Time: Post-"Secundus 2" (year 1907) Notes: I really wanted to do something about one of the characters reacting to the fact that most of their kids seem to be marrying each other. Marty was the obvious choice, given that both of his kids are marrying one of his best friends' kids. Yes, there is a rash of proposals in 1907 (when most of the kids are in their late teens/early twenties) -- the weddings themselves bleed into 1908.
“Okay, wait, let me see if I’ve got this straight,” Marty said. “Marlene, my daughter, is marrying Jules, Doc’s oldest son. Douglas, my son, is marrying Lorina, Victor’s daughter. Vincent, Victor’s younger son, is marrying Mabel, Victoria’s daughter. And Jonathan, Victoria’s son, is marrying Charlotte, Emily’s daughter.” He held up his hands. “I miss anybody?” “I don’t think so,” Jennifer said. “Right. So, basically, everybody’s kids are all marrying each other. Jules proposing set off a cascade effect.” “I guess so,” Jennifer laughed. “Is it really a problem?” “I just hope I have enough room for all the wedding cake.”
Time: Post-"Secundus 2" Notes: This started out as just Chester and Victor talking about how Victor survived having a newborn in the house, but somehow warped into something with Alice when I went to actually write it. Still, the same spirit is there -- baby-related sleep deprivation sucks.
“Well, you look like hell.” The look her son gave her told Alice her bluntness had not been appreciated. Fortunately, Victor stepped in to play diplomat. “The baby keeping you up at night?” “What do you think?” Chester snapped, then sighed. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be so crabby. Walter’s got an ear infection, which means he cries almost constantly, which means. . . .” His head thunked against the table. Alice patted his back. “We’ve been there. Eventually he’ll get better, and start sleeping through the night.” “I won’t make it that long.” She grinned at him. “You’re a Liddell. You will.”
69) A tent set up in a forest, by a streamsecundus_castJuly 15 2012, 23:27:49 UTC
Time: Vague post-"Secundus" (Victoria and Christopher's honeymoon?) Notes: I wanted to do a bit more with the other happy couples in Secundus, so have a bit of Victoria and Christopher camping fluff. I figured that if there was any couple in that universe who'd go camping, it would be those two.
Christopher finished setting up the tent. “There! What do you think, milady?” “It looks wonderful,” Victoria said. Her eyes went from the tent to the trees all around them, then to the burbling stream a few strides away. “It all looks wonderful. I’ve never been camping before. Mother and Father would have never approved of going to the country without a proper house involved.” “Seems a shame,” Christopher said, putting his arm around her. “I’ll do my best to make sure you have nothing but positive memories of camping after this.” Victoria smiled at him. “I think you’ve already succeeded.”
80) A mermaid lounging underwatersecundus_castJuly 15 2012, 23:35:59 UTC
Time: Post-"Secundus 2" Notes: This one was inspired by the fact that Alice really was supposed to have a mermaid form in "Alice: Madness Returns" -- she'd use it to swim around in the Deluded Depths. They cut it after they couldn't make the swimming sections fun. I don't know why it turned so dark -- maybe Hans Christian Andersen insisted?
She had to get him to the surface. Alice held Victor close and swam with all her might - but somehow, she couldn’t reach the top of the water. It always seemed just out of reach. Frightened, she thrashed her tail harder, but she was still stuck - and Victor was going to drown - She woke to find herself trapped under the covers. She thrashed her way free, then yanked a startled Victor close. “Are you all right?” he whispered, stroking her hair. “I don’t think I’m going to be able to read ‘The Little Mermaid’ to the children for a while.”
91) Author's choice: moonlightsecundus_castJuly 15 2012, 23:39:30 UTC
Time: Vague late or post-"Secundus" Notes: Another one for the other couples, this time focusing on Richard and Emily. I really wanted Emily to have another moonlight dance -- pretend she's going around the grounds of Finklestein's castle. I think Richard is adorably awkward here. (And what Emily mentions at the end actually happened to her in her canon. Beware of high roots, Emily!)
The sight of Emily dancing in the moonlight was not one Richard had expected to see. It was a nice one, though. She moved with such grace - and he was quite impressed with her ability to twirl with that long train. Emily caught sight of him and extended a hand. “Join me?” Richard blushed. “Uh - I don’t really dance. . . .” Emily fluttered her eyelashes. “Please?” What was it about her that melted his insides? “But what if I trip?” he asked, taking her hand. Emily giggled. “Think of it like this - if you trip, you don’t risk losing half your leg.”
92) Author's choice: missing yousecundus_castJuly 23 2012, 02:29:41 UTC
Time: Post-"Secundus," pre-"Secundus 2" Notes: I dunno what prompted this -- maybe because I've written some about Victor missing Marty and Doc during the gap between "Secundus" and "Secundus 2?" At any rate, I wanted to show that Doc and Marty missed him just as much.
