#'you thought that about Valice too'

[victorluvsalice]

Happy 15th “Very First Mention Of Valice” Anniversary!

Though, admittedly, it does feel weird to celebrate this anniversary, given that “very first mention of Valice” was me berating myself for even HAVING shipping thoughts about Victor and Alice. XD Yeah, what happened basically was this --

-->I was playing in a LIveJournal RP game at the time, Beyond The Rift, with a version of Doc Brown mixed with Changeling: The Lost (poor guy had ended up as a steampunk cyborg while stuck in Faerie, then escaped into an alternate universe Chicago with angels and demons and various other ridiculous shenanigans -- he at least got the ability to control his personal weather out of it?). I was having fun, and thinking about other characters that I would like to play with if given the chance -- most notably, Victor and Alice.

-->That same day, I ended up on TV Tropes, and in my travels, ended up in the Shipping Tropes section. I don’t remember if I ended up on the Crossover Shipping page precisely, but I was definitely in that general vicinity.

-->And -- well, I was already thinking about how Victor and Alice shared a love of drawing, and how they were from the same time period, so if they DID both end up in that Chicago, they’d be able to commiserate with each other and suchlike. . .

-->And thus, cue me thinking about shipping them. And then cue me going “WTF??” at my own brain, because I was absolutely convinced at the time that they’d make a horrible couple, and that my (supposedly-joking) desire to ship Victor with both Victoria AND Emily was weird enough.

. . .we see how all THAT turned out! I wonder what 2008 Vicky would think if she could look forward and see me now -- having written freaking novels’ worth of Valice fan fiction, having embraced not only shipping Victor with Victoria and Emily at the same time, but throwing Alice into the mix too, and currently being obsessed with the OT3 of Victor, Alice, and a roller coaster. XD Hopefully she’d see how happy I am with all this nonsense and be glad that she didn’t talk herself out of it. (Even if it took me until December of that year, after I’d made Victor and Alice RP journals, to let Alice call Victor her boyfriend. But we’ll get to that later.)

[popfizzles]

soo i had this thought and uhh, val would probably know nothing on how to do taxes and probably needs help

anon i am already stressed, you want me to draw val being stressed about taxes too ???

i was more thinking like;

valmug cuddling and mugman always being big spoon

valcup trespassing somewhere and kissing on a broken bridge

valboba setting up furniture in their apartment

valice on an ice-cream date and gossiping

valsmith at the drive-in watching a horror movie and smith laughing at val jumping

[thevalicemultiverse]

Technicolor Phase meets Valicer In The Dark

Valicer In The Dark Victor: You -- really couldn't see blue until you met Emily? It's one of my favorite colors.

Technicolor Phase Victor: It's one of mine too now, but -- look, I don't know why it works so differently for my world. I'm still trying to wrap my head around realities where you just don't automatically know that someone will be important to you.

VITD Alice: It would be useful information, yes... [looks at her counterpart] But it doesn't sound like it helped you or Lizzie with Bumby.

TP Alice: Unfortunately not. The one problem with the colors is that it doesn't specify how someone is going to be important to you.

TP Emily: Exactly -- I got blue from Barkis, and I thought that meant he was my true love, not that he was going to murder me.

VITD Smiler: It does seem like an imperfect system...we're all very sorry about what happened to you. Would it help to know that our version of you burned him up with an electroplasm bomb after stopping him from killing Victoria?

TP Emily: ...it does a little, honestly.

TP Victoria: Mmmm -- I hope he's receiving his just punishment while Emily went on to her great reward.

VITD Victor, Alice, and Smiler: [look at each other awkwardly] Um...

[ten seconds later]

TP Victoria: WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THERE'S NO AFTERLIFE ANYMORE?!

[quarantinecat]

Death of an Angel Chapter 1

Holly craves the taste of dried cranberries that usually come with her chicken salad. The rain outside made it hard for her to concentrate on the files that she was working on. The rain also brought in more customers for ‘The Roasted Chicken is quite busy for a Wednesday morning. Filled with disappointment Holly turned back to the report that she was working on. The council just approved the new research site that her team was working on, and she wanted to write a clear outline. The artifacts were at least 50,000 years old holding stories of the past and possible solutions. Each area has its own set of problems. The most important problem was that monsters. They appeared nearly 10,000 years ago. Civilization was almost destroyed. The fact humanity is still here is a miracle.

The rain poured continuously over the next few hours as Holly finished up her report. Ding! The door to the shop opened and the air grew tense. Three men in Council uniforms entered the cafe and undoubtedly they were looking for Holly. Making direct eye contact with the man in the middle Holly waved them over.

“Ms.Green it is a pleasure to meet you.” He said with a deep bow. “You will have to come with us to a more private location, as we have urgent business to attend to. The smile that the man in the middle had deeply unsettled Holly. She cautiously packed up her stuff and followed the men to an unmarked car. “ I am Councilman Doomermen. To my right is Councilman Valice and to the left is Councilman Copper. Doomermen was a tall elderly man with thinning hair and steel gray eyes. There appears to be nothing soft about him. Years in high political office will do that. On the other hand, Valice was young. Fresh meat. His dark brown eyes held a little too much hope. He keeps fidgeting with his honey-blonde hair in an attempt to make it look more presentable. Cooper was another elderly man shorter than Doomermen but just as thin and hardened.

“ I would like to join your team in the expedition” Valice had a surprisingly deep voice for someone so young. “I have four years of training in the military with two degrees around deep Heavn travel.” The concern in his voice annoyed Holly.

“Well, this will go against protocol and probably multiply laws,” Holly said calmly. She didn’t want to take a Councilman on this trip. It would not look well on the organization if a Councilman died, especially one as young as Valice. Councilmen have to come from the right families; the chosen child is then put through rigorous testing and training. She needs this expedition to go well. The funds for the success of the trip could pay for several crew members' expenses for months.

“We have prepared the necessary documentation for the legal protection of your company. Also, we will handle the media if things do not go right. Believe me, Ms.Green, the Council has thought of all possible outcomes.”

“Well if all outcomes are accounted for then who I am to refuse a gracious offer,” Holly said through a stiff smile. The thought of having to babysit a Councilman filled Holly with dread. She had more important things during the

expedition to do like plotting the survey zones, making data charts, and making history-making discoveries. They drop Holly off at her apartment. B Holly’s apartment building was old, made in the before times it stuck out. It also made it the cheapest building. While Holly's research job was emotional and intellectually stimulating, the pay was not. Unlocking the door to her unit Holly is hit with the smell of mildew and litter box. Fester was an old grey cat that she found behind the building one day when taking out the trash. He looked pathic when Holly found him in that alleyway. Humans can cruelly be tossed away living creatures they have no use for. The unit is due to the lack of air conditioning in the building. Holly went to open all the windows she had available. Two. She had two windows, one in the bathroom and the other in the kitchen. Holly cleaned Fester's litter filled his water and food bowl and got to work on the data they got from the exploration team. Waiting on her computer to warm up Holly thought of the the young Councilman Valice. How was she made sure to go completely right? The Council promised her they would handle everything if things went wrong, but they are also known liars. And why is this particular site? She may have gotten her involved in some political nonsense.

