#sif stack!!!

[basilpaste]

i know ive been deep in uty recently, but dont let that fool you. silly timeloop game still has full residence in my brain.

the song is The Right Wrong by The Dear Hunter!

[sifloopboning]

i need to make this clear ahead of time. any kingfrin i draw / write / talk about is ALWAYS t4t unless specified otherwise. this is never once relevant in-character in any way but it IS absolutely key to the experience i personally enjoy and provide 👍🏽

[impinged]

195.6cm

comparing heights (accepting)

Suddenly the hat feels like a much more integral part to how he come across...

[loop-lover-central]

Would you call this a cluster...?

Anyway the stack of Sifs from @askoverkill

EDIT: them too

[candyswirls]

Can i make a small request of Sif seeing toddler Gadriel(she is very good with kids but Gadriel doesn't like her very much)

Thank you!

"Sif," Titus warned.

She smiled as she approached, "He's a toddler, and I am great with kids. He'll love me in no time."

She walked up to Gadriel, who was stacking blocks together.

"Why, hello there!" Sif greated with a grin.

Gadriel looked up and frowned.

"Go'way," he said before turning back to the blocks.

"Gaddy, don't be like that," she grinned.

The toddler paused and gave a slow and dramatic side-eye. He threw a block at her. Luckily, it only bounced on the floor. Not that it would have hurt anyone.

"Hey," Titus scolded. "We don't throw things."

Gadriel stood and ran to the Ultramarine.

"Go'way!" He insisted. "Ti-ti, make go'way!"

He pointed at her, then reached for the lieutenant to pick him up.

She was losing him fast.

"Gadriel, look!" She exclaimed.

She turned into a canary and swooped through the air before landing and becoming a dog. She chased her tail and ended with becoming a seal and clapping her flippers.

She went back to herself and held out her arms, "Ta-da!"

Gadriel stared at her, almost unsure what to do.

His eyes scrunched, and his lips trembled. He pulled the fabric hanging from Titus' armor over his head as he began bawling.

"Okay," sighed the older marine as he picked the toddler up. "Unfortunately, he still doesn't like you."

Crying faded as the two left. Sif stood there with her mouth open. That had never happened to her before.

[darknight3904]

The Dress

Masterlist / Main Masterlist

Asgard 1971 A.D. (Thor 26, Loki 26, Astri 24)  

   "I think she'll wear green, brother," Thor said 

   "Why does it matter what she wears?" Loki asked dismissively 

Thor smiled knowingly at his younger brother who was sipping at his wine pretending not to hide his face in his beverage. 

   "Oh, it does not. Not to me at least. The last time she wore green I thought your eyes were going to pop out of your head." Thor teased

 

Thor's words continued to bounce around in Loki's head all day and into the night. He hadn't seen much of Astri today since she was sparring with Sif and then practicing some new magic technique with his mother. They hadn't had lessons together in years after she and Loki got in a fight which ended in Frigga's favorite vase breaking and Loki's ego feeling rather bruised when Astri refused to talk to him for a week. He hadn't meant to antagonize her but his jealousy got the better of him and after she had been able to successfully multiply herself faster than him he had let out a string of insults which ended after he brought up her mother and father. Astri had shot him across his mother's chambers so fast that he barely had time to blink. 

   "Say another word, Loki and I'll toss you from the balcony next." Astri's voice was dripping in malice as her hands were still glowing their soft blue hue her magic put out.

   "I'd like to see you try," Loki had quickly quipped back righting himself while Frigga demanded they cease their actions at once 

Astri's hands had glowed once more and this time he went to the other side of the room and into his mother's favorite vase, a gift from his father when they married. 

Loki tossed and turned now in his bed, wishing he had been at whatever lesson his mother had been teaching today. No, it wasn't because he wanted to be better at whatever was being taught. He liked seeing Astri's face light up whenever she got something right. He had seen it often when they were children when learning about the history of Asgard in their shared classes. 

A quiet knock sounded, interrupting his nightly brooding. Loki removed himself from the pile of blankets and pillows he slept with nightly and pulled the door open to reveal Astri and a tall stack of books. 

   "I missed seeing you today so I figured I'd come to you." She explained entering his room without even asking and tossing the books onto his already overflowing desk.

  "It's very late, Astri." Loki sighed trying to pretend that he was tired and not at all happy to see her. 

   "So? We used to sneak into Thor's room and then hang him from the ceiling by his toes around this time when we were younger." She pointed out before selecting a book and jumping onto his bed

   "Yes, we did. But..." Loki trailed off eyeing her legs that were exposed by her night dress moving up as she got comfortable among his many pillows

   "Why do you have so many pillows? It's kind of impractical." She said utterly missing his wandering eyes

Loki felt a lump rise in his throat as she tossed a pillow towards him to get his attention as if he wasn't always watching whenever she entered the room.

   "Are you gonna put on a shirt and come over here or keep standing there?" She asked

Right. Clothes. He fumbled for the shirt he had discarded on the floor before climbing into bed hours earlier. He tried to calm his nerves before sliding under the covers next to her. One of his many pillows was squished behind her acting as back support while she began to explain the plot of whatever book she had chosen for their evening. Loki watched as her long hair moved while she gestured to the hand-drawn pictures of a large mountain on the first page. Her hair had always been mesmerizing for him. Even as a child, he had been interested in it, pulling at it for fun and just to get her attention. The result had been Astri cutting her hair up so it was chin length so she could avoid Loki's mean hands. Now, it was long again, streaming over her shoulders and down past her chest. God don't look at her chest!

   "Are you even listening to me?" She asked suddenly, reaching out to flick his forehead.

   "Of course." He lied, moving her hand away from him.

   "Then what just happened in this book?" She asked

  

Loki smiled before gently taking the book from her hands and setting it aside.

   "Does it matter? Why don't you show me what my mother taught you today?" He asked, leaning towards her

  "Are you going to get angry if you can't do it yourself?" She asked

  "No, of course not. That time I wasn't angry at you...I was upset with myself." He admitted

  "I know..." She softly said reaching for his hand with her smaller ones

  "So what did you learn today?" He asked letting her play with his fingers

   "Well I didn't succeed but Frigga was trying to teach me how to take over others' bodies." She responded a little sadly

   "Ah, enchantment. I've read about it." He nodded

   "Can you do it?" She asked

    "No. Not yet." He said, "I've tried on Thor in the past."

Astri nodded and looked back down at his hand in hers.

   "What are you wearing at tomorrow's festival?" He asked suddenly

   "Wouldn't you like to know," Astri smirked

   "I would actually," Loki replied

    "Why? Scared we'll show up in  matching dresses?" She laughed

   "Perhaps." Loki softly said 

   "Guess you'll just have to wait and find out." Astri smiled 

Loki woke the next morning to a stiff left arm and a slightly sore neck. The cause of the issues? Astri had fallen asleep next to him last night. She had convinced him to read to her and then proceeded to fall asleep almost immediately despite insisting she was not tired. He tried to slowly move her head off his arm and to the pillow next to her but instead was met with an ugly groan as she awoke. 

   "What're you doing I thought it was your turn to read." She groggily said 

   "Yes, it was my turn but you fell asleep mere moments after I began." He said standing up from the bed

   "Impossible, I wasn't even tired." She yawned before glancing out the glass doors that led to the balcony, "Damn it." 

   "It's alright, no one's perfect." He assured, "Except perhaps me." 

A large pillow came flying in his general direction before smacking the wall to his right. 

   "Awful throw." Loki commended 

This time, another one came flying and it hit him in the stomach with a surprisingly strong force. 

   "I win." Astri declared before slumping back into the bed and pulling the covers around her. 

   "You can't go back to bed, Astri," Loki said 

   "Sure I can. Watch me." She responded, her voice muffled by the pillow under her 

   "Today marks the beginning of the festivities for the Winter Solstice." Loki reminded 

Another loud groan came from the cocoon of blankets that was his friend before she unceremoniously removed herself from the bed. 

   "I'll see you later I guess." She said walking towards the door "I hope your dress is as nice as mine." 

   "It'll be far better," Loki said seriously 

Astri just shook her head and laughed as Loki shut the door behind her. 

⋆⭒˚｡⋆

   "It appears I was wrong, brother," Thor said amid sips of his drink 

Of course, he had been wrong, Thor was always wrong. Astri wasn't in green but rather a light blue and silver one, and somehow this one was even more breathtaking than her green one. Loki watched her greet Sif and the other noble women who stood around in small groups while they chattered about unknown topics. Loki felt his legs moving without even a thought towards her as they finally made eye contact. 

   "Loki, where is your matching dress?" Astri teased 

   "I must have left it behind in my room." He breathed "You look...good." Damn. Why did he stop at just good?

   "Thank you. Frigga has a good eye. Astri smiled 

Loki glanced around the room, searching for his mother. 

