Thursday Charloft Prompts #51-60
12/2/2011: reunions
Time Period: Chapter 6 of "Secundus"
Notes: Just some musings from Victor on the very awkward reunion between him and his parents when they suddenly show up in Doc's shop.
Victor really had to marvel at his parents’ timing. Part of him had been expecting them to show up, he easily admitted. After all, he was throwing away a chance to marry the daughter of a lord and a lady to live in the Mad Science Capital of the World. How could his parents not come after him? But he’d never expected them to arrive now – not when he was missing his jacket and tie, and was covered in grease from a difference engine. Not when he looked every inch an Igor.
The universe had a terrible sense of humor.
12/8/2011: fool's errand
Time Period: Anytime in "Secundus" Notes: The write-up for the prompt mentioned the old standby "elbow grease," and that gave me an interesting burst of inspiration. Victor lives in the Mad Science Capital of the World. . .who's to say such a thing doesn't exist? And from that, came this. The mention of balloon juice comes from me seeing the term in a Girl Genius comic, in a similar context (the guy in question was doubtful of Gil's (the son of the most powerful man in Europe) identity and thought he was having a joke played on him).
“And the last item is – oh, never mind, I think it’s just a joke.”
“What is it?” Marty asked, piling the parts into a basket.
Victor smiled bashfully. “Elbow grease. Perhaps Alice thought I needed a laugh.”
Marty frowned slightly. “Victor?”
“Yes?”
“Alice may have wrote the list – but it’s Richard you’re picking this stuff up for, remember?”
Victor frowned. “Yes, but what does that–”
And then it clicked. “Oh! He would need that for his joints, wouldn’t he?”
Marty nodded, laughing. “It’s okay. They got me with balloon juice once.”
“Balloon juice?”
“Yeah, let me show you a bottle. . . .”
12/16/2011: forgot to do. . .
Time Period: Post-"Secundus," pre-Alice getting pregnant
Notes: This prompt was a bit hard to pin down for some reason. I eventually settled on a post-marriage fic, with Victor and Alice having to deal with something in their house. No, I don't know what it is, just that Victor made it so it's probably a butterfly. Hope you enjoy!
“. . .All right, Victor, seeing you lurking about the house with a net is never good. What’s happened?”
“One of my experiments escaped into the house. I’m trying to recapture it.”
“You lost an experiment? Nothing dangerous, I hope.”
“No, nothing dangerous, just fast. You know I don’t usually make anything dangerous, Alice.”
“I know, but you do have bees in there. And modified or not, those tend to sting.”
“Don’t worry, it’s not one of the bees. This is harmless.”
“Good. But how did it get out anyway?”
“Ah – I m-may have forgotten to close the conservatory door. . . .”
“Oh, Victor. . . .”
12/22/2011: last day
Time Period: Right before Chapter 1 of "Secundus" – the morning of said chapter, in fact
Notes: A bit of a twist on the prompt – Victor doesn't know it's his last day in Burtonsville, after all. Careful what you wish for, buddy? (Or maybe not, since he really does love it in his adopted city. . . .)
It was the first thing on his mind when he woke up every day – one day closer to an arranged marriage.
Victor sat up, sighing deeply. He still couldn’t believe his parents had done this to him. How could he marry a woman he’d never even spoken to? It was terrifying – and not fair. But he didn’t have a choice. Barring some fantastic occurrence, he was going to have to go through with the wedding.
And I’ll never get that lucky, he thought, getting up to start his day. Oh, if only someone would whisk me away from this place. . . .
12/29/2011: tire
Time Period: Anytime in "Secundus"
Notes: More on Victor's insomnia – specifically, a very bad night for him when it comes to getting his rest. Poor guy. The idea of being "too tired to sleep" is one I first saw in a Freefall comic (webcomic I read regularly featuring an uplifted wolf, a larcenous squid alien, and a helpful if naive robot), and it sounds like it would suck hardcore.
He just could not get comfortable.
Groaning, Victor sat up. It was a bad night for his insomnia. Every time he seemed on the verge of drifting off, a muscle would cramp, or his stomach would gurgle, or his mind would find something new to worry about. And it was particularly bad tonight, given the day he’d had. Running around serving customers, going on a house call with Doc and Marty, racing by Mad Hatter Haberdashery to say hello to Alice. . .he’d been on the go since he’d gotten up. And now. . . .
