen as she leaned forward, pink tongue darting out only to run along the covered length of his cock. He wanted to push his hands through her hair and take her but this was wrong.

“No.” He groaned.

It very much sounded like a ‘yes’ to her. Lilith leaned forward on her knees and pulled the tiny metal tab to his zipper between her too perfect teeth and inched it down. Running her hands down his hips, she pushed the thick fabric down his thighs and though he couldn’t understand how, his boxers fell with them.

His cock sprang free and she looked greedily upon it. She’d had many grand meals in her days. She’d been around for a long time, since the dawn of mankind. She’d seen men rise and fall. King and Queens both have fed her soul and welcomed her to their beds. Noble knights and fierce generals sent her to distract those who did raise their ire. And yet in all her time, there were few men who sated her this the way this one did.

“You need to leave.” Tom said, though his voice was rough, strained with need and didn’t even sound convincing in his own ears.

Looking up at him, she batted those too bright eyes as she leaned forward, reaching out for his cock with the tip of a delicate pink tongue. Tom shuddered as she ran it up the underside of his cock. He balled his fists at his sides and swallowed a moan.

Lilith wasn’t one to be deterred and ran her tongue back down to the base of his cock. Without care of the sparse hairs, she dipped her tongue lower still, running down along his balls before pulling one inside her mouth. She teased it with her tongue before letting it pop back out.

“Leave.” It sounded like he had a mouth full of gravel in his throat. Though Lilith had meant it when she said she would leave him if he wished it, he had to actually want it with all his being. She smiled up at him, not finding him at all sure enough.

“You don’t want that.” Tom couldn’t contain the moan that was pulled from his throat when her tongue circled the head of his cock.

The sound only encouraged her to tease it more. She wanted him and he wanted her. It was only a matter of time before he gave in and took what she was offering. She pulled more of him onto her mouth, swirling her tongue around him. He tasted so very good as precum already leaked from the tip.

Reaching up, she ran her hands over his strong thighs and pulled herself to him. He shuffled back in response, still at war with his need and sanity. She followed on her knees, not letting him slip from her mouth.

She took more and more of him into her mouth, stopping when she felt him hit the back of her mouth. With wide eyes, she watched him as she pulled back until he popped free. His eyes were locked on her as she peppered his shaft with kitten licks. It was a matter of time before his resolve broke and she could see that moment quickly approaching.

Again, she slipped her head down his cock. There was no rush as she inched down, enjoying the smooth feel of him. Under her fingertips, she could feel muscle twitch and bunch with each swirl of her tongue and she silently begged him to give her what she craved.

As he hit the back of her throat, she moaned and every ounce of self restraint, every fiber of his sanity snapped. Before he had even realized, his fingers were tangled once again in the too smooth waves of her hair as he bucked harshly forward. She should have choked, part of him wanted her to choke. Maybe then she would leave.

She didn’t choke however. She didn’t so much as flinch. He could feel her throat tighten before relaxing, allowing him to slip deeper. She shouldn’t be able to breath with the way he lodged himself in her throat but she only looked up at him, wide glowing eyes begging for him to give her more.

Her nose nestled in the curls at the base of his cock and he held her there, fingers curled into a fist in her hair. Saliva trailed down from her lips, unable to swallow it around him. In a seductive show he was somehow sure was intended for him alone, it dripped from her chin and down onto the curves of her breasts.

Yanking her back off of him, he expected her to cry out. To finally understand that she needed to leave. If he took her, he would make her regret it.

Instead, she looked up at him and smiled. Somehow, her ruby red lips were not even smeared and Tom wondered if that was just the color they were.

“Give it to me. Give me more. Use me, like you want to.” She begged and Tom knew he shouldn’t consider doing exactly what she wanted.

Using the hand in her hair, he threw her back and away from him. “Get out.”

“You want me.” She purred, raising up to her hands and knees. “Take pleasure in me.”

As she crawled toward him, he couldn’t help but admire the way her back arched and the roundness of her ass. Still, when her fingertips reached up and grazed his thighs, he flinched from her.

She needed to leave. He needed her to leave. This wasn’t right. He didn’t want this, though every fiber of his being cried out for her. He should be pushing her away but instead, he was rooted in place. He was powerless as she slowly rose up on her knees, wrapping her fingers around his cock and licking the slit in his tip.

He didn’t think about it. He couldn’t keep thinking. He needed her to go but god did he not want her to leave. Once again, his hand was in her hair and he forced her down on his cock. It didn’t matter in the moment if she was ready or even willing to take his cock into her throat again.

She gladly accepted his cock with giddy glee as he forced it down her throat. She moaned around him as he pulled himself free. She gasped for air and held her mouth open for him. Again he slammed home. Each time, he pushed her down his length as she gripped his thighs.

When she would clench her throat around him, sputter and make a show of choking it only spurred him on. Her tail curled around, caressing his lower leg while she pulled tears into her eyes.

Oh yes, this man wanted a show. He wanted to feel in control even while his control was so very gone. She could let him think he was in control. In order to get him to give her what she needed, she could oh so gladly be what he wanted.

Spittle ran down her chin, dripping onto her chest and the ground as he worked himself, again and again into her mouth. This man, he didn’t want her to be someone else. He wanted her to be someone he could use and take from. She didn’t have to tell him that she was the one doing the actual taking.

There was little for her to do other than hold onto his thighs and allow herself to rock back on her knees with each thrust of his hips. His fist in her hair guided her head as he worked himself.

His rhythm faltered. Each thrust came more forceful. Forever, he would long to fuck a mouth again like he did hers and never would a human be able to take it. She expected that he would spill down her throat again but instead, he yanked her back.

White ropes poured from him as he came with a deep moan that resonated in her core. She looked up at him with those pleading eyes as he spilled his seed, uncaring for the way he left his mark on her neck, shoulders and chest. It was warm and sticky and everything Lilith wanted.

“There.” He was winded, panting breaths slipping from his chest. His eyes were clouded and foggy. Without a doubt, Lilith knew he thought he was in control but he was so very much under her power. “I’ve used you.”

“You have.” She purred as she ran her finger over the rope of cum just over the cup of her corset only to bring the digit to her mouth. He watched with dark eyes as she swirled her tongue around it, making a show out of cleaning it. A throaty moan slipped from her lips as she enjoyed the taste.

“I don’t need you anymore.”

“Except you do.” Reaching up, she cupped his balls with one hand. Rising on her knees, she nuzzled the base of his still hard cock.

“I don’t.”

“Than why are you still so very hard?” In a fluid motion, she was on her feet and once again dancing her fingertips over his abdomen and chest. Nails traced muscles in a seductive dance as he shuffled his feet, trying to buy himself some space to breath. His pants were still tangled around his ankles and he couldn’t do much but shuffle.

Lilith wasn’t one do be denied even if he thought for a moment that he had a choice in the matter. Fingertips walked up his chest as she wrapped her arm around his neck, drawing herself closer to him.

He was frozen in place. Under where she rested one hand, she could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Leaning into him, she let her head rest on his on his shoulder. If it wasn’t for him being naked, save for the pants around his ankles, and the way his seed was smearing onto his chest, it would have looked like a sweet moment between a couple.

When his cock, trapped between then twitched, she smiled. He did not reach out to hold her but she could feel his longing. It was subtle, when he shifted his hips against her but he couldn’t hide the gasp that escaped him at the slight friction.

He knew he needed more. He wanted more.

Darting her tongue out, she traced a line up his neck before capturing his ear between her teeth. When she pulled on it, he moaned and at his sides, his fingers flexed as he resisted the urge to grab her. That was fine by her.

Dragging her teeth, she pulled back until his earlobe popped from between her lips. She wasted no time in getting to work, kissing, nibbling and grazing his neck with her teeth. When she focused in on the spot, just below his ear she was rewarded with a deep moan.

Tiling his head to the side, he tried to put distance between her and the spot but it didn’t do any good. She chased it and kept working at it. While he was focused on her lips, he didn’t realize her hand began to roam until long fingers circled around his cock.

Two pumps, that was all it too for every doubt to no longer matter to him. His arms wrapped around her. Harshly, he tugged her lips from his neck so that he could devour them himself. It was a harsh kiss, forceful and full of nipping teeth.

Tom’s other hand set to work ripping at the laces holding her corset against her body. She worked his cock with her hand as she felt the corset fall away from her. His large hands, cold but strong quickly cupped her breasts. Fingers pinched and pulled at her nipples as Tom walked backward, pulling her along with him.

His legs made contact with the bed and he almost fell back. Wrapping his hands around her so impossibly perfect and thin waist, he lifted her and turned, tossing her on the bed. Kicking off his pants, he didn’t give her more than a few seconds to settle before climbing over her.

Taking a nipple, already standing at point for him, into his mouth, he pawed at her boots. They had looked so good, covering her legs but now he needed them off of her. It took three tries for him to get the zipper between his fingers.

One, than the other were tossed to the side. Tom didn’t even register the sound of glass breaking as one boot landed on the dresser, pushing a glass to the floor where it shattered.

She reached out for him, wanting to touch him. Though she was well able to feel his need, feed of that need she wanted more. So much more. Harshly, he shoved her hands aside as he sat up.

“Bloody hell.” He mumbled in moment of clarity while he ran a hand through his hair. He took in everything about her. Her tail curled and twisted along the bed. Pale skin was marred by red circles left by his too harsh grip.

