"Ultimately, this design makes sure sound travels the best and clearest it can with little unwanted echoing. The seating arrangements also provide ideal viewing no matter where one is." Baldur explained, waving his hands around us at the floor seating before also waving at the gilded railings of the boxes in the balconies. I followed his gestures, still taking in the grandeur of the auditorium. Baldur chuckled again before smiling amiably at his compatriot, "Of course, without Lord Bragi's knowledge of the theatre, I could not have constructed such a masterpiece perfectly designed to heighten the beauty of song, dance, and drama."
Bragi nodded at Lord Baldur, accepting the praise. Turned to the man in maroon, still curious about him, "Are you an architect as well, Lord Bragi?"
Baldur shook his head, answering me in Bragi's place, "While I have been striving to build this fine palace for the arts, Lord Bragi has been working on devising the performances that will fill it with life."
"I shall be a kind of director for this theater." Bragi cleared up for me, giving me a charming smile as he smiled at the grand house of the arts he would be ruling, "Currently, I am putting together the performance for the theater's opening night where all of Asgard's elite shall gather for the extravaganza. It has been too long since the arts have had a spotlight in Asgard, so the first night must be a fantasia of the art of the realm."
"I agree." Odin-Loki said in response to Bragi's social commentary, "War and military might has had its height, now it is time to return to the pursuits of beauty that can be afforded in times of peace. The queen was a sponsor and curator of the arts and I intend to have her efforts continued."
"Your patronage of the theater is much appreciated, Allfather. Nothing quite so grand could have been constructed without your support." Lord Baldur said with a tone of gratitude and deference, bowing his head to the king.
"It is grand! This place is... fantastic! I've never seen a theater this gorgeous!" I piped up, tearing my gaze from the artistry surrounding me.
Lord Bragi ran an appraising eye over me, intrigued by my eager burst, "Are you an enthusiast of the arts as well, my lady?"
"Oh, uh, yeah... back on earth my grandma and I loved going to see musicals and plays and stuff like that!"
"Musicals?" Lord Bragi's brows furrowed, not understanding my meaning. I guess Asgard's musicals were operas and the like.
The Allfather spoke up before I could start my jumbled explanation of musicals, saving me from babbling and confusing the cultured lord even more, "It is because of her love of the arts that I have promised my companion here that she may enjoy as many performances as she desires."
"Will you be filling the king's box on our opening night, then, Allfather?" Lord Bragi seemed very pleased at the prospective attendance of Asgard's ruler at the first performance. He waved up at a particularly large box with one of the best views of the stage, "It would be a great honor to have you in our audience, especially since you are our patron!"
"We would not miss it." Odin replied smoothly.
"Really?" I whipped my head about to face him, excitement bubbling up in me again. Opening night? From the sounds of it, the opening night would be nothing short of astounding! Odin-Loki grinned down at me, nodding. In my joy at the idea of seeing the grand production I wanted to kiss him so bad, but I knew that I couldn't, not with the two lords' attentions on us. Besides that, he still had on the illusion of the Allfather, so it would be super weird for me to kiss him when he looked like his elderly adopted father!
"My king, Lord Bragi and I do have a few more technical matters to speak with you about. Would you follow us to the office?" Baldur addressed the king, getting back down to business.
"Of course. Lead the way." The Allfather agreed.
The lords then led us around the rows of seats, leading us back up the auditorium along one of the far walls. Halfway up the aisle, I got distracted by one of the columns that was shaped like a woman. Something about her seemed kind of familiar... I let my arm slip from the king's elbow as I stared up into her face. What was it about her... oh! Her lips! Their shape and their cunning quirk reminded me of Natasha!
"Lady Penelope, if you would join us?" Lord Baldur's call from the doorway of the auditorium brought me out of my musings again.
"Oh! I'm sorry! I got distracted!" I flushed pink. How had I fallen behind so fast?
"Would you prefer to wander around here and admire the work?" Odin-Loki asked, chuckling at my surprised blush and catching me off guard. He then looked over at Bladur and Bragi as if asking if that would be okay.
"If the lady is so inclined, how could I deny her to admire the beauty we have worked so long to create?" Baldur replied in his usual cheerful way.
I looked between the lords and the king, still feeling a bit sheepish. "Are you sure, Allfather?"
He waved away my worries, "This will be the dry, business end of the theater's workings. I think you will have more fun here."
I thought about it for a moment or two before making my decision, "Then I'll stay."
