VICTOR VAN DORT.

"Yes, we did," he agreed, although his voice lacked the enthusiasm that Victor seemed to be displaying. Dark eyes fixed on his friend, serious and firm -- Two things that Gregory liked to think he was not. "Do you not remember? Anything?"

Oh. Right. A momentarily lapse in memory probably from the journey back to the "real world" and now it all came rushing back. While they were free, it came at a cost. A condition that had to be met before a deadline. Even if Victor wasn't sure how Emily could check that, he knew she probably had her ways. And it was probably best not to get on her bad side by resisting...

How did one stop a walking, taking, corpse bride?

"Okay," Victor began slowly, willing his heart to calm. Breathe, breathe. "We only need to pretend for that duration, yes? And can't we just... ask our parents to play along? Pretend we're practicing for a play?" But did that even make sense? Victor knew his parents would laugh at the idea of him ever being in a play. They'd also lecture him about involving himself in anything remotely related to the idea of two men being together, even in a pretend scenario.

"My parents won't take it well at all, even if we tell them it's just for a theatre project... What about yours? Do you think they'll react badly?" This was such a mess, but what else could they do? They somehow had to find a way to play along until they'd convinced Emily that she couldn't marry him. If they got away with it and she left them be, they could drop the act and she would be none the wiser.

"I don't..." Glancing towards Victor with a wary expression, his grasp on his hand tightened instinctively. Perhaps if it came down to it he could help his friend run away -- Maybe they could go together. "Yes, okay. Thank you, Emily."

But before they could even discuss their next steps, he felt Victor's hand slip from his own, the man turning a deathly pale as the life fell from him. Gregory was lucky enough to catch him before he fell to the ground, looking up at the corpse bride with a fiery desperation that could only mean one thing: Take us home.

The smell of the forest and sting of the air brought Victor back to his senses. Eyelids fluttering for a brief moment, Victor tried to focus his eyes on what he was seeing above him. Darkness, trees, Gregory...

Gregory?

"What happened?" He asked, suddenly feeling very confused. This wasn't that place they'd fallen into, was it? It felt much more alive. The trees swaying, the crickets in the distance, and even just the existence of wind told him that they were above ground again.

Above ground!

Sitting up faster than he meant to, Victor's excitement shone on his face, momentarily forgetting the conditions that were tied to their temporary freedom. "We're out! She let us go!" He grabbed at tufts of grass just to check that all of this was real. "Gregory, we're okay! We got away from her!" Oh, if he were the dancing type Victor would have jumped up to do a jig right there!

"Yes, exactly -- We are to speak to my mother about... about our affections." Why was he stuttering? That was unlike him, so readily sure of himself in most circumstances that the sudden shyness felt akin to being punched in the stomach. Instead, Gregory tried to straighten his spine, moving to Victor's side. "I could not bear it if he were to stay here. You must understand."

"Gregory's family are... more open."

Well, that was something that neither of them knew, nor was he likely to find out. But it was easy enough to nod along, to pretend that he knew exactly what his mother's reaction would be if he were to bring a man home instead of a woman. Violet Bridgerton preached true love to her children as though it were the gospel -- She was fine with Benedict marrying a woman below his status, so why not with Gregory marrying a man?

This was ridiculous. He wasn't actually marrying Victor.

It felt like his heart might burst through his chest and make him a permanent resident of this land of the dead. Victor was never good at lying but he knew he had to be better while playing along with this story if they were hoping to make their escape.

Gregory's hand felt warm in his. In a nice way, not a nervous, clammy way. Victor's probably felt like that but he hoped not. To think that he'd never really held anyone's hand before other than his mother's when he was a child. Definitely not the same thing! He tightened his fingers just slightly, not knowing if he was trying to silently communicate that he was on board with this or whether he was seeking comfort.

Probably a mix of both.

The gesture had some kind of effect as Emily sighed. "Yes, I understand this might complicate matters..." What should she do? On one hand, the two of them didn't seem to be playing tricks but on the other, could she really just let Victor leave? After a moment of contemplation, the bride's eyes widened and she clapped her hands together, which caused one of her fingerbones to bend in an unnatural way.

"Okay, how about we compromise? I'll let you two return to the land above and see if you can make this work. If your families accept you, then I'll concede and leave you to it. But if they don't and demand you stop seeing each other, I'll bring Victor back here and make it easier for you both to move on. How does that sound?"

