#i took it a step further (and also applied lots of sorts of immortality for diff characters)

[duckduckngoose]

I need to work on schoolwork but my brain came up with a kickass HC ab how immortality works in my mechs au

[imperialsea-a]

ELIZABETH’S IN-DEPTH RP PLOTTING CHEAT-SHEET.

          Want new-and-exciting plots for your character? Long to reach out to more of your followers, but don’t know where to start? Fear not! Fill out this form and give your RP partners both present and future all the of juicy jumping off points they need to help you get your characters acquainted.

          Be sure to tag the players whose characters YOU want more cues to interact with, and repost, don’t reblog! Feel free to add or remove sections as you see fit. Template here.

Mun name: Rem (not that blue-haired anime girl or DN, it’s from my old blog!) OOC Contact: Contact me through the Tumblr IM system or my Discord! My Discord is: imperialsea#1818. Please tell me your URL if you message me there so I know who you are!

Now, onto the heart of the post!

   ♛   Who the heck is my muse, anyway? Elizabeth Eva Alexandria Cross, the only biological daughter of Kaien Cross, her father (a canon vk char), and Eva Liliya Cherie Cross, her mother (an oc muse)! Elizabeth is a vampire hunter by blood like all in her family before her! But, shh! Your character isn't supposed to know that .  .  .  unless they're also a hunter .  .  .  or a perhaps a vampire (since her family from both sides are famous hunters, but even then they don't have to know she's a vamp killer if you don't want them to) .  .  .  or they're some sort of ally to her / the hunters association since she can't just tell anyone her actual work on a whim. Where she's from, the existence of vampires are a secret from most of humanity and it's her job to kill the dangerous people-hurty ones and keep that nice and secret so as to avoid a world war! 'Nothing about her is complicated at all', I say, lying through my teeth like Bethy does to society every day by keeping her job and true lifestyle hidden :'D

Further information below the cut, please take time to read if you’re stuck on what to plot and how Bethy operates!

   ♛   Points of Interest:           - She was born and raised to fight against unruly beasts and composed foes alike. Despite her youth, she's a one-woman powerhouse and is not afraid to take herself down with an opponent if she deems it necessary. She's like the Smash player who hits the fake smash ball to take out an enemy on their last legs, even at the expense of her own life. She'll do it! Except in Smash she'd probably just win the match because she had an extra life and not, you know, not die forever for real in a last grand battle.

          - She's got vamp genes all over the place and is rare among hunters. She's biologically immortal like a Pureblood despite not being a vampire herself and is living testimony of what her predecessors took from Purebloods both by honorable bestowal of blood from the mysterious Hooded Woman, and straight up [insert painting of Jupiter Devouring His Son here]. Her great grandparent is 3k+ years old, her father is 200+ for devouring his own twin-- it's messy as mythology, but anime :'D  She herself is only 18 on default though (19 in K Crossover--), the youngest of her entire bloodline, and she can still be slain in battle even if she is much hardier than a typical human being. She's also sensitive to auras, and capable of sensing vampires.

          - Things characters might notice? She's ghostly pale and kind of looks like she stepped out of The Last Unicorn. She looks cold, sophisticated, and vaguely otherworldly-- she really doesn't radiate the friendliest of vibes unless she's doing something she loves, and the calculated yet seemingly effortless grace of her movements are prominent in and outside of combat. She is descended from an ancient royal line, and those posh, stuffy mannerisms and formal speech pattern live on through her even if the Adrasteian monarchy no longer exists.

          - She truly isn't a trigger-happy person, whatever the title of 'hunter' implies, and keeps a level head in most situations. Sure, Bethy looks as if she could bite someone's head off and can display some seriously threatening flashes of anger, but she's not going to do something rash and will only resort to drawing her weapons in a serious matter. She's here to save lives, maintain peace, and keep order, not disrupt it and set off a war! No pressure on her, right?

         - She is also notably, NOT a high school student, though she may be mistaken for a high school senior or young college student since her age fits the bill. Elizabeth actually graduated from her high school at age sixteen and took to hunting full-time immediately after. She was convinced to slow it down by her grandparents and began preparing for college when her assignment at Cross Academy arrived and, uh, pretty tragically, hasn’t been able to attend any classes due to her work demands. Come to choose between the world and personal fulfillment? Her conscience only let her have one choice; a hunter must hunt.

    ♛   What they’ve been up to recently:           - Work. There's hardly a time when this girl isn't working or planning what to do next, and the workload only grows after the previous president is outed as a dishonorable, self-serving traitor to the hunters. She's seriously injured after trading blows with him and is promptly benched to deal with the fallout and mental agony, but she's back within a year (and in K's crossover? Only six months later!).

          - Having said that, Elizabeth does have days off and will spend them quietly with her friends, or alone with music and a rejuvenating swim.

          - Depending on the time in her life? Her life circumstances vary drastically-- she can go from a young huntress travelling on her own as duty demands, or she can be a mother of five children and trusted right hand of the new hunter president, Zero Kiryuu. She lives for a long time, so she's always up to something! And of course, she's always motivated to fight for a better future. 

   ♛   Where to find them:            - Aside from work, check the beach! Or find her on methods of cross-continental transportation since she travels around the world for her job (she walks whenever possible, so it's rare to see her on a bus, but she’ll begrudgingly take one or a train)! Otherwise, a place like an aquarium, clothing store, or coffee shop, or any place in a city is your best chance.... write w me pls... q-q she is Around Somewhere.