Was it possible to be too tired – to sleep?
1/6/2012: improvisation
Time Period: Chapter 15 of "Secundus," when Victor arrives in Wonderland Park
Notes: I struggled quite a while with this prompt (ironic?), but eventually came up with something that more or less ended up being a first draft of Victor's panicked arrival at the Park during the Queen's attack. He's so scared, poor thing – but on the other hand, it's kind of his own fault for running TOWARD the destruction. . .
Oh God oh God oh GOD!
Victor darted behind a tree, breathing heavily. What’s happening here? he thought, looking around wildly. What’s attacking Wonderland Park? What – no, no, calm down. Calm down. You came here for a reason, remember? You have to make sure your friends are all right! You have to get them out of here! But how? He wiped his brow clean. I need a plan. First – I –
A tentacle sliced off the top of his tree. Figure out the specifics on my feet! he decided, and took off. Improvisation wasn’t his strong point – but it would have to do.
1/13/2012: vintage
Time Period: Anytime in "Secundus"
Notes: Went with the wine definition, since it's something I could see Victor picking up (or being forced to learn) growing up. Dunno who's a wine snob in Secundus, but I'm sure they exist.
“Okay, I don’t care how much they pay, no more working for wine snobs,” Marty snapped as the three headed back to their shop.
“I agree,” Doc muttered. “It was impossible to concentrate with that man hovering over my shoulder.”
“Yeah! And acting all ‘I’m better than you because I own vintage wine’– what the hell does ‘vintage’ mean, anyway?”
“That all the grapes used in the wine were grown and harvested in a specific year. In certain wines, it also indicates quality.”
Doc and Marty stopped and stared at Victor. “What?” Victor said, smirking. “I did grow up rich.”
1/19/2012: white lies
Time Period: Anytime during "Secundus," post Nell and William's arrival
Notes: Wasn't sure what I wanted to do at first – then the tumblr version of Butterfly Boy and his issues with his parents inspired me. Victor has a lot of perhaps not-so-secret-anymore resentment toward his folks. But it's not anything he'd ever say (at least not at the point in time when this occurs) because he still loves his parents and doesn't want to hurt them. Perhaps he's too nice for his own good.
“What could you possibly have against your own parents, Victor?”
“I– I–”
You’re constantly trying to control my life. No, not even trying – you just control it. You never ask my opinion on anything – you decide I’m going to do something, and then I do it. And if I dare try to argue or say no, you make me feel guilty. Anything that makes me happy isn’t ‘right’ for me in your eyes. You’re never satisfied with me the way I am!
And sometimes. . .I think you never wanted me at all.
“. . .I d-don’t have anything against you, Mother. R-really.”
1/26/2012: second chances
Time Period: Post-"Secundus 2," not long after Chester's birth
Notes: Let's showcase the sad little relationship between Victor and his parents post the first story, shall we? On a different note, though it obviously doesn't happen here, I have toyed with the idea of a "modern day" AU!Victor taking Alice's last name.
Shortly after Chester was born, Victor decided that his parents deserved a second chance. He wasn’t kidding himself – he knew they would never have a truly friendly relationship. Not after disowning him in the wake of his going Creative. But they deserved to know they had a grandchild. He owed them that much. So he wrote them a letter, hoping and praying for a reply.
He got one. Saying that his parents would never acknowledge a child born to that woman in that city, to a madman no less.
For a week afterward, Victor seriously considered changing his family’s name to Liddell.
2/4/2012: bravery
Time Period: Chapter 17 of "Secundus," right after Alice blasts her way into Looking-Glass House with the blunderbuss
Notes: Here's an interesting one – my first drabble prompt using the "secundus_cast" journal! Mostly because the prompt made me want to write for Alice, and how she felt about going to save Victor from the Queen.
She heard a voice behind her comment as she plunged into the darkness, “Well, she’s very brave.”
Alice shook her head. Bravery had nothing to do with it. Fighting monsters was her life. She couldn’t help but try and protect people these days. She felt it was her duty, her purpose in life. Her fear of monsters had fled long ago. But she was going after this monster for a different reason.
“Alice! ALICE!”
“Victor! NO!”
Alice felt her fingers tighten on her knife handle and her eyes narrow as she ran onward. No, this wasn’t bravery.
