Authoress' Notes:
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In the continuity of this piece, Alice died at sea, en route to China. Sadness, I know-- I loved her too! But yeah, that's what happened. I came up with this particular piece thanks to "Drunk on Shadows", by HIM-- specifically the line "nothing but a reflection of heaven so far away".
Disclaimer: If I owned it, the gay would be way more obvious.
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Illusion
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Alice was gone, and she wasn't coming back. No one said it, of course, but Frabjous Days had come and gone, and nobody had seen her, in Underland or otherwise. The residents of Underland each dealt with their lonely misery in their own way, be it flamingo croquet or poetry recitations, and eventually Underland began to move on, no longer gathering every Frabjous Day to wait for Alice-- but there were two who remained.
The Hatter and the Knave, so often at odds, met every Frabjous Day to wait for Alice, and every Frabjous Day they sat alone. Both men knew these traditions were pointless, but there was a certain bittersweet comfort in them.
The Hatter knew he would never hold his sweet Alice in his arms, would never see her eyes light up with a smile again, but he could pretend with the Knave, could close his eyes and melt into the long, thin arms and pretend he was loved.
Stayne knew he would never explore exactly where those delectable legs led, curving enticingly up into that skirt, would never press Um into his bed, whispering harsh promises into her beautiful ears, but he could pretend with the Hatter, could lick his way down pale, smooth skin and sink into the hot tightness of the thin, sharp body, could close his eyes and pretend he had found somebody to love-- but sooner or later, they both had to open their eyes, and the illusion was invariably shattered.
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Ah, angst. So much fun to write!
Please review!