72) A silhouetted figure diving into a lakesecundus_castJuly 23 2012, 02:44:45 UTC
Time: Post-"Secundus," pre-wedding Notes: Oh, this one was inspired by fond memories of last year's drabble Author's Choice: stretch. The idea of Alice asking him to stop being all flexible around her amused me deeply. XD It's mildly risque, but nothing that should do more than raise an eyebrow or two.
“Urgh - you can’t do that!” Victor looked over at Alice, surprised. “Can’t do what?” “You can’t do - the way you stretched yourself out before diving into the lake - Victor, do you know what that does to me?” Victor blinked. “Um - no?” Alice poked him, cheeks burning. God damn him for being so handsome! And so oblivious to same! “You cannot keep reminding me how bloody flexible you are. Otherwise I’m going to - suffice it to say, our wedding night won’t be all that special afterward.” Victor’s eyes went wide. “W-wedding n-night?” It was only then that Alice remembered Victor hadn’t actually proposed yet.
71) A Mayan temple (or Mayan-temple-themed waterslide), with a pool containing sharkssecundus_castJuly 23 2012, 02:48:39 UTC
Time: Post-"Secundus," pre-"Secundus 2" Notes: Dunno where this one comes from, but it amuses me. Sexism in Secundus, especially to one Alice Liddell, never ends well. If you're wondering what it has to do with the prompt, I imagine the guy as obliviously going down the waterslide of doom, more or less.
“Well, it’s about time!” Victor and Alice looked up at the stranger, surprised. “What?” “About time you started doing womanly things!” the man continued, nodding at Alice. “I never approved of having a woman protecting our city. That’s man’s work. Now that you’re going to have a baby, you can devote yourself to motherhood and housewifery, like a proper girl.” Alice’s eyes narrowed. “Really.” “Oh yes,” the man said, oblivious to the danger. “Women are not meant--” Victor managed to keep Alice from beating up the man too badly - and to ignore the part of him that wanted to join in.
58) A deck chair in a field of lavender flowerssecundus_castJuly 23 2012, 02:53:44 UTC
Time: Post-"Secundus 2" Notes: Now here's a new one -- a drabble about Allison Laidlaw, Chester's future wife! I wanted to focus on the kid's relationships for a bit, and looking over the prompts, I realized I could use this one to develop Allison a bit. She's a sweet girly girl, to be sure. And, like Victor, she really likes a lot of the weirdness in Secundus.
Allison had always dreamed of getting married outside. She knew that, traditionally, weddings were church affairs, but she thought that a wedding in a field of flowers was terribly romantic. Her parents had been iffy on the idea, but had told her that as long as her groom agreed to it, they’d help make it happen. As it turned out, not only did Chester agree to it, his father knew the perfect place for it. So Allison was married in Wonderland Park, surrounded by the flowers she loved so much. Granted, she’d never pictured them cheering when she said her vows. . . .
40) lifeguardsecundus_castJuly 23 2012, 03:03:22 UTC
Time:Pre-"Secundus" Notes: This one was inspired by an answer to a Charloft prompt by Alice, where she shared some childhood drawings and talked about her old friend Gryphon, who died fighting the Jabberwock. Too late I realized I'd already had this as a fictional event happening in her mind when she was saving herself from madness (much like in her home canon of "American McGee's Alice"), as shown in "67) Four children around a campfire." Then I thought, well, the people who made the games are always going on about how real events affect Alice's Wonderland -- the same can hold true here. And so this story was born. I deliberately made his death different from the one in the game to distinguish real-Gryphon from fantasy-Gryphon
( ... )
Time: Post-"Secundus" Notes: A sequel of sorts to "Author's choice: twins," in that I wanted to show the moment Marty learned one of his best friends was having twins too. And yes, there is a case of overlapping pregnancies here -- Douglas & Marlene, Vincent & Lorina, and Verne are all born in the same year, within a few months of a each other. So Jennifer, Alice, and Clara are all pregnant together in the spring. That must have been an interesting experience
( ... )
66) An inflatable pool with yellow ducks and fake 'blood', with the sign 'blood bath'secundus_castJuly 30 2012, 22:54:35 UTC
Time: Pre-"Secundus" Notes: I always knew that I wanted this one to be about Alice being violent. I mean, the "blood bath" part demands it. But would you believe it took me until now to realize the threat should be killer ducks? (Maybe it took reading about evil chickens on a sporking community to get my brain in gear. . .)
