Orphans Beloved: "The Masquerade Waltz…"
Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved bits in my Buffyverse stories, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.
Disclaimer: No copywrite infringement intended.
2004…
University of Ontario
"So…" eyes script. "What is this?"
"Russian thing…'The Masquerade' by Lemontov. Sort of 'Othello', a guy is led by evil 'friends' to think his wife's betrayed him and he poisons her, then goes insane."
"Nice."
"Nice part in it for you…Nina." Waves script…
"The poisoned Desdemona?"
"Naturally…" nod. "She's a tragic heroine, no idea she's being plotted against."
"Wuss?"
"No…A tragic heroine, manipulated to think she's helping her beloved while incriminating herself innocently…Ally." Frown. "If you don't want the part, Ginny Nussbaum is always available."
Arch look…
"I never said I didn't want it." Return frown.
"Well, then…'Nina'…" tosses script.
"Well, ok…Mr. Director Hendrix." Beam.
"Are you the lead? The husband?"
"Arbenin…Well, I'm considering the best candidates…So far, that's me." Grin.
"The fix is in, I see." Mock frown. "Good thing the director is my boyfriend."
"What can I say?…The theater is a whore."
"Donnie…" real frown…
"You're the one sleeping with the director…" wiggling of eyebrows.
"Hey!" slap… "Behave yourself, bucko!" glare to his annoyed look.
"At least in hearing range of my competition…" she noted, ruefully sly grin…Which he returned, after a moment.
"What is that?" she cocked head to listen. "That's nice."
"The Masquerade Waltz by Aram Krachaturian…He wrote it for a version of the play. I thought we could use it."
"That's a waltz…Whoa." She blinked.
"It's no wimpy 'Blue Danube', Nina…" Donnie rose. Pulling her lazily up to her feet…She in tights and t-shirt, he in more formal costume, a tight-fitting Renaissance era jacket and tights, worn for a "Merchant of Venice" scene rehearsal… "Ever read 'War and Peace'?"
"Uh…Sure…Tolstoy." The music swirling…
Mental note…Look up 'War and Peace'.
"Well…Think Natasha and Helen and all those handsome Russian cavalry officers and nobles at one of the great balls by Natasha's dad, the Count Romanov." He pulled her along into the center of the room… "Think Chekov…"
Ok, he can't mean the Star Trek guy…
"…One of his stories about lonely young Russian Imperial officers at some provincial town, at a ball given by some old count trying to do his duty…The only entertainment in town, all the girls are there in their finery…These young officers, as spit and polish as they can be…Desperate for some fun after being stuck here for months on duty…Vodka flowing…Some of the girls are innocent Natashas…Like your Nina…" he led her carefully, eyes on hers…
God he looks good in that…She thought…
"You're in a glorious frock, gown, whatever…Maybe Natasha's first or maybe the one as Nina you brought out for your husband…Elegant…While some of the ladies around are half-naked, bosoms uncovered…"
"Donnie!"
"Nineteenth century uncovered, Ally."
"Ok. Just lets keep it…Whoa…Nice sway…"
"Let the music pull you along…" he glided her… "Nina's totally in love…But her husband is obsessed, jealous, increasingly paranoid…Can't believe she can be so innocent…Is her eye on that dashing young officer in the corner she just danced with? The music builds…"
It sure does…He's right, this is no wimpy 'Blue Danube'…I feel like he could bounce me right off these walls…
The waltz surges…She begins to see herself in the scene…A glorious white satin gown with lace…Gloves…He in noble's uniform…Russian officers with mustaches and high boots lounging about the walls, watching the dancers or in the midst of them, ferociously dancing…Practically tossing the eager young women about the room…
"You feel it, Ally?! You're soaring in his arms…!"
"Oh…Yeah…"
"Ok, say… 'How beautiful the new waltz is! ...something between sorrow and joy gripped my heart.'"
"What?" she blinked, swaying in his arm as they whirled violently about the room…
"That's your line…Nina's…"
"Oh… 'How beautiful the new waltz is! ...something between sorrow and joy gripped my heart.'"
"Yes!" Donnie nodded, eagerly…Surging along…
Yes…Allison blinked at herself in the Hendrix home mirror…2014…
I never did get to play Nina but something between sorrow and joy gripped my heart…As if even then, somehow…
The Khachaturian Masquerade Waltz playing in the background…
2004…
The waltz continuing, Allison swaying in Donnie's grip…Dizzy…But not willing to stop…
"How…How does he kill her?"
"He poisons her ice cream…"
"Whoa…"
2014…
She eyed the bowl of ice cream…Vanilla beam with a little raspberry compote for topping…
Call me sentimental…
2004…
"Should we stop?" he eyed her face…Upturned to his as they whirled along…
"No, no…I'm fine…Uh…"
Never…
"…So, it's 'Othello'? What about the Iago?"
"A friend of Nina's…A scheming Baroness and some others…"
2014…
Named Anysley?...At least I was partly right there…
I just never guessed I had two monitors. But hey, Dyad spared no expense…
2004…
"So you like the part?" Donnie eyed her…As they glided to a stop, she clinging to him…
"Part?..." she blinked. "Oh…Yeah, it sounds great."
"Good…" he beamed. "Nina." Grin… "It may take a little selling to the Theater department…Lementov isn't exactly well known but…I'm glad you're willing to take a challenge."
"Yeah…" she eyed him… "Thanks for the waltz, Donnie."
"We'll do it again…" he smiled.
2014…
We didn't…She reflected…But, at last we will…
Even then…She thought…Even then, Leekie must have had his filthy hand in…Poisoning everything…
But I still have the waltz…I know he loved me during that waltz…Maybe other times too…Maybe most of the time, maybe none…But he did love me during that waltz…
Not even Ginny Nussbaum could've waltzed like I did…
So we get to do the play at last…Only I'm not getting to play Nina…And while I will go mad as Arbenin, mad as my poor sister Helena…Have gone mad already, really…There'll be a new twist which I hope he won't mind.
When I share the ice cream…After the waltz…