He watched as she ran her hand over her stomach and up, cupping her breast. Tilting her head back, she let out a moan as she pinched her nipple. He was frozen in place as he watched her run her teeth over her lip. Never in his life had he wanted a woman as bad as he wanted her.

When he ripped her pants down her legs, the sound of ripping fabric was drowned out by her velvet moans and his panting breaths. It didn’t matter to her and it so clearly didn’t matter to him in that moment.

His hands were harsh when he slipped them under he thighs and pulled her legs apart. Fingers dipped between her lips as his palm cupped her mound. With a moan, she arched her hips into his touch.

When he withdrew his hand, she whined. Tom brought his hand to his lips and found her taste to be so much more intoxicating than anything he could remember having. Leaning forward, he knelt at her core.

As he ran his tongue up her slit, she squirmed on the bed. With a firm hand, he held her down, stilling her hips as he lapped at her. Fingers slipped deep inside as her worked his tongue over her clit.

He worked her close to her orgasm only to withdraw at the last moment. It was beyond clear as she gazed up at him with heavy eyes that he was enjoying the power he thought he had over her. That was just as well.

Reaching out, she grabbed his cock and pumped him. Yes, it was best to keep him distracted by need so he wouldn’t think too much. It did the trick and he worked his way up her body. He left a trail of kisses and nips as he worked, moving onto a new spot only when red was blooming where he was.

He lined up with her entrance and without care or consideration for her comfort, he pushed himself inside. She arched her back below him, letting out a deep moan that was perhaps the most honest sound to leave her lips all day. All it had done was pull a matching moan from him.

She was wet and clamping around his cock. The wet heat was something he remembered from the last time he was buried within her. It was a burning heat that he had never felt with another. It was the most intoxicating thing, more so than even her taste.

Arms and legs hooked around him as she rocked her hips, urging him to move the moment he was fully seated inside. It didn’t take much to urge him into action. Running her hands over him, his chest, shoulders and back, she urged him on with touch and words both.

He moved over her, inside of her. As her nails scratched down his back, she pulled a needy moan from him. It was the most glorious of sounds. The pure sexual energy in that sound alone would sustain her for a month. Sill, she wanted more. That was part of her curse, she was always going to want more. Crave it. Need it.

“More.” She pleaded and he pushed her legs up higher along his waist, hitting deeper and drawing a cry from her as his reward.

He couldn’t seem to get enough of her. She looked so damned good, under him. Red hair was spread out on the bed, looking so much like flame. The whip like tail reached around her to caress the back of his thighs. The feeling was one that he couldn’t even begin to understand but he loved it just the same.

She begged for more and he craved it just as much, perhaps even more so. It seemed as if warmth spread out from her fingertips as she ran her hands through his hair. It only added to the impossible fire raging within him. It made no sense but she was simultaneously the source of the fire and the only thing that could put it out.

Running his hand up one of her arms, he caught her hand and pulled it from him. With a shift of his weight, he pinned it to the mattress after catching the other. Her wrists were so small that he was able to keep them captive with one of his hands, leaving the other free to roam her taught body.

She whimpered and begged for him, fingertips flexing as more of his weight settled on her wrist. He didn’t spare so much as a thought to if he was hurting her. She wasn’t complaining and that was good enough for him.

His free hand roamed her body as he worked himself into her, again and again. Pinching fingers tugged and twisted at her nipple and gripped her breast. Fingers dug into the soft skin with bruising force that pulled gasping moans from her throat.

Fingers trailed down, lower and lower. They gripped her side, then her thighs as he pulled them even higher up along his side. Leaning back, he hooked her legs over his shoulders. The change allowed him to hit deeper, harder as he dragged her arms down from over her head to being pinned at her side.

One arm crossed over her body, pushing her breast up in the most delectable way. He held her tightly, uncaring of her pleasure as he roughly fucked into her. The way her breasts bounced with each slap of his hips into her, they jerked as the shock wave pushed her up toward the head of the bed. His firm grip pulled her back toward him, each time.

While he wasn’t going out of his way to offer her pleasure, she seemed to be taking plenty from him. Her moans filled the room as he finally decided it was time for her to come apart. She’d made him come in the bathroom. She’d made him come in his pants like a boy. It was time he made her come.

Fingers played over that little nub of nerves and she squirmed under him with renewed fever. The moans that slipped from her lips sounded harsher, more honest and drew his mouth into a lustful smile. She had acted as if she had all the control but look at her squirm under his touch. Look at how her back arched and her breasts bounced.

He could feel her wet cunt tightening, gripping his cock. Against his hips, her thighs trembled. He could feel her whole body winding tight under his ministrations. He worked his fingers over her, though her slick all while never letting his pace slow.

The moan that left her in the moment where the spring snapped was something Tom would always crave to hear again. She clutched him impossibly tight as he watched muscles contract and spasm, powered by the force of her orgasm.

Tom pulled himself from her even as she still was contracting around him, uncaring about how she whined at the lose of him or the stimulation he provided. Strong hands pulled her up, forced her to roll to her knees. It didn’t matter to him if she was comfortable when he slammed back inside of her from behind.

Fingertips gripped her hips, dug into her as he moved. Each time he withdrew was painfully slow and yet each thrust forward was harsh. The force sent her rocking forward. It was difficult to remain on her hands and her elbows buckled. Tom didn’t give it any thought as his pace increased.

With her head resting on the bed, he found he rather liked that sight. It dismayed him when she found her hands and went to push herself up. He couldn’t have that. He wasn’t done taking her in such a barbaric way. As she began to push herself up on her hands, his palm rested center between her shoulder blades and pushed her down.

With her pinned in place, he was able to take his other hand off her hip, gripping the headboard. It was close now. So close. Just a little bit more. When the force of the thrusts rocked the bed, pinching his fingers between the headboard and the wall, he realized he needed to change positions. He had something to give her, something she was drawing from him in a way he couldn’t even begin to understand. All he knew is he had to give it to her. He had to surrender it to her.

Wrapping his fist in her hair, he pulled her up on her knees. If it hurt her or not didn’t cross his mind in the moment but the action only pulled a throaty moan from her lips.

“Harder.” She panted, struggling to hold herself right.

He complied, wrapping one arm around her and circling her his hand around to cup her breast. The soft mound jiggled and moved in his hand with each harsh thrust. His fingers let her liquid smooth hair slip free as her head rolled back, resting on his chest.

He looked down at her, watched the way her body moved against his as he ran his now free hand over her shoulder. Her slick had coated his thighs and he could see where it glistened on her.

After harshly pinching a nipple, he trailed his hand down and let his fingers slip through her sopping folds. She was so maddeningly wet that his fingers were able to glide effortlessly over her clit. Deep throaty moans left her as she reached up, hooking her arms around his neck behind her.

Capturing his ear between her lips, she gave it a harsh suck after running her tongue over the lobe. Panting pleas for more passed from her lips to his ear as his fingers found the base of her neck.

“More.” She cried as she sank her teeth into his neck, leaving a bruising bite behind. “More.” She begged as she sucked at the mark, just below his ear. “More.”

And he was more than willing to give it to her. His fingers wrapped around her neck and he squeezed, just enough to feel the power of the position rush over him, rush through him.

Even in that moment, deep in the back of his mind, something was screaming at him that he wasn’t in control, that he didn’t want this. Yet, never once had he felt as in control of a moment as he did right then.

“More.” This time it was he that panted the word in a voice he hardly recognized as his one. “So close.”

She sucked at that spot again and a garbled moan left him. It felt like the world shattered as his rhythm stuttered and stilled. He spilled inside her, uncaring of the potential repercussions. Deep, shuddering breaths passed into his chest as he held her pinned against him. A purr like moan slipped from her lips as it felt like every ounce of energy was drained from him.

She was so soft, so warm against him that when his hand slipped from her neck, it wrapped around her waist. He fell to the bed, holding her to him as they landed on their sides. She made no effort to move away as sleep quickly claimed in while he was still seated within her.

When she did get up, she made no effort to keep the mess spilling from her off the bed. Let him see it and be reminded of what they had done. He shifted as she left his embrace, fingers flexing and searching but did not wake.

He wouldn’t wake for some time. She had done as she was summoned to do and drained him of all he had to offer. Standing over him, uncaring of the window with it’s open curtains, she watched him sleep. His neck was marred with her mark and that pleased her.

She was so very fond of this meal. Whatever he had done to have someone summon her to him twice now, she was thankful for it. With one last parting look, she ran her fingers through her hair and straightened the mess he had made of it.

Grabbing his jumper from the ground, she slipped it over her head and took joy in the comfort of the soft fabric, worn thin with age. Nipples poked at the thin fabric as it clung to her, draping off her chest and falling down over her hips. The hem caressed her thigh. It wasn’t often that she took prizes but she was rather fond of this meal.

She thought about putting her pants on but decided against it. Standing in front of the mirror, she fluffed the roots of her hair and pulled her tail up under the shirt, wrapping it around her waist. Red marks littered her neck, exposed shoulder and chest.

A sly smirk crossed her lips as she turned back and walked to the bed, uncaring of the glass under her feet. It didn’t hurt her. Nothing could hurt her anymore. Leaning down, she kissed him softly on his red, parted lips. For a moment, she nuzzled into his neck, thankful for the meal he had provided her.