   "Looking for me?" Her voice suddenly said from behind him 

   "Mother." He greeted 

   "Astri, come we want to show you something." A noble lady had looped her arm with Astri's and pulled her away from Loki.

   "Do you like her dress? I helped pick it." Frigga smiled 

   "Of course I like it," Loki admitted 

   "Good. Then you should have no problem dancing with her." Frigga said before gently pushing her son towards where her ward had walked "Don't forget to complement her hair!"

Normally, the heat at festivals never affected Loki. But, as he approached Astri again he swore he felt himself break out in a sweat. The instruments of the entertainers his father had summoned to the palace seemed twenty times louder as he held his hand out to Astri. 

   "Lady Astri." He finally found his voice, " May I have the honor of a dance?" 

Thor's eyes scanned the room, he was looking for his brother who had left his side the moment their childhood friend had entered the room. What surprised him though was that Loki wasn't just speaking to Astri as he normally did but instead leading her to the dance floor among other couples. He couldn't help but smile as he watched his younger brother smoothly lead the clumsy Astri in a traditional dance they had learned when they were younger.

Astri felt as if a thousand eyes were on her as Loki led the dance. As they spun, she could see Frigga's smiling face among so many other noble Asgardians. 

   "You're rather stiff." Loki pointed out 

   "It feels like everyone is watching us." She said, her voice barely above a whisper 

   "That is because they are." Loki smiled down at her, "They're all watching you." 

Astri felt her face redden as Loki's drew closer to hers. She tried to focus on anything but his words and his bright blue eyes that stared into hers.

   "You know, I love the way you look in green." Loki said "But this..." 

She felt his hand gently squeeze at her waist. 

   "You're stunning in blue, Astri." 

Astri swore it was out of embarrassment that she hid her face in his shoulder while his frame lightly shook from laughter. When she unburied her face, he was still looking at her with that intense gaze of his. 

   "Don't let it go to your head." He joked 

Instead of quipping back she just nodded and pressed herself closer to him, wishing for the moment to never end. 

I drabbled in Loki's POV a little more for this part. Also, the Attack on Titan finale still has me on the floor. Like, I knew what would happen in the end but seeing it all animated in front of me is a whole different thing. I listened to Lover by Taylor Swift while writing the dancing scene so if you want to set the tone, there you go. Also, starting in the next chapter I will be beginning to follow the plot of the first Thor movie. This means that the plot will be more cohesive and that updates might take longer since I won't just be writing from my imagination but instead sticking to what the MCU says is canon. Hope you are enjoying the story so far! 

Astri's Dress

Taglist: (To join please comment below.)

@buttercupcookies-blog

[domesticatedanimal]

FFXIVWrite2024

Prompt 24: Bar

If there's interest, I might add more to this at a later date.

The Right Kind of Sinner

A dozen paper lanterns hung from wires above the table, but very little of the light seemed to make its way onto the table. Smoke hovered in a thick layer throughout the mahjong hall, casting the room into a dim haze. The consistent clack of bone tiles onto wood punctuated an anonymous din of small talk. Somewhere, a small party of bards were strumming out some traditional Ul’dahn tavern classics.

Sif was uncomfortable. Her silk Doman blouse clung to her like a second skin, and her black leather leggings were equally tight, an attempt at distraction that was wasted in the dark of the hall. Her feet ached, and her spine was sore from an unusual commitment to elegant posture. Despite it all, she was happy. She felt feminine - an increasingly rare feeling in recent months.

The game was moving lightning fast, and she struggled to pay attention to it. She knew, several rounds previous, that she was too far behind to catch up, and was haphazardly drawing tiles and clinking them down, hoping the game would finally end.

“Riichi!” came the call from a stout Lalafell currently sitting East.

Fucking finally, Sif sighed in relief. She unfolded herself from the table, offering a few casual congratulations to the Lalafell before catching the eye of a bored-looking Hyur and offering him her seat. She stepped toward the lounge at the back of the mahjong hall, stretching subtly while stabbing one high heel in front of the other.

Passing by a series of Triple Triad  tables, she caught the eye of a muscular Roegadyn pirate, who had gathered a small audience with her play. A tall stack of gil rattled on the table every time she slapped a new card onto the grid. Sif smiled, and continued through the room, letting her hips rock with the rhythm of the music.

She opened the door to the lounge, and slithered inside. Plush red rugs, dozens of candles on shelves jutting out of the wall, a few cushioned benches. She was alone. Plucking a cigarette from an aged wood box near the benches, she lit it, sat, and waited. It was only a few drags later that she heard the heavy footsteps characteristic of sailors.

The pirate’s entrance made for an amusing contrast. Strong jaw, skin of dark jade, striped with scars. She wore a heavy cotton shirt and the telltale linen breeches every sailing woman seemed to own. Clearly taking a brief shore leave. Seeing her surrounded by the luxury of the Golden Saucer lounge forced a smile to Sif’s face.

Sif smiled as the pirate slid closed the door’s lock.

“Can I offer you a cigarette?” Sif asked, letting her legs fall slightly open. “Or, something else?”

[november-rayne]

Chapter Fourteen: Heart to Heart

Summary: Loki and Sigyn finally have the grown-up conversation he's been trying to avoid.

Word Count: 5325

Rating: Mature

*This story is for mature audiences only.* 18+

*Minors DNI*

Tags: Fluff, making out

Chapter Index

Loki worked distractedly in his office until the clock signaled midday. Anticipation caused his fingers to shake as he quickly gathered his papers and called for his assistant, Karl.

“Your Highness,” he bowed.

“I have a very important lunch date with two very important women. So, I will entrust you to ensure these get where they need to go.” He handed the stack of paperwork over. “Inform anyone who may come looking for me that I will not be back today.”

“Yes, Your Highness. Enjoy your day, sir.”

“Thank you. We will see how it goes.” Loki locked the office door behind him and started heading toward the small dining room on the other side of the palace. He was practically jogging by the time he reached the doors. 

‘Calm down, breathe.’

He took a few minutes to compose himself before making his way inside. He ran his fingers through this hair a few times and straightened his clothes. He conjured a large bouquet of primrose in soft shades of light yellow and baby pink and slowly opened the door.

Frigga and Sigyn were sipping tea in the receiving room. Sigyn’s gown was ivory. Her dress had a boat neck and long, thin sleeves. Her hair was pinned up in a twist, adorned with pearl-encrusted combs. Loki was greeted by the sight of Sigyn’s graceful neck and shoulders from behind as he entered the room. His breath caught in his throat, and he feared his knees might give out.

“Loki!” Sigyn’s face lit up as she set her teacup down and stood up.

He stood there gaping at her awkwardly before Frigga cleared her throat.

Loki flushed and bowed to the Queen, “Mother.”

Sigyn curtsied to Loki, “Your Highness.”

“Lady Sigyn.” He placed a kiss on the back of her hand. These are for you.”

Sigyn accepted the bouquet with a wide smile, “Oh, thank you. These remind me of home. Primrose grows wild in the North.” She brought the flowers up to her face and inhaled deeply, “But you already knew that, didn’t you?”

A light pink blush rose to his cheeks. “Perhaps.”

“Please come and join us.” Frigga motioned to the chair opposite Sigyn.

“Yes, thank you, Mother.” Loki kissed Frigga’s cheek and settled into his seat while the maid poured the tea.

“I did not think you would mind if I invited my son to lunch with us,” Frigga asked Sigyn.

Sigyn’s cheeks were flushed, and she was grinning while staring at her flowers in her lap, “Not at all, Your Majesty. I…” she peeked a glance at Loki, “I am delighted he is here. This was a charming surprise. Thank you.”

“Wonderful.” Frigga picked up her teacup and sipped, “I would just like to say that I am so pleased that the two of you get along so well.”

Loki smiled at Sigyn, “Sigyn is unlike anyone I have ever met. She has my attention.” His smile turned into a wicked grin, “Whether I like it or not.”

Sigyn peeked at Loki from under her lashes and gave him a half smile, “Gee, you really know how to make a girl feel wanted.”

“Wanting you has never been an issue.” Loki’s gaze was almost predatory.

“Right, well, who is ready for lunch?” Frigga motioned for the pair to follow her into the dining room.

“I am famished,” Sigyn said as she touched her stomach.

Loki laughed, “You are always famished.” He placed his hand on her back as she passed him. “Are you certain that you are not infected with a parasite?”

“Quite certain. My mother had me tested.” Sigyn settled into her seat as Loki pushed her chair in. He paused briefly and quirked an eyebrow up. He was unsure if she was joking or not. He looked to Frigga for guidance. She gave a little shrug in response. He laughed as he walked around to his seat across the table.

“So, Sigyn, tell me about your training with Lady Sif. How is that coming along?” Frigga asked.

