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snowflakesnsundry · 2 years ago

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Ty @wolfpup026 !! I have a lot of music, so i think it would be fun to just do this with my playlist for Until Dust ^.^ Maybe explain why i picked each a little bit, and what chapter they relate to in my mind! I will be skipping any songs that relate to chapters yet to come for spoiler reasons :P I will also be setting these up in order of chapter, so people can avoid spoilers if they like!! <3 Song titles link to youtube so you can listen to them! <3

The full playlist is HERE on Tidal

Act 1 Songs:

1. Games (The Punk AF Matt Square Mix)- Tessa Violet, lovelytheband - I picked this one for back in act one since it encompases almost the whole act; since the whole thing is about the game Reader ends up playing with Loki. She knows - to an extent- that he is messing with her, but somehow she cant resist continuing on.

2. Soap - Melanie Martinez - I picked this song to go along with chapter 13, though it can relate to a few others as well. This is the first time where the Reader realizes that a few wrong words can have serious consequences when it comes to the God of Mischief. She realizes she is going to have to be much more careful if she wants to make it home in one piece.

3. Devil's Backbone- The Civil Wars - A great song for chapter 25. Reader decides that, no matter what Loki may have been planning, she will stay beside him (Acts 2, 3, and some hints at 4 below the fold)

Act 2 Songs:

4. Amen - Amber Run - Chapter 40. Reader has lost so much at this point, and her reunion with Loki has been disasterous. When she tosses asside her journal, she leaves behind what came before, realizing she is-in some ways- now alone.

5. You Can Be So Cruel -Royal Blood - This song for me goes along with chapter 41. The lyrics are simple, but to me, it relates easily to the scene (and not just because Loki actually chokes her.) For the first time, Reader is seeing the Loki she was always warned about- not the one she had grown to love. It relates as well (in my mind) to the fixation Loki develops for her in that moment-the curiosity and suspicion that will lead him to chase her down and figure out who she really is.

6. The Killing Kind- Marianas Trench - Chapter 50, 51, and 52. I mean listen, is it a bit on the nose? yeah lol, but also it has the right sort of energy. I love Marianas Trench, every song is a journey- and this one covers so much of the sort of relationship between reader and Loki and the climax of this particular point in the story.

Act 3 Songs:

7. THE SNAKE- Lana Lubany -Chapters 67 and 68. Its this space in the story where the reader is beginning to let go of her adherence to laws. Prior to now she's been finding her strength. With Loki back, reader's newfound strength pairs with howe dearly she missed him previously- making it a little easier to break rules she would not have before.

8. Keep Lying - Donna Missal Chapter 81. Loki is convinced that this is the moment where he loses the love of his life. He cannot bring himself to beleive her assurances are true- and so, in an act of desperation, he lies to a great many people in a single day.

9. Dirty - Grandson - Chapter 90. Reader asks Loki to teach Fen a lesson, and she does. Something in Reader is changing- and shes beginning to realize that, sometimes, to protect what you love you have to get your hands dirty.

Act 4 Songs for the curious ones. No Explanations <3

10. This is Love- Air Traffic Controller

11. Angry Too - Lola Blanc

12. Sing To Me - MISSO, Death Stranding: Timefall

shuffle your ‘on repeat’ and post the first 10 songs

Thanks @cha-melodius for the tag! Here are mine :)

Choke - IDKHow

Stay Frosty Royal Milk Tea - Fall Out Boy

GOSSIP - Måneskin

INDUSTRY BABY - Lil Nas X

BABY SAID - Måneskin

Unholy - Sam Smith

DON’T WANNA SLEEP - Måneskin

I'm a Wanted Man - Royal Deluxe

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing - Set It Off

Teeth - 5 Seconds of Summer

No pressure tags: @insert-witty-user-name-here, @waterhorseyblues-ao3, @mobius-m-mobius, @blackbirdofasgard, @snowflakesnsundry

#loki fanfic #untildust #until dust #playlist #i tried to get just lyric videos #or just the songs #but some of these only had the music videos #so theres that

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snowflakesnsundry · 1 year ago

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Until Dust Cut Chapters: The Tale of Loki

Hello loves! I am working on this week's chapter, but I stumbled across this and wanted to share it. The original version of last weeks chapter (Chapter 113: Scars) was originally written to happen somewhere around chapter 87/89ish? but it never fit right, so I held off till it did.