Looking out around the room. Lights shined through the lacy curtains. The heavier drapes had been left open, probably to offer light and warmth. It was late and Lilith spared him one last glance as she turned off the lights and stepped out of the room. Her boots, corset, pants and panties were all left where they lay. Stepping into the hall in nothing but his jumper, she pulled the door closed behind her.

“Isn’t that the room Tom Hiddleston went into yesterday?” A hushed voice from down the hall drew her attention. Lilith looked to the women, clearly guests of the hotel who had been on their way back to their room from the pool. “That looks like his shirt too.”

Lilith smiled at them and held her head high as she walled down the hall toward them. She may have been wearing nothing more than his shirt, she may have been walking with bare feet but still she walked with all the command of the goddess she had been born to be.

~~~~~<3

Tom’s mind swam as there was pounding at the hotel door. He wanted nothing more than to sleep for a year. Maybe two.

“I’m coming in, dammit!” Luke’s voice cut through the fog and Tom wondered why the fuck Luke was miffed at what felt like the middle of the night. Sleep fogged his mind and Tom dozed more.

The door opened and the man came storming into the room. “Christ! You could have covered up!” A pillow crashed into Tom’s crotch, making him realize that he was in fact very naked. It felt like he had aged fifty years. “What the bloody hell happened to the glass? You know what, I don’t give a shit. Why are you not dressed? Why are you still asleep, for that matter? You were to be at the convention hall over an hour ago!”

Luke was on a full tangent as Tom sat up.

“Bloody hell, what did you let her do to your neck?! There’s no way to cover that!”

“Let who do to my what?” Tom ran his hand through his hair as he held the pillow to his crotch, fighting to right his mind.

“The woman I assume this corset goes to.” Luke picked up the offending item of clothing and tossed it to Tom in disgust. “Where is she?”

“I don’t…”

“She’s not here.” Luke announced, peeking into the bathroom and finding it empty. “Get dressed. Casual today. And do try not to get too excited to have your picture taken today- I’ve not cleaned up THAT mess yet.”

“What are you talking about?” Tom couldn’t keep up, even as he struggled into a clean pair of boxers after making his way to the bathroom.

“Oh? You’ve been too busy sleeping off what I can only imagine was a hell of a bender to get my messages?” Luke raged. In truth, he was beyond surprised, frustrated and confused by the actions of his long time friend and client. “In the pictures from the last hour yesterday, you had a clear boner. Please do try not to repeat it, ever.”

Tom settled in to spend the ride to day two of the convention while Luke lectured every spare moment. He deserved every harsh word and more as pictures surfaced of a the redheaded woman slipping out of his room. She was wearing nothing but his trademark blue jumper. In the pictures, she looked nothing but perfectly human. Tom struggled to understand his memories of what had happened, few though they were as Luke demanded to know who she was.

~~~~~<3

Tag list:

@theoneanna, @alexakeyloveloki, @winterisakiller, @toozmanykids, @j-u-s-t-4, @missaphrodite23, @nonsensicalobsessions, @bambamwolf87, @tinchentitri, @xoxabs88xox, @queenoftheunderdark, @wegingerangelica, @myoxisbroken

#tom hiddleston smut #tom hiddleston x ofc #Tom Hiddleston X Original Character #tom hiddleston x original female character #tom hiddleston x oc #dub con #dubcon

117 notes · View notes

lokiondisneyplus · 3 years

Text

A review of “Journey Into Mystery,” the penultimate Loki Season One episode on Disney+, coming up just as soon as I paper cut a giant cloud to death…

Journey Into Mystery was the title of the first Marvel comic to feature either Thor or Loki. It began as an anthology series featuring monsters and aliens, but Jack Kirby, Stan Lee, and Larry Lieber were so smitten with their adaptation of the characters of Norse myth that the Asgardians gradually took over the whole book, which was renamed after its hammer-wielding hero(*).

(*) The early Journey Into Mystery stories treated Thor’s alter ego, disabled Dr. Donald Blake, as the “real” character, while Thor was just someone Blake could magically transform into, while retaining his memories and personality. It wasn’t even clear whether Asgard itself was meant to exist at first, until Loki turned up on Earth in an early issue, caused trouble, and Blake/Thor somehow knew exactly how to get to Asgard to drop him off. Soon, the lines between Thor and Blake began to blur, and eventually Thor became the real guy, and Blake a fiction invented by Odin to humble his arrogant son. It’s a mark of just how instantly charismatic Loki was that the entire title quickly steered towards him and the other gods.

But once upon a time, anything was possible in Journey Into Mystery, which makes it an apt moniker for an absolutely wonderful episode of Loki where the same holds true. Our title characters are trapped in the Void, a place at the end of time where the TVA’s victims are banished to be devoured by a cloud monster named Alioth. And mostly they are surrounded by the wreckage of many dead timelines. Classic Loki insists that his group’s only goal is survival, and any kind of planning and scheming is doomed to kill the Loki who tries. But this ruined, hopeless world instead feels bursting with imagination and possibility.

There are the many Loki variants we see, with President Loki, among others, joining Classic, Kid, Boastful, and Alligator Loki. There are the metric ton of Easter Eggs just waiting to be screencapped by Marvel obsessives (I discuss a few of them down below), but which still suggest a much larger and weirder MCU even if you don’t immediately scream out “Is that… THROG?!?!?” at the appropriate moment. And all of that stuff is tons of fun, to be sure. But what makes this episode — and, increasingly, this series — feel so special is the way that it explores the untapped potential of Loki himself, in his many, many variations.

This is an episode that owes more than a small stylistic and thematic debt to Lost. It’s not just that Alioth looks and sounds so much like the Smoke Monster(*), that it makes a shared Wizard of Oz reference to “the man behind the curtain” (also the title of one of the very best Lost episodes), or even that the core group of Lokis are hiding in a bunker accessible via a hatch and a ladder that’s filled with recreational equipment (in this case, bowling alley lanes). It’s also that Loki, Sylvie, their counterparts, and Mobius have all been transported to a strange place that has disturbing echoes from their own lives, that operates according to strange new rules they have to learn while fleeing danger, and their presence there allows them to reflect on the many mistakes of their past and consider whether they want to, or can, transcend them.

(*) Yes, Alioth technically predates Smokey by a decade (see the notes below for more), but his look has been tweaked a bit here to seem more like smoke than a cloud, and the sounds he makes when he roars sound a lot like Smokey’s telltale taxi cab meter clicks. Given the other Lost hat tips in the episode, I have to believe Alioth was chosen specifically to evoke Smokey.

Classic Loki is aptly named. He wears the Sixties Jack Kirby costume, and he is a far more powerful magician than either Sylvie or our Loki have allowed themselves to be. He calls our Loki’s knives worthless compared to his sorcery, which feels like the show acknowledging that the movies depowered Loki a fair amount to make him seem cooler. But if Classic Loki can conjure up illusions bigger and more potent than his younger peers, he is a fundamentally weak and defeated man, convinced, like the others, that the only way to win the game into which he was born is not to play. “We cannot change,” he insists. “We’re broken. Every version of ourselves. Forever.” It is not only his sentiment — Kid Loki adds that any Loki who tries to improve inevitably winds up in the Void for their troubles — but it seems to have weighed on him longer and harder than most.

But Classic Loki takes inspiration from Loki and Sylvie to stand and fight rather than turn and run, magicking up a vision of their homeland to distract Alioth at a crucial moment in Sylvie’s plan, and getting eaten for his trouble. He was wrong: Lokis can change. (Though Kid Loki might once again argue that Classic Loki’s death is more evidence that the universe has no interest in any of them doing so.) And both Loki and Sylvie have been changing throughout their time together. Like most Lokis, they seem cursed to a life of loneliness. Sylvie learned as a child that a higher power believed she should not exist, and has spent a lifetime hiding out in places where any friends she might make will soon die in an apocalypse. Our Loki’s past isn’t quite so stark, but the knowledge that his birth father abandoned him, while his adoptive father never much liked him, have left permanent scars that govern a lot of his behavior. The defining element of Classic Loki’s backstory is that he spent a long time alone on a planet, and only got busted by the TVA when he attempted to reconnect with his brother and anyone else he once knew. This is a hard existence, for all of them. And while it does not forgive them their many sins(*), it helps contextualize them, and give them the knowledge to try to be better versions of themselves.

(*) Loki at one point even acknowledges that, for him, it’s probably only been a few days since he led an alien invasion of New York that left many dead, though due to TVA shenanigans, far more time may have passed.

For that matter, Mobius is not the stainless hero he once thought of himself as. While he and Sylvie are tooling around the Void in a pizza delivery car (because of course they are), he admits that he committed a lot of sins by believing that the ends justified the means, and was wrong. He doesn’t know who he is before the TVA stole and factory rebooted him, but he knows that he wants something better for himself and the universe, and takes the stolen TemPad to open up a portal to his own workplace in hopes of tearing down the TVA once and for all. Before he goes, though, he and Loki share a hug that feels a lot more poignant than it should, given that these characters have only spent parts of four episodes of TV together. It’s a testament to Hiddleston, Wilson, Waldron, and company (Tom Kauffman wrote this week’s script) that their friendship felt so alive and important in such a short amount of time.

