Loki
(ahem)
Marvel (Cinematic Universe) FicsSorted by Word Count

This page still VERY under construction!!

Note for Screen Readers

I did my best to provide aria-labels and keep the document order relatively consistent. Unfortunately, I can't figure out a way to stick content into a grid and nest sections in a logical manner. So the header hierarchy gets split across adjacent sections: H2 and H3 might be in one section, and the next H3 in the next section.

I hope this isn't too confusing! It's meant to be a two-column layout for any devices wide enough to handle that.

I write Intense Drama and Deep (Nonsexual) Intimacy. Intimacy of the nonsexual kind, I mean; only about 10% of my fics involve sexuality or Ships of any kind (and they're in their own section).

(I also update sporadically and flit around among many projects, so it might take months for a given fic to update. If you're particularly bothered by that, best find a different author.)

I really am amazed at the level of complexity and the emotional wallop your writing packs. Let me know when you publish professionally, as I would be willing to pay for something this good in book form!

A note on fan comments

I've tried to condense/reword the comments I've gotten in a way that preserves the original meaning/feel. That might mean fixing a typo, altering the punctuation a bit, or rearranging elements of a larger comment (or set of comments by the same reader on the same fic).

Almost all comments are from my main site, AO3; a couple are from FFN, and one's from Twitter.

Also: I've got a bit of a reputation in the AO3 comments section. As encapsulated by the following fan comics: Doctor Zaniida and Types of Readers: (1) Angst Addicts, (2) Slash Addicts, and (3) Zaniida.

I have a liberal Blanket Policy—I'm never stingy with my ideas, and I love seeing others build off them! If anything here strikes your fancy, feel free to create something based on it. (Exceptions would include group projects, since I can't give blanket permission for work I'm not fully in charge of.)

Hover over (or press on) spoilers to see the contents.

Lengthy Fics

Most of my MCU fics (and nearly anything of particular length) are centered on Loki. A lot of the action is whumpy; a lot of the angst is him trying to recover from the damage Asgard did to him.

Loki? Tell me more

I portray Loki pretty sympathetically; as for Thor, well, depends on whether I'm portraying the ideal Thor (what the MCU should've been aiming for), the baseline Thor (how the MCU apparently intended us to see him) or the canonical MCU Thor (how the MCU did in fact present him to us).

I could post a giant rant here, but you can figure out a lot of my perspective through my writing (and author's notes, and replies in the comments sections). I tried to make a short version of my rants here, but as I appear to lack the self-control, I'll simply direct you at some resources that make a lot of claims better than I could:

Perspective on Loki the Downtrodden

The emotional abuse that Loki has suffered—not just during the first film, but in every film thereafter—seems fairly obvious to me, and it's disturbing to have the movies expect us to side with the bullies while segments of the fandom dismiss the abuse. (I suppose I shouldn't complain too vociferously; it's given me plenty of fodder for angsty writing.)

There's a series of posts called Spot the Hypocrisy that I find particularly illuminating:

Faking your own death
Redemption
Kill counts
Torture
Brainwashing and duress

That Torture one? That's where the "canonical Thor is an asshole" thing comes in. Because Ideal Thor (or even Baseline Thor) would not cheerfully torture his brother. Yet we're given a canonical MCU Thor who not only tortures Loki, but wears a shit-eating grin while doing so. A canonical Thor who uses lethal force against the defenders of Midgard before exchanging a single word, simply because they got in his way. A canonical Thor who lies to and manipulates his friends and potential allies to make them join what seems to be a suicide mission (even as he berates Loki for lying and manipulating and… not joining his suicide mission).

Also a canonical Thor who spouts off about brotherhood with every other breath, yet never bothered to:

Listen to his brother's caution at any point prior to starting a war
Notice that his brother was in serious danger on Jotunheim
Mention that he had a brother while explaining his world to his new girlfriend
Ask Loki where he'd been, what happened to him, or if he was even all right (after learning that he was unexpectedly not dead)
Visit him on the helicarrier, any time prior to when it seemed like he might escape
Visit him in the dungeons, any time prior to needing his help
Share grief over their newly dead mother, or even let Loki know how it happened
Retrieve Loki's body for a proper funeral

(I could go on.)

Anyway, Canonical MCU Thor shows many worrisome signs of Narcissism (a worldview completely centered on himself, with little to no ability to see anything from another's point of view or take their rights and wishes seriously), and it certainly doesn't seem that he outgrew it as his character arc in the first film.

And Asgard's treatment of Loki was beyond the pale; there's a reason that the fandom coined the tags Asgardian Domestic Abuse and Odin's A+ Parenting.

For more info, see the collected musings of Kadorienne/Mosellegreen (link to Wayback Machine because the site appears to be down; other link here but it's just titles and a link to the down site).

I'm not part of Loki's Resistance, I just think that most of the arguments they make are spot-on.

Anyway, this section covers any fic over 10,000 words, starting with my two top-voted fics (MATURE READERS ONLY: Victor and Tremble) and my Loki series, and then sorting the rest by completion status and word count.

To the Victor

MATURE READERS ONLY: It's an intense fic that starts out super dark. The main plot is lighter, but the flashbacks can be quite intense, so there's significant Mood Whiplash at play. There will eventually be onscreen sexual content with disturbing elements.

I've read a handful of fics where Loki gets the upper hand in the war, but they almost exclusively showcase a darker Loki, one who's decidedly a villain and can't possibly be taken otherwise (plus or minus the redemption arc within the fic itself). This fic plays with that, in that Loki is presented in fairly positive terms... except that he's spent eight years warring against Earth and has taken a full dozen heroes into captivity.

My beloved captives, the war is over [43k WIP]

It takes eight long years, but Loki finally wins the invasion. He's managed to capture a dozen heroes; what does he plan to do with them?

