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secundus-cast.livejournal.com - 12. Jumpsecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 19. Sundresssecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 56. Picnic basket in a field of yellow dandelions, dandelion chain, blue skysecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 11. day tripsecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 23. straw hatsecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 26. slidesecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 36. climbsecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 54. turtlesecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 77. A pile of luggage set up before a large mapsecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 81. Author's choice: choicesecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 82) Author's choice: instrumentsecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 83) Author's choice: overstimulationsecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 84) Author's choice: escapesecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 51) staycationsecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 50) fishsecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 6) plantsecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 67) Four children around a campfiresecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 85) Author's choice: lettersecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 65) A cat licking a snowcone, with a tongue colored by the conesecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 14) birdsecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 18) starssecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 41) swimsuitsecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 64) A sweaty man looking at a broken/off fansecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 74) A woman's lips holding a melting ice cubesecundus-cast.livejournal.com - 16) popsiclezvi
12. Jump
Date: 2012-06-04 01:32 am (UTC)Notes: Pity this Alice, who does not work by video game logic and thus is bound to normal human jumping. Whether this makes the Secundus Alice more or less badass than the canon version is up to you. And yes, the Alice of "Alice: Madness Returns basically gets a full-on quadruple jump.
Some days, Alice really wished she could jump higher. She knew she was already a pretty damn good jumper (you had to be, to avoid things trying to take out your legs), but she thought that if she could get more height, she could conquer so many problems – from attacking enemies taller than her to getting things off high shelves. If only there was a way to jump while jumping – to leap again in midair to get even more altitude. . . A double jump, she supposed you’d call it. She’d take that in a heartbeat.
A triple or quadruple jump, even faster.
19. Sundress
Date: 2012-06-04 01:35 am (UTC)Notes: Jennifer makes an appearance! I'm hoping to use her and Clara a bit more in these drabbles. Her dress here is supposed to invoke her main outfit from the trilogy a bit. (Incidentally, she's a Claudia Wells Jennifer.)
“Hey, Jennifer – wow, that dress looks great! New?”
“Yup,” Jennifer said with a smile. She did a little turn to show it off to best advantage. “Just got it the other day. I told Dad I desperately needed some new summer clothes. The old stuff was just way too hot.”
“I like it,” Marty said, looking over the light blue dress with multicolored flowers scattered over the skirt. Then he smirked at her. “Makes you look too hot.”
“Oh stop it,” Jennifer said, giving his arm a light, playful whack. “If my dad hears that, he’ll make me return it.”
56. Picnic basket in a field of yellow dandelions, dandelion chain, blue sky
Date: 2012-06-04 01:38 am (UTC)Notes: This is based off of the book Alice considering making a daisy chain at the beginning of Alice's Adventures In Wonderland and the Disney Alice actually doing so. Why can't this Alice enjoy it as well?
“Where did you learn to weave chains of flowers like that?”
Alice gave her husband only the briefest of glances as she knotted a little hole in the stem of another dandelion. “From my mother,” she said, slipping another flower’s stem through it, then repeating the process. “She and I spent lots of time together making little bracelets and necklaces from flowers.” She tied the ends of her chain together, forming a circlet. “Maybe one day – I can teach our daughter.”
“Would you m-mind teaching your husband in the meantime?”
Alice smiled at him. “Not at all. It’s pretty simple. . . .”
11. day trip
Date: 2012-06-10 08:08 pm (UTC)Notes: I thought I'd do a couple of prompts about the Van Dorts and Everglots -- here's the short version of how the Van Dorts convinced the Everglots to accompany them to Secundus.
“You want us to accompany you to Secundus?”
Finis and Maudeline Everglot stared at the Van Dorts as if they’d lost their minds. “It’s your son that’s been kidnapped,” Maudeline continued. “Why do you want us there?”
“To show him what he’s giving up – an excellent marriage to an excellent family,” Mrs. Van Dort replied. “Not that I believe he actually means what he’s writing in those letters, but in case he’s been brainwashed. . . .”
“I’m sure we won’t be there for long – a day or two at most,” Mr. Van Dort said. “I can certainly make it worth your while.”
“. . .We’ll pack.”
