There's a Sun: Alice/Oz
Title: There's a Sun
Author: white_arc
Pairing/Characters: Alice/Oz
Fandom: Pandora Hearts
Disclaimer: I don't own the official Franchise.
Notes: This essay will contain spoilers throughtout the series (more so about Alice and Oz's relationship than the story, so I'm trying to not spoil the plot too much). Also this wil be more about why I like the pairing and less on how much canon it is/can be.
Series Summary~
"Your sin is...Your very existence..."
....And with those words our hero, the young fifteen year old Duke heir Oz, is thrown into the abyss where he meets, our heroine, Alice who, like himself, is a lot more than she seems as both eventualy join the orginization called Pandora and embark on a quest to understand their own nature and the ties that bind them to not only the event known as the Tragedy of Sablier, that dates back one hundred years ago, or to the mysterious, and often deadly, place known simply as the Abyss.
Pandora Hearts is a finished anime and ongoing manga series that holds strong allusions to Alice in Wonderland while maintaining a drama/comedy with doses of action in a mystery story about who did what, why, and what it's all about.
Characters~
Oz Bezaruis: Thief of smiles, Prince of Fools
Oz was a perfectly fine and happy boy who was heir to his families Dukedom before tragically falling into the Abyss and...
Actually...Oz is probably best described as weird, contrary, and complex if you want to claw away enough layers to really get down in there. Oz is basically a hero complex protaginist who physically can't fight on his own that well (well not until much later, not that that may be a good thing...) but is the only the definition of suave when it comes to words and acting the part of whatever he wants you to see. Oz is also very intelligent and is perceptive enough to quickly grasp situations and people in ways most would overlook. Oz has no fear for himself so comes across as more or less pretty gutsy and always wears a friendly smile full of optimistic and fairly logical words (though be careful, he can be pretty dang scary with them as well) for whenever the situation is bad for him or others. It seems pretty hard to traumatize him as he easily takes everything in stride, focusing more on what to do rather than what's happened in a way that may even appear plastic, but Oz is by no means unaffected by people or his surrondings.
Oz has a nearly suicide way of thinking, as while he's not trying to actively die, he sees no worth in himself due to an incident and how he was treated by a important figure in his life that always seems to cast a shadow in Oz's tender heart. Despite this weakness though, Oz is a strong and loyal character who is empathetic/caring and willing to do no what to protect what's important to him and those in need around him. This attitude, in turn, inspires loyalty from other characters as Oz tries to unravel the mystery of his existence and come to terms with the darkness in his heart that has hurt him for years and how his rather mysterious existence can be considered a sin.
Oh yeah, did I mention that Oz is only fifteen in looks but is twenty-five in reality?
Alice: Chain Warrior, Shadow of Memories
In the world of Pandora Hearts, people can make contracts with powerful beings known as Chains, creatures who dwell in the world known as the Abyss, to serve them in whatever task they may desire (though this is not without consenquences).
Meet Alice; The legendary black blood stained rabbit, or B-rabbit for short.
She is not a person who is afraid to get violent and is a fighter to the extreme. Alice is tough and no-nonsense on the surface and will do what she feels she must to solve a problem no matter how it must go about; usually with a beat down if she can get away with it. She has no memories of her past in the beginning and can not remember anything other than living in the dark Abyss by herself. Alice is blunt and honest, but also is shy and carries a fragile side do to being alone for so long and can get lonely very easily (typical rabbit, eh). She doesn't completely understand the social norm so things such as the idea of kissing can go completely misunderstood as something people do to eat other's faces to become energized. But she does have a kind side and, in her own ways, can show support and empathetic understanding to those she trusts that can touch people, notably Oz. More over, she's a girl who wants to be loved.
Overall, despite the trauma she has faced as well as the anxiety she can feel over some issues, she's an upbeat and determined character who is loyal to herself and others she trusts and loves.
