#characterloki

Five hundred years before Thor's coronation, Sif's a lowly page who can't move up in the ranks and Loki's a Royal Academy student trying to survive his last examination. The solution to their problems may lie in the legends they heard as children of the lost Tenth Realm. Now all they have to do is actually find it.

Note: (This is one of the last of the shorter Loki works I'd queued up to read. I've a few 100k+ works I mean to get through soon, but that's between me and my mental capabilites.) This work was written as a prompt-fill gift for the annually recurring "Mischeif and Mistletoe" exchange, I'd recommend browsing those collections if you're interested in the Loki/Sif pairing. Furthermore Margo_Kim has written for a variety of fandoms since 2013 so I hope they don't mind my featuring a work from [cough] years ago. The Tenth Realm brings us along an approximately six-month pilgrimage with Sif as she and Loki attempt to prove themselves worthy in their respective "professions". In my eyes the characterisation is fantastic and the unique touches in each realm add depth and curiosity to an otherwise brief story. (The Midgard chapter is incredibly funny; if you don't already know, look up Turtle Island before reading.) Against the context of Odin's impending "Partition" of the realms, it becomes clear to Sif that the effort of making this journey will be as important as the destination.

- Author's Tumblr | @andhumanslovedstories -

“Behold, ye warriors brave,” the goblins cried As brilliant shone, from within the cave, The secret light. Here lay the realm forgotten That Lady Ash, the woman-king of Asgard Had fought so long to see. She fell and wept At the beauty. “I claim my prize at last. I look upon my home—the Tenth Realm beckons And here, forever, I rest my head and sword.” —Excerpt from the final movement of Asgard’s epic, “The First Daughter of Yggdrasil,” Sif’s favorite poem as a child, as translated from the ancient tongue by Second Form graduate, Loki Odinsson.

The King’s Library was dead silent as Sif crept in through the skylight. It was always so hushed. She’d learned more of stealth skulking here after training than she’d ever learned actually in training. The King’s Library forbade women from entering, just as the Queen’s Library forbade men, and most maesters who ran them had ears and eyes to rival Heimdall’s. Sif crept through the stacks like a hunter stalking particularly flighty prey. Her feet made no thump. Her sword never clinked. Even her breath was silent as an absence. Shadows boomed louder than her.

It was either this or set fire to every damn book around her and when the maesters came to put the flames out, she’d set fire to them as well and any other man who ever came up to her again and said, “Pardon, lady, but you belong elsewhere.” But that wasn’t really a viable option at the moment, not unless she felt like killing nearly every man in Asgard, and since she wasn’t quite there yet, creeping silently took enough skill to keep her distracted and sane.

And the look on Loki’s face when you surprised him was always worth it.

During the events of The Avengers, a woman finds herself in the hands of an arrogant god that she can't seem to comprehend.

Note: (In honour of the impending release of the Loki miniseries and my sceptical optimism for it, I'm highlighting a few canon-adjacent Loki works that can pass the time between new episodes or, if you're like me, distract from new content long enough to miss the first wave of inevitable Discourse.) For a handful of little reasons I hadn't the slightest interest in reading Loki works unless I was moderating for THF, and for the longest time TFB was the only exception. Theology for Beginners gently expands and extends the frantic 2012 Avengers tiemline to something comprehensive and realistic, and adjusts canon scenes to build relationships between the OFC Leah and existing characters. MissVioletHunter's deliberate effort to avoid rote novelisation of the film makes her plot more effective, and the work is made more impressive by knowing her first language is Spanish.

- Masterpost on Author's Tumblr | @missviolethunter - - Series on AO3 -

May 15. Stuttgart.

"What person can know for sure when his or her life is going to change? What wouldn't we give for the ability to manipulate our destiny, to go back to the moment of an apparent trivial choice in our lives and be able to choose the other option...?"

The woman's voice could be heard, loud and clear, by all the attendants in the meeting room. The international law firm Ulrich & Malcolm, in Stuttgart, owned a state of the art meeting room. To begin with, it was so big that the company always held the Christmas party there; if they wanted, they could have invited all the neighbours and they would still fit in comfortably. It had the acoustics of a concert hall, so no microphones were needed. Furthermore, it wasn't located on the top floor of the U&M building, like any other normal meeting room would be. Instead, it occupied a good part of the ground floor, and one of its sides was entirely composed of several huge french windows that opened towards the zen garden. Under Mr. Malcolm's orders, those windows were always open, so that anyone passing through the garden could hear and see everything in the room. The President of the firm was very proud of his open door policy, literal and figurative. What very few people realized is that, by virtue of this policy, he knew everything that was said and done by anyone on the company. He pretended to accept suggestions and ideas from his team, but he never acted on them. Everybody wasted their time exchanging ideas that would at some point be stolen by one of the senior partners, but the junior associates never complained. In time, some of them would be partners and it would be their turn to have the upper hand in the game.