“Oh, for--” “This thing’s just not coming together, is it?” Marty said, glaring just as hard as Doc at the pile of parts in front of them. “No. No it is not.” Doc grumbled as he tried again to join the sides. “We’ve been at this for two hours. Progress should have been made at this point!” “Tell me about it. I’m gonna call Victor and--” Both teen and blacksmith stopped as what Marty had said sunk in. For a long moment, there was quiet in the shop. Then, softly, Marty said, “I really miss him.” “So do I,” Doc sighed.
93) Author's choice: twinssecundus_castJuly 23 2012, 02:35:19 UTC
Time: Post-"Secundus 2," birth of Marty's kids Notes: I felt I had to do something highlighting the fact that both Marty and Victor end up having twins. I mean, imagine what a shock that must have been when Victor told Marty that he was getting a pair too! This also touches on Marty, Doc, and Victor's little thing where their first couple of kids get their middle names from the other two. As you've seen, Marty's middle namesake does indeed turn out to be Vincent.
“Well?” Victor asked as Marty came back out. Marty grinned at him. “A boy and a girl - both healthy.” “Wonderful!” Victor gave his friend a hug. “And Jennifer?” “She’s doing fine, though she’s pretty tired. Guess you can’t blame her for that, though. I mean, from what I hear, pushing out one baby’s hard enough.” Victor nodded. “Oh yes. . .I’m glad she’s well. So it’s Douglas and Marlene, right?” “Yup - Douglas Emmett and Marlene Victoria.” Marty playfully poked Victor’s shoulder. “Which means. . . .” Victor laughed. “Yes yes - when ours come along this September, one will be either Vincent Martin or Lorina Martha.”
94) Author's choice: namesakesecundus_castJuly 23 2012, 02:38:24 UTC
Time: Post-"Secundus 2" Notes: I guess this one was inspired by the above one, "twins," in a way -- at least, it got me thinking about what Lorina might think about her middle name. Childlike curiosity and all. And yeah, I toyed with "Lorina Lousia" (spelled the less awkward way), but ultimately felt "Lorina Carroll" worked better.
“Mama?” “What is it, Lorina?” “The other girls at school say my middle name’s all wrong. They told me ‘Carol’s’ only spelt with one r and one l. Why is mine different?” “Oh - well, you know how your brothers’ middle names are those of your papa’s closest friends?” “Yes?” “It’s the same way with yours - a friend we lost some time ago. We just happened to use his last name instead of his first with you.” “Oh. But why not use his first name?” “Because I think even he would have agreed ‘Lorina Lewisa’ sounds - and looks - a bit awkward.”
Notes: I really wanted to do something about one of the characters reacting to the fact that most of their kids seem to be marrying each other. Marty was the obvious choice, given that both of his kids are marrying one of his best friends' kids. Yes, there is a rash of proposals in 1907 (when most of the kids are in their late teens/early twenties) -- the weddings themselves bleed into 1908.
“Okay, wait, let me see if I’ve got this straight,” Marty said. “Marlene, my daughter, is marrying Jules, Doc’s oldest son. Douglas, my son, is marrying Lorina, Victor’s daughter. Vincent, Victor’s younger son, is marrying Mabel, Victoria’s daughter. And Jonathan, Victoria’s son, is marrying Charlotte, Emily’s daughter.” He held up his hands. “I miss anybody?”
“I don’t think so,” Jennifer said.
“Right. So, basically, everybody’s kids are all marrying each other. Jules proposing set off a cascade effect.”
“I guess so,” Jennifer laughed. “Is it really a problem?”
“I just hope I have enough room for all the wedding cake.”
Reply
Notes: This started out as just Chester and Victor talking about how Victor survived having a newborn in the house, but somehow warped into something with Alice when I went to actually write it. Still, the same spirit is there -- baby-related sleep deprivation sucks.
“Well, you look like hell.”
The look her son gave her told Alice her bluntness had not been appreciated. Fortunately, Victor stepped in to play diplomat. “The baby keeping you up at night?”
“What do you think?” Chester snapped, then sighed. “Sorry, I don’t mean to be so crabby. Walter’s got an ear infection, which means he cries almost constantly, which means. . . .” His head thunked against the table.
Alice patted his back. “We’ve been there. Eventually he’ll get better, and start sleeping through the night.”
“I won’t make it that long.”
She grinned at him. “You’re a Liddell. You will.”
Reply
Notes: I wanted to do a bit more with the other happy couples in Secundus, so have a bit of Victoria and Christopher camping fluff. I figured that if there was any couple in that universe who'd go camping, it would be those two.