Holly clicked through the photos that the exploration team gathered. There was a symbol at the back of the cave that piqued Holly's interest the most. The phrase ‘Κοιμισμένοι άγγελοι’ was written underneath the symbol. Holly suspects that the location is most likely an ancient worship site. The artifacts found near this altar could give us clues into the lives of the people who once lived there. Holly looked over the photo of the site and thought she saw a face forming in the image. The face looked human and not at the same time. The face elongated was noseless and earless with dark whiteless eyes that pierced Holly’s core. Whispers of multiple languages that Holly could not understand filled her room slowly becoming louder. The longer that Holly stared at the photo, the more her thoughts became muddled. Her entire body began to shake as she felt a wave of dread fill her body. A strange fear took over her mind. She quickly turned off the computer and backed away from the desk. Startled by the experience she reasoned that she must be tried. She thought to herself, no more late-night research sessions. Holly took a quick shower and was off to bed. Tomorrow starts a new beginning.

[montaguevin]

Second Meetings | Valice

WHO: Vin Montague & Alice Capulet

WHEN: Wednesday Evening/Early Thursday Morning. 3/28

WHERE: Lavinia & Diner Downtown

SUMMARY: Generally getting to know each other with an appearance by some late night breakfast foods.

WARNING(s): Just a long ass read. Done in Chatzy.

Alice was almost done with her shift for the night and she was looking forward to just going home and not having to serve the more...sleazy clientele that showed up the later the night got. At least it wasn't all that busy tonight. The down time let her think. She thought about Nox and how he was still in prison....how he hadn't made any attempts at all to even bother contacting her, to even let her know he was still alive. And then she thought about the stranger from last week...bleeding and brooding and yet letting her help him without a fight. Vin. That was all she had to go on. She didn't know his last name, a number, didn't even know if if he even lived in the city. She thought about the single rose that had cropped up at the nurse's station then a few days later with no name on it, and that was the only thing she had to go on. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the barstool in front of her scraping against the floor and she shook her head a bit, clearing the thoughts away as she adjusted herself, not looking up just yet- she could worry about it all later. For now.. "Hi, what can I get you?"

Vin isn't entirely sure why he's in the bar. It's a distance from his usual dive, the beer is probably from the same kegs, though he'd found out through his sources a little about the girl infront of him. Her name was Alice, she was a Med Student, unsurprisingly he thinks to himself and she worked at a bar. And for some reason, he's at said bar. She's distracted, and he decides to wait until she's more focused and replying with a simple "pint of ale, thanks" drumming his fingers slightly on the bar waiting for her to look up.

Alice recognized the voice before she even looked up, watching his fingers for a moment (at least they're not as bloodied and broken as the last time she saw them) before finally picking her head up. She couldn't completely hide her surprise even if she tried. She was just convincing herself that she'd never seen him again. And now.... "You're.." she trailed off, just looking at him for a moment; he didn't look as rough as last time, more cleaned up, more composed, less dangerous. She swallowed, snapping out of it again before nodding, "Right--sure. Coming right up." She was caught off guard by her heart beating a bit quicker than usual as she turned from him and went to the taps, perfectly pouring one out and then coming back over to him. "I.." She felt a bit ridiculous...everything she wanted to say sounded a bit ridiculous, so instead she said the easiest thing she could, "You're looking better."

Vin watches Alice carefully, her emotions flitting all over her face as she sorts out her thoughts with a slight stutter. A side of his mouth raises slightly, in the closest thing she'll get to a smile. "...I should hope so.. I try not to go out and about in public looking like that", he takes a swig from his glass, fingers tracing in the condensation of the chilled glass. "... Do you pick strangers up and tend to their wounds often?"

Alice hummed softly, the silence giving her a moment to just look him over again. It was so...surreal, seeing him here in her bar, like the other night never even happened. Until he spoke again and she huffed, rolling her eyes slightly, "There's a first time for everything." She replied back, biting her lip, "I wasn't about to leave you to bleed out on the sidewalk." She added, voice quieting a bit before she asked the main question at the front of her thoughts, "What're you doing here?"

Vin has a poker face that could fool almost anyone and lies smoothly through his teeth, "Had a meeting this side of town, decided I wanted a drink before heading home" .. And part of it is true. He had a meeting, on this side of town. But the entering of this bar was entirely intentional. Perhaps he wasn't sure if she was real, that she wasn't some figment of his imagination, which in all honesty wouldn't have been the first time that happened. He looks down at his watch before asking 'So when's closing time?'

Alice rose a brow ever so slightly at him; it sounded genuine enough, but still. There was another bar a block away. And one more a few more blocks down. There were plenty he could've gone to. And yet. "Whatever you say." Her reply giving away that she didn't fully believe him, but she'd let it go for now. At the question she looked over at the clock behind the bar, seeing it was after midnight already. "Tonight's at one. So you still have more time for another drink or two before they're kicking you out, don't worry."

Vin isn't surprised that she's caught onto his bullshit, but he hides the quirk of his lip behind his glass, draining it silently. He checks his own watch before giving a nod "One more, same as before" before turning to another bar goer next to him, who is all but leering at Alice, his eyes narrowing down in a look that clearly screams 'piss off' , waiting for the Dominant in question to walk off.

Alice is still in a somewhat state of surprise that he's even here- before she got the Rose she was starting to wonder if it'd all even happened, that maybe it was just some surreal dream and an indicator that she was ignoring her submissive needs again and it was messing with her head. But no, it had all happened and here he was in front of her, real as ever. She focused when he spoke again, humming softly "Yes Sir." The title fell off her tongue on instinct, easily following even a basic order and she'd turned around in time to miss the look Vin gave the other man sitting there, missed the way the other man glared towards Vin for just a moment before backing off with a huff, his stool scraping loudly against the floor as he moved to stand, downing the rest of his drink at one shot before leaving, not even bothering to leave Alice a tip which she noticed as she turned back with Vin's next glass.

Vin: smiles slightly as she brings back the drink, murmuring a low 'good girl' , the title falling off his tongue before he can stop it, before asking "So how do you get home? I didn't think buses ran this late?"

Alice may have missed the exchange between the two Doms, but she didn't miss the low praise he gave her as she brought him another drink, and she definitely didn't miss the way it sent a little shiver down her spine. She shook her head at the question though, glancing down for a moment, "I um..I have a car sometimes that picks me up." She explained softly, remembering when Nox set it up for her months ago. "But when it's late like this I just get a cab usually. I'd rather that than bother my sister when she's home and wake her up to come get me in the middle of the night."

