Speed and grace are two very different things.
“That, my friends, is how you dance with a Goddess.” Volstagg boasts as he returns you to Loki’s side.
“Please,” Fandral rolls his eyes, “We all know that in the group of us, you are least skilled in dancing.”
“I would have to say he is not a horrible dancer,” you interject, “my toes remain intact and my head isn't spinning across the room.”
“Those are rather low requirements to meet the title of ‘Good Dancer’, Goddess.” Thor laughs.
You shrug, “I don’t spend much time dancing from day to day, so I imagine the experience I have gathered is next to none in the group of you.” Thor nods in acceptance as you ask, “Who would you say is the most skilled if not Volstagg?”
“Oh, Loki is most likely the quickest on his feet,” Sif answers. “I’ve never seen someone find the steps in the riverdance so gracefully.”
“Speed and grace are two very different things.” Fandrall argues.
Sif points out, “That is exactly my point.”
You look at Loki, “I would absolutely love to see this dance.”
He begins to gracefully decline before Thor cuts him off, “Remember the rule for tonight, brother. Be outrageously ungraceful in your social skills, so you must dance!”
You laugh, “Exactly! Thor understands tonight’s objective very well.”
Loki glares at his brother and sighs, “Yes I suppose that is the dominion which rules this evening.” You smile with hope and excitement as he looks at you, “If the band plays it, I shall dance- but only if they play it.”
As Loki finishes his words, Fandral appears behind him with a hand on his shoulder, “That is just perfect, then, as I have just talked to the conductor and they will be beginning the round in just a few moments.”
His cheeky grin is met by a side glare from Loki, “You shall soon receive a very ungraceful social skill if you do not remove yourself from my arm’s length.”
You laugh at Loki, “You didn’t say under what condition the band should play the song, God of Mischief. Seems you are lacking more than your social grace this evening.”
Loki sucks on his tongue and tuts it, “My Goddess, you test my patience with your lack of composure.”
Your shoulders pull up to your ears in a snicker, “I am so very sorry, my God.”
“Goddess,” Frandal interrupts, “Would you be so kind as to dance in line with me for this song?”
Loki’s eyes go wide and his neck nearly snaps as you smirk and very smug, “Of course, Fandral.”
The look behind Loki’s eyes shows a bit of anger, jealousy, and determination as he nods to the group and walks towards a collection of noblewomen. Fandral stands beside you as the group of you watch him ask another to dance, barely taking her hand in his and taking his spot in the middle of the line for the riverdance.
You look over your shoulder as Sif chuckles to Volstagg, “I do not think Hogun will be the only member of our group that will dance as if a dagger is in his side after this evening’s activities.”
Your mouth gapes as you look to Fandral for his reply, “Oh, that is exactly the chord I intend to strike.” He looks to you, “I do not believe The Goddess will allow the God of Mischief to act on his normal behaviors on a night of delinquency.”
Your open smile gasps, “Fandral you are absolutely abusing this rule.” You lean closer to him as you take his hand, “And I adore it.”
Fandral laughs as he looks from his friends and to you, nearly running to drag you onto the floor. He sets you both in place only three people apart from Loki, far enough away to see eachother but one person away to get just close enough without actually allowing you to rotate to be Loki’s own dance partner. Fandral knows exactly what he is doing, though you realize now that you do not.
Your head snaps up to Fandral in a panic, “Fandral I don’t know this dance. I’m going to look a fool.”
“Give me your hand,” he says, reaching out, “view my memory of the steps.”
Your head pulls back in confusion and he clarifies, “Thor is terrible at keeping details to himself. Quickly, just allow me to share this with you. I learned both parts in order to teach Sif.”
You have no time to argue as the tuning chords begin, so you take Fandral's hand and see the hours spent learning and teaching, though it seems Sif was the true instructor. At the end of two seconds and a small flash of green light between your hands, you know each and every step from both partners in the dance.
Fandral smiles and as every person bows slightly to their partner, the riverdance begins. You step in time as if you have danced to this tune your entire life, smiling and yipping with Frandal as he spins you, transferring you from partner to partner. You get one shoulder away from Loki and are sent back down the line towards Fandral, smiling and dancing with the two other men whose hands aren't as soft and cool as the god’s.
The dance concludes after one more turn with your original partner, a bow to signify the end is joined by laughter from all parties. As you turn to bow to the men you shared a turn with, you see Loki behind them with a polite smile bowing to his own partners and taking the woman he asked back to her party. Fandral returns you to the company of the others, though you watch Loki the entire time.
You watch as he politely nods to his partner and immediately leaves her company, heading back to the wide smiles of his brother and friends. You also see the girl and her party swoon over the Prince of Asgard who seems to no longer recognize the group of fluttering eyelashes as soon as his back is turned.
Fandral exhales heavily, “Well, God of Mischief, I must say you put on quite a show. I believe I must bow out from the riverdance competition.”
“How very out of character for you, my friend.” Thor notes.