The version y'all read is much different from the original, which was set in Gunnlod's Tavern, where -under the sway of some of (at this juncture) her mead- Loki would reveal what happened in the years between her fall from the rainbow bridge and New York.

And then they were probably gonna fuck somewhere in the tavern as opposed to the hallway, but regardless....

Enjoy <3

“Do not take this the wrong way, Eydis-” She said, almost wistfully as she leaned back in her chair. “-but I had hoped my friend would be a different sort of reckless while in the Palace.”

“And what do you mean by that?”

Gunnlod shrugged. “I don’t know, bed a noble man- one of the warriors three if you were feeling ambitious.”

You could hear Loki’s breath shake as she set her drink down slowly. Biting into her lips you could see the corners of them twitching upwards as she tried to keep a straight face. She absolutely refused to meet your eye. Looking down at your glass you realized that, perhaps, you had not thought this all the way thorough.

“Just a member of the Warriors three? Not Lady Sif?” Loki asked.

“I don’t know that she could.”

“Gunnlod!” You snapped, sending both her and Loki into a fit of laughter. Face hot with more than drink, you clapped your glass down on the table. “I may not have bedded a future Queen but I did at least manage to bed a royal.”

The words were out before you could stop them, and your hand clapped firmly across your face. Loki’s laughter began anew as Gunnlod nearly threw herself across the table to pull your hands away. “No- no! You must tell me- why would you keep that from me!” Her eyes flashed to Loki. “Did you know this? Did she tell you?”

Long curls of black hair had begun to pull free of her braids, and Loki pulled at them as if to convince herself that revealing the whole game would in fact not be worth the reaction. “I did know, yes.” The words were struggled out between fits of laughter.

Gunnlod’s eyes went wide before they narrowed. “You knew, but she didn’t tell you?”

“I didn’t hide it from her-”

“-Truly she didn’t.”

“Who was it?” Your friend asked, leaning conspiratorially over the table.

“L.. Look-” the amount of effort it took to guide your words was incredible. “-It was one of the Princes-”

“One of the princes- come now, one of the princes is imprisoned, you cannot expect me to not know-”

“-not anymore.” Both you and Gunnlod looked at Loki as she spoke- and she seemed to savor the varying looks of horror the two of you provided. “And besides,” She continued “with the right accommodations one does not need to be physically present for that to happen. With the right magic-”

They way Gunnlod looked at you defied description. “You didn’t… you couldn’t! How could you have even…when?” She sat back and collected herself. “Eydis I beg you, don’t tease me like that my heart cannot take it!”

“I am not teasing you, good lady.” She purred.

She wouldn’t…

“I know for a fact she did exactly what I have implied.”

Loki…

“He was freed after the attack-”

You terror-

“-and has been ever since.”

You struck Loki on the leg with all your might.

“Ow!” She yelped “What was that for?”

As you gestured to Gunnlod, you watched Loki’s form shrink.

Any mirth you friend had displayed was gone- shock and genuine horror having taken its place. Her hands clasped at the edge of the table as she tried to hold herself steady, and you knew exactly where her head had gone.

“Gunnlod-”

“No! No-” She shot quickly to her feet. “-I am going to get you water to flush your system. We can continue talking when you’re sober, I will not have you-”

“Gunnlod, stop-” You followed quickly, taking your friend by the hand and pulling her to face you.

“No, you don’t have to talk about this, and I wont have you do so under the effects of-”

“You are worrying yourself over something that did not happen.” You said, speaking as firmly and clearly as you could.

“The rumors were that you were a prisoner of… of the younger Prince. Knowing he was imprisoned was the only reason I never truly feared that anything bad could have happened to you but-”

“I was never forced to do anything other than remain at the palace- and I was never Loki’s prisoner, I was Odin’s.”

“Your certain of that? Because if you were ever that monster’s prisoner for even a moment and he forced you to-”

“-He would never do that, I promise you he-”

“He killed hundreds if not thousands of Midgardians without provocation. They were helpless- how could you possibly think he would never do something like that to a single Asgardian? Who knows if he hasn’t already in the past?”

“I know he hasn’t-” You were interrupted by a hand on your shoulder.