Essay:
More than just partners:
"Really...Alice is really amazing..." "Why's that? Aren't you the same? Because you'd hate stopping here, and you want to move on, right!?" "....Yes...Alice and I are alike...we both accompany each other to find ourselves." "Accompany? "Um, that means--We're friends." "Um, not bad...This feeling is not bad." Oz and Alice, chapter 29, pg. 30-32
The thing with Oz and Alice is that, while they have plenty of reasons why they should stick with each other and use the other to help further their goals due to their connections, the one truth between the reason why they stick together as much as they do is because they are friends.
In a life where both are lost as to what they are and where they may truly belong with circumstances and people trying to more or less force them into believing things about themselves that may or may not be true. Alice and Oz find honesty and sancturary in their relationship to each other. It's by no means a shelter from everything bad, as you could say things didn't start to get really dangerous until the two formed their illegal contract with each other. But that does not overshadow the fact that Alice is Alice to Oz just as Oz is Oz to Alice.
"Didn't you tell me that I just have to remain as myself! Is that a lie?"
"No."
"I... that...is very...really...happy...Yet you...why can't you say that to yourself?
"It's because-"
"Don't talk back you useless piece of trash! Listen here you're my contract! You have to be proud of this! You have to be proud of who you are. You have to be roaring of happiness as my manservant--!." Alice to Oz, chapter 24, pg. 23
In a way, a illegal contract that promises a prison in the abyss should cause wariness and anxiety, actually opens a door for healing and salvation from each other's demons. Alice is proud to be with Oz because Oz is someone who treats her, not as B-Rabbit Chain, the girl with no memories, or the one with a connection to his hidden past/present/future. But as Alice, a friend who touches a chord with her uncontained energy and brutal honesty with actions and words she no doubt believes in with the bottom of her heart. And Alice can be classified as a heart before brain person, she goes with what she feels and it's believable for Oz to really get that Alice really is saying this because she means it, not just trying to get something out of it for herself or say a lie just to make him feel better. Oz, master of words, is stunned by this genuine spirit.
Alice too, is shocked to the heart for how Oz affects her. In Oz, Alice finds not only a partner to help find the missing clues of her past, but a companion who reachess out to her as not just a tool, but a human being who looks at her with genuine fondess as a equal to share his life with. For Alice, this means more than anyone could possibly know...
"Oz is right here!" Alice, chapter 9, pg. 25
Oz is there in life, both physically and emotionally for her. Jack, everything she has ever had before, whether she remembers or not, is not always able to be there for Alice, But Oz is in reality, not just in her memories. She says she needs her memories to keep being herself, but Oz is there to help support her and help her keep her going forward. In turn she does not view Oz as an heir to a title, a replacement of Jack,or just a creepy brat, but just Oz. The person who she kicks and calls her manservant and feels lonely without.
"I leave Alice in you hands...She is a girl who fears loneliness very much." "(Laughs) I know Rabbits will die if they get too lonely." Jack and Oz, chapter 18, pg. 30-31.
Due to either past or nature, Alice under all her gruff is a person who hates to be alone. Oz was the first person to really connect with her in so long (not to mention she can't remember even interacting at all with people in a meaningful way before Oz in the start) it's no wonder she feels upset when he's gone or interacting with someone else more than her. It's sad to see Alice insecure like that and keep it to herself, but when she is just about to shut herself away for good, it's Oz who comes through all the mess and mayhem just to be with her again. It's Oz who reaches out to her, to Alice, no matter what state she is in, or past she has, it's the current real Alice who means so much to him. Alice responds with sobs of relief that she has found someone who calls for her and invites stable thoughts and feelings of having someone who acknowledges the real her in any form and will always come for her no matter when or where into her life.
(Of course the funny thing is that despite what Oz says, he totally ends up being her knight better accidently than anyone else does on purpose).
"I might not understand Alice when she was human. But, I understand the current Alice! She get's angry easily, and her words are harsh, but..the reasl Alice is very gentle, and loves to cry.
(Stop it...I want to sleep like this)
"And she is very stupid as well...her appetite is also very huge!"
