an All About Eve-fic
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historiumCreator: Me. Dancingsalome on AO3
Fandom: All About Eve
Title: Margo
Rating: Teens and up
Word Count: 1257
Characters/Pairings: Eve Harrington/Margo Channing
Notes: Unsolved sexual tension, Obsession
Summary Eve gets it all Except the one thing that mattered
Link: Read it on AO3
Most of the lies she told were out of necessity; to construct the narrative which would make her into Eve Harrington. But there was the one lie she concocted because the truth was too close to her heart, too important, to share. In retrospect, it was stupid to not do her homework properly, but she was so used to people’s stupidity and ability to only hear what they wanted to hear, she never imagined anyone would notice. So she hadn’t counted on anyone listening to what she said. However, Addison DeWitt had, and now she was stuck with him and his tiresome demands. But nevermind that; she had learned her lesson, and one day she would get back to him. Meanwhile, she took care to never let slip why she had lied so clumsily.
It sometimes seemed very funny that she, of all people, would carry something sacrosanct in her heart. Hadn’t she stepped on any stone, kissed any frog, to reach her goals? And she had succeeded. Eve Harrington was the darling of New York’s theatre scene, and soon she would be Hollywood's as well. Then she would be the whole world’s darling; not bad for little Gertrude Slojinski from Nowhere, Kansas. Perhaps it would be enough then, but deep down Eve knew it would never be. Not when the most important thing, that which she wanted the most, is forever out of reach.
She had been very young when she first saw Margo Channing on the scene. Margo had been young too, a budding starlet who had caught the role of Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Her parents didn’t care for the theatre, but as it happened an aunt was visiting and she took little Gertrude with her. It was the best thing that had ever happened to her. For a few hours, she was transported to another world, immersed in characters and colours so much more vibrant, so much more alive than anything else. And as the undeniable center; Margo Channing, and for the first time in her short life, Gertrude felt alive when she watched Margo. For the first time she understood love, passion, and desperation, and she knew the only future worth having was to become an actress.
Her normal life seemed even more humdrum and boring after that magical evening. She borrowed Shakespeare’s plays at the library and read and reread A Midsummer Night's Dream until she knew the lines by heart. In her room, she acted out the play, and when that became boring she read all the other plays, giving herself all the roles which spoke to her. And she dreamed of the next summer when the theatre company would return, and she would see Margo again. This time, she vowed, she wouldn’t rest until she got to meet her. Margo, she was sure, would understand her; the only one in the world who could. And one day, in the far distant future when Gertrude had become an actress herself, and she and Margo would conquer the world together.
The theatre company returned the next summer, but without Margo. She had had her breakthrough in New York and at once she was too sought after to be bothered with tours in boring little towns. Gertrude was heartbroken, but even if she cried herself to sleep at the news, she emerged from her grief with a steely resolve; if Margo couldn’t come to her, she would come to Margo.
She planned for years. Collecting every news-clip she could about Margo, reading them over and over, to learn everything there was about her. Sometime in her teens, she realised men were looking at her, and it didn't take her long to work out how she could use it. Though they were boring they were also easy. Very little of her acting talent could be spent on making them happy. Men with their pawing hands and self-delusions were necessary stepping stones towards her ultimate goal. If she ever felt lonely, she turned to women. Then she could close her eyes and imagine that the soft lips and silken skin she caressed belonged to Margo.
And it all paid off. One day she was finally reunited with Margo. Night after night she sat in the cheapest seat and watched. No, not watched; absorbed The other actors were unimportant, they were merely the necessary backdrop to make Margo shine even brighter.
