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crossover_chickAnd it's supposed to be like this for the next two days. *will melt before then* Well, no, I shouldn't say that, my room was okay today -- I just worry it won't be tomorrow. Supposed to get up to 98, at least inland. Eeep.
-HD: *urging iced tea on me* Lots of fluids is the key.-
This is true. I'm so glad Dad got a fresh supply of popsicles and fudgsicles the other day. Anyway, heat makes for a fairly boring day on my end, so let's finish up the Alice memories for Forgotten Vows, why don't we:
Dollhouse Lower Levels
It seemed somehow appropriate to have what she instinctively knew would be her last memory from Victor waiting for her at the top of the slide. It was almost a twisted mirror image of the first one she’d found – from a cheerful slide in the beautiful Vale to a horrific slide in the terrifying Dollhouse. The memory was even on the opposite side. She shattered the doll heads lurking around the top (she was never going to be able to walk past a toy shop again at this rate), then, just a bit hesitantly, touched the butterfly.
“I don’t want to forget! I don’t care if my memories make me a pariah – they’re important to me! I wish he’d understand that! How you put up with him sometimes is beyond me!”
She closed her eyes, feeling a rush of pain. Her own words to Bumby at the beginning of all this mess echoed in her mind: “I want to forget! Who would choose to be alone, imprisoned by their broken memories?”
Victor would, of course. He’d said that to her not two days before that fateful session. He’d hung onto his memories with all he had, not caring if people thought him strange, not caring how much pain was inflicted on him for wanting to remember. He’d done his level best never to give Bumby an inch. Despite his shyness, nervousness, and want to please, he’d fought the doctor with everything he had.
He’d been stronger than her.
She could already hear his arguments against this in her mind. He’d never suffered like she had; she was incredibly strong just for surviving, just for getting out of Rutledge; no one could blame her for wanting to escape the pain. All true – and all irrelevant. She should have never let Bumby into her mind in the first place. She should have tried harder to remember, to discover the truth earlier. She should have realized that even painful memories were worth holding onto.
“You won’t win any battles standing around feeling sorry for yourself.”
Alice looked over as the Cheshire Cat materialized. “So close to the endgame – why stop moving now?” he continued, grinning at her as he always did.
“. . .Do you think he’s safe, Cat?”
Cheshire flicked an ear, making his earring sway. “Is anyone really safe? The world is a dangerous and cruel place.”
“I know, but – all I can think of is how angry Bumby got at him sometimes. And Victor doesn’t know what – what I think I know,” she said with a shudder. “I’ve lost everything else, Cat. Even Wonderland is nearly gone now, thanks to that damnable train. I don’t want anything to happen to him either.”
“The only way you can make sure of that is to keep moving,” Cheshire said, leaning forward. “You have foes still to fight. Your boy can take care of himself – he has been so far, hasn’t he?”
“But what if he can’t?”
“Then you save him.” The Cat’s voice darkened. “Or avenge him. But either way, you’re not doing yourself or him any good by just standing still.”
Alice nodded, straightening her back. “Right. Thank you, Cat. You’ve actually been helpful for once.”
Cheshire just grinned, fading out flesh first, smile last. Alice dropped down onto the slide and started making her way to the deepest parts of the Dollhouse. There was no time to waste – the sooner she cleared this – this infection out of her head, the quicker she was back in the real world, feeling herself again.
And the quicker she could check up on Victor.
Yeah, I deliberately designed Victor's last memory to be a mirror image. It seemed fitting to put it at the top of the last slide to mirror the first. And I'd always wanted it to be the opposite of Alice's opinion at the start of the game. I like showing off how much she's changed over the course of her trip, and that seemed a good way to do it.
-TTV: I have a hard time believing that any version of me is stronger than Alice.-
So does he, but Alice does have a point -- he does fight Bumby's therapy pretty hard. Of course, Bumby does break him in the end, and Alice has to save him -- on the other hand, Bumby himself says Victor was his hardest nut to crack. . .
-TTV: Yes, but he never breaks Alice at all.-
Trufax -- they're probably closer to about equal. But Alice is having a low moment, so. . . She just wants to keep what little good she has in her life safe.
-VDM: I'm a little confused -- why does she say "what I think I know?"-
This is the slide before the double Dollgirl and Menacing Ruin fight, which means she hasn't gotten the last Liddell Door memory yet. That comes straight after. I figure at this point she's almost positive he set the fire after killing her sister, but she doesn't fully accept it until she remembers the physical proof -- namely, that Bumby's carrying around Lizzie's room key. I'll probably edit that bit in the final version to make it a bit clearer.
Soo, yes, dark memory is dark. And then it just gets darker until Alice beats the Dollmaker. . .
And that's Victor's last memory in A:MR! All of these are subject to tweaking, of course, but I hope you enjoyed what you saw.
-D: Speaking of which, how's "Finding You" coming along?-
Good -- I've started on the bit about the dance, so it should be finished in a few days. Then it's onto the editing process and all that. I'm going with short chapters for each episode, so at least they should be fairy quick to adjust. Wish me luck!