Vin tilt his head slightly at her comment. taking a sip of his beer, observing her before speaking "I have my car, I can take you home? Pay you back for not letting me go loose on the streets" ... The comment although seemingly lighthearted has an edge to it, an order as you will.

Alice surprise was quickly becoming a reoccurrence of the night it seemed. She blinked over at him, a confused little frown on her face as she rolled her lips into her mouth for a moment, "Oh--no. I couldn't ask you to do that.... Payback's not necessary, I just..needed to help. Besides, like you said, it's late. I don't wanna keep you from getting home any later..." Even as she spoke though, she recognized the tone in his voice, but still. "You don't have to.."

Vin examines her as she talks, letting her words spill over each other his expression calm, fingers tracing the condensation of the glass before giving a nod "I know, but I want to. I have nowhere I need to be. And I don't like the idea of you not getting home safely"

Alice looked to him, watching his tattooed hand absently trailing along his glass until he spoke. She still didn't know anything about him, barely even knew his name..and yet, for some reason, he was preoccupying himself with her safety. For a second, part of her was again wondering if this was some submission withdrawals-induced delusion. "If you're absolutely sure..then alright. Okay, you can take me home. And then I guess..that'll make us even? Since you're insisting on payback."

Vin smiles slightly "Exactly" before finishing his drink, opening his wallet and leaving enough cash on the bar to cover his drinks as well as a generous tip not only for himself but to make up for the Dominant who had stormed out before nodding "I'll be out the front at 1, take your time getting out and making sure it's done properly. I have nowhere to be, so you don't need to rush' before leaving the bar and walking to his car, a considerable distance away. By the time he drives it back? It's barely a minute past one, and he leans against the car, tapping idly at his phone screen debating on the set of hunting knives for sale, distracted in his musings, he barely notices Alice leaving the bar, eyebrows furrowing slightly as she makes her way to the car before asking bluntly putting away his phone '...Aren't you cold?"

Alice just shook her head, a little on her lips as well as she caved in. Surprise was once again written over her face though as he downed the rest of his second beer and then grabbed his wallet, leaving out waytoo much money- before she could protest though he was speaking, his tone once again slightly laced in dominance, enough so that all she could really do was listen and nod. "Okay." She agreed, otherwise struck silent as he walked out. Who was this guy? She only had one more person at the bar after him so they started closing up a few minutes early, Alice subconsciously wiping down the bar and putting all the bottles away quickly. She emptied out the register quickly but thoroughly too, wishing her coworkers a good night before getting her things. All she had with her was a thin jacket and scarf since that morning she figured she didn't need a huge coat to just run into a cab. She kind of regretted it when she walked out and the cold night air whipped her face. She looked around for only a second before seeing Vin was waiting right up front and she bit her lip to keep from smiling too much as she headed over to him. She huffed at the question though, rolling her eyes "I'll be fine, dad." She quipped easily, looking up at him and still smiling slightly.

Vin can’t help the amused quirking of his lips at Alice’s comment before taking off his jacket and draping it over her shoulders, the look of her in jacket giving a warm feeling, one that he hasn’t felt since before moving back to Verona though he pushes it down silently opening the door for her before shutting it behind her once she’s settled. He moves around the car, climbing in and starting the engine. His lips twist slightly, fingers drumming at the wheel. She intrigues him. There’s something about her gentleness, yet the fire that seems to burn in her eyes to the comments that show she can give as good as she gets and honestly? He’s not ready to take her home. He pauses at a red light before asking suddenly ‘...up for getting a bite to eat?’

Alice watched him for a moment, confused as he moved to take off his jacket, and before she could stop him he was draping it over her. The leather was heavy, swam over her frame- but it was warm and smelled of cologne and the sun and any protests she had died before they even reached her lips. "Won't you be the cold one now?" She asked simply, raising a brow at him even as her fingers came up to pull it closer around herself, hesitating only a moment more before pulling her arms through the sleeves to wear it properly as she climbed in. It was quiet in the car but not uncomfortable, not awkward. Like it'd been the other night. It was difficult for her to find people she could be quiet around, to not feel the awkwardness in the air that almost demanded some sort of conversation. Like she could just be. She didn't even have to tell him directions, given he was taking all the right turns to get back to her house. So when he spoke suddenly, popping the quiet little bubble, the question surprised her, "At one-thirty in the morning?" She asked, tilting her head to the side as she looked over at him. She was just going to say no, that he didn't have to feed her as well as take her home- he'd already done enough. But then her stomach interrupted her thoughts, grumbling a little and she flushed, turning her head away so her curtain of dark hair could hide any potential color able to be seen in the dim light and she shrugged, "I don't even know what could be open at this time but....alright, I guess."

Vin takes a turn at the lights his words blunt 'there's a diner out my side of town. 24 hour. Looks like a complete dive from the outside but the food is always good', indicating to go left the car travels down the road, the silence weighs heavily in the car, but it's not a bad silence, but more like that of a wool blanket in winter. His lips press together briefly, debating on a thousand conversation starters, before asking 'Pancakes or waffles?"

Alice watches him as he turns the car to go the opposite way, noting a few minutes in just what direction he was going. The Montague side of town. Could he be...? She ddn't voice her thoughts aloud and instead stayed quiet, watching the streetlights and the empty blocks passing by til she heard the question and her lips quirked in amusement at the random question, "Waffles. ...Unless french toast is an option." She replied with a little grin, turning to face him and raising a brow at him as they came to a stop sign, "And you? Or is everything about you just...meant to be an enigma?"

Vin examines Alice with a laugh, hand rubbing along the steering wheel... Surely he isn't that much of an enigma.. Or perhaps he was? though he humours her with an answer "Waffles, I've had too many uncooked and not good pancakes in my life to enjoy them..' before pulling into a smaller side road towards where an old sign flickers, the neon dull and barely lit. "... You really think I'm an enigma?"

Alice wrinkled her nose a bit, shaking her head, "Uncooked pancakes are just..not okay. I think that's why I taught myself how to make them properly when I was like ten, just to make sure that mishap doesn't happen at home." She smiled as sh spoke, thinking about all the times she's made breakfast for herself and her family, how she loved making blueberry and chocolate chip pancakes the most. She still had the same little smile on her lips as she looked out the window, watching as they drove, taking in the sights of the quiet streets and an older diner sign up in the distance as Vin spoke again and she hummed shrugging, "Well....considering you literally showed up out of nowhere at my bar....a week after mysteriously just..sitting there bleeding? And all I could get was a nickname out of you? Yeah, I do. And it's not a bad thing. Just....a fact."