After the play ended the waiting outside came, to see Margo leave in a flurry of sycophants, smiling and writing autographs. Eve never approached her. She didn’t want to be just another fan. She knew in her heart she was more than an admirer- she and Margo had a bond unlike anything else. So she took careful note of Margo’s nearest and dearest. The old dresser was unimportant. Bill Sampson and Lloyd Richards were interesting because of their theatre connections but Eve felt it was quite the wrong thing to try them. But Karen Richards was perfect. She had no stakes in the theatre for herself, and she seemed sweet and docile. Someone it would be easy to push in the right direction. Eve made sure Karen saw her, and eventually, it paid off. One day she stepped into the magic door into the realm of Margo, and it was wonderful. Eve Harrington was the perfect companion. All the years of thinking of Margo, learning about Margo, dreaming of Margo, paid off. Living with Margo was better. Finally, her goal was in sight and Eve couldn't see any way it wouldn't work out.
Then she botched it. Thinking back Eve could see two major mistakes. One was to underestimate Addison, but even bigger was trying to woo Bill. If she hadn't then she might not even have needed Addison at all. Of course, Eve didn’t want Bill. She only wanted to show Margo how men couldn’t be trusted. How inconsistent they were, easily swayed by a pretty face. How was she to know his feelings for Margo was real? In her experience men always wanted youth and prettiness. And suddenly she was shut out from Margo’s radiance, and she had to make a new plan.
Luckily Karen was every bit as easy to manipulate as she had always thought. But she never wanted to replace Margo. Everyone assumed that had been her plan all along; even Addison who saw so much was fooled, but it was not what she wanted at all. Her little coup Karen so willingly helped her with was just to show Margo she had what it took. That she was ready to take on the theatre by Margo’s side. She wanted it all, yes. But she wanted everything with Margo, not without. The two of them together, it would be something the world had never seen before. Surely Margo would see it too?
But to her surprised dismay, Margo refused to play. The glorious Margo, queen of the theatre, just quit. Got married to her director and seemed content with the role of a housewife, as if the devotion of a husband could ever match the adoration of the crowd. It hurt so much that Margo couldn’t see that. It was unthinkable. Even now Eve couldn’t quite believe she would never share the stage with Margo.
She had it all now, didn’t she? Eve Harrington was famous, sought after. Loved and adored. Men wanted her and women wanted to be her. There was no other way to go than up, to new exalted heights.
But Margo got away.
Fandom: All About Eve
Title: Margo
Rating: Teens and up
Word Count: 1257
Characters/Pairings: Eve Harrington/Margo Channing
Notes: Unsolved sexual tension, Obsession
Summary Eve gets it all Except the one thing that mattered
Link: Read it on AO3
Most of the lies she told were out of necessity; to construct the narrative which would make her into Eve Harrington. But there was the one lie she concocted because the truth was too close to her heart, too important, to share. In retrospect, it was stupid to not do her homework properly, but she was so used to people’s stupidity and ability to only hear what they wanted to hear, she never imagined anyone would notice. So she hadn’t counted on anyone listening to what she said. However, Addison DeWitt had, and now she was stuck with him and his tiresome demands. But nevermind that; she had learned her lesson, and one day she would get back to him. Meanwhile, she took care to never let slip why she had lied so clumsily.
It sometimes seemed very funny that she, of all people, would carry something sacrosanct in her heart. Hadn’t she stepped on any stone, kissed any frog, to reach her goals? And she had succeeded. Eve Harrington was the darling of New York’s theatre scene, and soon she would be Hollywood's as well. Then she would be the whole world’s darling; not bad for little Gertrude Slojinski from Nowhere, Kansas. Perhaps it would be enough then, but deep down Eve knew it would never be. Not when the most important thing, that which she wanted the most, is forever out of reach.
She had been very young when she first saw Margo Channing on the scene. Margo had been young too, a budding starlet who had caught the role of Hermia in A Midsummer Night's Dream. Her parents didn’t care for the theatre, but as it happened an aunt was visiting and she took little Gertrude with her. It was the best thing that had ever happened to her. For a few hours, she was transported to another world, immersed in characters and colours so much more vibrant, so much more alive than anything else. And as the undeniable center; Margo Channing, and for the first time in her short life, Gertrude felt alive when she watched Margo. For the first time she understood love, passion, and desperation, and she knew the only future worth having was to become an actress.