The same can be said for Loki and Sylvie’s relationship, however we’re choosing to define it. Though they briefly cuddle together under a blanket that Loki conjures, they move no closer to romance than they were already. If anything, Mobius’ accusations of narcissism in last week’s episode seem to have made both of them pull back a bit from where they seemed to be heading back on Lamentis. But the connection between them is real, whatever exactly it is. And their ability to take down Alioth — to tap into the magic that Classic Loki always had, and to fulfill Loki’s belief that “I think we’re stronger than we realize” — by working together is inspiring and joyful. Without all this nuanced and engaging character work, Loki would still be an entertaining ride, but it’s the marriage of wild ideas with the human element that’s made it so great.

Of course, now comes the hard part. Endings have rarely been an MCU strength, give or take something like the climax of Endgame, and the finales of the two previous Disney+ shows were easily their weakest episodes. The strange, glorious, beautiful machine that Waldron and Herron have built doesn’t seem like it’s heading for another generic hero/villain slugfest, but then, neither did WandaVision before we got exactly that. This one feels different so far, though. The command of the story, the characters, and the tone are incredibly strong right now. There is a mystery to be solved about who is in the big castle beyond the Void (another Loki makes the most narrative and thematic sense to me, but we’ll see), and a lot to be resolved about what happens to the TVA and our heroes. And maybe there’s some heavy lifting that has to be done in service to the upcoming Dr. Strange or Ant-Man films.

It’s complicated, but on a show that has handled complexity well. Though even if the finale winds up keeping things simpler, that might work. As Loki notes while discussing his initial plan to take down Alioth, “Just because it’s not complicated doesn’t mean it’s bad.” Though as Kid Loki retorts, “It also doesn’t mean it’s good.”

Please be good, Loki finale. Everything up to this point deserves that.

Some other thoughts:

* Most of this week’s most interesting material happens in the Void. But the scenes back at the TVA clarify a few things. First, Ravonna is not the mastermind of all this, and she was very much suckered in by the Time-Keeper robots. But unlike Mobius or Hunter B-15, she’s so conditioned to the mission that even knowing it’s a lie hasn’t really swayed her from her mission. She has Miss Minutes (who herself is much craftier this week) looking into files about the creation of the TVA, but for the most part comes across as someone very happy with a status quo where she gets to be special and pass judgment on the rest of the multiverse.

* Alioth first appeared in 1993’s Avengers: The Terminatrix Objective, a miniseries (written by Mobius inspiration Mark Gruenwald, and with some extremely kewl Nineties art full of shoulder pads, studded collars, and the like) involving Ravonna, Kang, and the off-brand versions of Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor (aka U.S. Agent, War Machine, and Thunderstrike, the latter of whom has yet to appear in the MCU). It’s a sequel to a Nineties crossover event called Citizen Kang. And no, I still don’t buy that Kang will be the one pulling the strings here, if only because it’s really bad storytelling for the big bad of the season to have never appeared or even been mentioned prior to the finale.

* Rather than try to identify every Easter egg visible in the Void’s terrain, I’ll instead highlight three of the most interesting. Right before the Lokis arrive at the hatch, we see a helicopter with Thanos’ name on it. This is a hat tip to an infamous — and often memed — out-of-continuity story where Thanos flies this chopper while trying to steal the Cosmic Cube (aka the Tesseract) from Hellcat. (A little kid gets his hands on it instead and, of course, uses the Cube to conjure up free ice cream.) James Gunn has been agitating for years for the Thanos Copter to be in the MCU. He finally got his wish.

* The other funny one: When the camera pans down the tunnel into Kid Loki’s headquarters, we see Mjolnir buried in the ground, and right below it is a jar containing a very annoyed frog in a Thor costume. This is either Thor himself — whom Loki cursed into amphibianhood in a memorable Walt Simonson storyline — or another character named Simon Walterston (note the backwards tribute to Walt) who later assumed the tiny mantle.

* Also, in one scene you can spot Yellowjacket’s helmet littering the landscape. This might support the theory that the TVA, the Void, etc., all exist in the Quantum Realm, since that’s where the MCU version of Yellowjacket probably went when his suit shorted out and he was crushed to subatomic size. Or it might be more trolling of the fanbase from the company that had WandaVision fans convinced that Mephisto, the X-Men, and/or Reed Richards would be appearing by the season finale.

* Honestly, I would have watched an entire episode that was just Loki, Mobius, and the others arguing about whether Alligator Loki was actually a Loki, or just a gator who ended up with the crown, presumably after eating a real Loki. The suggestion that the gator might be lying — and that this actually supports, rather than undermines, the case for him being a Loki — was just delightful. And hey, if Throg exists in the MCU now, why not Alligator Loki?

* Finally, the MCU films in general are not exactly known for their visual flair, though a few directors like Taika Waititi and Ryan Coogler have been able to craft distinctive images within the franchise’s usual template. Loki, though, is so often wonderful to look at, and particularly when our heroes are stuck in strange environments like Lamentis or the Void. Director Kate Herron and the VFX team work very well together to create dynamic and weird imagery like Sylvie running from Alioth, or the chaotic Loki battle in the bowling alley. Between this show and WandaVision, it appears the Disney+ corner of the MCU has a bit more room to expand its palette. (Falcon and the Winter Soldier, much less so.)