The tone of the first chapter is considerably dark, compared to the overall tone of the fic; it's Tony's perspective on the last eight years of an unwinnable war. If the angst is too much for you, skip to the tail end (or even the second chapter) and move on. Rest assured that all of the characters that Tony thinks have died were instead captured by Loki. Once Tony's brought to Loki's lair, he learns a lot of things very fast, but it takes him a while to process them, and he's heavily traumatized.

The main story (from Tony's point of view) is told in the odd chapters; the even chapters are flashbacks to the capture of each of the heroes (more or less in reverse order; I skipped Rhodey because I didn't know him that well as a character).

Content Warnings: Eventual DubCon sex
Link: To the Victor, by Consent of the Spoils
Fan Comment: This is a very interesting concept. The way Loki is treating his prisoners could hardly be any better, and yet they are still prisoners. Loki seems to be incredibly reasonable and empathetic one-on-one, and yet he's waging a war on the entire Earth and keeping people as his "property" (even if he's not making them work yet). In so many ways, he seems like he must surely be a "good guy", and yet he explicitly and unapologetically isn't (and his prisoner-friends never forget it either). I'm very conflicted and enjoying it immensely :D

Side Fic: Coulson's POV [1400 WIP]

Coulson wakes to find he's become one of Loki's hostages. On the up side, a lot of people here were thought to have been killed.
And he's back in the role of Team Dad, more or less.

Content Warnings
Link: Glad to See You're Not Dead, Then (Now What?)
Fan Comment: I really love the interaction between Fury and Coulson here. No small talk, no bothering to argue, just back on mission.

For April Fools' Day 2021, I organized The Little Loki Swap, which was a bit smaller than I'd been hoping, but still wound up inspiring some awesome work. This is one of my two contributions:

Why am I suddenly hosting a dinner party? [1868]

Loki's hosting a dinner party and has no idea how he got there or who all these people are.

One of the key details here is that this particular Loki is very freedom-oriented, and would be horrified at what his alter-ego is doing here, and at what the characters have been forced to do during the war. If I do get around to expanding this fic, I'll be delving into his perspective on a lot of what's going on.

Note: The observations that this Loki makes about my characters are all canon to the fic -- this is a window into things that Tony will never experience in the main fic, but behind the scenes this is actually what's going on. Not counting Loki himself, of course, or how his actions here affect the others.

Content Warnings: Mention of child soldiers; I forget what else.
Link: Figuring Anonymities
Inspiration: This Loki is from Once Tamed by dendrite_blues
Fan Comments (found in base fic's comments section): Eek! Yayayayayayay! Can't wait for more! How horrid it would be to not know what's going on and have someone blatantly hate you.; I was so happy when I reached the end of chapter 8 that there was one more to go! ‘Ok,’ I thought,’ the clifffhanger won’t be as bad when the meal is covered.’ 😩 the April fool’s chapter got me good!

Tremble and Serve

MATURE READERS ONLY: Deals with mature topics. There will eventually be onscreen sexual content with disturbing elements.

Thor drops a collared Loki on Tony's pool deck and flies off. Tony is less than pleased, but at least he's a pragmatist.

Slave collar, hidden snark, and logical experiments [24k WIP]

Tony uses logic to figure out the collar mechanics -- and then how to work within them to do the least unnecessary harm.

Content Warnings: Loki's in bad shape when he arrives, and the collar's not gonna make it easy to improve his situation. Also, due to the collar mechanics, the fic is heading toward mutual non-con.
Link: Tremble and Serve
Fan Comments: Whoa. Tony in this fic is a complete mental wreck, and I love it. I love how you've written him, the panic attacks, the cognitive dissonance, it's so tangible. It feels so terribly real, it's almost like I'm the one panicking.; I'm impressed how you invent new levels of complication for poor Tony! First he had to figure out what the hell was going on and how to communicate, and now he has to mind him own emotional state AND to try finding a proof that it's not an illusion. It's so good he has JARVIS to keep him sane.

Trilogy: Five Moments of Loki

This series has Loki connect with the Valkyrie, the Hulk, and then all of the Avengers. I've quite enjoyed writing it (completely out of order).

Each fic was planned to be five chapters, covering each of the five categories of (nonsexual) intimacy. Since the second fic (which I started first and finished first) ends rather abruptly, I'm considering adding two more chapters, but that won't be for a while.

Loki gets to know the Valkyrie while on Sakaar [6k WIP]

The Valkyrie gets to know Loki in a way no one else ever bothered to try.

This is mostly friendship; the sex stays offscreen, and exists mostly to contrast Asgardian views about sex with mortal views about sex.

Content Warnings: Typical Sakaaran hedonism with its inherent consent issues. The Valkyrie/Loki stuff isn't without its issues, either.
Link: Solace on Sakaar
Fan Comment: Dude. This is excellent. So well-written & love the world-building. And Val coming in like a badass but really being the softy she pretends not to be. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Oddly enough, Loki befriends the Hulk [7k]

After Thanos leaves Loki alive (but seriously disabled), Loki shies from the pity of others, and finds that the only person on the ship who treats him like a person instead of a cripple is the Hulk.

That's very specifically Loki & the Hulk, not Loki & Bruce Banner. Drawing from Marzipanda's Idavollr, I've depicted the two as separate characters sharing the same body, not two parts of Bruce Banner that could be eventually resolved into a single entity (as canon did in Endgame).

Content Warnings: Panic attacks. Severe trauma and unhealthy coping mechanisms.
Link: Unforeseen Friendship
Fan Comment: Some of the things Loki says here just hurt so fricking much! Also, I love the amount of thought that must have gone in to each and every one of these moments in the MCU. It's just a whole new perspective. Love it!

The ending might feel a bit abrupt, but remember that it's part of a trilogy. The third part picks up much later, implying that the operation was successful and no duplicity was encountered. I might or might not expand upon the details at some point; if you feel like doing so, go right ahead!

Loki visits each Avenger, post-Snap [1k WIP]

With Thor sunk in depression, can Loki get help?

