Entranced
is the 21st story in Stranded. Puck punishes Vlad by using a love potion to make him fall in love with Alicia.
Tropes:
- Abhorrent Admirer: Vlad STILL deeply hates and fears Alicia, whose homely appearance, overbearing personality, boorish mannerisms, and obsessive love for him disgust him to no end. However, thanks to Puck's love potion, he starts reciprocating her advances.
- Affectionate Nickname: Vlad (under the effects of the potion) and Alicia tends to give each other lots of cutesy nicknames.
- Vlad calls her "Darling", "Muffin", "Majestic Mountain Beauty", "Sweet Little Rhubarb", etc.
- Alicia calls him "Honey", "Lamb-chop", "Sugar Lips", "Honey Pot", "Honey Badger", etc.
- All Girls Want Bad Boys: Alicia reveals that she is aware of Vlad's Corrupt Corporate Executive tendencies, but it doesn't diminish her love for him. She actually admits it makes her even more attracted to him. Alicia even swoons as she refers to Vlad as her "little avaricious silver fox".
- Alliterative Name: Vlad Masters has a nightmare where he and Alicia have ten kids. Three of them are Mel, Mary-Lou and Maybelle.
- All Love Is Unrequited: Played with as thanks to the love potion, Alicia's feelings are finally being reciprocated by Vlad, although they are more than likely not how he actually feels for her.
- All Women Are Lustful: Alicia, especially around Vlad.
- Amicable Exes: Averted. Alicia and her ex-husband Jonah do NOT get along at all, to the point Jonah had the cops keep her twenty feet away from him.
- And Now You Must Marry Me: An unintentional example. Vlad has no choice but to marry Alicia because of the love potion Puck gave him.
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Vlad begs Puck not to make him fall in love with Alicia.
- And I Must Scream: Vlad acts happy and loving towards Alicia due to a spell. Mentally, he's disgusted, horrified, and wants to do nothing but hurl insults at her and flee.
- Anticipatory Lipstick: Alicia adds this several times before proceeding to make out with Vlad.
- Anything but That!: When told who he'll be forced to fall in love with, Vlad asks for anyone but Alicia and offers to give Puck anything the latter wants to avoid his punishment.
- Are We There Yet?: Alicia asks this question during a flight to Paris.
- Asshole Victim: Colette, Vlad, and Beatrice are Team Phantom's most hated enemies and are currently stuck in miserable situations because of their actions in "Traveled", the latter two courtesy of Puck:
- Colette is in the hospital being treated for injuries and potential infections because of her misadventures in New York while stalking Danny.
- Vlad is doused with a love potion by Puck as payback for trying to enslave him and is now forced to be in a relationship with the woman he despises most in the world: Alicia.
- Beatrice is forced to live in poverty for a month after Puck sends her to her worst fear using Soul Shredder, as punishment for violating her promise to avoid interfering in Star's life by trying to use a magic box to get rid of Danny, in the process putting New York and her family in danger by accidentally releasing the Forces of Nature trapped inside.
- Awful Wedded Life: Vlad fears this fate with Alicia. He even has a nightmare of being married to her where he is little more than a slave to her.
- Aw, Look! They Really Do Love Each Other: Alicia's feelings for Vlad are genuine, and according to Puck, she is the only one who truly loves him.
- Barefoot Poverty: It's noted in Chapter 12 that Beatrice's Puck-imposed poverty reached a level where she no longer has shoes.
- Bear Hug: Alicia gives quite a few of these to her "Honey".
- Beg the Dog: After spending the previous story trying to imprison Puck and use his powers to his advantage, Vlad shamelessly begs him for mercy when the later plans to force him to fall in love with Alicia.
- Blackmail: Puck records some of Vlad and Alicia's "romance" with the intention of using it for blackmail material in the future.
- Chocolate of Romance: At one point, Vlad gifts Alicia a box of chocolate bon bons while he courts her.
- Covered in Kisses: Happens to Vlad a lot, courtesy of Alicia.
- Crush Blush: Alicia tends to blush around Vlad as he romances her.
- Cute and Psycho: Alicia is very lovey-dovey towards Vlad, who is horrified by her obsessive affection towards him.
- Description Cut:
- As Vlad is about to spend "almost 10 hours of lovin'" with Alicia, he thinks nobody in the world is more miserable than him. The next scene shows Beatrice Traville still suffering the punishment set by Puck.
- A later moment portrays Vlad believing there's nobody even half as miserable as him. The next scene shows Colette at the hospital.
- The Dreaded: The people of Arkansas are wary of enraging Alicia because of her infamous temper so her neighbors (Zeke, Rufus, and Jasper) leave her and Vlad alone inside her cabin.
- "Eureka!" Moment: Star is said to have one when deducing Alicia likes Vlad because she was "hit on the head a lot" back when she was a wrestler.
- Evil Cannot Comprehend Good: Vlad can't understand why anyone would disapprove of him trying to force Maddie into marriage.