Loki stood beside you with your drink in her hand, face frozen in a terse smile. “Lady Gunnlod, may I first say how glad I am to know there is someone who cares for her as deeply as I- so I hope I might be able to remove some of your fears. I have been a servant to the royal family all my life- the princes in particular. I was brought in by my father as a playmate for Prince Thor, and happened to fall into service for his brother along the way.” You watched her lift your glass to her lips, and pull a long drink from it. “As such- if we might be able to speak more privately- there is a good bit I may be able to clarify for you.”

It was strange to see your friend so vehemently decry Loki only to agree to listen to her without a moments hesitation. She did not know it, but you wondered if she would soon. Gunnlod gestured for the two of you to follow, and Loki remained close at her side. With a twirl of her fingers, you saw the briefest glimmer of green in her hand, quickly replaced by her own glass, which she offered to your friend only after downing nearly half of it in a single pull.

Closing the distance between you, you placed your hand on Loki’s shoulder. She cast a weak smile your way. “Perhaps you should have a bit before we go in as well.” She averted her eyes. “Just in case.”

Your steps faltered a bit as you fell a bit behind them in the crowd.

Just in case of what?

Gunnlod kept a few rooms above the tavern for guests who drank-or fought- more than they could handle. Her personal rooms being among them, it was an easy place to steal away to for a few moments alone.

The place was smaller than you remembered. Often before you had fit seven or more into the chairs that claimed half the room; their worn leather having cracked from decades of use. In the center of them was a small fire pit that warmed the place on deep winter nights, but remained cold on warmer nights such as this. Loki and Gunnlod settled into two of the corner chairs, and you settled where you could keep the princess within arms length. She hadn’t looked at you since you were in the tavern itself, instead coaxing Gunnlod to take a few sips from the glass of comfort she offered between words of casual conversation. It was almost like watching her attempt to herd your anxious friend- to limited success.

As Loki pointedly took another drink from the glass of candor, Gunnlod frowned. “I don’t want you to do or share anything that would put you into a great deal of trouble, Eydis.”

“Trust me when I say that, were I to be in trouble for this, it would be the least amount of trouble I have ever been in my life.” She replied dourly.

“Are you sure you are alright with it?” You asked.

Loki reached for your hand and twisted her fingers between yours. Considering how much of her own drink she had consumed, the light tremor in her hands made it clear the gesture had not been one of providing comfort, but seeking it. Squeezing tightly, you watched her nod before she began.

“There are a few things to know about… Prince Loki before we begin.” Saying her own name aloud like this sounded foreign on her tongue. “While he is a Prince by birth, he is not a prince of Asgard by birth.”

Your blood ran cold, and you tugged hard at her hand. “Love…”

“It’s alright-“ She said, her voice deadly calm. “It is important to know in the broader scheme of things, I assure you.”

“If he is not of Asgard then…”

“That is complicated.” Loki sighed. “You see, Loki was ‘born’ to the Queen after the war against the Jotun; something only…natural for warriors who have returned victorious.” Lowering her head to her lap, she began to fixate on your hand instead of anyone’s face- anxiously fiddling with your hand as she often did with her own. “However, he had come to Asgard a good bit before that. When the fighting had come to an end, Odin had made his way to a Jotun temple. It is common practice upon Jotunheim that a baby born weak or small is left within the temple so its soul can…depart and return in a stronger form. When the Allfather visited the temple, he found one such child left there upon the stone. It was a runt, but it was also a son of Laufey.”

“What?” Gunnlod gasped. “Surely you can’t mean to say that-”

“Prince Loki is a Frost Giant-and, by birth, heir to the throne of Jotunheim; although he did not know it growing up.”

“How could he not?”

“I am not fully sure… He was never told, obviously- and nor was Thor. In addition- and for reasons unknown to me- he had always taken an Asgardian form, so there was no real reason to suspect otherwise.”

“But why?”

“The Allfather claimed that he had originally done so with the hopes of using the child to… better unify Asgard and Jotunheim- maybe bring some sort of final peace to the realms. How he hoped to do so, I do not know either; but I suppose it is not vital to the story.” You let your thumb brush slowly across Loki’s palm, preventing her from picking at the skin. “It is all for the sake of context, ultimately. Personally, I have considered that this might be partially how the Prince gained the reputation he did. Admittedly he was… competitive with Thor as they were growing; and since he was not a fighter in the way his bother was, he often fell short. Queen Frigga taught him her Vanir magics- and when one combines the wit of magic with the ferocity of a frost giant…”

“Surely not every Jotun is savage simply by nature.” You offered, but Loki only shrugged.