#Loki #spoilers #episode 5 #review #Rolling Stone #Alan Sepinwall

77 notes · View notes

demigodofhoolemere · 4 years

Text

Long bitterness below because I saw something that drove me crazy and I wasn’t gonna be able to rest until I articulated my frustrated thoughts

~~~~~

@ the person who wrote this I just wanna talk

https://screenrant.com/mcu-avengers-most-shameless-things-loki-ever-done/

Most of these are just outright wrong and it only takes the slightest glance at canon events to prove them as such, and the ones that have any amount of accuracy to them are devoid of critical context.

I don’t remember seeing much of this stuff before Ragnarok but it’s everywhere now and it’s kind of telling of the narrative bias that movie planted in everyone’s heads that people are now looking back with a lens that’s colored to be against him from the outset without bothering to take into consideration context, critical thinking skills, or empathy. The narrative tells us that he’s just bad so let’s not look any further than that I guess.

Wasn’t gonna debate each of them but the more I think about it the more it’s gonna bug me until I do, so here comes the bitter canon police...

Number 10

1) Right from the off: “Loki and Thor have always had a love/hate relationship — though it gravitates more toward the ‘hate’ part.” Um... always? Because last I checked, despite their differences, they grew up as best friends. Their problems that we see onscreen span from 2011-2017, a measly 6 years compared to over a thousand years of life together. This is a blip on the radar, one that certainly doesn’t constitute leaning towards mainly hate for each other. Heck, even during this time period, they’re clearly shown to love each other. Loki definitely gets angry, but I wouldn’t say he outright “loathes” Thor, at least not in a way that diminishes the love he also has for him.

2) “As such, Loki has betrayed Thor and his adoptive family many times.” This is so wrong I barely have the energy to explain why. People love to give examples of all of Loki’s supposed betrayals and they pretty much all fall down under scrutiny. The only ones I can understand listing are lying to Thor about Odin being dead, along with his attempts to kill Thor at the climax of the first movie (this stuff was when he was waaay out of his right mind, btw — not that he’s not responsible for his actions, but context is still important when taking into account anything he does), and various things in Ragnarok that were out of character for him to do in the first place. Anything else, even if it’s bad, cannot be counted specifically as betrayals against his adoptive family, since things like coming to Earth weren’t about them. If only a couple of instances are able to qualify as betrayals, then no, he has not done this “many” times, no matter how much people like to push that idea.

3) “Of course, Thor often got the brunt of it.” I’ll let that one stand because Thor got a fair number of screams aimed at him, but honestly, I’d say the person most negatively affected by Loki’s actions tends to be Loki. Thor really didn’t get more than he could handle. And as much as I love him, he’s not innocent of dishing his own stuff onto Loki as well. Wording it this way makes it sound like he’s Loki’s abuse victim (when more than anything, they are both the victims of Odin’s awful parenting rather than each other).

4) “So, it’s basically a normal sibling relationship that they portrayed. Oh, and Loki is never apologetic about his violence against Thor — siblings through and through.” First of all when I see stuff like this I have deep concerns for other people’s relationships with their siblings and am reminded of how grateful I am for my sister, but secondly, I don’t get the impression that Asgardians do much apologizing overall. You don’t see Thor apologizing for violence against Loki either. Terrible habit, but it seems to be the culture they were raised in. Besides, I feel like dying for Thor multiple times is decent substitution. (And while it’s not totally clear what he was specifically referring to, it’s worth noting Loki did profusely tell Thor he was sorry on Svartalfheim.)

Number 9

1) Oh my word, I am tired of seeing this. That scene was filmed as a real death, and everyone from Tom Hiddleston to Kevin Feige continued to refer to it as such after the reshoots. I wouldn’t know where to find it right now but I know there’s a quote from Kevin about it being real and that it was only just non-fatal enough for him to survive it. The only place anyone ever says he faked it? In Ragnarok, which is already filled to the brim with retcons, and it’s said by Thor (or whoever that is in Ragnarok who took Thor’s face) who has no knowledge of what really happened, he just makes assumptions and accusations that Loki isn’t given the chance to refute. It. Was. Not. Fake.

2) “He was rather casual about it and didn’t care much about how the rest of his family would take the news.” Source? We don’t exactly get the time to see his feelings on the matter. Also, Thor is the only one who would have cared anyway. Frigga was killed and Odin wanted him dead.

Number 8

1) “One of the reasons why Loki faked his own death was to seize a great opportunity [...]” He must not be good at carrying out his own plans then, since he immediately genuinely tried to offer the throne to Thor. Thor turned it down. Was there still satisfaction from getting the chance to prove that he can be a king? Yeah, because he’s still never felt like he’s been able to prove himself as equal. The chance to prove people wrong about him, and especially the chance to prove his own worth to himself, is exciting, hence that grin at the end. He’s certainly not upset at that opportunity. But that only happened because Thor didn’t take him up on the offer.

2) “The worst part was that he cast a spell on Odin and exiled him in a retirement home on Earth.” The... the worst part? That he removed the man who would have killed Thor upon return and was willing to have all of Asgard and everyone in it destroyed? And still had the mercy to send him somewhere that he’d be safe and taken care of every single day? Uh... okay.

3) “For a time, Loki ruled the Asgardians in their process of recovery from the Dark Elves’ attack.” Yeah, exactly. Thanks for aiding my point. Even Ragnarok of all things, despite the issues I have with the way Loki was portrayed as king, still manages to prove this point by showing things on Asgard being peaceful and repaired.

Number 7

1) Mostly correct this time, but missing the context of why Loki is angry enough at Odin to want the Dark Elves to go after him. Without considering all of the lies and heartache Odin caused that sent Loki’s mind spiraling in the first place, let alone the fact that he left him to spend the next 4,000 years of his life in solitary (which is outright torture, and Loki knew it would be because he seemed to have no problem with the thought of being executed instead), it makes it sound like it was a purely petty betrayal rather than based in any reason. Loki does everything for a reason.

2) “One would think that Loki would’ve learned a lot from this but he kept on being his usual self after a short bout of guilt and anger in his cell.” First of all I think you greatly underestimate how long that’s gonna stick with Loki. Secondly, if by ‘kept on being his usual self’ you mean the immediately following scenes wherein he helps Thor go get revenge on the monsters that killed Frigga and ultimately dies to avenge her and save his brother’s life, then you forgot the actual events of canon again and also inadvertently complimented him by saying that’s normal for him.

EDIT: You know how you can watch something a thousand times and somehow it takes that thousandth time to catch something? Yeah. Anyway, Loki directed Kurse to Asgard’s power plant so he could turn the shield off. THAT is what he was directing him towards, it was to let the Elves in to get to Odin. He didn’t even unknowingly lead Kurse to Frigga, Kurse just went where Malekith was, and Malekith found Frigga because she was guarding the Stone. Kurse would have killed her anyway, Loki’s actions had no bearing on that. Hold him responsible for getting the shield shut down and letting more Elves in (while still referring to point 1 for why), but Frigga’s death never had anything to do with him because Kurse got out anyway. Loki just doesn’t know that. But a character blaming themselves doesn’t mean they’re right.

Number 6

1) Another thing I wish would stop cropping up in all discussions of Loki. Stealing the Tesseract isn’t his ~thing~. I’m annoyed with this one just on principle lol.

2) “Throughout all the MCU movies, Loki has stolen the Tesseract at least thrice, each in three different movies. He just doesn’t know when to give up.” None of those times were just for the lolz like people say. In Avengers he had to get it for Thanos to save his life. In Ragnarok, what the heck was he supposed to do, leave an Infinity Stone floating around in space for anyone to get? It’s not like it would have been destroyed with Asgard. Better to take it and keep it safe. And in Endgame, while I felt that was starting to lean too much into ‘haha I love taking the Tesseract’ territory, it was to get away from the imprisonment and possible death that would have been waiting for him in either SHIELD or Asgardian custody. Loki does everything for a reason.

Number 5

1) “[...] he immediately embraced his evil tendencies.” ROFL I’m sorry but the idea of THIS kid having had prior evil tendencies is actually hilarious.

2) “[...] killing countless innocents on Earth [...]” In canon, there were 74 fatalities in the Battle of New York, which were caused by the Chitauri that Thanos sent rather than directly by Loki. Loki’s personal kill count on Earth can be listed on one hand — literally, it’s something like 5 confirmed onscreen deaths by his hand, with several other unconfirmed ones because we just see him attack but not how badly people got hit. The 80 people that Natasha mentions were the SHIELD agents that went down with the base in the beginning, which wasn’t Loki’s doing, outside of the few guards he killed when he got there. That was pretty easy to count.

3) “[...] and probably other planets as well.” Supposition. Not even the slightest bit of hinting of that in canon. Next.

4) Loki himself was being tortured and under extreme emotional duress and mental manipulation during this movie. Not that he’s automatically 100% absolved of responsibilities, because he did make choices of his own, but again - CONTEXT. This was a fight for his life. He was not well, physically, mentally, or emotionally. There is almost nothing he did in this movie that he would do under normal circumstances in his right mind.

5) “In addition to that, he also put his homeworld of Asgard in constant danger. Odin’s words about Loki being followed by death and destruction wherever he goes definitely rang true.” If you’re referring to the first movie when he lets the Jotuns in, both instances of that were planned in such a way that no Asgardians were supposed to be in danger; he couldn’t have known the guards to the vault wouldn’t be able to take them (and that first plan was intended to protect Asgard from a young and arrogant Thor’s reign; another of few instances that can count as betrayal, but done with reason), and the second time he brought them in was specifically to kill them because, with the combination of his unstable mind and the kind of things Odin praises, he thought it would finally gain him approval from his father (and he was raised with no regard for Jotun lives therefore he didn’t even grasp that it was wrong). That’s the only time Asgard was even slightly jeopardized by Loki. In every single other instance, he is pretty darn devoted to protecting Asgard. Time and again. Odin’s words are a load of crap. Loki has only been surrounded by things like that in the last couple of years, when out of his right mind or coerced or both. This is not something that has always been, and it’s certainly hypocritical for Odin of all people to be making accusations like that when he and his favorite son have done worse things. Heck, Thor’s body count on Jotunheim in the very beginning is on its own a larger number than Loki’s body count in the entire MCU, all for being called a princess. Many of the heroes in the franchise have worse — even significantly worse — body counts than Loki.

Number 4

1) Tortured and controlled by Thanos. Next.

2) “[...] the culmination of all of Loki’s plans ever since he left Asgard to become a villain.” For one thing I love how this makes it sound like he made the conscious decision to run away and be a villain lol, but I just... you remember how he left Asgard, right? When he made a suicide attempt by falling into the void that he could not possibly think he would survive through? He didn’t exactly have future plans in mind. He was trying to die.

3) Now you’re only assuming people died? I thought it was countless?

Number 3

1) This wasn’t a takeover of Asgard. Frigga, who knew that he’s a Frost Giant, appointed him as regent for the time being. What he did with the power is what’s questionable, but the way he got it was completely legit. There was no scheming — he didn’t even want it at first. The thought of proving himself got to his head but he didn’t take the throne purposely nor was it illegally, or done in deception or under false pretenses.

2) While the things he did were wrong, it was not technically a betrayal of Odin or Asgard. He did what he did precisely because it was the sort of thing his father and his people would usually see as heroic. If you wanna call it a betrayal of Asgard for taking the risk of having Jotuns there, I guess, but not of Odin, and it was not done maliciously towards them. The ones who actually suffered for this were the Jotuns.

3) “[...] quickly transformed into one of Asgard’s most dangerous enemies.” He transformed into Odin’s enemy. If he were an enemy of Asgard he wouldn’t have spent his years on the throne protecting it.

Number 2

1) This one is mostly fair and I consider this to be the worst thing Loki’s done. However, this is hardly about shamelessness. This (and seemingly all of the article) is written in the assumption that his actions were done in his right mind. Again: he was in the middle of a mental breakdown. That doesn’t exonerate him but it’s sure as heck important context.

Number 1

(covered the image because no one needs to see that)

1) “[...] betraying the whole universe just because you can is pure evil.” Yeah, it would be. Good thing for Loki then that that’s not what he did.

2) “Loki consciously served Thanos with the initial goal of becoming ‘king’ of the Earth.” Loki was consciously fighting to stay alive because disobedience and failure would mean unimaginable horrors.

Working with Thanos is NOT something he would do just because. As far as wanting to be king of Earth goes, Thanos canonically messed with Loki’s head. He made him think that was what he wanted, just like he dug into his mind to make him angrier at Thor. Thor himself, who has known Loki their entire lives, noted that his behavior and goals were uncharacteristic of him.

3) “It seems like Loki got his just desserts on that front.” Gotta say, I’m genuinely a little horrified when I see people say that Loki deserved that death. No one deserves to have their windpipe crushed and neck snapped brutally by their abuser. That was the most gratuitously graphic character death I’ve ever seen. Even if you think he wasn’t tortured by him before and willingly joined forces with him, he still wouldn’t deserve that fate. It’s too morbid for anybody. ‘Just desserts’ is supposed to be about justice. There’s no carrying out of justice here. It’s just senseless and cruel, and done to a man who had gotten out of the dark place in his life to start anew.

~~~~~

That was longer than I ever intended to let myself get worked up over a dumb ScreenRant post but I feel better with that out of my system.

