The Last Dance. . .
Dec. 1st, 2010 11:03 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
crossover_chickI've actually had one of those days where a lot of little annoyances piled up, so it's fitting that the last of the 30 Dances is on the angsty side. I've been avoiding posting this one as it's a rather major spoiler for "The Tale" (one I'm almost positive I've managed not to blurt out here before), but -- well, I spoiled "Secundus" with a Drabbles88 fic. So here goes:
3. Shoes – Bittersweet Symphony
“Whee!”
Alice grinned down at her son, Chester. The little boy was currently standing on her shoes, giggling wildly as they swayed back and forth to the music playing on the Victrola. “Having fun?” she asked with mock blandness.
“Yup!” Chester giggled some more as she playfully dipped him. “You’re a good dancer, Mummy!”
Alice laughed. “I’m glad you think so! I never kept up with my lessons, you know.”
“You’re still good.” Chester was silent for a moment, then asked in a more serious tone, “Did you and Daddy ever dance like this?”
Alice paused at that, taken off-guard. A familiar pang went through her heart. “Once,” she said softly. “At a great ball given by the Count ‘Bonejangles.’ I – I think that was the night I realized how much I really loved him.”
“Was he a good dancer too?”
Alice smiled, recalling that magical night. “Oh, yes. He always claimed he was clumsy, but on the dance floor. . . .” She sighed. “I should have kissed him that night,” she mumbled. “We shouldn’t have had to wait for that stupid apple.”
“Huh?”
Alice blushed. “Sorry, Mum was just talking to herself.” She sighed as she looked down at Chester. Even at this young age, he looked almost exactly like Victor. The only feature he seemed to have inherited from her were his bright green eyes. It was rather disconcerting at times, really. “Just remembering. . .and realizing how much I miss him.”
Chester leaned forward and gave her a hug. “You said he was coming back one day,” he reminded her.
She nodded. “I did. It’s just – hard to wait. I so wish you could have known him.” Why did Death have to take him for ten years? Alice had never really been tempted to break her promise to remain true – but the time did seem to crawl by. There were still three years to go before she could even hope to see him again. Her beloved Victor. . . .
Chester squeezed her legs. “It’ll be okay, Mummy. Daddy will come home. Then you can dance together again! And we can be a real family!”
Alice smiled and nodded. “I know.” For not the first time, she thanked God that he’d sent her this child as a result of their first and last union. It made the waiting much easier to bear. “And until then, I’ve got the next-best dancer in all the land to keep me company.”
“That’s right,” Chester agreed with a giggle. “Can we play ‘Ring Around The Rosie’ now, Mummy?”
“Of course we can.” Just before they started the game, she glanced up at the ceiling. Please – speed these last years by. I really do want to dance with him again.
-TTV: Why are all of your most recent NaNos centered around doing bad things to alternate versions of myself?-
Victor, it's only the last two.
-TTV: It still counts.-
Look, you know I'm the angst queen by now, and I think you've cottoned on to the fact you're the new favorite.
-TD: *cheekily* Thanks for taking the pressure off us.-
-TTV: *points to "I'll Make A Man Out Of You"* I'm sure she's got more like that in her.-
Indeed, I've still got prompts to fill for the Drabbles88.
-TD: *deflates visibly*-
Aaanyway, this is a post-"The Tale" fic, in case the appearance of the ubiquitous Chester didn't clue you in. In case you're wondering what happened, the gang goes up against the Queen of Hearts, but Death informs Victor that they're all probably going to die -- in fact, one of them is destined to. Victor doesn't take this lying down -- he steals his godfather's scythe and helps his friends kill the Queen. Alice, however, is mortally wounded. Despite having gone against his godfather's wishes before, Victor uses his potion to save her. A furious Death declares that Victor must die in her steed, but the others -- especially Alice, who, as indicated, has finally started a relationship with Victor after a poison apple incident -- beg for his life. Death, intrigued by her declarations of devotion, decides torip off the end of the third Pirates of the Caribbean movie offer her a deal: he'll take Victor with him into Limbo for ten years. If she stays true all that time, Victor can come back. If not, he dies and goes to the afterlife proper. Alice agrees, and Death gives them the rest of the day and the night to get settled. Alice and Victor have a quickie wedding and wedding night before he has to leave. Which, as you may have noticed, resulted in Chester. So poor Alice gets to be a single mother while she waits for her love.
I knew I wanted to do a fic with kids dancing on their parent's shoes for this prompt (inspired by the Sims 2 interaction), but I don't recall what inspired me to do it for the Tale-verse. Maybe I just wanted to write another version of Chester. There's no real in-jokes here, just a simple, straightforward, somewhat sad tale. Though, interestingly, I'm actually up to the ball in "The Tale." Hopefully you'll be able to see that soon. (I plan on putting up more chapters this weekend on the webpage.)