Christopher finished setting up the tent. “There! What do you think, milady?”
“It looks wonderful,” Victoria said. Her eyes went from the tent to the trees all around them, then to the burbling stream a few strides away. “It all looks wonderful. I’ve never been camping before. Mother and Father would have never approved of going to the country without a proper house involved.”
“Seems a shame,” Christopher said, putting his arm around her. “I’ll do my best to make sure you have nothing but positive memories of camping after this.”
Victoria smiled at him. “I think you’ve already succeeded.”
Reply
Notes: This one was inspired by the fact that Alice really was supposed to have a mermaid form in "Alice: Madness Returns" -- she'd use it to swim around in the Deluded Depths. They cut it after they couldn't make the swimming sections fun. I don't know why it turned so dark -- maybe Hans Christian Andersen insisted?
She had to get him to the surface. Alice held Victor close and swam with all her might - but somehow, she couldn’t reach the top of the water. It always seemed just out of reach. Frightened, she thrashed her tail harder, but she was still stuck - and Victor was going to drown -
She woke to find herself trapped under the covers. She thrashed her way free, then yanked a startled Victor close. “Are you all right?” he whispered, stroking her hair.
“I don’t think I’m going to be able to read ‘The Little Mermaid’ to the children for a while.”
Reply
Notes: Another one for the other couples, this time focusing on Richard and Emily. I really wanted Emily to have another moonlight dance -- pretend she's going around the grounds of Finklestein's castle. I think Richard is adorably awkward here. (And what Emily mentions at the end actually happened to her in her canon. Beware of high roots, Emily!)
The sight of Emily dancing in the moonlight was not one Richard had expected to see. It was a nice one, though. She moved with such grace - and he was quite impressed with her ability to twirl with that long train.
Emily caught sight of him and extended a hand. “Join me?”
Richard blushed. “Uh - I don’t really dance. . . .”
Emily fluttered her eyelashes. “Please?”
What was it about her that melted his insides? “But what if I trip?” he asked, taking her hand.
Emily giggled. “Think of it like this - if you trip, you don’t risk losing half your leg.”
Reply
Notes: I dunno what prompted this -- maybe because I've written some about Victor missing Marty and Doc during the gap between "Secundus" and "Secundus 2?" At any rate, I wanted to show that Doc and Marty missed him just as much.
“Oh, for--”
“This thing’s just not coming together, is it?” Marty said, glaring just as hard as Doc at the pile of parts in front of them.
“No. No it is not.” Doc grumbled as he tried again to join the sides. “We’ve been at this for two hours. Progress should have been made at this point!”
“Tell me about it. I’m gonna call Victor and--”
Both teen and blacksmith stopped as what Marty had said sunk in. For a long moment, there was quiet in the shop. Then, softly, Marty said, “I really miss him.”
“So do I,” Doc sighed.
Reply
Notes: I felt I had to do something highlighting the fact that both Marty and Victor end up having twins. I mean, imagine what a shock that must have been when Victor told Marty that he was getting a pair too! This also touches on Marty, Doc, and Victor's little thing where their first couple of kids get their middle names from the other two. As you've seen, Marty's middle namesake does indeed turn out to be Vincent.
“Well?” Victor asked as Marty came back out.
Marty grinned at him. “A boy and a girl - both healthy.”
“Wonderful!” Victor gave his friend a hug. “And Jennifer?”
“She’s doing fine, though she’s pretty tired. Guess you can’t blame her for that, though. I mean, from what I hear, pushing out one baby’s hard enough.”
Victor nodded. “Oh yes. . .I’m glad she’s well. So it’s Douglas and Marlene, right?”
“Yup - Douglas Emmett and Marlene Victoria.” Marty playfully poked Victor’s shoulder. “Which means. . . .”
Victor laughed. “Yes yes - when ours come along this September, one will be either Vincent Martin or Lorina Martha.”
Reply
Notes: I guess this one was inspired by the above one, "twins," in a way -- at least, it got me thinking about what Lorina might think about her middle name. Childlike curiosity and all. And yeah, I toyed with "Lorina Lousia" (spelled the less awkward way), but ultimately felt "Lorina Carroll" worked better.
“Mama?”
“What is it, Lorina?”
“The other girls at school say my middle name’s all wrong. They told me ‘Carol’s’ only spelt with one r and one l. Why is mine different?”
“Oh - well, you know how your brothers’ middle names are those of your papa’s closest friends?”
“Yes?”
“It’s the same way with yours - a friend we lost some time ago. We just happened to use his last name instead of his first with you.”
“Oh. But why not use his first name?”
“Because I think even he would have agreed ‘Lorina Lewisa’ sounds - and looks - a bit awkward.”
Reply
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