With nods and quick bows, the lords led Odin-Loki away, leaving me to explore the majesty of the auditorium. I felt like I was in some kind of art museum as I strolled along the walls, looking up at the metallic beasts and the expressions of the column statues, marveling at their detail. I then gathered up the skirts of my dress to sit in one of the velvet-covered theater seats, tilting my head up to watch the ceiling painters work.
After maybe twenty minutes of me just watching them, the painters started putting away their supplies and climbing down from their web of riggings. It seemed to me that they were all going off on their lunch break. They rubbed their necks and cramping hands and rotated shoulders, sore from the awkward angles their work forced them to contort into, and yet as they passed me they all bowed or curtsied, each repeating a polite, "My lady."
The sound of the auditorium doors echoed slightly in the huge room as the last artisan left and I found myself to be completely alone. It was a bit unnerving how silent the auditorium was, like it and all of its statues and the metallic bears and lions decorating the walls were all holding their breath waiting for a performance. I stood up silently, almost afraid to break the silence, and strolled down to the edge of the orchestra pit, running my fingers over the rail lining it. My eyes trailed up towards the stage and soon my feet followed them in curiosity.
I hesitated for just a second before I stepped onto the stage, unsure if I was allowed up here or not. The heel of my boots clacked slightly on the polished wood. Looking out into the seats I marveled at how the auditorium somehow seemed even larger from this perspective. I could see how the chandelier's light made everything seem to glint and glow, its light reflecting from the bronze and gold lions and bears and the flowery torch holders and the metallic paint of the unfinished night sky depicted on the ceiling. Truly, it was breathtaking, and I sighed in wonder.
What would it be like for the actresses and singers who would be coming up here for their performances? Would all the glittering metal be faded to black, the darkness hiding the sea of faces watching them until their final bows when the lights would be restored over the auditorium? Stopping at center stage, I looked out over the seats again. My mind flashed to performances of 'The Phantom of the Opera' and 'Les Misérables' and 'Wicked' that I had seen growing up. Is this what it felt like for those actors and actresses to stand on stages of grand theaters? Is this what the character Christine Da'ae from 'The Phantom of the Opera' felt when she first sung 'Think of Me'?
Softly at first, but then louder as I got used to the way my voice sounded in the wide-open silence of the room I started humming the song. As I came to the end of the song where Christine Da'ae showed off her vocal range I finally parted my lips trying to copy the display. I didn't mind how I sounded as my voice bobbed into my lower register, but as I made the steep climb to hit the highest note I chickened out and hit the note right below it. It still sounded good though, bouncing off the auditorium's walls. As my final note faded away I smiled to myself and dropped into a theatrical curtsy to my invisible audience.
"Bravi!"
I yipped at the sudden call of praise and the clapping that accompanied it, bolting straight up as I stared out into the rows of seats. Pinpointing the origins of the applause, I saw an illusion-less Loki standing at the railing of the king's box. He was grinning down at me, seeming to savor my surprise. Flushing at being caught messing around on stage I called up to him, "What are you doing up there?"
"This is the king's box. I am the king, am I not? This is where I should be." Loki answered stepping back to sit in one of the throne-like seats. "And I must say that you look like you belong on that stage."
I ignored his comment. At this point I was just curious about how long he'd been watching me meander about. Had the business talk not lasted very long? Where were the lords? "How long have you been up there?"
"Not long enough it seems. I missed the beginning of the performance. Such a shame." He leaned back in his seat, "Perhaps you would do me the honor of another song? It has been far too long since I've heard you sing and even longer since you've sung for me and me alone."
My mind flashed back to the other times Loki had caught me singing and to the one time I could remember purposefully singing to him. "Oh gosh, don't remind me!"
"Why not? I'm very fond of those memories!" he chuckled before an idea seemed to strike him, "In fact..."
I was about to ask him what that thoughtful look was for when glints of gold and emerald flashed around me shaping themselves one by one into short holographic movies of me from what I assumed to be his point of view. The first one showed me in an apron and scrubbing dishes, shout-singing 'Trouble' by Taylor Swift. The second illusion depicted me leaning over a counter eating fries straight from the baking sheet and mumble-singing along to 'As Long as You're Mine' from 'Wicked'. My blush deepened significantly as the next illusion showed me dancing dramatically down a hallway like I was in some sort of music video as I sang along to 'Too Close' by Alex Clare. My soft, teary rendition of 'Iris' from the Goo Goo Dolls started behind me and I turned around to see a version of me sitting on my couch crying as Loki's hologram faded away.