As for the title, Bittersweet Symphony is just a song I like. Since the story's kinda on the bittersweet side too, I thought it fit very well.
Oh hey, I managed not to post this at an insanely late -- minute. Not procrastinating when answering the Charloft prompts pays off, I guess.
3. Shoes – Bittersweet Symphony
“Whee!”
Alice grinned down at her son, Chester. The little boy was currently standing on her shoes, giggling wildly as they swayed back and forth to the music playing on the Victrola. “Having fun?” she asked with mock blandness.
“Yup!” Chester giggled some more as she playfully dipped him. “You’re a good dancer, Mummy!”
Alice laughed. “I’m glad you think so! I never kept up with my lessons, you know.”
“You’re still good.” Chester was silent for a moment, then asked in a more serious tone, “Did you and Daddy ever dance like this?”
Alice paused at that, taken off-guard. A familiar pang went through her heart. “Once,” she said softly. “At a great ball given by the Count ‘Bonejangles.’ I – I think that was the night I realized how much I really loved him.”
“Was he a good dancer too?”
Alice smiled, recalling that magical night. “Oh, yes. He always claimed he was clumsy, but on the dance floor. . . .” She sighed. “I should have kissed him that night,” she mumbled. “We shouldn’t have had to wait for that stupid apple.”
“Huh?”
Alice blushed. “Sorry, Mum was just talking to herself.” She sighed as she looked down at Chester. Even at this young age, he looked almost exactly like Victor. The only feature he seemed to have inherited from her were his bright green eyes. It was rather disconcerting at times, really. “Just remembering. . .and realizing how much I miss him.”
Chester leaned forward and gave her a hug. “You said he was coming back one day,” he reminded her.
She nodded. “I did. It’s just – hard to wait. I so wish you could have known him.” Why did Death have to take him for ten years? Alice had never really been tempted to break her promise to remain true – but the time did seem to crawl by. There were still three years to go before she could even hope to see him again. Her beloved Victor. . . .
Chester squeezed her legs. “It’ll be okay, Mummy. Daddy will come home. Then you can dance together again! And we can be a real family!”
Alice smiled and nodded. “I know.” For not the first time, she thanked God that he’d sent her this child as a result of their first and last union. It made the waiting much easier to bear. “And until then, I’ve got the next-best dancer in all the land to keep me company.”
“That’s right,” Chester agreed with a giggle. “Can we play ‘Ring Around The Rosie’ now, Mummy?”
“Of course we can.” Just before they started the game, she glanced up at the ceiling. Please – speed these last years by. I really do want to dance with him again.
-TTV: Why are all of your most recent NaNos centered around doing bad things to alternate versions of myself?-
Victor, it's only the last two.
-TTV: It still counts.-
Look, you know I'm the angst queen by now, and I think you've cottoned on to the fact you're the new favorite.
-TD: *cheekily* Thanks for taking the pressure off us.-
-TTV: *points to "I'll Make A Man Out Of You"* I'm sure she's got more like that in her.-
Indeed, I've still got prompts to fill for the Drabbles88.
-TD: *deflates visibly*-
Aaanyway, this is a post-"The Tale" fic, in case the appearance of the ubiquitous Chester didn't clue you in. In case you're wondering what happened, the gang goes up against the Queen of Hearts, but Death informs Victor that they're all probably going to die -- in fact, one of them is destined to. Victor doesn't take this lying down -- he steals his godfather's scythe and helps his friends kill the Queen. Alice, however, is mortally wounded. Despite having gone against his godfather's wishes before, Victor uses his potion to save her. A furious Death declares that Victor must die in her steed, but the others -- especially Alice, who, as indicated, has finally started a relationship with Victor after a poison apple incident -- beg for his life. Death, intrigued by her declarations of devotion, decides to
I knew I wanted to do a fic with kids dancing on their parent's shoes for this prompt (inspired by the Sims 2 interaction), but I don't recall what inspired me to do it for the Tale-verse. Maybe I just wanted to write another version of Chester. There's no real in-jokes here, just a simple, straightforward, somewhat sad tale. Though, interestingly, I'm actually up to the ball in "The Tale." Hopefully you'll be able to see that soon. (I plan on putting up more chapters this weekend on the webpage.)
As for the title, Bittersweet Symphony is just a song I like. Since the story's kinda on the bittersweet side too, I thought it fit very well.
Oh hey, I managed not to post this at an insanely late -- minute. Not procrastinating when answering the Charloft prompts pays off, I guess.