(.....Who....? Eh, these words, I heard someone said it before)
"Even though you're not human, you're still Alice...Every movement and thought, her expressions, her characteristics...Proves that Alice will always be Alice. We can see it very clearly! So Alice just has to remain as Alice."
"O...z..?" Oz and Alice, chapter 20. pg 31-33
Support from the abyss; out of the abyss:
"To me...Alice... is as important as the Sun. Crying when she wants to cry, being angry when she wants to be angry, always honest with her feelings.Her being like that seems dazzyling to me...But sometimes....it makes me feel bitter....(She has so much that I don't.)...But (Alice) she's warm. (Alice). My powers are weak, so I can't be her knight. But...I want to watch her...to stay by her side, and watch...what will that light radiate into the end. That's why I..I need to search for Alice!." Oz, chapter 18, pg. 25-29
For Oz, Alice is as good as the sun. Sometimes his respect of her makes him all the more aware of just how he thinks of himself in comparision, but even so, Oz has found someone he desires to watch to the very end. For Oz who starts out as having no value in himself and willing to throw himself in danger for others or sees it as his duty to take care of others. Alice is one of the few differences; Alice is someone who he does not just see as something to protect because she needs him, he already knows he can't be her knight to slay her dragons and doesn't try to force himself pretending he can be. Alice is someone he is willing to go the distance for and drag out of the abyss of her own despair because he does not want this spirit of fire to ever diminsh. He loves this about Alice and wants to give her the chance to shine as much as she can to the end with him by her side all the way.
"The fear when I realized I was alone. That...more than anything...If I'm not neccesary to you, why...am I here...Just where, should I be?" Oz, chapter 12, pg. 11-12
Oz is a person who suffers from identity in the world, perhaps more than anyone. People can help him, but in the end Oz has to be the one to decide to break out of this mentality of being un needed.
"If you were to say being alone means to be cold, than I understand. I'm a chain, but I understand...You're sad. For making that brat exprerience something like that...." Alice to Oz, chapter 12, pg. 33
But he's not alone, in times of deep loneliness where he is suffering alone, Alice comes and without even forcing herself, can understand what Oz is feeling and bring to light what Oz is feeling even when he is unaware or hadn't confronted it beforehand. She may not understand the situation all the time or even know exactly how to word her feelings, but she does know Oz, the boy who smiles even when sad, the person she chose to stay by as the one who can know the same sadness of lonliness/helpless ness as her and is willing to share in her warmth with him.
"Oz, you were calling me just now, right!?"
(Is that so, Alice is using her way to cheer me up.)
"When I met Jack, I heard you're voice. You called out Alice! Alice! I came searchinf for youbecause your crying was voice is unbearable. If you could....It would be great if you could say that out loud more often. If you do that, I can understand. And when you're feeling down, I will...bite you're cheeks again!"
(Let go of the security...and those discouraging words spill it out. I always thought something like that would be a burden to the other person. But...this is an exception. I never thought she would show such a happy expression). Alice and Oz, Chapter 41, pg. 15-17
When Oz is confronted by the one figure who was responsible for all his issues of worth and place in the world, we see the cracks that have never been repaired in his heart and an idea of just how broken that makes him feel. Gil leaves to pursure, Elliot and Leo are there, but don't know what do other than worry. Oz is alone with his dangerous thoughts threatening him to lash out on the world in a fit of chaotic and destructive negativity that he has no idea how to get a grasp on.
But Alice comes.
Alice alone who was seperated from the group awhile ago hears Oz's silent anguish and comes to find him just to make sure he's okay. She wasn't present when the cause of his near breakdown was around, but she does notice something is off about Oz, that Oz is unhappy and so she does her best to make him happy again -by just being herself (that consists of biting his face, but it more or less distracts him enough from his misery to let her words after to really sink in).
"Alice's words are incredible...(rain...I really hate it now)...But there is no foundation for that thought and it's not persuasive at all. And somehow my chest is really warm. (So comfortable) That's right...it's because Alice is here...Is it because of Alice's presence that makes this scenery so beautiful?" Oz, Chapter 41, pg. 18-20.