"They're rather vivid memories it seems." I commented softly. Loki's magical illusions still astounded me. Every time he used magic I couldn't help but wonder at it. It was also strange to see myself projected like a hologram, looking so real that it was like looking at a twin reenacting my own memories. He really remembered all these small moments. Most of them were embarrassing to me and yet it was touching to know that he remembered them all the same. Even though my words were quiet, the acoustics in the auditorium were excellent, letting my voice travel up to Loki.
"I have a good memory," Loki affirmed. "And you, darling, have a lovely voice."
He was trying to cajole me with his sweet compliments; however, I would not be so easily swayed, "I'm not going to sing, Loki, it's embarrassing."
"How so?" he asked before pointing out, "It's just you and me here."
I sighed. Singing for him wasn't really the problem, "I know, but there's a difference in singing in private and singing on a stage."
Loki nodded, seeming to understand my predicament, but soon his musing expression shifted and even at the distance I was from him I saw a roguish grin take over his sharp, handsome features.
"Indeed, but I know that you are not one to let stage fright hold you back." He said knowingly as he leaned forward in his seat to rest his chin on his fist. "There's one performance of yours that I distinctly remember where you were singing for quite a company."
My brows came together. What in the world was he talking about? He'd never seen me perform...
"They were a rather unsavory bunch I would say, but they were positively enthralled by you, not that I could blame them." Loki went on slyly before lifting a finger and pointing it at the stage.
His magic flashed around me, constructing a more elaborate illusion this time that depicted a much smaller stage than the one I was on now. The stage was set in a dark room full of flashing lights and there was a crowd of rowdy people bouncing and jostling and laughing and singing along to the two blonde women performing on the stage. One of them was wearing a black haltered crop top with a burnt orange miniskirt; the other was clad in a little black dress that clung to the curves of her body like a second skin,. They were singing on the stage, both holding microphones to their lips.
"Oh my gosh!" I gasped, my face burning bright pink as I recognized the scene playing out before me. The mission to Russia with Nat! I'd almost forgotten about that night and how Natasha had yanked me up on the stage in an attempt to hook, line, and sinker our target who had a thing for slutty blondes. As soon as I recognized the memory, though, I realized that I hadn't even been wearing the necklace Loki had given me that night! I'd given it to Steve for safe keeping! As far as I could tell, there was no way Loki could have seen this embarrassing show! I whirled around in shock to face Loki in the king's box again, "How-"
I didn't even have to finish my question as Loki explained, "I was trying to contact you that day, but when my illusion manifested I was sitting behind the man out of time in a car. At first I was confused as to how he seemed to have your necklace, but then I saw him watching several security screens it seems, and lo, what do I see on those screens but a feed of you and the widow woman." He chuckled, gesturing towards the illusion he'd casted, seeming to appraise the scene as he teased, "It was quite a performance you two made, much more risqué than I ever expected from you, darling."
I stared in embarrassed shock at the figures of Natasha and I. She was confidently salacious, flouncing and working her figure to her advantage while my own movements were a bit more awkward and demure. I'd been so embarrassed that night and completely out of my depth! I felt my face heat up by fifty degrees though as I watched a smile slowly grow on my past self's face as the two of our voices harmonized through the song's chorus. My illusion's movements became more fluid and... dare I say seductive... as her nervousness had started to fade to fun.
Red-faced and mortified by the song's suggestive lines, my gaze ripped away from the projected magic to look up at Loki who was smirking as he watched the hologram. In my embarrassment I started flinging out an explanation, "It was for a mission! We were trying to get this one guy-"
"I'm not complaining, dearest. I was very much enjoying the show." Loki interrupted me, chuckling as the illusion showed Nat and I flicking imaginary whips.
"Please, make it stop! I'm so embarrassed!" I whined, trying to stand between the illusion and Loki to block his view. As soon as I requested it, the illusion went mute and faded away, leaving me alone on the stage again. After a second of silence as I tried to tamp down my self-conscious mortification of Loki having ever seen that, I cleared my throat, venturing to stutter, "You never mentioned that you'd... seen any of that."
"No, I thought to keep that as my own little secret until I found the perfect time to tease you with it." Loki's voice was teasing, "I find your coquettish side rather tantalizing though. Would you sing that song for me again?"
"Never!" I blurted out immediately, making Loki laugh loudly, his voice bouncing around the chamber of the arts.
Once his laughter faded away, his tone became sincere again, "In all seriousness, though, you shouldn't keep your voice secret, Penelope. It's a gift that I'm sure has blessed more people than just myself over the years."
Even though I was still blushing, a small smile grew across my face as I softly responded, "I'll keep that in mind... maybe I'll sing for you some other time."
His eyes glinted as he leaned forward in his seat again, "Is that a promise?"