100 Drabbles of 2011 #51-60
51) hammock
Time Period: Post-marriage, before "Secundus 2"
Notes: Another one I had no idea what to do with until I came up with the comedy angle. Poor Victor -- he gets himself into the oddest situations sometimes.
“Oh – OH! Ack! Help!”
The instant Alice heard Victor’s cry, she was off to the garden, Vorpal Blade at the ready. They’d never had a monster attack before, but in this city, it paid to be prepared. She burst through the back door –
And stopped dead. Victor was hanging between two trees, helplessly entangled in their new hammock. “Victor, how did you manage that?” Alice had to ask.
“I don’t – I was wiggling around, t-trying to get comfortable, and suddenly--” He squirmed ineffectually. “To think, today I’d planned on experimenting with spiders. . .”
Alice hid a laugh. “Let’s get you out.”
52) sweat
Time Period: "Secundus 2" Notes: Hey, look, it's Jennifer! I finally managed to give her a bigger role in one of these! Now I just need to do the same for Clara. Anyway, just a simple conversation about the heat differences between Hill Valley and Secundus. I dunno how hot it was in BTTF III, but for this it's warm. And I know I've written stories about particularly hot days in Secundus for these before, but they're really not the norm.
“Goodness, it is hot!”
Jennifer shrugged as Victor tugged on his collar. “It’s the tail end of one of the hottest summers we’ve had. I’m sorry you’re uncomfortable.”
“Oh, it’s not your fault,” Victor said, immediately feeling bad for complaining. “It’s just – England’s weather is much different.”
“Yes, Marty says all the rain staves off the heat.”
“He’s exaggerating – though he’s right about it rarely getting this warm.”
“Regretting coming over here?”
“To see one of my best friends get married to a wonderful young woman?” Victor smiled. “Not at all.”
Jennifer laughed. “They warned me you were a charmer. . . .”
53) pool
Time Period: Anytime in "Secundus"
Notes: SNAAAARRRKKKS! I hate these fish with a blinding passion. They spit poison at you, yank you into the water (or LAVA) with their tongues. . .even the angler-type Ice Snarks in "Madness Returns" are horrible, with their freezing breath. Alice saved Victor from his first encounter with a Snark, but unfortunately she can't be there all the time. . . .
Victor had no idea how it had happened. One minute he’d been happily reading a book by the Pool of Tears, the next he’d been yanked under the water. He thrashed, trying to find the surface so he could breathe.
There was a sharp stab of pain at his shoulder – he whirled to see a snark chewing on his jacket. It promptly tried to bite his arm. Victor dodged, swimming upward. He found the air again, then swam back to shore as the snark continued to nibble him. He gasped as he dragged himself away from the beach. “Bloody fish!”
54) endless
Time Period: Anytime during Victor and Alice's dating period in "Secundus"
Notes: Just Victor being gushy about his girlfriend. Honestly, though, Alice's eyes have always grabbed me too, especially in "Madness Returns." They're easily her most striking feature. Hence why I (and Victor) tend to go on about them.
God, he loved her eyes. That brilliant green just sucked him in and held him helpless. He could stare into them for ages. You could read all of her emotions in her eyes. They could be enraged, commanding, distant, cold – or they could be warm, kind, loving, needful. Either way, they were always absolutely beautiful. Their friends always teased him about their staring contests – didn’t they realize just how easy it was to lose oneself in those eyes?
Maybe it was just him. Maybe Mother was partially right and Alice had him under mind control.
He didn’t think he minded.
55) daydream
Time Period: Anytime between Victor realizing his feelings for Alice, and them getting together in "Secundus"
Notes: This one was inspired by the "WALL*E and EVE dance in space" scene in WALL*E. For some reason, I could totally see Victor and Alice in the appropriate roles. XD Idea wouldn't leave me alone for days.
They flew together, through skies of brilliant blue and darkest black. Paths of golden light marked where they’d been as they twirled around each other, completely free from the confines of gravity. Victor didn’t know what propelled them, but it hardly seemed to matter. Especially when Alice took him in her arms, and they slowly spun in place, lips gradually moving closer –
“Hey! Victor!”
Victor jumped, the world suddenly reordering itself into Doc’s shop. “I’ve been calling you for two minutes,” Marty said. “What were you thinking about?”
“Oh. . . .” Victor looked out the window at the sky. “Just – nice things. . . .”