          - If not found in any of those places and your character is someone inside Cross Academy, she can be found there, helping the prefects in some way and is familiar enough with the building to help out new students if they ask.

    ♛   Current Plans:           - Elizabeth is chained to her work as a hunter for as long as she draws breath, or until there is no need for her to end hostile vampires. Her ultimate goal is to keep the world from falling into a repeat, all-out war between vampires and humanity. Her living and family situation might change through the years, but that will always be her primary drive-- she's got an indomitable will.

    ♛   Desired Interactions:           - please ovq

          - In all seriousness, I’m up for pretty much anything. She needs more friends, more enemies, people to protect, people to be protected by, people she looks up to, people who legitimately unnerve her, everything! I just don’t feel comfortable killing her. Elizabeth fought really hard to get her future and deserves to find comfort after her entire childhood-young adult life was spent thinking the only thing of worth she had was her role as a huntress. I do really, really love angst though, so anything else goes, really c:

     ♛   Offered Interactions ( please sit tight for this! it will be divided into multiple sections! ) :           - IF YOUR CHARACTER IS HUMAN:                - She’ll assume your muse is an average civilian until shown otherwise (be it with unusual powers, whacky aura, combat prowess, or prior knowledge from a report or something-- a plot specific thing). Unless they truly know about vampires / work with the Hunters Association, Elizabeth will not be sharing any information about who or what she is without a legitimate reason (such as the human character being bitten by a Pureblood and thus is being turned into a vampire themselves). However, the other party being kept in the dark about vampires can open the door to a more relaxed Elizabeth without her professional, perfectionist mindset. She’s more likely to have a pleasant conversation with humans since they have no part in the hunt-- but in that same vein, she does aim to keep them at a certain distance and not develop a deep emotional bond (but she’s also a lot softer than she looks and acts and tends to care for others quickly, should they get along). It’s a tricky slope .  .  . She’s thawed out and the nicer aspects of her personality are far more prominent, but at the same time, she’s not being entirely genuine. Give her time and she’ll become more open about personal things, just, not her work.

               - Applies to her K Proj. Crossover.  Working with S4, Elizabeth takes some time to adjust, but ultimately loves the organization and the people within it. They’re an exception to her ‘no ties with average humans’ rule because....errr.... they’re not the average human she’s used to protecting and in that verse they’re aware of her occupation and peculiar heritage. She’s not as cold first impressions might suggest and loves Reisi’s weird af team building nights, it’s hard for her to not have a soft spot for them, even as an outsider and unofficial member (as in, she has none of the abilities the Blues have, but she has her natural abilities).

         - IF YOUR CHARACTER IS A HUNTER:                 - Elizabeth is a known figure in hunter society; her great grandfather, grandfather, and aunt were previous heads of the organization and each are still alive at present. So, it probably makes more sense if your hunter character at the very least knows about her-- unless they’re an off-series muse in which case go wild and do what you think is best! I always did like the idea of two vampire hunters chilling together with neither one knowing the other is a fellow hunter until they’re attacked by a vamp and they’re both like ‘Oh!’

               - A simple but always reliable plot idea is two hunters on a joint mission! It’s really important to know that Bethy does not take kindly to poor performance and expects her partner to take whatever assignment they have seriously. If not? Things get tundra-cold really fast-- o-o;; People’s lives are at stake and in her opinion, if a hunter wants to mope or complain about their blood-given obligation, they’re not fit to be hunters in the first place. ‘Can’t do the job? Then finish what you started with me if you have any shred of integrity, and get thee gone’ sort of thing. Otherwise, uh :’D;; she’s highly cooperative and always aims to reach the outcome with the least amount of damage.

               - As a teenager, she attended a hunter-run private academy in Adrasteia for four years. If it’s possible for your muse to attend (as in, they are from a vampire hunter family and can pass the rigorous entrance exams), throw em in for a slightly younger, less stringent Bethy? A national fencing champion at the top of her classes, and great granddaughter to the legendary hellfire headmaster, Elizabeth’s not easily missed! It could be the start to an amicable relationship to carry into future interactions?

        - IF YOUR CHARACTER IS A VAMPIRE:                 - Bluntly put, for vampires, it’s probably better to interact with Elizabeth after Cross Academy has fallen in the large battle that took place there. Her mother is revealed to have been alive and held captive as a vampire, she’s already friends with a hunter/vamp, her two friends turned out to be Purebloods, and ‘oh....my mother and father got together again and now I’ve got a younger vampire brother’ .....and her boyfriend’s half sister is also a vampire who marries the former vamp senate heir..... so...vamps everywhere; she simply accepts them as part of the family. Prior to that, while she isn’t hostile to vampires and certainly has no intention to attack a vamp unjustly, it’s not a place she’s eager to put herself in. Depending on how threatened she feels, she’ll even swallow her pride and keep her head down-- mostly.

               - If your muse is a hunter-turned-vampire, she doesn’t treat them as a vampire, rather, she still sees them as a compatriot, like in the case of Zero Kiryuu. Whether or not your muse received the blood of their keeper is up to you, but in the case that they haven’t-- she’s always there to assist in granting mercy whenever the time comes :’)

       - IF YOUR CHARACTER DOES NOT FIT INTO ANY OF THE ABOVE CATEGORIES / REGARDING OTHER VERSES:                - Please help me find something that works, I’m willing to try! Memes are incredibly helpful! Send one in, the tag is here, and we can go from there!