Oz in his heart can be pessimistic about just how much people would find worth in him, he has trouble doing it himself, but in Alice's presence- in the rain that pours down his back and makes the world so much more heavier than it is, Alice's mere presence can make Oz see that people and feelings can be wonderous and uplifting in even the darkest and unrelenting of places.
So even when Oz is feeling so lost he feels the only way to smile again is destroy all around him; Alice is there as one of the few people (the other being Gil) to snap Oz out of the angiush and confusion he feels when life gets too much for him and keep him grounded to what is real.
"Why did you stop Oz? I mean...when he raised his scythe against that woman. I was a little surprised...I thought you would cheer him on instead..." "It was because it would have been pointless. Hmm, well I don't really know okay!? It pissed me off! No doubt!" "Oh well, for stopping Oz..Thanks a lot." Gil and Alice, chapter 45, pg. 43-44.
Alice, for all her agression, knows when at least Oz is going too far, she's not willing to let Oz do things she in her gut knows is not right for him. She's not afraid to get in between Oz's growing insanity (or whatever it is) and the real Oz she knows and cares about. Alice does not only depend and care about Oz as a person, but she respects him enough with these feelings to sense when Oz is doing things that would be pointless in her view because Oz does not do pointless things, not like that.
Alice and Oz have guardian in the other without even looking. In each other they have someone to call for and who will answer. They are both broken, but beautiful people who have found a pure person to count on and not lie to them about their feelings in such a way they can feel them without having to even voice them. Oz doesn't exactly want to have faith based on something he can't see, but he can't help but feel peace with Alice and is glad just for the fact she is alive. Alice too, can be at peace, just knowing there is someone who will hear her voice for it truly is and not forsake her to a life of the cold abyss.
Reasons Why~
Like the sun, it's not always easy to feel, but Alice and Oz would rather have each other any day than live in the darkness of their lives by themselves. They are both, despite whatever flaws, two very strong individuals that have made their own choices to find what they are looking for about themselves. But it's a journey they (and Gil) have decided to travel together.
It's the big things that can wow me, but it's the small things like Oz sharing a story from his childhood (abusing poor Gil) to Alice wanting to share her excitement of winning a arm wresting match with Oz that makes me fall for these two. It's a very sweet relationship that is built upon so many different levels, but it's their friendhsip that seems so natural. They both connect personally with each other in relaxing, funny, and touching ways that give their friendship a lot of substance behind a ever growing strong foundation that I don't see crumbling easily these days.
I see Oz and Alice like each other's sun in a way as both brightened up the other's world from a much darker place. It's not as though the problems around them go away, but with each other they can no doubt look forward to a brighter time again with each other whether they realize it or not. It's not even intentional, it just is something that happens by just being themselves. Their presence is warm to the other in a way that helps bring the other out of their own personal and/or true abyss.
They may show it in different ways but they both are a lot a like too; when you get right down to it, both are determined, strong, and caring people. Similiarites that no doubt help connect and understand just why they like and click with the other with natural ease.
Friendship is the key to any strong relationship and I look forward to how much they will continue to grow together and as individuals. Whether they actually became a romantic couple or not, I will still enjoy the relationship and think that these qualities could really make them a good pairing as both a couple and as individuals.
Fandom:
AMV-
Insomnia by SapphireStar26
Rebirth by xXxDarkSpirit92xXx
Love requiem by xBlueLove1
Savior by snowflakes1515
Shattered by MyVampireEyes (okay this one isn't strictly Alice/Oz, but it does have some scenes and I couldn't help but reccomend it).
Fanfic-
Admittedly, I don't know a lot of PH fics as I don't look for them, but I tried to find some.
Bed Times by timmesque
Marriage? by Religion0
Sweet Tooth by DevineAncient
Links
Manga: Onemanga
Forum: The Heart Abyss
Livejournal: パンドラハーツ ] Pandora Hearts.