Here’s to fact-checking before making accusations that have no basis 🥂

#as usual i’m trying to stay in my lane keeping my negativity under the cut but just beware that if you click you will see bitterness #marvel #loki #marvel critical #ragnarok critical #tbh mostly article writers critical #i long for the day when people stop writing about things that they don’t know well enough while acting like they’re obviously right

5 notes · View notes

twh-news · 3 years

Text

‘Loki’s Tom Hiddleston Teases Marvel Series Finale, What It All Means & Is There More Of The God Of Mischief To Come?

By Dominic Patten | Deadline

SPOILER ALERT: This article contains details of the first five episodes of Disney+’s Loki, & maybe the finale. Maybe.

EXCLUSIVE: “I have learned, at this point, having said goodbye to the character more than twice, two and a half times maybe, to make no assumptions,” says Loki’s Tom Hiddleston as the hours tick away to the finale of the Disney+ series drops early on Wednesday morning. “We’ll see where the ride goes now,” the Marvel alum adds. As always with almost any project from the Kevin Feige run studio, that ride could continue, at least in some form or another. Certainly, the June 9 ‘Glorious Purpose’ premiere of the Michael Waldron penned and Kate Herron directed Loki proved to be the Disney+ and the MCU’s biggest small screen success so far. Also with any Marvel project, past Emmy winner Hiddleston was elusive on what could be coming next, be it in the Loki finale, another season or another appearance in the movies as the MCU shifts into its next phrase.

One thing is clear, after a decade playing the God of Mischief, Hiddleston still has a lot of Loki on the brain, in the best way.

Leading towards the finale, I chatted with a UK-based Hiddleston about returning to play Loki and the search for who or what controls the seemingly all knowing, all powerful Time Variance Authority. The Night Manager star also spoke about filming during the coronavirus pandemic, working with Owen Wilson, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Wunmi Mosaku, Richard E. Grant, and Sophia Di Martino, who portrays variant and soulmate Sylvie, and his upcoming AppleTV+ series The Essex Serpent with Claire Danes.

DEADLINE: In terms of who he is?

DEADLINE: How so?

DEADLINE: It opens up the aperture certainly for new stories from all opportunities, doesn’t it?

DEADLINE: …Because in the Marvel Universe, answering one set of questions always leads to another set of questions, in many ways.

HIDDLESTON: Right. Yeah. Yeah, and I know that there are lots of, you know, interesting titles of movies that’ve been announced, which kind of hint at where it might be going.

DEADLINE: One of those that hasn’t been officially announced, but is rumored is a Season 2 for Loki, in gear under the temporary title of Architect on call sheets and the like …

DEADLINE: Well, I doubt that, but let me ask, and no spoilers for the finale or further, but if Kevin, Marvel, Disney asked you to do more Loki, are you game?

HIDDLESTON: That there was meaning in the making of it.

That we crossed the finish line in the middle of a global pandemic and could create something, and more than ever, I felt really grateful for being able to do this job. I think in this there are some of those questions that we were all asking ourselves in the last 18 months in the show, you know, what do our lives mean?

I love taking Loki in new directions. I love the contributions of my fellow actors, of Owen Wilson and Sophia Di Martino and Richard E. Grant and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and Wunmi Masaku, they all brought so much to the table, and I’ll always remember that. You know, I’ll always remember just being in Atlanta with all of them and making our bonkers show. Yeah.

DEADLINE: Really?

HIDDLESTON: Yes, and it remains extremely special for me, this project, for that reason.

For me, it just demonstrated the character of these amazing people. It took a huge amount of planning and care and looking after each other. By that, I mean, being in the bubble. So, for many of us, the only other human beings we saw, really, were each other. So, we came to work, and we became a team, and the circumstances fostered this extraordinary team spirit, and so the memory of making it is really my incredible and deep respect and affection for my fellow filmmakers. People like Trish Stanard, our line producer. Richard Graves, our first AD. Kristina Peterson, our second AD. Autumn Durald, DP. Kevin Wright, our supervising producer, and so many others making sure everyone could stay safe and look after each other.

It’s really…I find it…it’s very moving, and it’s remarkable, and I just want to salute them all because I couldn’t have done any of it without them.

DEADLINE: When you describe it like that it sounds very Loki indeed.

DEADLINE: Literally and figuratively?

I thought it’s over, and I was really proud to have been part of it. I was grateful for my time, but I thought that, my work would go off in a different direction. So, the idea that I got to come back and have another go was a complete delight, it truly was.

#loki #loki series #tom hiddleston #interview #article #deadline #loki spoilers #spoilers #loki series spoilers

18 notes · View notes

immortal-imagines · 5 years

Text

Sweet Love

Summary: Can you write a Tom Hiddleston fic where his gf feels very insecure about her body (she isn’t fat, just very curvy) especially since he gets to work with tons of gorgeous women and she thinks he stays because he doesn’t want to upset her and when she tells him (after he asks) what’s going on, he shows her how gorgeous she is?

(Tom Hiddleston x Reader)

Warnings: A little bit of angst, but mostly fluff

Word Count: 796

Requested by: Anon

A/N: Just a short Tom imagine for you :)

Tom had been out filming all day. You always waited up for him, but today it was becoming especially difficult. You had Bridget Jones on the TV and a bowl of popcorn on the table in front of you. The film was almost over, but you could feel your eyes growing heavy. It was nearly midnight and Tom still wasn’t home. This wasn’t unusual though. Shoots could go on to the early hours of the morning sometimes.

To keep yourself up, you grabbed your phone and began scrolling on Instagram. This proved to be a big mistake. You’d never been the most confident of people, but somehow Tom always managed to make you feel great about yourself. That didn’t stop you from getting self-conscious. He got to work with so many beautiful women and it made you feel inadequate sometimes. You were curvier than some of the girls he worked alongside and it didn’t go unnoticed. The press liked to pick up on it a lot. Today was no different. There were several posts that you’d been tagged in from various gossip sites, with photos of you and Tom. Some of them were from a recent holiday you’d taken, of the pair of you sunbathing on the beach and swimming in the sea. You’d felt fantastic that day, in a new bikini. Tom had complimented you extensively when he saw you and made some rather suggestive comments, which he’d acted on that evening. However, trolls on Instagram decided to pick up on every little detail about the fact that you had been showing some skin. There were comments about your size, the small amount of cellulite on your thighs. And then there were the comments which had become the norm recently. “Why is Tom dating her?” “He could do so much better.” You’d almost become desensitised to them at this point, but it didn’t mean they went unnoticed.

Once you decided that Instagram wasn’t a good idea to keep you awake and the end credits of the film began to roll, you got up, just about ready to call it quits and go to sleep. You wiped your eyes free of the tears that were threatening to fall and went into your bedroom. You figured you’d probably wake up when Tom got back anyway and if not, you would see him in the morning.

Just as you were beginning to drift off, you heard the front door of the apartment click open and the sound of Tom’s soft steps making their way towards the bedroom. You rubbed your eyes and sat up a little bit in bed. The door opened and a very tired looking Tom crawled into bed next to you. He wrapped his arms around your waist and squeezed you tightly against him. “I missed you today,” he mumbled into your shoulder.

“I missed you too,” you smiled, kissing the top of his head. You tried to mask the hint of sadness in your voice at what you’d seen online, but it was impossible to hide anything from Tom. He knew you too well. He took your face in his hands and kissed your nose. “What’s going on, love? You don’t sound like yourself,” he said, staring into your eyes.

“It’s nothing, really. We can talk about it tomorrow. You’ve had a long day and I don’t want to keep you up any longer when you’re so sleepy,” you said.

Tom shook his head, “My love, we are staying up as long as it takes for me to make you happy again.”

You sighed. He was so perfect, so sweet and caring. “Promise you won’t laugh?” you asked.

“Of course not!” he said, his face so sincere that it made you smile.

“I’ve been reading so many comments about us. About me. About what I look like. I know I should be used to it by now and I shouldn’t let them bother me, but I do. It’s hard when I see all the gorgeous girls you work with and then what people say about me on the internet,” you finished, looking down, not able to meet Tom’s eyes.

He raised your chin with one finger and pressed a kiss on your lips. “You’re beautiful, darling. Those people are awful and they don’t deserve your time. And the press is full of liars. I love you. You perfect and the most beautiful girl I’ve ever met. I’m lucky to have you. No one else matters. Just you.”

You smiled, a tear rolling down your cheek. He kissed it away, then pulled you down under the covers. He wrapped his arms around you and nestled his head into the crook of your neck.

“I love you,” you whispered, before drifting off into a peaceful sleep.

#tom hiddleston #tom hiddleston x reader #tom hiddleston imagine #tom hiddleston fluff

138 notes · View notes

insanityclause · 5 years

Link

What most struck me about this production of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal, is how much it reminded me of another star-powered Pinter production that grazed Broadway in 2015–Old Times. The staging and direction of both productions were frigid, spare, with Lazy Susan-style rotating floor pieces on which the actors stood or sat or lounged, tensely, always poised and statuesque, often to great visual effect—three attractive actors each, as well-dressed and brooding as if they were models on an editorial fashion shoot.

What I remember most about the 2015 Pinter production is not the specifics of the content of the show itself (though I recall generally enjoying it), but this aesthetic, linked to the theme, of course—circuity and the particular trap of time—but so prominent that it overwrote the rest; my remembrance was so marked by the poses, the lights, the tone, and the distances between the actors onstage.

