Life Worth Living
By Shahrezad1
Summary: Megamind has been alive for thirty years. But there's a difference between being alive and really living. A series of one-shots from both Roxanne and Megamind's perspectives. May life always be an adventure.
Disclaimer: I am poor and I like Dreamworks too much to steal anything from them. So this is just for enjoyment! =D So enjoy already! ~_^
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Chapter 1: Pride Goeth
Cyrano de Bergerac: Think of me./ Me whom the plainest woman would despise./ Me with this nose of mine that marches on/ Before me by a quarter of an hour./Whom should I love? Why of course it must be/ The woman in the world most beautiful.
Le Bret: Most beautiful?
Cyrano de Bergerac: In these eyes of mine, beyond compare.
Le Bret: Wait! Your cousin - Roxane!
Cyrano de Bergerac: Yes. Roxane.
-Edmond Rostand, Cyrano De Bergerac
He stared at the stage, open-mouthed, as the clapping began and slowly grew into a dull roar. Like many of the other audience members he was up and out of his seat, but it wasn't for the purpose of any kind of standing ovation. Rather, he was crouched forward, gripping the edge of their box's rim, blue head glowing even beneath the dim theater lights.
Roxanne slowly smiled, eyes half-lidded and hands clapping as she waited out his reaction.
"W-whah? NO! He couldn't have just…?"
Megamind whirled around to stare at his date, long fingers outstretched on his left while his right continued their death grip. Unnoticed, his tux tails (black of course) flapped with the force of his movement. As though they, too, were responding as his shock turned to incredulity.
Roxanne still sat, lips silent and legs crossed.
"But he was so close! How could they just end it like that? What torturous plot is this?"
That was her cue. Wetting thinly glossed lips, the woman leaned forward to place a hand on his black-clad arm, which was for once not covered in spikes, "Megamind, sometimes stories don't have a happy ending."
"But why? Why even create such a tale if it has a negative outcome?"
Ignoring the irony of the question, particularly in light of his previous occupation, she answered, "because sometimes life is just like that," her shoulders dipped and rolled in a delicate shrug, and Megamind was temporarily distracted by the rich wine color of her dress, "it teaches us to live in the moment. To appreciate all that we have and never waste a single second of our lives. Also it teaches us to just be ourselves."
He looked torn, eyebrows lined up dramatically over his nose as if they were one long stretched caterpillar. And along the soft skin of his temple cerulean skin creased in a sea of slim folds, "but…"
Okay, enough of the drama.
Reaching forward more fully, Roxanne grasped his face by its angular jaw till distracted eyes were slowly dragged from the empty stage back to her.
"Megamind," her tone brought his emotions up short, and suddenly the man was at attention. Determined reporters had that effect on former villains-turned-heroes, "you have an amazing brain and you are an excellent strategist. You're also great at seeing where you've made mistakes, picking yourself back up and trying again. So, as a strategist, what did he do wrong? Think all the way back to the very beginning, when he first came on to the scene. What felt like a bad choice?"
The intensity of his gaze turned inward, expressive eyes flickering anywhere but Roxanne as the Acts turned back in time.
"The swordfight. At the beginning of the first act."
"Why? It was an exciting scene, both hilarious and interesting."
"But…" her unofficial boyfriend bit his bottom lip in the universal look of uncertainty, harking all the way back to every unfortunately shool event one could think of. It was the moment in which you thought you had the answer, but somehow knew that you if said anything you would only get ridiculed.
"Yes?"
And then it all came spilling out, "no one even cared about Cyrano's nose- It was just a way to rile him up! He was just as much at fault for any insult, because he was seeking that ahh-ten-cion as proof of his own manliness despite the offending appendage. If he had just told Roxane that he loved her, then…!"
She smiled happily; reassuringly. And the grip upon his chin grew lighter and more of a caress as she absentmindedly traced the path of his slim black goatee, "then she would have told him she loved him back. No secrets, no hiding behind the identities of others before it grew too late and she ended up married to the wrong man. And definitely no death. Do you get why I brought you to this play now?"
The mouth, normally overactive with thoughts and ideas chattering forth, fell open. Then closed. Eyebrows shot up and glances were exchanged.
It was a good thing that apparently Roxanne loved him, because he felt like an idiot.
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AN:
In the plot of Cyrano de Bergerac, the soldier, poet and closet romantic is known for loving his cousin, Roxane (which was okay back then). Unfortunately, the only thing getting in the way of true love is his nose…and the fact that he just promised to help his new friend, Christian, and Christian just happens to be in love with (you guessed it) Roxane.
The Problem is this: Christian can't pontificate worth squat, so Cyrano becomes his mouthpiece. Essentially saying through subterfuge the feelings he has for Roxanne, while she thinks it's really Christian. Thereby losing his chance at love because of his own pride. After all, Roxane never really loved Christian, but the man who spoke to her with intelligence and love. So is Cyrano to Megamind what Christian is to Bernard ? Probably not, but it's definitely a strong coincidence. *laughs* This is my favorite play, btw, with exception of probably the Scarlet Pimpernel and the Importance of Being Earnest. ~_^
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