The Mona Lisa’s Missing Night & The Trickster’s Alibi | The Immortal Gazette
The Immortal Gazette studio hummed with its usual brand of enchanted chaos. Alice, draped in a velvet coat that seemed to shift colors when no one was looking, sipped her shimmering tea. Loki lounged across the armrest of her chair, arms crossed, looking far too comfortable. Rumplestiltskin paced, grumbling under his breath, occasionally shooting daggers at Loki.
Alice casually flipped through her notes. Not that she needed them. “Alright, boys. Let’s talk about one of the most famous art heists in history—when the Mona Lisa disappeared from the Louvre in 1911.”
Loki arched a brow. “Disappeared? You mean when I—”
Alice held up a finger. “Ah-ah. We’ll get to that.”
Rumple snorted. “Oh, please, everyone knows who stole it.” He gestured grandly. “Vincenzo Peruggia, an Italian handyman, walked right into the Louvre, dressed in a white worker’s smock, and just walked out with the painting tucked under his coat.”
Alice smirked. “That’s the official story.”
Loki grinned. “The boring story.”
Rumple narrowed his eyes. “Don’t even start.”
Alice sipped her tea. “Now, remind me, Loki—where were you on August 21, 1911?”
Loki stretched lazily. “I don’t recall.”
Rumple scoffed. “Oh, how convenient.”
Alice leaned forward, smirking. “Funny, because I seem to remember you were in Paris that night. In fact, several witnesses reported a charming auburn-haired man seen near the Louvre.”
Loki’s smirk never wavered. “Alice, darling, you wound me. Are you accusing me of stealing the Mona Lisa?”
Alice swirled her tea, watching him. “I know you did.”
Rumple’s jaw dropped. “HA! I knew it!”
Loki sighed dramatically. “Fine. Let’s say—hypothetically—I was involved. The truth is, Peruggia was just the fall guy. I merely... borrowed the painting.”
Alice arched a brow. “Borrowed?”
Loki grinned. “I wanted to see if da Vinci’s brushstrokes held any hidden magic. Turns out, the old man had a sense of humor—when I looked at her under my enchantments, she winked at me.”
Rumple groaned. “Oh, please.”
Alice bit back a smirk. “And then?”
Loki shrugged. “Then I returned her.”
Rumple’s eye twitched. “YOU DID NOT RETURN HER.”
Alice tapped her chin. “Right. Because when the Mona Lisa miraculously reappeared in 1913, Peruggia had already been arrested. And yet, the painting was... different.”
Loki inspected his nails. “It may have had a few... extra enchantments.”
Rumple threw his hands up. “I KNEW IT! You cursed the Mona Lisa!”
Alice laughed. “Oh, come on, Rumple. It’s not a curse. Just a little trick—sometimes, when you look at her just right, she follows you with her eyes a little too well.”
Loki smirked. “A harmless little souvenir from me.”
Rumple turned red. “YOU RUINED A MASTERPIECE.”
Loki gave Alice a sideways glance. “You’re enjoying this far too much.”
Alice smirked. “Oh, definitely.”
Rumple crossed his arms. “The real crime here isn’t the heist—it’s the flirting I’m being subjected to.”
Alice took a slow sip of tea, unbothered. “Oh, look at the time—seems we’ve accidentally run out of minutes to discuss how Loki definitely stole and enchanted the Mona Lisa.”
Loki smirked. “Oops.”
Rumple groaned. “I hate you both.”
And so, the Immortal Gazette crew carried on—one art heist, one trickster, and one very annoyed imp at a time.
🖋️✨📜🖤