- Even Evil Has Loved Ones: While Alicia isn't actually "evil" in a traditional sense, she's sincerely in love with Vlad, unaware of his status as a villain but is aware of his jerkass persona and Corrupt Corporate Executive actions.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Vlad considers Jean-Luc "a shameful idiot who ogles anything in a skirt and who has no control over his daughter".
- Everyone Has Standards:
- As much as Titania hates Vlad, she's concerned that he doesn't know the side effects of the love potion.
- Alicia may be something of a Gold Digger with horrible taste in men but even she hates Jean-Luc Bevier despite never meeting him after Maddie told her how much of a womanizing slimeball he is.
- Fate Worse than Death: Vlad considers being with Alicia like this.
- Flowers of Romance: One of Vlad's attempts to woo Alicia involves surprising her with many roses decorating her yard. Alicia is thrilled by it.
- Footsie Under the Table: Alicia does this with Vlad a few times.
- Forceful Kiss: Even when the effects of the love potion dim and Vlad tries to run away from her, Alicia still manages to get her hands on him and plant a couple kisses on him.
- Fourth-Date Marriage: Alicia and Vlad get married not even a week after Vlad is doused with the love potion and beings reciprocating her feelings.
- Freudian Excuse: Alicia's bitterness and bizarre attachment to Vlad are implied to be due to her nasty divorce and being alone for over a decade.
- From Bad to Worse: This is how Vlad feels about his punishment from Puck since he finds himself unable to escape from Alicia and her increasingly determined attempts to spend time with him.
- Henpecked Husband: Thanks to the love potion, Vlad is basically an enamored slave to Alicia and is pretty much guaranteed to become this trope when they marry. He later has a nightmare after their wedding about literally being this trope, as Alicia is the domineering partner while he does all of the housework.
- Hidden Depths: Alicia reveals that she is a very skilled swimmer. She also used to be a wrestler named "the Red Grizzly beat of Spittoon" before she married her ex-husband.
- Hillbilly Horrors: Vlad views Alicia and her lifestyle as this.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: Vlad situation with Alicia gets worse as he then begins to shower her with gifts that he originally purchased for Maddie, endearing him to her even more. It reaches its zenith when it's revealed that he previously prepared marriage papers in advance for the off chance he got Maddie...and winds up using them to marry Alicia instead.
- Hope Spot:
- 24 hours after the love potion kicks in, it briefly weakens and Vlad believes it wore off. He's wrong.
- Later on, Vlad wakes up and hopes that his marriage to Alicia was just a nightmare. He is instantly proven wrong.
- Hot Guy, Ugly Wife: Going by how they looked in the original series, Vlad looks like a relatively attractive middle-aged man, while Alicia looks very mannish and unsightly, not even conventionally attractive by the show's standards.
- House Husband: Vlad has a nightmare where Alicia makes him do the household chores while she spends his money on herself.
- Hypocrite: Vlad hates Puck for forcing him to fall in love with someone he hates like Alicia, but Puck calls him out on this by pointing out Vlad had no problem wanting to force Maddie to fall in love with someone she hates like himself.
- Innocently Insensitive: Due to being unaware of the love potion, Alicia doesn't know that her constant affection is actually unwanted by her "sweetheart".
- Irony: Danny thinks Alicia forgot her promise to train him to be a wrestler once he turns 18. A previous scene features her telling Vlad about that promise.
- Ironic Hell: Vlad always says that he wanted love and companionship. He finally got his wish...but with the last person he'd ever want to be around.
- Internal Reveal: Alicia admits to Vlad that she lied to Jack and she does indeed have an outhouse.
- Inter Species Romance: Played with, thanks to the love potion, Vlad (a half ghost) is placed into a relationship with Alicia (a human).
- Karmic Butt-Monkey: Vlad finds himself in a humiliating position of being desired and stuck with an obsessive and unattractive hillbilly, the sister of the woman he actually desired and obsessed over.
- Kiss Up the Arm: One of Vlad's attempts to "woo" Alicia involves doing this, though not by choice. He is extra grossed out due to Alicia's hairy arms.
- The Lad-ette: Alicia has many masculine hobbies and disgusting habits that repulse Vlad to no end
- Large Ham: Alicia, big time. Especially when she's flirting with Vlad.
- Laser-Guided Karma: And then some! This is Vlad's worse nightmare come true and boy, does he deserve it!
- Lawyer-Friendly Cameo: Chapter 3 features characters from Miraculous Ladybug making a brief appearance. The fic's author even uses the trope's name to describe their role.
- Love Confession: Vlad unwillingly gives one to Alicia due to the effects of the love potion.
- Lust: Alicia is very lustful around Vlad, eager to demonstrate the depths of her affection for him.
- Masculine Girl, Feminine Boy: Vlad isn't exactly "feminine" but Alicia is very brawny and tomboyish.
- Massage of Love: At one point, Alicia asks Vlad to rub her feet and the potion makes him obey her.
- Moral Myopia: Vlad had no qualms with using less than savory means of making Maddie love him, which included a love potion. He suffers the very fate he was willing to subject her to and it doesn't dawn on him that this might be what she would feel.