I'm not entirely sure yet how this'll go, but Loki's gonna need to track down the various Avengers, deal with each one being in a bad place mentally, and connect with them in some fashion. Imagine the first part of Endgame, but a bit too early for the rat to show up. (And with Bruce and the Hulk still as separate characters.)

Loki is so not cut out to be a therapist, but it's not like anyone else is free.

Content Warnings: Canonical depression; even more depressing statistics.
Link: Pass It On
Fan Comment: Oh, this one holds great turmoil for both Thor and Loki. The bitterness, despair and anger behind these words. Loki, trying to awaken Thor’s apathy but failing miserably. Issues never resolved subverting any success. Loki interacting with the Avengers? I suspect more pain.

Icy Diplomacy

When I portray Odin as a positive (though still flawed) father-figure... and he holds himself together long enough to deal with the situation.

I also get to portray Laufey as kinda sympathetic -- even more so if you look into the comments section to see my behind-the-scenes take on why he doesn't try to claim Loki as his son.

For Loki, it's his confusion about what exactly happened (he doesn't immediately grasp it in full, the way he does in canon) and his desperation about how this affects him and his relationships. For Thor's friends, it's the kind of consequences they never got in canon. And for Thor... guess we'll see how his attitude changes when he's aware of having nearly killed his brother.

An unexpected deal with Laufey [11k WIP] (Split POV)

Loki's encounter with Laufey (after briefly getting left behind on Jotunheim) spins things in a whole new direction, affecting the very fate of Asgard.

Content Warnings: Terror and angst.
Link: Icy Diplomacy
Fan Comment: I like that you keep Odin's many contradictions even in his point of view—you neither demonize Odin nor make him the perfect, understanding father right away.

If you'd like to know more about Laufey's mindset in this piece, do check out the comments section, because I discuss it at some length. Also, there's an April Fools' Day fic.

End in Sight

At present, I have only one fic in this category -- lengthy but nearly complete -- and it's a dark one, based on a Norsekink prompt and set during Thor's coronation. Can Thor find a way out of the trap Odin has laid?

Prove your loyalty and claim the throne… [10k WIP]

During Thor's coronation ceremony, Odin reveals Loki's true nature, and tells Thor to prove his loyalty to Asgard… by doing the unthinkable.

Content Warnings: Odin tells Thor to kill his helpless brother, publicly. Thor considers every possible alternative, and all the ways they could go horribly wrong.
Link: Before the Norns
Fan Comment: I hope Thor plunges that dagger into Odin's shriveled up black heart. The scale of betrayal and sadism is too large to comprehend.

Complete

I haven't yet completed many MCU chapterfics; these are two of maybe four, and they're among my highest-rated fics so far. Both depict Loki going through a horrible scenario, though in the first he's desperate and empassioned and in the second he's far more blase about it despite having gone through much greater pain. The first one here plays him off Odin and Thor; the second plays him off Peter Parker, because I do so love that dynamic.

There is no other way [13k]

When Thor brings Loki home in chains, Loki's convinced that Odin has a dark fate planned for him. He's right—but it's not that simple.

Content Warnings: Briefly gruesome; bittersweet ending.
Link: Acceptable Loss
Based On: astolat's Chaos War
Fan Comment: I'm not sure I forgive you for Chapter 4 but you are one hell of a writer and I will probably read damn near anything you write despite the fact you just ripped my heart out of my chest.

*On hiatus—at a natural stopping point, so it's on the shelf, but I've been persuaded to add two more chapters to show the aftermath.

The depths of the earth [13k Complete]

Peter finds Loki captive in mythological fashion but under NYC.

Content Warnings: Loki's punishment, and what he goes through to get free, are not for the faint of heart. Peter has a panic attack. General claustrophobic and nyctophobia setting.
Link: Pulled from the Abyss
Fan Comment: I love the way you write Loki, as more of a calm, level headed person rather than someone who's insane and always angry.; It might be essentially self-serving, but Loki's been in the place of fear and powerlessness, so at least he knows what to say. I love the panic attack scene. It is my new best friend.

(And yes, you have panic attacks down cold. Wish I couldn't tell you that with such confidence, but damn. Yeah.)

Medium Fics

Fics from 2000 words to just under 10,000. Also includes chapterfics expected to reach at least this range.

Medium Chapterfics

This covers ongoing fics with at least 2000 words.

When I joined AO3, I promised myself that I wouldn't have more than three open chapterfics at once, because I knew that if I let myself start more fics without concluding the ones I had started, I'd wind up with precisely this problem: over 60 WIP, many of them with several chapters (or more!) to come, and more batting at my windows trying to get in.

Anyway, it's not surprising that this section would have pieces where I've pubished a handful of chapters, where there are many chapters left to go, and where my brain is not great at updating in any reasonable timeframe.

But here we have: a traumatized Slave Loki being treated to a movie night by Tony; Tony, Nebula, Peter Parker, and Loki stuck on an alien world hunting for supplies to fix their starship; and Bucky and Clint stuck together after a rescue operation, leading to conversations and discoveries of the qualities they share.

Angsty Movie Night w/ Slave Loki [9k WIP]

When Loki has a nightmare, Tony treats him to a movie night. This gets under their skin.

Content Warnings: PTSD, bad families, layers of angst, and plenty of alcohol.
Link: Reclining Butterfly
Based on: Downward Facing Dog by EndlessStairway
Note: In DFD, Loki was enslaved by evil Tony Stark, so he's still very much in slave mindset. My fic is steeped in that trauma, but the details are mostly offscreen.
Fan Comment: I love Loki in "threat reduction mode", especially with someone who would never harm him but his mindset cannot grasp it. I loved how Loki ponders over every single thing that happens… his constant spiraling around what he should do, could feel and is allowed to express.

The fic I based mine on is disturbing enough that I'm not gonna link directly to it. But you should be able to find it easily enough, if you go looking. If you're a Whump lover, not turned away by serious human-rights abuses, and can make it through a massive fic to the end, it's quite a cathartic journey.