56) toasting marshmallows picture
Time Period: Future, with young children
Notes: I couldn't help myself with this one -- whenever I see toasted marshmallows, I automatically think of s'mores. :p So what if they weren't invented yet? Originally the Van Dorts were using graham crackers, but I switched to digestive biscuits to make it a bit more British. (I have no idea how a digestive biscuit s'more would taste, though.)
“Careful, Chester, your marshmallow looks like it’s about to burn – Vincent, what are you doing?”
“Making a marshmallow sandwich!” Vincent replied cheerfully, scraping his marshmallow onto a digestive biscuit. He layered another on top, then tasted it.
“Is it good?” Chester asked.
Vincent chewed. “Yes, but I think it could be better.”
“Try it with some chocolate?” Lorina offered, intrigued. “I have a candy bar. . .”
The experiment was tried, and deemed “delicious.” Soon the entire family was eating chocolate and marshmallow sandwiches. “I think we made an important breakthrough today, children,” Victor declared, licking his lips. “Who wants some more?”
57) romantic couple on a branch picture
Time Period: Vague honeymoonish period
Notes: This was originally the very last drabble I wrote for the challenge. My very first drabble for this challenge was "41) sunset." Looking at this prompt, I realized I had the perfect opportunity to do bookends. Enjoy.
“Remember the first one of these we watched together?”
Victor nodded, swinging his legs underneath him. “Sitting on the rooftop, my arm around you as the sun went down. . .it’s still one of my favorite memories.”
“Mine too.” Alice leaned her head against his shoulder. “Funny to think that so much has changed since then.”
“I know,” Victor said, sliding an arm around her. “But it’s been good change, right? Mostly?”
“Mostly,” Alice agreed. “And there’s still some constants.” She smiled up at him. “Like everything being beautiful from this high up.”
Victor grinned. “Quite true,” he whispered, kissing her.
58) kids and a fire hydrant picture
Time Period: Anytime, though probably in the summer following "Secundus"
Notes: After some thought, I decided to have someone explode a fire hydrant in Secundus for this one -- hell, had to happen sometime with all these Touched. Research yielded that English hydrants are actually underground affairs. We lose some interesting imagery that way (wouldn't a rocket hydrant be funny?), but I think the drabble works nonetheless.
The absolute last thing Victor expected today was to see the street in front of Doc’s shop suddenly turn into a fountain. He nearly jumped out of his skin as the water burst into the sky. “Oh – Doc? Marty?!”
“What is – holy shit!” Marty gasped.
“Great Scott,” Doc said, similarly stunned. “Someone must have been tinkering with the hydrant.”
The water continued gushing out, drawing its share of gawkers. “You know, it occurs to me,” Victor said, suddenly amused. “I think we’re more shocked by this than by anything the Touched here do.”
“Life in Secundus for ya,” Marty laughed.
59) underwater tiger picture
Time Period: Anytime post-Alice & Victor's marriage
Notes: This was written after its companion fic: "75) leaping shark picture." When I was writing that one about Victor, I suddenly realized that I could link the two pictures featuring dangerous animals together. Alice is definitely a dangerous girl, and I'd imagine she'd protect what loved ones she has left fiercely. Basically, the idea is: you upset one, you incur the wrath of the other. (Do NOT get them both mad at you at the same time. Trust me.)
Most people would call Alice Liddell Van Dort a threatening human being. Her skill with her Vorpal Blade was practically legendary. People knew her as a powerful monster killer, and thus did their best not to upset her.
Of course, there were always those who wanted to push their luck. Alice generally limited her treatment of them to cold looks and snide comments. But the moment anyone wanted to bully her husband – someone had said it was like having a bloodthirsty tiger suddenly dive into the quiet pool you’d been relaxing in.
People generally only bothered Victor Van Dort once.
60) firefly picture
Time Period: Past, when Victor was about seven
Notes: Kidlet!Victor fic! I was trying to avoid yet another thing on the glowing butterflies and decided to just do a cute thing with ickle Victor and his early love of bugs. I'm vaguely amused by the fact my hobbyist entomologist (and future biological Touched) hates bug boxes.
“Fireflies!”
Victor ran around the garden at the back of their new house, following the swarm of glowing insects. Scraps followed, barking and whining at these weird flying lights. “They won’t hurt you, boy,” Victor said, reaching out to try and capture a few. “They’re pretty, see? I – oh.”
Rather than pretty little insects, he had softly glowing smudges on his hands. “Sorry,” he apologized to the remains of the fireflies. He hated when he accidentally killed a bug. People who put butterflies in boxes on pins baffled him. Didn’t they –
“Victor! What is that all over your hands?!”
