It was another busy day in the Immortal Gazette studio, and yet, the atmosphere was different—soaked in the weight of an ancient, heart-wrenching tragedy. Alice, Loki, and Rumple were all gathered around the table, ready to delve into a myth that had far too much death and sorrow.
Rumple, always the one to lean into the tragedy of it all, cleared his throat and prepared to begin. “Pyramus and Thisbe,” he started, “were two young lovers from Babylon. But—well, their story is not a love story in the way many would imagine.”
Alice sat up straight, an eyebrow raised as she smirked. “Oh, please, Rumple. Tell me how this one’s supposed to be ‘tragic but romantic.’”
Loki, not one to shy away from such commentary, added, “Right. Another one of those where everyone dies and we’re supposed to feel all misty-eyed.”
Rumple scowled, clearly exasperated with their usual antics. “It’s tragic, yes, but it's a lesson about the danger of poor communication and misguided choices. A lesson, I might add, that the two of you could stand to learn.”
Alice rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. Communication. How boring.”
Loki grinned. “Ah, yes. A romantic misunderstanding that spirals into disaster. What could go wrong?”
Rumple narrowed his eyes, refusing to let them steer the narrative. “Pyramus and Thisbe were neighbors, but their parents hated each other. So, they couldn’t speak or even see each other. They communicated only through a crack in the wall.
Alice leaned in, her attention piqued, though the sarcasm was never far behind. “So far, it sounds like a love story for people who can’t handle being adults.”
Loki snickered under his breath. “Ah, yes. If only they’d sent a text, this whole mess could’ve been avoided.”
Rumple, though clearly annoyed by their antics, carried on, his tone taking on a darker edge. “One day, they agreed to run away together, and to do so, they chose a meeting spot near a mulberry tree. But fate had other plans. Thisbe, the young woman, arrived first. When she saw a lioness approach, covered in blood from her recent kill, she fled in terror, leaving behind her veil. Pyramus arrived moments later, finding the veil, and assuming the worst—that she had been killed by the lioness. He, in his despair, took his own life with his sword, only for Thisbe to return, discovering the tragedy too late.”
Loki looked genuinely appalled now, leaning forward. “Wait. She comes back to find him already dead? After all that drama, they’re still not together?”
Alice’s face softened for the first time, the playful edge in her voice now replaced by something darker. “Yeah, and then she... she does the same thing, doesn’t she?”
Rumple’s lips tightened as he continued. “Indeed. In her grief, Thisbe killed herself beside him. And when their families found them, their hatred for each other was put aside in a mutual sorrow, realizing the terrible cost of their children’s miscommunication.”
Alice let out a sharp breath, her usual cynicism melting away as she regarded the myth with new eyes. “That's... horrific. And stupid.”
Loki’s smirk had faded too, a quiet, contemplative expression taking its place. “Yeah. All this tragedy because neither of them had the courage to speak up. And because they couldn’t communicate—now they’re both dead, and their families are left to mourn. Sounds... pretty pointless.”
Alice glanced at Loki, clearly finding the connection between the myth and their own “charming” tendency to avoid anything serious. “It’s like they couldn't just talk—instead, they let their feelings explode into this big mess of... well, this. Tragic, but... kind of stupid.”
Rumple, looking surprisingly vulnerable for a moment, let the silence hang in the air. “Exactly. There’s nothing romantic about it. It’s about fate and poor choices, a lesson in how we—”
Before he could finish, Alice interrupted with a half-laugh, “Oh please, Rumple. You’re not going to start with the ‘lesson about love’ speech, are you?”
Rumple's dark eyes flared. “Perhaps you should listen to the lesson. All of you.”
Loki grinned, his eyes glinting. “Oh, don’t worry, Rumple. We always listen. Just not in the way you want.”
Alice added, “Yeah, we have our own... ‘interpretations.’”
There was a beat of tension before Rumple threw his hands up in exasperation, clearly fed up. “Fine! Ignore the tragic lesson in all of this. But know this—when it’s too late, and you both end up like Pyramus and Thisbe, don’t come crying to me.”
Alice shot him a mischievous grin. “Oh, Rumple, you worry too much. It’s all part of the fun, right, Loki?”
Loki’s lips twitched into a knowing smirk. “Oh, always. But hey, at least we’re not actually killing each other.”
Rumple’s face darkened as he shot them both a pointed glare, clearly frustrated by the flippancy they both had toward serious matters. But before he could say another word, Alice jumped to her feet, swirling around to face him, her grin widening.
“Alright, alright. No more ‘moral lessons’ for me. But, Rumple...” she paused, eyes glinting with mischief, “if we do find ourselves stuck in a tragic miscommunication spiral like those two... can we at least promise to go out in a blaze of glory?”
Rumple’s face went from dark to darker. “You will be the death of me.”
Loki’s laugh broke the tension, and Alice, with her signature smirk, threw a quick wink at Rumple before grabbing her cup of tea.
“Perhaps, but not today,” she teased, taking a long sip as Loki’s laughter filled the air, leaving Rumple, once again, completely done with both of them.
🖋️✨📜🖤