23. straw hat
Date: 2012-06-10 08:10 pm (UTC)Notes: Just a drabble about Richard at his job. Since, you know, we never see him with customers in "Secundus" itself. . .
“There!” Richard set the hat on his customer’s head, then held up a mirror. “What do you think?”
“Oh, it’s marvelous!” the woman said, admiring her image. “And so light, too. . .but don’t you think the brim’s just a bit wide?”
“Summer hats are supposed to be wide!” Richard grinned. “And it’ll help protect your neck from the sun too.”
“Ah, yes, that is a thought.” She smiled at him. “It’s beautiful. You really know your trade.”
“Years of obsession, madam. Now, about the price. . . .”
A minute later, another happy customer left Mad Hatter Haberdashery, resplendent in her new hat.
26. slide
Date: 2012-06-10 08:29 pm (UTC)Notes: This one was inspired by all the slide sections in "Alice: Madness Returns." One of the memories has Lizzie commenting on how fun the slide in Hyde Park was, and how Mr. Liddell would eventually take Alice -- I just adapted that for this.
Alice absolutely adored slides – the taller the better. There was just something about climbing to that high peak, then sliding your way back down to the ground. The wind in your face, the sky all around you, the way you zipped down so smoothly. . . . It felt like the closest one could come to flying. When she heard about the big slide in Hyde Park, she begged her father to take her. Henry laughed and promised they’d visit it that upcoming summer.
Five days later, the fire tore through the house.
Eleven years later, she still hadn’t gone on that slide.
36. climb
Date: 2012-06-10 08:39 pm (UTC)Notes: More about Victor's incredible climbing skills! And Alice being protective. She gives him self-defense lessons in a different drabble (http://charloft.livejournal.com/3196597.html). The mention of hauling herself up ledges is a reference to something you have to do every so often in "American McGee's Alice."
It absolutely astonished her how good Victor was at climbing. Alice had always considered herself pretty decent at it – at least, at being able to grab ledges and haul herself up quickly. But Victor – Victor was something else. He always seemed to find some sort of handhold even on the smoothest walls, and he climbed with amazing speed. The man was practically part spider.
Alice was glad of it, though. Secundus was full of dangerous beasts looking for a chance to rampage. Until he learned some proper self defense skills, climbing was the best way for him to stay alive.
54. turtle
Date: 2012-06-10 08:43 pm (UTC)Notes: I just HAD to write something about the Mock Turtle for this one. That fact Lewis gives about turtles is something I learned from my Annotated Alice -- it might have been part of the real Lewis Carroll's inspiration for Mock. Mock wailing about a duchess coveting his shell refers to a fetch quest in AMA, where you have to retrieve Mock's shell from the Duchess (your first boss fight).
“Mister Mock Turtle? Why do you cry so much?”
The Mock Turtle wiped his eye with a flipper. “Many reasons! People want to make me into soup! A duchess coveted my shell! I’m not a real turtle!”
“Also, it’s the only way he can properly get rid of excess salt in his body,” Lewis commented. “Turtle livers can’t process salt properly, so it comes up through special glands in your eyes to be discharged.”
The Mock Turtled wailed. “And now I’ll die if I don’t cry! The world is horrible!”
Alice shook her head. “He’s silly.”
“You have no idea.”
77. A pile of luggage set up before a large map
Date: 2012-06-10 08:50 pm (UTC)Notes: I'm not sure what inspired this one -- maybe I had the map of Hill Valley on the train station in Part III on my mind. But writing Victor's enthusiasm over seeing his friends again was fun.
“Let me see if I can find it.”
“Marty said Hill Valley was a really small town,” Alice said. “It might not even warrant a place on the map yet.”
“If it’s called a town, it should – aha! Here it is!” Victor pointed it out to her. “This is where we’re going.”
“Yes, that tells me so much,” Alice joked. “You’re just too excited to see your friends again.”
“I can’t help it. Doc and Marty are the people responsible for me coming to Secundus. Without them. . . .” He placed a hand on her belly. “A lot of things would be different.”
81. Author's choice: choice
Date: 2012-06-10 08:54 pm (UTC)Notes: I dunno why, but I decided I wanted to do a drabble about Nell and William getting together. For some reason, it took a while to hammer out. They're a very unromantic couple. (Also, yes, I may have to do an "Author's choice: author" prompt now.)