Vin pulls into the parking lot and turns off the ignition before climbing out and opening the door for Alice, though she's already half beaten him to it by the time he gets around to the other side of the car. It's strange bringing someone here since he's usually here in the dead of night, alone. But it's also nice having someone come along with you, with no complaints. Though it could be his anonymity that does the trick since a voice eerily similar to Greta's echoes in his ear "....A Montague? You really think people want to get tied up with them?" but he shakes it off, his voice light as they walk towards the door "... Alright then. It's Vincent. Though I've only gone by that twice in my life.." the door is opened and a wave is given to them with a mumble of 'usual booth is free' though it's not really saying much since the place is deserted. A booth tucked into the corner, away from the window is where he settles, the chair vinyl worn out to the point its soft, the menus littering the table faded and stained though it's obvious the food hasn't changed in years. His lips twist slightly as he studies the menu, though he knows what he's getting before asking '...So what are you getting?"

Alice looked over as Vin came over to her side again, vaguely noting that she had to tilt her head all the way up just to meet his gaze whenever he was this close to her but she didn't say it aloud. She was surprised when he actually gave her more of a name and she smiled, not really thinking much of it as she nudged her arm against his lightly, "Vincent, hmm? It suits you. ..Although Vin suits you too. One mystery solved." She smiled as she said it, looking quite pleased with herself that she actually got some kind of answer out him. She followed him into the diner, empty and old looking--but usually places like this had the best food. Old meant stable and meant people kept coming, so clearly it had to be good. She gave the host up front a polite smile but followed Vin as he easily walked towards his destination, obvious that he came here often. She slid in across from him, keeping his coat on still for now as she grabbed the menu and looked it over, humming a bit, "Well, you did mention waffles before.."

Vin gives another one of his patent half smiles before nodding "I did. I always get mine with banana and chocolate. Classic combination' before looking up as the waitress comes across, placing his order. Espresso drip; black and a large banana chocolate waffles, waiting for Alice to order and the waitress to walk away. His thumb rubs against the side of the menu, looking at Alice's hands and the delicate ring sitting there. The question sits in the back of his throat before spilling out '... Do you have a Dominant that you need to check in with since you'll be home late?'

Alice nodded, looking over the options before going with strawberries and bananas on her waffles along with bacon on the side. She ordered a latte with extra espresso and emphasized she wanted it sweet, watching the waitress go before looking back to the man sitting across from her. It was all a bit surreal, if she was being honest. The question through her off for a second, and for the quickest moment a face shuttered through her thoughts before she shook her head, looking down at her hands for a moment, at her ring glinting in the light that she saw his eyes had dropped down on, "I don't." She replied softly as she looked back up at him, "Well, my sister. But she's not home tonight anyways." She bit her lip then, the same question now on her mind, "And you? Any subs gonna come track me down because I kept their Dom from them late?"

Vin shakes his head, his finger scratching at the tattoo on his finger '...No sub, or subs.. Plural. Not anymore. Unless my work decides it can talk, though sometimes I feel more like a slave to it..." He closes his mouth realising he's spoken more in the one sentence than he has in both times he's been in contact with Alice. "Does your sister work at the hospital too?"

Alice didn't understand why she felt a little bit of relief wash through her as he said ther was no one, why she felt her shoulders sag a bit, relaxing. She chose to ignore it. Instead she listened as he spoke, a little smile tugging at her lips at the words "And what kind of work would tjat be?" She asked curiously, realizing she now only had half his name and knew he got into a fight. And likes chocolate and banana waffles. "No, she doesn't. She works in dentistry. She probably could though if she wanted to. Anna is kinda brilliant like that." She smiled a bit as she said it, her sister being one of the most important people in her life. "Do you have siblings?"

Vin sets the menus aside as the coffee arrives, taking a sip of the steaming bitter liquid before answering 'I own a gallery. Weaponry. It's small, but constantly changing.." He notices her face light up as she talks about her sister, his own gut twinging a little before shaking his head 'no siblings, my parents are in Poland though. They moved away from Verona when I was in the army. I never did like it there.. So I came back. What about you? Been in Verona your whole life?"

Alice thanked the waitress and stirred her drink around a little before wrapping her hands around the mug, enjoying the warmth of it as she listened to him speak. While she would have never guessed the answer, owning a weapons' gallery, it...suited him. Way better than the mental image of him working in a stuffy office or something. His next comment was so casual she almost missed it but she blinked in surprise "Army?" She tilted her head a bit as she looked him over. Weapons and war. Again, knowing what little she knew about him..it made sense. How quiet he was, how serious. She thought it all over as she sipped her coffee before finally nodding "Yeah, always. We live with our dad but he's out of town a lot, always on business trips. He's a doctor too, so..it's been a bit difficult, trying to carve a place for myself in the field without just being labeled Adrian Capulet's Daughter." She made finger quotes in the air and rolled her eyes as she said it, not even really minding tjat it was the first time she one hundred percent confirmed her last name since she figured he must already know.

Vin nods in return. "Army, Ammunition Specialist. Always been fascinated with weapons.. Even as a kid. Kind of made perfect sense y'know?" One hand wraps around his mug taking a sip from it listening to her talk "You seem like you're getting it now. People respect hard work so clearly you're doing something right?"

Alice smiled, once again acting before thinking as she slid her hand along the table and tapped her finger against one of his tattooed one "I can tell." She teased lightly even as she blushed a bit once she'd realized what she was doing and she put her hand down, sliding it back to herself. "It's always good to work at something you're passionate about, so clearly you're in the right field." She took another sip of her coffee then, nodding slowly "Hopefully, yeah. I'm still a long way out from being a doctor but..one day. Hopefully." She went quiet for a moment then, absently stirring her coffee before looking back to him and asking another question tjat had been on her mind "Last week when I found you.....how'd you end up like that in the first place?"

Vin: Vin focuses on his mug before answering gruffly "Got into a fight at a club, turns out the guy had brass knuckles on. Must have been searching for a fight. I don't like backing down and well.. that's that" his hand rubs along his temple, feeling the raised welt there '...Thank you for that by the way"

Alice watched him as he spoke, almost as if analyzing his answer, wanting to see if he was lying or not. And while overall it seemed like the truth, she couldn't help but feel like there was more to the story than that. Maybe one day she'd find out more. She watched him with a little frown, still vividly remembering the blood everywhere, the bruises. Such a sharp contrast to the clean, okay person in front of her. She watched him touch a bruise on his head, the one she had to stitch up and she nodded, giving him a little smile "I couldn't just leave you there." She told him softly as she looked over to meet his gaze. "I wouldn't have been able to live with myself."

Vin isn't surprised by Alice's soft statement, though he is touched by it. Strangers at a bus stop, now sitting at a diner at 1.30am about to eat waffles. Life has a strange way of dealing you unexpected hands when you least expect it, and this night? Is no exception. His hand moves across the table of it's own accord seeking Alice's only to pull back when the waitress comes back with two loaded plates. He nods in gratitude flashing her, the first wide smile before focusing on his meal '...So Alice Capulet, what else do you do when you're not behind a bar, at a hospital or stitching up civilians stranded at bus-stops?'