Victor's heart was thumping even worse than before, if that were possible. How could they win a deal like that? It wasn't like he and Gregory were together! Even if they were, their families would never accept such a thing! But this gave them the chance to get away from this place and think their next steps. There must be some way to figure this out.

"I'll give you a month." Emily added, thinking she was being helpful. "If it doesn't work out, I'll come back for Victor."

Then she mentioned going home together, an ice-cold panic running through Gregory's veins as he pictured the woman before him wandering the streets of Mayfair. There would be uproar. There would be... well, he didn't know. Nothing of such horror had ever happened before outside of the stories.

"I do not think that is such a good idea," he blurted, clearing his throat as she turned to him with a curious expression. God, he didn't want to hurt her feelings -- Against all his better judgement, she seemed rather nice. "It is only that... well, just..."

Gaze flickered once more to Victor, praying for the ground to swallow him so he did not have to deal with such a situation. But Victor needed him, and letting his eyes rest on his friend, a sudden idea jolted into place. It was risky, it was foolish -- But dear God, it might be the only thing that worked.

He couldn't claim he was the best at picking up hints and cues but it was hard not to notice that something was in that look Gregory gave him. As the other spoke, he nodded, ready to play along with whatever plan his friend had hopefully come up with. It wasn't as if Victor had any other ideas, so this was probably their last attempt at trying to sensibly reason with Emily.

But Victor wasn't expecting their plan to go down this route!

At first, he hadn't quite caught on to what Gregory was implying until Emily gasped. Then he nearly gasped! It was a good thing he hadn't or that would have blown their cover! Quick to try and carry on with what Gregory had set in motion, Victor cleared his throat and shot Emily an apologetic look. For some reason, he could feel his cheeks coloring, the blush creeping up on him before he could try and contain it. Perhaps that would help with his sincerity?

"Yes, um, I know that's... that's sort of... frowned upon... but it's the truth. I've been expected by Gregory's mother at his residence... to..." He swallowed, still feeling his blush. "...To speak about our affection for one another."

Would he faint from all of this blood rushing to his face? He hoped so. It would mean he didn't have to deal with how shy he suddenly felt. He wasn't good at speaking about general romance but to pretend that he and Gregory were together like that? It would surely send him back down to the Underworld for real this time.

"But..." Emily looked between them as the cogs turned in her head. "Is that so? You two...?" That was certainly not the norm. Two men together? Well, she'd heard stories about it but never met anyone like that in real life. Not that she had anything against it! It was just so— uncommon?

"Have I really taken your love from you...?" Conflicted, she looked at them again. "It's been a while since I've been in the world above. Do they accept such relationships now?"

It came as a huge surprise to see the other pick out the sour snacks over sweet or savoury. “You’ll be making the fish face forever if you eat too many of those,” he joked, tapping the Warheads bag, then nodded encouragingly at the suggestion. “Absolutely we should… Oh man - ” Snagging a bag of marshmallows off the shelf, he held it up grin growing, “Ever played Chubby Bunny? Basically fill your mouth with marshmallows as you say Chubby Bunny, and the person who can say it clearly without chewing or swallowing, wins. Not real a game you can play while driving, but if we pull over for a stop, could always try.”

"I have heard of that," Something they had in common! Even if it was nothing more than a funny marshmallow challenge. "I haven't played it or anything—" Because I don't really have friends to play with. "But it sounds fun." Although, Victor didn't know if he'd be able to trust himself with such a game without embarrassing himself.

With thoughts of drink selection distracting him, Victor wandered over to the fridges. He wasn't big on fizzy drinks but he was willing to try ones he hadn't before. Being in America was all about the experiences and he'd be upset with himself if he tried to retreat back into his shell.

"The Kool-Aid drink. The red one?" Or were they all red? He didn't even know. "That's the drink that comes to mind when I think of America." Victor paused as he thought about it."

This was different. She was different. And Gregory found himself staring at the woman before him with parted lips, the ghost of a greeting on his tongue. How was he to worm his way out of this one if he could not even get a word out?

"His name is Gregory."

The sound of his own name seemed to shake him to his senses, dark eyes glancing towards Victor with a new sense of purpose. Victor needed him to be brave, to have a plan, and by God he wasn't going to let him down this time.

"A pleasure to meet you," he managed, instinctively holding out a hand to clasp her own before realising his mistake. Ice cold skin met his own, clammy and hard with decay, and Gregory could only manage a small smile as he offered her a bow. "I regrettably cannot stay for long, I-"

A deep breath. Now or never.

A tilt of the bride's head, a friendly smile still in place. "Home? But Victor's home is here now!" Ah, she thought, Victor's friend must not know of our engagement yet! Hand tightening around Victor's arm — not in a way that would cause pain! — Emily lightly rested her head against his shoulder.

"Victor, dear, were you waiting for me to join you before you told Gregory? How thoughtful of you~"

Victor swallowed, wondering what the best course of action was. One thing about Emily that he'd learned after just a short time with her was that she was very enthusiastic, which made it difficult to get a word in. That meant explaining things particularly tricky.

"But I really should go home, Emily..." He began, unsure of where he was even going with the sentence as he started it. "My parents will be worried and I don't want to keep them waiting."

"Oh no, we mustn't keep them," Emily agreed. "I could come with you! I'll need to meet them soon anyway, so what better time!"

This wasn't going how Victor planned. Feeling himself clam up again, his throat closing, he cleared it and nervously nibbled the inside of his cheek. Emily turned to Gregory again, lips parting to express her new idea.

ˏˋ°•*⁀➷ Everyone believes in you, and you don't even believe in yourself. Isn't that kinda sad?

#acba — an independent interpretation of AOBA SERAGAKI from DRAMATICAL MURDER — established June 2024 — adored by STARRY — ( 25+, she/her ) — mutuals only — beta editor

oh, she loved to NURSE that awfulness right out!

after all, the heart WANTS WHAT IT WANTS, no matter what the outcome!

people simply liked to hide. behind a facade of goodness. the things that they wanted to want for themselves. the idea that perhaps, they weren't the image that they held of themselves, sometimes a thing that dented and banged up the ego. it's tragic! and she feels all that conflict within victor, who seemed as if he would throw every excuse in the way as to why he wasn't following his heart. his painting, his lust for adventure. THAT WOULD NOT DO. not at all.

"oh, they don't mind. but let's hang out together again soon, shall we? here." that pause as she scribbled on a piece of paper, surrendering it to him with her phone number scrawled over it. "london is a BIG PLACE, i find, and better with a few friendly faces in it! don't be afraid to let me know if you're looking for a way out sometime~"

"Oh! Yes, yes, of course, thank you."

Victor accepted the note, then wondered if he should give his phone number in return. Ultimately, he decided against it with a sheepish smile. "I'd give you mine but I don't want you to have to talk to my family." Even if their footman answered the phone, he would inform his mother that a young lady was calling for Victor and that would open up a whole can of worms. He could just hear his mother's chiding tone; "Why are you handing out our number to women? Have you no shame, Victor?! How many have you given it to?!"

"We will meet again, though," He added quickly, hoping that she didn't mistake his refusal to exchange his number as being disinterested in another outing. "I'm very glad I met you, Alice. You've made me feel more at home here than I have anywhere else." For someone to have that effect on him when they'd been nothing more than a stranger at the start of the day was quite an amazing feat.

"Right. Well, perhaps-" His words were cut off by Victor's own, dark eyes widening as he followed the other's gaze towards the square. It was not difficult to spot Emily, the wedding dress giving her away as much as anything. And yet as she graced closer to them, Gregory found that he was not as afraid upon seeing her face, not as much as he had anticipated.

It was a face that had once been pretty, he could tell, yet had been feasted on by death until such beauty was unrecognisable. It was her expression that truly surprised him, no hint of malice in her eyes as she glanced between the two men. Swallowing, Gregory resisted the urge to reach for Victor, quite unused to how to unmoored he felt without his touch, and let out a shaking breath as the woman grew closer.

The bride, with her tattered gown trailing behind, came to a stop before them. Wide eyes regarded the two before lips parted in a smile upon realizing that this new arrival must be someone Victor knew. There was a warmth to her that contrasted her deathly appearance.

"Yes, that's right. Are you a friend of Victor's? But how did you get down here? You don't look dead..." An inquisitive gaze was cast towards her fiancé as she took her spot next to him, reaching to hook her arm with his. How had another living person come to be here? Unless someone else had brought him here — which was rather doubtful — there were very few ways for a person of the Land of the Living to make it here on their own.