“Perhaps. But I digress.” She reached out to take another sip of what little remained in her glass- savoring it as if it was a lifeline to get her through.” On the day of Thor’s failed coronation, he took Loki, Lady Sif, and the Warriors Three to Jotunheim looking to seek revenge for the two slain Einherjar and the ruined ceremony. Loki attempted to warn the Allfather of his brother’s intentions, knowing he could not stop them alone- nor could he see such an endeavor going well. He slipped a message to one of the soldiers before they left, asking them to bring it to Odin, but they delayed and the murderous little band was not stopped before heading into Jotunheim. There, Loki was grabbed by one of the Giants- and while their touch had left the other Asgardians with severe frost burns, Loki instead mistakenly came across his true parentage.”

Gunnlod was silent, and had turned to stare at her feet as well, doing her best to process everything at once. You knew first hand just how difficult it all was to take in.

“Have you any questions, Lady Gunnlod?”

“None as of yet, Lady Eydis.” The two smiled to themselves, and you felt just a bit of the weight in the air begin to lift.

“Shortly after revealing the truth to his ‘son’, Odin fell into the Odinsleep- unable to rule. Typically, this would mean the Queen would rule in his stead, but she was distraught having already seen her son banished from the realm, and now seeing her husband in a sleep far deeper than he had fallen into before.”

“Prince Thor had been banished for beginning the war with Jotunheim.” Gunnlod muttered with a nod. “So the rule fell to Prince Loki.”

“Correct; and Thor was lucky to have only been stripped of his title and powers. For one to begin a war with another of the Nine Realms- mistakenly or on purpose- the punishment is typically death. He instigated the slaughter of hundreds- if not thousands- of Jotun over the actions of two.”

Gunnlod stiffened at the implication. “Prince Loki was given equally lenient treatment.”

Loki scoffed. “Only after the Queen begged the Allfather to spare his life- and even then he was sent to live in complete isolation buried deep beneath Asgard. Thor at least was sent to Midgard where he might not be alone- Odin even sent Mjolnir after him so he might prove himself worthy once more.” She shook her head. “Similar punishments from the outside, perhaps- but in truth…”

There was a long and heavy silence as you and Gunnlod waited for her to continue. Finishing off the last of her drink, Loki steadied her nerves and continued. “ Regardless, Loki was a left with a war on his hands from the very moment he stepped onto the throne.” She fidgeted for a moment. “As I saw it, he was left with the sudden realization of his true history-and an unavoidable war with a people he was told were his own. Above all he wanted to stop it- to end the war quickly and to prove himself a true Asgardian.”

As detail after detail unfolded, you found her hands growing less and less steady. You held her hand tighter, desperate to wrap your arm around her- to hold her safe until it was over- but you knew she did not want that from you. You knew there was something more waiting- something more than she had told you before.

Loki warned you that there were things she was not ready to share.

But to do so here and now? Of all times? Of all places?

Fate was gone. Broken. Shattered. But all the same, you silently prayed it would see the person you loved happy and safe.

“So fixated on this was he that he snuck unseen to Jotunheim, seeking an audience with Laufey himself. Offering the Jotun King a secret entrance into the palace, Loki lured him there- only to kill the man who sired him with his own hands.”

Knowing what had happened did not make it any less strange to hear spoken aloud. Loki having slain Laufey was known well enough- the story pressed when the realm thought him dead. A final gift to a brother Thor thought he failed to save.

“Regrettably-” Loki continued, “A number of factors led him to attempt to end his brother’s life as well.”

“What?” Loki did not look at you when you spoke- she clutched your hand even tighter as if you might rip it away at any moment.

“Fear and resentment lead to many a bad decision.” She muttered. “Still, he failed- and as we know the rainbow bridge was shattered before the Bifrost could destroy Jotunheim. Both princes found themselves tossed over the edge, and would have fallen had Odin not appeared at their side. Odin rebuked Loki for his actions-despite all he had done to save his life, and to protect Asgard from the war that Thor had begun.” There was no hiding the bitterness in her tone.