                  - My currently finished and ready-to-use Crossover Verse is K Proj., which can be read about right here.

      ♛   Current Open Post/s: Linked right here. There's no expiration date to these, and it doesn't matter if another person has replied to one, you are more than welcome to reply to one if it catches your eye at all.

      ♛   Anything else?:  YEAH, wow I am so sorry that got so long. Please note that this post may be updated periodically!

[starscreamloki]

When Witches are Thieves and Tricksters are Saviors, all will fall

Chapter Three - Trickster

Previous chapter

Imagine: You’re an immortal witch who was cast out of Asgard and kept in a cell in another realm where you couldn’t escape nor hurt anybody. When Loki learned about you, he was instantly curious and did all the research necessary to find you. He also learned that you were unstoppable when you used to possess the mind stone. Loki started to pay you very interesting visits, where he actually developed a sort of fascination and loyalty to you, to the point where he actually plotted to break you out, get the stone from Vision and give it to you so you could join forces and do the unimaginable together.

Warnings: none

Words: 4475

A/N: It took some time to write this chapter because I had a lot of research to do about some other Marvel characters. I’m still not sure I did a good job because I’m a little unsure if I gave enough credit to the characters. However, I do like the events I’ve written in this chapter, so it might be not so bad after all. I’m sorry if characters are OOC, I gave it my best shot!

----

They called me an antagonist, a cruel vixen who wanted nothing more than to watch the Nine Realms burn.

But pray I ask you, have you ever wondered why? Have you ever asked yourselves why a villain becomes a villain and doesn't see herself that way? Because, believe me, one has to get battered down, a lot, and hard, to become as malicious as I was… Am!

I come from a big family and things weren’t always easy. Mom wasn’t around, dad was often gone, and I had to deal with 4 siblings and half of them weren’t even spouse from my mother.

But most of that didn't matter because everything was fine and worked out, until one day the enemy invaded our house when our father wasn't home. He failed to protect us. My half-brothers got in a fight with each other, not able to settle between them what they should do, and one killed the other. We all got dragged out of the house and I never saw them again.

They bound a large rock to my ankles and tossed me in the ocean, but at that point I already had gained immortality. I could not die but it had taken me quite some time to break free.

You see, all I - and my family - ever wanted was to live in peace. But they invaded my home, hurted us, reigned death without any explanation, and thus I became an antagonist.They dragged me out, forced my hand, and with that created an uncontrollable rage and hate.

And now I will not rest before I get my revenge!

***

For a couple of days Loki had traveled between Asgard and Muspelheim using the secret passageway in the mountain.

It had been a good way to practice his portalling. At first he still had used his horse to get to the mountains, creating portals to cross small distances at first, larger distances after a couple of times. He had also practiced his portalling in Muspelheim and so far so good. After a while he was able to portal from the palace to the mountains, step through the rift in the realms, and portal to Morganna.

On his first visited she had berated him, “I don’t see you carrying any food.”

“I’m not a donkey. I have magic for that!” and it became sort of their running gag. Loki would drop the food in the cage and after that they would talk about various things. Morganna was slowly getting her strength back and with that, her magic. She had showed him some of her magic which Loki had tried himself. He couldn’t control the powers she controlled, but he learned from the theoretics and had used it to apply, and amplify, his own powers.

And occasionally they had tested the cage, as they were doing now.

“Let me try something,” Loki said and portalled away only to reappear a second later with a struggling demon which he roughly shoved against the glass. He called forth his seidr and wrapped the demon in it. Then he started to magically rearrange the fibers of the magic and the glass of the cage so he could shove the demon through. The demon screamed and struggled but Loki’s grip was firm and slowly it was being pushed through the cage. This could work! If Loki could push the demon in, then he would be able to get Morganna out! But his joy was short lived as the demon got ripped apart by all the magic, leaving Morganna and Loki sprayed with blood and guts.

A look of astonishment on both their faces turned to one of disappointment and then they started to laugh. “At least we’ve made some progress,” Morganna said.

“You’ve made no progress, I have,” Loki said cocky and Morganna fixed him with a stare.

She shrugged, “You’re right.”

Loki was taken aback by her words. It wasn’t very often that someone said he was right, and if they did, he usually got berated or scolded after that. I little wistful smile formed on his lips.

He really liked Morganna and it was nice to have someone to talk to. Someone who understood him, understood his rage, his pain, his hate. But they were also very different, because he was ice and she was fire. He was the liar and she was the storyteller. It was weird that he was drawn to her so much, yet he didn’t feel like she would ever make a good lover but he didn’t understand why.

“Are you going to try it again?” Morganna asked him hopefully.

“No, not today.”

Morganna looked disappointed but it was short lived and she smiled. “Well, it was good talking to you.”

“Are you under the impression I’m leaving?” Loki asked while he leaned against the glass.

“Well, yes. You usually do when you’ve tried to breach the cage once. So I thought this time would be no different,” she said, a sadness audible in her voice.

Loki opened his mouth to say something, but she beat him to it and calmly said, “Loki, behind you.”

Loki looked over his shoulder to see three demons running at him, murder in their eyes, ready to rip him apart. He focused his attention back to Morganna.

“Well, maybe I can make an exception today,” he said with a smile on his face. Behind his back he flicked his wrist while calling forth his Seidr and send two demons flying back, smacking them against some rock and killing them instantly.

