The Art of Manipulation || Phantom of the Opera & Loki the God of Mischief ||

-Whose Is The Face In The Mask?-

-Whose Is The Face In The Mask?-

*flashback*

Should I wear my hair up? Should I wear it half back? Do I let it loose? Is my attire too dressy? Does it say I'm trying too hard to impress? Should I change?

I let out a long heavy sigh, letting my shoulders slump and my head roll back. It's been two hours since rehearsals finished, and here I am, still standing in front of my mirror, trying my four thousand and forty eighth look. I don't even know why I'm making such a big deal out of this! Do I not know how to dress? Do I not know how to fix my hair? Why would I suddenly want to put it up? I never put it up! In Asgard, the women always wear their hair down! It's the fashion! So why change my patterns now?

Running my hand over my face, I stared irritatingly at my reflection, "You're pathetic, Alouette." Arching my back I groaned out exasperatedly, "He's a mortal! You can't have feelings for a mortal!"

Walking over to the side of my dresser, I slammed my forehead against it and winced. Leaning against the armoire, I pressed my squished face into the cool wood and quietly whined, "Ow."

You need more than a slight bang of the head to fix the screw that has obviously come loose, Alouette.

I know. I know.

Taking a deep breath, I attempted to refresh myself and clear my senses by shaking my head and forcing a fake smile, "Come on, Alouette. Pull yourself together. It isn't like he is the first man you have had feelings for. I mean really."

Of course I've liked other men. I am a female Asgardian after all. How can I not like men? Why I've had plenty of short - meaningless - relationships. For example there was...well there was...hold on let me think...

I tilted my head to one side, genuinely dumbfounded. As I thought, I removed the pins in my hair, the thick ebony waves falling as they were set free from their iron bars.

Thialfi! I had a short fling with him while he worked in the palace!

And - oh! Yes! Fandral! There was Fandral! But, then again, who hasn't had a fling with Fandral?

And then there is Loki...my childhood friend who had tried courting me shortly before I left Asgard two years ago...

He mustn't know this but, that was one of the reasons why I had left Asgard, apart from wanting to visit Midgard again. Don't get me wrong, I like Loki; he is my friend and we have always gotten along despite his mischief tendencies. But I don't like him like that. I don't think I ever could like him like...that. I felt bad towards the time I left Asgard. Loki had been so persistent - as he always is when he wants something - I couldn't take it anymore. And Midgard was one place Loki wouldn't follow me. He hated it here. "Too much idiocy." He would always say.

It's true, the mortals aren't as advanced or as educated as we are. However, in a way that lack of knowledge made them interesting; their ignorance is adorable on some level. They're so fragile, so weak and yet they don't know it. They still think they're powerful. They are so unaware of the greater things and beings out there like us. And by 'us' I mean those of us in realms such as my own: Asgard.

Plus, the music that the mortals create can be truly breathtaking.

I sighed, my arms dropping ungracefully to my sides as my earlier turmoils returned to me.