#vivaldi dupre

[[Image ID 1, Ace, Peter, and Alice stand in the great hall of Heart’s Castle. Alice was mid-freak out about not being dressed properly for the upcoming ball when Queen Vivaldi made a speech welcoming all the guests to said ball.

Ace: ...She’s the same as always. That’s Her Majesty.

Peter: She’s harsh, isn’t she? Don’t you agree, Alice?

Alice: About Vivaldi? She’s wonderful.

I’m spellbound by her. Queen Vivaldi is majestic. And seeing her in this formal enviroment only makes her even more so.

Ace: Ehh? Wonderful? Hmmm…. I guess so. She is a queen. They’re wonderful.

Peter: In what way?

Ace: Eh? I wonder? Hey Alice, what part of her do you think is wonderful?

Peter: What a careless way to put that…

There were plenty of guests showing signs of reverence and being entranced by her, but these two seemed to be an exception.

Alice: Isn’t she wonderful? She’s so cool.

Ace: Hmm. Cool, huh? So that’s cool. I couldn’t possibly copy that. I don’t think I’d want to, though.

Peter: Me neither.

Alice: I don’t think you two could be like her.

And I’m not asking them to understand.

Alice: Still… maybe men just don’t get it. Doesn’t a cool women like her have appeal? Even another woman can admire that.

Peter: ...I wouldn’t know. I’m not another woman.

Ace: ...ah. Ahhh, Alice, you swing that way, too. Ahh, I get it.

Peter: Eh? You do? I see, Alice. Even if you swing both ways, you’re wonderful. But, you have bad taste…

Alice: Why are you understanding this in a weird way? I don’t swing this way or that way!

Ace: Not this way, either? Well, that could be a problem.

Alice: I don’t want to go either way!

I’ve gotten confused which way is which in this conversation.

Alice: Hmph. You’re just feeling unjustly suspicious about the idea of admiring somebody of the same sex. It’s just not a feeling men can comprehend.

I make a point of glaring at them derisely.

Ace: Comprehend admiring the same sex? I understand that.

I was trying to be sarcastic, but Ace responds seriously.

Alice: Huh…? Yeah…?

I’m left flabbergasted at his unexpected reply.

Ace: Yeah. For example...I admire Peter.

Ace declares it with refreshing clearness. He feels so very refreshing, like a male lead in a movie about the springtime of youth.

Peter:…

Peter briskly makes more space between himself and Ace. He grimaces like the movie is actually a horror flick, and it’s a grotesque one at that.

Peter: We’ve never had much to do with each other, but even that minimal connection is ending here and now. Farewell, Ace…]]

Queen Dr Vivaldi ma'am this is not your route:

Like, Vivaldi IS doing that to rile Julius up, but I am. Screaming.

The final Julius/Vivaldi event gets real spicy. Julius reads Vivaldi the riot act.

The way Wonderland residents talk about "meaning" confuses me a bit. I think Julius and Vivaldi are getting at that their individual selves have no import to Wonderland. Their roles are what's important to the ever-ticking flow of time. Julius' Official status means his role (fixing clocks) is slightly more integral than the Queen of Hearts role. Vivaldi counters that the Queen of Hearts role has more rules/limits, so it should be considered a more important role? I think?

This line was such a gut punch!!!! Remember: Vivaldi is an indigenous Wonderland citizen. She's never been an outsider like Alice. The game is everything to her. She's been taught from childhood that it's the most important thing; the most prestigious value a person has is how they continue the game and its flow. Yet she doesn't feel fulfilled with this life, and her game role feels empty and devoid of meaning. It doesn't matter. She wants to matter!! As an individual, as the unique person who is Vivaldi! Julius, a person she doesn't actually interact with that much, who is ostracized by most, sees Right Through To Her Core.

OH! My heart?? I was using that???

On one level, Vivaldi insults Julius to get back at him seeing through her facade. Of all the characters, Julius most personifies time: he's the Clockmaker, the Guardian of Time, the Official. Vivaldi saying she hates time means she hates Julius. In the same moment, saying you hate somebody is a pretty childish insult. Like an elementary schooler shouting "I hate you!" at a parent for not taking them to fast food because the other parent made a nice dinner at home, haha. Childishness is a huge theme for Vivaldi, and the line further exposes her character.

On another level, this line acknowledges that Julius is right: Vivaldi does hate Wonderland's game and its time mechanics. He's right she wants to have individual meaning and is constantly irritated by her lack. Thoughts like that are blasphemous to everything Wonderland citizens value. She couches her acknowledgement with an "Being with you makes Us feel" because voicing the sentiment, out loud with her whole chest, owning it, would be too outrageous. Totally against everything she was taught. Julius pointing it out is Too Much and probably why they don't hang out more. She sneaks out to visit him so he can get her back on Wonderland's program, "fix her clock," rid her of these awful feelings. He throws them back in her face.

It's SUCH a good scene. Also: