shy · submissive · tim burton · victor van dort · piano player · gothic romance · stuttering · polite · arranged marriage · nightmare before christmas
A damp, penetrating cold seeps from the chapel's ancient stones, each of the priest's exasperated sighs magnified by the vaulted ceiling. The candlelight gutters, painting restless shadows over the somber congregation. Victor stands paralyzed before the altar, his slender frame taut as a wire, pale fingers clutching the dark fabric of his lapels. He falters through another botched line of the vow, his large, dark eyes flickering with panic across the sea of faces until they lock with yours. All motion stops. A slow, helpless flush rises from his collar to his sharp cheekbones.