Ducks. . .should never. . .in a million years. . .have teeth! Alice breathed heavily as she faced down against the final monstrosity. It regarded her with a beady, bloodshot eye, snapping its fanged bill. Metallic, serrated feathers and long talons on its webbed feet finished off the image of a duck gone very, very wrong. It quacked loudly and charged at her. Alice was ready, however, and drove her Vorpal Blade deep into the creature’s head. It convulsed for a moment, then collapsed. She sighed and looked at the street, drenched with blood. “I don’t envy whoever has to clean this up.”
95) Author's choice: Greek to mesecundus_castJuly 30 2012, 23:04:36 UTC
Time: Post-"Secundus 2" Notes: More on the grandbabies! After borrowing the name "Electra" from the BTTF card game (yes, they have a character named Electra McFly -- also a Jules McFly, for some arcane reason), I decided to run with the theme and made Marlene and Jules Greek history buffs. I wanted to include the fact that they even honeymooned in Greece, but it ended up getting cut. Marty does have a point, though -- all these kids' names are related in some way to the Trojan War, and that wasn't exactly a pleasant story
( ... )
Time: Right at the beginning of "Secundus" Notes: Doc and Marty's visit to Burtonsville, right before they go back to the train. I figured it was worth exploring -- and it felt more original than doing a prompt about Victor's pale skin. Because, really, everyone in Burtonsville looks just like him, skin-wise (though I maintain he is one of the palest people there).
“Cripes, being around these people makes me feel like I’m from darkest Africa.” “They are a bit pale,” Doc admitted, looking at the people passing by. “A bit? They’re like ghosts. I mean, I know I’m used to seeing people with farm tans, but sheesh.” “I’m sure they’re perfectly nice, no matter how pale they are.” “Maybe to each other - we’ve been getting a couple of odd looks. Maybe it’s time to cut and run, Doc. After all, it’s been a successful experiment, right?” Doc beamed. “It has indeed. You’re right - let’s see if the return trip goes as well.”
Time: Post-"Secundus 2" Notes: A two-for-one in focusing on less-used characters -- Christopher and his son Jonathan! I got this cute little bit of playtime from the fact that I have Jon idolizing his dad and wanting to be a lot like him when he grows up.
Christopher peered curiously at the pair of toy soldiers standing to attention just inside the door of the sitting room. “Have you come to life when I wasn’t looking?” “Oh no! The advance scouts have been spotted!” Jonathan’s voice came from around the doorframe. “Quick, send in reinforcements!” More soldiers appeared on the threshold, manipulated by little hands. Christopher smothered a laugh. “I seem to find myself outnumbered,” he said, sitting on the floor. “Does this mean I’m now a prisoner of war?” Jonathan’s smiling face peeked out. “Don’t worry, Daddy. I think we can open peace negotiations with Mummy.”
Time: Vague in-"Secundus" (after Chapter 7 or so) Notes: I kind of had to do something for Victoria for this one, because of what she says in the movie when he parents force her into marrying Barkis: "Yesterday, I thought my wedding would be happy. Now I feel like I'm caught in the tide, pulled out to sea." I took that idea and ran with it.
For the longest time, Victoria had been an obedient child. When her parents wanted her to do something, she did it. When they didn’t, she didn’t. She was the tide and they the moon - they controlled whether she surged toward the shore or retreated toward the sea. But on coming to Secundus, she’d discovered her rebellious side. And she’d discovered what fun it could be to choose your own path, to follow your heart’s desires instead of your parents’ demands. Of course, she still felt guilty from time to time. But she preferred steering a boat to being the tide.
28) clambakesecundus_castAugust 13 2012, 02:02:48 UTC
Time: Pre-"Secundus" Notes: After looking up just what a clambake was, I decided I should be able to get a Doc-based drabble out of it involving Flint and The Roofless. After all, in this universe, Doc was born New England -- he would know about this. (Well, hopefully -- I'm a New Englander too, and I had to look this up. *fails at being from RI*) Also, the middle of this got a rewrite after both Doc and I realized the goofiness of what he was saying.
“Flint? You’ve got ‘New England Clambake’ on the menu?” “Yup! Steamers, mussels, quahogs, and lobster mixed in with corn on the cob, carrots, onions, potatoes - and if you like, sausage!” “Oh, I know what goes into one - I’ve lived in New England. It’s just a bit odd to see it advertised in your restaurant. Real clambakes are rather more complicated than using a machine to reconstitute water molecules into food. Er, in terms of preparation - you know what I mean.” “I’m pretty sure I can get it to taste the same.” “I’m positive you can. Just don’t include the seaweed.”
Time: Pre-"Secundus" Notes: Backstory on Emily! I wanted to show the argument she had with her father about Barkis. It's linked to the prompt in two ways: a) Emily is in a sour mood here; b) after she's Reanimated, this is one hell of a sour memory.
“Emily, I just want what’s best for you!” “No you don’t! You just don’t want me to grow up!” “That’s not true! I just --” “It’s because he’s poor, isn’t it?” “No! I don’t like him because - there’s something off about the way he talks, Emily. Like he’s trying too hard to convince me he’s got good intentions.” “He does! He’s the most charming man I’ve ever met! You just don’t like him because he’s not rich!” Emily jabbed a finger at her father. “I tell you now - I don’t care if you disapprove or not! I’m going to be Mrs. Bittern!”
3) doggie paddlesecundus_castAugust 19 2012, 17:57:56 UTC
Time: Pre-"Secundus," with Victor about 13 or 14 Notes: Surprised I didn't think of doing this about Scraps before. He was a great dog, but, even Victor would admit, sometimes a messy one.
“Come on, Scraps! Come here, boy!” Scraps bounded up onto the shore of the little pond. “Now what inspired you to take a swim in there?” Victor asked, shaking his head at his wet dog. “You look like a drowned - ahh, don’t shake, don’t shake!” But it was too late. Water and mud splattered everywhere, including all over Victor’s pants and jacket. He groaned softly as he looked down at himself. “Oh no. . .Mother’s going to let me have it when she sees this.” Scraps barked, completely oblivious to the damage he’d caused. Victor frowned at him. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
57) Driftwood coming out of the sand on a beachsecundus_castAugust 19 2012, 18:04:05 UTC
Time: Post-"Secundus" Notes: This was something of a request by a friend of mine, gigs_83 -- she wanted to see a sequel to this year's Winter Bingo fic aunt. So here it is! Nice to know that not all of Victor's relatives are snobs, right? (Its relation to the prompt is in Victor "uncovering" a branch of his family tree -- the story originally had an explicit mention of that, but it just didn't fit in the final product.)
“So? How’d it go?” “Shockingly well,” Victor said, sitting on the bed. “She wanted to know all about my life - even the parts I was sure she would find horrifying or distasteful. And I learned so much about hers in return. . . .” He suddenly laughed. “I have cousins! Three of them! Aunt Elaine’s going to give me their addresses so I can write.” Alice smiled and pulled him close. “I’m glad. I was rather worried when you said you were meeting up with your mother’s sister.” “Don’t be - apparently, the hidden branch of my family tree is the most sensible one.”
61) A busy beach at night, in a city, with fireworks overheadsecundus_castAugust 19 2012, 18:08:30 UTC
Time: Post-"Secundus 2" Notes: Another sequel of a sorts to a "Winter Bingo" fic -- the family's on the same vacation as they were in 12. holiday -- Off By The Sea. Dunno why there are fireworks, but hey -- fireworks! It's basically just some fun family fluff.
Fireworks sailed into the night sky and exploded, sending out multicolored sparks of light all around. “Look at that one, Mum!” Chester cried, pointing. “I see it,” Alice laughed. “They’re rather hard to miss.” “They’re so pretty!” Lorina declared, as another firework burst into a brilliant pinwheel. “Look at all the colors!” “Not as pretty as some of Daddy’s butterflies, though,” Vincent said. Victor blushed. “Oh Vincent, you don’t need to flatter your father,” he said, patting his younger son’s head. “I know the fireworks are better.” “Oh Victor.” Alice kissed his cheek. “Be quiet and take the praise, silly.”
68) A large sand dune with a single line of tracks crossing itsecundus_castAugust 19 2012, 18:12:42 UTC
Time: Vague "Secundus 2" Notes: Originally I was going to stick Doc and Marty out in the desert for some reason, but I couldn't think of any. So instead I went with how far away the McFly homestead is from Hill Valley proper in the 1880s. Marty's comment about "fourteen miles" is taken from the BTTF III novelization -- it's actually a little longer than that, because Seamus had to take canon!Marty over to those train tracks.
“I have to say - your house seems rather isolated from the rest of Hill Valley.” “A lot of people’s are,” Marty replied, shrugging. “It’s because we’re mostly farmers - we need the space to grow stuff.” “Yes, but - after living in Burtonsville’s village square and in Secundus. . .I suppose I’m too used to houses being crowded together. Looking out across the desert like this. . . .” “Yeah, I guess it can get a little lonely,” Marty agreed. “But if you really need civilization, you can always follow the train tracks. It’s just a fourteen mile hike.” “I’ll deal with the isolation, thank you.”
Time: Post-"Secundus 2," Chester's about two years old Notes: This one was inspired by a convo my friend Rose and I had, where she wondered what would happen if Victor met Willy Wonka from Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (it and Corpse Bride had overlapping filming schedules). I couldn't come up with anything featuring Victor and Willy actually meeting, so I decided news on the contest was the next best thing. (Besides, I have to admit -- I see Wilder!Wonka as more appropriate for Secundus. The factory would probably be a combination of Wilder and Depp, though.) How it relates to the prompt: "coming out of one's shell," which is what Wonka's doing a bit with this contest.
“Victor! Look at this!” Victor abruptly had the front page of the Secundus Gears & Grind thrust in front of him. “‘Wonka Holding Contest To Enter Factory
( ... )
79) A hammock hanging from a palm treesecundus_castAugust 26 2012, 23:34:02 UTC
Time: Post-"Secundus 2" Notes: I wasn't sure what to do with this one for a while, but eventually this came. I think it's an amusing exchange between Chester and his mother -- and I think anyone who either has a child with kids of their own, or is that child and has talked to their parents about raising kids, can relate to it. The hammock is the same one from last year's fic 51) hammock -- yes, Victor kept it even after his little "incident."
On days like today, Chester was very glad his father had given him their old hammock. He collapsed into it, letting the breeze rock him. Oh, he’d needed this. . . A shadow fell over him. “Allison said I could find you out here.” “Oh, hi Mum,” Chester said, sitting up. “I’m sorry, I forgot about our dinner. . . .” “It’s all right. I’ve been told you’ve had a rather exhausting day.” Chester groaned. “Chasing Walter everywhere, having Emma lose a shoe in the mud, both of them refusing to eat lunch. . .you don’t know the half of it!” Moments later: “Mother, stop laughing.”
99) Author's choice: bunnysecundus_castAugust 26 2012, 23:41:39 UTC
Time: Pre-"Secundus" Notes: I was thinking about Alice's beloved toy rabbit the other day, and I realized I never actually showed it in the story, did I? So here's a sad little drabble to prove to you that yes, this version still has it. I watched the beginning of "American McGee's Alice" to confirm her parents' dialogue -- and let me tell you, it STILL gets me to mist up. :(
The flames were everywhere, clawing, devouring her house - she ran, desperately seeking the familiar, the safe - “Mum? Father?!” “Get out, Alice!” “Save yourself, Alice! Get out of the house!” And then there was only running, a desperate leap through her window, a crash, her mother screaming - Alice woke in a cold sweat. Breathing hard, she pulled the only other survivor of the fire - her bunny - to her chest. The great Alice Liddell, clinging to an old stuffed toy, she thought. But it was all she had left of her parents. And it was all that could soothe her right now.
