Oh, Friday
Jun. 25th, 2010 11:57 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
crossover_chickIt's been kind of a crappy one -- work was really crazy today. Though I did get myself a chocolate M&M Friend-Z, so that was nice. Still, I'm in a bit of a mood, so let's have angsty Victor/Alice fic:
9. Ballad – For I Am Not The One
You’re in my arms,
And all the world is calm
The music playing on
For only two. . . .
He was quite the gifted dancer. Far from the clumsy young man she’d known years ago. Whether it was practice, or just a natural talent, Alice didn’t know and didn’t care. It was enough to be in his arms. To be with him again.
So close together
And when I’m with you
So close to feeling alive. . . .
They talked about their lives, what had happened in the years they’d been apart. Victor had married Victoria as planned, and she had borne him twins – James and Emily. For her part, she had allowed her old friend Reginald to woo her, and after three years, she’d finally accepted his proposal. They were due to be wed in September.
A life goes by
Romantic dreams must die
So I bid mine goodbye
And never knew. . . .
She didn’t tell Victor that she didn’t love Reginald. She cared for him, of course, but it had always been merely as a friend. She didn’t say she’d only consented to be his wife to stop her aunt’s pleading, and the pitying looks she’d received in the street for still being unwed at her age. And she didn’t – couldn’t – say that Victor still haunted her dreams. That whenever Reginald kissed her, she imagined it was his grey lips pressed against her own.
So close was waiting
Waiting here with you
And now, forever, I know
All that I want is to hold you
So close. . . .
She didn’t know what possessed her to mention that she still had the sketch he’d made of her. The one of her floating on the steam, the one that made her look like an angel. He’d probably forgotten all about it. What interest could he have in it now, besides a relic of their shared past?
Then Victor mentioned how he would have loved to have seen Wonderland, and she looked up to see his stricken face –
Oh, God.
Oh, God, how could she have been so blind?! The look in his eyes – he’d looked at her like that at 19, and she’d never realized – never even dared to hope –
He loved her.
He loved her.
So close to reaching
That famous happy ending
Almost believing
This one’s not pretend
Her first instinct was to blurt out that they could just leave right now. Vanish from this ballroom and never return. There had to be a looking-glass or a rabbit hole near here, not a soul would think of looking for them in Wonderland –
Then reason came back and whacked her upside the head. They couldn’t just leave. She didn’t love Reginald, but she was still his friend. She honestly didn’t want to just leave him here, heartbroken and alone, never knowing what had happened to her. And Victor wasn’t callous enough to abandon a loving wife and family for her. And she wasn’t callous enough to force him. They’d had their chance – and they’d lost it.
And now, you’re beside me
And look how far we’ve come
So far, we are, so close. . . .
They fell silent after that. There wasn’t anything left to say. There was only the dance now. So they danced, quietly relishing this one, all too precious, all too temporary moment of closeness. And as they whirled around the ballroom floor, for a few minutes, Alice felt honestly happy again, instead of merely settled.
How could I face the faceless days
If I should lose you now?
All too soon, the music began winding down. Alice looked up at Victor, trying to will the song to last forever. This was most likely the last time she would ever see him. She wasn’t ready to give him up just yet. She wanted his smile, she wanted his touch, she wanted – she wanted –
As if he’d read her mind, Victor whispered, “They’d forgive us the once.” And he leaned down and kissed her.
His lips were warm and soft, just as sweet as she’d always dreamed. Alice lingered as long as she dared, imprinting their feel and taste deep into her mind. This memory had to stay with her forever. She had to make it good.
We’re so close to reaching
That famous happy ending,
Almost believing
This one’s not pretend
Let’s go on dreaming
For we know we are –
So close
So close. . . .
Finally, slowly, they parted, and went in opposite directions. Reginald met her at the edge of the dance floor, tilting his head curiously. “Who was that?”
Alice glanced back to see Victor meeting with his wife. “Just a friend,” she said softly.
She hoped Reginald didn’t pick up on the wistfulness – or the bitterness – in her voice.
. . .but still so far.
-RPD: Sometimes I think you're deliberately TRYING to ruin that song for yourself.-
I know, right? Though it really is kind of a sad song on its own too. . . . Anyway, it took me a while to decide on what I wanted to for this prompt. I kind of knew I wanted a song fic to go with Kiss The Girl Already!, but I wasn't sure what to do.
Then, unfortunately for the Victor and Alice of this story, I remembered So Close, But Still So Far from the 30 Kisses. That song seemed like a good enough ballad (or close enough to), so it was back for another round of the "Victor went to Victoria, not Alice" verse. This one, as you can see, goes in and shows you what's actually going through Alice's head during that dance. I thought it came out appropriately sad and resigned. Not much in the way of trivia here -- it's just an expansion on the original story. James and Emily ARE Victor and Victoria's kids in my fanon, though -- two of them, at least. If this was a proper Victor/Victoria, their third kid, Charles, would probably get a mention too. As it is, I thought the twins were enough. You may also notice the formatting is reversed from "Kiss The Girl Already!" -- in that one, the "story" parts were italicized, and the lyrics normal. Here it's the opposite.
As for the title, I couldn't use the title of the actual song used, since I'd already used it for the original fic. So I went with my other go-to for angsty Alice -- Sally's Song, here sung by Fiona Apple. I saw it for a Victoria & Emily video and thought it fit a depressed SW-Alice. The lyric "for I am not the one" seemed a very appropriate title here.
