originally posted on tumblr, Sep 5th 2023

thoughts for my Fimbulvetr Blues AU and Loki's (quite honestly stupidly powerful) skills:

• Loki could be argued to be a title rather than his actual name, in that he's an "entangler", using his tricks and magic to knot people in his schemes and lies. That comes up in many ways.
• His learned skills with the fairy folk of the British Isles can bind others through spoken word, and he's quite skilled in sneaking implied terms and conditions on his promises and oaths;
• That said he NEVER breaks his word, whatever he promises, you can be sure he'll see it done. and he makes no promises he can't feasibly keep;
• He also learned quite a bit of shadow and darkness manipulation, and it's proven to be quite handy for spying and dodging enemies;
• Not only that but coupling that with illusion magic, he can keep enemies distracted with doubles while he remains hidden in the shadows, puppeteering his clones to tire out his enemy or spare himself;
• Once he understands the True Nature of Fate, he can predict other's actions and even "see" the lines of their being tangling with others, snaring themselves in their own inner narratives. Therefore, pushing and tugging at those "lines" becomes almost second nature for him;
• He knows exactly which buttons to push and how to get others to go along with what he seeks, even if he must play the "villain" in another'' story;
• As Loki, he knows the importance of establishing himself as an antagonist for others to play off of, or project into. it's a role he's grown quite comfortable sliding into, and he plays it very well;
• He's also learned that pain, like all things good and bad, is fleeting and momentary. What truly matters is the play of the game, the end goal; if one must endure pain to get to it, then it's a small price to pay;
• Knowing how to manipulate souls, Loki has also learned how to manipulate divine powers. Effectively, he can take away and give back the powers of gods and other magical beings. Being such a trump power, he keeps that skill hidden well, but when Ragnarok approaches he uses it to impair and remove a few pieces off the board without needing to kill them;
• Possessing the Spartan Rage from his father and the deep connection with the untamed world from his Giant heritage, it manifests in a far more wicked and devastating form. The rage isn't his own, but borne from those around him; it's the vengeful drive of those who have been denied justice and closure, the inherent balancing of the scales in the presence of lack of equilibrium;
• When consumed by that bile and rage, he's engulfed in flames and becomes a furious maelstrom of fire and blood-red thunder. Among the flames are flickers of everchanging bones of a man and a wolf, simmering eyes glaring and fangs like daggers;
• Fenrir is a power like no other, and though one would expect him to lose all consciousness, he's in fact not only intelligent but cunning. Far from a mindless beast as he's accused of being;
• Having no solid form, Fenrir can be of any size and shape, and even be in multiple places at once. A manifestation of drive and emotion. At times he may blow out a bit of smoke and fire when disgruntled or upset, and even summon his Rage flames and lightning for a quick power-up;
• His control over Fenrir doesn't come from restraining it, but from letting it come and go as needed. Like all things, anger and hate are momentary, and if he steps into the role of being a manifestation of all those bitter emotions, he can later step out of it. He is not his emotions, but he can give vent to them;
• Loki is unrepentant and free of guilt for his desire for vengeance. Odin did him wrong, and he will find closure for himself and his lost sons and those who suffered like he did. War is not pretty, but sometimes it is necessary, and unjust kings must fall.