Alice watched the hand his hand moved, her heart skipping a bit, and she left her own hand where it was on the table, not about to pull away. Before they could even touch though the waitress was back with their food and Alice flushed as she shifted, making room for everything. It smelled delicious and looked just as good and she smiled, happily plucking a slice of strawberry off her plate to eat as he spoke. She noticed the smile on his face and she couldn't help but smile in response. He looked good with a smile. "Fly around and save the day?" she teased with a laugh before shrugging, "I have a lot of school work. So I study a lot ..spend a lot of time at the library. Like I said before my dad travels a lot for work, and my sister isn't always home so..honestly? I spend a lot of time alone. I like the quiet." She shrugged as she said it, realizing it made her sound boring, but oh well. "and you? What do you do besides bar fights and late night diner runs?"

Vin gives a small noise of amusement carefully pulling a slice of banana from his waffles, dipping it in the chocolate sauce but listening intently to each word, "...Honestly? The same thing. I live on my own, so it's just me, and my computer and a bunch of old textbooks.. Google isn't always the best thing when it comes to weapons.. Every asshole with a gun has an opinion? So I like going through the texts.. We're always getting more and more items each week so I like combing through them. I'll spend time with friends, have meetings and really thats it. I spent the last 6 years travelling around, and before the 8 years of service so.. it's just kind of nice putting down roots you know?" the words flow easily from him, conversation easy which also in sense makes him wary. Could he be playing into a Capulet trap? But her eyes shine with honestly and good intent, and surely.. Surely. No-one is that good of an actress. His thumb rubs across his bottom lip, focusing on cutting the waffle on his plate to bitesize pieces. "I'm honestly not that interesting. Not in the long run.."

Alice she listened as he spoke, quickly noting that he tends to light up and become much more talkative and animated when speaking about his work and his interests. She wanted to know more about it, especially as he dropped casual comments about years of traveling and eight years in the army. She briefly wondered how old he was then, since he was surely older than her. As she listened she cut ip her own food, practically dousing it in syrup before humming "Being an arms dealer and ex-army? And traveling all over? Sounds pretty interesting to me." She told him simply, dipping a piece of bacon into the syrup and then pushing the plate more towards the middle so he could have a piece if he wanted. "It's me who's the boring one here. All I do is school and work. I'm almost always studying or reading....Anna's always been the more interesting twin, the one everyone wants to be around."

Vin leans over slightly plucking a piece of bacon from the plate, chewing it slowly. Alice seems to almost shrink into herself when talking about her sister. Clearly the Dominant force in the relationship and the words flood out "...Well I don't see her sitting across the table from me, so clearly not everyone." before quickly lifting his mug to his lips before he can say something else only lowering it after a few seconds to compose himself '...So what made you want to be a Doctor? You mentioned your Dad was one?'

Alice went silent for a moment at his reply, surprised by it more than almost anything else tonight and she let out a breath, biting her lip as she just nodded. She always had a tendency to downplay herself, always a little bit of self-depreciation swirling through her since she always felt like the inferior sister in any situation. "You could though, we're twins." She meant it as teasing but she wasn't sure if it came out as lighthearted as she meant it- oh well. She took a few bites of her food just so she could have a few moments to collect herself before speaking again "Well my dad, yeah. He was a factor. But my whole life I've just...liked helping people. I like making things better and doing good and just..helping. I want to be a pediatrician though, to help kids. To help those who can't really help themselves."

Vin for what feels like the tenth time, isn't surprised by her answer. Helping people, doing good.. She's just one of those naturally good people. A ray of light in an all too dark world and he's torn. Part of him wants to reach out and take her hand, feel the soft skin under his fingers, the warmth of her palm and the steady beat of her pulse. The other half is telling him to go, take her home, that anything even vaguely beautiful crumbles under his touch, that he'd mar her somehow, like the stain of the Montague name would drip onto her, smearing like ink, and he focuses back on the waffles infront of him, knife tracing along the ridges smearing the chocolate sauce on it. "...You know that's pretty admirable. Most people couldn't hack it. Not everyday. Kids are a hard job, worth it though... How long do you have to study for paediatrics?"

Alice took a few more bites of food, genuinely enjoying it. She was actually enjoying everything really- it was easy to be around Vin, comfortable...which kind of threw her off since he was still a relative stranger. She smiled as he spoke, humming a bit "it's difficult but..it's what I want to do. I know it'll be hard to deal with sick kids..kids who are helpless, but if I can help ease their pain even a little, then it'll be worth it." She thought for a moment, pursing her lips "a while. Four years for the normal undergrad. Then another four years Of medical school tjat I'm starting aaaand then about seven years in residency. So I'll be lucky to finish by my mid-thirties." She said with a laugh.

Vin shakes his head slightly. So young.. He mentally does the maths, and pegs her around the 23-25 mark, his head shakes slightly at the sheer amount of schooling that she'll undertake before asking, his curiousity getting the better of him "...So how old are you anyway? Even though if my mother was here, she'd probably smack me for asking a lady that"

Alice rose a brow at the question, laughing softly at the comment about his mom, "Spunds like she raised you right then." Her replied was tinged with something else though, her smile not fully there at a mention of a mom but she quickly pushed tjat aside and hummed softly "Twenty-four. My birthdays in June." She tacked on at the end, picking up another piece of waffle with her fork and not even asking as she reached it over the table to swipe it into a little puddle of chocolate sauce on his plate and eating it with a grin.

Vin observes wryly that he was right in the middle, he also observes the flicker of ... something that crosses her face at the mention of a Mother. She'd mentioned her Dad, her sister but never a mother and he files it away to ask about later, somewhat distracted until a fork appears on his plate with a piece of waffle attached only to swipe into the sauce and disappear. A chuckle escapes him, a genuinely amused noise compared to the half hearted noises that usually escape him only to fizzle out, and in retaliation? He leans over, cleanly plucking a slice of strawberry off her plate, raising an eyebrow. '... Mine's in May. So looks like we aren't that far apart. What date?'

Alice huffed out a laugh, shaking her head as he took food off her plate in retaliation. "You're right that it tastes good with chocolate." She told him with a nod after she swallowed, still smiling easily. "And how old will you be in may?" She asked with a smile still on her face. "June 8th. We grew up with a lot of gemini jokes as twins." ---

Vin chases a slice of banana on his plate, the fork following it before spearing it, '33. Apparently it has a whole bunch of spiritual meaning behind it. The meaning of life and such, so .. Maybe it will be a new beginning of sorts" the last part is quiet, almost pensive and pondering, his thumb rubbing at his chin thoughtfully as he remembers each birthday being celebrated before returning to the conversation at hand '...I can imagine, though you've got me curious about twins. Is it really everything it's cracked up to be?"

