100 Drabbles of 2011 #41-50
41) sunset
Time Period: Anytime after Victor and Alice start dating
Notes: Inspired by concept art of "Alice: Madness Returns" where Alice is scrambling all over the rooftops of London. Considering the beginning of "Secundus" has Victor flown over these rooftops, it seemed appropriate. "A thing of beauty is a joy forever" is from John Keats, by the way. Also, this is the very first drabble I wrote for this particular challenge.
“Goodness. Would you look at that sunset.”
Victor gazed out at the splashes of brilliant red, blazing orange, golden yellow, light pink, dark purple, and indigo blue that made up the horizon. It looked like some giant hand had taken a paintbrush and applied the colors in haphazard, but still ultimately purposeful strokes. It was a thing of beauty, a joy forever, as someone had said.
Alice, sitting next to him, nodded. “Wonderful. You were right – the only place to see this is from a rooftop.”
“I know,” Victor said, sliding his arm around her. “Everything’s beautiful this high up.”
42) roughing it
Time Period: "Secundus 2" Notes: Oh man. This was inspired by a scene in the BTTF Part III novelization, where Marty met the outhouse and had a similar reaction. Everyone, be grateful for indoor plumbing.
“Oh God!”
Victor exited the outhouse as quickly as he could, holding a hand over his nose. Marty, waiting his turn, laughed at his expression. “Smell really hit you, huh?”
“How could you have grown up with these things?” Victor demanded, for once not caring if he sounded rude. “They’re awful!”
“Hey, not all of us are rich enough to afford indoor plumbing,” Marty said. “Or lucky enough to live in a place with Touched who can come up with something similar.”
“Even still. . .you can’t deny you were happy to discover the indoor t-toilet.”
“Oh, I’m not denying that. . . .”
43) drink
Time Period: Anytime in "Secundus"
Notes: This was inspired by one of the odd transformations Alice goes through in the original Wonderland books. What happens to Victor is what happens to her when she first tastes Caterpillar's mushroom. The first two lines of the fourth paragraph ("Victor stared nervously. . .") are lines I've been meaning to use in a proper story ever since they were part of an April Fool's Day prank of mine.
“Here, drink this.”
Victor jumped as the glass was shoved into his hands. He blinked at Lewis. “P-pardon?”
“Drink it!” Lewis repeated cheerfully. “I want to see if it has the same effect on you as it did on me!”
Victor stared nervously at the liquid in the cup. It was bubbling slightly – whether that was a good sign or not, he couldn’t tell. Still, if Lewis had survived consuming it. . .he took a sip.
Moments later, his head hit the ceiling. “Ow! What the--”
“Aha! It does! Don’t worry, your neck will be back to normal in ten minutes.”
44) weed
Time Period: Anytime past "Secundus"
Notes: I wanted to do something with "butterfly weed" for this from the start, but I wasn't sure exactly what. Oddly enough, looking it up and discovering it's native to eastern North America gave me my opening.
“Victor, you have mail! And on a related note, what is asclepias tuberosa?”
“Ah, the seeds came!” Victor hurried into the front hall, collecting the packets from his wife with a smile. “It’s a sort of milkweed that grows in America.”
“What sort of interest could you have in American milkweed?” Alice asked, baffled.
“Well, you see, one of the common names for this type is ‘butterfly weed. . . .’”
Alice grinned. “Oh, I see. Hoping your latest projects will like it?”
“It’s worth a try. And even if the butterflies don’t care for it, I understand it has very pretty blooms. . . .”
45) sunrise
Time Period: Just a little while post-"Secundus"
Notes: This one somehow turned out mildly depressing. I blame "Alice: Madness Returns" and the Rutledge Asylum mini-level. Victor's understanding what it's like to be trapped refers to the climax of "Secundus," when he's trapped in what's left of Looking-Glass House. (I'm also pretty sure I was inspired by one of LJ user il_barone's drabbles, but I can't remember which one. ^^;)
Light was just breaking over the horizon when Victor rolled over and discovered Alice was not there to cuddle. Investigating the clues led him to, of all places, the roof. Alice was sitting there, staring off into the distance. “Alice?” he asked, concerned.