Uh-oh.
Time Period: Post-marriage, before "Secundus 2"
Notes: Another one I had no idea what to do with until I came up with the comedy angle. Poor Victor -- he gets himself into the oddest situations sometimes.
“Oh – OH! Ack! Help!”
The instant Alice heard Victor’s cry, she was off to the garden, Vorpal Blade at the ready. They’d never had a monster attack before, but in this city, it paid to be prepared. She burst through the back door –
And stopped dead. Victor was hanging between two trees, helplessly entangled in their new hammock. “Victor, how did you manage that?” Alice had to ask.
“I don’t – I was wiggling around, t-trying to get comfortable, and suddenly--” He squirmed ineffectually. “To think, today I’d planned on experimenting with spiders. . .”
Alice hid a laugh. “Let’s get you out.”
52) sweat
Time Period: "Secundus 2" Notes: Hey, look, it's Jennifer! I finally managed to give her a bigger role in one of these! Now I just need to do the same for Clara. Anyway, just a simple conversation about the heat differences between Hill Valley and Secundus. I dunno how hot it was in BTTF III, but for this it's warm. And I know I've written stories about particularly hot days in Secundus for these before, but they're really not the norm.
“Goodness, it is hot!”
Jennifer shrugged as Victor tugged on his collar. “It’s the tail end of one of the hottest summers we’ve had. I’m sorry you’re uncomfortable.”
“Oh, it’s not your fault,” Victor said, immediately feeling bad for complaining. “It’s just – England’s weather is much different.”
“Yes, Marty says all the rain staves off the heat.”
“He’s exaggerating – though he’s right about it rarely getting this warm.”
“Regretting coming over here?”
“To see one of my best friends get married to a wonderful young woman?” Victor smiled. “Not at all.”
Jennifer laughed. “They warned me you were a charmer. . . .”
53) pool
Time Period: Anytime in "Secundus"
Notes: SNAAAARRRKKKS! I hate these fish with a blinding passion. They spit poison at you, yank you into the water (or LAVA) with their tongues. . .even the angler-type Ice Snarks in "Madness Returns" are horrible, with their freezing breath. Alice saved Victor from his first encounter with a Snark, but unfortunately she can't be there all the time. . . .
Victor had no idea how it had happened. One minute he’d been happily reading a book by the Pool of Tears, the next he’d been yanked under the water. He thrashed, trying to find the surface so he could breathe.
There was a sharp stab of pain at his shoulder – he whirled to see a snark chewing on his jacket. It promptly tried to bite his arm. Victor dodged, swimming upward. He found the air again, then swam back to shore as the snark continued to nibble him. He gasped as he dragged himself away from the beach. “Bloody fish!”
54) endless
Time Period: Anytime during Victor and Alice's dating period in "Secundus"
Notes: Just Victor being gushy about his girlfriend. Honestly, though, Alice's eyes have always grabbed me too, especially in "Madness Returns." They're easily her most striking feature. Hence why I (and Victor) tend to go on about them.
God, he loved her eyes. That brilliant green just sucked him in and held him helpless. He could stare into them for ages. You could read all of her emotions in her eyes. They could be enraged, commanding, distant, cold – or they could be warm, kind, loving, needful. Either way, they were always absolutely beautiful. Their friends always teased him about their staring contests – didn’t they realize just how easy it was to lose oneself in those eyes?
Maybe it was just him. Maybe Mother was partially right and Alice had him under mind control.
He didn’t think he minded.
55) daydream
Time Period: Anytime between Victor realizing his feelings for Alice, and them getting together in "Secundus"
Notes: This one was inspired by the "WALL*E and EVE dance in space" scene in WALL*E. For some reason, I could totally see Victor and Alice in the appropriate roles. XD Idea wouldn't leave me alone for days.
They flew together, through skies of brilliant blue and darkest black. Paths of golden light marked where they’d been as they twirled around each other, completely free from the confines of gravity. Victor didn’t know what propelled them, but it hardly seemed to matter. Especially when Alice took him in her arms, and they slowly spun in place, lips gradually moving closer –
“Hey! Victor!”
Victor jumped, the world suddenly reordering itself into Doc’s shop. “I’ve been calling you for two minutes,” Marty said. “What were you thinking about?”
“Oh. . . .” Victor looked out the window at the sky. “Just – nice things. . . .”