Nell Butler had certain requirements when it came to choosing a husband. She wanted someone who was rich, first and foremost. Someone who could keep her in the style she wished to become accustomed to. He also had to be somebody – a noble, preferably, but at the very least someone who was making the effort to be upwardly mobile. And he had to be the type who wouldn’t argue and get in her way.
William Van Dort learned he was the only one who fit all those criteria the day Nell marched up to him and declared he would do.
82) Author's choice: instrument
Date: 2012-06-15 01:23 am (UTC)Notes: I dunno why, but Chester playing the guitar just seems right to me. It lets him be musical while also being different from his dad. Victor does get to teach one of his kids his favored instrument, though -- Vincent takes to it pretty quickly.
“You – want to learn the guitar?”
Chester smiled at his father’s rather confused face. His dad always had the funniest expressions. (Of course, the humor was undercut slightly by the knowledge that he had the exact same ones.) “I do. I know you wanted to teach me piano, but – well, hearing Marty play. . . .” He searched for the exact words to describe the thrill he’d gotten, listening to the music. The excitement that had raced down his spine.
His father seemed to understand already though. “I see. Well then – I think Marty wouldn’t mind giving you lessons.”
Chester grinned. “Thanks Dad.”
83) Author's choice: overstimulation
Date: 2012-06-15 01:31 am (UTC)Notes: Written for the 6/14/2012
Nurse Vivian’s least favorite part of her job was changing the bandages on young burn victims. No matter how gentle she was, the children always cried from the pain. It made her feel absolutely helpless. How could you effectively treat someone when even the slightest touch could cause them agony?
When Alice had been brought in, Vivian had been horrified to see the extent of her burns. She’d braced herself for the first bandage change, certain she would have to deal with screams like she’d never heard before.
Alice, however, remained completely silent through it all.
Somehow, that was worse.
84) Author's choice: escape
Date: 2012-06-17 08:26 pm (UTC)Notes: Just a little drabble on the crazy incident that sent Marty and Doc fleeing to Secundus in the first place. I originally had this for "staycation," but I thought up a better drabble for my interpretation of the prompt.
“What happened?”
“I don’t know! It wasn’t – we didn’t mean for anything to catch on fire!” Marty ran his hands through his hair. “And we definitely didn’t mean to piss off the mayor!”
“Yeah, he’s about ready to call for blood, little brother,” Dave commented. “If I were you, I’d get out of the country.”
“Actually, that’s a good idea,” George said. “How about you and Doc leave for your trip to Secundus a little early, Marty?”
“You actually want me to go to the Mad Science Capital of the World now?”
“They’re better prepared for this sort of mayhem.”
51) staycation
Date: 2012-06-17 08:30 pm (UTC)Notes: The sequel to the above "84) Author's Choice: escape," I came up with this after realizing it fit my interpretation of the prompt -- "it was supposed to be a vacation, they ended up staying" -- better than the drabble that became "escape" did.
“Remember when we first thought about coming here, Doc?”
Doc looked up from his newspaper. “Yes, I do,” he said with a smile. “It was supposed to be just a few months’ vacation.”
“Yeah,” Marty nodded. “Kick around the city for a while, see the sights, learn some science, come back home. Never thought I’d end up moving here for good.”
“Me either,” Doc agreed. He frowned a little. “Do you ever regret it? Leaving Hill Valley?”
“Doc, you’re asking if I regret coming to stay with some of the best friends I’ve ever had.”
Doc grinned again. “Good point.”
50) fish
Date: 2012-06-17 08:33 pm (UTC)Notes: Rather than do something else relating to Victor's distaste for fish due to overexposure, I decided to do something about the cannery instead. Specifically, how William's a bit more focused on it than his kid.
“So – what’s it like, having a father who runs the most successful fish cannery around?”
“All right, I suppose,” Victor replied. “We c-certainly never lacked for money, if that’s what you’re asking. Could always afford the best.”
“Bet you could. But what sort of dad was he? He drag you with him to work?”
“Sometimes. But – w-well, he was always sort of distant. More involved with the cannery than me and Mother. I – I get the feeling he never really understood me.”
Marty shook his head. “The more I hear about your family, Victor, the more I’m grateful for mine.”