“Oh, it has been wonderful. Sif is such a great teacher. She has such a wealth of knowledge. Not only of combat but palace life as well. Among other things.” She blushed slightly.

“Really? Such as?” Frigga pressed.

Sigyn sipped her water, “Oh, you know, just girly things. The latest fashions in the capital and whatnot.” She sent a glance to Loki. He was giving her a knowing smirk.

“I see.” Frigga looked between the pair. “Well, I am happy that you have been able to make friends here.”

“Everyone has been so kind and welcoming to me.”

“Of course, they are. Your charm is indisputable.”

“You do not need to flatter me constantly. My ego is not so fragile, My Prince.”

“Who is flattering? I am merely stating facts,” Loki shrugged.

Sigyn gave him a grateful look, “Regardless, it has made it a lot easier to picture myself making a home here.”

Loki’s heart squeezed in his chest, ‘She could be happy living here. I could make her happy here.’

He gave his head a little shake to clear it. “You are not sad about leaving your father’s home? What about your life in the North?”

Sigyn ran her fingertips lightly over her bouquet now resting on the table beside her. She looked a little gloomy as she said, “There isn’t much left for me there. My friends have been married off and moved away. My brothers are gone. I will miss my parents, I am sure, but I am ready to start the next chapter of my life.” She brightened a little and looked at Loki, “It is time to start looking to the future.”

“That is right,” Frigga patted her hand. “That reminds me, Loki, I will need you to make yourself available to the Household Manager sometime this week.” Loki looked confused. “You need to tell him which apartment you want to move into.”

“What is wrong with my current chambers?”

“Loki, it is a bachelor’s apartment. It only has one bed chamber. Far too small for a married couple.”

“She is one small woman; how much more space is needed?’

“You saw the number of trunks she arrived with. Where would she keep her things?” 

“I do own an embarrassing amount of clothing, Your Highness.”

Loki never considered that he would have to move out of his current chambers. He had lived there for centuries. He frowned, “Let me check my schedule.” Frigga and Sigyn exchanged a look.

“It should not be an issue to look at a few apartments this week.” He added a bit more enthusiastically. “As long as Sigyn can accompany me, that is.”

“I can hardly wait,” Sigyn smiled at him.

Loki returned her smile. ‘My pretty wife.’

“Whoa…” he said out loud. He pressed his hand over his thundering heart.

“Loki!” Sigyn shot out of her seat, “Are you all right? What is the matter?”

He threw his hands up, “I am fine. I am okay.” He motioned for her to sit.

She slowly returned to her seat, “What happened?”

He looked at his mother; she was studying him cautiously.

“I am sorry. I did not mean to scare you.” He smiled between the two women to reassure them, “This all just became very real suddenly.”

“Oh,” Sigyn extended her hand across the table, “Are you sure you are all right?”

Loki took her hand and rubbed his thumb over her knuckles, “Better than I deserve.”

Frigga pretended to adjust her napkin in her lap so she could blink away the tears that were threatening to spill.

oOXOo

After lunch, the trio made their way back to the sitting room.

“This has been lovely, but I must take my leave.” The Queen kissed Loki’s cheek and pulled Sigyn in for a hug. “The second part of my surprise: an hour of privacy. You two may stay here and talk. Sigyn, I will be back to collect you in an hour. Loki,” she gave him a pointed look, “remember your promise. I trust you.”

Loki held his hands up in defense, “I am not the one here you need to be warning.”

Sigyn scoffed and started fiddling with her bracelet.

“Fine. This warning is for both of you, then. I may change my mind and return sooner. Do not make me regret this.”

“I will behave, Your Majesty.” Sigyn sunk into a deep curtsey, “I appreciate you arranging this for us.”

“As do I, Mother. Thank you,” Loki bowed.

“You are welcome. I will not be too far.” Frigga said in warning as she exited to the hallway.

The door closed, and Loki looked over to Sigyn standing beside him. He was suddenly very aware that they were now alone behind a closed door. He swallowed hard, “Did you enjoy your lunch?”

“Yes, it was lovely.” She averted her eyes and fiddled with her bracelet. “I had no idea the queen was so cunning. She was wise to omit her plan's full details to me. I would have been extra nervous while getting ready today.”

“Nervous? Do I make you uneasy, Sigyn?”

“No. Not uneasy. I always get butterflies when I know I will see you.” She smiled at him sweetly, “You may have noticed; I find you very attractive.”

“Really? Is that why you tried to seduce me in the field yesterday?”

“I already apologized for that,” Sigyn blushed.

Loki laughed, “Come sit on the sofa with me. There is something I wish to discuss with you.”

“This feels ominous. Should I be worried?”

Loki kissed her hand as he led her across the room. “Not at all. I want you to help me understand something.” He deposited her at one end of the sofa and then took a seat on the other end, leaving quite a bit of space between them.

“I already do not like this,” Sigyn said as she noticed the distance he put between them.

“A temporary measure, I assure you. I have much to say and do not wish to be distracted.”

Sigyn grinned, “I distract you, Your Highness?” Her eyes were full of mischief. A faint green light danced behind her irises.

“Constantly. Even when you are on the opposite side of the palace from me, thoughts of you interrupt my work. When I close my eyes to sleep at night, your face greets me in my dreams. Just last night, I dreamed of chasing you through that grassy field. Your laughter still echoed in my ears as my chambermaid woke me for breakfast.”

“Loki…” she swallowed hard. She moved to scoot down the couch and close the distance between them.

“No, Sigyn. Please. Just stay over there. Let me get out all that I want to say in the precious time that we have in private here.”

“Very well.” Sigyn resigned herself to her side of the sofa again.

“If we finish talking before my mother comes back to retrieve you, if you would like, I will kiss you senseless until she arrives.”

Sigyn carefully removed her shoes, leaned back into the corner of the sofa, and tucked her feet under herself, “I agree to your terms.” She propped one arm on the back of the couch and rested her head against her hand. “Continue.”

“Thank you.” He sat and stared at her for a moment. ‘Norns, I just want to eat her up.’ He shook his head to clear it. He needed to stay on task.

It was now or never. The next hour would determine if he would start preparations for the wedding or if he would be bidding Sigyn farewell and dealing with the backlash that came with a broken betrothal contract.

As soon as Frigga told him about her lunch plans, Loki retreated to his bedroom and pulled out his journal. He wrote for hours, letting his complex internal wavering flow from the nib of his pen to the parchment beneath it.

He desired her. That was easy enough for him to sort out. And she made it clear that she wanted him too. He had no doubt in his mind they would be compatible physically. But he knew himself well enough to know that great sex wouldn’t be enough to keep him invested in the marriage long-term.

She was smart and perceptive. It would be unlikely that he could pursue interests outside the marriage without her catching on and making his life Hel.

What was it about her that even had him considering taking those vows? She was witty, playful, intelligent; to be sure. But there was something else about her. Something he had no name for. There was a voice inside his head that already knew her as his own. That already called her ‘wife’. That knew she was home before ever hearing her voice.

Loki being Loki could not accept such a thing so easily. He had to serve penance and write for half the night. Write down all the reasons why his instincts were wrong and debate with himself why none of those arguments held water.

Eventually, as exhaustion was setting in, he settled on a list of questions for Sigyn and committed them to memory in preparation for today’s visit.

“As I was saying, you do distract me. It is even worse when I can see you. I can barely take my eyes off you when we are in the same room together. This is an extraordinary situation for me to be in. I have never once felt the gravity of another person like I do with you. You are smart, funny, kind, adventurous, beautiful, and sexier than any one person has any right to be.

“Hel, even your scent calls to me. You have turned my life upside down. I dream about you. I miss you when we are not together. I care about your happiness.” He looked into her eyes as his practiced speech devolved into frenzied rambling, “You are perfect. I am not good enough for you. I have done things I am not proud of. It would be best if you were not forced to marry me. I-”

“No one forces me to do anything I do not want.” She leveled him with a look that was all business. “No one is forcing me to marry you. My father came to me with the betrothal proposition. I had the option to decline.

“While they were guests in our home, I spent time with your mother and father, not as the King and Queen, but as your parents. I know what I signed up for.

Confusion crowded his mind, “What do you get out of this? Money? Fame? I do not understand why you would agree to marry me.”

Sigyn scoffed, “Do you think any of that matters to me?” She leaned forward, “I am already wealthy. I do not need your money. I have enough gold in my personal coffers to last ten lifetimes. And what would I be famous for? Hmm? Warming your bed? Half of the realm would be famous if that were the case.” Sigyn crossed her arms in frustration.

“That was rude of me. I am sorry.” He looked at his hands, embarrassed at himself for assuming the worst of her.

“For the record, I’ve only bedded a quarter of the realm, not half.” He looked at her and grinned, “If we were to include the other eight realms, well, that’s when we start looking at some huge numbers.”

Sigyn snorted a laugh and rolled her eyes. “Of course, accuracy is important. We dare not forget the other realms.” They sat quietly for a moment.

“None of that matters to me.” Sigyn shrugged her shoulders, “Who am I to judge? It makes sense. You were introduced to carnal pleasure at a very young age. You feel like it is the only thing you have to offer someone, the only thing you are good for.”

Loki shook his head and breathed deeply, “Sigyn, I…” He did not know how to finish that sentence. He looked up from his hands and saw her face. It was soft, kind, and full of warmth and understanding.

“Sigyn, with the exception of my current one, I have bedded every chambermaid I have ever employed.”

“I see.” She spun her bracelet around her wrist, “Is that a practice you plan on continuing?”

He shook his head, “No! Norns, no. It was more a matter of convenience and not thinking of those women as people with feelings. I never saw the harm I was doing until recently. I thought I was innocent of wrongdoing because I paid them extra coins for their extra services. I see now how inappropriate it was.” He looked down at his hands in his lap, “And I did not limit myself to the chambermaids.”

“Were all of these affairs consensual?”

“Explicitly!” Loki looked at her wide-eyed, “I may be an insufferably arrogant rogue, but I am no monster.”

“I believe you.” She gave him a gentle smile, “Are there any more sins you would like to confess?”

“Is that not enough to make you hate me?”

She rolled her eyes, “Are you trying to make me hate you?”

“No,” he said quietly. “I just want you to know what kind of man you agreed to marry.”

“I told you before; your life before I met you is none of my business.”

Loki shook his head, “How am I so lucky to have met you?”

“Can I tell you something kind of silly?” she asked sheepishly.

“Of course.”

“My whole life, as far back as I can remember, there has been a portrait of the royal family hanging in my father’s hall. I believe it is customary in all the great houses. It reminds the Lords of whom they serve, like the King is always watching over everyone.  I distinctly remember standing in that hall and staring at that portrait: the King, the Queen, and their two princes.”

“I remember detesting sitting for those damn things.”

“One day, I was still very young, living in the nursery. I was playing hide and seek with my best friend, Kaarina. She found me standing in the middle of the hall, staring at the portrait. She started fussing at me that I was not playing the game right. I informed her, mind you, none too politely, that we were done playing the hiding game and would play a new one.

“We were going to pretend to be princesses. ‘You can only be a princess if you are born to the king or marry a prince,’ she told me. That is when I told her, ‘I am going to marry Prince Loki.’” Sigyn smiled, and Loki laughed, “I remember how confused she was. She said, ‘But Siggy if you marry Prince Thor, you will be queen one day.’ I told her that I did not care. I wanted to marry Prince Loki.”

Sigyn stood, walked over to the wet bar, and poured herself a glass of wine. Loki followed her with his eyes as she moved through the room. “Can I pour you a drink?”

“No, thank you.” Loki watched as she sipped from her glass.

“Very well.” She made her way back to the end of the sofa. “So, Kaarina and I would play pretend princesses every day. I was married to Prince Loki; she was married to Prince Thor. We threw pretend feasts. Fastened bed sheets around our shoulders to make wedding dress trains. Our double wedding was very opulent. All my dolls served as wedding guests.” She smiled at the memory, traced her finger over the rim of her glass, then took another sip.

Loki chuckled and waited for her to continue, enthralled by her story and curious where it was headed.

“My mother almost fainted one day when she found the pair of us playing in the house with cushions stuffed up our dresses, pretending we were pregnant with heirs.”

“I bet that was a sight to see, two wee girls with imaginary husbands and big tummies running through the halls.”

“We used to get up to all kinds of things, Kaarina and I, mostly at the behest of my older brothers and his friends. They would get us into all kinds of trouble. Did you know they were twins? Gunnar and Geir?” Loki shook his head. “My father called them ‘double trouble.’ Identical. They used to pull so many pranks.” She was quiet for a moment. “They were born together, and they died together. Younger than I am now.” She took a few more drinks of her wine, staring at the window.

Loki smiled, “I think I could have been good friends with your brothers.”

Sigyn nodded and took another sip of her wine. “But I digress. My point is… what is my point? I do not have a point.” She set her wine glass on the side table.

“I have always felt this connection to you. I do not know if it is fate, the Norns?” She shrugged her shoulders, “I do not know. I cannot know for sure, but when I finally met you, something inside me became whole. Like a piece of myself had been missing for a long time, and I didn’t even realize it was gone until I heard your voice.”

“Sigyn…”

“Look, I know that this betrothal blindsided you. It was hardly fair for them to spring it on you as they did. Just know that some part of me always knew I would be your wife. I have been preparing for it my whole life. Loki…” Sigyn took a deep breath, “Look at me. I am marrying you because I want to. You intrigue me. We have a lot in common. We have the same interests. You make me laugh. I want to be a good wife for you. I want to help you oversee my father’s lands when the time comes. I want to carry your babies.”

Loki inhaled sharply and covered his mouth with his hand. A wave of emotion hit him square in his chest.

“When my father came to me with the proposition, I was not surprised. I was expecting it.”

Loki pressed his head to the back of the couch and closed his eyes, trying to compose himself. They sat quietly for a few minutes as his mind raced. Sigyn finished her wine.

“Please say something,” Sigyn said softly.

“Are you sure you are not a witch? Willing the fates to do your bidding?” He raised his head and gave her a smile.

Sigyn gave Loki a mischievous look, “If only I had that kind of power, Your Highness.”

“Oh, I think you do.” He patted his thigh, “Come here, pretty girl.” Sigyn smiled as she crawled slowly to his end of the sofa. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her across his lap. He cradled her face in his hand. “You have power over me. Your wish is my command.”

“Let me love you. Let me give you what you need.” She leaned over and kissed him. Soft and gentle. She wrapped her arms around him, squeezed him, and kissed him more. Lightly, gently, pouring as much tenderness and love as she could into her kisses. She kissed him for several minutes before pulling away and pressing her forehead against his.

“No one else has ever kissed me like that before; without expectations of me. So tender and sweet.” His eyes were closed.

“I will kiss you every day for the rest of my days if you let me.” She placed a tender kiss atop each of his eyelids.

“You are too good.” He picked her hand up and laced his fingers in hers. “You are willing to love me unconditionally? Me? The prince who will not inherit a kingdom? The prince who has nothing to offer you? The prince who has behaved so wretchedly in the past?”

“You. The prince who makes me laugh. The prince who danced with me for hours. The prince who makes my skin overheat with just a glance. And most importantly, the prince who can conjure snacks out of thin air.”

Loki laughed, “Lady Sigyn, the ever ravenous.”

“You are not wrong.” She lowered her gaze to his lips.

“Do not give me that look, My Lady.”

“You promised to kiss me senseless.”

“I did, on the condition that we were finished talking before my mother returned. There are still some things I want to discuss with you before your mother hides you away again.”

“Very well. Proceed.”

He took a deep breath, “If I do this, marriage, I mean, I want to do it right. I want to be good at it. I received some excellent advice recently: not all happy marriages look the same. I would like to know what you think constitutes a successful union.”

“You would like to find out what I think qualifies as a good husband and see if you could check those boxes before we are married?”

“Yes, that sounds like a decent summary.”

“Fair enough.” Sigyn was thoughtful for a moment. “Well, firstly, I want children and you to be involved in their lives.”

“I have never allowed myself to think about fatherhood until recently, very recently. Like five minutes ago.”

Sigyn fell apart in a fit of giggles. Loki stroked her cheek as she composed herself.

“Like I said, I have never entertained the idea of being a father, but I am willing to do my best. Although, you must understand that I do not have the same relationship with my father that you do with yours. The King needed to produce his heirs and then focus on protecting the Nine. The Allfather was not as loving and as nurturing as your own. I did not have the best example.”

“I understand. I will be there to guide you, but you must understand that when I offer advice, it is not from a place of judgment or criticism but from a place of nurturing that you may not have received. Fair?”

Loki nodded, “Fair. How many children do you want?”

She grinned widely, “As many as you are willing to give me, but I would love a large family.”

“Large as in… three?”

“Large as in large.” She kissed him quickly on the cheek, “But we do not have to think about the number or the planning just yet. We have plenty of time.”

“Okay, children: check. What else?”

She dropped her eyes to where their hands were joined. A slight pink color flushed her cheeks. “Sex?”

“Yes, please. And, rather important for making all those children you want. I thought your nanny told you how that worked?”

“Obviously, I do not plan on letting you get any rest; between feeding me and fucking me, I plan to keep you very occupied.” Loki’s grip on her hip tightened. “What I mean is that there are some things of a sexual nature that I have never experienced. I was hoping you would be open about introducing me to certain things I have only read about in books.”

“S-such as?” Loki’s composure was crumbling. 