Tony, Nebula, Peter, and Loki, IN SPACE [8k WIP]

Just when Tony's at his lowest, post-Snap, Peter unexpectedly comes back to life. Then they wind up running across Loki, and the four end up seeking supplies on an alien world.

This piece, I started writing for a fic exchange, only to realize it was too big to finish in time; I turned my energy to Pulled from the Abyss, which turned out great, and this piece here wound up on the WIP pile. Which means I won't be progressing with any speed, but I do have a fair amount written, and it's unlike any fic I've come across so far. I mean firstly, I've seen Loki with Peter and Loki with Nebula, but I don't think I've ever seen the three together playing off each other. And secondly, the setting of a spaceship and then an alien planet is another thing I have yet to read (Loki on alien planets tends to just be Loki on Jotunheim, or one of the other Realms, but GotG made it clear that there's a lot more to the universe).

Content Warnings: Depressing statistics. It does get pretty bloody during one key scene. Panic attacks show up a time or two.
Link: Long Odds and Risky Options
Fan Comment: Holy shit balls! I need to read more of this!! Awesome start!!!; I really like this Nebula. Her comment on "wailing over the dead" as well as the concepts of mercy and sadism are very interesting. She's got this unshakable confidence in her experiences, whether they make her evil or not, and doesn't care to soften her words if they are true. Very nice 👍

Sent into his worst nightmare to rescue Clint [7k] (Split POV)

In the wake of Civil War, SHIELD's resources are running thin. So when Clint gets captured, Coulson reaches out to the only person who could perform a rescue operation solo.

And then they both get stuck together for a while. Plenty of time for interesting conversations and a chance to reflect on their similarities.

Content Warnings: Hollywood-style unrealism. Non-consensual drug use.
Link: Turtles in a Bottle
Fan Comment: I love this chapter, it's both emotional and educational, and I'm impressed how much work you put in the dialogues.

Just Started

This section covers fics that are expected to reach the Medium range, but where I've only posted a chapter or two and the wordcount is still low. Again, don't expect fast or steady progress.

Here we've got three alternate takes, one of which is a flat-out Mundane AU. In the first, it's Darcy being visited by an awkward and creepy Loki. In the last, Thor persuades Loki to come help his friends who've caught Covid. And the middle one has Tony call Rhodey in to help with three teenage boys basically hiding at his place: Peter, Bucky, and "Lukas".

Creepy guy comes in from the storm… [2k]

Darcy's not fool enough to drive into a storm for six college credits, so she's back at the lab when an unexpected visitor drops by.

Now where'd she put that taser?

Content Warnings: General creepiness
Link: Storms and Shadows
Fan Comment: I'm not a fan of Darcy, but when you put me inside her head, I sort of start to like her.

Tony adopts some troubled teens [1700 WIP]

From his hospital bed, Tony entreats Rhodey to watch over the teens he's taken in: Peter, Bucky, and Lukas, all of whom are sorta in hiding.

Content Warnings: Each of the teens has a troubled past; this includes elements of abuse and/or neglect, gang/cult activity, defamation / character assassination, and I'm not yet sure what else. If you were expecting a saccharine kidfic, well, that's not how I roll.
Link: Didn't Sign Up for This (but I'll see it through to the end)
Fan Comments: oooh this makes me really feel the anticipation, there's so much we don't know yet and i love it. i've been looking for a teen fic in this genre for some time now so thank you!! i have absolutely no object permanence so i'll just be very pleasantly surprised when you do update; Oh this is shaping up to be verrryyy interesting!!! Would love to see how these boys all interact with each other!

Thor begs Loki to help his friends [1k WIP]

When Covid strikes Thor's friends, he seeks Loki's help; Loki at first thinks it's pointless, but eventually gives in... and later becomes invested.

Content Warnings: I'm not yet sure what all they're gonna go through, but I figure each one responds to Covid with a different set of symptoms, some of which will be severe.
Link: They're Just Mortals, Thor
Fan Comment: Um, thor actually owning up and saying that loki has skills and is worthy? ALL THE YES.; Omg, I love this! You write the Brodinsons so well. :D

Nearly Complete

Chapterfics that have only a few chapters to go (as opposed to the more open-ended plot bunnies from the previous sections).

Lighter Intensity

Here we've got fics that don't delve too dark in tone.

Let's start with an exploration of Dom/sub verse as it applies to each of the Avengers:

Culture clash over gender roles [8k WIP]

Thor's about to get schooled in Dom/sub dynamics.

Wait, what's Dom/sub Verse?

Genderplay AUs offer unusual ways to think about gender roles, and to make male characters deal with female issues and female stereotypes. That is, female-coded male characters. (The reverse is less common, but still useful.)

The two I've encountered most are:

Omegaverse
aka Alpha/Beta/Omega (Dynamics)
aka A/B/O: The secondary gender is Alpha or Omega (sometimes Beta or rarer categories), and the natural breeding pair is Alpha/Omega.
Dom/sub Verse
aka D/s Verse: The secondary gender is Dominant or Submissive (sometimes Switch), and the natural emotional pair is Dom/Sub.

The Omegaverse tends to delve into biological urges, including Heat Sex and MPreg. The Dom/sub Verse seems to hit more at a personality/soul urging to be with your opposite type: A Dom wants to find a good Sub to exert power over (and take care of, if the Dom is a good character), while a Sub wants to find a good Dom to submit to (ideally someone who'll take good care of their needs).

Though commonly used for kinky erotica—like everything else in fandom (food… trauma… abstract concepts… trope names… emoji…)—Genderplay AUs can offer biting social commentary, feeling out the edges of gender expectations and the injustices that creep in whenever you require people to act a certain way based on accidents of their birth.

The very best example I've seen of Omegaverse is in a Sherlock fic called A Fold in the Universe (by darkest_bird), wherein the normal John Watson gets swapped with the Omega John Watson, and both have to deal with a very unfamiliar world until they can be swapped back. Omega John comes from a world where Omegas are not allowed to hold down stressful or dangerous careers, so of course he didn't become a doctor, let alone a soldier; he's not able to drink alcohol, nor allowed to wander the streets after curfew, and not used to anyone relying on his input or valuing him as anything more than, well, a house-omega.