Vin smiles slightly, the answer unsurprising. She's someone genuinely good in this world, a rarity as it is. His hand reaches out, fingertips barely brushing at Alice's fingers, feeling the warmth radiate there and he's almost afraid to touch her. They barely know anything about each other, yet he's also been the most open he's been in a long, long time, before asking in the same quiet tone "...And what about love?"

Alice had been surprised by him countless times that night, and yet nothing could top it as she felt his fingers brushing over hers. It was like something had shocked her, jolting into her being, and she needed to mask the way her breath caught by shifting a bit on the spot and swallowing. She didn't move her hand away though, her gaze down on their fingers as she heard the question. Love. For a while there she thought she'd fallen in love with Nox. ...Thought that maybe he could fall for her the same. But with every day that went by, with him in jail and making no moves to contact her, she wondered if he even cared about her at that point, if he hadn't just been humoring her this whole time..some silly little girl that was always available whenever he'd want. She thought about Matt, her first boyfriend who was only ever even with her because he was in love with Anna. She sighed softly, shrugging a bit, not meeting his gaze "I'll let you know when I have experience it"

Vin gives a half smile, downing his coffee '...Deal' the silence extends between them, their hands still joined. His thumb rubs against the top of her hand, the soft skin warm under his touch and on impulse? His fingers entwine with hers, his calloused palm pressed to her soft one before speaking softly, almost ruefully "...I probably should get you home, shouldn't I?"

Alice gives him a little smile in return, glad he didn't push the subject. She can't help but glance down to their hands again as she feels his thumb along hers, slow, steady, until his hand is moving again. She thought he was just realizing what he'd been doing and wanted to pull away but...next thing she knew his hand was holding hers properly, their fingers lacing together and she felt her heart skip. His hand was bigger than hers, rougher, but it was still warm and she was very okay with it, so much so that she shifted her own hand slightly to hold his more. She glanced across the place to an old clock on the wall, seeing it was close to three at that point and she hummed a bit, looking back to him "Yeah...I think so.." her tone made it clear though that she would much prefer to stay right here.

Vin gives a nod in return gesturing for the cheque to be brought over, before his hand untangles from hers, the slightest squeeze to her fingers before he removes his hand completely before asking '..Is that your usual shift? The one you do tonight?' while pulling his wallet out of his pocket.

Alice missed the warmth of his hand the moment it was gone, her fingers flexing slightly before she got a hold of herself. She finished off the rest of her coffee as he asked for the check, figuring he wasn't even going to bother letting her see how much the food cost so she just nodded at the question instead "mostly i work Wednesday through Saturday nights. I'll pick up shifts when needed, stay longer...but I'm always closing shift on Wednesdays and Fridays, so yeah. Why?"

Vin slides a few notes into the folder before sliding it back to the waitress, smile lingering in the corner of his lips before shrugging and moving to get out of the booth. "Just curious", his hand rummages in his pocket for the keys mentally debating if it would be too strange to turn up the following week., forehead creasing in thought as he mentally debates, holding the door open for Alice out of habit.

Alice finishes off her coffee as well, eating the last slice of fruit off Vin's plate with a little smile and thanking the waitress before she moved out of the booth as well. She put Vin's jacket on properly, the sleeves long and the leather heavy, big enough to wrap around her frame completely as she stood beside him and followed him to the door. She thanked him as he opened the door for her, the cold night air smacking into them and she pulled the jacket in tighter, ducking down a bit as she headed back for his car, unable to help but glance over at him every now and then, the whole situation just...feeling pretty surreal.

Vin glances over at her as he opens the door for her, their eyes meeting. Wide eyes meet his and he resists the urge to stroke her cheek before closing the door behind her and walking around the car to climb in and crank the engine. A bit of silence runs between them before he asks purely out of curiosity "...So did you like the rose? I wasn't sure what your favourite colour was"

Alice hadn't expected him to make eye contact and when he did she felt a little spark of...something, and as quick as it appeared it disappeared and she moved to climb inside, thanking him softly for helping her in. Soon enough they were both inside, the engine on, and she was coming to terms with the fact that the night was coming to an end when he spoke, and when he did she couldn't help but smile "I knew it." She looked over at him, her smile widening as he admitted himself as the one who'd sent the anonymous rose to the hospital, feeling something warm flutter through her at the thought. "And I did, it was beautiful." She told him softly, knowing for a fact it was still on top of her dresser in her room. "Pink is nice. My favorite color is purple though. But not the darker shades. More like...lilac. Soft. Paler blues are my favorite too. And how about you? Gunmetal grey?" She asked with a bit of a grin, teasing.

Vin gives a half smile at the fact she likes the flower, eyes focused on the road as he takes the longer way back to her house. "Noted", and it actually files away into a little box in his head, starting to be filled with information about her. A chuckle escapes him at her comment about 'gunmetal grey' and he shakes his head, wry grin spreading across his lips '...Something like that... I don't mind navy or dark blue either, or a bit of crimson red. Not too much though. I find it flashy and sometimes obnoxious.. But dark blues. The first dagger I got myself had sapphires on the hilt.. Kind of always had a bit of a soft spot for them.."

Alice saw the little grin on his face, counted it as a win and she smiled back, nodding "Noted." She echoed, doing the same thing and committing these little details to memory in case she ever needed it. "Sapphires and amethysts have always been my favorites too. And emeralds. It's one of the few shades of green I actually really like." She decided to add on. In the back of her mind she still thought this was all so...odd. She didn't know his last name or where he lived despite him knowing it all about her. But she knew how he liked his waffles and knew now how his eyebrows crinkled in the middle when he thought about something, and knew how warm his hand was despite his fingers being calloused. And somehow, in her head, it was balancing out. She noted that he took a longer way to get her home too and she wondered if it was purposeful, but still before she knew it they were getting to her block and she let out a breath, biting her lip "Will I...see you again?"

Vin nods in agreement "..Emeralds are beautiful. Many royal families liked them in their crests. I have a selection of ceremonial daggers at home.. They got inlaid with amethyst... Apparently they used to believe the gem stopped the nervous system and not letting your emotions get the best of you in a fight.." he debates asking her around to see them, but holds off realises all too soon that they're at Alice's house, and parks out front, the engine idles for a little though he can see a shining car in the driveway which probably means the sister she'd mentioned was home. Part of him wants to keep driving, but the other part of him knows better. She could do better than him, but if her expressions are any indication she'd just as content with his company as he is with hers. His fingers tap at the wheel before giving a nod "...How about same time next week?"