56) toasting marshmallows picture
Time Period: Future, with young children
Notes: I couldn't help myself with this one -- whenever I see toasted marshmallows, I automatically think of s'mores. :p So what if they weren't invented yet? Originally the Van Dorts were using graham crackers, but I switched to digestive biscuits to make it a bit more British. (I have no idea how a digestive biscuit s'more would taste, though.)
“Careful, Chester, your marshmallow looks like it’s about to burn – Vincent, what are you doing?”
“Making a marshmallow sandwich!” Vincent replied cheerfully, scraping his marshmallow onto a digestive biscuit. He layered another on top, then tasted it.
“Is it good?” Chester asked.
Vincent chewed. “Yes, but I think it could be better.”
“Try it with some chocolate?” Lorina offered, intrigued. “I have a candy bar. . .”
The experiment was tried, and deemed “delicious.” Soon the entire family was eating chocolate and marshmallow sandwiches. “I think we made an important breakthrough today, children,” Victor declared, licking his lips. “Who wants some more?”
57) romantic couple on a branch picture
Time Period: Vague honeymoonish period
Notes: This was originally the very last drabble I wrote for the challenge. My very first drabble for this challenge was "41) sunset." Looking at this prompt, I realized I had the perfect opportunity to do bookends. Enjoy.
“Remember the first one of these we watched together?”
Victor nodded, swinging his legs underneath him. “Sitting on the rooftop, my arm around you as the sun went down. . .it’s still one of my favorite memories.”
“Mine too.” Alice leaned her head against his shoulder. “Funny to think that so much has changed since then.”
“I know,” Victor said, sliding an arm around her. “But it’s been good change, right? Mostly?”
“Mostly,” Alice agreed. “And there’s still some constants.” She smiled up at him. “Like everything being beautiful from this high up.”
Victor grinned. “Quite true,” he whispered, kissing her.
58) kids and a fire hydrant picture
Time Period: Anytime, though probably in the summer following "Secundus"
Notes: After some thought, I decided to have someone explode a fire hydrant in Secundus for this one -- hell, had to happen sometime with all these Touched. Research yielded that English hydrants are actually underground affairs. We lose some interesting imagery that way (wouldn't a rocket hydrant be funny?), but I think the drabble works nonetheless.
The absolute last thing Victor expected today was to see the street in front of Doc’s shop suddenly turn into a fountain. He nearly jumped out of his skin as the water burst into the sky. “Oh – Doc? Marty?!”
“What is – holy shit!” Marty gasped.
“Great Scott,” Doc said, similarly stunned. “Someone must have been tinkering with the hydrant.”
The water continued gushing out, drawing its share of gawkers. “You know, it occurs to me,” Victor said, suddenly amused. “I think we’re more shocked by this than by anything the Touched here do.”
“Life in Secundus for ya,” Marty laughed.
59) underwater tiger picture
Time Period: Anytime post-Alice & Victor's marriage
Notes: This was written after its companion fic: "75) leaping shark picture." When I was writing that one about Victor, I suddenly realized that I could link the two pictures featuring dangerous animals together. Alice is definitely a dangerous girl, and I'd imagine she'd protect what loved ones she has left fiercely. Basically, the idea is: you upset one, you incur the wrath of the other. (Do NOT get them both mad at you at the same time. Trust me.)
Most people would call Alice Liddell Van Dort a threatening human being. Her skill with her Vorpal Blade was practically legendary. People knew her as a powerful monster killer, and thus did their best not to upset her.
Of course, there were always those who wanted to push their luck. Alice generally limited her treatment of them to cold looks and snide comments. But the moment anyone wanted to bully her husband – someone had said it was like having a bloodthirsty tiger suddenly dive into the quiet pool you’d been relaxing in.
People generally only bothered Victor Van Dort once.
60) firefly picture
Time Period: Past, when Victor was about seven
Notes: Kidlet!Victor fic! I was trying to avoid yet another thing on the glowing butterflies and decided to just do a cute thing with ickle Victor and his early love of bugs. I'm vaguely amused by the fact my hobbyist entomologist (and future biological Touched) hates bug boxes.
“Fireflies!”
Victor ran around the garden at the back of their new house, following the swarm of glowing insects. Scraps followed, barking and whining at these weird flying lights. “They won’t hurt you, boy,” Victor said, reaching out to try and capture a few. “They’re pretty, see? I – oh.”
Rather than pretty little insects, he had softly glowing smudges on his hands. “Sorry,” he apologized to the remains of the fireflies. He hated when he accidentally killed a bug. People who put butterflies in boxes on pins baffled him. Didn’t they –
“Victor! What is that all over your hands?!”
Uh-oh.