Roses For Eternal Love, Lilies For Sweetness. . . .

[deadgirlslikeme]

He doesn't know why he's doing this. It's just – been on his mind, for some reason. A preoccupation that's somehow morphed into a compulsion. Something he simply had to do. He suspects that video had something to do with it – what, exactly, he can't be sure. But it was only after seeing it that everything started.

He looks down at the flowers he's chosen. White lilies, yellow daisies, red poppies. Purity, innocence, and pleasure, if he remembers his flower language correctly. A pleasant, neutral message. He isn't trying to win her heart, he just – needs to give her some flowers. It was a purely friendly gesture. She'd understand that, right? Purely friendly. Has nothing to do with any intentions on her. Has nothing to do with that awkward yet strangely nice kiss, or the way he's started to enjoy the way her green eyes sparkle when she smiles, or –

Victor groans and shakes his head. "Oh dear." He really hopes he can blame this all on a LOL. The alternative is – too awkward to contemplate right now.

Comments

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

Alice arrives in the intended meeting place, quite puzzled. What on earth could Victor have for her? It wasn't her birthday, and they weren't in the habit of exchanging more than notes over their PINpoints. Maybe it was a situation like those butterfly wings he'd gained briefly around Easter? That had been interesting. She grinned at the memory of seeing Victor flapping about his little apartment, happy as a clam. (Though she'd never understood why clams were so happy. Maybe she ought to ask the Tweedles, they seemed to know about such things.) If he'd gotten something interesting from a LOL, this was sure to be --

Then she caught sight of him, standing outside his door, looking very nervous.

And holding flowers.

Alice stops dead, staring. He -- he had flowers? Were those for her? Why would Victor give her flowers? They -- they weren't roses, but still. . . .

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

Victor spots Alice as she walks up, and goes to greet her -- only to stop as she does. What? Why is she stop --

Then he realizes what she's staring at. His cheeks promptly heat up. Oh no, oh no! "I -- Alice, I -- I h-had to b-buy them, t-there was t-this video in the N-Nexus, and -- afterward, I -- I--" Oh, this is going well. "D-do forgive me if I-I seem impertinent, I s-simply couldn't help m-myself!"

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

Alice keeps staring at the flowers as Victor stammers out his explanation. Oh, a video in the Nexus? Probably some sort of LOL then. Odd that it would make him buy flowers, but. . . . And she can't explain why she feels the tiniest bit disappointed that it wasn't his own idea. "It's fine, Victor," she reassures him, stretching her hand out to accept the bouquet. "I understand." She looks over the selection. "I've always liked lilies," she adds, a little softer.

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

Victor relaxes a little as she says that. Good, so she knows it's a LOL. Thank God. "I'm sorry," he says again. "I really don't mean to b-be so foolish."

He looks a little surprised at that. "Really? Well, then, I'm -- I'm glad I got them," he says, with a slightly awkward smile. "I didn't want to get you roses, of course."

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

"You're not foolish," Alice tells him firmly. "You're just a bit too shy for your own good. But not foolish."

She arches an eyebrow at his last statement. "Why not?" She feels -- odd about the fact he didn't want to get her roses. She's actually not that fond of them, but. . . .

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

Victor blushes again. "Thank you, but I'm sure m-most of the people I k-know back home would disagree," he says, lowering his eyes a little.

Then he winces a bit. "I d-didn't think you'd l-like them," he confesses. "B-because of the Queen of Hearts. I didn't want to c-cause you any distress." God knows the poor girl's had enough of that in her life.

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

"I don't care what they think," Alice says firmly. "And you shouldn't either. They sound horribly dull to me." Then realizing, she quickly adds, "No offense to your parents, of course."

Oh. He was taking her feelings into account. That was rather sweet of him. It makes her heart flutter just slightly. She hastily clamps down on that feeling, though. She ruined her first impression with that kiss, she doesn't need to make things bad all over again by -- She shakes her head and looks back at her flowers. "I do prefer lilies," she nods. "Particularly tiger lilies." She gives him a little grin. "They're quite interesting conversationalists."

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

"It's all right," Victor says, ignoring that awkward churning that starts up in his stomach every time he realizes just how little he misses his hometown. Alice is right -- most everyone there WAS horribly dull. Coming to the future was a shock, yes, but -- meeting Doc, Marty, and Alice was a definite bonus.

He smiles back at her. "So I've read." He fidgets for a moment. "So -- how are you?" he asks, figuring he ought to be polite.

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

"I'm all right," Alice says. "Aunt Susan is being a bit of a pain, talking about how I need to think about marriage soon, but other than that, I can't complain. How are you?"

