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crossover_chickA year old today -- how the time does fly. So let's have another "Alice finding a Victor memory" to mark the occasion:
Tundraful
Coming to this out of the way iceberg was proving more profitable than she’d thought. Not only was there a little treasure trove of teeth just off its shores, there was also another crystal butterfly waiting for her on a shelf. She tapped it as she jogged past, listening to the voice that echoed around her.
“Even packed in ice, fish goes bad quickly – at least, that’s what Father tells me. That’s why he wanted to get into the canning business. He says I’ll be in charge of it all one day. I – I’m n-not eager for that day to come, if I’m honest.”
Ah yes – he’d said that on a visit to the docks. They’d been watching the men unload their cargoes of fish, and she’d asked him about his family business. It had rapidly become apparent that Victor did not want anything to do with running a business. Not that she blamed him – she couldn’t see Victor as a businessman. He was far too shy and retiring – he’d let people walk all over him while making deals. And he seemed to have developed a distinct antipathy for fish due to growing up with it all around him. The only time she’d ever seen him refuse a meal was when Bumby served fish. She giggled as she remembered the expression on the others’ faces – after finally getting used to the fact that the stick-thin Victor Van Dort apparently had a bottomless pit for a stomach, it was downright baffling to see him reject food. Still, she could understand why he might not like fish. Overexposure and too-high expectations would do that to a person.
She collected her teeth on the invisible platform, then looked up at the sky. Bright green and blue cut across the deep navy of the night, exhaled by the brilliantly white moon. Alice sort of wished she had paint, a canvas, and some time to spare. It was a beautiful sight. I bet Victor could capture it better than I could, though. He’s quite the artist. I bet he’d love it here. Maybe not the cold, and the poor frozen animals, but the sky makes up for all of that.
She frowned. She – she really did want to bring Victor here. To show him her Wonderland – or, at least, Wonderland before it started falling apart. But that wasn’t like her – Wonderland was supposed to be her private retreat, her home away from home. The only other person she had really ever wanted to bring here was Lizzie. And she’d never thought of Victor like a brother. He was a – a friend. A kind, understanding, gentle. . . .
She shook her head rapidly. No, she was getting stuck in unproductive thoughts again. The more time she spent thinking about Victor, the less time she was spending trying to track down that damnable train. And that was the important thing. She looked out across the water, trying to judge if she could safely jump to one of those ice floes bobbing out there. Time to see if the Mock Turtle was doing anything but wailing.
-TTV: I see hints of her denying some feelings.-
Yeah, she really doesn't get a clue until Queensland, which is when the rest of her denial starts really breaking down. I tried to show a slow progression in how she's thinking about Victor -- first he's just a friend, then it's obvious she really cares for him, and then in Queensland the fact that she loves him hits her head-on. And then we get the Dollhouse. . .
I hope you liked that! I'm off to watch Alice push Bumby under a train.
Tundraful
Coming to this out of the way iceberg was proving more profitable than she’d thought. Not only was there a little treasure trove of teeth just off its shores, there was also another crystal butterfly waiting for her on a shelf. She tapped it as she jogged past, listening to the voice that echoed around her.
“Even packed in ice, fish goes bad quickly – at least, that’s what Father tells me. That’s why he wanted to get into the canning business. He says I’ll be in charge of it all one day. I – I’m n-not eager for that day to come, if I’m honest.”
Ah yes – he’d said that on a visit to the docks. They’d been watching the men unload their cargoes of fish, and she’d asked him about his family business. It had rapidly become apparent that Victor did not want anything to do with running a business. Not that she blamed him – she couldn’t see Victor as a businessman. He was far too shy and retiring – he’d let people walk all over him while making deals. And he seemed to have developed a distinct antipathy for fish due to growing up with it all around him. The only time she’d ever seen him refuse a meal was when Bumby served fish. She giggled as she remembered the expression on the others’ faces – after finally getting used to the fact that the stick-thin Victor Van Dort apparently had a bottomless pit for a stomach, it was downright baffling to see him reject food. Still, she could understand why he might not like fish. Overexposure and too-high expectations would do that to a person.
She collected her teeth on the invisible platform, then looked up at the sky. Bright green and blue cut across the deep navy of the night, exhaled by the brilliantly white moon. Alice sort of wished she had paint, a canvas, and some time to spare. It was a beautiful sight. I bet Victor could capture it better than I could, though. He’s quite the artist. I bet he’d love it here. Maybe not the cold, and the poor frozen animals, but the sky makes up for all of that.
She frowned. She – she really did want to bring Victor here. To show him her Wonderland – or, at least, Wonderland before it started falling apart. But that wasn’t like her – Wonderland was supposed to be her private retreat, her home away from home. The only other person she had really ever wanted to bring here was Lizzie. And she’d never thought of Victor like a brother. He was a – a friend. A kind, understanding, gentle. . . .
She shook her head rapidly. No, she was getting stuck in unproductive thoughts again. The more time she spent thinking about Victor, the less time she was spending trying to track down that damnable train. And that was the important thing. She looked out across the water, trying to judge if she could safely jump to one of those ice floes bobbing out there. Time to see if the Mock Turtle was doing anything but wailing.
-TTV: I see hints of her denying some feelings.-
Yeah, she really doesn't get a clue until Queensland, which is when the rest of her denial starts really breaking down. I tried to show a slow progression in how she's thinking about Victor -- first he's just a friend, then it's obvious she really cares for him, and then in Queensland the fact that she loves him hits her head-on. And then we get the Dollhouse. . .
I hope you liked that! I'm off to watch Alice push Bumby under a train.
