Crossover Chick (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
crossover_chick) wrote2009-06-12 11:36 pm
crossover_chick) wrote2009-06-12 11:36 pm
Entry tags:
Cranky Vic Is Cranky
Not as cranky as I was most of the day (work was hot and miserable), but I can't say I'm at my best. Let's have a fic that reflects my mood:
17. KHz – The Sound And The Fury
He was angry.
It was a rare experience for him. He’d grown up shy and reserved, with a need to make people happy. It took a lot to make him mad.
Today, though, he’d been pushed over his limits. How could his parents have been like that? His mother – he knew she’d never approved of Alice, but how could she have said such things? And his father had just sat there and gone along with it! Had even told him that it was all he could expect after he’d disappointed them so by ditching his arranged marriage. Victor’s fists clenched tight. They couldn’t even pretend to be happy for him and Alice, even for a moment? They couldn’t even spare them a congratulations?! No, that would be too hard, wouldn’t it? Better to insult and belittle and –
He threw open the door of his house and stormed inside, heading straight for the conservatory. His piano was there, sitting in the middle of the room like a great black beast. Victor sat down at the bench and promptly began to play. The melody that emerged was a violent one, loud and full of sharps. He pounded the keys, using the music to express the rage, the hate he couldn’t quite vocalize.
After what felt like hours (but was actually closer to a few minutes), he managed to wrap the tune up. He leaned back from the keyboard, breathing hard. He felt a little better now.
“You’ve never played that loud before.”
Startled, Victor looked up. Alice was standing in the doorway, watching him with a concerned expression. Victor felt a pang of guilt as he realized he’d left her behind in his rage. “They really upset you,” she continued, entering the room proper.
Victor sighed and nodded. “I’m sorry, Alice,” he said softly, looking at the keyboard. “I didn’t mean to just storm off like that. I – I just didn’t want to risk taking my feelings out on you. You don’t deserve that – especially not now. Going to the piano seemed safer.”
Alice smiled a little. “It’s all right. I understand.” The smile turned into something that looked strangely half-smirk, half-scowl. “I was this close to doing something nasty to your mother with the Vorpal Blade.”
“I wouldn’t have blamed you,” Victor muttered. “I – I always suspected they didn’t quite care for me, and I knew they didn’t like you, but that was--” He shook his head.
Alice rubbed his back. “It’s all my fault,” she said, sounding suddenly very worn out. “I convinced you we should go see them.”
“Don’t blame yourself,” Victor said, scooting over so that Alice could sit on the bench. “Even I didn’t think that they’d react quite like that.” He made a frustrated sound deep in his throat. “You think they’d be able to dredge up a little enthusiasm for their first grandchild!”
“Victor, I think they only would have managed that if you’d married Victoria like you were supposed to.”
Victor sighed again. “Probably. Although, knowing them. . . .” He put his face in his hands, then winced a bit and looked up again.
“You all right?” Alice asked, frowning at him.
Victor blushed. “I think I hit the keys a bit too hard,” he admitted, wiggling his sore fingers.
“Awww. I’ll make it better,” Alice said, taking his hands and kissing his fingertips. “Don’t worry about your parents,” she added. “Their opinion doesn’t really matter, does it? The important thing is the baby having two parents who love each other.”
Victor smiled and pulled her close, putting a hand on her belly. “You’re right,” he said. “Forget them. We’re going to be fine together. Just the three of us.”
-M: Even in text he comes off as a little scary.-
-TTV: Am I really that terrifying when I'm mad?-
I think part of it is the shock, since you almost NEVER get mad.
Notes -- the prompt in this case is kHz, or kilohertz -- a measure of frequency for sound. I knew I wanted to do something involving Victor playing piano for this one, and the idea of him expressing emotions through his playing developed naturally. Shortly afterwards, I came up with this. Victor and Alice have just gone on an disastrous visit to inform Victor's parents about the new grandchild, as you can see. Post "Solicitor's Ward," Nell and William aren't exactly approving of the Victor/Alice match. Victor actually ends up moving out of their house to live with the Hatter before the wedding, even. So they don't take the idea of Victor having a child with "that woman" well. (Fortunately, Alice's uncle and aunt take the news a lot better.) The inspiration came from the Player Piano fic "Nine Months and Counting," and the rather awkward way Victor and Victoria told both Nell and William and Finis and Maudeline. Though even they received the news better than William and Nell here.
-VuM: "Solicitor's Ward" Victor kind of has a rough life, huh?-
Yeah, but as the ending says, he's happy enough with Alice in Wonderland. He genuinely loves both her and the land. Which is good, as he's sort of a part of it these days.
