Artbook Prompt -- Carnival Cups
This one is a truly random prompt, inspired by a page from the Alice: Madness Returns artbook that I reblogged one Sunday on my tumblr. There was a teapot in the middle of the image with a carnival-like dome and teacups sat all around it like a carousel. Obviously my brain went to the famous "spinning teacups" ride, like you can find at the Disney parks, and it did seem like something Richard would build for funsies -- and so this short was born! Since I wanted Clara involved, this takes place after "Secundus 2" and the birth of Chester -- you can assume the infant's off to the side with his grand-aunt and grand-uncle, being spoiled.
"Wheeeee!"
Alice laughed as she twisted the wheel between her and Victor even faster. "Come on, darling, keep up!"
"I'm trying!" Victor said, caught between amusement and terror as he desperately tried to match his wife's pace. "I swear you're going to send us spinning right off this thing!"
"Think of it as a stress test," Alice said, beaming. Around them, the world whirled and twirled frantically, nothing but streaks of green and yellow and gray and brown. "Richard did want to see how well this thing worked!"
"I think it works just fine!" Victor gripped the sides of the oversized teacup and risked a peek at the other passengers of the ride – what he could see of them with Alice determinedly whipping them in circles. Doc and Clara seemed to be doing well, laughing and whooping as they spun in place. Marty too appeared to be having the time of his life – Jennifer seemed to share Victor's opinion that a slightly more sedate pace would be more enjoyable. He couldn't see Victoria and Christopher or Richard and Emily – their seats were on the other side of the giant teapot that dominated the middle of the main rotating platform – but he could hear the women shrieking in what he guessed was delight. It was fun, but. . . "Can't we go a little slower?" he begged, sinking back down into his seat and pressing a hand to his forehead. "I'm really getting dizzy."
Something in his tone must have added, And I'm liable to be sick soon, because Alice immediately stopped spinning them. "Sorry," she said, glancing at her shoes as they slowed. "I forgot for a moment you loaded up on squimberry tarts before Richard insisted we try this."
"Not the best idea," Victor agreed, relaxing a little as the individual trees and bushes of Wonderland park came back into view. "I didn't mean to ruin your fun."
"Oh, not at all," Alice assured him, scooting over to pat his hand. "I just got caught up in the moment." She looked around as the main platform began to slow as well. "Besides, it seems it's over anyway."
Indeed, everyone else was bringing their teacups to a standstill as well as the platform chugged down. There was a little bump as all the mechanics finally stopped, and then a wheeeeeeee of steam from the teapot's spout. Richard burst from the control center hiding inside of it, bounding from teacup to teacup to check with everyone. "Well? What did you think? Did you like it?"
"Marvelous!" Doc declared, Clara applauding.
"Yeah, totally!" Marty agreed, as Jennifer mustered up a smile. "You could make a mint off these things selling them to a circus!"
"I enjoyed myself – I'm not so sure about Victor," Alice said, rubbing her husband's back.
"Oh, I was fine almost until the end," Victor assured both her and his friend. He rubbed his still-rolling stomach. "But I think you should add a warning sign about not eating right before you get on."
"Noted," Richard said, pulling a pad of paper from his hat. "Christopher and Victoria were looking a bit green too – and I know green," he added, tapping the side of his head with his pen.
Victor laughed. "It was fun, though. I think Marty's right – you could get a lot of money if you sold the design to a carnival."
"Well, tis the season – we'll see what happens the next time a circus passes through." Richard pursed his lips, then started scribbling something else down. "Here – what do you think about a version where the teapot in the middle spins too – and occasionally tips over to splash people with tea?"
"I think you'd only get away with that in summer, and only if it was cold tea," Alice said.
"Or plain water," Victor agreed. "Though, on that note. . .maybe a teapot water slide is something to consider?"
Alice laughed as she twisted the wheel between her and Victor even faster. "Come on, darling, keep up!"
"I'm trying!" Victor said, caught between amusement and terror as he desperately tried to match his wife's pace. "I swear you're going to send us spinning right off this thing!"
"Think of it as a stress test," Alice said, beaming. Around them, the world whirled and twirled frantically, nothing but streaks of green and yellow and gray and brown. "Richard did want to see how well this thing worked!"
"I think it works just fine!" Victor gripped the sides of the oversized teacup and risked a peek at the other passengers of the ride – what he could see of them with Alice determinedly whipping them in circles. Doc and Clara seemed to be doing well, laughing and whooping as they spun in place. Marty too appeared to be having the time of his life – Jennifer seemed to share Victor's opinion that a slightly more sedate pace would be more enjoyable. He couldn't see Victoria and Christopher or Richard and Emily – their seats were on the other side of the giant teapot that dominated the middle of the main rotating platform – but he could hear the women shrieking in what he guessed was delight. It was fun, but. . . "Can't we go a little slower?" he begged, sinking back down into his seat and pressing a hand to his forehead. "I'm really getting dizzy."
Something in his tone must have added, And I'm liable to be sick soon, because Alice immediately stopped spinning them. "Sorry," she said, glancing at her shoes as they slowed. "I forgot for a moment you loaded up on squimberry tarts before Richard insisted we try this."
"Not the best idea," Victor agreed, relaxing a little as the individual trees and bushes of Wonderland park came back into view. "I didn't mean to ruin your fun."
"Oh, not at all," Alice assured him, scooting over to pat his hand. "I just got caught up in the moment." She looked around as the main platform began to slow as well. "Besides, it seems it's over anyway."
Indeed, everyone else was bringing their teacups to a standstill as well as the platform chugged down. There was a little bump as all the mechanics finally stopped, and then a wheeeeeeee of steam from the teapot's spout. Richard burst from the control center hiding inside of it, bounding from teacup to teacup to check with everyone. "Well? What did you think? Did you like it?"
"Marvelous!" Doc declared, Clara applauding.
"Yeah, totally!" Marty agreed, as Jennifer mustered up a smile. "You could make a mint off these things selling them to a circus!"
"I enjoyed myself – I'm not so sure about Victor," Alice said, rubbing her husband's back.
"Oh, I was fine almost until the end," Victor assured both her and his friend. He rubbed his still-rolling stomach. "But I think you should add a warning sign about not eating right before you get on."
"Noted," Richard said, pulling a pad of paper from his hat. "Christopher and Victoria were looking a bit green too – and I know green," he added, tapping the side of his head with his pen.
Victor laughed. "It was fun, though. I think Marty's right – you could get a lot of money if you sold the design to a carnival."
"Well, tis the season – we'll see what happens the next time a circus passes through." Richard pursed his lips, then started scribbling something else down. "Here – what do you think about a version where the teapot in the middle spins too – and occasionally tips over to splash people with tea?"
"I think you'd only get away with that in summer, and only if it was cold tea," Alice said.
"Or plain water," Victor agreed. "Though, on that note. . .maybe a teapot water slide is something to consider?"