"Unless... are you freshly deceased?" She peered closer at Gregory. It was entirely possible that he'd died in a way that wouldn't cause damage to his body and also hadn't been gone long enough to decompose.

"He isn't dead," Victor piped up as he stood rooted to the spot, Emily hanging off his arm. "He's very much alive." He was about to add "like me" as if it would remind Emily that he couldn't be here as her fiancé but he'd tried that approach multiple times before and it hadn't fazed her. Her eyes turned towards Victor and he swallowed, but his gaze flickered to meet hers.

and oh, well, victor's just a doll! so why wouldn't she want that for him too? his cowardice be damned! and he has that within him, doesn't he? else he wouldn't have grasped onto her hand to come lose himself for an afternoon in the company of someone for whom he really owed no more debt to then the cake he'd gone and smashed up when they'd come to FORCEFULLY MEET. stranger encounters. and if he was up for that, well, he might just be up for anything, with the right kind of push! and that's what she's here for, that's what she's driven towards, oh alice, girl of both legend and oddity. "hmmm! i wouldn't say i'm wise, persay. perhaps i'm just looking to ask a few questions to see what shakes out the other end?"

the smile she wears is contagious, bumping into him as she laughs, dragging him on outwards, forth. the question is a surprise one from him, but now now, isn't that cheeky? he's in the midst of BECOMING! and that, perhaps, is the most exciting part of the day for her, the audacity, it was coming forthwith! "have i been through a lot in life! i suppose it depends on which one. but for the one i've got right now~ well. i can't say it's been easy, but it has been rather glorious when i take a step back from it! isn't that a life well lived? that's all i want. meaning i need to really be proud of the decisions i make, even if it leads to heartbreaking results! because that, oh, that! makes it sting so much truer, don't you think? i'd rather live like that, wholeheartedly."

Whenever Victor thought he might be one step closer to understanding Alice that little bit more, he was always promptly reminded that he still had more to learn. But that was what human beings were — complex, deep, and not something that he would be able to figure out in one day. He wanted to ask what she meant when she said it "depends on which one." It sounded like she lived multiple lives and maybe she meant it in an abstract sort of way. Or maybe Victor wasn't the only one who was leading what felt like a double life. The only difference was that Alice was doing so in a more unrestrained way than he was.

"You mean it's important to live your truth even if it might lead to terrible results..." But something like heartbreak wasn't something he'd find liberating. At least, he didn't think he would. Perhaps having the freedom to feel such a way at all was what made it really special. Being able to decide life for oneself rather than become an empty husk pretending to be what other people wanted.

"Okay, okay. I know." His voice was soft, as soothing as he could make it, although the edge of anxiety was hard to miss. "I can do it, I know I can. I'll... I'll talk to her and we'll get you out of here. I promise."

"Thank you for coming to look for me."

His eyes snapped up to lock with Victor's, incredulous at such unnecessary gratitude. Did he truly think that nobody would find him, that he would need to stay here, forgotten? God, Gregory had practically made himself sick with worry these past few days. He did not need to be thanked.

"There is no universe where I would have let you disappear without a trace," he said, firm in his resolution. "And there is none in which I would let you stay here."

Suddenly he found himself nervous, the idea of meeting this Emily so different to the knowledge that it would happen so soon. Gregory had tried to seem so assured, but in truth he feared this woman that Victor spoke of.

Maybe it was the severity of the situation. Or the fear. Either way, hearing Gregory say that he would have searched for him no matter the universe made Victor feel... different. He couldn't explain what that feeling was but if he had to try and describe it, he'd say that it was like a leaping sensation within his being. A sudden jolt of happiness, perhaps? A prickling along his skin that wasn't unpleasant despite the horrible atmosphere that surrounded them.

When they were safe and away from this place, he could once again turn his attention back to what he might be experiencing. He decided to distract himself with Gregory's words.

"I tried to tell her that but she just says she'll come with me to meet everyone. Like a meet the parents before the wedding sort of thing." And while Victor could have lied and said that they should do that, he couldn't risk having a dead person wandering around the world of the living! He would become responsible for her presence there and the one everyone would blame if it were all to go terribly wrong. Anyway, the minute anyone else saw her, there would be chaos. No, taking Emily with him — even if it might give him a chance to escape — was out of the question.

Suddenly, Victor's head whipped around. He'd caught a glimpse of ghostly blue out of the corner of his eye. It must be Emily. He must have spent too long away and now she'd come looking. "She's coming."