This was personal.
Time Period: Chapter 6 of "Secundus"
Notes: Just some musings from Victor on the very awkward reunion between him and his parents when they suddenly show up in Doc's shop.
Victor really had to marvel at his parents’ timing. Part of him had been expecting them to show up, he easily admitted. After all, he was throwing away a chance to marry the daughter of a lord and a lady to live in the Mad Science Capital of the World. How could his parents not come after him? But he’d never expected them to arrive now – not when he was missing his jacket and tie, and was covered in grease from a difference engine. Not when he looked every inch an Igor.
The universe had a terrible sense of humor.
12/8/2011: fool's errand
Time Period: Anytime in "Secundus" Notes: The write-up for the prompt mentioned the old standby "elbow grease," and that gave me an interesting burst of inspiration. Victor lives in the Mad Science Capital of the World. . .who's to say such a thing doesn't exist? And from that, came this. The mention of balloon juice comes from me seeing the term in a Girl Genius comic, in a similar context (the guy in question was doubtful of Gil's (the son of the most powerful man in Europe) identity and thought he was having a joke played on him).
“And the last item is – oh, never mind, I think it’s just a joke.”
“What is it?” Marty asked, piling the parts into a basket.
Victor smiled bashfully. “Elbow grease. Perhaps Alice thought I needed a laugh.”
Marty frowned slightly. “Victor?”
“Yes?”
“Alice may have wrote the list – but it’s Richard you’re picking this stuff up for, remember?”
Victor frowned. “Yes, but what does that–”
And then it clicked. “Oh! He would need that for his joints, wouldn’t he?”
Marty nodded, laughing. “It’s okay. They got me with balloon juice once.”
“Balloon juice?”
“Yeah, let me show you a bottle. . . .”
12/16/2011: forgot to do. . .
Time Period: Post-"Secundus," pre-Alice getting pregnant
Notes: This prompt was a bit hard to pin down for some reason. I eventually settled on a post-marriage fic, with Victor and Alice having to deal with something in their house. No, I don't know what it is, just that Victor made it so it's probably a butterfly. Hope you enjoy!
“. . .All right, Victor, seeing you lurking about the house with a net is never good. What’s happened?”
“One of my experiments escaped into the house. I’m trying to recapture it.”
“You lost an experiment? Nothing dangerous, I hope.”
“No, nothing dangerous, just fast. You know I don’t usually make anything dangerous, Alice.”
“I know, but you do have bees in there. And modified or not, those tend to sting.”
“Don’t worry, it’s not one of the bees. This is harmless.”
“Good. But how did it get out anyway?”
“Ah – I m-may have forgotten to close the conservatory door. . . .”
“Oh, Victor. . . .”
12/22/2011: last day
Time Period: Right before Chapter 1 of "Secundus" – the morning of said chapter, in fact
Notes: A bit of a twist on the prompt – Victor doesn't know it's his last day in Burtonsville, after all. Careful what you wish for, buddy? (Or maybe not, since he really does love it in his adopted city. . . .)
It was the first thing on his mind when he woke up every day – one day closer to an arranged marriage.
Victor sat up, sighing deeply. He still couldn’t believe his parents had done this to him. How could he marry a woman he’d never even spoken to? It was terrifying – and not fair. But he didn’t have a choice. Barring some fantastic occurrence, he was going to have to go through with the wedding.
And I’ll never get that lucky, he thought, getting up to start his day. Oh, if only someone would whisk me away from this place. . . .
12/29/2011: tire
Time Period: Anytime in "Secundus"
Notes: More on Victor's insomnia – specifically, a very bad night for him when it comes to getting his rest. Poor guy. The idea of being "too tired to sleep" is one I first saw in a Freefall comic (webcomic I read regularly featuring an uplifted wolf, a larcenous squid alien, and a helpful if naive robot), and it sounds like it would suck hardcore.
He just could not get comfortable.
Groaning, Victor sat up. It was a bad night for his insomnia. Every time he seemed on the verge of drifting off, a muscle would cramp, or his stomach would gurgle, or his mind would find something new to worry about. And it was particularly bad tonight, given the day he’d had. Running around serving customers, going on a house call with Doc and Marty, racing by Mad Hatter Haberdashery to say hello to Alice. . .he’d been on the go since he’d gotten up. And now. . . .