Sigyn paused for a moment. “I have never had more than one lover at a time. Would you be willing to invite others to join us? To see if I like it? If we both agree ahead of time?” She smiled at him sweetly.

“You would not consider that infidelity?”

“No. Not if we are together. I would consider it an extension of trust for one another. I would never take a lover behind your back. I would demand the same courtesy from you. I do not think acting out fantasies together is infidelity. We could incorporate it into a healthy marriage if we are both comfortable with it. Besides, I have never had more than one mouth on me at one time. I would love to know how that feels.”

Loki gave her a wicked grin, “Close your eyes, kitten.”

Curious, she closed her eyes. She felt the air shift and the couch dip by her feet. A pair of solid hands picked up her foot and started caressing her. Her eyes flew open, and she saw Loki bending down to place a kiss on the top of her foot while simultaneously feeling Loki kiss her neck under her ear.

“What in the Hel?!”

The second Loki said, “I told you, your wish is my command.” He ran a hand under her dress and up her calf, squeezing her just behind her knee.

“Entrust your fantasies to me, my sweet. I will make your dreams become reality.” The first Loki whispered in her ear.

Sigyn’s head fell back. She clung to Loki’s tunic with both hands and moaned, “Oh my Gods…” She looked between the two of them, “How?”

“Magic.” They both replied in unison as they caressed her independently.

“Do you approve?” the first Loki asked.

Sigyn nodded, her voice lost. She was on fire. White hot heat covered her skin.

“Excellent.”

“Is that...you? Does he feel me too?” She stared at the second Loki.

“It is me, kitten,” the second Loki replied.

“I am one mind in two bodies,” the first Loki added. “I can feel what his body feels and vice versa. Yes, I just felt you flex your calf under his hand.”

“Amazing. I have so many questions.”

“Another time, darling. We are on a tight schedule.” The second Loki dematerialized with a wave of his hand and a flash of green light.

“What other wicked games would you like to try?”

Sigyn paused to compose herself, staring at the spot where Loki had vanished. She took a deep breath, “Well, yesterday in the field was the first time I was ever restrained. It had quite an effect on me. I would like for you to do that again.”

Loki imagined her tied up, naked, and mewling on his bed. “Yes, definitely. I liked that too.” He was squeezing her hip tightly.

“And you would let me bind you as well?”

Loki groaned and buried his face in her neck. “Oh, to be bound and broken at your mercy. My dangerous captor. My beautiful mistress.”

“I will take that as a yes.” She closed her eyes and pulled her fingers through his hair as he placed open-mouth kisses up and down her neck.

“Mm-hmm.” He turned his attention to the other side of her neck.

“Loki… I cannot return from lunch with the Queen with my neck all marked up.” She gently pulled back. Loki’s eyes were dark, his lids hooded.

“I have half a mind not to return you at all.” He pressed himself into her thigh. Sigyn shivered when she felt his rigid length push against her. “But alas, we need to finish our conversation. I told you you were a distraction.” He shifted her to get more comfortable.

“Yes, I recall.” She smiled at him as her fingers played in his hair.

“So where are we on the checklist? I agree to be a good father, not take any lovers behind your back, and give in to all your depraved erotic fantasies…” Sigyn laughed and smacked him on the shoulder, “What else do you desire from your husband?” He squeezed her hand.

She smiled, “Maintain your relationships with your friends and family.”

“Absolutely.”

“Let us both enjoy our personal space without doubts or suspicions.”

“Sounds reasonable.”

“Provide me with snacks regularly.”

“Of course.”

“Take me on wild adventures.”

“The wilder, the better.”

“Dance with me, even if there is no music.”

“We will make our own music.”

“Chase me,” she grinned.

“To the end of the world if I have to,” he grinned back.

“Love me.”

“With every cell in my body. With every fiber of my being.” Loki’s breath caught in his throat, “I love you.”

“As I love you.”

Previous Chapter - Next Chapter

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XOXO- Rayne 💚

[suyooo]

Some notes on the game rules from the stream about the new Love Live TCG ("Love Live! Official Card Game", LoveCa for short)! There's some similarities to SIC, but it generally seems like a more refined and faster-paced version of it.

Of course, this is not a complete rulebook, there's a lot of situations that didn't come up in the stream, but for those who want to follow the games the seiyuu played, here's an overview:

Your deck has 72 cards:

12 Energy cards, 48 Member cards, 12 Live Show card

You need to win 3 rounds to win the game

Also playable with a "half deck": 12 Energy / 24 Member / 6 Live Show - 2 rounds to win (the second stream game was just played to the first round)

You have two draw piles: Energy cards are a seperate pile, Member cards and Live Show cards are shuffled together in the "main pile"

The main area of the play space has three rows: There is a front row (for sideways cards) and a middle row (called the "Stage", for upright cards) with three slots each, plus a back row where you will keep the Energy cards you draw

Other places on the mat: the discard pile called the "Waiting Room", and a stack where you keep Live Show cards after you win rounds as a point counter

A Member card has:

Energy cost, ticket in the top right - how much it costs to bring this Member onto the Stage

Penlight icons in the top left - if this Member is on Stage when attempting a Live Show, you can draw this many cards from your deck as Support

Hearts (top left, normal orientation, below Penlights) - the hearts this Member contributes to Live Shows when on Stage. These come in six types based on the attribute colours from SIF All Stars

Support Heart (top left, sideways, above Penlights) - the heart this Member contributes if pulled as a Support

Any number of Skills - we haven't seen them in action during the stream, but they seem to have similar triggers as SIC cards

A Live Show card has:

Requirement, the hearts on the note staff - you need this many hearts to successfully clear this Live Show

Score, top right - a difficulty rating for this Live Show card's requirement, used to decide rounds where both players clear a Live Show

Support Effect (bottom left) - comes into effect when drawn as a Support, can be an extra heart or increase score

Preparing the game:

Start with 6 cards on your hand, drawn from the main pile

Redraw as many as you want, shuffle unwanted cards back into the deck

Start with three Energy cards in your Energy row

Initial player order decided by Rock-Paper-Scissors, winner gets to choose

Rounds:

Each round has two phases: Main Phase and Live Phase

Use the Main Phase to bring Members onto your Stage, then bet on what Live Shows you can clear for the Live Phase

Perform a higher scoring Live Show than your opponent to win the round!

Main Phase:

Turn all your inactive Energy (sideways) to active position (upright)

Draw one Energy from your Energy pile into your Energy row. That means that every turn, you'll have one more Energy available naturally, to enter stronger and stronger Member cards

Also, draw one card from your main pile to your hand (if the draw pile runs out at any point, shuffle your Waiting Room and make that your new main pile)

Then, in any order and as many times as you like:

a) Enter a Member card onto the Stage from your hand using your drawn Energy - mark the amount of Energy cards needed inactive (by turning them sideways)

b) Use Activatable Skills (light blue) from Members you have entered

You may not want to use all of your Energy to enter Members, as there are some Skills that you can only activate by paying Energy

You can also do a Baton Pass: move a Member cards already on the Stage (for at least one turn) to the Waiting Room. This allows you to enter a more expensive Member card, by reducing its Energy cost by the Energy cost of the removed Member

Once Player 1 is done with their Main Phase, Player 2 plays through their Main Phase, then go to the Live Phase

Live Phase:

Unlike the Main Phase, the Live Phase is played step by step between the two players

Step 1: Put as many cards from your hand as you want face-down in the front row of the Stage, and draw as many cards as you put down from the main pile. They don't have to be Live Show cards

Step 2: After both players put their cards down, they reveal them at the same time, and move all non-Live Show cards to their Waiting Room

(Members discarded this way have no effect - it's just a chance to discard and redraw cards in your hand, or to trick your opponent into thinking you're playing multiple Live cards)

Players who have Live cards in their front row after this go to Step 3, otherwise skip it

Live Phase, Step 3 - The Performance:

Attempt the Live Show you set up by fulfilling the Heart requirements of the leftover cards

First, for each Penlight on your Member cards on the Stage, draw a Support card from your main pile. If they have Support Hearts or Effects, they can be used for the Performance

Match the Heart requirements on the Live Show cards with those on the Member cards on the Stage and the Support cards you drew

If the required Hearts are colored and have symbols, only that type of Heart can match the requirement

Some Support Hearts say "ALL" - they are wildcards and can match any requirement

Some Live Show cards have grey, symbol-less Heart requirements - they can be matched with any kind of Heart

If you can meet all the Hearts requirement of all your Live Show cards in the front row, the Performance is successful!

Member cards on the Stage are not discarded after the Live Phase, but any cards drawn as Support are moved to the Waiting Room

Scoring:

If only one player has successfully cleared their Live Shows, they automatically win the round

If both player cleared their Live Shows, sum up the scores of the Live cards, the player with the higher score wins the round

If the players were successful, but tied in score, both get a point - unless you are one away from winning. You must score your final point with a clean win, not a tie!