Author: white_arc
Pairing/Characters: Alice/Oz
Fandom: Pandora Hearts
Disclaimer: I don't own the official Franchise.
Notes: This essay will contain spoilers throughtout the series (more so about Alice and Oz's relationship than the story, so I'm trying to not spoil the plot too much). Also this wil be more about why I like the pairing and less on how much canon it is/can be.
Series Summary~
"Your sin is...Your very existence..."
....And with those words our hero, the young fifteen year old Duke heir Oz, is thrown into the abyss where he meets, our heroine, Alice who, like himself, is a lot more than she seems as both eventualy join the orginization called Pandora and embark on a quest to understand their own nature and the ties that bind them to not only the event known as the Tragedy of Sablier, that dates back one hundred years ago, or to the mysterious, and often deadly, place known simply as the Abyss.
Pandora Hearts is a finished anime and ongoing manga series that holds strong allusions to Alice in Wonderland while maintaining a drama/comedy with doses of action in a mystery story about who did what, why, and what it's all about.
Characters~
Oz Bezaruis: Thief of smiles, Prince of Fools
Oz was a perfectly fine and happy boy who was heir to his families Dukedom before tragically falling into the Abyss and...
Actually...Oz is probably best described as weird, contrary, and complex if you want to claw away enough layers to really get down in there. Oz is basically a hero complex protaginist who physically can't fight on his own that well (well not until much later, not that that may be a good thing...) but is the only the definition of suave when it comes to words and acting the part of whatever he wants you to see. Oz is also very intelligent and is perceptive enough to quickly grasp situations and people in ways most would overlook. Oz has no fear for himself so comes across as more or less pretty gutsy and always wears a friendly smile full of optimistic and fairly logical words (though be careful, he can be pretty dang scary with them as well) for whenever the situation is bad for him or others. It seems pretty hard to traumatize him as he easily takes everything in stride, focusing more on what to do rather than what's happened in a way that may even appear plastic, but Oz is by no means unaffected by people or his surrondings.
Oz has a nearly suicide way of thinking, as while he's not trying to actively die, he sees no worth in himself due to an incident and how he was treated by a important figure in his life that always seems to cast a shadow in Oz's tender heart. Despite this weakness though, Oz is a strong and loyal character who is empathetic/caring and willing to do no what to protect what's important to him and those in need around him. This attitude, in turn, inspires loyalty from other characters as Oz tries to unravel the mystery of his existence and come to terms with the darkness in his heart that has hurt him for years and how his rather mysterious existence can be considered a sin.
Oh yeah, did I mention that Oz is only fifteen in looks but is twenty-five in reality?
Alice: Chain Warrior, Shadow of Memories
In the world of Pandora Hearts, people can make contracts with powerful beings known as Chains, creatures who dwell in the world known as the Abyss, to serve them in whatever task they may desire (though this is not without consenquences).
Meet Alice; The legendary black blood stained rabbit, or B-rabbit for short.
She is not a person who is afraid to get violent and is a fighter to the extreme. Alice is tough and no-nonsense on the surface and will do what she feels she must to solve a problem no matter how it must go about; usually with a beat down if she can get away with it. She has no memories of her past in the beginning and can not remember anything other than living in the dark Abyss by herself. Alice is blunt and honest, but also is shy and carries a fragile side do to being alone for so long and can get lonely very easily (typical rabbit, eh). She doesn't completely understand the social norm so things such as the idea of kissing can go completely misunderstood as something people do to eat other's faces to become energized. But she does have a kind side and, in her own ways, can show support and empathetic understanding to those she trusts that can touch people, notably Oz. More over, she's a girl who wants to be loved.
Overall, despite the trauma she has faced as well as the anxiety she can feel over some issues, she's an upbeat and determined character who is loyal to herself and others she trusts and loves.