6) plant
Date: 2012-06-17 08:37 pm (UTC)Notes: A drabble on good old Touched Lorina -- and yes, it pretty much is just one big "Little Shop of Horrors" joke. I've only seen part of that film on TV, but naming Lorina's pet Venus flytrap Audrey just had to be done.
“Here you are, Audrey. . .” Lorina placed the dead fly into the jaws of the Venus flytrap. The leaves obligingly sprang shut. “There, you liked that, didn’t you?”
The plant happily wiggled its leaves. Vincent, standing over her shoulder, shook his head. “I still think that’s a little creepy.”
“She needs to eat insects to thrive,” Lorina told him, frowning. “It’s not like I feed her Father’s butterflies. She gets the pests that get into the house.”
“I know, I know. I just worry one day you’re going to cut yourself over her and she’ll get a taste for human blood.”
67) Four children around a campfire
Date: 2012-06-17 08:40 pm (UTC)Notes: I just had to do Alice telling a story to her family for this one. What she's describing is the opening cutscene to the second Jabberwock boss fight in "American McGee's Alice."
“And then, the Jabberwock knocked the Gryphon out of the sky with one sweep of his mighty claws!”
The children and Victor gasped. Alice reveled in the looks on their faces. “Was Gryphon okay?” Lorina whispered.
Alice shook her head sadly. “He smashed into a rock on the island. I ran to help him, but there was nothing I could do. So it was up to me to defeat the Jabberwock.”
“You should write a book, Alice,” Victor murmured. “You’re so good at this.”
Alice smiled. “Maybe one day.” She returned to the story. “‘How typical, how foolish you were. . . .’”
85) Author's choice: letter
Date: 2012-06-25 12:19 am (UTC)Notes: Dunno what prompted this one -- I guess I just wanted to show a bit of what William and Nell were thinking and doing during the first few chapters of "Secundus."
The first letter that came, Nell and William immediately dismissed as a prank. Their son Victor in the Mad Science Capital of the World? Claiming to have gotten a job there? The very idea was ludicrous.
But then the second letter came. And the third. All in Victor’s handwriting. All postmarked from Secundus. All talking about how happy he was there.
The idea of writing back crossed their minds, but was rejected. Obviously their son was writing these under some sort of duress. A written reply would do no good.
And so plans were made to take a little trip. . . .
65) A cat licking a snowcone, with a tongue colored by the cone
Date: 2012-06-25 12:28 am (UTC)Notes: I wanted to feature a bit more of Victor's riding butterfly, Ferdinand, and this seemed like a nice, silly prompt to do it. You could consider it a sort of sequel to one of last year's prompts, 71) girl, puppy, and ice cream picture (http://8butterflyboy8.livejournal.com/3392.html?thread=14144#t14144). Looks like Victor's finally learned to say no.
“Daddy! Ferdy’s trying to steal my ice cream!”
“Ferdinand,” Victor said sternly.
The butterfly’s feelers drooped as Lorina curled protectively around her treat. “Don’t pull that with me,” Victor continued. “You get plenty of sugar water. You don’t need to steal the children’s ice cream on top of that.”
“I’ve always been amazed by that creature’s ability to pout,” Alice said, watching Ferdinand’s feelers droop even lower. “You wouldn’t think you could get such expressions out of something without a real mouth.”
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?” Victor agreed, then frowned. “Vincent, don’t offer him your ice cream, it’ll only encourage him.”
14) bird
Date: 2012-06-25 12:32 am (UTC)Notes: More Ferdy! This one's just a bit of silliness, based on the fact that butterflies can be tasty snacks to certain bigger creatures.
Victor lifted his head, enjoying the slight breeze in his face as Ferdinand flapped above the trees of Wonderland Park. “Ahhh. It’s such a wonderful – AAAAHH!”
Out of nowhere, Ferdinand suddenly started darting and weaving wildly, wings flapping like mad. Victor clung tight to the saddle to avoid being thrown off. “Ferdinand?! What’s the matter?”
Moments later, he spotted the source of the trouble himself. “Ooh – Ferdy, you are ten times as big as that bird! You don’t need to panic! I swear it cannot eat you!”
Ferdinand still didn’t really calm down until they were a few yards away.