Was it possible to be too tired – to sleep?
1/6/2012: improvisation
Time Period: Chapter 15 of "Secundus," when Victor arrives in Wonderland Park
Notes: I struggled quite a while with this prompt (ironic?), but eventually came up with something that more or less ended up being a first draft of Victor's panicked arrival at the Park during the Queen's attack. He's so scared, poor thing – but on the other hand, it's kind of his own fault for running TOWARD the destruction. . .
Oh God oh God oh GOD!
Victor darted behind a tree, breathing heavily. What’s happening here? he thought, looking around wildly. What’s attacking Wonderland Park? What – no, no, calm down. Calm down. You came here for a reason, remember? You have to make sure your friends are all right! You have to get them out of here! But how? He wiped his brow clean. I need a plan. First – I –
A tentacle sliced off the top of his tree. Figure out the specifics on my feet! he decided, and took off. Improvisation wasn’t his strong point – but it would have to do.
1/13/2012: vintage
Time Period: Anytime in "Secundus"
Notes: Went with the wine definition, since it's something I could see Victor picking up (or being forced to learn) growing up. Dunno who's a wine snob in Secundus, but I'm sure they exist.
“Okay, I don’t care how much they pay, no more working for wine snobs,” Marty snapped as the three headed back to their shop.
“I agree,” Doc muttered. “It was impossible to concentrate with that man hovering over my shoulder.”
“Yeah! And acting all ‘I’m better than you because I own vintage wine’– what the hell does ‘vintage’ mean, anyway?”
“That all the grapes used in the wine were grown and harvested in a specific year. In certain wines, it also indicates quality.”
Doc and Marty stopped and stared at Victor. “What?” Victor said, smirking. “I did grow up rich.”
1/19/2012: white lies
Time Period: Anytime during "Secundus," post Nell and William's arrival
Notes: Wasn't sure what I wanted to do at first – then the tumblr version of Butterfly Boy and his issues with his parents inspired me. Victor has a lot of perhaps not-so-secret-anymore resentment toward his folks. But it's not anything he'd ever say (at least not at the point in time when this occurs) because he still loves his parents and doesn't want to hurt them. Perhaps he's too nice for his own good.
“What could you possibly have against your own parents, Victor?”
“I– I–”
You’re constantly trying to control my life. No, not even trying – you just control it. You never ask my opinion on anything – you decide I’m going to do something, and then I do it. And if I dare try to argue or say no, you make me feel guilty. Anything that makes me happy isn’t ‘right’ for me in your eyes. You’re never satisfied with me the way I am!
And sometimes. . .I think you never wanted me at all.
“. . .I d-don’t have anything against you, Mother. R-really.”
1/26/2012: second chances
Time Period: Post-"Secundus 2," not long after Chester's birth
Notes: Let's showcase the sad little relationship between Victor and his parents post the first story, shall we? On a different note, though it obviously doesn't happen here, I have toyed with the idea of a "modern day" AU!Victor taking Alice's last name.
Shortly after Chester was born, Victor decided that his parents deserved a second chance. He wasn’t kidding himself – he knew they would never have a truly friendly relationship. Not after disowning him in the wake of his going Creative. But they deserved to know they had a grandchild. He owed them that much. So he wrote them a letter, hoping and praying for a reply.
He got one. Saying that his parents would never acknowledge a child born to that woman in that city, to a madman no less.
For a week afterward, Victor seriously considered changing his family’s name to Liddell.
2/4/2012: bravery
Time Period: Chapter 17 of "Secundus," right after Alice blasts her way into Looking-Glass House with the blunderbuss
Notes: Here's an interesting one – my first drabble prompt using the "secundus_cast" journal! Mostly because the prompt made me want to write for Alice, and how she felt about going to save Victor from the Queen.
She heard a voice behind her comment as she plunged into the darkness, “Well, she’s very brave.”
Alice shook her head. Bravery had nothing to do with it. Fighting monsters was her life. She couldn’t help but try and protect people these days. She felt it was her duty, her purpose in life. Her fear of monsters had fled long ago. But she was going after this monster for a different reason.
“Alice! ALICE!”
“Victor! NO!”
Alice felt her fingers tighten on her knife handle and her eyes narrow as she ran onward. No, this wasn’t bravery.
This was personal.