Essay:
More than just partners:
"Really...Alice is really amazing..." "Why's that? Aren't you the same? Because you'd hate stopping here, and you want to move on, right!?" "....Yes...Alice and I are alike...we both accompany each other to find ourselves." "Accompany? "Um, that means--We're friends." "Um, not bad...This feeling is not bad." Oz and Alice, chapter 29, pg. 30-32
The thing with Oz and Alice is that, while they have plenty of reasons why they should stick with each other and use the other to help further their goals due to their connections, the one truth between the reason why they stick together as much as they do is because they are friends.
In a life where both are lost as to what they are and where they may truly belong with circumstances and people trying to more or less force them into believing things about themselves that may or may not be true. Alice and Oz find honesty and sancturary in their relationship to each other. It's by no means a shelter from everything bad, as you could say things didn't start to get really dangerous until the two formed their illegal contract with each other. But that does not overshadow the fact that Alice is Alice to Oz just as Oz is Oz to Alice.
"Didn't you tell me that I just have to remain as myself! Is that a lie?"
"No."
"I... that...is very...really...happy...Yet you...why can't you say that to yourself?
"It's because-"
"Don't talk back you useless piece of trash! Listen here you're my contract! You have to be proud of this! You have to be proud of who you are. You have to be roaring of happiness as my manservant--!." Alice to Oz, chapter 24, pg. 23
In a way, a illegal contract that promises a prison in the abyss should cause wariness and anxiety, actually opens a door for healing and salvation from each other's demons. Alice is proud to be with Oz because Oz is someone who treats her, not as B-Rabbit Chain, the girl with no memories, or the one with a connection to his hidden past/present/future. But as Alice, a friend who touches a chord with her uncontained energy and brutal honesty with actions and words she no doubt believes in with the bottom of her heart. And Alice can be classified as a heart before brain person, she goes with what she feels and it's believable for Oz to really get that Alice really is saying this because she means it, not just trying to get something out of it for herself or say a lie just to make him feel better. Oz, master of words, is stunned by this genuine spirit.
Alice too, is shocked to the heart for how Oz affects her. In Oz, Alice finds not only a partner to help find the missing clues of her past, but a companion who reachess out to her as not just a tool, but a human being who looks at her with genuine fondess as a equal to share his life with. For Alice, this means more than anyone could possibly know...
"Oz is right here!" Alice, chapter 9, pg. 25
Oz is there in life, both physically and emotionally for her. Jack, everything she has ever had before, whether she remembers or not, is not always able to be there for Alice, But Oz is in reality, not just in her memories. She says she needs her memories to keep being herself, but Oz is there to help support her and help her keep her going forward. In turn she does not view Oz as an heir to a title, a replacement of Jack,or just a creepy brat, but just Oz. The person who she kicks and calls her manservant and feels lonely without.
"I leave Alice in you hands...She is a girl who fears loneliness very much." "(Laughs) I know Rabbits will die if they get too lonely." Jack and Oz, chapter 18, pg. 30-31.
Due to either past or nature, Alice under all her gruff is a person who hates to be alone. Oz was the first person to really connect with her in so long (not to mention she can't remember even interacting at all with people in a meaningful way before Oz in the start) it's no wonder she feels upset when he's gone or interacting with someone else more than her. It's sad to see Alice insecure like that and keep it to herself, but when she is just about to shut herself away for good, it's Oz who comes through all the mess and mayhem just to be with her again. It's Oz who reaches out to her, to Alice, no matter what state she is in, or past she has, it's the current real Alice who means so much to him. Alice responds with sobs of relief that she has found someone who calls for her and invites stable thoughts and feelings of having someone who acknowledges the real her in any form and will always come for her no matter when or where into her life.
(Of course the funny thing is that despite what Oz says, he totally ends up being her knight better accidently than anyone else does on purpose).
"I might not understand Alice when she was human. But, I understand the current Alice! She get's angry easily, and her words are harsh, but..the reasl Alice is very gentle, and loves to cry.
(Stop it...I want to sleep like this)
"And she is very stupid as well...her appetite is also very huge!"