The winner(s) move(s) a Live Show card into their point counter stack. If they have reached the required amount of points, they have won the game!

Otherwise, a new round begins back at the Main Phase. If the last round was not a tie, the winner of the last round goes first this time.

If you notice something off in the stream compared to these rules, or don't understand something, let me know and I'll check it out!

Since as I said there is a lot of similarities to SIC, I think I can spin off a new version of the SIC Translation Site, and make it a LoveCa database - depending on how complete the card list on the official site will be. If you are interested in checking out or playing the TCG when it comes out in February, throw me a message, maybe we can make a little group and get some English info about the game out there together :)

[braveclementine]

Drama

Warnings: None

Copyright: I do not own any Marvel characters or locations. However, I do own my OCs, which consist of Penny Fury, Elizabeth Nelson, Elijah Chan, Katya Venice, Violetta Moscow, Lan Le, Josh, Trang Tien, Ahni Jallow, Mai Ito, and Ghaida Kashual as well as other OCs that will come up throughout the story.

They were all in the community room when they got the notification.

It was another one of those fun days. There wasn't any work and Elizabeth had spent the morning baking so there were chocolate chip cookies and vanilla cupcakes. There were cans of opened soda everywhere and even some of the younger Avengers they almost never saw like Peter, Kamala, and Riri were there, with MJ and Ned.

They were playing mostly board games, with Star Wars running on the TV in case someone just wanted to watch something.

Penny was playing candy land with Elijah, Rhodey, and Sam. Elizabeth was laughing as she played shoots and ladders with Trang, Katya, and Violetta. Natasha, Steve, Vision, and Ahni were playing Mouse Trap. Both Pietro and Bucky had accidentally broken the hungry hungry hippo set so they were playing Go Fish! together with Kamala and Loki.

Thor was confusedly trying to playing cooties with Tony, Lan, and MJ. Meanwhile, Bruce, Clint, Stephen, T'Challa, and Ghaida were playing a very serious game of Jenga. Of course, this version of Jenga was stacked very high, nearly all the way to their heads with heavy wooden blocks. Wanda was sitting nearby to use her powers to protect anyone nearby if the tower came crashing down.

Mai, Shang-Chi, Sif, and Carol were playing BS together. Kate, Josh, Hogun, Fandral, Volstagg, and Riri were playing UNO. And then Peter and Ned were playing battleship while also watching the Star Wars movie that was up.

"THAT'S SHIT!" Carol shouted as Sif managed to win the game. "THERE IS NO WAY!"

Ghaida danced around the leaning tower of wooden blocks, tapping each one.

Elizabeth munched on a chocolate chip cookie while Steve watched her, waiting for his turn, and wondering if he could lather her in vanilla frosting and lick it off later.

"Mr. Stark." F.R.I.D.A.Y. suddenly asked and the room quieted down a little. They were all apprehensive, sure that Fury would be trying to call them into a mission. "There is a Jay Tao here wanting to talk to Trang Tien."

"What!" Trang yelped, knocking off the pieces on the board.

"What is he doing here?" Elizabeth asked, sitting up, looking over at Ghaida who had paused in taking out a brick.

Ghaida was quiet and then winced, "Um, he's here to take Trang back to Vietnam with him."

"Why?" Tony asked in a harsh voice.

"So should I send him up?" F.R.I.D.A.Y. asked before Ghaida could answer.

"Fine." Tony snapped.

Elizabeth got up, going over to where she was taking more cupcakes out of the oven and started to decorate them. Bucky quickly joined her. Steve decided that meant he could join too and hurried to their sides.

Penny waited and watched as not only Trangs' soulmate, but also Sharon Carter came into the room. Sharon had a hint of amusement in her eyes as she snagged one of the cookies and then sat in a corner of the room. Jay on the other hand, looking extremely angry.

"What is this?" Jay shouted, ignoring the rest of them, looking only at Trang.

Trang was on her feet in seconds, taking the newspaper from Jay. She looked at it for a moment and then sighed, "Jay you knew I was-"

"I didn't know you were with the entire fucking team!"

Penny noticed that his accent was gone. She remembered how heavy it had been when she had gone with the team to confront the Vietnamese army for invading Cambodia. It had been just as thick as the ones who didn't know any English. But now it was gone, only as thick as Trangs'- which was pretty light.

Ghaida placed the brick on top of the Jenga tower and Clint started to look for his next move. Peter turned the Star Wars movie up a little.

"It wasn't the entire team." Trang scoffed.

"So how many?" Jay scoffed right back, pointing his finger at the paper. "Three? Six? Twelve? Your best fucking friend is sleeping with the entire fucking team-"

"Oi." Elijah said in a dangerous tone, getting up now as well. "Jay-"

"What kind of man lets his soulmate whore-"

Elijah shoved Jay up against the wall and hissed something at him under his breath before letting the Vietnamese man go.

Jay shrugged him off and then said, "You're coming back home with me to Vietnam."

Penny glanced over at Trang and surprisingly, it was Elizabeth who spoke up. "She can't yet."

Jay glared at her so ferociously that Elijah's hair started to flame and Bucky looked like he was going to strangle the Vietnamese man with the icing bag. "And why not?"

"She has a contract with the Avengers." Elizabeth said, not even looking at the man as she carefully decorated each cupcake, reaching for the chocolate icing as she ran out of vanilla. Penny smirked as she saw Steve slip an entire jar of white icing into his pocket. "She can leave in a year, but not now."

"Do you understand what I'm facing?" Jay asked angrily. "First off, my girlfriend shows up with the Avengers, interfering in something that should never have been interfered with in the first place. Army relations in other countries are none of your business. And then it turns out that my soulmate is part of this. . . this. . . debauchery! My Captain is this close to dishonorably discharging me from the service."

"I'm sorry." Trang said. "Jay, you know I would never do anything to hurt you or get you in trouble. The minute the contract is done I'll come back to Vietnam with you, I swear."

Penny winced and looked over to see Tony looked like he had been slapped across the face. He turned swiftly on his heel and left the room. Loki hesitated and then quickly went after him. Stephen on the other hand, stayed where he was, frowning slightly.

"I'm going to be staying in the United States for the time being." Jay said, still angry. "I've got an apartment. You'll move in. That's allowed, right?" He shot at Elizabeth's back.

Steve flinched a little as Bucky squeezed the icing tube to tightly that icing sprayed across Steve's face. Elizabeth barely glanced at Jay. "Of course. As long as she's close enough to suit up for missions." She proceeded to pull Steve's face down and kiss the frosting off him, right in front of Jay. Penny tucked her lips to hide her smile and saw Kat and Vi were both smirking as well.

"Let's go." Jay said, looking at Trang and then looking around the living room. "Clearly you're not working today."

"Sure, I'll meet you in the lobby. I have to pack." Trang whispered softly, holding her arm awkwardly. Penny's smile slipped off her face.

"I'll take him down." Sharon offered, standing.

"I'll take him down." Stephen interjected, standing up and putting his hands in his pockets. He gestured to the elevator. "After you."

Once they were gone, Elizabeth finally paid attention, "Trang, are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Trang replied, sighing. She glanced at Elizabeth and apparently Elizabeth understood, because she moved away from the super soldiers and slipped out of the room.

The Ohioans quickly converged around her, hugging her. Penny hugged her tightly as well. She could tell Trang was close to tears.

"You don't have to go." Clint said softly.

"I do." Trang said, breath hitching slightly in her throat but she smiled. "You guys are lucky to have soulmates who want to do this too. I'm just glad I got a little time."

Penny glanced over and saw Riri looked ecstatic. Penny felt bad for both Trang and Tony. She could only imagine Riri pouncing all over Tony the minute Trang was gone.

"See you guys later." Trang muttered and left the room.

🐏🐑 ｐ𝕆𝓥 ᶜᕼⒶήｇ𝐞 🧇🈷️

Trang headed down to the lab. She would have to make the visit short and she was sure she was going to end up crying, which was something she didn't want Jay to know she had done. She didn't want him to know she was actually upset about leaving all of this, leaving Tony. It wasn't fair to him, for him to know that she loved someone else.

She walked into the lab and found Tony and Loki there. Loki looked up and stepped back, letting Trang have the field.

"I'm sorry." Trang whispered. She knew he was going to be harsh because that was how he protected himself. So she ran her words out of her mouth as quickly as she could, hoping she could make him understand before he said something hurtful that would crush her soul and leave her in pieces that Jay would never be able to pick up.