Alice listened as he spoke, and just like earlier, she was quite surprised by how knowledgable he was about things. She listened intently, humming a bit, "If that's the case I should get myself one. I've always liked amethyst but I've never actually had a real one. Just that silly costume jewelry you can buy in the mall." She was kind of just talking at random now about anything, wanting to linger, prolong the inevitable. But as he got closer to the house she saw Anna's car in the driveway and knew she needed to head in soon lest her sister find out it was the middle of the night and she still wasn't home. She looked over at Vin then, gauging his reaction to the question, and when he replied she smiled, a bit surprised even as she nodded, "It's a date." She agreed before realizing what she'd said and her eyes widened slightly, cheeks tinging pink, "Not um-- I mean.." She swallowed, shaking her head as she let out a laugh, "I'm okay with next week."

Vin smiles slightly 'when you do, let me know.. I'll direct you to someone that can get you a genuine piece not something that's well... man-made." He has to hide the upturn of his lips as she speaks seemingly on the fly before getting out of the car, opening the door for her, his hand taking hers to guide her out of the car before speaking, his expression neutral. "it's a date then Alice Capulet. Now go inside before we both get in trouble by that sister of yours. Turn the lights on and off twice once you're in so I know you're safe okay?"

Alice "I'll do that." She agreed with a smile, quite liking that he'd be willing to do something like that for her. She always figured it'd look quite beautiful as a necklace or in some other piece of jewelry after all. And hey, maybe it really could keep her calm- which would be helpful as a doctor. She barely even had time to unbuckle her seatbelt before he was out and coming around to her side and she smiled as he opened the door for her, her smile just widening (and her stomach swooping) as he took her hand. She accepted his help out, keeping her hand loose in his as she blinked up at him and let out a breath, trying not to let her expression betray the butterflies in her stomach at his words. "Yes, Sir." She promised, chancing it and giving his hand a gentle squeeze before letting go and shifting, "Oh, here, you should take this back." She moved to shrug off his coat, immediately missing the warmth of it as she handed it back to him, keeping her eyes up on him, "I'll see you next week."

Vin accepts his jacket back, slinging it over his shoulder, shooing her off gently "You will, no go inside before you get a cold Kitten" the nickname slips off his tongue easily.. Far too easily almost and sets an edge of unease with him, though with the wide brown eyes set on him it feels apt. More than that it feels /right/, and he moves back to the other side of the car, leaning against the side waiting for the light flickering.

Alice had been surprised by the agreement to the word 'date' and even more so to him taking his hand, but it was all nothing compared to the jolt she felt at the nickname, said so offhanded and casually that she was almost sure she'd imagined it. She was just glad it was three in the morning and the darkness of the night covered her blush quite well (she hoped). She watched him move away for a moment before she nodded and moved, walking up the front walkway and at the door she turned around, facing towards him, and she gave him one last little smile and a wave before letting herself into the house. With the door closed behind her she leaned against it, her heart beating quicker and a smile tugging on her lips as she just shook her head in disbelief that this was all happening- to her. It took a few more seconds for her to compose herself enough to turn on and off the lights twice, signaling to him that she was safe.

Vin can see despite the dim light, the flush creeping it's away up Alice's cheeks. Caught up in his own thoughts he barely catches the final small smile and wave directed at him. His hand raises in return before the lights flicker and he climbs in the car, driving back towards his side of town, refraining from deliberately revving the engine to break the serenity of the Capulet side of town.

[fragments-of-a-hologram-dystopia]

Welcome to a new kind of posts, a sci-fi short story written by yours truly every tuesday. This is a standalone cyberpunk story, but if you wish to read more stories here’s the masterpost TOO TIRED FOR THIS

“Now, stay there and behave.” Detective Nguyen yawned and looked at Mark “Valice” Johanssen, his feet and hands handcuffed and sitting on the backseat of his car. Valice replied with a mere grunt, since the gag prevented him from talking.

Nguyen started his car, and the vehicle lifted off with a hum. He entered the destination and activated the autopilot. Estimated time: 27 minutes.

He sighed. The raindrops drummed on the windows, and the soft evening lights created a faint contrast with the lights of the queueing cars.

He yawned again. The palms rustled at a delicate tropical wind on the giant hologram on the building next to him, and he found himself wishing to be on some white beach, even if he never liked the sea nor the hot weather. But to take a nap, his car would have been enough.

Fuck jet lag, fuck this assohole I had to follow on four continents, he told himself while adjusting his coat’s hood to work as a pillow. Enjoying the intimate warmth of his car in the regular traffic, Nguyen closed his eyes. Half-asleep, cuddled by the soft hum of his flying car, he thought about his bed, a small bed in an even smaller apartment… but so comfortable.

He fantasized about taking a day off, maybe two, and relax in his bed, drinking stale coffee in his pajamas and watching the news talking gleefully about the capture of the infamous Valice.

Thunk.

“Don’t knock, I’m not home” he muttered.

Thunk, thunk.

At the third hit, he woke up. The traffic was proceeding as usual, and next to him the hologram of the Inami Bank let virtual banknotes fall from the sky on the queueing cars.

He turned and he saw Valice who had somehow managed to get rid of his seatbelt and was pressing his feet against the window.

“What the fuck are you doing?”

Valice grunted something that sounded awfully like “I sure as fuck am not trying to learn ballroom dancing.” but resumed his sitting position.

Nguyen pressed a button and the seatbelt blocked him again.

“What were you expecting, a pleasure trip? Now please cut the bullshit, you don’t want to make things worse.”

Valice shrugged. Yeah, I mean, with all he did why should he care. Ah well, that’s his problem, it’s not like his doctor told him to become a criminal.

The raindrops became bigger and stronger, and Nguyen made himself comfortable. He still had about twenty minutes.

After what had felt like a couple of minutes but had been actually teen, a loud thud resounded in the car.

“What the…”

Valice grunted, but looked as surprised as him. Nguyen raised his gaze to see a car parked right above his own. The hiss of a laser and the white and red line on the car ceiling told him the rest. He took out his gun and aimed it at the hole that was forming.

Two men with face masks appeared on the backseat, and one of them aimed his gun at Nguyen and shot. He lowered his head and the bullets got stuck on the bulletproof glass.

He heard Valice’s voice.

“Jesus, that took centuries.”

“Sorry, boss.”

Taking advantage of their distraction, Nguyen peered from behind the seat and shot at the two accomplices, who fell one on top of the other.

“Is there someone else who wants to come down?” he yelled at the hole. No answer. He gained back command of his car just to steer all the way to his left, and the car above him lifted off. It took the car some time to find hide in the traffic of another airway, and that meant the driver was escaping.

“You killed them?” Valice looked at the men.

“No, I’m not like you, I don’t kill unless I absolutely have to. But if you cause me more trouble, I might change my mind.”

Seven minutes to his destination. Nguyen yawned.

“Thank you for attending this press conference.” his boss smiled, the robocameras hummed and Nguyen stared at his coffee cup like a terminally ill man looking at an aspirin.

“It wasn’t easy and it has required the work of our best agent, but the famous Mark “Valice” Johanssen is now in the hands of justice!”

The sound of clapping hands reminded Nguyen of the pleasant ticking of the rain.