Similarly, when the lights come up on the current Betrayal, directed by Jamie Lloyd, the three characters of the play’s love triangle are stiffly posed together. One may think of chess pieces set on a board, and such a likeness is fitting—Pinter’s plays are ones of deception, manipulation, and calculated maneuvers. The set feels chilly, impersonal, bare. Slate-like panels frame the space, creating the sensation of things being hemmed in. The lighting, too, is aggressively icy, like the fluorescents in an office.

Jerry (Charlie Cox) and Emma (Zawe Ashton) sit side by side, talking in folding chairs as Robert (Tom Hiddleston) lurks in the background, removed, drink in hand. Emma and Jerry, it’s quickly revealed, have previously had an affair, though it’s over now, and Emma and Robert’s marriage has come to an end. They talk about their jobs, their families, and sprinkled in are a few references to things from their past that we’ll find out more about later: a trip to Italy, a playful moment with Emma’s daughter, lunchtime liaisons in a shared flat. It’s all on the table (atop a Venetian tablecloth, one could say, as such a fabric is referenced more than once) from the start, so the discovery lies not in the act itself but in the evolution of it, the resolve of it, the talk of and around it, which, more than the infidelity itself, encompasses the truest representation of betrayal.

In one exquisitely done scene, by far the best of the production, the back wall of the stage comes forward, clipping the open area from a yawn to a short breath of space, where Robert and Emma sit together while on vacation in Italy. The light has a yellow tint, and though there is no excess furniture (the same two chairs from the beginning appear again), and the tabula-rasa-style set is as unyieldingly clinical and anonymous as before, Robert and Emma move with an ease that implies familiarity, even when it’s invisible to our eyes, and the warmer lighting and smaller space draws us into the intimacy. Robert, having discovered that Jerry has sent Emma a letter, double-talks his way around asking her whether she’s sleeping with his best friend.

Hiddleston, temporarily hanging up his cape and horns from his role as the beloved mischief-maker of the Marvel Cinematic Universe to make his Broadway debut, is devastatingly matter of fact in his demeanor, his Robert steadily circling closer and closer to confirming the thing he already knows to be true as the conversation goes on. He nudges Emma, trying to gauge her reaction, but the exchange feels more masochistic on his part, a long, slow act of self-harm that Hiddleston allows Robert sink into with depressing resignation. Ashton, too, delivers her best in the scene, her face, elsewhere deceptively easy and bright, gradually crumbling and contorting as the conversation goes on. It’s like watching a home fall apart, in real time.

All the while, Jerry slumps against a wall in the dark, off to the side. Later, Robert sits directly next to Jerry as the latter meets with Emma for another indiscretion. Robert knows about the affair, and though the character is physically present onstage, he is silent, not actually present in the setting or the action of the scene. Still, he’s intrusive, like a spectre, a grim Dickensian Ghost of Marriage Present. It’s an artful choice on Lloyd’s part, which directs attention to the importance of proximities in the production, allowing each scene to maintain the tension of the trio and continue to hint at the consequences of a transgression that keeps happening.

The production in many ways literalizes the unpacking of the relationship that the text performs. In the haunting presence of the characters—whoever the third wheel happens to be in any given scene—is well done, but at other times the production just tips over the line into over kneading its themes. It eases us into the past, opens up so that we learn the characters personally, firsthand, as we witness them backwards in time. The problem is that whereas we’re meant to begin at the end with just a sketch of the situation and then gradually swallow the full context, missing in the early scenes is the sense that that same context—that history of the characters—is fully accessible to the production itself, even if it’s not yet accessible to us as we’re starting out on this backwards journey.

Part of the issue comes back to the audaciously stripped-down aesthetic and direction, which untether the play from time or setting (though both are clearly referenced—just not seen). This places the onus on the actors to recreate what we’re missing through the meat of their performances. Hiddleston’s Robert fits well into the cool distance that the play creates, occasionally showing his bite, and Cox’s Jerry (also known for his jaunts in the world of Marvel—albeit the grittier, Netflix-owned parts, in the criminal underground of Hell’s Kitchen in Daredevil) has an easy good-guy charm. Cox really digs his feet into the play’s comic moments, surprisingly, filling the space with jokes, and he works well opposite Hiddleston in their exchanges, but he sometimes goes a bit too big, hitting and holding the comic beats to a hammy fermata. But it’s Ashton who’s least served by the production’s combination of style and space; her Emma is remarkably aloof and remote, and the production only emphasizes her character’s emotional distance, so that her underlying feelings—a cocktail of wishfulness and sorrow and anger, one imagines—are so masked that they make the rendering feel undeveloped at times. Unfortunately, she and Cox also lack chemistry, and despite Lloyd’s attempts to spark electricity in the spaces between them—scenes where they touch, or, more often, don’t touch—it often feels like dead air.

But ultimately these are small qualms, minute, inconsistent injuries, in the grand sense of the thing—the thing being a production that succeeds in matching the thoughtfulness, in attention and execution, of Pinter’s text. In art there are incongruities that blunder or bore, but in this Betrayal, for example, the distinct takes on the characters, though they don’t always mesh, are nonetheless engaging, creating their own interesting kind of dissonance among them, even in times when one could imagine them as figures in each their own separate plays, of different tones and temperaments. More often than not, the production delivers what one would hope to receive on a night out to see a talented cast of actors in a well-known play by one of theater’s talented, oft-celebrated playwrights. Somehow, it manages to make betrayal stylish and simple and complex and familiar and detached and funny and tragic. It makes betrayal a pleasure to behold.

19 notes · View notes

tlbodine · 5 years

Text

A Decade of Horror Recommendations

With 2020 approaching, we’re reaching the end of a decade that has been uncommonly good to the horror genre, especially the last few years. Here’s an overview of some of the stand-out titles and my recommendations. Feel free to ask me about any of the titles on this list and I’ll happily share my more in-depth thoughts on them!

Note that, of course, I have not seen every movie that’s come out in recent years, so I’ve probably missed some titles -- feel free to jump in with your own recommendations!

Also this post is really long and has gifs, so I’m putting it under a cut. Sorry for the dash spam, mobile fam. Tell Tumblr to fix their shit.

2010: Supernatural Horror Starts Making a Comeback

Some stand-out films:

Insidious: An important film for modern horror history, helping to usher in the new wave of paranormal/hauntings/demon films. It lays the tropes for a lot of the films that would get big in upcoming years. I thought it was pretty solidly decent.

Devil: A clever script about being trapped on an elevator with the devil. It’s a bit too ambitious and doesn’t quite live up to those ambitions, but it’s solidly decent and refreshingly original. A hidden gem for the year.

Black Swan: Maybe the height of Darren Aronofsky’s career as a household name. Not my favorite of his movies, but a pretty solid psychological suspense.

Frozen: No, not that one. This is a clever movie that embraces a narrow scope: some teenagers get stuck on a ski lift and have to endure the elements and some hungry wolves below. Not a great movie, but worth watching as a study in what you can do with limited resources.

Black Death: Quick shout-out for a dark and grisly historical horror involving witchcraft and torture. It’s not a fun movie to watch, but it’s got Sean Bean and Eddie Redmayne, and I feel like both original screenplays and historical horrors are rare enough to warrant support.

2010 also had its share of predictable franchise tie-ins (a Saw movie, a Resident Evil movie, remakes like I Spit on Your Grave and The Crazies, etc.) The Horror Renaissance was a few years in coming.

2011: The Year of the Predictable Remakes

So many franchises getting flogged to death this year -- tripe like SCRE4M, Final Destination 5, Human Centipede 2, a Hellraiser reboot literally no one watched, and Paranormal Activity 3. Blech. BUT. 2011 also brought us a couple of my favorite movies ever:

You’re Next: I would credit You’re Next with re-defining the “final girl” in horror. Also it’s a damn good home invasion movie with buckets of gore and a smart script.

Cabin in the Woods: This one’s a bit divisive -- some folks really hated it I guess -- but it’s such a loving deconstruction of horror, and it’s wholly original even while being comfortingly familiar. Also it’s hilarious.

2012: A Few Important Titles

I feel like 2012 was full of movies nobody has actually ever seen or talked about. But some of the good ones that I’d recommend:

Sinister: Like Insidious in some ways, but maybe better. Also, “Snakes don’t have feet.” Honestly just a very good, solid demon/haunted kid movie.

V/H/S: A must-watch for horror buffs. It didn’t invent the found footage genre, but it did refine it and really show off what it could do best.

Smiley: OK so like. This is not really a great film, but I think about it a lot and recommend it a lot. It’s stuck with me quite a bit somehow, and in some ways it feels very much ahead of its time as a creepy prediction of what internet culture would be like at the end of the decade. “We did it for the lulz.” Seriously, watch this movie today, and remember that it was made eight years ago, and see if it gives you chills too.

I guess I should also mention Prometheus here, which lots of people liked. I was not one of them, but it was a heavily talked-about film I feel like and of course an Alien franchise tie-in.

2013: The Year the World Remembered It Liked Horror

This was a big turning point year, launching some new franchises instead of just re-treading old ones:

The Conjuring: I personally hate all of these movies, but they are huge and you can’t swing a dead cat in the modern horror fandom without encountering one of them. The first Conjuring film was at least decent. For extra credit, watch it as a triple feature with Insidious and Sinister and do a compare/contrast.