"It's not that I don't love you Tony, if I could stay here I would. But I can't just disobey my soulmate either. He's still my life partner, he's still the one that I'm mated to for the rest of my life. I can't change it. And I'm so sorry. I know. . ." Her voice cracked and she quickly cleared her throat and said, "I love you so fucking much. I wanted. . . I wanted everything with you. I never wanted a child until I met you, I never knew love until I met, I never knew the things I wanted until I loved you. And just because I'm leaving doesn't mean I still don't want all of that with you and Loki and Stephen. But I can't. It's not in the cards for me. The others, they're lucky. They get soulmates that want this as well. But my culture? The Vietnamese one? It's soulmates and if you deviate from that it's more than a sin. It's almost a crime. I can't not leave with him. And I'm sorry."

She turned because she didn't want to see Tony's face. She didn't want to hear his words. There was nothing that he could say that would make this better, nothing he could do. Money wouldn't get him what he wanted this time.

And if he said something hurtful, it would break her. She had never meant to love him so deeply. And if he said that he loved her too, wanted all of that with her too, it would still hurt her, because she would never get it. It was a pipe dream.

A hand caught hers, spinning her back around so that Tony could crash his lips against hers. He was crying and it started her own waterworks, so that their tears clashed with each other.

"I love you too." Tony whispered. "I promise I'll never make you cross the lines again. I promise that Trang." He pulled back running a finger over her cheek to wipe her tears. "Just. . . be happy, okay?"

Trang couldn't say anything because she would cry again. And so she just smiled, pulling away from him slowly. She walked backwards a few steps, then turned and full out ran back to the doors that would lead to the lobby.

Elizabeth was waiting there with her suitcase.

"Don't cry." Trang warned her. "Or I'll cry too."

"It'll work out Trang." Elizabeth said seriously. "Somehow it all will. Because you deserve happiness."

"Well," Trang said softly, lifting the handle. "I will have it. I'll just have to find it with my soulmate. Like it was always intended."

Elizabeth scoffed. "Yeah. I'll believe that when Elijah starts shooting ice out of his hands and I start breathing fire. Destiny doesn't write us. We write our destiny."

"Look at you." Trang smirked, opening the lobby doors and saw Jay looked up at her. Stephen was just leaving, going a different way. "Trying to start writing poetry again?"

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "No. Just trying to cheer up a friend. I'll see you around ugly."

"See you around ugly." Trang smirked and then went to join her soulmate.

[doctorhelena]

Steggy Fic: A Stutter in Time, Chapter 17

I’ve created something for every day of Steggy Week 2023 over at @steggyfanevents! This is for Day 7 (Free Day). Previous Days: Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6

Summary: 1945 Peggy Carter appears in Tony Stark’s lab, and immediately throws a wrench into everything.

Rating: PG

Read Chapter 17

Read from the beginning

Excerpt:

“And did they ever actually return your research?” Peggy asked Jane, taking a sip of her virgin mojito and then setting it down on the coffee table in front of her with an envious look at Jane's gin and tonic. All seemed well so far, Pepper thought, casting her gaze around the lounge.

Following Peggy’s request that Pepper please not fuss over her too much, the decorations were fairly minimal - mostly a few subtle sparkly accents and some Union Jack and Stars and Stripes balloons that had made Peggy laugh. Those had been Tony’s suggestion, and Pepper congratulated herself for allowing him to wear her down. The refreshment table along one wall held a selection of sweet and savoury hors d'oeuvres, a fruit plate, a cheese plate, a bowl of fruit punch, and a cake from Pepper’s favourite bakery with a congratulatory message that had, for security reasons, been added after its arrival at the Tower.

Sif was examining the food offerings with interest, gesturing at a decoratively carved pineapple as she asked a question that Sharon seemed to be doing her best to answer. The bar was self-serve but well stocked, and JARVIS was happy to provide instructions for making particular cocktails. Natasha seemed to be enjoying mixing drinks, handing one to Nicki with a raised eyebrow as if challenging her to find fault in it. Pepper suspected that, given Black Widow’s reputation, Nicki was likely to keep any complaints to herself despite the fact that she lived with a SHIELD agent.

Peggy had put her foot down at wearing a ‘Bride to Be’ sash or a veil, but she’d given Pepper free reign over the music and - with some trepidation - the activities. Although nothing she was wearing specifically designated her as the bride, she was radiantly beautiful in a pleated green dress that she and Pepper had acquired on their shopping trip a few weeks ago. The pleats, running from neckline to hem, were meant to subtly give her room to grow later on but, Pepper thought, also made her look a little like a Greek goddess, poised and powerful.

God, Peggy had really been at half strength, or maybe even less, for the first weeks Pepper had known her. She could easily see how this woman had defied all opposition to found and direct SHIELD, back when the odds had been even further stacked against her than they would have been if she'd tried it in the present day.

Read the rest of the chapter on A03

[whitherwanderer]

14 // clear

This was a stupid idea, Sif realized somewhere between a shifting rock under her foot and another that felt like it was cutting into her hand as she held onto it. Not that she'd die if she fell, but it would hurt like hells and put her off of trying this again, and the whole point was to push herself a little. What did she expect? The walls of her comfort to give easily as she went and clumsily clambered up a godsdamned mountain?

She groaned to herself and grit her teeth as she found better footing. It had been a long trudge up to the peak already, but the peak itself was the hardest bit yet—a short scramble up a stack of weather-worn stones, and also exactly where she wanted to be. That is, that’s where he would be, if he was the one up here on this dumb-arse mountain, climbing this dumb-arse rock. But she was here and it was too late for regrets.

She hauled herself up slowly, one step at a time. Getting herself up onto one rock meant taking a few minutes to examine the next step, standing there with her hands on her hips as she squinted up into the sun. In truth, she just needed to catch her breath. She had all day and no one to buzz in her ear about how slow she was, so she took her sweet time. She certainly wasn’t as strong as she used to be, but she still had a sense of balance and focus on each placement of her foot, her hands, the shift of her weight. An odd sense of calm about it all. Eventually, she’d pulled herself to the top and rolled across it, lying flat across her back and staring into the empty sky with her heart in her ears, and even dared to feel something like accomplishment as she breathed a weary laugh.

Sitting up to admire the view and let the dizziness fade, the hush of the land washed over. Naught but a few distant bird calls, the breeze through the shrubs, and her thoughts to keep her company. So this is what he was after. This soul-drenching quiet that seemed in rare supply beneath a certain altitude. Normally she detested the quiet, but it made a certain amount of sense—she realized that at some point, she’d become so focused on the path that everything else in her mind was less important. All that mattered was the moment, keeping one foot in front of the other and being aware of her surroundings. The small stresses of her daily life and the larger worries that haunted her along her every road were still there, but they were held back somehow. Unable to make the climb? Perhaps he was onto something.

Her hand slipped into her pocket to produce a sharp obsidian stone, one half of a whole, which she rolled between her fingers in some meditative motion that was as comforting as it was strange to her. Glittering black on its face in the daylight, but still managing that odd glimmer from within, like something held in a prison of amber. Not wholly untrue, she mused. The thing contained more than skill and memory now, and if she focused hard enough, she could sense it: the murky, black chill of fear, worry, injury. But also the warmth brush of contentedness, confidence, even a touch of thrill.

She’d never had one of these before, and she’d argue she still didn’t, but it was novel to feel a visceral connection to something. Bound much more than by simple words, as it was bluntly put, though she’d learned that was a grave understatement. Splinters of memories, the vague outlines of things that may or may not have happened—notions, rather than actual events—were ghosts they now shared. It was their choice to untangle them, decode them, reconcile with them, or do nothing and remain haunted in this way, by shadows of the other. For now, they had chosen the latter. The wound was still fresh; looking at the stone still felt like failure, even though she’d arguably saved the man’s damned life again.

She supposed that’s why she was up here at all, admiring the view and turning her half of the stone in her hands. Not for answers, but to escape the noise so that she could sift through sand to pick through some kernels of truth. Reading the landscape like tea leaves for hints instead of sure facts. Unbothered by the pettier demons that harried her through the day.

He’d said once that he found clarity up on his perches, and she thought she understood what he meant at the time, but now she suspected it was another one of his many ironies. It was easier to think, yes. But clear? Was anything ever clear?

She sat there for a while, turning the stone and contemplating their lot without any real conclusions. It would feel pointless if she’d stumbled all the way up with nothing to show for it, but perhaps the uninterrupted focus was its own reward. The revelations were reserved for those nights when neither could sleep and the whiskey had worn off just enough for her to feel that raw spot where she was still trying to strike matches to keep her ego humming along. Real conversation. The worst kind. Still, maybe this counted as a step in the right direction. A something where she’d before she'd have nothing.

She peeked over the rock with a sigh. That was assuming she could get down.

[themculibrary]

PWP Masterlist 2

part one

Away from the Party (ao3) - badwrongprincess steve/sam E, 1k

Summary: Sam and Steve escape a boring event for a bit.

Celebration (ao3) - in_motu_proprio pepper/tony E, 3k

Summary: Tony comes home to Pepper with a bag of schwarma after he finishes eating with the Avengers. Pepper is very glad to see him alive and in one piece.