The first Dom/sub fic I encountered is astolat's Dangerous If Unbound, a Person of Interest fic wherein Doms have the power to push their will on others, while Subs have the power to pull information out of others. It's a fascinating study in how exploring the edges of some very simple ground rules (Doms push, Subs pull) can set up the characters, the plot, and the finale to truly nail the concept. I can also recommend the_ragnarok's put your hand to the task, where corporations have the legal right to use corporal punishment against Sub workers; it's a fine piece of satire that delves into abuse of power and toxic attitudes.

It's my position that these worldbuilds can be used in completely nonsexual fics (or, well, no more sexual than the human baseline experience, at least); that is my intention in writing Subverting the Dominance.

Okay, with that explanation out of the way, how about the actual fic?

I finally got around to updating! Now there's a chapter that lays out the mechanics (both biological and social) behind the dichotomy, and then a chapter where the Avengers point out how the gender dichotomy has been twisted or broken for each and every one of them.

Link: Subverting the Dominance
Fan Comments: This is going to be interesting; I have no frigging idea who's Dom and who's Sub; Incredibly intriguing... I have half a dozen vague ideas where you could be going with this fic, but I get the feeling you're probably not going in one of the [typical] directions.

I'm bookmarking and subscribing to this to see where you take it, cause Damn you got good hooks in this thing.

A comparison of Loki's relationship with his brother and Loki's relationship with his thrall (Clint):

The song of the scepter throbs in his head [5k WIP]

Loki considers the ways he's grown close to his thrall, and distant from Thor.

Content Warnings: Unreliable Narrator: That scepter's really messing with his head.
Link: Hawk vs. Hammer
Excerpt: “Everybody breaks,” the hawk adds, and Loki finds himself pinning the hawk to the wall, by the neck, shaking with sudden rage that seems almost not his own.

“I’m not broken,” he hisses in the hawk’s ear, feeling the pulse beating beneath his fingertips.

“Not what I said,” the hawk gasps out, calm eyes betraying not the slightest fear.

Peter's on patrol when the parrot who's been trailing him turns out to be Loki.

Peter's unexpected friend is kinda terrifying [4k WIP]

The odd parrot who's been following Peter around turns out to be the guy who invaded Earth… turns out he's not so bad, once you get past the prickly part.

Content Warnings: Language (both swearing and insults)
Link: A Stray Parrot in Queens
Fan Comment: Peter wrapping Loki in his webs cuz he thought he was trying to kill himself? Something I can ABSOLUTELY see happening.

Sif goes back in time to warn herself about Loki... and her own participation in his fall.

A warning from the future [2k WIP]

When Sif receives a warning from her future self, she must wrestle with her opinion of Loki.

The first chapter could be considered all on its own, but the plan (should I ever get to it) is to have the second chapter be Sif considering Loki's actions and trying to see him through new eyes (less judgmental), and Loki getting kinda weirded out by her change in demeanor (and the rare times she stands in his defense). The third chapter, then, would be how much this "having someone who might be in his corner" affects Loki's decisions during the aftermath of the Jotunheim invasion (possibly including a prelude wherein Loki bitches to Sif about Thor, and she commiserates), because I get the impression that his actions would've been very different if he thought even a single person in Asgard would support him (not counting his mom).

Content Warnings: Discussion of some canonical events that are pretty harsh when stated directly.
Link: Sifting Causality
Fan Comments: Future Sif with her 20/20 hindsight still felt very much in character, and is probably the best person to convince her past self to change her ways, because she knows the right things to say to make herself listen to them.; Great concept, excellent execution. Your characterization of both future Sif and past Sif is spot on.

Darker Intensity

This first one goes super dark -- it starts with a dead Thor and gets worse. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

By the law, you will restore the lives you took thrice over [3k WIP]

The Jotunheim incursion does not go well, and Loki's left in the power of a furious Laufey.

The core mechanic is a law that Jotunheim developed after the war: Any Jotun who kills another Jotun will be responsible for creating three replacements.

Content Warnings
Link: Restoring the Balance / A Life Debt, Thrice Owed
Fan Comment: “Given that my son was among the fallen, I have the right to take you myself. But the very thought of touching you disgusts me. You are nothing. No warrior, no craftsman, no storykeeper. Never again. Whatever you were, whatever you might have been, you have thrown it all away. Your name will be stricken from memory, and we will not speak of you outside the Deep. All you are now is an empty cavern, waiting for more Jotnar to be grown within.”

The horror of the situation chokes his breath away: They’re going to breed him. They’re going to use his body to make more frost giants. More terrifying monsters, grown inside him. And there’s nothing he can do to stop it.

Now for a piece sparked by one of astolat's fics: Loki's perspective as he struggles with his mental state during a crucial stage of the war.

I must hate them, I must kill them all [2k WIP]

Loki plots the ruin of Asgard—those infuriating dunderheads deserve it.

Content Warnings: Fantastic racism. Loki hates Asgard with a passion and with good reason—and his hate's the only thing that's gonna save them.
Link: Festering
Fan Comment: Loki’s rage, frustration and hurt here so well portrayed!

I expect to get back to this one around the same time that I try yet a third piece of work based on Chaos War, as it'll get me back in the right headspace to explore the topic. Until then, this piece is likelywise sitting on the shelf.

Loki becomes aware of just how powerful the Grandmaster truly is:

Everything changes… everything but me [2k WIP]

The Grandmaster's acting weirder than usual, and Loki's about to find out just how powerful the guy truly is.

Content Warnings: Gets pretty creepy. Memory tampering, non-consensual alteration, existential dread.
Link: Reforming
Fan Comment: Hoooly cow that is HORRIFYING and I love it. The scope, the weight of that existential horror just. WOW.

Almost Medium

Fics that will wind up medium once they update.

