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victorluvsalice · 1 year

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AU Thursday: Valicer In The Dark -- Discoveries

I am back with more Valicer In The Dark AU fanfic! Because I've actually written a fair bit for this AU over the past few months, and I figured that as long as it is sitting on my hard drive... Today's entry takes place a little while after "First(ish) Meetings" -- while Alice and Smiler were successful in getting Victor to the Mangled Mermaid so he could rest with a bowl of mushroom soup and get his head back on straight, it turned out that Emily managed to follow them there. And she's just realized what kind of place her new "husband" is hanging out in...

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“Is this – is this a brothel?!”

The ghostly bride whirled on Victor, literal sparks flashing in her blue eyes as the air around her began to hum with electroplasmic charge. “Did you really run away from me to visit a whorehouse?!” she demanded, advancing on her unfortunate groom with hair twisting and curling around her face like devilfish tentacles, and her veil and train streaming behind her in an invisible breeze. The other patrons of the Mermaid promptly began clearing the area, a few preemptively making for the door.

“No! I wasn’t – t-this is j-just – this w-wasn’t my i-intention!” Victor babbled, holding his hands up in front of him in desperate supplication as he backed himself into the wall.

“Then what was your intention?” Emily demanded, face contorted with fury. Alice felt around again for her spiritbane charm, ready to chuck it at the ghost’s head if necessary. “Hmm? What possible reason could you have for coming here that isn’t – you know?!”

“Uh – food?”

All heads jerked around toward Smiler, standing a few dangerous feet from the confrontation. “He’s telling the truth – he didn’t really mean to come here,” they continued, giving Emily their best disarming smile. “Alice and I brought him here when he stumbled out of the ghost field onto the street where we were talking – but it wasn’t for the company. Nothing against you ladies, I’m sure you’re all wonderful,” they added, giving one of Nanny’s girls a thumb’s up. She returned it with an expression indicating she wasn’t entirely sure what else to do. “But our main concern was the fact that his stomach was growling louder than a leviathan.” They held up a gentle hand. “I know it’s probably been a while for you, and I’m sorry to bring it up if it causes you pain, but – living people do need to eat and drink if they’re going to stay alive. And you don’t actually want him to die – right?”

Emily stared at them for a long, worrying moment. . .then she blinked, and the hum softened as her veil dropped back down behind her. “No, I – I don’t,” she said, sounding a bit more – human. “I would never...oh, Victor, I’m sorry,” she added, turning back to him. “I – I genuinely do forget sometimes now about eating and drinking, and...” She blinked, electroplasmic tears shimmering in her eyes. “I have no idea how long it’s been since I was murdered, do you know that? I know I’ve been waiting for my true love for ages, but...I don’t think I kept you that long in my world, right?”

“I don’t know – I don’t think so,” Victor said, letting his hands drop. “But it is very hard to tell time in the ghost field, you’re right. . .I’m sorry too, Emily,” he continued in a softer voice. “I – I shouldn’t have just – s-slipped away from you like that. I should have t-tried to e-explain better. B-but I didn’t have the words, and I was s-so scared, and – and like Smiler said, I was hungry and cold, and...” He sighed heavily, pressing his fingers against his forehead. “And absolutely nothing lately has gone according to plan.”

“I know the feeling.” Emily perked up a little, a hesitant smile tugging at her lips. “But – but we can still make this work, right? We can alternate which side of the field we’re on day by day, so you can still eat and drink and – and not have to worry! We’ll even find a nice place to set up house together!”

“I think anyone who sees you two house-shopping is going to call the Spirit Wardens on you,” Alice couldn’t help saying.

Emily shot her a look. “I’m sure once I explain that Victor is my husband, they’ll be willing to – accommodate us. Somehow.”

Victor dropped his head, staring at his shoes. “That’s – that’s just it, Emily,” he muttered in a defeated voice. “The problem isn’t just that you’re d-dead – it’s that I’m already engaged.”

Emily froze – even her veil and skirts stopped bobbing. Alice had to admit, the sight was impressive as it was eerie. “What?”

“Engaged,” Victor repeated softly. “T-that’s why I was saying my vows w-where you could hear – I was practicing them after b-being run out of my own rehearsal for n-not being able to remember them.” He winced. “Well, t-that and leaving a lit candle on my future m-mother-in-law’s dress...”