Her normal life seemed even more humdrum and boring after that magical evening. She borrowed Shakespeare’s plays at the library and read and reread A Midsummer Night's Dream until she knew the lines by heart. In her room, she acted out the play, and when that became boring she read all the other plays, giving herself all the roles which spoke to her. And she dreamed of the next summer when the theatre company would return, and she would see Margo again. This time, she vowed, she wouldn’t rest until she got to meet her. Margo, she was sure, would understand her; the only one in the world who could. And one day, in the far distant future when Gertrude had become an actress herself, and she and Margo would conquer the world together.
The theatre company returned the next summer, but without Margo. She had had her breakthrough in New York and at once she was too sought after to be bothered with tours in boring little towns. Gertrude was heartbroken, but even if she cried herself to sleep at the news, she emerged from her grief with a steely resolve; if Margo couldn’t come to her, she would come to Margo.
She planned for years. Collecting every news-clip she could about Margo, reading them over and over, to learn everything there was about her. Sometime in her teens, she realised men were looking at her, and it didn't take her long to work out how she could use it. Though they were boring they were also easy. Very little of her acting talent could be spent on making them happy. Men with their pawing hands and self-delusions were necessary stepping stones towards her ultimate goal. If she ever felt lonely, she turned to women. Then she could close her eyes and imagine that the soft lips and silken skin she caressed belonged to Margo.
And it all paid off. One day she was finally reunited with Margo. Night after night she sat in the cheapest seat and watched. No, not watched; absorbed The other actors were unimportant, they were merely the necessary backdrop to make Margo shine even brighter.
After the play ended the waiting outside came, to see Margo leave in a flurry of sycophants, smiling and writing autographs. Eve never approached her. She didn’t want to be just another fan. She knew in her heart she was more than an admirer- she and Margo had a bond unlike anything else. So she took careful note of Margo’s nearest and dearest. The old dresser was unimportant. Bill Sampson and Lloyd Richards were interesting because of their theatre connections but Eve felt it was quite the wrong thing to try them. But Karen Richards was perfect. She had no stakes in the theatre for herself, and she seemed sweet and docile. Someone it would be easy to push in the right direction. Eve made sure Karen saw her, and eventually, it paid off. One day she stepped into the magic door into the realm of Margo, and it was wonderful. Eve Harrington was the perfect companion. All the years of thinking of Margo, learning about Margo, dreaming of Margo, paid off. Living with Margo was better. Finally, her goal was in sight and Eve couldn't see any way it wouldn't work out.
Then she botched it. Thinking back Eve could see two major mistakes. One was to underestimate Addison, but even bigger was trying to woo Bill. If she hadn't then she might not even have needed Addison at all. Of course, Eve didn’t want Bill. She only wanted to show Margo how men couldn’t be trusted. How inconsistent they were, easily swayed by a pretty face. How was she to know his feelings for Margo was real? In her experience men always wanted youth and prettiness. And suddenly she was shut out from Margo’s radiance, and she had to make a new plan.
Luckily Karen was every bit as easy to manipulate as she had always thought. But she never wanted to replace Margo. Everyone assumed that had been her plan all along; even Addison who saw so much was fooled, but it was not what she wanted at all. Her little coup Karen so willingly helped her with was just to show Margo she had what it took. That she was ready to take on the theatre by Margo’s side. She wanted it all, yes. But she wanted everything with Margo, not without. The two of them together, it would be something the world had never seen before. Surely Margo would see it too?
But to her surprised dismay, Margo refused to play. The glorious Margo, queen of the theatre, just quit. Got married to her director and seemed content with the role of a housewife, as if the devotion of a husband could ever match the adoration of the crowd. It hurt so much that Margo couldn’t see that. It was unthinkable. Even now Eve couldn’t quite believe she would never share the stage with Margo.
She had it all now, didn’t she? Eve Harrington was famous, sought after. Loved and adored. Men wanted her and women wanted to be her. There was no other way to go than up, to new exalted heights.
But Margo got away.