Frigga loses her mind [xk WIP]

When Loki gets sentenced to sex slavery, Frigga begs Odin to reconsider -- but when he stands firm, she warns him that he'll regret the decision.

The title is from the Latin phrase "in loco parentis," which means "in the place of the parent," overlaid with the Spanish "loco," meaning "crazy." I don't typically go for foreign-language titles, but this lined up so beautifully that I just had to use it.

Content Warnings: Sexual slavery; not sure how graphic I might get. Seeming insanity. And as swiftly guessed by my readers, Frigga used magic to trade minds with Loki, which means that Frigga is the one undergoing years as a sex slave.
Link: Loco Parentis
Fan Comment: For having sacrificed an eye for wisdom, Odin has consistently, in canon, shown about as much of it as your average toxoplasmosys-infected-rat; Assuming that I've guessed right, you've created such a horrible situation that I am going to have to suspend my disbelief because DAMN, I need to know how things eventually end up, otherwise this will stay in my head and haunt me forever. And OMG, if everyone comes out of this alive and Odin finds out what Frigga put herself through, because of his stupid douchebag decree...Jesus, you're going to need Stormbreaker to hack through all that angst.

This fic also has the honor of one of my favorite comments about my writing style:

All I can say is that Winnie the Pooh is probably looking sadly at you right now and judging your writing choices. In both English and Latin.

Nebula doesn't exactly play games [1800 WIP]

A spider and a quirky high schooler try to teach two assassins and a Valkyrie how to play modern board games.

Content Warnings: Awkwardness and aftermath of their traumatic pasts.
Link: Game Night Newbies
Fan Comment: This is adorable & awkward & fluffy. Weird game, lol, but totally something I could see them all playing ha

Morgan's milestones bring up painful memories [2k WIP] (Split POV)

Three perspectives on missing characters, and how it affects their choices for the future.

It's these three:

Tony keeps having flashbacks about Peter.
Peter keeps trying to reach out to Morgan, to no avail.
Morgan… (TBA)

Content Warnings: Bad things happen to Morgan, but nothing permanent.
Link: Growing Memories
Fan Comment: This seems very in-character and believable. Poor children.

Wingfic Clint [1500 WIP]

Clint gets captured by HYDRA because they want to study his wings.

Since a fic exchange made me consider the possibility of Clint Wingfic, I've been debating various possibilities; this was sort of an attempt to combine them (Clint was born with wings? SHIELD gave him wings? HYDRA gave him wings? why not all three, sorta?). If I ever get around to finishing this one, it's possible I'll write more; I very much enjoy the idea of Hawkeye being able to fly, and it does mesh with certain elements of his misfit childhood.

Content Warnings: Medical torture, though Clint largely dissociates to escape it. Flashbacks are sparse on detail, but include a dysfunctional family with an alcoholic, physically abusive dad, and childhood bullying.
Link: Cygnet
Fan Comment: Ooh I like the idea of Clint being Angel! (Or at least sharing Angel's mutation)

With Peter quarantined, who's watching over the city? [1200 WIP]

Peter and Aunt May have to quarantine, but then Spider-Man winds up still on the news... just acting a bit odd.

Content Warnings: Not yet sure.
Link: Stuck Inside
Fan Comment: Ooh, now that's something to consider: how COVID affects superpowered people. Will their jacked up immune system brush it off? Will it mutate into something worse? Will they absorb and weaponize it? Possibilities.; I love the idea of Loki running around pretending to be Spider-Man, especially because he's actually trying to help Peter out a bit on this and not just cause chaos lol

How dare you lay hands on a prince of Asgard?! [1200 WIP]

When brought before Thanos, Loki finds his own words used against him.

One of my readers enjoys sensory deprivation scenarios, and I aim to please ^_^

Content Warnings: Intense psychological torture, physical torture and a specific key piece of gore.
Link: Hands Off
Fan Comment: Wow that shock really came through the page, nice job!; Gods, girl! This is sooooooo creepy!! It's going to stick in my mind for-freaking-ever

Princes of Asgard

Loki's POV

(and sections with h4) (Loki and Asgard) (Loki and Midgard)

(Loki vs. Villains)

COMPLETE or HIATUS: Retrospective: Fire: 6,511 (oneshot) Cuckoos: 2352 Elemental Fury: 2178 Going Under: 748, 1/? Frigid Aggression: 2022

“You're serving them now, you don't even see” [2k]

When Loki breaks free from SHIELD's lab, Clint retrieves him easily enough, but the guy's cryptic words stick around in his brain….

Content Warnings: Unethical experimentation. Ableist insults.
Link: Cuckoos
Fan Comment: How frustrating for Loki to get so close and yet so far with Clint there to reel him back in. His fatalistic humor is my favorite though.

I'm debating about writing a follow-up, but it's super low-priority. If anyone else cares to do so, feel free!

Alchemical Journeys

Alchemical symbolism as a code for the stages of character growth has a long history in literature. Here are two of my attempts to put the symbolism to work: First, the four-stage journey, and then the full seven-stage journey.

Make the Right Choice

The four-stage Alchemical Journey goes Black, White, Yellow, Red, roughly symbolizing destruction, washing, reforming/testing, and the full transformation. The four chapters of this fic are based along those lines.

As with my interpretation of Thor, I find a distinction among Ideal Odin, Baseline Odin, and Canonical MCU Odin. But even Canonical Odin isn't anywhere near the incredible sadist that this piece presents him as.

Time for an Attitude Adjustment

Y'know how Loki invaded a planet and got sentenced to solitary confinement for life (and almost execution), while Thor started a war over being called a girl and got sentenced to a three-day vacation with a hot nerdy chick? I mean, if Loki hadn't dropped by to make Thor really sad (and later sent a monster robot to town), Thor might even have gotten sand in his shoes! Such a terrible punishment for all those lives he took.

I don't count "I can't pick up Mjolnir" as a significant down point for Thor because that was basically just "Oh, I just realized that my dad was serious about all this. Crap." Only more melodramatic. Thor basically has two settings, either Sunny or Temper Tantrum, and honestly his vacation doesn't seem to have triggered any character growth other than "Ah, now I must oppose my brother!"