Meant to begin just after the Avengers have their post-battle snack.

Conversation (ao3) - in_motu_proprio steve/tony E, 1k

Summary: This takes place sometime during the party in Age of Ultron. I figure Tony would have slipped away at some point just to get some quiet and Steve might follow him. Total PWP.

Failing To Not Fall (ao3) - neverthelessthesun steve/tony E, 6k

Summary: Steve was failing to not fall in love with Tony Stark.

AKA the one where Steve thinks he's Friends-With-Benefits with Tony, and Tony thinks he's dating Steve.

I Like it Heavy (ao3) - cheshirccat frank/matt E, 2k

Summary: Frank likes to talk during sex. Tonight's different. Frank’s mouth is on his, and his tongue tastes like blood. He has a hand fisted in Matt’s hair before Matt has the chance to respond to the kiss. “What is going on with you tonight?” “Shut the fuck up and get on your hands and knees,” Frank growls, and Matt decides he can save the questions for later.

Imprison'd (ao3) - woodelf loki/sif E, 4k

Summary: Sif really shouldn't be quite so turned on by the very compromising position that she finds herself in.

love the one you’re with (ao3) - orphan_account bucky/howard E, 5k

Summary: Bucky and Howard have one thing in common: they both want to fuck Steve Rogers. Actually, they have two things in common: they both want to fuck Steve Rogers, and they both know it’s never going to happen.

If you can’t be with the one you love, honey, love the one you’re with.

Moonlight Madness (ao3) - SmutConnoisseur steve/bucky E, 3k

Summary: As the night sky grew darker, the full moon began to rise, casting an eerie light over everything it touched. Steve knew what was coming - the transformation that he had experienced so many times before. His muscles began to ache as his body prepared for the change. It always made Steve feel like he was running out of time, as if the moon were a clock counting down the minutes until he would be human again.

Only one thing could slow time - the love and companionship of a kindred spirit. One cursed to live by the fall of night.

They played a dangerous game, but one that neither of them could resist.

No Vacancies (ao3) - darter_blue, the1918 steve/bucky E, 6k

Summary:Steve Rogers might have a pretty face, but fuck is he a pain in the ass.

In which Bucky and Steve have a sexually charged, warring relationship as co-workers, and the conference hotel has a double-booking problem.

Photograph (ao3) - Anonymous bucky/zemo E, 5k

Summary: Bucky flipped through the stack of photographs, searching for Zemo in each one. He started to pick out a small group within the images, a few faces that popped up in nearly every picture. They must have been Zemo’s team. Bucky stopped on a picture of a very young, nearly shirtless Zemo.

#ReadyAimFire (ao3) - JBMcDragon clint/laura/steve E, 14k

Summary: Everyone knows omegas can be dangerous. Once a cycle, in fact, when heat whispers at them to pick a fight and find the strongest alphas around to breed with. Stuck in Wakanda, a refugee from the USA and WSC, without access to the suppressants he's been using for years, Clint is a living, breathing weapon... who is far too dangerous to go around picking fights. While Clint's idea -- getting himself thrown in jail through his heat -- is stupid (what cell could hold him?), Laura's idea -- to send Steve to retrieve him -- is brilliant. Good thing Steve's up for it.

Or,

An excuse for a lot of ABO sex. I mean, a lot. No regrets.

Rebatch (ao3) - KidDynamite090 steve/bucky E, 7k

Summary: Steve tries to be thrifty by salvaging soap and successfully makes new bars. Bucky, after coming home not too happy with how one of his dates turned out, comes up with a very thoughtful way to thank Steve for his effort and put the soap to good use.

Rise or Fall (Give His All) (ao3) - neverthelessthesun steve/tony E, 7k

sSummary: Tony is self-conscious about his height. Steve tries to make him see it's not all that bad.

Ruining a Perfectly Good Wax Job (ao3) - in_motu_proprio pepper/tony E, 2k

Summary: This is 100% smut intended just to get me writing something. It's fluffy and they're very happy together.

Pepper is quite needy one day so she dresses up in some sexy lingerie and meets Tony in his garage. Car sex ensues. Meant to take place in the space between Homecoming and Infinity War.

Stark Bot (ao3) - Jersey pepper/tony E, 4k

Summary: After a gala benefit following the Battle of New York, Tony and Pepper discover something about her - that she secretly loves being dominated.

A DECIDEDLY shameless PWP. Do not look for character growth. Do not hope for anything deep. Just PWP. And some bondage.

The Sixth of July (ao3) - Sinope clint/phil/steve/tony E, 14k

Summary: Clint loves Phil; Phil has a Captain America kink; Tony likes sex. Omelets, Duck Hunt, power outages, and a very happy birthday ensue.

Ugh, Brats (ao3) - Suicide_Wolf yelena/kate E, 4k

Summary: Yelena is being a brat again. Good thing Kate is there to remind her of her place.

whatever you ask (ao3) - BlossomsintheMist steve/tony E, 19k

Summary: Sometimes Steve just wants to let go. Tony’s perfectly willing to help with that. The two of them try something Steve’s been wanting for a while. Basically PWP with added feelings, established relationship.

[domesticatedanimal]

FFXIVWrite 2024

Prompt 30: Two Heads are Better Than One

Set vaguely between Heavensward and Stormblood

Back from the Abyss

Small drifts of snow were starting to gather around the corpse as a gentle wind breezed along the streets of the Brume. The body was still warm enough that the snow would melt against it, dampening the thick wool of the knight’s gloves. Soon, the bitter cold would overtake the last of the body’s heat, setting into the chainmail and locking the whole thing up into a grim frosty statue.

Sif sat across from it, her back pressed against dark stone, her breathing calm but shallow.

Footsteps approached.

“You had better have a damned good reason for dragging me out to this frigid hell,” Thancred greeted her. His eyes followed her gaze, to the dead temple knight currently freezing over in a crevice between two stacks of wooden crates. “Well, I daresay that counts.”

Thancred quickly assessed the scene, taking note of the wide gashes in the temple knight’s cuirass, and Sif’s conspicuous lack of weaponry. They were far from the trafficked areas of the Brume, but in this maze of alleys and hovels, there was no telling when some urchin would pop around an inconvenient corner. He was truthfully surprised that it had not already happened.

“I wasn’t sure who else I could trust with this,” Sif spoke, her voice an exhausted whisper. She held something out for Thancred to take.

“What is this? An insignia?”

“A badge, I think. He was high ranking. A commander or some equivalent,” she replied.

Thancred exhaled sharply. His jovial attitude dropped. He fell to his haunches, squatting loosely by her side.

“I’m not sure we can just make this one go away,” he murmured. “What offense was worth this? Did you think about what this would mean for the rest of us? If the Scions are…”

“Six times,” she interrupted.

“What?”

“He’s been tried six times. He’s been cleared and returned to duty six times. And every time, another two or three girls end up dead by his hand.”

“I… see.”

“I’m tired of waiting, Thancred.” When she turned to him, there was a burning darkness in her eyes that even he could see. “Tired of powerful men doing harm while the knights spend their time chasing down starving children to lock up for theft.”

“Can you not go to the Lord Commander? I had thought you were close.”

“It’s not enough. I’ve seen how the knights are treated in their own dungeons. I had to end it. Are you going to help us with the body, or not?”

“Us?”

Sif seemed to glance over her shoulder, to nothing in particular.

“I think you should stay out of Ishgard, for a while,” Thancred offered. “This is starting to get out of hand.”

Sif opened her mouth to protest, but didn’t. She slumped a bit, and nodded.

“Yeah. You may be right.”

“I ran into an unusual gentleman, in Ul’dah. A Miqote whose name I cannot quite recall. He spoke to me about joining a group of some sort. Crimson Duelists, I believe? Truth, justice, helping the downtrodden. Very much your sort of thing.” He smiled. “Maybe you can do some good in a less depressing town.”

She nodded again. “I’ll look into it.”

“Right. Well, then. That just leaves the unpleasant bit. Do you want the legs, or the shoulders?”

“Legs.”

“I should have guessed.”

[memeswithdrms]

brother youd be shocked on what a good video essay does to you. also ive been doing this for abt a week? which is JUST the skull farming that takes the longest. everything else ive kept in hoards like a dragon and wont take suuuuper long since theres a blaze farm + i have two stacks of blaze powder. i also have another secret weapon that i cant say bc it. is confidential. and idk if sif or vault follow you

im too bad at mc to do even half of that inventory. you get a+ for dedication

[sentient-softdrink]

Also while I'm at it

He can stand horizontally on all of those legs!

Sif stack real

So, body craft

The King used it to become a giant, so it doesn't have to be 100% regular person shape when you craft the body

What's stopping you from becoming a bug

What's stopping you from becoming a little millipede

Just imagine