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

Oh Lord. She had to mention marriage. Victor fidgets uncomfortably. "I'm well," he says. "It's still very quiet in Chicago. I mainly hunt butterflies in the courtyard or help Doc with his inventions. He's working on a catapult now. Why, I don't know. . . ."

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

"A catapult?" Alice laughs a little. "That sounds like fun, I must say. Maybe I could come over and help sometime."

Then she frowns a little. "But you're still trapped in that little -- pocket? The one where time barely moves?"

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

Victor grins at that. "I think Doc has been planning to ask Marty over again. I could tell him to invite you, and we could have a day together as a group. It's been a few weeks." They don't all get to be together properly as often as he'd like. He's glad he was able to show everyone his wings, though. That was a fun LOL.

He nods, a bit sadly. "Yes, I'm afraid so. It's n-not so bad now that w-we're used to it, but. . . ." He kind of misses the old, more active, more populated Chicago. Which stuns even him, really.

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

"That would be marvelous," Alice grins back. She likes getting together with her cross-dimensional friends. It's a bit like having a whole new Wonderland to explore. Which reminds her, some day she's got to get them there somehow. She thinks they'd all -- especially Victor -- like the place.

She nods understandingly. She's sure it can get tough, being trapped in a nearly-empty city. She regards him for a long moment, wondering if she should ask the question on her mind. Curiosity finally compels her to. "Do -- do you ever miss your hometown? I mean, I'm sure you miss your parents, and -- there's that Miss Everglot you mentioned once. . . ." Alice looks down slightly as she says the name. She gets the feeling Victor should be giving this "Miss Everglot" flowers, not her. And that bothers her, just a little.

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

Victor freezes up briefly as Alice asks her question. Oh God, what is he going to say? He's told her a bit about his past, but he's always managed to tiptoe around the exact circumstances of the day he left. But now, with her specifically asking about Miss Everglot. . . . He sighs. "I -- I don't m-miss it as m-much as I'm sure I'm s-supposed to," he confesses. "Which is h-horrible, because --" He stops, then makes himself look Alice straight in the eye. "I've been r-rather remiss in telling you a-all of my history, Miss Liddell," he says, using the formal address to let her know how serious this is. "The t-truth is, Miss Victoria Everglot is my -- my a-arranged -- f-f-fiancee."

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

Alice's stomach does a series of flip-flops. "Fiancee?" she repeats, stunned. "You have a -- arranged? How long have you known each other? How long have you been engaged?" Why does it bother her so much to know that Victor's -- taken?

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

Victor grimaces. Oh, this is going to be fun. "Yes, an arranged f-fiancee," he confirms. "And I s-suppose we've b-been engaged for o-over a m-month, but I've r-really only k-known her for an a-afternoon." Before Alice can ask anything else, he holds up one hand, his other pulling at his tie. "L-let me explain. My parents informed me of the m-match back in December, but I d-didn't meet Miss Everglot until the d-day of the rehearsal in J-January. She s-seemed nice enough -- I f-felt better about m-m-m-marriage after s-seeing her. But it w-wasn't enough to stop m-me from being terribly n-nervous through the rehearsal. P-Pastor Galswells finally b-became fed up with my f-failures and sent me a-away to learn my v-vows properly." He hesitates, then decides to plunge on. He may as well tell her everything now. "I f-fled into the w-woods to practice, and after s-some time, finally m-managed to say them right. I even p-put the ring on what I t-thought was a hand-like branch." He swallows. "It -- it was actually a h-hand. A c-corpse b-bride rose from her grave to accept my 'p-proposal.' I panicked and r-ran, she followed, I r-reached the bridge -- and that's when the R-Rift got me. So, you see, I have q-quite the situation w-waiting for me when I return h-home." If I return home, he adds in his mind, though it seems shameful to admit he doesn't particularly want to go back, brides or no brides.

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

The instant he mentions someone rising from her grave, all thoughts about Victor having a fiancee flee from Alice's mind. "You can raise the dead?" she whispers, eyes wide and strangely hopeful. "You -- you can bring people back from the dead? Did the Rift leave you that power?" If he can do that -- bring people back, however temporarily, in whatever state --

Her parents. She can see her parents again.

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

Victor stares at Alice for a moment, wondering what she's going on about. Then he realizes what must be going through her mind. He lowers his eyes. "No," he says, hating himself for having to disappoint her. "I can't. From what I've b-been able to f-figure out, she r-rose because she h-heard my vows and t-thought they were for her. She w-was a -- a fluke." He never thought he'd wish he knew necromancy. Poor Alice.