(.....Who....? Eh, these words, I heard someone said it before)
"Even though you're not human, you're still Alice...Every movement and thought, her expressions, her characteristics...Proves that Alice will always be Alice. We can see it very clearly! So Alice just has to remain as Alice."
"O...z..?" Oz and Alice, chapter 20. pg 31-33
Support from the abyss; out of the abyss:
"To me...Alice... is as important as the Sun. Crying when she wants to cry, being angry when she wants to be angry, always honest with her feelings.Her being like that seems dazzyling to me...But sometimes....it makes me feel bitter....(She has so much that I don't.)...But (Alice) she's warm. (Alice). My powers are weak, so I can't be her knight. But...I want to watch her...to stay by her side, and watch...what will that light radiate into the end. That's why I..I need to search for Alice!." Oz, chapter 18, pg. 25-29
For Oz, Alice is as good as the sun. Sometimes his respect of her makes him all the more aware of just how he thinks of himself in comparision, but even so, Oz has found someone he desires to watch to the very end. For Oz who starts out as having no value in himself and willing to throw himself in danger for others or sees it as his duty to take care of others. Alice is one of the few differences; Alice is someone who he does not just see as something to protect because she needs him, he already knows he can't be her knight to slay her dragons and doesn't try to force himself pretending he can be. Alice is someone he is willing to go the distance for and drag out of the abyss of her own despair because he does not want this spirit of fire to ever diminsh. He loves this about Alice and wants to give her the chance to shine as much as she can to the end with him by her side all the way.
"The fear when I realized I was alone. That...more than anything...If I'm not neccesary to you, why...am I here...Just where, should I be?" Oz, chapter 12, pg. 11-12
Oz is a person who suffers from identity in the world, perhaps more than anyone. People can help him, but in the end Oz has to be the one to decide to break out of this mentality of being un needed.
"If you were to say being alone means to be cold, than I understand. I'm a chain, but I understand...You're sad. For making that brat exprerience something like that...." Alice to Oz, chapter 12, pg. 33
But he's not alone, in times of deep loneliness where he is suffering alone, Alice comes and without even forcing herself, can understand what Oz is feeling and bring to light what Oz is feeling even when he is unaware or hadn't confronted it beforehand. She may not understand the situation all the time or even know exactly how to word her feelings, but she does know Oz, the boy who smiles even when sad, the person she chose to stay by as the one who can know the same sadness of lonliness/helpless ness as her and is willing to share in her warmth with him.
"Oz, you were calling me just now, right!?"
(Is that so, Alice is using her way to cheer me up.)
"When I met Jack, I heard you're voice. You called out Alice! Alice! I came searchinf for youbecause your crying was voice is unbearable. If you could....It would be great if you could say that out loud more often. If you do that, I can understand. And when you're feeling down, I will...bite you're cheeks again!"
(Let go of the security...and those discouraging words spill it out. I always thought something like that would be a burden to the other person. But...this is an exception. I never thought she would show such a happy expression). Alice and Oz, Chapter 41, pg. 15-17
When Oz is confronted by the one figure who was responsible for all his issues of worth and place in the world, we see the cracks that have never been repaired in his heart and an idea of just how broken that makes him feel. Gil leaves to pursure, Elliot and Leo are there, but don't know what do other than worry. Oz is alone with his dangerous thoughts threatening him to lash out on the world in a fit of chaotic and destructive negativity that he has no idea how to get a grasp on.
But Alice comes.
Alice alone who was seperated from the group awhile ago hears Oz's silent anguish and comes to find him just to make sure he's okay. She wasn't present when the cause of his near breakdown was around, but she does notice something is off about Oz, that Oz is unhappy and so she does her best to make him happy again -by just being herself (that consists of biting his face, but it more or less distracts him enough from his misery to let her words after to really sink in).
"Alice's words are incredible...(rain...I really hate it now)...But there is no foundation for that thought and it's not persuasive at all. And somehow my chest is really warm. (So comfortable) That's right...it's because Alice is here...Is it because of Alice's presence that makes this scenery so beautiful?" Oz, Chapter 41, pg. 18-20.