“What? How and why did you do that?” Alice demanded, hands unconsciously clenching into fists as shadowy flames licked the walls. Behind her, the Queen of Hearts huffed, glaring at the offending groom as if she wished to take his head.

“I-it was an accident! We’d been r-rehearsing for t-three hours, and we’d only just gotten through ‘with this candle, I will light your way in darkness’ w-when we were interrupted by a newcomer...and when I t-tried to recall the next part of the vows, I got distracted and walked right into the table,” Victor said, rubbing his face hard. “Pastor Galswells d-demanded to know if I even had the r-ring, and when I pulled it o-out of my jacket pocket, I dropped it – and, of course, it rolled right under Lady Everglot’s s-skirt. And I was so intent on getting it back, I just – left the candle on her dress. It j-just figures after I had s-so much trouble getting it to light in the first place...” He waved placatingly. “She was fine – n-nothing worse than a small burn on her hem, I promise.”

“Yes, well, maybe make a better habit of keeping track of lit candles in the future,” Alice said, a bit harsher than she’d intended. “You never know when a flame in the wrong place might ruin someone’s life.”

“As Bumby ruined yours?” the Queen of Hearts hissed in her ear. “Ridiculous girl, you know the truth now. Why have you not cut his neck in twain?”

I can’t just kill him – what if the Spirit Wardens don’t find him in time? The last thing I want to deal with is his ghost. And while I’d like to expose him, he’s built up such a reputation as a do-gooder, it’ll be hard to topple. Especially since my own is in the gutter thanks to Rutledge – which you didn’t help with, I’ll remind you.

“I know, I know – I never – oh,” Victor groaned, letting his head thunk back against the wall. “I’ve got to learn to keep my wits about me better...”

“You do,” Emily agreed, folding her arms as she bobbed lightly in place. “So what happened after that? You ran away from your own rehearsal and, what, just wandered down my street saying your vows to yourself? With no idea that I was there at all?”

“More like Pastor Galswells ordered me out, but – yes,” Victor said, crossing his heart. “I’d been walking around, trying to get my head on straight and the words out right, and I – I didn’t even see you until you rose out of the ground before me.” He paused. “I – uh – did run away. Didn’t that seem – suspicious?”

“Well, I knew I’d startled you, but...I thought people knew I died there,” Emily said, expression falling. “That you’d come to – give my soul some peace by reciting the vows. And I know I was a little enthusiastic, but I was so happy, and...” She looked away, drumming her fingers against her arm – an impressive feat for a being so largely immaterial. “All right then, who is your actual fiancee? I’d like to meet Little Miss Living.”

“Hey, there’s no call to be rude,” Smiler chided. “It’s not her fault.”

“Exactly – from everything I c-could see in the few hours we had together, Victoria Everglot is a very nice person,” Victor agreed with a nod. “She never asked for any of this – i-it’s an arranged marriage, my family’s wealth for her family’s status. Please, if you’re in a mood, take it out on me, not her.”

“Everglot?”

Everyone’s attention abruptly shifted to Nanny, who was watching the scene with a curious tilt of her head. “Hang, I swear I heard something about them from one of them criers earlier this afternoon,” she continued, reaching up to fix her sagging bun. “Something about the daughter getting married?”

“What?” Victor started forward, nearly tripping over his own feet. “I – married to who? And when? I – w-what day is this?!”

“30th of Mendar,” Smiler provided.

“Yeah, and she got hitched today,” Nanny nodded. “Rush ceremony, I guess – maybe they didn’t want to waste the cake. Her and Lord – somebody or other, give me a minute...”

Victor stared at them both, head swiveling like it had been freshly greased. “30th of...I’ve been gone a day? And the Everglots already found a replacement?!”

“Seems like you weren’t very special to them, darling,” Emily said, in a tone that suggested she was trying to be mean, but not really succeeding. She sighed, letting her arms drop. “I’m sorry. I mean that. It’s not as bad as what happened to me, but it is horrible to be thrown over so easily.”

“I just...I thought...” Victor slumped into a nearby chair, running his fingers through his hair. “T-the whole point of the m-m-marriage was that the Everglots desperately needed my family’s money, and were willing to deal with my mother’s social-climbing to get it. I mean, they’re barely keeping themselves out of the poorhouse as it is. And when I met Victoria...we d-didn’t have long together, I admit, but – she seemed genuinely sweet. Complimented my piano playing, encouraged me to call her by her first name, seemed the least annoyed by my constant mistakes during the rehearsal...I – I was – just k-kind of hoping...”