Fandral shrugs, “A night of delinquency has gotten to my head.”
You laugh, “Well I must say, I’m unsure how anyone spends hours dancing as I feel ready to lie down already.”
Volstagg tuts and dismisses you, “Goddess you are durable enough to withstand many hours of dancing and more.”
“How would you know The Goddess’ durability?” Loki quizzes and Volstagg’s cheeks light up red.
“I-” He stutters, “I simply meant-” Volstagg huffs, “I am not playing into your games.”
You let out a laugh close to a cackle at the interaction, Fandral and Sif joining you. You see the pain in Thor’s eye as a wish to double over in laughter, and he may have joined had the glare of his brother allowed him to do so. As you try to catch your breath, you laugh a bit more and take a deep breath. Eye contact with Fandral after looking between Loki’s glare to Volstagg’s reddened face causes another ring of laughter to erupt from your group; this time Thor and Loki both join, slowly followed by Volstagg himself. Tears fill your eyes and your stomach aches, your cheeks are sore as you press your hands to them to calm down.
“Please,” you inhale, “we must stop before I forget how to breathe.” Cymbals of giggles dissipate as the lot of you find reason again, wiping tears and catching breaths.
One last chuckle leaves your chest as you feel a small tug on the side of your dress, turning to see a small brunette girl draped in blue and silver looking up at you.
You crouch to her height and smile, “What may I help you with?”
She looks from side to side, turns her head and looks back to a group of other children who watch her. She motions for you to come closer and as you lean in farther her small voice asks, “I was wondering- we were wondering,” she corrects herself, “We were wondering if you were the water spirit?”
Grinning, you reply, “I’m not the water spirit, but I am one of their friends. Would you like to go say hello?”
The little girl nods her head quickly, “Yes, please!” She looks back to the other children and back to you, “Can I invite my friends?”
“Of course!” You say as you stand, watching her run over to the group as she gathers them.
“What was that?” Loki asks you, watching the little girl and the rest of her party sprint towards you.
You turn towards your own company and dip your head, “Excuse me one moment,” you look at Loki, “I’ve an urgent engagement to attend to.”
As the party of tots gathers around you, you crouch once more. “We will have to go just outside those doors, is that alright?” You’re met with seven excited nods and a handful of verbal confirmations and you stand to lead the group outside to one of the side porches of the hall.
Just outside the archway to the court hall runs a balcony the length of the building, fountains sporadic among the pathways. The terrace has been decorated for the festival, blue flowers and gems scatter surfaces and light beams from cracks in the natural fountain stone. You walk the group closer to the fountain just outside the arch, its three tiers a few feet taller than your own head. The children gather around the edge of the fountain, you crouching amongst them.
“Do you know how to call to the water spirits?” you ask a boy standing to your right.
He shakes his head no, the rest of them following.
“Would you like me to teach you?” you ask, looking around to nods of yes.
“Alright,” you say, turning to face the fountain as you sit on your knees, “everyone face the water and take a breath and relax yourself.” You inhale, “wiggly your shoulders a bit, listen to the water. Listen to the voice of the spirits.”
You watch from side to side as tiny shoulders shake and then drop, chests fill with air and then release as they watch the water fall from rock to rock.
“Now,” you instruct, “dip a hand into the water and feel how it moves around you; that's how water hugs you, that's the spirit hugging you.” You dip your hand in and look around to the faces watching you as they follow your lead, “Do you feel the spirit hugging you?”
Smiles and nods are joined by, “I do!” and “Me too!” from two little girls at the end of the line.
Smiling, you move your hand back and forth in the water, “Now close your eyes and do both of those things, listen and feel.” You wait a moment for everyone to follow, and then you say, “Now call to her, say ‘I am here, Rán. I say hello.’ and wait for her.”
The small voices whisper to the water, to the Goddess of the sea, and she responds as bubbles form on the top of the water that fills the base of the fountain. Some yelps and hands are removed as you giggle, “It’s okay, she is giving you a gift. See?” You pull a bubble from the water, holding it in the tips of your fingers.
Many awes leave the children as they grab at the bubbles, collecting them in their hands and putting some in pockets. You smile to the children, “You may keep the bubbles but remember to say thank you, and to say it each time you interact with water.”
A chorus of very happy ‘thank you's' surrounds the fountain as you stand and turn to leave with a grin across your face. Your eyes grab Loki’s through the doorway as he stands in the company of his friends, only paying attention to you several yards away.
You give him a small wave before your lower hand is grabbed by a much smaller one, pulling you down one more time to talk.
“She said to give this to you.” Says the small girl who first asked you if you were the water spirit. She holds out a bubble with a small ring in it, a gold band with three green stones set inside. You take the bubble and watch as the girl returns to her friends, giggling and playing in the fountain.
“Thank you,” you tell the fountain,turning the bubble over. You slip it into the air to your right for storage, wondering how on earth the Goddess of the Sea had Loki’s wedding band.