“Hm, what do you want to talk about?” she said while she also leaned against the glass on the other side. “You forgot one.”

“No, I didn’t,” with a quick turn Loki grabbed the demon by its neck and drove a dagger through its skull, and once again he was sprayed with blood. “I really have to stop making a bloody mess when I kill these things,” he muttered while turning back to Morganna and dropping the body unceremoniously to the ground.

“Then don’t let them come near you.”

“I thought you of all people would understand why sometimes a close combat is so much nicer than one from afar,” he grinned wickedly at her.

She smiled and hummed in agreement. Loki’s smile dropped and he seemed to ponder on something but didn’t speak his mind. “Out with it,” Morganna ordered him.

Loki gave her a dirty look. He didn’t like to be told what to do but experiences from the past had taught him to heed her commands because she could always tell when he was lying. And even if glass and distance separated them, she could acces his mind and wreak havoc in there. She had done it once, just to prove a point, he shuddered. It hadn’t been pleasant, uttermost intrusive even, but she had made amends by sharing some knowledge with him so he could amplify his own ability to read minds. Soon he would be able to alter a person's memories, the real one not distinguishable from the fake one he would create. But she had made a promise and a threat at that very moment, “don’t ever think I will not do that again if I deem it necessary. And don’t ever think about messing with my memories because that would be the last sane thing you would ever do!” Loki believed her, not only because she wasn’t able to lie, but also because he had felt the truth in her words.

Morganna banged on the glass, startling Loki back to reality from his reverie. “You’ve never told me which realm you are actually from,” he blurted.

Morganna knotted her eyebrows at his weird question but answered, “I’m from Asgard. But I’m not quite sure of my heritage.” She spoke softly but her words couldn’t have sounded more loud to Loki. “But I do not wish to speak any further about this subject,” she harshly said. “So, what will you, or we… try next to open this cage?”

Loki was silent for a moment, mulling over her words and trying to keep some of his own dark feelings at bay. Then he spoke, “I don’t know. I’m running out of ideas,” he sighed while probing the class. “It's just-- Maybe… I--” he stuttered which surprised him, he wasn’t one to stutter often and actually always had a plan. The thing was he had deprived his plans and with that came realisation that--

“Your not strong enough,” Morganna said laconic.

Loki shot the witch an angry glare, fire blazing in his eyes for the sudden rage he felt at her remark. He slammed the glass and screamed at her, “WITCH, SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME AND I’LL LEAVE YOU IN THIS CAGE TO ROT!”

Morganna only laughed which further enraged him. “Loki, you can seeth in anger, rage and hate all you want. You can threaten me until our end of days, it still doesn’t change the fact that this magic might be beyond you. It's not for the lack of will, and probably it isn’t your strength because those lie elsewhere, but it just simply is.”

Loki bared his teeth and growled viciously but before he could set of a tirade, she spoke again, her words were barely audible, her voice soft and she meant what she said, “you are NOT weak. I never implied nor said that…”

Loki’s rage suddenly seemed to subside and he looked down, biting his lip. He mused over her words, not entirely sure what to do with them or where to place them. The painful part actually was that she was right. She indeed had never called him weak but there were still things he had to learn and maybe indeed he wasn’t strong enough-- No, this wasn’t his department. This was her department tough, and she would be strong enough, but what could he do? How could he give her the power she would need to break free out of her prison?

“If only I had the mind-stone…” Morganna mused.

***

I saw a spark in Loki’s eyes as I mentioned the mind-stone. The Trickster seemed intrigued and both of us didn’t say a word as our eyes locked and a silent battle erupted between us, only spoken with our eyes.

Loki clearly didn’t want to let on that he knew about the stone, but I already had caught on to it. He noticed I already was on to him and he tried to steel his gaze in order to not give away any more. But I’m a creature of truth and I can not only feel when someone is lying, but I can feel when someone is holding something back, because let’s be honest, I’ve invented that trick.

With a solemn warning I looked him in the eyes, he’d better spill it or I would create havoc in his mind, searching long enough until I got the answer I wanted. Loki held on to his steel gaze a little longer, hoping he could outwit me, but I wasn’t in the mood for games and jabbed his mind. Nothing intrusive, just a little reminder who was in control and that he was playing with fire.

He yielded at that and I saw him cringe. He blinked and looked down, a fraction of frustration washing over his face and mixed with a little bit of anger because he had to yield. Then he sighed and spoke, “I know where the mind-stone is.”

I’d already thought as much otherwise he wouldn’t have tried to hide something. “Pray tell me, WHY ARE YOU STILL HERE AND NOT COLLECTING IT?” a sudden burst of rage overtook me. Why was he standing there, walking through the fires of Muspelheim every day, if he could’ve gotten me out of this cage days ago? Was he really that incompetent?

He banged the glass, hard, a snarl on his lips, seething with anger and he spoke through clenched teeth, “I’M NOT INCOMPETENT--”

Apparently I had spoken out loud in my rage… It happened. Yet again I had antagonized the one person who would be able to get me out. Sometimes it just scared me how much rage and hate lay beneath those green eyes, but then again, I’m no saint either.

“--and if it was so easy to collect it, I already would’ve done so!” he finished his sentence.

I could see the anger and hate keeping him in a tight grip and it was at that moment I realised two things. First of all, if I pushed all the right buttons he would do anything for me if it was only to prove himself. I wondered if he knew that proving himself to anyone wouldn’t diminish his feeling of self-loathing...

