📖 The Immortal Gazette Presents: Echoes of Love and Chaos
The Immortal Gazette studio was bustling with its usual brand of supernatural mayhem. Scrolls unfurled themselves. The enchanted quill was scribbling notes no one had dictated, and the ever-mischievous ink pot had decided it was a great time to spill itself onto Loki’s latest questionable article draft.
Loki, utterly unbothered, simply leaned back in his chair, watching with mild amusement as the ink formed a puddle that suspiciously resembled Rumplestiltskin’s increasingly frustrated expression.
"That is unnerving," Alice remarked, lazily stirring her tea. "Even for this place."
Rumple pinched the bridge of his nose, one second away from combusting. "Can we please focus? We are on deadline—*"
"We are always on deadline," Loki interjected, his smirk barely concealed. "Yet somehow, the world doesn’t collapse when we take a moment to breathe." He turned to Alice, his voice taking on a silken quality. "Perhaps we should discuss today’s legend at a more leisurely pace."
Rumple slammed his palm onto the table. "NO. We are not having another prolonged staring contest while you both pretend to be discussing history."
Alice feigned innocence. "I truly don’t know what you mean, Rumple."
Loki grinned. "Neither do I, dearest Alice. But I must say, your hair looks particularly enchanting under this lighting."
Rumple dropped his head onto the desk with a groan.
"Moving on," Alice declared, flipping open the book in front of her. "Today’s featured legend—Orpheus and Eurydice. A tale of love, loss, and the dangers of looking back when you shouldn’t."
Loki exhaled dramatically. "Ah, Orpheus. A man who could charm the gods themselves with his music, yet could not resist one fatal moment of doubt." He tapped a finger against the desk. "Imagine that. A love so strong it defies death, yet undone by a single glance."
Rumple, ever the pragmatist, leaned back in his chair. "Or we could call it what it really is—a cautionary tale about not following instructions."
Alice arched a brow. "You really are determined to remove all romance from every story, aren’t you?"
Loki chuckled. "Let him be, darling. Not everyone can appreciate the tragedy of devotion."
Rumple jerked upright. "NO. No. No. No. You do NOT get to call her darling—*"
Alice, unfazed, kept reading. "Orpheus ventured into the Underworld, pleading for his beloved’s return. The gods granted his wish—on one condition. He must not look back at Eurydice until they had fully stepped into the world of the living."
Loki tapped his chin. "And yet, he did. He doubted. And so, she was lost to him forever." His gaze flickered toward Alice, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Trust is a fragile thing, is it not?"
Alice smirked. "It is. And some people tempt fate simply because they enjoy the game."
Rumple threw his quill across the room.
"THAT'S IT. I AM STARTING A NEW SECTION OF THE GAZETTE: ‘LOKI AND ALICE NEED TO STOP’—*"
Loki grinned. "Oh, but where would be the fun in that?"
And with that, the Immortal Gazette's legendary retellings continued—now with 120% more romantic tension and one very exasperated Rumplestiltskin.