Nothing else special to note -- this was another one where I struggled with the title. I eventually settled on the current one because it sounded right.
Right, better get back to Victor in the Nexus -- he and John are exploring his ghostly powers.
17. KHz – The Sound And The Fury
He was angry.
It was a rare experience for him. He’d grown up shy and reserved, with a need to make people happy. It took a lot to make him mad.
Today, though, he’d been pushed over his limits. How could his parents have been like that? His mother – he knew she’d never approved of Alice, but how could she have said such things? And his father had just sat there and gone along with it! Had even told him that it was all he could expect after he’d disappointed them so by ditching his arranged marriage. Victor’s fists clenched tight. They couldn’t even pretend to be happy for him and Alice, even for a moment? They couldn’t even spare them a congratulations?! No, that would be too hard, wouldn’t it? Better to insult and belittle and –
He threw open the door of his house and stormed inside, heading straight for the conservatory. His piano was there, sitting in the middle of the room like a great black beast. Victor sat down at the bench and promptly began to play. The melody that emerged was a violent one, loud and full of sharps. He pounded the keys, using the music to express the rage, the hate he couldn’t quite vocalize.
After what felt like hours (but was actually closer to a few minutes), he managed to wrap the tune up. He leaned back from the keyboard, breathing hard. He felt a little better now.
“You’ve never played that loud before.”
Startled, Victor looked up. Alice was standing in the doorway, watching him with a concerned expression. Victor felt a pang of guilt as he realized he’d left her behind in his rage. “They really upset you,” she continued, entering the room proper.
Victor sighed and nodded. “I’m sorry, Alice,” he said softly, looking at the keyboard. “I didn’t mean to just storm off like that. I – I just didn’t want to risk taking my feelings out on you. You don’t deserve that – especially not now. Going to the piano seemed safer.”
Alice smiled a little. “It’s all right. I understand.” The smile turned into something that looked strangely half-smirk, half-scowl. “I was this close to doing something nasty to your mother with the Vorpal Blade.”
“I wouldn’t have blamed you,” Victor muttered. “I – I always suspected they didn’t quite care for me, and I knew they didn’t like you, but that was--” He shook his head.
Alice rubbed his back. “It’s all my fault,” she said, sounding suddenly very worn out. “I convinced you we should go see them.”
“Don’t blame yourself,” Victor said, scooting over so that Alice could sit on the bench. “Even I didn’t think that they’d react quite like that.” He made a frustrated sound deep in his throat. “You think they’d be able to dredge up a little enthusiasm for their first grandchild!”
“Victor, I think they only would have managed that if you’d married Victoria like you were supposed to.”
Victor sighed again. “Probably. Although, knowing them. . . .” He put his face in his hands, then winced a bit and looked up again.
“You all right?” Alice asked, frowning at him.
Victor blushed. “I think I hit the keys a bit too hard,” he admitted, wiggling his sore fingers.
“Awww. I’ll make it better,” Alice said, taking his hands and kissing his fingertips. “Don’t worry about your parents,” she added. “Their opinion doesn’t really matter, does it? The important thing is the baby having two parents who love each other.”
Victor smiled and pulled her close, putting a hand on her belly. “You’re right,” he said. “Forget them. We’re going to be fine together. Just the three of us.”
-M: Even in text he comes off as a little scary.-
-TTV: Am I really that terrifying when I'm mad?-
I think part of it is the shock, since you almost NEVER get mad.
Notes -- the prompt in this case is kHz, or kilohertz -- a measure of frequency for sound. I knew I wanted to do something involving Victor playing piano for this one, and the idea of him expressing emotions through his playing developed naturally. Shortly afterwards, I came up with this. Victor and Alice have just gone on an disastrous visit to inform Victor's parents about the new grandchild, as you can see. Post "Solicitor's Ward," Nell and William aren't exactly approving of the Victor/Alice match. Victor actually ends up moving out of their house to live with the Hatter before the wedding, even. So they don't take the idea of Victor having a child with "that woman" well. (Fortunately, Alice's uncle and aunt take the news a lot better.) The inspiration came from the Player Piano fic "Nine Months and Counting," and the rather awkward way Victor and Victoria told both Nell and William and Finis and Maudeline. Though even they received the news better than William and Nell here.
-VuM: "Solicitor's Ward" Victor kind of has a rough life, huh?-
Yeah, but as the ending says, he's happy enough with Alice in Wonderland. He genuinely loves both her and the land. Which is good, as he's sort of a part of it these days.
Nothing else special to note -- this was another one where I struggled with the title. I eventually settled on the current one because it sounded right.
Right, better get back to Victor in the Nexus -- he and John are exploring his ghostly powers.