[fanfic fifty] [heart no kuni] 45. Morph

[spicy_diamond]

Title: I'm Not Myself Today
Author: spicy_diamond
Fandom: Heart no Kuni no Alice
Characters: Nightmare Gottschalk / Alice Liddell
Table: Four
Prompt: 45. Morph
Rating: PG-13
Challenge: fanfic50
Summary: [AU-Heart, **Major Spoilers for Truth End**] Alice Liddell, catatonic victim of manic depression. Nightmare Gottshalk, hemophiliac, roommate, and inpatient

Comments

[auburn_leaves]

(splitting again ^^;;)

After going through the truth end (yet) again, I think it also answers us why Nightmare is as attached to Alice as Peter is (adding to that what novel gave us, it makes a lot of sense I think): the only way to go between both worlds is through dreams and that's Nightmare's domain. If Peter could see Alice in his dreams, then Nightmare could do the same. That's why Peter asked Nightmare for help in getting Alice to Wonderland, he wasn't able to do it without Nightmare knowing and without him opening the passage first. So Nightmare has known and loved Alice through Peter's dreams. That is of course assuming that Wonderland is real.
Going further with the "Wonderland is a reflection of Alice's mind" concept (or acknowledging that Wonderland wrapped itself around Alice's feelings), Nightmare has a few other features that may indicate he represents everything that Alice wants to forget about and/or refuses to accept about herself. His fear of hospitals, for example... Alice mentioned that she doesn't feel good with hospitals and that she doesn't like them because they remind her of her mother's death (if she remembered about her sister I'm sure she'd feel even more uncomfortable about them). She lost both her mother and her sister to some kind of sickness, and Nightmare is the only one who is constantly sick. Every other character is abnormally healthy/strong. One more thing, Nightmare tries to avoid work no matter what, and that's what Alice has to face in the real world, even if she wouldn't want to, because that's how the society works and her feeling of responsibility wouldn't let her do otherwise. Nightmare barely has any feelings of responsibility, much less than the other characters, so he may represent the part of Alice that wants to live more freely, without being so bound by the rules and her own conscience... aaand I could go on like this, lol. (sorry for the mental image I gave you there XD;; Now I kinda wish someone drew a fanart of Naito in Pluto's costume ahhhh *bricks self*)

[spicy_diamond]

Double drat. You'd think Quinrose would make these things more easily available considering that their fans are global now.

I wouldn't be surprised if Joker has some way to materialize the bottle. Considering that the prisoners are entrapped by their own guilt, it would make sense that, as Warden, he'd have the means to keep them 'locked' as it were.

Geh, I really just love how complex Wonderland is. Alice does cherish life/(time) so much more than the people in Wonderland because she knows it's value where they make a mockery of all the rules of time. (Aging, the order of the day, life/death) Now I want to redo a bunch of Anni to refresh myself. XDD (*cough* And, I do actually have the completed save data if you'd rather watch than play Ace's non-stay... His is really intriguing for reasons beyond just being able to pick Alice up. >.> Heaven knows turns makes the games long. Both disappointed and glad that Omochabako skipped em.)

It never really mentioned how Pierce became a role holder other than to say that he'd 'tried really hard' (I think?) to be one and indicating that he'd been a normal rat before getting a role. (Rather like how Peter mentions that he'd been a normal faceless rabbit, with family even, before his role.)

I think the idea that Nightmare reflects the things that Alice wants to forget makes a lot of sense as well... Though, I also wonder, Wonderland conforming itself to Alice and all, if Nightmare doesn't take those things unto himself in exchange for Alice being able to forget? (And like the things she wishes to forget he's hovering there, mysteriously, just out of reach.) Nightmare is her biggest constant in Wonderland, after all. No matter the route she takes.

(Am now deeply intrigued at the idea that Nightmare's 'closeness' with Alice rivals Peters... ack, too many good ideas for ficcage!)