“Well, if her parents are arranging the match, she likely didn’t have much choice in the matter,” Alice reminded him. “I doubt she’s any happier about the change in groom – especially if she’s gone from you to a total stranger.”

Victor rubbed the back of his head. “Well, uh, to be f-fair, we ourselves only met yesterday afternoon. Mother – well, she s-seemed to think it was a good thing that I’d never spoken to her before, so...”

Alice’s eyebrows shot up in shock. “What – not even a tea together first? To help you get to know each other?”

“That seems – abrupt,” Smiler agreed, blinking. “How can they be sure you’ll be happy together if they don’t let you get to know each other first?”

“Given what he just said about his mother, I doubt that was a priority, Smiler,” Alice pointed out. “This whole thing seems more like a business deal than a romantic connection.”

“It really is – they didn’t even tell me I was getting m-married until a month before,” Victor muttered. “But like I said, I was hoping for the best after meeting Victoria...and now...” He groaned, putting his head in his hands. “My parents are going to kill me.” He glanced up at Emily through his fingers. “Which would solve our problem, admittedly.”

“Don’t joke – I don’t want you to die,” Emily said with a stern frown. “Being dead’s awful. You’re always cold, and nobody talks to you, and...” She rubbed her arms. “...and I don’t remember what my mother looked like, despite knowing I’m wearing her dress. Or the sound of my father’s voice, even though I know he forbade my marriage to Eddie. And there’s so many big chunks of time now where I’m barely even conscious of myself, where all of you look like candles and all I want is to steal your light...” She sniffled, ghostly tears glittering in her eyes again. “That’s why I was so happy to hear you say your vows. I thought – I thought for sure having a proper husband, being able to be a wife instead of a bride...”

“Oh, Emily...” Victor stood up again, coming over to her. “I – I’m sorry. I wish I’d told you all this first thing. I wish – I wish I could have found you under better circumstances. If things were different...you really are nice.”

Emily sniffed. “You’re just saying that.”

“He’s not,” Smiler said immediately. “He made it clear even while he was trying to escape that he felt bad for what had happened to you.”

“It is a horrible story,” Alice agreed. “You deserved better.”

“You did,” Victor nodded. “And for what it’s worth, I did actually genuinely enjoy that duet you pulled me into in the pub. I’ve never met anyone as enthusiastic about the piano as I am before. It’s – it’s refreshing.”

Emily smiled weakly. “Thanks. I wish things were different too.” She sighed, skirts undulating in her personal breeze. “Look, do you want me to explain–”

“Barkis!”

Nanny snapped her fingers, drawing their attention back to her. “Lord Barkis, that was it! Some newcomer to the city! Must have swooped in and dazzled them with his foreign riches,” she declared. “Hard luck, sure, but it’s hard to compete with Iruvian honey or whatever it is–”

“Barkis?”

Emily’s voice was barely more than a whisper, but it drew all eyes to her just the same. “Edward Barkis?” she continued, a bitter bite in her tone now as her veil started crackling softly.

“Uh – dunno,” Nanny said, backing up a step despite herself. “Crier didn’t say. Why?”

“Because Edward Barkis was my fiance.” Emily spread her arms, letting everyone get a good look at the dark silver stain on the front of her gown, and the open wound between two of her ribs. “Up until he shoved a knife through my heart for my mother’s jewels and my father’s gold.”

“Seems you two are kindred spirits, of a sort,” Cheshire commented, grinning wider over his pun.

I think that description applies more to poor Lizzie than it does to me. “You think it’s the same man, then?” Alice said, folding her arms.

“Might be – Eddie claimed to be the son of a shoemaker, but he could have been lying then too.” Emily turned to Victor, mouth a thin, anxious line. “I think we need to call on the former Miss Everglot quite urgently. Because if her Barkis is the same as mine – she’s going to suffer a lot worse than being thrown over.”

“Right,” Victor agreed, nodding rapidly. “I’d never forgive myself if she...we’ll hire a gondola, the canals will be faster than the streets...oh, wait, no, my wallet’s at home, I forgot to pick it up before the rehearsal, and then I didn’t think I’d need it...”

“I’ll pay,” Smiler said immediately. “I’ll come with you, even. Try and help you smooth things over.”

“What? Oh, no, you’ve done more than enough–” Victor started.