There were a dozen partners and some junior lawyers and clerks in this particular meeting. The woman delivering the speech was the newest partner at U&M, and she was playing the game with considerable skill. In an short period of time she had been promoted from the Boston office to the London one, and finally to the head office in Germany. Mergers and Acquisitions, which meant swimming in a pool of sharks, but she was good at smelling blood in the water. Right now she was suggesting that the firm took an aggressive position in a merger between two banks. It was a big account and a bold movement, but, if everything went according to plan, by the end of the year she would be one the star attorneys of the firm.

"...and that is why I'm asking my fellow partners to approve my proposal and allow me to assemble a team to set the merger in motion", she finished.

When Loki turns up demanding Thor's help on a quest to retrieve the All-Mother from Valhalla, Thor isn't about to say no. But that doesn't mean he's forgotten anything, and what better time than a road trip through the backwaters of the universe for trying to talk things out?

Note: (In honour of the impending release of the Loki miniseries and my sceptical optimism for it, I'm highlighting a few canon-adjacent Loki works that can pass the time between new episodes or, if you're like me, distract from new content long enough to miss the first wave of inevitable Discourse.) AO3 counts that Loki features in 228 of 506 of Lise's works to date; though I've not read their full catalogue, it's evident the amount of care and attention they devote to digging through and understanding not only Loki's character but the dynamic between the brothers as well. No spoilers: Road to Nowhere compiles one unique, compelling scene after another, including a beautifully tense taste of psychological panic. I haven't come across a story quite like this from anyone else and I'm excited to read more from them.

- View on Author's Tumblr | @veliseraptor -

Thor woke up in the middle of the night with Loki standing over him and looking powerfully displeased. “Wake up,” he said, snappishly. “I require your assistance. Regrettably.” Thor stared at him, helplessly. Loki made an impatient noise. “Yes, yes, I’m alive, can you skip the hysterics?”

Thor swallowed. “This is no dream,” he said. Loki rolled his eyes and smiled, sharp and nasty.

“Have you been dreaming about me that much, brother?”

Thor reached out and grabbed his arm. He could feel a pulse under the skin, solid flesh under his fingers, and let go, drawing back. “You’re alive,” he said, a little hoarsely.

“I thought I said to-”

Thor hauled back and punched Loki in the face.

It dawned fair and clear, the day they sewed Loki's lips shut.

Note: (In honour of the impending release of the Loki miniseries and my sceptical optimism for it, I'm highlighting a few canon-adjacent Loki works that can pass the time between new episodes or, if you're like me, distract from new content long enough to miss the first wave of inevitable Discourse.) Whipstitch investigates a different avenue of consequences for Loki's failed invasion, both from Asgard and from Thanos. Most countries had Avengers playing in theatres by the first week of May 2012. Kaasknot had the sixty-eight thousand words of Whipstitch published before the end of July. To build a world accurate to Norse culture and mythology is an accomplishment in istelf; to integrate the Marvel infrastructure into an original storyline, in less than four months, is remarkable.

- Read on Author's Tumblr | @kaasknot -

It dawned fair and clear, the day they sewed Loki’s lips shut. Curiosity and ill-will made it into a spectacle: a prince of Odin, a traitor and genocidal megalomaniac, humbled before Hlidskjálf. It was the event not to be missed.

So it was the throne room was full to bursting as the Þing met to declare the prince’s fate. The crowd of onlookers overflowed the aisles, pouring out between the columns into the plaza beyond—a veritable sea of greedy eyes eager for a show. The prince came quietly enough, by all reports, and it was true: there was no mewling or cowering. He strode to meet his father with his head held high and no sign of fear upon his face.

Had he been better-liked this might have endeared him to his people. Had he the boisterous, effulgent disposition of his brother—but Loki had been distant before his crimes and subsequent disappearance, and now he was as untouchable as Ragnarök, and just as sinister. The look of the wild man hung about him, in the untamed length of his hair, in the wear showed upon his armor, in the fey gleam in his eye.

The people stared at him, then looked to Thor, Asgard’s Golden Son, and it was as looking from night to day.

Stjarnavetr has been exiled from her home realm of Vanaheim and has come to Asgard by the mercy of Odin Allfather and Queen Frigga. She is entrusted by Queen Frigga to further instruct the youngest prince, Loki, in seidr, the magic of the Vanir. Stjarnavetr tries her best to deal successfully with the arrogant and impetuous prince of Asgard, while Loki tries to coax from his new seidr tutor the dark secret of why she was exiled from Vanaheim. In the process, the two come to find solace in each other’s company and Stjarnavetr must confront her feelings about Loki and the horrors of her past.