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

Alice feels her hopes shatter. "Oh," she whispers, looking at her feet. Of course that would be the case. She wouldn't get that lucky. And then she feels horrible, because it's hardly Victor's fault. "I'm sorry, I was just -- I hoped--"

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

"I know," Victor tells her, moving forward a few steps. "I'm sorry, Alice. If -- if I could, I would. Believe me." He means it, too. He can't imagine the pain of losing one's parents so young. And he so hates to see Alice upset.

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

Alice hears the sincerity in his voice, and is touched. He really is one of the sweetest men she's ever met. "Thank you," she says. Then, steering the conversation back on track, she adds, "So -- you have a bit of a mess waiting for you back in Burtonsville, hmm?"

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

Victor nods, continuing to fiddle with his tie. "I'm afraid so. And I h-have no idea what I'd d-do if I d-did get back. I c-can't be m-married to a corpse, but I'm n-not sure how to d-dissolve our union. And as for M-Miss Everglot -- oh, I r-really don't know. She s-seems nice, and I w-was willing to m-m-marry her all t-those months ago, but now. . . ." He sighs deeply. "I l-like the future," he admits, feeling somewhat ashamed. "And I b-barely know her. I don't t-think it could ever b-be the same." Pause. "Of c-course, she may n-not want to m-marry me, if she thinks I'd r-rather marry a c-corpse."

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

Alice really isn't sure what to do. Being catatonic in an asylum for ten years during puberty leaves you with not a lot to go on when it comes to matters of the heart and such. Not to mention she feels really weird about Victor's confession about Miss Everglot. "I -- I don't know what to say," she finally says. "I want to help you, Victor, I do. I just--" She shrugs helplessly.

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

Victor gives her a smile. "It's all right," he tells her. "It's r-really all m-moot at the m-moment. I'm not g-going home anytime soon, I'm s-sure." And he's not entirely sure he'd go home if he got the chance, guilt over never seeing his parents again and leaving Miss Everglot forever bereft aside. "And I d-do appreciate the thought. You're -- you're a wonderful friend, Alice."

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

Alice feels herself blushing just a little at that. "Thank you," she tells him, looking up into his eyes. "You're a wonderful friend--"

And that's when she really notices just how handsome he really is. Oh, she's always known he was good-looking, it's just -- that smile really just lights up his face. Her heart flutters again, and this time, she can't ignore it. "Too," she finishes slowly.

After a few moments, she realizes she's staring and quickly looks away. "Er -- I should get back home," she says hastily, fiddling with her flowers. "Get these in water. . . ." She has no idea how she'll explain them to Aunt Susan, but she's sure she'll come up with something.

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

Victor feels his own heart give a little leap as she tells him she considers him a wonderful friend. Oh, he really does like her, and --

And she's staring at him, not finishing her sentence. Why? He stares back, puzzled. She's got the oddest expression on her face. Her -- very pretty face. He's noticed she's good-looking, but this is different. This is making his heart beat a little faster, his whole body feel a little warmer. And it's not unpleasant, but -- she's --

He looks away the same time she does, feeling intensely awkward. "Y-yes, of course," he immediately agrees. He really thinks they need some time alone. He knows he does. "I'll -- I'll see you again s-soon?"

[save-us-alice.livejournal.com]

Alice knows she does too. She's just had a revelation that's both pleasant and unpleasant. Mostly because it involves a girlhood crush that seems less gone than she thought it was. "Yes," she nods, not quite looking at him. "T-thank you for the flowers. Good day."

With that, she walks away, looking at the lilies, daisies, and poppies with a troubled expression. This could be wonderful, but it could also be terrible. She's really not sure which yet. One thing's for sure -- it's definitely more complicated than it needs to be.

[deadgirlsliekme.livejournal.com]

"Good day," Victor nods. He watches her walk away with his own troubled expression. His thoughts and feelings are all mixed up inside of him. He's just told Alice that he has one fiancee and one corpse bride waiting for him back home. He should be thinking of Miss Everglot. He should be taking care with the relationships he forms in this place, considering his odd situation and what happens if/when he finds a way home.

And yet -- part of him can't help but wonder if -- if kissing Alice again would be such a bad idea.

He groans and leans against the door. Well, so much for blaming it all on the LOL. Discovering he's developing at least a crush on Alice is both wonderful and horrible. Now what is he going to do?

"Watch cartoons," he says to himself, turning and opening said door. He needs some mindless entertainment. The rest of his life is just too complicated now.