10) watersecundus_castSeptember 2 2012, 22:47:46 UTC
Time: Post-"Secundus" Notes: This is sort of a spiritual successor to 3) doggie paddle, given the subject matter. I wanted to bring Ferdy back at least one more time, and this seemed like a good prompt to do it. It was kind of fun figuring out how you might clean a giant riding butterfly.
“Bath time!” Ferdinand jumped happily under the “shower” Victor had rigged up. Victor grabbed a broom and started scrubbing grime off his mount’s wings. A few scales fell loose as well - Victor picked those up and put them in a bucket for later delivery to Richard. “I’m glad you’re more cooperative than Scraps was,” he told Ferdinand. “I used to have to fight to get him into the tub.” Ferdinand wiggled his antennae, then curled his proboscis to get a drink. Victor laughed and finished sloughing off the last of the dirt. “All clean! Now then - don’t shake your wings!”
Comments 100
Notes: Oh, this one was inspired by fond memories of last year's drabble Author's Choice: stretch. The idea of Alice asking him to stop being all flexible around her amused me deeply. XD It's mildly risque, but nothing that should do more than raise an eyebrow or two.
“Urgh - you can’t do that!”
Victor looked over at Alice, surprised. “Can’t do what?”
“You can’t do - the way you stretched yourself out before diving into the lake - Victor, do you know what that does to me?”
Victor blinked. “Um - no?”
Alice poked him, cheeks burning. God damn him for being so handsome! And so oblivious to same! “You cannot keep reminding me how bloody flexible you are. Otherwise I’m going to - suffice it to say, our wedding night won’t be all that special afterward.”
Victor’s eyes went wide. “W-wedding n-night?”
It was only then that Alice remembered Victor hadn’t actually proposed yet.
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Notes: Dunno where this one comes from, but it amuses me. Sexism in Secundus, especially to one Alice Liddell, never ends well. If you're wondering what it has to do with the prompt, I imagine the guy as obliviously going down the waterslide of doom, more or less.
“Well, it’s about time!”
Victor and Alice looked up at the stranger, surprised. “What?”
“About time you started doing womanly things!” the man continued, nodding at Alice. “I never approved of having a woman protecting our city. That’s man’s work. Now that you’re going to have a baby, you can devote yourself to motherhood and housewifery, like a proper girl.”
Alice’s eyes narrowed. “Really.”
“Oh yes,” the man said, oblivious to the danger. “Women are not meant--”
Victor managed to keep Alice from beating up the man too badly - and to ignore the part of him that wanted to join in.
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Notes: Now here's a new one -- a drabble about Allison Laidlaw, Chester's future wife! I wanted to focus on the kid's relationships for a bit, and looking over the prompts, I realized I could use this one to develop Allison a bit. She's a sweet girly girl, to be sure. And, like Victor, she really likes a lot of the weirdness in Secundus.
Allison had always dreamed of getting married outside. She knew that, traditionally, weddings were church affairs, but she thought that a wedding in a field of flowers was terribly romantic. Her parents had been iffy on the idea, but had told her that as long as her groom agreed to it, they’d help make it happen.
As it turned out, not only did Chester agree to it, his father knew the perfect place for it. So Allison was married in Wonderland Park, surrounded by the flowers she loved so much.
Granted, she’d never pictured them cheering when she said her vows. . . .
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Notes: This one was inspired by an answer to a Charloft prompt by Alice, where she shared some childhood drawings and talked about her old friend Gryphon, who died fighting the Jabberwock. Too late I realized I'd already had this as a fictional event happening in her mind when she was saving herself from madness (much like in her home canon of "American McGee's Alice"), as shown in "67) Four children around a campfire." Then I thought, well, the people who made the games are always going on about how real events affect Alice's Wonderland -- the same can hold true here. And so this story was born. I deliberately made his death different from the one in the game to distinguish real-Gryphon from fantasy-Gryphon ( ... )
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Notes: A sequel of sorts to "Author's choice: twins," in that I wanted to show the moment Marty learned one of his best friends was having twins too. And yes, there is a case of overlapping pregnancies here -- Douglas & Marlene, Vincent & Lorina, and Verne are all born in the same year, within a few months of a each other. So Jennifer, Alice, and Clara are all pregnant together in the spring. That must have been an interesting experience ( ... )
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Notes: I always knew that I wanted this one to be about Alice being violent. I mean, the "blood bath" part demands it. But would you believe it took me until now to realize the threat should be killer ducks? (Maybe it took reading about evil chickens on a sporking community to get my brain in gear. . .)