Damn, I need cheering up (especially since I just found out another vid I favorited on YouTube has been taken down. :(). *goes to try and find something non-angsty*
9. Ballad – For I Am Not The One
And all the world is calm
The music playing on
For only two. . . .
He was quite the gifted dancer. Far from the clumsy young man she’d known years ago. Whether it was practice, or just a natural talent, Alice didn’t know and didn’t care. It was enough to be in his arms. To be with him again.
And when I’m with you
So close to feeling alive. . . .
They talked about their lives, what had happened in the years they’d been apart. Victor had married Victoria as planned, and she had borne him twins – James and Emily. For her part, she had allowed her old friend Reginald to woo her, and after three years, she’d finally accepted his proposal. They were due to be wed in September.
Romantic dreams must die
So I bid mine goodbye
And never knew. . . .
She didn’t tell Victor that she didn’t love Reginald. She cared for him, of course, but it had always been merely as a friend. She didn’t say she’d only consented to be his wife to stop her aunt’s pleading, and the pitying looks she’d received in the street for still being unwed at her age. And she didn’t – couldn’t – say that Victor still haunted her dreams. That whenever Reginald kissed her, she imagined it was his grey lips pressed against her own.
Waiting here with you
And now, forever, I know
All that I want is to hold you
So close. . . .
She didn’t know what possessed her to mention that she still had the sketch he’d made of her. The one of her floating on the steam, the one that made her look like an angel. He’d probably forgotten all about it. What interest could he have in it now, besides a relic of their shared past?
Then Victor mentioned how he would have loved to have seen Wonderland, and she looked up to see his stricken face –
Oh, God.
Oh, God, how could she have been so blind?! The look in his eyes – he’d looked at her like that at 19, and she’d never realized – never even dared to hope –
He loved her.
He loved her.
That famous happy ending
Almost believing
This one’s not pretend
Her first instinct was to blurt out that they could just leave right now. Vanish from this ballroom and never return. There had to be a looking-glass or a rabbit hole near here, not a soul would think of looking for them in Wonderland –
Then reason came back and whacked her upside the head. They couldn’t just leave. She didn’t love Reginald, but she was still his friend. She honestly didn’t want to just leave him here, heartbroken and alone, never knowing what had happened to her. And Victor wasn’t callous enough to abandon a loving wife and family for her. And she wasn’t callous enough to force him. They’d had their chance – and they’d lost it.
And look how far we’ve come
So far, we are, so close. . . .
They fell silent after that. There wasn’t anything left to say. There was only the dance now. So they danced, quietly relishing this one, all too precious, all too temporary moment of closeness. And as they whirled around the ballroom floor, for a few minutes, Alice felt honestly happy again, instead of merely settled.
If I should lose you now?
All too soon, the music began winding down. Alice looked up at Victor, trying to will the song to last forever. This was most likely the last time she would ever see him. She wasn’t ready to give him up just yet. She wanted his smile, she wanted his touch, she wanted – she wanted –
As if he’d read her mind, Victor whispered, “They’d forgive us the once.” And he leaned down and kissed her.
His lips were warm and soft, just as sweet as she’d always dreamed. Alice lingered as long as she dared, imprinting their feel and taste deep into her mind. This memory had to stay with her forever. She had to make it good.
That famous happy ending,
Almost believing
This one’s not pretend
Let’s go on dreaming
For we know we are –
So close
So close. . . .
Finally, slowly, they parted, and went in opposite directions. Reginald met her at the edge of the dance floor, tilting his head curiously. “Who was that?”
Alice glanced back to see Victor meeting with his wife. “Just a friend,” she said softly.
She hoped Reginald didn’t pick up on the wistfulness – or the bitterness – in her voice.
-RPD: Sometimes I think you're deliberately TRYING to ruin that song for yourself.-
I know, right? Though it really is kind of a sad song on its own too. . . . Anyway, it took me a while to decide on what I wanted to for this prompt. I kind of knew I wanted a song fic to go with Kiss The Girl Already!, but I wasn't sure what to do.
Then, unfortunately for the Victor and Alice of this story, I remembered So Close, But Still So Far from the 30 Kisses. That song seemed like a good enough ballad (or close enough to), so it was back for another round of the "Victor went to Victoria, not Alice" verse. This one, as you can see, goes in and shows you what's actually going through Alice's head during that dance. I thought it came out appropriately sad and resigned. Not much in the way of trivia here -- it's just an expansion on the original story. James and Emily ARE Victor and Victoria's kids in my fanon, though -- two of them, at least. If this was a proper Victor/Victoria, their third kid, Charles, would probably get a mention too. As it is, I thought the twins were enough. You may also notice the formatting is reversed from "Kiss The Girl Already!" -- in that one, the "story" parts were italicized, and the lyrics normal. Here it's the opposite.
As for the title, I couldn't use the title of the actual song used, since I'd already used it for the original fic. So I went with my other go-to for angsty Alice -- Sally's Song, here sung by Fiona Apple. I saw it for a Victoria & Emily video and thought it fit a depressed SW-Alice. The lyric "for I am not the one" seemed a very appropriate title here.
Damn, I need cheering up (especially since I just found out another vid I favorited on YouTube has been taken down. :(). *goes to try and find something non-angsty*