“Is that when he fell?” Gunnlod asked.

“That is when he let go.”

You placed you other hand atop hers. “But he survived.” You said, pointedly. She still did not look at you.

“Surviving is not always the preferable outcome.” Her tone had turned dark-and the way she clenched your hand no longer felt like an ask for comfort, but like she was keeping desperate hold on an anchor. With a bitter laugh and unsteady breath, she continued. “Many know all the fragments I have shared until now, but what I mean to share next is known by very few. You will have to forgive me for it is…”

You could feel her muscles tense, fighting the trembling that overpowered the effects of the drink Gunnlod had provided. It set you ill at ease; making you wonder what memory could be so powerful as to…

‘Not a dream. A memory.’

Bile rose in your throat.

You waited.

“There are a remarkable number of races across the nine that can survive just fine in the vacuum of space; and it would seem that the Jotun can count themselves among them.” A nervous smile crossed her face. “For a few days, it seems, Loki floated through the cosmos- but he was soon picked up by a warship. It was incredible in size… far larger than anything on Asgard…Titan in origin.”

“Titan?” Gunnlod asked.

“An advanced race- ancient, and almost completely extinct.”

“The Mad Titan…” You muttered.

“Correct.” Loki replied with a nod. “The sole survivor of his kind- and captain of that very vessel.”

Gunnlod pursed her lips, a touch frustrated to be the only one who seemed not to know who you spoke of. “Who, is the ‘Mad Titan’?”

“A very dangerous man.” Loki replied darkly. “One with horrific ideals, and the power to ensure they come to pass.”

In your head there was a hammering that had begun to grow- a blooming fear that what you had seen…

What you heard…

“When he was pulled from the void, it was done with a very specific intention in mind. This Titan collects followers-tools- wherever he can find them; particularly amongst those who find themselves on the outskirts of society.”

Like she had.

“As Loki has told it, he was offered a position amongst this Titan’s “children”-but he declined.” She let out a hollow laugh. “Typically the word ‘offer’ implies that one has a choice in the matter; and the quickest way to discover if you indeed have any options at all is to reject the best offer you are given.”

“And?” It didn’t matter who had asked it, let alone what she would reply. All three of you already knew what the answer would be.

Loki’s nails had begun to dig into the back of your hand- her eyes failing to see anything in front of her; her words coming out smoothly, but devoid of emotion.

“Most Asgardians can withstand a considerable amount of pain- as could any Jotun. The difference lies in the fact that the description of “frost giant” makes it fairly easy for anyone to discover a way to amplify anything they are forced to endure.” Her eyes were black, and you saw the briefest flash of what could only technically be called a smile. “Put a flame to even the oldest glacier, and it too will melt.”

The three of you sat in silence as Loki’s eyes moved about the room; not scanning the space, but her memories. Her mouth would open and close as moments passed her by-as she decided to share a story, and then promptly changed her mind. The way her nails cut into your skin did not bother you- in fact it was the only thing keeping you grounded. In your ears you could hear the screaming.

The agony.

The hopelessness.

She took in a sharp breath when she managed to return her mind to the room. “By the time they were done with him, two years had passed. A blink of an eye under normal circumstances but these were not normal circumstances. A mind can be stronger than any other, but two years of… well, two years can do a great deal to anyone. In addition, the Titan had something in his possession that allowed him to alter someone’s mind. To control them.”

Gunnlod swore beneath her breath. You were not sure you were breathing.

The person you had met after Loki’s memories had been lost was nothing short of afraid. They were suspicious- constantly lashing out in their own defense- and you had wondered how exactly the Loki you had met upon entering the Palace had come from the one you had known then. But now, it made a great deal of sense.

The Loki you fell in love with- that you knew now- that was who she was. Who she always had been. Yes, she could be petty. She could be a liar and a trickster; she could be bitter, stubborn, conniving, and even cruel- but that was not all of her. And while the pit in your stomach did not subside, nor your anger wane, the smallest weight dissipated from your shoulders. It was one you had not fully realized remained, but at least now you felt you could be sure.

You had not come to love a monster.

#loki fanfic #untildust #loki reader insert #loki x y/n #loki marvel #loki x reader #loki fanfiction #loki x you #until dust #no y/n

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