Alice looked up at him. “I had a dream about Rutledge,” she said, voice strained. “I just. . .had to get out. . . .”
Victor had never been committed, but he certainly understood what it felt like to be trapped. He sat next to her and pulled her close, offering what comfort he could. Together, they watched the sun rise.
46) drown
Time Period: Within "Secundus," around Victor's breakdown
Notes: Well, I couldn't write something sweet for this prompt, could I? Victor's an absolute mess after all the bad stuff that happens in the climax of "Secundus," and this seemed to fit well. At least I remembered to end it on a hopeful note.
It was all too much. Victor sat huddled on Doc’s bed, wishing his head would just explode so he could die and have it all over with. The guilt over having killed, the rage over someone threatening his friends, the worry over what he’d done while he was – not himself, and the Creativity sparking and burning through his mind, filling it with ideas – it was all too much. He felt like he was lost in the storm, drowning in his emotions.
Then Alice came. And talked to him, held him, kissed him.
And it was like finding the air again.
47) mosquito
Time Period: Summer after "Secundus"
Notes: Of course it's pretty easy to write for the prompts related to insects. :p This is just a quick comedy piece. Even Victor isn't immune to how annoying this bug is.
Victor loved almost every insect. Not only the ones that others might like, such as butterflies and ladybirds. Even those that were dangerous, like bees, or were ugly, like flies, intrigued him. He knew how to approach them without getting hurt (for the most part) and how to find something to love in each one. He rarely if ever killed any – even flies were more likely to be caught in a jar (albeit for use in his lab) than swatted. Yes, Victor loved pretty much every insect –
“Ow!” He slapped at his arm, annoyed. “Go away! Bloody bugs. . .”
– except mosquitoes.
48) family
Time Period: Way in the future
Notes: Just something sweet & fluffy for this prompt. And I wanted to do something a little different than what I normally think of when I see "family."
It was a tiny, pale little baby boy that Victor held. His eyes were an odd color – not quite fully blue, not quite fully green – and seemed too large for his face. A few strands of wispy black hair clung to his head. Currently he was staring up at Victor, silent but curious.
Just like his father when he was born, Victor mused, then looked up at his oldest. “What’s his name?”
Chester grinned. “Walter. Walter Henry.”
His first grandson. And Victor hadn’t thought anything could compare to meeting his first child. He smiled warmly. “Welcome to the world, Walter.”
49) breeze
Time Period: Between the climax of "Secundus" and the epilogue
Notes: I wasn't sure what to do for this one for a long while. Then I remembered -- I never did a story on Alice's introduction to Victor's riding butterfly. . . .
At first, Alice barely noticed the breeze stirring the grass outside the house. It was the barest puff of wind – nothing unusual for a spring day. But it slowly began to get stronger and stronger, until it was fluttering the pages of her book. She looked up, annoyed. Now what–
She froze. Flapping its way down onto her lawn was – a giant butterfly? She got to her feet as it set down, sending a final gust of wind out from its wings. Seated on the creature's back was – “Victor??”
“Alice!” Victor beamed at her, waving at the butterfly. “Meet Ferdinand.”
50) humid
Time Period: Summer post-"Secundus"
Notes: It's been hot and sticky around here lately, so I really wanted to do something featuring this prompt. It finally hit me that I could do something involving Victor's greenhouse-like lab. I imagine it would have to be at least a little moist in there. . . The "science!" thing was probably inspired by what I've seen of Dr. Insano over on the Channel Awesome site.
Victor’s conservatory tended to be a little too humid to be comfortable for most. Even in the middle of winter, there was a wet warmth that clung to one. The plants and insects liked it, of course, but more human visitors tended not to linger.
Victor didn’t mind it, though. Sure, extended periods in there left him feeling rather sticky, but that was a minor inconvenience. The important thing was that it was the perfect place to do science!
Though, to be honest, the thought had crossed his mind that there must be a way to make a dehumidifying butterfly. . . .