Anyway, if you'd like to see Thor get the smug beaten out of him a bit more dramatically, well, I'm here to provide:

Distilled Thorwhump [3k WIP] (series)

Personal growth ain't a walk in the park.

In Thor, the titular character defies his father's edict, commits treason, slaughters dozens of Jotnar, and sparks a war over being called a girl. His punishment is a three-day vacation before it's all swept under the rug. The film gives lip service to character growth, but doesn't actually show significant change.

This piece gives Thor the chance for character growth in the literary tradition of the seven-step Alchemical Journey, starting with Calcination, the breaking down of Thor's ego.

Which is to say, the first step is to be as mean to him as possible, and man, do I accomplish that goal. Some 17 Whumptober prompts in a single four-page fic that covers roughly 24 hours of everything nature can throw at him.

Then it's a matter of washing him out, dismantling his pride and his pretenses, and letting him come to grips with what he truly is (and what he could be), then remaking him from the ground up. This journey should take place across seven fics, representing the seven stages.

Content Warnings: Um. Pay close attention to the tags, okay? It gets bad.
Series: Exile Ain't No Vacation
Fan Comment: wow. You're really beating the heck out of him, aren't you? The movie didn't do it for me at all, but BOY! I sure feel sorry for the big lunk now

SHORT FICS (800-1999 words): Exotic Travails: 758, 1/?

Slave traders [800 Hiatusfic]

Sif sells young Loki to slave traders, who start breaking him in as soon as they've handed over the gold.

Honestly, this is near the bottom of my priority list -- I was following some whump prompts set by a fan, and didn't exactly intend to start a new adventure, but that's how it shaped up. If I get around to continuing it, I'm not sure whether I'll focus on Loki's experiences being psychologically broken down, or Thor's desperate attempts to find out what happened to him, or a mix of the two.

Content Warnings: Psychological torture and a bit of physical torture.
Link: Exotic Travails
Fan Comment: Ohhh I love it! Throw him in to a terrible situation and see what he does with it!; Poor Loki isn't even getting a chance to get his bearings here!

NEARLY COMPLETE: Somehow I Miss Box Socials: 1372, 1/2-3 Fathers, amirite?: 1243, 2/3 A Torrent Carving Inexorably at a Stone: 874, 1/2

Why did we agree to this again? [1k WIP]

Tony convinces the Avengers to dress in drag as part of a fundraising effort. And then to auction themselves off to the highest bidder.

Steve is slightly more in focus than the rest. Also, Thor is in full form.

Content Warnings: Not unless the thought of guys in drag bothers you? This is mostly a chance to be wacky, and to explore how each character approaches the idea of genderplay, on a scale from "embrace it and have fun" to "put up with it, it's for charity" to "bribe people to destroy any photographic evidence."
Link: Somehow I Miss Box Socials
Excerpt: “Indeed, my friends!” Thor boomed, clapping Steve’s shoulder, “tonight shall be an event to feed the bawdy campfire tales of our grandchildren’s grandchildren! Already I have seen us bandied about on the Twitter; many have bewailed their circumstances in being unable to attend.”

“And the photos are going to be up across the world as soon as we step out on stage,” Bruce muttered morosely.

Thor’s grin grew wider. “Why Banner, can this be your first time donning a womanly guise?”

Steve frowned at Thor. “It’s not yours?”

For those unfamiliar with Box Socials: Small-town American fundraiser where the girls make fancy box lunches and the guys bid on them (thus also securing a date with the girl who made it).

And there's a compare-and-contrast piece focusing on various characters' relationships with father/child dynamics: Fathers, amirite? (1243 words, 2/3 chapters). (I expect to change the title eventually. Also note that it gets pretty dark in places.)

No escape [1k WIP]

Thanos has managed to capture a number of Avengers, plus Loki. Tony's just looking for a way out.

I'm not planning a positive ending for this piece; it's here to showcase one possible reason that Loki ultimately gave in to Thanos: Thanos's realm exists outside time, and there is no way to leave until he allows it.

Content Warnings: Torture (offscreen)
Link: A Torrent Carving Inexorably at a Stone
Fan Comment: Welp this is disturbing af. In a good way (for us, that is).

COMPLETE or HIATUS: Pit Stop: 1921 Breaking Point: 1887 Web of Trust: 1877 Figuring Anonymities: 1868 Crawl: 1646 Stripped Down to Nothing (again): 1466 Ah, Fatherhood: 952 Foolish Assumptions: 873 Sleep, Water, Exercise, Sunlight and Vitamin C...: 822 Hard Truths Need Not Stay: 808 https://archiveofourown.org/works/43896015 Pain Is Inevitable: 800

Get off the streets for a minute [2k]

When Fury takes a dunk in the river, Nat helps him hide out and recover.

I love scenes where one character helps another bathe when they can't easily bathe themself. I recall Batman helping his girlfriend in the shower, getting out of a poisoned dress; don't recall how old I was at the time, but I thought it was pretty neat. I think "help bathing" was actually one of the prompts that led me to this scenario.

Content Warnings: Mild eye trauma, breaking and entering, some swearing.
Link: Pit Stop
Fan Comments: This is wonderful!! Sweet and mildly angsty...perfect for Valentine's Day!; Love Nat helping out papa fury

It's the only way to save you [2k]

Loki spent enough time under Thanos's tender mercies that he knows exactly what he must offer, if Thor is to be spared. And all Thor can do is watch.

Content Warnings: Loki offers to join Thanos willingly, holding nothing back, if Thor will be spared.
Link: Breaking Point
Fan Comments: I loved how deep emotions ran all along the text and you really made me feel Loki's pain and fear.; I am legitimately bawling. We deserved this set-up in Endgame and I am still distraught that we didn’t get it. And yet… this bROKE me. I am still crying.