The Purge: Not only the start of a successful franchise but also a pop culture phenomenon and a damn good movie to boot.

Mama: I love this movie. I have this movie on DVD. It’s kind of bittersweet and may not completely follow through on all of its promises, but it’s still quite good and has some lovely performances.

Warm Bodies: Not really a horror -- kind of a romance -- but it warrants mention here because zombies were a hot item in 2013, and that’s a current special interest of mine on account of having a zombie book of my own coming out that is more than a little influenced by this story. (the film is a pretty good adaptation of the book, although honestly you could just skip the movie and read the book and get a better experience.)

Willow Creek: I feel like I recommend this movie a lot, but that’s just because I think it’s very good and a very smart use of its own resources. A found footage mockumentary that actually manages to make Bigfoot frightening. Totally worth the watch.

Mr. Jones: Here’s another hidden gem, also in found footage style (I feel like that was a prevailing theme in the years after V/H/S) but it’s surprisingly fresh. It’s a folk horror piece that doesn’t go at all where you might expect despite its thoroughly well-trodden ‘couple in secluded house’ setup.

A bucketful of remakes and sequels this year too, including an Evil Dead reboot, V/H/S sequel, Insidious sequel, etc. I should also probably mention World War Z, which was not actually very good and also had nothing in common with the book of the same name, but does mark an important moment in the mainstreaming of the zombie revival, especially considering it came out the same year as Warm Bodies.

2014: Fuck Yeah People Actually Like This Shit Let’s Make More

I feel like maybe our current horror renaissance started this year. Some recs:

The Babadook: No surprises to anyone who follows my blog, but I love The Babadook and I will defend it to the bitter end against its detractors. It is one of my favorite horror films of all time and one of the best of the decade.

It Follows: Ok confession, I actually did not like this movie at all. I thought it was ridiculous and over-hyped. But it makes the list because a lot of other people really, really loved it, and I accept that they saw something in it that I didn’t. Watch it and make up your own mind (and report back with your findings).

As Above, So Below: This may be the most claustrophobic film ever made, and it deserves to be studied on that merit alone. It’s also pretty creepy and I suspect a lot creepier for folks who are unnerved by Christian horror/mythology (I am not, but I know lots of folks really are).

Housebound: A hidden gem from New Zealand, this one is worth a watch because it takes a familiar haunted house premise and gives it a surprising and honestly delightful twist.

Jessabelle: Not a great movie, but deserving of a spot here because it’s a Southern Gothic and features a main character in a wheelchair, which I think is neat.

13 Sins: I feel like I’ve written about this movie for the blog before, and I recommend it a lot. But it’s clever and is a great early example of the “killing game” genre that has become increasingly prevalent (I mean, aside from the Battle Royale/Hunger Games version).

It was neat to see so many original horror stories (as opposed to reboots/franchises) coming out, and that’s a trend that would continue (and is something that makes horror one of my preferred genres - there are more original stories in it than in many other types of film).

2015: Hell Yeah Let’s Ride This Horror Train

So many excellent movies this year! Ahh!

Crimson Peak: Guillermo del Toro’s love letter to the Gothic. What I love about this movie (aside from Tom Hiddleston) is it plays all the tropes straight. It’s not trying to be a new spin or reinvent the genre or break all the tropes. It’s just a gothic horror story, told exactly like what it is, by a guy who makes damn good movies. I felt like that was really brave and surprising at the time.

The Visit: M. Night Shyamalan had basically made a joke of himself after a string of awful movies, but this movie was enough to earn back a bit of respect in my book. It’s a clever premise and a smart use of found footage.

The VVitch: Creepy-ass slow-burn supernatural historical horror, sign me up. I actually don’t like this movie as much as a lot of people (see above: religious-themed horror doesn’t push my fear buttons much) but it’s beautifully made, thoughtful, and artistic in a way that makes people sit up and pay attention to just how good the horror genre can be.

Krampus: This movie is extremely silly and I love it. A holiday favorite I watch every year now. It’s hilarious, and imaginative, with some really creepy visuals and a thoroughly satisfying conclusion.

The Invitation: For me, some of my favorite horror movies are the ones where the film is uncomfortable to watch before the actual horror stuff starts up. This one has an almost unbearably tense build-up and pays off in an incredibly satisfying and creepy manner.

2016: Horror Goes Hella Mainstream

I feel like 2016 was another year of just...lots of kind of fun unique premises tossed out like spaghetti to see what would stick. And I am here for it.

Don’t Breathe: Home invasion gone wrong is a great trope, and this one gets extra points for having the single most disturbing sequence utilizing a turkey baster I’ve ever seen in film.

Hush: Speaking of home invasions. This one is pretty standard fare -- homeowner fights back! -- but the deaf main character is a neat twist.

Lights Out: It’s pretty cheesy at times and the plot sort of falls in on itself, but the opening sequence is genuinely frightening and the movie almost literally killed @comicreliefmorlock so that’s a commendation I guess?

Train to Busan: An Asian take on the zombie survival story. It’s a really good movie (if horribly bleak) and it does such an excellent job of making you genuinely care for all of the characters.

The Autopsy of Jane Doe: A really neat premise with some wonderful slow-build horror. The storyline kind of goes off the rails, and it asks a lot of questions it doesn’t answer, but it’s quite good regardless.

The Forest: I was disappointed with this one -- it just failed to live up to my expectations -- but it’s decent, and it’s a good attempt at capturing the creepiness of Japan’s Suicide Forest.

Before I Wake: This one was sad more than scary, I thought, but it fits so neatly into a certain aesthetic that I am always a sucker for -- dreams and nightmares bleeding into reality, yes please.

Split: Say what you will, I thought Split was amazing, and James McAvoy deserves a goddamn Oscar for his performance in this movie.

The Monster: A hidden gem that’s worth watching to see how well it delivers on its premise: two characters stuck in a car with a monster outside. It’s not amazing, but it’s neat, and sometimes it’s nice to have just a straightforward creature feature with a bit of emotional heft for good measure.

2017: Did Somebody Say Blockbuster?

In hindsight, they’ll probably say 2017 was the start of the horror renaissance, but we’ll all know they’re a few years too late. Still, this was another great year:

Get Out: Funny, dark, deeply uncomfortable and with some real meat to it -- Jordan Peele knows how to make a great movie. This absolutely deserves all the awards.

It: Not a perfect movie, but a good adaptation of a difficult-to-adapt book. The kids are great. Pennywise is menacing, but that fucking flute lady is the scariest part.

It Comes At Night: I didn’t like this one much, but a lot of folks did so it makes the list. See above re: It Follows.

Gerald’s Game: Everything that’s wrong with this movie (ie, the ending) is wrong in the original story, so where this movie fails it’s a matter of sticking too close to its source material. But the premise is truly, genuinely horrifying, and the degloving scene almost made me vomit. So that’s cool.

Happy Death Day: Another horror-comedy, with a healthy dose of self-awareness. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and that’s what allows it to be fun.

The Babysitter: This movie is hilarious. It’s also super bloody and clever and clearly made by people who love slashers, and the affection shows.

The Ritual: So-so in the acting and pacing, but the creature design is A+ and the concept is really neat. Seriously just watch this one for the monster, it’s super cool looking.

I should probably mention Mother here, but I can’t speak for it as I haven’t gotten around to watching it yet. It’s a very divisive film. One of these days I’ll watch it and let you know.

2018: There’s More Where That Came From

If 2016 was the year of filmmakers just trying stuff for the hell of it, 2018 was the year of talented filmmakers and studios realizing that, oh shit, you can make really good horror movies with mass appeal.

A Quiet Place: I’m glad I caught this one in theaters, because it really deserves to be watched in a dark, quiet room where no one dares to make a sound. The ending left a lot to be desired, but it was a clever premise.

Hereditary: The best horror movie of the year imo. Painfully uncomfortable - I’m not sure I could watch it again - but highly recommended.

Apostle: Watch this one in a triple-feature with The VVitch and Hereditary. A really good period piece with a character you actually want to root for.

Bird Box: I didn’t like this movie much, but it was hugely popular. I bought the book recently and suspect it is much better. Still, it’s worth a mention for its impact on mainstream viewers (lots of people who don’t like horror really liked this movie). I won’t budge from my initial opinion that it’s just A Quiet Place meets The Happening, though.

What Does 2019 Hold?

We’re only halfway through the year, so we’ve got some time to see what is coming down the pipe. Lots of things to look forward to! But some solid titles so far this year that I’d heartily recommend:

Us: Jordan Peele is at it again. It may not be as good as Get Out -- there’s some plot holes where the internal logic of the world is at odds with the message it’s trying to send -- but it’s thoughtful and gives plenty to chew on. And there are places where it’s just unbearably tense and creepy.

Brightburn: I had high hopes for this movie and was not disappointed. This is a super (ha, ha) good film.

The Wind: A Gothic on the American frontier. It accomplishes what I think It Comes At Night was supposed to do, but more effectively (for me anyway). Bonus points for being written and directed by women. Double bonus: Caitlin Gerard, the main actress, is also the lead character in Smiley.

I have not yet watched Velvet Buzzsaw, Ma or Midsommar this year, but I really want to. I’m also looking forward to the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark film despite having some reservations about the whole concept.

#horror #horror movies #horror movie recommendations #movie recs #long post #gifs #horror by the decade

22 notes · View notes