- Mutually Unequal Relation: Alicia sees Vlad as her handsome knight in shining armor with rich pockets and a wonderful gentleman whom she loves. Vlad sees Alicia as a loud, boorish, unattractive savage who pales in comparison to her sister.
- Mythology Gag: As he walks down the aisle with Alicia, Vlad mentally asks for a "world-destroying asteroid".
- My Biological Clock Is Ticking: After getting married, Alicia tells Vlad that she wants to have kids soon.
-
Nausea Fuel: This is how Vlad feels about being forced to be romantic with Alicia. - Never My Fault: Vlad blames his predicament on Puck for not warning him that the Forces of Nature would betray him and claims Puck must have helped Danny since he sees no other "logical" explanation for Danny defeating them when Vlad couldn't.
- "Not So Different" Remark: Vlad admits mentally that one thing he has in common with Alicia is that neither of them approve of Maddie's marriage to Jack.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Vlad acts cheerful, doting, and affectionate with Alicia due to the love potion. Alicia is unaware of it and is just happy to have his attention.
- Out of Focus: Danny and Star's relationship is not a factor in this story.
- Pass the Popcorn: Puck conjures "a comfy chair, popcorn, soda and other snacks" while he watches Vlad's suffering.
- Questionable Consent: Given the influence he is under, it's unclear if sleeping with Alicia was something Vlad wanted to do of his own volition or if it was an effect of the love potion.
- Rags to Riches: Alicia technically becomes this after she marries Vlad.
- Revenge Myopia: Vlad swears to get back at Puck for using a love potion to make him fall in love with Alicia, ignoring he brought it on himself for trying to force the fairy into helping him with his schemes by enslaving him.
- Rule of Three: Alicia notes it may take 3 days to get marriage papers ready.
- Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: It's revealed that Vlad bribed his way into Affluence Magazine's most eligible bachelors' list with "a small fortune".
- Settle for Sibling: Unintentionally, but Vlad ends up romantically involved with (and later married to) Alicia, who happens to be Maddie's sister.
- Shotgun Wedding: Alicia's neighbors wonder if this is the case after seeing her and Vlad married.
- Shout-Out:
- Vlad wants "those ruby slippers" so he could be safe in his lab.
- Alicia asks if Vlad "Ever kissed upside down like in that super hero picture show".
- When Alicia describes her wedding day as the best day of her life, Vlad says it's her best "so far".
- Sickeningly Sweethearts: Vlad unwittingly becomes one of these with Alicia thanks to Puck's love potion.
- Shipper with an Agenda: Puck uses a love spell that makes Vlad fall for Alicia. This is not for either person's benefit, just to punish Vlad by setting him up with someone he's disgusted by.
- Speak Now or Forever Hold Your Peace: The pastor in charge of making Vlad and Alicia a wedded couple asks this and Vlad internally shouts, but nobody says anything.
- Squish the Cheeks: When the potions effects briefly weaken, Alicia corners Vlad and does this before she begins to French kiss him.
- Stalking Is Funny if It Is Female After Male: Puck finds Vlad's suffering at the hands of Alicia to be amusing.
- Stalker with a Crush: Alicia reveals to Vlad that she has been investigating his career due to her obsessive love for him.
- Stay in the Kitchen: A Rare Male Example. Vlad has a nightmare of married life with Alicia where he is the one doing all of the housework while she gives the orders.
- Stepford Smiler: Puck's love potion forces Vlad to hold a happy, loving facade around Alicia, while he secretly just wants to flee at the mere sight of her.
- Silver Fox: Alicia describes Vlad as one when she's flirting with him.
- A Taste Of His Own Medicine: Puck says this is what Vlad is getting. As punishment for trying to make Maddie fall in love with him against her will, Vlad will be forced to fall in love with her sister.
- Teeny Weenie: It's implied by Alicia that Vlad has one of these.
- Tears of Joy: Alicia sheds these after Vlad proposes to her and during their wedding.
- Through His Stomach: One of Alicia's attempts to court Vlad is cooking for him. Unfortunately for Vlad, her cooking leaves something to be desired.
- Unexpected Virgin: Alicia is shocked to learn that Vlad is one of these. Vlad reveals that he was saving himself for someone special (omitting that it was Maddie) but she doesn't mock him for it.
- Unwanted Spouse: Alicia and Vlad get married during chapter 10, and while Vlad acts happy due to the love potion, he's anything but in reality.
- Villain Respect: While Vlad thinks Jean-Luc Bevier is an idiot, he does admit that his business makes good wine.
- What Does She See in Him?:
- Titania doesn't understand what Alicia sees in Vlad and thought she was also under a love potion until Puck, who also doesn't get why Alicia would love Vlad, told her otherwise.
- Vlad doesn't understand what Stella sees in Jean-Luc.
- Womanchild: Alicia acts more like a lovesick teenager around Vlad than a middle-aged woman who had been divorced.
- Yandere: Alicia towards Vlad, being very clingy and stifling, especially when she thinks he wants to be with her.