-HD: *urging iced tea on me* Lots of fluids is the key.-
This is true. I'm so glad Dad got a fresh supply of popsicles and fudgsicles the other day. Anyway, heat makes for a fairly boring day on my end, so let's finish up the Alice memories for Forgotten Vows, why don't we:
Dollhouse Lower Levels
It seemed somehow appropriate to have what she instinctively knew would be her last memory from Victor waiting for her at the top of the slide. It was almost a twisted mirror image of the first one she’d found – from a cheerful slide in the beautiful Vale to a horrific slide in the terrifying Dollhouse. The memory was even on the opposite side. She shattered the doll heads lurking around the top (she was never going to be able to walk past a toy shop again at this rate), then, just a bit hesitantly, touched the butterfly.
“I don’t want to forget! I don’t care if my memories make me a pariah – they’re important to me! I wish he’d understand that! How you put up with him sometimes is beyond me!”
She closed her eyes, feeling a rush of pain. Her own words to Bumby at the beginning of all this mess echoed in her mind: “I want to forget! Who would choose to be alone, imprisoned by their broken memories?”
Victor would, of course. He’d said that to her not two days before that fateful session. He’d hung onto his memories with all he had, not caring if people thought him strange, not caring how much pain was inflicted on him for wanting to remember. He’d done his level best never to give Bumby an inch. Despite his shyness, nervousness, and want to please, he’d fought the doctor with everything he had.
He’d been stronger than her.
She could already hear his arguments against this in her mind. He’d never suffered like she had; she was incredibly strong just for surviving, just for getting out of Rutledge; no one could blame her for wanting to escape the pain. All true – and all irrelevant. She should have never let Bumby into her mind in the first place. She should have tried harder to remember, to discover the truth earlier. She should have realized that even painful memories were worth holding onto.
“You won’t win any battles standing around feeling sorry for yourself.”
Alice looked over as the Cheshire Cat materialized. “So close to the endgame – why stop moving now?” he continued, grinning at her as he always did.
“. . .Do you think he’s safe, Cat?”
Cheshire flicked an ear, making his earring sway. “Is anyone really safe? The world is a dangerous and cruel place.”
“I know, but – all I can think of is how angry Bumby got at him sometimes. And Victor doesn’t know what – what I think I know,” she said with a shudder. “I’ve lost everything else, Cat. Even Wonderland is nearly gone now, thanks to that damnable train. I don’t want anything to happen to him either.”
“The only way you can make sure of that is to keep moving,” Cheshire said, leaning forward. “You have foes still to fight. Your boy can take care of himself – he has been so far, hasn’t he?”
“But what if he can’t?”
“Then you save him.” The Cat’s voice darkened. “Or avenge him. But either way, you’re not doing yourself or him any good by just standing still.”
Alice nodded, straightening her back. “Right. Thank you, Cat. You’ve actually been helpful for once.”
Cheshire just grinned, fading out flesh first, smile last. Alice dropped down onto the slide and started making her way to the deepest parts of the Dollhouse. There was no time to waste – the sooner she cleared this – this infection out of her head, the quicker she was back in the real world, feeling herself again.
And the quicker she could check up on Victor.
Yeah, I deliberately designed Victor's last memory to be a mirror image. It seemed fitting to put it at the top of the last slide to mirror the first. And I'd always wanted it to be the opposite of Alice's opinion at the start of the game. I like showing off how much she's changed over the course of her trip, and that seemed a good way to do it.
-TTV: I have a hard time believing that any version of me is stronger than Alice.-
So does he, but Alice does have a point -- he does fight Bumby's therapy pretty hard. Of course, Bumby does break him in the end, and Alice has to save him -- on the other hand, Bumby himself says Victor was his hardest nut to crack. . .
-TTV: Yes, but he never breaks Alice at all.-
Trufax -- they're probably closer to about equal. But Alice is having a low moment, so. . . She just wants to keep what little good she has in her life safe.
-VDM: I'm a little confused -- why does she say "what I think I know?"-
This is the slide before the double Dollgirl and Menacing Ruin fight, which means she hasn't gotten the last Liddell Door memory yet. That comes straight after. I figure at this point she's almost positive he set the fire after killing her sister, but she doesn't fully accept it until she remembers the physical proof -- namely, that Bumby's carrying around Lizzie's room key. I'll probably edit that bit in the final version to make it a bit clearer.
Soo, yes, dark memory is dark. And then it just gets darker until Alice beats the Dollmaker. . .
And that's Victor's last memory in A:MR! All of these are subject to tweaking, of course, but I hope you enjoyed what you saw.
-D: Speaking of which, how's "Finding You" coming along?-
Good -- I've started on the bit about the dance, so it should be finished in a few days. Then it's onto the editing process and all that. I'm going with short chapters for each episode, so at least they should be fairy quick to adjust. Wish me luck!