Ducks. . .should never. . .in a million years. . .have teeth!
Alice breathed heavily as she faced down against the final monstrosity. It regarded her with a beady, bloodshot eye, snapping its fanged bill. Metallic, serrated feathers and long talons on its webbed feet finished off the image of a duck gone very, very wrong. It quacked loudly and charged at her.
Alice was ready, however, and drove her Vorpal Blade deep into the creature’s head. It convulsed for a moment, then collapsed. She sighed and looked at the street, drenched with blood. “I don’t envy whoever has to clean this up.”
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Notes: More on the grandbabies! After borrowing the name "Electra" from the BTTF card game (yes, they have a character named Electra McFly -- also a Jules McFly, for some arcane reason), I decided to run with the theme and made Marlene and Jules Greek history buffs. I wanted to include the fact that they even honeymooned in Greece, but it ended up getting cut. Marty does have a point, though -- all these kids' names are related in some way to the Trojan War, and that wasn't exactly a pleasant story ( ... )
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Notes: Doc and Marty's visit to Burtonsville, right before they go back to the train. I figured it was worth exploring -- and it felt more original than doing a prompt about Victor's pale skin. Because, really, everyone in Burtonsville looks just like him, skin-wise (though I maintain he is one of the palest people there).
“Cripes, being around these people makes me feel like I’m from darkest Africa.”
“They are a bit pale,” Doc admitted, looking at the people passing by.
“A bit? They’re like ghosts. I mean, I know I’m used to seeing people with farm tans, but sheesh.”
“I’m sure they’re perfectly nice, no matter how pale they are.”
“Maybe to each other - we’ve been getting a couple of odd looks. Maybe it’s time to cut and run, Doc. After all, it’s been a successful experiment, right?”
Doc beamed. “It has indeed. You’re right - let’s see if the return trip goes as well.”
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Notes: A two-for-one in focusing on less-used characters -- Christopher and his son Jonathan! I got this cute little bit of playtime from the fact that I have Jon idolizing his dad and wanting to be a lot like him when he grows up.
Christopher peered curiously at the pair of toy soldiers standing to attention just inside the door of the sitting room. “Have you come to life when I wasn’t looking?”
“Oh no! The advance scouts have been spotted!” Jonathan’s voice came from around the doorframe. “Quick, send in reinforcements!”
More soldiers appeared on the threshold, manipulated by little hands. Christopher smothered a laugh. “I seem to find myself outnumbered,” he said, sitting on the floor. “Does this mean I’m now a prisoner of war?”
Jonathan’s smiling face peeked out. “Don’t worry, Daddy. I think we can open peace negotiations with Mummy.”
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Notes: I kind of had to do something for Victoria for this one, because of what she says in the movie when he parents force her into marrying Barkis: "Yesterday, I thought my wedding would be happy. Now I feel like I'm caught in the tide, pulled out to sea." I took that idea and ran with it.
For the longest time, Victoria had been an obedient child. When her parents wanted her to do something, she did it. When they didn’t, she didn’t. She was the tide and they the moon - they controlled whether she surged toward the shore or retreated toward the sea.
But on coming to Secundus, she’d discovered her rebellious side. And she’d discovered what fun it could be to choose your own path, to follow your heart’s desires instead of your parents’ demands. Of course, she still felt guilty from time to time.
But she preferred steering a boat to being the tide.