Time Period: Anytime after Victor and Alice start dating
Notes: Inspired by concept art of "Alice: Madness Returns" where Alice is scrambling all over the rooftops of London. Considering the beginning of "Secundus" has Victor flown over these rooftops, it seemed appropriate. "A thing of beauty is a joy forever" is from John Keats, by the way. Also, this is the very first drabble I wrote for this particular challenge.
“Goodness. Would you look at that sunset.”
Victor gazed out at the splashes of brilliant red, blazing orange, golden yellow, light pink, dark purple, and indigo blue that made up the horizon. It looked like some giant hand had taken a paintbrush and applied the colors in haphazard, but still ultimately purposeful strokes. It was a thing of beauty, a joy forever, as someone had said.
Alice, sitting next to him, nodded. “Wonderful. You were right – the only place to see this is from a rooftop.”
“I know,” Victor said, sliding his arm around her. “Everything’s beautiful this high up.”
42) roughing it
Time Period: "Secundus 2" Notes: Oh man. This was inspired by a scene in the BTTF Part III novelization, where Marty met the outhouse and had a similar reaction. Everyone, be grateful for indoor plumbing.
“Oh God!”
Victor exited the outhouse as quickly as he could, holding a hand over his nose. Marty, waiting his turn, laughed at his expression. “Smell really hit you, huh?”
“How could you have grown up with these things?” Victor demanded, for once not caring if he sounded rude. “They’re awful!”
“Hey, not all of us are rich enough to afford indoor plumbing,” Marty said. “Or lucky enough to live in a place with Touched who can come up with something similar.”
“Even still. . .you can’t deny you were happy to discover the indoor t-toilet.”
“Oh, I’m not denying that. . . .”
43) drink
Time Period: Anytime in "Secundus"
Notes: This was inspired by one of the odd transformations Alice goes through in the original Wonderland books. What happens to Victor is what happens to her when she first tastes Caterpillar's mushroom. The first two lines of the fourth paragraph ("Victor stared nervously. . .") are lines I've been meaning to use in a proper story ever since they were part of an April Fool's Day prank of mine.
“Here, drink this.”
Victor jumped as the glass was shoved into his hands. He blinked at Lewis. “P-pardon?”
“Drink it!” Lewis repeated cheerfully. “I want to see if it has the same effect on you as it did on me!”
Victor stared nervously at the liquid in the cup. It was bubbling slightly – whether that was a good sign or not, he couldn’t tell. Still, if Lewis had survived consuming it. . .he took a sip.
Moments later, his head hit the ceiling. “Ow! What the--”
“Aha! It does! Don’t worry, your neck will be back to normal in ten minutes.”
44) weed
Time Period: Anytime past "Secundus"
Notes: I wanted to do something with "butterfly weed" for this from the start, but I wasn't sure exactly what. Oddly enough, looking it up and discovering it's native to eastern North America gave me my opening.
“Victor, you have mail! And on a related note, what is asclepias tuberosa?”
“Ah, the seeds came!” Victor hurried into the front hall, collecting the packets from his wife with a smile. “It’s a sort of milkweed that grows in America.”
“What sort of interest could you have in American milkweed?” Alice asked, baffled.
“Well, you see, one of the common names for this type is ‘butterfly weed. . . .’”
Alice grinned. “Oh, I see. Hoping your latest projects will like it?”
“It’s worth a try. And even if the butterflies don’t care for it, I understand it has very pretty blooms. . . .”
45) sunrise
Time Period: Just a little while post-"Secundus"
Notes: This one somehow turned out mildly depressing. I blame "Alice: Madness Returns" and the Rutledge Asylum mini-level. Victor's understanding what it's like to be trapped refers to the climax of "Secundus," when he's trapped in what's left of Looking-Glass House. (I'm also pretty sure I was inspired by one of LJ user il_barone's drabbles, but I can't remember which one. ^^;)
Light was just breaking over the horizon when Victor rolled over and discovered Alice was not there to cuddle. Investigating the clues led him to, of all places, the roof. Alice was sitting there, staring off into the distance. “Alice?” he asked, concerned.