Secondly, he would burn down every Realm if that was what was needed to prove himself, and I liked it! He might be of ice, but the cold fires that burned inside of him could very well drive him to each succession he wanted. If only he wouldn’t allow to be held back.

“Why is retrieving this stone so difficult?” my calm demeanor back in place.

“Because it’s lodged into someone’s skull on Midgard and there are a couple of fools protecting him!” Loki almost shouted the last worst, so deep was his frustration.

“Than you’d better come up with a plan, little Trickster.”

***

Angry Loki walked through New York. Not only had Morganna belittled him, she had also given him an impossible mission. She had told him not to kill Vision because death would taint the gem. Was she out of her mind!

Killing Vision to get the stone out of his skull would prove to be difficult, let alone getting it out without killing him. And then there was the problem of that little red-haired witch. She would be no match for Morganna, and Loki snickered at the thought of the two of them fighting. That would be an interesting fight.

And if things weren’t difficult enough, there also was the small problem of the ‘heroes’ who called themselves the Avengers which he had to get past. Where was an army of Chitauri if you needed them?

Loki looked up at the building and sighed, if he wouldn’t gain anything from setting Morganna free, he wouldn’t have done it. But already she had given him some knowledge and her powers would be beyond compare, so he would get himself in this torment. On the other hand, this might be fun as well, and an mischievous laugh formed on Loki’s lips.

He opened up a portal and stepped out of it on the helicopter platform on top of Avengers Facility. Immediately alarms went off and an artificial voice spoke through the speakers of the entire building. “Unidentified person on helicopter platform, please make yourself know.”

Loki laughed. “Tell that Can of Iron and old friend is stopping by to say hello,” Loki told the AI and with that he used his Seidr to multiply himself a numerous amount of times.

At that moment Iron Man burst out of the building and hovered in the air above Loki. “Reindeer Games! Long time no see. Did you want to talk or just get your ass whooped?”

Loki snorted. “Your language is still as colorful, I see. Good to know things haven’t changed,” and with those last words Loki, and all his illusions, shot a green blast of magic at Tony who got blown away into the air.

At that point the door to the helicopter platform opened a second time and Loki was just quick enough to catch an arrow that flew from Barton’s bow. Having learned from his past experience Loki wasted no time and threw the arrow back to Barton while using his magic to enhance it’s speed and aim. Barton was barely quick enough to jump aside but he did get a strike from the blast that followed.

“BARTON! Stop blowing up the building,” Stark screamed from above and mumbled something about ‘Hulk’ and ‘enough damage’.

“Is that all?” loki taunted. Loki sighed and made his illusions surround Barton who quickly tried to stab them with an arrow he was holding. “Just the two of you? That is hardly--” A sudden wave of red magic knocked Loki of his feet and he landed hard on his back.

“We are with four,” Wanda said while approaching Loki.

“The vixen can count,” Loki said mockingly as he scrambled up. He briefly glanced past her and saw Vision. Good! Precisely the one he came for. He wickedly smiled at Wanda and send a wave of green magic her way before he portaled away to get behind Barton. Loki grabbed him by the collar and with a few quick paces Loki was by the edge, Barton bungling above the high drop to the ground.

“Let him go!” Vision said to Loki and Loki turned his head to look Vision in the eye. A sly laugh played around his lips afore Loki spoke, “as you wish.” And with that Loki let Barton go who plummeted to the ground. Loki turned his back to the edge and slowly paced toward Vision while he saw a streak of red crossing the sky in the direction Barton was falling. Of course Tony would be there to rescue Barton, Loki snickered.

“Why are you here, Loki?” Vision asked.

Loki shrugged, “Why not?”

“Are you here for your brother?”

Loki snarled.

“Or are you here to wreck havoc?”

Loki eyed Vision and smiled. “Maybe a little bit of both,” and with that he disappeared just as Tony tried to blast through him with a beam from his hand.

Loki started to play around, sending green blasts of magic at whoever was in range, creating illusions to fool them, and when they got near him, he just portaled away to another place somewhere on the compound. He would be able to keep it up for the better of the day, but that would bring him nowhere near the Mind-stone.

The Avengers were by now fighting as a team and at one moment Loki saw an opportunity. He used multiple illusions of himself to attack Tony and Wanda, while the real him lunged for Barton. But he had made the mistake of losing track of Vision, and when Loki made his move, Vision phased through the wall behind him and send Loki flying through the air with an energy blast. Just before Loki landed an iron hand grabbed him by the horns of his helmet and his wrist. Using Loki’s momentum to spin him 360 degrees around, Tony threw him into the wall. Before Loki could get op Wanda was there, her hands glowing red with magic and Barton next to her with two arrows loaded on his bow which were aimed for his head. “I’m really having a hard time not to shoot these through your head,” Barton said threateningly.

Loki swallowed. He raised his hands and inwardly laughed at the irony of it all. Would this forever be the dance with these so called heroes? “I’d preferred if you did not. It gives a nasty headache,” Loki said sassy.

At that moment Tony landed in front of him. “Nice work guys,” Tony complimented the team. “Now let’s put Bambi in a cage before he sprints away,” he said mockingly.

***

When I own the Mind Stone the first thing I will do is hunt Odin down and make him writher and beg for mercy. Because that is what he deserves after what he has done to me.