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Notes: After looking up just what a clambake was, I decided I should be able to get a Doc-based drabble out of it involving Flint and The Roofless. After all, in this universe, Doc was born New England -- he would know about this. (Well, hopefully -- I'm a New Englander too, and I had to look this up. *fails at being from RI*) Also, the middle of this got a rewrite after both Doc and I realized the goofiness of what he was saying.
“Flint? You’ve got ‘New England Clambake’ on the menu?”
“Yup! Steamers, mussels, quahogs, and lobster mixed in with corn on the cob, carrots, onions, potatoes - and if you like, sausage!”
“Oh, I know what goes into one - I’ve lived in New England. It’s just a bit odd to see it advertised in your restaurant. Real clambakes are rather more complicated than using a machine to reconstitute water molecules into food. Er, in terms of preparation - you know what I mean.”
“I’m pretty sure I can get it to taste the same.”
“I’m positive you can. Just don’t include the seaweed.”
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Notes: Backstory on Emily! I wanted to show the argument she had with her father about Barkis. It's linked to the prompt in two ways: a) Emily is in a sour mood here; b) after she's Reanimated, this is one hell of a sour memory.
“Emily, I just want what’s best for you!”
“No you don’t! You just don’t want me to grow up!”
“That’s not true! I just --”
“It’s because he’s poor, isn’t it?”
“No! I don’t like him because - there’s something off about the way he talks, Emily. Like he’s trying too hard to convince me he’s got good intentions.”
“He does! He’s the most charming man I’ve ever met! You just don’t like him because he’s not rich!” Emily jabbed a finger at her father. “I tell you now - I don’t care if you disapprove or not! I’m going to be Mrs. Bittern!”
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Notes: Surprised I didn't think of doing this about Scraps before. He was a great dog, but, even Victor would admit, sometimes a messy one.
“Come on, Scraps! Come here, boy!”
Scraps bounded up onto the shore of the little pond. “Now what inspired you to take a swim in there?” Victor asked, shaking his head at his wet dog. “You look like a drowned - ahh, don’t shake, don’t shake!”
But it was too late. Water and mud splattered everywhere, including all over Victor’s pants and jacket. He groaned softly as he looked down at himself. “Oh no. . .Mother’s going to let me have it when she sees this.”
Scraps barked, completely oblivious to the damage he’d caused. Victor frowned at him. “You’re lucky you’re cute.”
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Notes: This was something of a request by a friend of mine, gigs_83 -- she wanted to see a sequel to this year's Winter Bingo fic aunt. So here it is! Nice to know that not all of Victor's relatives are snobs, right? (Its relation to the prompt is in Victor "uncovering" a branch of his family tree -- the story originally had an explicit mention of that, but it just didn't fit in the final product.)
“So? How’d it go?”
“Shockingly well,” Victor said, sitting on the bed. “She wanted to know all about my life - even the parts I was sure she would find horrifying or distasteful. And I learned so much about hers in return. . . .” He suddenly laughed. “I have cousins! Three of them! Aunt Elaine’s going to give me their addresses so I can write.”
Alice smiled and pulled him close. “I’m glad. I was rather worried when you said you were meeting up with your mother’s sister.”
“Don’t be - apparently, the hidden branch of my family tree is the most sensible one.”
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Notes: Another sequel of a sorts to a "Winter Bingo" fic -- the family's on the same vacation as they were in 12. holiday -- Off By The Sea. Dunno why there are fireworks, but hey -- fireworks! It's basically just some fun family fluff.
Fireworks sailed into the night sky and exploded, sending out multicolored sparks of light all around. “Look at that one, Mum!” Chester cried, pointing.
“I see it,” Alice laughed. “They’re rather hard to miss.”
“They’re so pretty!” Lorina declared, as another firework burst into a brilliant pinwheel. “Look at all the colors!”
“Not as pretty as some of Daddy’s butterflies, though,” Vincent said.
Victor blushed. “Oh Vincent, you don’t need to flatter your father,” he said, patting his younger son’s head. “I know the fireworks are better.”
“Oh Victor.” Alice kissed his cheek. “Be quiet and take the praise, silly.”