Oz in his heart can be pessimistic about just how much people would find worth in him, he has trouble doing it himself, but in Alice's presence- in the rain that pours down his back and makes the world so much more heavier than it is, Alice's mere presence can make Oz see that people and feelings can be wonderous and uplifting in even the darkest and unrelenting of places.
So even when Oz is feeling so lost he feels the only way to smile again is destroy all around him; Alice is there as one of the few people (the other being Gil) to snap Oz out of the angiush and confusion he feels when life gets too much for him and keep him grounded to what is real.
"Why did you stop Oz? I mean...when he raised his scythe against that woman. I was a little surprised...I thought you would cheer him on instead..." "It was because it would have been pointless. Hmm, well I don't really know okay!? It pissed me off! No doubt!" "Oh well, for stopping Oz..Thanks a lot." Gil and Alice, chapter 45, pg. 43-44.
Alice, for all her agression, knows when at least Oz is going too far, she's not willing to let Oz do things she in her gut knows is not right for him. She's not afraid to get in between Oz's growing insanity (or whatever it is) and the real Oz she knows and cares about. Alice does not only depend and care about Oz as a person, but she respects him enough with these feelings to sense when Oz is doing things that would be pointless in her view because Oz does not do pointless things, not like that.
Alice and Oz have guardian in the other without even looking. In each other they have someone to call for and who will answer. They are both broken, but beautiful people who have found a pure person to count on and not lie to them about their feelings in such a way they can feel them without having to even voice them. Oz doesn't exactly want to have faith based on something he can't see, but he can't help but feel peace with Alice and is glad just for the fact she is alive. Alice too, can be at peace, just knowing there is someone who will hear her voice for it truly is and not forsake her to a life of the cold abyss.
Reasons Why~
Like the sun, it's not always easy to feel, but Alice and Oz would rather have each other any day than live in the darkness of their lives by themselves. They are both, despite whatever flaws, two very strong individuals that have made their own choices to find what they are looking for about themselves. But it's a journey they (and Gil) have decided to travel together.
It's the big things that can wow me, but it's the small things like Oz sharing a story from his childhood (abusing poor Gil) to Alice wanting to share her excitement of winning a arm wresting match with Oz that makes me fall for these two. It's a very sweet relationship that is built upon so many different levels, but it's their friendhsip that seems so natural. They both connect personally with each other in relaxing, funny, and touching ways that give their friendship a lot of substance behind a ever growing strong foundation that I don't see crumbling easily these days.
I see Oz and Alice like each other's sun in a way as both brightened up the other's world from a much darker place. It's not as though the problems around them go away, but with each other they can no doubt look forward to a brighter time again with each other whether they realize it or not. It's not even intentional, it just is something that happens by just being themselves. Their presence is warm to the other in a way that helps bring the other out of their own personal and/or true abyss.
They may show it in different ways but they both are a lot a like too; when you get right down to it, both are determined, strong, and caring people. Similiarites that no doubt help connect and understand just why they like and click with the other with natural ease.
Friendship is the key to any strong relationship and I look forward to how much they will continue to grow together and as individuals. Whether they actually became a romantic couple or not, I will still enjoy the relationship and think that these qualities could really make them a good pairing as both a couple and as individuals.
Fandom:
AMV-
Insomnia by SapphireStar26
Rebirth by xXxDarkSpirit92xXx
Love requiem by xBlueLove1
Savior by snowflakes1515
Shattered by MyVampireEyes (okay this one isn't strictly Alice/Oz, but it does have some scenes and I couldn't help but reccomend it).
Fanfic-
Admittedly, I don't know a lot of PH fics as I don't look for them, but I tried to find some.
Bed Times by timmesque
Marriage? by Religion0
Sweet Tooth by DevineAncient
Links
Manga: Onemanga
Forum: The Heart Abyss
Livejournal: パンドラハーツ ] Pandora Hearts.