I almost possessed the mind-stone once. It had been long ago but it still feels like yesterday. I was so close, but that arrogant God had to intervene and making me lose track of its whereabouts.

But now I have a spark of hope. Maybe more than a spark for I am sure the Trickster will be able to bring it to me. The sheer and raw power of this particular gem will give me everything I need to make the Nine Realms beg at my feet. Nothing or nobody will stand in my way, and if they do, well… That is their loss. I will be unstoppable once it is mine and I’m almost salivating at the mere thought of it.

This Trickster better live up to his promises, because if not, I will tear his mind apart over and over again until he begs for the sweet salvation of death.

But… if Loki succeeds and retrieves the gem successfully, I will reward him handsomely!

***

Loki calmy paced around in his cell in the Avengers Facility. He walked to the glass and placed his hand on it to see if he could feel any magic, but a little shock went through him and he retreated his hand quickly. Loki snickered. He had to give Tony some credit for this confinement; electricity running through the glass would indeed make sure he wouldn’t try to break it. With a wistful smile Loki thought back at the first time he had run into the Avengers and they had put him in a glass cell as well. So much irony!

Loki sat down on the floor and observed his cell. The cell was in a room below ground-level and the room itself was not much more than four walls and a door, nothing else. Little cameras were placed in the room, all pointed to his glass confinement. He smiled wickedly and got up. With his magic he summoned the other parts of his armour, including his helmet and took a few strides towards the glass, stopping some inches before it. Loki knew this was going to hurt, be he had to see how far he could go and if his plan would work.

He used his magic to create an illusion in his entire cell and then banged the glass hard. A shock went through him but it was manageable. Meanwhile he adjusted his illusion to make it look like the glass was cracking and he made sure the cameras would register it.

He smiled, banged the glass again, another shock, a wider crack. Then he waited while studying his hand which had some burn marks. It didn’t take long before the door opened and Barton entered the room to seize up what had happened.

Loki smiled at the sight of this particular Avenger entering his little room. “My former thrall.”

“Shut up, Loki” Barton snapped. “I’m not in the mood for games!”

“Oh, but I am,” Loki said wickedly and banged the glass again. The crack got bigger.

Barton put an arrow on his bow, aiming for the center of the crack. “Break the glass and I’ll put an arrow between your eyes,” he threathingly said.

Loki scoffed, “you and I both know you aren’t capable of that.”

“Try me!” Barton almost shouted.

Loki let his illusion sit on the floor, on the exact place as he was, and he released his doppelganger but not the cracks. He only smiled at Barton, waiting for him to make a move.

Then the door opened again and Tony walked in. “Friday, why didn’t you inform me Loki’s cage was cracking?”

“No need for that Sir, there are no cracks in the glass.”

“What do you mean no cracks? Friday, scan the room and cell please.”

Loki watched in interest as some mechanics flashed some red lights and scanned the room.

“Sir, nothing is out of the ordinary,” Friday reported.

Tony turned to Loki, “what are you up to, Reindeer Games?”

A snarl crossed Loki’s lips. He wasn’t very fond of the nickname Tony had given him but he quickly wept the snarl from his face and replaced it with an innocent smile. “Just playing around,” and with that he altered his illusion slowly so it looked like the crack in the glass was cracking further at a rapid speed.

Then everything was happening at once. The glass shattered while Tony called for Friday. Barton set loose his arrow and Loki quickly put up an illusion of him jumping through the glass and attacking Barton while in reality he opened a portal. Loki put on a third illusion to make it look like he wasn’t in his cell anymore and when his first illusion fell, Barton and Tony were staring at an empty cell which was fully in tact. The arrow Barton had set flying lying on the floor.

Loki gritted his teeth in order to keep the portal open and his illusion up.

“Friday, scan everything quickly and call Vision and Wanda. We’re going on a hunt.” Tony left the room with Barton in his wake.

Fridays scanners scanned the room again and Loki could hear her answer through his portal. “Sir, I’m not getting any decent readings from the room. It looks like someone is still in there but there is some other form of energy as well.”

Loki had heard enough and let the portal snap shut and let go of his illusion. While panting heavily, he leaned on his knees. Just what he had hoped for. With the knowledge Morganna had given him, and his ability to open portals, he could somewhat bypass that annoying AI.

Loki breathed in and then out and summoned another illusion of him keeping Wanda captive. Now all he had to do was wait.

It didn’t take long before Vision entered Loki’s chamber and the game could begin.

“Vis! Get me outta here,” Loki made Wanda say through gritted teeth. Loki had a dagger which he had put on the throat of the Wanda illusion.

“Wanda, why are you in Loki’s cell?” Vision asked suspicious.

“He opened a portal and dragged me in here,” Loki voiced Wanda.

Vision still eyed Loki and Wanda skeptical. Loki had a feeling Vision would not fall for it but he had to keep this game going until he was certain.

“What do you want, Loki?” Vision asked calmly.

“How about open this cell and let me out.” Loki said dryly and pushed the knife harder against Wanda’s throat.

“Don’t listen to this blabbering idiot!” Loki made Wanda say.

Vision still paced around the perimeter of the cell, eyeing Loki wearily. “What if I do not open the cell?” he asked calmly.

“Make an educated guess,” Loki shot back while he made it look like Wanda was struggling.

Vision sighed, “let her go.”

“Or what?” Loki laughed.

“Make an educated guess,” Vision shot back.

Loki only smiled and with that he traced the knife over Wanda’s throat.