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Notes: Originally I was going to stick Doc and Marty out in the desert for some reason, but I couldn't think of any. So instead I went with how far away the McFly homestead is from Hill Valley proper in the 1880s. Marty's comment about "fourteen miles" is taken from the BTTF III novelization -- it's actually a little longer than that, because Seamus had to take canon!Marty over to those train tracks.
“I have to say - your house seems rather isolated from the rest of Hill Valley.”
“A lot of people’s are,” Marty replied, shrugging. “It’s because we’re mostly farmers - we need the space to grow stuff.”
“Yes, but - after living in Burtonsville’s village square and in Secundus. . .I suppose I’m too used to houses being crowded together. Looking out across the desert like this. . . .”
“Yeah, I guess it can get a little lonely,” Marty agreed. “But if you really need civilization, you can always follow the train tracks. It’s just a fourteen mile hike.”
“I’ll deal with the isolation, thank you.”
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Notes: This one was inspired by a convo my friend Rose and I had, where she wondered what would happen if Victor met Willy Wonka from Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (it and Corpse Bride had overlapping filming schedules). I couldn't come up with anything featuring Victor and Willy actually meeting, so I decided news on the contest was the next best thing. (Besides, I have to admit -- I see Wilder!Wonka as more appropriate for Secundus. The factory would probably be a combination of Wilder and Depp, though.) How it relates to the prompt: "coming out of one's shell," which is what Wonka's doing a bit with this contest.
“Victor! Look at this!”
Victor abruptly had the front page of the Secundus Gears & Grind thrust in front of him. “‘Wonka Holding Contest To Enter Factory ( ... )
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Notes: I wasn't sure what to do with this one for a while, but eventually this came. I think it's an amusing exchange between Chester and his mother -- and I think anyone who either has a child with kids of their own, or is that child and has talked to their parents about raising kids, can relate to it. The hammock is the same one from last year's fic 51) hammock -- yes, Victor kept it even after his little "incident."
On days like today, Chester was very glad his father had given him their old hammock. He collapsed into it, letting the breeze rock him. Oh, he’d needed this. . .
A shadow fell over him. “Allison said I could find you out here.”
“Oh, hi Mum,” Chester said, sitting up. “I’m sorry, I forgot about our dinner. . . .”
“It’s all right. I’ve been told you’ve had a rather exhausting day.”
Chester groaned. “Chasing Walter everywhere, having Emma lose a shoe in the mud, both of them refusing to eat lunch. . .you don’t know the half of it!”
Moments later: “Mother, stop laughing.”
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Notes: I was thinking about Alice's beloved toy rabbit the other day, and I realized I never actually showed it in the story, did I? So here's a sad little drabble to prove to you that yes, this version still has it. I watched the beginning of "American McGee's Alice" to confirm her parents' dialogue -- and let me tell you, it STILL gets me to mist up. :(
The flames were everywhere, clawing, devouring her house - she ran, desperately seeking the familiar, the safe - “Mum? Father?!”
“Get out, Alice!”
“Save yourself, Alice! Get out of the house!”
And then there was only running, a desperate leap through her window, a crash, her mother screaming -
Alice woke in a cold sweat. Breathing hard, she pulled the only other survivor of the fire - her bunny - to her chest. The great Alice Liddell, clinging to an old stuffed toy, she thought.
But it was all she had left of her parents. And it was all that could soothe her right now.
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Notes: This is sort of a spiritual successor to 3) doggie paddle, given the subject matter. I wanted to bring Ferdy back at least one more time, and this seemed like a good prompt to do it. It was kind of fun figuring out how you might clean a giant riding butterfly.
“Bath time!”
Ferdinand jumped happily under the “shower” Victor had rigged up. Victor grabbed a broom and started scrubbing grime off his mount’s wings. A few scales fell loose as well - Victor picked those up and put them in a bucket for later delivery to Richard. “I’m glad you’re more cooperative than Scraps was,” he told Ferdinand. “I used to have to fight to get him into the tub.”
Ferdinand wiggled his antennae, then curled his proboscis to get a drink. Victor laughed and finished sloughing off the last of the dirt. “All clean! Now then - don’t shake your wings!”
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