Alice looked up at him. “I had a dream about Rutledge,” she said, voice strained. “I just. . .had to get out. . . .”
Victor had never been committed, but he certainly understood what it felt like to be trapped. He sat next to her and pulled her close, offering what comfort he could. Together, they watched the sun rise.
46) drown
Time Period: Within "Secundus," around Victor's breakdown
Notes: Well, I couldn't write something sweet for this prompt, could I? Victor's an absolute mess after all the bad stuff that happens in the climax of "Secundus," and this seemed to fit well. At least I remembered to end it on a hopeful note.
It was all too much. Victor sat huddled on Doc’s bed, wishing his head would just explode so he could die and have it all over with. The guilt over having killed, the rage over someone threatening his friends, the worry over what he’d done while he was – not himself, and the Creativity sparking and burning through his mind, filling it with ideas – it was all too much. He felt like he was lost in the storm, drowning in his emotions.
Then Alice came. And talked to him, held him, kissed him.
And it was like finding the air again.
47) mosquito
Time Period: Summer after "Secundus"
Notes: Of course it's pretty easy to write for the prompts related to insects. :p This is just a quick comedy piece. Even Victor isn't immune to how annoying this bug is.
Victor loved almost every insect. Not only the ones that others might like, such as butterflies and ladybirds. Even those that were dangerous, like bees, or were ugly, like flies, intrigued him. He knew how to approach them without getting hurt (for the most part) and how to find something to love in each one. He rarely if ever killed any – even flies were more likely to be caught in a jar (albeit for use in his lab) than swatted. Yes, Victor loved pretty much every insect –
“Ow!” He slapped at his arm, annoyed. “Go away! Bloody bugs. . .”
– except mosquitoes.
48) family
Time Period: Way in the future
Notes: Just something sweet & fluffy for this prompt. And I wanted to do something a little different than what I normally think of when I see "family."
It was a tiny, pale little baby boy that Victor held. His eyes were an odd color – not quite fully blue, not quite fully green – and seemed too large for his face. A few strands of wispy black hair clung to his head. Currently he was staring up at Victor, silent but curious.
Just like his father when he was born, Victor mused, then looked up at his oldest. “What’s his name?”
Chester grinned. “Walter. Walter Henry.”
His first grandson. And Victor hadn’t thought anything could compare to meeting his first child. He smiled warmly. “Welcome to the world, Walter.”
49) breeze
Time Period: Between the climax of "Secundus" and the epilogue
Notes: I wasn't sure what to do for this one for a long while. Then I remembered -- I never did a story on Alice's introduction to Victor's riding butterfly. . . .
At first, Alice barely noticed the breeze stirring the grass outside the house. It was the barest puff of wind – nothing unusual for a spring day. But it slowly began to get stronger and stronger, until it was fluttering the pages of her book. She looked up, annoyed. Now what–
She froze. Flapping its way down onto her lawn was – a giant butterfly? She got to her feet as it set down, sending a final gust of wind out from its wings. Seated on the creature's back was – “Victor??”
“Alice!” Victor beamed at her, waving at the butterfly. “Meet Ferdinand.”
50) humid
Time Period: Summer post-"Secundus"
Notes: It's been hot and sticky around here lately, so I really wanted to do something featuring this prompt. It finally hit me that I could do something involving Victor's greenhouse-like lab. I imagine it would have to be at least a little moist in there. . . The "science!" thing was probably inspired by what I've seen of Dr. Insano over on the Channel Awesome site.
Victor’s conservatory tended to be a little too humid to be comfortable for most. Even in the middle of winter, there was a wet warmth that clung to one. The plants and insects liked it, of course, but more human visitors tended not to linger.
Victor didn’t mind it, though. Sure, extended periods in there left him feeling rather sticky, but that was a minor inconvenience. The important thing was that it was the perfect place to do science!
Though, to be honest, the thought had crossed his mind that there must be a way to make a dehumidifying butterfly. . . .