Real friends help you break into the school lab [2k]

When Peter runs low on web fluid, he gets Ned and MJ to help him break into the school lab to make more.

Content Warnings: One of my fluffier pieces.
Link: Web of Trust
Fan Comment: This is very much in character for all three of them, and I think you nailed their voices.
Ned wanting a better look at the laser-engraved spider is very Ned—as is not wanting the guard to get in trouble.
I was going to quibble about practicality, but Peter getting thousands of dollars in robotics from Stark but no web fluid makes sense, and Peter not just selling the bots (or asking Happy for actual money to get chemistry supplies) is very very Peter. I relate hard to the kind of person who would walk up 100 flights of stairs rather than bother someone for elevator access.

Also, if you'd like to both (a) pick up some new niche skills and (b) have your eyes opened about how much "security" is just "god, we hope people don't try to bypass this so-called lock," I can recommend a jaunt through YouTube's videos on pen testing.

Agony will break that stubborn streak [2k]

When Loki refuses to yield, Thanos demonstrates how easily he can be made to kneel.

Content Warnings: Explicit Torture: Burning metal bound to the back of his knees.
Link: Crawl
Fan Comment: So vivid and disturbing. And wholly believable.

HYDRA breaks him down much as Thanos did before them [1500]

Loki's been handed over to SHIELD, which is to say, HYDRA -- and they're pulling him apart piece by piece until he serves their will.

Content Warnings: This fic is one long sequence detailing the different aspects of torture between Loki's time with Thanos and Loki's time with HYDRA. Pulls no punches; I think the title is pretty apt.
Link: Stripped Down to Nothing (again)
Fan Comment: Omg my heart! I can feel the hope draining away.

Amazing writing as always!!; Please let someone save him.

They've mocked Loki once too often [1k]

The God of Mischief knows how to give as well as he gets.

I love celebrating April Fools with random crackfics, and this managed to pull in a bit of unexpected angst, plus a delineation of "teasing" (positive) vs. "mockery" (negative). Basically, if the butt of your jokes can't enjoy them, you shouldn't be pretending it's harmless fun.

Content Warnings: Some darker subtext gets hinted at, but not openly discussed.
Link: Ah, Fatherhood
Fan Comments: I like Loki doing pranks as a response to the guys ragging on his kids; I can see why Loki would be pretty angry about the mocking! I think his reaction was quite restrained (and pretty darn funny). You hit the nail on the head in characterizing the relationships between all the characters, especially Clint and Natasha. Loki knows not to go there with Natasha because he's been there himself.

I'd be interested to read Natasha's explanation to Tony about why exactly the mocking was so offensive and Tony's reaction to realizing exactly what he was mocking!

Pepper will have her revenge [900]

Thor unthinkingly dissed her, the rest of the team laughed along with it, and Tony knows better than to get in her way.

Content Warnings: An odd convergence of April Fools and the early part of COVID.
Link: Foolish Assumptions
Fan Comment: Those would have been pretty good pranks; subtle and detailed. Definitely a Pepper thing.

Pepper scolds Tony concerning the pandemic [800]

In the midst of the pandemic, Tony has been ignoring his health, and Pepper is having none of that.

Content Warnings: Basically a rundown of Tony's less positive traits, and how they add up to increased risk.
Link: Sleep, Water, Exercise, Sunlight, and Vitamin C…
Fan Comments: This is so wholesome; Good reminder to stay safe right now, and it brightened my day! Thanks! Tony was in excellent character.

Let the pain recreate you [800]

When Thanos finally shows up to take a look at the Chitauri's latest prisoner, Loki has been broken down enough that it doesn't take much to shove him over the edge.

Content Warnings: Torture (more implied than shown, but Loki's in a bad way both physically and mentally)
Link: Pain Is Inevitable
Excerpt: They like him, because his body insists on healing itself. Most of their captives die too quickly, but with him they can have fun.

“Do you wish the pain to stop, child?” the man asks, sinking down to a crouch before Loki.

There’s no right answer. There’s never a right answer, because he has no control here, no way of getting them to stay their hand, not even for a moment.

TINY FICS (under 800 words): Fledgling Avengers: 611 Dust and Ashes and Dreams: 591 Pepper's Five Moments of Intimacy: A Demonstration of Form: 573 Lashes: 533 Five Intimacies Lost Over Time: 533 Blood on the Ice: 383 The Pressure of the Throne: 302 MCU Actor Birthday Prompts: 101 (I think it's just 100 counted badly)

Anticipating death [600]

While waiting to die, Tony dreams that the Snap got Pepper too. (And Morgan, because I'd forgotten that she was born after the Snap.)

Content Warnings: Depressing statistics.
Link: Dust and Ashes and Dreams
Fan Comment: Hey, I really really liked this! At first I was a bit confused over Morgan being alive, but I immediately accepted it—you write very beautifully.

Pepper connects with the Avengers [600]

Content Warnings: Tony's described in a bit of an unflattering way.
Link: Pepper's Five Moments of Intimacy
Fan Comment: I love how the Thor and Natasha sections both contrast Pepper with Natasha in ways both women appreciate.

If you want them to live, suffer [500]

When Loki tries to protect the commoners from Hela, she offers to let them live -- at the cost of Loki getting whipped for each and every life.

Content Warnings: It's a full page of Loki getting whipped, and trying to bear up under the pain long enough that nobody dies. It's not pretty.
Link: Lashes
Fan Comment: I really like the idea of Loki sacrificing himself for his people.; ah i loved it!! that pain, and him still thinking at the end that it wasn't enough 😩😢

How Frigga misses her little boy [500] (Split POV)

Frigga considers the ways her son has grown out of his boyish intimacy with her; Loki considers the ways he'll never have that same connection again.

Content Warnings: Mascara Alert! Canonical character death, and how it affects Loki, there in his cell.
Link: Five Intimacies Lost Over Time
Excerpt: You’re not, he says, and wipes away the illusion with a touch, knowing he’ll never touch her real hands again, and yet not understanding just how immediate that ‘never’ will be.

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