Vision reacted precisely as Loki had hoped and at the moment Vision phased through the glass into Loki’s cell, Loki dropped the illusion, pulled open a portal, grabbed Vision and half jumped, half stumbled through the portal, dragging Vision with him.

Next Chapter

----

Taglist:  @punkrockhufflefluff, @lokiloveforever, @inspectornotmydivsion, @inumorph, @brinschk, @blueswedebeatbox, @wolfsmom1,

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Character Arcs of ‘Clever Strategist’ Archetypes: Nara Shikamaru and Sokka

One of my favorite character archetypes is the ‘clever strategist’: the tactician who is poised during battle, and yet has a developed sense of humor that prevents them from taking life too seriously. It is no surprise then that Shikamaru Nara (Naruto) and Sokka (ATLA) are two of my favorite cartoon characters.

Though Shikamaru is naturally smarter given his 200 IQ and has a more aloof and relaxed personality, Sokka is more innately humorous and has a personality seeking out social avenues that draws attention. Shikamaru is strong side character, while Sokka is a main character.

However, there are several things these two have in common, even down to their similar appearance:

Sons of leaders who hold high expectations for them

Are talented with blade, think outside the box during conflict

A more realistic outlook on life, sarcastic and dry humor

The ‘warrior’s wolf tail’ like ponytail

Strongly influenced by women in their lives

Below, I will discuss how their character arcs both mirror foil each other in regards to development. In the end, they both become capable leaders because they are able to come full circle.

The Need For Growth- Mindsets Preventing Shikamaru and Sokka From Reaching Their Potential

Shikamaru, the boy who did not care enough.

“Lazy because I don’t care.”

Shikamaru right off the bat is an intelligent child that does not want to be burdened by responsibility and working hard- he would much rather look at the clouds and daydream than spend hours training. It is said in the Naruto manga during the Chunnin Exams that Shikamaru could become the next Hokage, only if he applied himself. Thus, Shikamaru needed to grow in regards of his work ethic and lazy streak, as shown by his ‘giving up’ against Temari (she is no slouch though!).

Where Shikamaru does well, and is something Sokka actually lacked at first, is a strong sense of self. When Choji as a youth was made fun of for his weight, Shikamaru defended him and cited that he was a friend. The advice he provided Choji, and inevitably many others, is that  “..being yourself is important.” Shikamaru never cared what other people thought and always sought to instill this mantra in others. So while in this case ‘not caring’ is a good thing since many often worry about conforming, Shikamaru had to learn a lesson in caring enough to grow as a ninja.

Sokka, the boy who cared too much.

“Maybe its better to sometime call it quits before you fail.”

Sokka has the opposite start to his character arc- he cares too much about what others think of him, which may not always be evident, However, this is explicitly made known when he brings up wanting to be a warrior like his father, and being denied that opportunity early on. This stems into his joking about his waterbending sister Katara, compensating for his lack of bending skills. Sokka throughout the series would rather call it quits than fail miserably simply because he lacks complete confidence in himself.

 “Meat and sarcasm that’s all I got,” is a mantra that Sokka humorously uses throughout the ATLA series. While on one hand, his humor provides the group great relief and leadership keeps them organized and ready, it also displays Sokka at first has more initiative and drive compared to Shikamaru. He may joke now and then about certain things, but Sokka was always very protective of Katara and this reflected in his need to be protective of others. Though Sokka needed to develop confidence, his care for others was beneficial. 

Women, You Say? Having Their Worldview Changed Due to Headstrong, Female Characters

According to Shikamaru, women are troublesome. He is correct.

Shikamaru’s outlook regarding women begins when he watches his parents’ relationship, noting that his mother is nagging his father. In his usual detached manner, he states that ‘relationships are too burdensome,’ and that ‘women are troublesome.’ He grew up with a headstrong mother, and decided early on that relationships weren’t him. His stubbornness, however, was challenged when he met Temari. 

Temari is a definitely a confident girl who has no problems speaking her mind. She is first introduced to Shikamaru during the Chunnin exams, to which she takes down a lazy Shikamaru who wasn’t giving his best efforts. He later comments on her scary, but beautiful smile, a similar message that his father once described as why he loved his mother despite being nagged at. She ends up saving him during a mission, and later goes to the hospital when he’s hurt to see if he’s okay.

In a way, Shikamaru is correct that women can be troublesome, but they will “show their softer sides to a man they love.” What Shikamaru really means is that he wanted to avoid being challenged to grow, which is what Temari pushed him to do, sometimes forcing. She showed kindness and care for him alongside her wit, allowing for Shikamaru to be emotionally vulnerable and let his guard down. He needs a motivator and sort of push sometimes to get going, which over time, Shikamaru secretly found enjoyable. 

According to Sokka, women cannot be warriors. He is incorrect.

Sokka, similar to Shikamaru, held a false view of women, only for him it was a bit more sexist. He believed that women could not be warriors, which of course didn’t go over too well with Katara. Having Katara for a sister, he eventually came to realize, did so much for him in absence of his mother. Despite her waterbending prowess, it was not until meeting Suki and the Kyoshi warriors did his stance regarding female societal roles change.

Suki was the leader of the Kyoshi Warriors when Sokka met her, and boy did she kick his ass. After being humiliated by her in combat, Sokka swallowed his pride, admitting that she was the better warrior and asked for her assistance. Because of her presence, Sokka’s viewpoints were challenged and made him gain much respect for a female’s fighting capacity.