Note: (In honour of the impending release of the Loki miniseries and my sceptical optimism for it, I'm highlighting a few canon-adjacent Loki works that can pass the time between new episodes or, if you're like me, distract from new content long enough to miss the first wave of inevitable Discourse.) I think I happened upon Stjarna's 11 installments as I was poking around in other people’s AO3 bookmarks in May 2020, looking for something to occupy the nebulous quarantine days. I didn’t even notice that its publishing run spanned almost five years until I had reached the handful of One Shots that separate the two major parts. Comprising a word count around 622k, Renlem has made the Stjarnavetr series an immmersive experience that hits hard on darker facets of Aesir noble society. Fingers crossed they’ll be able to finish Part 2 soon.

- Masterpost on Author's Tumblr | @renlem - - Series on AO3 -

I had come to Asgard when the youngest prince was not yet five hundred years old, but in appearance a grown man already. I might never have made acquaintance with him had it not been for Frigga, Odin Allfather’s wife and queen. She entrusted him to me with a special task in mind when I had come as an exile from my home of Vanaheim.

I had been brought before her during my third week in Asgard as her newest handmaiden. I still remember it so very well; we had been in her receiving chamber and she had bade me rise after I had knelt before her. She smiled at me and I thought how beautiful she was, how regal.

She gestured towards her fireplace. Two chairs were set before it with an intricately carved table between. There were a few books lying there, along with a tray and some cups that a servant had brought earlier. She sat in one of the cushioned chairs and motioned for me to sit as well.

I gingerly sat down, dreading any pain that I might feel. I had been in much pain as of late, but thankfully I could move about now without much trouble. Once I was comfortable, she offered me some wine, which I politely took.

“I am most pleased you are here,” she said kindly.

“As am I,” I replied, lifting the cup to my mouth to take a sip of wine. It was by her and Odin Allfather’s mercy—and pity—that I had been allowed to come here.

“Are you healing well, Stjarnavetr?” she asked, inclining her head towards me.

“Yes. Eir assures me that I will be fully healed within the week, though there will always be… scarring. But she has been able to nearly restore me. Asgard’s healers are truly miraculous, Your Majesty.”

Queen Frigga smiled. “I am very glad. You were in quite a state when you came.”

A virgin priestess is given as a 'sacrifice' to Odin as part of a centuries long Asgardian tradition.

Note: (In honour of the impending release of the Loki miniseries and my sceptical optimism for it, I'm highlighting a few canon-adjacent Loki works that can pass the time between new episodes or, if you're like me, distract from new content long enough to miss the first wave of inevitable Discourse.) It's true that my taste favours reserved, implicit descriptions, but it can't be said that I don't enjoy a bit of PWP. Even better is when an author develops an interesting context in which to frame the scene, especially when regarding virginity. But tartanroyaltea goes above and beyond with 12k words that establish the setting, cultural circumstances, and character motivations - all within MCU canon. And in my own opinion, any work that avoids the 'obvious' ending point is always a pleasant surprise.

- Author's Tumblr (Inactive) | @tartanroyaltea | View on THF -

Every fifty years the Sacred Order of Aurvandil would sacrifice a young, pure priestess to each of the male Aesir in Asgard. It was an ancient tradition, one which had endured through the reigns of countless Kings of Asgard from time immemorial, right up to the present Odin Allfather. Many of the sisters of the Order had been certain that the tradition would be cancelled, or at the very least postponed until the next favourable star cycle, in light of the deaths of the beloved Queen Frigga, and the marginally less beloved, Prince Loki.

Yet, no messengers had come from the palace to stop the ritual. It would occur in the prosperous fiftieth year, just as it always had. The Temple was alight with activity in the days leading up to the ritual, every Sister no matter how low or high, was engaged in preparing for this momentous occasion. Excitement bubbled among the Sisters, tinged with the sharpness of quiet fear in the young virgins who were to be ‘sacrificed’. The virgin priestesses did not need to fear death, murdering one of the Aurvandilan sisters had been outlawed by Odin at the start of his reign, millennia ago. Before Odin’s kindness, many of the virgin sacrifices returned to the Order at dawn- in shrouds. Apart from killing their sacrifices, there were no rules to restrict what the Aesir could do with their sacrifices during the twelve hours between dusk and dawn; the possibilities were enough to make any girl tremble.

As a maiden of Vanaheim, Eirlys never expected to deviate from the path set before her. Her life takes an unanticipated turn when she becomes Queen Frigga's latest apprentice, and she finds herself at odds with an especially vexing Asgardian prince. Pre-Thor and onwards.