“I’m an Advocate – my whole purpose in life is to help people be happy,” Smiler cut in, holding up a firm finger. “And I think preventing her from getting murdered will make your former fiance very happy indeed! Besides, we don’t know what’s going to happen when you get to her house – in case her parents try to throw you out, or he has friends in the wedding party ready to try and take you out, don’t you want some back-up?”

“If that’s the scenario you’re worried about, I should go too,” Alice said, touching her knife. “I don’t know how either of you are in a fight, but I’ve gotten pretty handy with a blade out of necessity. Some of the creeps in Charhollow don’t listen to anything but a stab in the hand.” She bit her lip. “Not to mention, my own history makes me rather eager to see any arsehole who hurts young women for their own gratification get theirs.”

“On the wrong end of a marriage proposal yourself?” Emily asked, all sympathy.

“No – you might have died before this happened, but I’m the only survivor of the Liddell fire.”

“The Liddell – oooh,” Victor said, sucking in a breath. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize...” His brow (what there was of it) furrowed in sudden confusion. “But wait, I thought. . .the story I’ve always heard is that the family cat accidentally knocked over an oil lamp in the library?”

“A scurrilous lie perpetrated by the perpetrator,” Alice informed him. “I’ve been piecing together my memories of that night over the past few weeks, and Dinah wasn’t downstairs at all – she was in my room. In fact, she’s the reason I was the sole survivor – I wouldn’t have gotten out if she hadn’t shown me it was possible to live through leaping out the second story window.”

“Explains why we didn’t find her furry little body in the wreckage,” Nanny noted, frowning. “So you think someone came in and burned up your family deliberately?”

Alice swallowed. How far do I tip my hand...Nanny might believe me, she must remember poor Lizzie’s complaints, but the others...maybe I can talk around the fact that I think I work for the bastard now? “Yes – that awful suitor of Lizzie’s. I woke to the sounds of him – having his way with her – that night, and when he crept out and saw I was awake, he panicked, shut me in, and grabbed my nightlight. That was the lamp that ended up in the library fireplace and started off the whole conflagration.” She sighed heavily. “And he got away with it because I was in no fit state to let anyone know what I saw – hell, I threw the memories into the back of my mind because I just couldn’t deal with them.” And look what’s happened as a result.

“Beware the trap of guilt without action,” Caterpillar counseled, winging around her head. “Your own healing was necessary before you could help others. Just don’t delay too long in helping them now.”

Emily clasped her hands over her mouth, eyes wide. “Oh – oh, I am so sorry. For you and your sister. . .yes, you must come with us,” she added, nodding. “If this is my Barkis, we’ll need the Bluecoats – and while we’ve got them there for me, you can tell them what you’ve remembered too and get that awful man put away!”

“I – I don’t know if they’ll believe me,” Alice admitted, scuffing the floor with a foot. “I’m well-known around the whole city for seeing things that aren’t there and being a general nuisance. They might just laugh in my face if I try to tell them everything I know about the fire is wrong.”

“They won’t laugh if I’m there,” Victor said, expression determined. “I may not actually have my family fortune to hand, but the name has got to count for something. I’ll tell them how you helped me, and that they should at least give you a hearing.”

“Same here,” Smiler promised. “You’re my friend, Alice, and you deserve justice for what happened to you and yours. You deserve to be happy again, plain and simple.”

Alice felt a long-forgotten warmth in her chest as she looked at the two of them. To be called a friend by someone she just occasionally passed by on her infrequent trips here...to have someone she’d just met be willing to vouch for her character...it made her smile, despite all her worries. “Thank you,” she said softly, then straightened up, all business. “Let’s be off, then.”

#valicer in the dark au #valicer #fanfic #victor van dort #alice liddell #smiler alton #here's where the 'snippets' start getting long XD #I mean the one I'm working on finishing up this week is at this point basically a chapter of a story #that's how far down I've gone down the rabbit hole with this AU now XD #no regrets I like playing in this universe #and redoing things for this universe #I mean it HAS occurred to me that I will have to establish that Jack Splatter was somehow prevented from burning down the Mermaid #but Nanny can keep her home and place of business in this world. as a treat #and I have fun writing Emily getting more and more electric the angrier she gets #but yeah this was kind of the 'exposition' scene #but I still feel like I did a good job #I'm REALLY proud of the next snippet I wrote though #perhaps that will pop up soon :)#queued

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