Sokka also came to be good friends with Toph, a rough around the edges girl of the upper Earth Kingdom society that didn’t fit into the traditional feminine norms. Having Toph on his team also reinforced the notion that not only are women just as capable as men at bending/fighting, but also that femininity and gender roles cannot be pigeonholed into one definition. Like Shikamaru, Sokka was incorrect about his viewpoint on women, but the difference here is that he had to allow himself to be mentally open and challenge his internalized belief system. 

The Catalyst For Change- The Events That Invoked Shikamaru’s and Sokka’s Leadership Potential

External circumstances out of Shikamaru’s control drive him to change.

External circumstances drove Shikamaru’s character to develop further, and the main one being was the loss of his team leader, Asuma. Asuma died in battle against Hidan in order to save his team, and no one took the loss more than Shikamaru. In fact, he ended up smoking for a bit in honor of his fallen mentor and refused to stop smoking until he got revenge on Hidan. With Asuma’s death, he learned that what we care about can be taken away in an instant.

In a way, his battle against Hidan, a seemingly immortal being, proved Shikamaru’s prowess on the battle field, but really showed his potential as a leader. Being driven by Asuma’s death allowed for him to find a groove and realize that we cannot run away from our responsibilities. Responsibilities will always follow us, but they do not have to be burdensome. And working hard, he came to realize, would help him protect better those he cared about.

The pivotal moment after he defeated Hidan is when he visited Asuma’s pregnant wife Kurenai, a talented ninja in her own right. While meeting with Kurenai, Shikamaru points out in a touching scene that he would be there for her and Asuma’s child and offer support. The once distant and reluctant to lead Shikamaru stepped into his leadership role by understanding that lives will be at stake during conflict, and we cannot keep our head in the clouds forever when challenges arise. 

Internal circumstances within Sokka’s control drive him to change.

A lot of Sokka’s strife is internal, relating to his concerns over not being a bender and what his role is in the group. Things come to a head while they are traveling in the Fire Nation, finding himself yet again the butt of jokes and feeling as though he’s the odd man out. After expressing his concerns to the group, Sokka decides to tackle his worries of becoming a warrior (namely caring too much about what others think), by trying to train with Master Piandao, a renowned swordman.

Though Sokka lucks his way into getting Piandao to agree, he still doubts his skills and even after training with Piandao a bit doubts that he could be a swordsman. But, through his clever thinking and patience, Sokka learns during his painting sessions and forging his meteor sword that he doesn’t have to be ‘what others want him to be’ but rather, who he would like to be. This gives Sokka the revelation that although he is not a bender, that does not make him less valuable than the rest of the team.

His new confidence allows for him to beat Master Piandao in a sword fight, finally admitting that he’s from the Water Tribe and just wanted help. Here is where Sokka learns what it means to be a true warrior- one that fully understands and accepts themselves. He did not have to gain any skills other than realizing that his unique skills make him valuable. By the time he rejoins the group, Sokka is much more confident and begins to lay the plans down to end the Fire Nation’s scheming. 

Clever Strategists Who Come Full Circle and Make a Difference

The lazy but brilliant boy who became the seventh Hokage’s main advisor: Shikamaru.

During the start the Shinobi World War, Shikamaru is asked by a council to discuss potential war strategies, showing that his reputation as an intelligent leader had grown. He becomes the Fourth Division’s co-leader, which is something his former self would have complained and been reluctant to take on. Having to take on his former teacher proved daunting, but Shikamaru was the one ending a resurrected and possessed Asuma- he kept his word. 

And of course, Asuma again imparts advice to him, proud of his leadership. Tragedy strikes when he finds out his father has passed during the war, but in a touching moment, he thanks his father for being a good example and takes on the duty of becoming the chief war strategist. Having to deal with a father’s death is tough enough, but when the Ten Tails emerges, Shikamaru is able to lay down a plan and make sure the Ten Tails is delayed to prevent it from killing countless shinobi.

In the end, Shikamaru becomes the seventh Hokage’s main advisor. With his analytics and organization, Shikamaru is able to keep Naruto more organized and often handles duties to lessen the Hokage’s load. Not bad for a guy who simply wanted to stare at the clouds and be lazy.

The goofy meat and sarcasm guy who became a warrior leading the SWT and a Republic City councilman: Sokka.

After forging his meteorite sword, Sokka is able to find some peace within and accepts himself as a competent leader that has his own quirks and ways about doing things. His true leadership potential is shown during the Day of Black Sun. Sokka’s investigative work and determination helped to prevent many from being captured by Azula’s trap. Though Sokka wasn’t able to free the prisoners, he resolved to do it in the future, which he helped do. Unlike previous times, he does not dwell as much on his failures, but convinces himself he can do it.

Being in charge of destroying the Fire Nation airfleet was Sokka’s big moment. When things got tense, he steered the airship they were on in a particular manner, then having the crew through the floor hatch. This clever move allowed for the abandoned airship to collide with others, while him Toph, and Suki escaped at the ship’s top. He is able to save Toph from a falling death with his sword, while having a broken leg. And despite that, he kept fighting outnumbered until Suki arrived with help. 

Sokka, after the war, became the Southern Water Tribe’s leader and a Republic City councilman. And based on the Legend of Korra references, Sokka was able to remain influential in both his homeland and the outside world. Not bad for a guy who only had sarcasm, meat, and a boomerang.