18) stars
Date: 2012-06-25 12:36 am (UTC)Notes: Hey, a Clara-related drabble! I was looking for inspiration when I saw this prompt and remembered Clara's astronomy hobby. And since I've barely done anything with her in these short fics yet. . . Her comment about diphtheria is from BTTF Part III -- she tells Doc the story when he comments on her being quite knowledgeable about lunar geography.
Clara Clayton loved the night sky. She’d said more than once that the one upside to getting diphtheria was being introduced to the wonders of the stars and moon. Perhaps astronomy wasn’t a usual hobby for women, but it was her passion. She spent hours at night gazing through her telescope, admiring those bright points of light.
The trouble was, she was always admiring them alone. Most people considered her strange for having any interest in science at all. She itched to share her thoughts with someone, but there was no one to listen.
Until Emmett Brown entered her life.
41) swimsuit
Date: 2012-06-25 12:44 am (UTC)Notes: Okay, this is just me and Victor being silly. In "Alice: Madness Returns," Alice has a dress called the Siren (http://alice.wikia.com/wiki/Siren) for the underwater area that has a seaweed necklace. I came up with a similar outfit for Victor that has a seaweed tie. So yeah, this is me playing around with that idea.
“Victor, what are you doing with that seaweed?”
“Adding a tie to my outfit.”
“. . .You’re wearing a swimsuit.”
“Yes, but I can’t be a proper gentleman without a tie, now can I?”
“I would say you’ve been out in the sun too long except I know for a fact you have to hide under our umbrella. Although I will say it’s impressive you can actually knot that into a tie.”
“Years of practice. If we are ever invited to a formal beach party, I will be prepared.”
“I suppose I should be too. Think this would make a good necklace?”
64) A sweaty man looking at a broken/off fan
Date: 2012-06-25 01:41 am (UTC)Notes: This one's slightly risque, so be warned! It's also inspired by the trio of hot days we recently had where I live -- ugh, it was smothering.
“Oooh. . . .”
Alice looked up as Victor collapsed next to her on the bed. “I thought you were going to do some work in your lab?”
Victor shook his head slowly. “It’s too hot,” he mumbled. “And far, far too humid. The only way I could do any work in the conservatory would be if I tried experimenting naked.”
Alice couldn’t help the grin that spread over her face as she pictured that. “Weeelll, we could always do our own little experiments. . . .”
“Really? Do you really think either of us has the energy?”
Alice considered the temperature and lowered her head. “No.”
74) A woman's lips holding a melting ice cube
Date: 2012-06-25 01:45 am (UTC)Notes: I actually came up with this one as a way to set up the "popsicle" prompt, since I've been wondering how I'm going to do that. Sucking on an ice cube to cool off is something I've done before on hot days. I imagine Doc made their ice box so it can make its own ice cubes -- a smaller version of the contraption he has in Part III.
“What are you sucking on?”
Alice poked the little chunk of ice into her cheek with her tongue. “Ice cube,” she said, voice slightly muffled.
“Oh.” Victor tilted his head curiously. “Does it really cool you off?”
“Try one and see. There’s more in the ice box.”
Victor went to investigate. A few minutes later, he was back, sucking on his own piece of ice. “Oooh – this is very nice,” he said, leaning back in his chair.
“Isn’t it?” Alice started to lean back herself, then noticed Victor looking thoughtful. “What?”
“I was just thinking. . .is it possible to – flavor these?”
16) popsicle
Date: 2012-06-25 01:52 am (UTC)Notes: And here's the follow-up to the above! Granted, Victor's little invention doesn't have sticks, but I think it captures the spirit of the famous treat.
“Whew, it’s warm!”
“I know,” Victor said, then smiled. “Would you like a cold treat?”
“Whatever you got,” Marty said gratefully.
“All right, just a moment.” Victor disappeared into the house for a bit, then returned carrying a small bowl. “Here, try these.”
Marty peered inside. “They’re – reddish ice cubes?”
“Frozen juice,” Victor explained with a grin. “I got the idea a few days ago. They’re good.”
Marty curiously popped one into his mouth. A nice coolness spread over his tongue, coupled with the taste of apple juice. He smiled at his friend. “Think you hit a winner there, Victor.”