Note: (In honour of the impending release of the Loki miniseries and my sceptical optimism for it, I'm highlighting a few canon-adjacent Loki works that can pass the time between new episodes or, if you're like me, distract from new content long enough to miss the first wave of inevitable Discourse.) This first entry in The Shieldmaiden Saga by NeverQuiteAwake was actually completed in early 2014 on FanFiction.Net, which lists the completion dates of two subsequent sequels as October 2014 and July 2017 respectively. I'd only recently learned of it though, when in March of 2021 NeverQuiteAwake began publication of an edited, M-Rated iteration of Learn Me Right on AO3. I've committed to avoid spoiling myself with the finished work, and have thus far deeply ejoyed their depiction of the trials a young seidr scholar might face among our favourite Asgardians. Not to mention NQA's updates have been so frequent I've been able savour the anticipation of a new chapter without dreading that the author might suddenly abandon the story.

- Author's Page on FanFiction.net | Series on AO3 -

The sky glimmered with the warmth of daybreak. Hands curled in the tangle of bedclothes, I blinked away the weariness that threatened to steal away the vision that lay before me. Like a child at play, the sun slowly peeked over the horizon, basking all that it could touch. A spectrum of reds and yellows lit the sky, the colours spilling across the rolling hills and sprawling woods. The lands of Vanaheim looked to be aglow in fire.

With a wistful smile, I clambered out of bed and padded onto the balcony. Leaning on the balustrade, I tilted my face upwards to revel in the burgeoning warmth of the sun. Autumn was upon Vanaheim, and soon the clouds would take up residence in the skies above. I’d awakened to watch the sun’s ascent, the dawning of a new day, for what would be the last time in a long while. Many months would pass before I’d be able to witness such beauty again.

A soft knock at my bedchamber door pulled me away from the sight. “Enter!”

The door opened to reveal my handmaiden, her eyes bright and cheery. It was a wonder, how she was able to awaken before me every day. And my father calls me an early riser. “A fine morning, is it not, my lady?” Arlessa said, bustling about my room to prepare my attire for the day.

“Yes, lovely indeed,” I sighed. “I will miss it. The rains will be coming soon, no doubt.”

Arlessa hummed in agreement as she went rifling through my wardrobe. She selected a sleeveless apricot-coloured dress—one of my more practical garments. “Your father bid me to tell you that he has gone to greet Queen Frigga at the Bifrost site.”

He got in her way again. “You’re not afraid of me, are you?” he asked, the dangerous smile on his face. She wondered idly what the right answer was. What she would say if she could say anything but the truth. . . “You’re a force of nature. I fear you the way a fisherman fears a storm in the distance. I can’t out run you. I can’t hide from you. You may sink me. You may fill the nets with fish. You may ignore me entirely. But there’s very little I can do to influence the outcome. All I can do is brace myself and hope for the best.”

Note: (In honour of the impending release of the Loki miniseries and my sceptical optimism for it, I'm highlighting a few canon-adjacent Loki works that can pass the time between new episodes or, if you're like me, distract from new content long enough to miss the first wave of inevitable Discourse.) Advice often repeated to aspiring authors is a strong exposition and and detailed knowledge of their original characters; NyxEtoile acheives both impressively The Dark Inside series. The original Syn character is inspired by the Syn in Norse mythology, and her comprehensive backstory is cleverly explored throughout the series as events require. And if you enjoy other MCU fanfiction Nyx and their frequent collaborator @olivesawl have published an abundance of completed works to enjoy, including the Tales From The Tower series which allows canon Avengers characters to run amok.

- Author's Tumblr | @nyxetoile | Series on AO3-

There was a false king on the throne of Asgard.

And as far as Syn could tell, she was the only one who’d noticed.

She’d come to the castle of Odin as a child, working in the kitchens. She’d sliced her fingers peeling vegetables and burned her arms on pots of soup and kettles for tea. It was difficult work but she’d done it well and never complained where anyone could hear. She’d been rewarded, eventually, by becoming a handmaiden for the queen. Dresses and jewels were far less dangerous than the kitchens. She had seen a great deal of the royal family while working for the queen. She knew the king and his sons by sight and sound and even smell, though she doubted any of them would know her face.

And the man calling himself Odin the Allfather was not who he said he was.

The illusion was good, she admitted that. At times it seemed to shimmer over him, like a mirage in the heat. And certain sentences were him, through and through. Certainly he had fooled everyone else who had laid eyes on him. Thor himself had been fooled. But there wasn’t an illusion made that Syn the Truthful couldn’t see through.

Loki Laufeyson sat on the throne and no one knew but her.