He heard his boss say something about his fundamental part in Valice’s capture, but everything sounded distant and unreal. The soft wind among the palm trees, however, was so relaxing that he hoped it was real.

[suzakumuto]

Maya: "what do you mean there's no cure, my uncle could lose his wife over this, you must know something!!!"

Asmodeus: "I'm sorry but this love potion you speak of is the first time I've heard about it, perhaps you should speak with Iruma our new demon king"

Clara: "Azz Azz is so dumb, everyone knows about the potion"

Asmodeus: "shut up Valic, not on front of my child"

Maya: "um what are you mumbling about, I just want to save my uncle's marriage"

Clara: "leave it to me Azz Azz daughter"

Maya: "alright, I hope I can count on you.... and Dad you should be nicer to Clara she's helped me with many problems"

Asmodeus: "She always starts it, I'd be nicer if she wasn't a pain... I will speak with Master Iruma, he might be able to help out now that he's the new demon king"

..............................

In Paris Ruby hid in her new room hiding under her bed covers she had been there since they arrived.

Victor stands by her bed.

Victor: "you can't hide away like this forever, it's not your fault Suzaku is under some spell"

Ruby: "I don't want to talk about it...... you know how much I like him.... I honestly thought he felt the same but it was all the spell speaking.....my heart is broken Victor...... I don't want to talk about this anymore"

Victor: "still you can't hide forever, at least come out and have some tea with me"

Ruby doesn't respond back but instead starts to cry.

Victor: "hey come now"

Ruby: "you don't understand... please I want to be left alone...."

Victor: "alright, you know where I am if you change your mind"

Victor leaves Ruby on her own for the time being.

Ruby: "why must I have these feelings for him, now everyone is going to hate me for what's happened....."

................................

Guren: "is it really okay to leave?"

"I don't have much of a choice, I can't let the band down, I will be back before you know it from my tour in Europe"

Guren: "you do realize ruby is in France right?"

"I know.... I will be on the road the whole time so I won't have the time to see her, if I did see her I will do my best to avoid her..... going on tour should give Jessie time to her self too and it will help keep my mind off things"

Guren: "well in that case I getting Shinya or one of your kids to go with you just to make sure nothing happens"

"I'd like it if you could come with me instead Guren you know since your my dad too"

Guren: "all right kid count me in"

[victorluvsalice]

Valicer Not-Incorrect Quotes, Meet The Family Edition Volume II: Van Dort Visit

Victor: [knocking on the door to Smiler's apartment, fidgeting anxiously] S-smiler? Are -- are you ready to go?

Smiler: [from the other side of the door] Yeah, just a second!

Smiler: [opens the door to reveal that they're wearing -- a plain black suit, white shirt, and black tie]

Victor:

Smiler: ...you okay?

Victor: [blinking and shaking his head] Yes! I-I just -- didn't expect -- [gestures to the outfit] I d-didn't think you owned -- d-don't get me wrong, it is p-probably perfect for visiting Burtonsville and m-meeting my parents, it's only...it looks d-downright funereal.

Smiler: [really awkward smile] Ah -- there's a reason for that...

--

[Context: the trio are being driven by the Van Dorts' chauffeur through the streets of Burtonsville to the Van Dort mansion]

Smiler: [takes a picture of the town and sends it to their friends]

Thirteen: [texting back] Ha ha. Take one without the black-and-white-filter, will you?

Galactica: [texting back] Yeah, be fair, Smiler.

Smiler: [a minute later, texts a picture of themselves and Alice in front of the window, showing that they're in full color]

Galactica: [texting back] WTF???

Thirteen: [texting back] HOLY SHIT HE ACTUALLY LIVES IN A TIM BURTON MOVIE?!

--

[Context: at the mansion, Victor is showing Alice and Smiler around]

Smiler: [staring down another hallway] Sheesh, how many rooms does this place have?

Victor: I'm honestly not sure. More than we could ever need, that's for certain. [rolls his eyes] Have to have room for all of Mother's "treasures..."

Alice: Yes, your mother in particular does seem to be into the conspicuous consumption. [small smile] At least you don't have a gold toilet?

[smash cut to:]

Alice: [staring at a literal gold toilet] Oh my fucking god.

Smiler: [also staring] Is it -- can you --

Victor: Of course not -- do you think my mother would ever allow anyone to befoul her beloved toilet?

Smiler: Rita is going to kill your parents if she ever meets them.

Victor: Please tell her to do so in a way that allows me a proper alibi.

--

[Context: Nell is holding court at tea and complaining about "this modern world"]

Nell: People just don't know their place anymore! Why, just a little while ago, I had the displeasure of dealing with the rudest, most incompetent barista I've ever met!

Victor: [not really paying attention anymore] Did you?

Nell: Yes! Cheeky little bugger didn't seem to understand anything about his job! All I wanted was a few little extras -- the sort a customer is entitled to -- and he couldn't even pour the coffee right!

Victor: [sudden horrified realization] Uh --

Alice: [calmly sipping her tea] That must have been terrible for you.

Smiler: [nodding] I bet you didn't even leave a tip.

Nell: Oh, we never leave tips anyway -- we don't believe in them, isn't that right, William? [William gets half a nod in before she continues] But we paid good money for that coffee, and I expected it to be done right! Not by some half-wit with dyed hair rolling his colored contacts at me!

Smiler: [completely deadpan] How dare they.

Victor: [muttering] Still drank the entire thing, though.

Nell: Not the point! [shaking her head as she returns to her own tea] At least you're not spending all your time with those sorts, Victor. If I knew you were carrying on with a barista I'd die of shame.

Alice: [under her breath] Can we have that in writing?

Victor: [trying very hard not to laugh]

--

Victor: [deep sigh as they all climb in the Van Dort's car to go home] Thank you both for putting up with that.

Alice: It's fine, Victor. They are your parents, and we were going to have to do that eventually.

Victor: I know, just -- I'm sorry. About them. They're -- a-a lot, I know.

Alice: [squeezing his forearm] I imagine you do, yes.

Smiler: Yeah, really. [pause] So, how do you think it's going to take before she finally realizes who I am and dies of shame?

Victor: Considering how much attention she pays to "servants" -- the heat death of the universe.

Alice: I don't think I can wait that long.

Victor: Please don't murder my mother.

Smiler: Yeah, Rita already has dibs.

[victorluvsalice]

AU Thursday : Valicer In The Dark -- Playbook Tweaks, A Bit of Worldbuilding, Potential Scores

Been thinking more about my Valicer In The Dark AU as of late, and I have a few updates and additions to the Three Pillars and their particular version of Duskwall that I would like to share with you, as indicated by the title:

Playbook Tweaks -- While I’m pretty happy with Victor’s stats as a Whisper from the original post on this subject, I found myself wanting to tweak Alice’s and Smiler’s just slightly after writing them up. Specifically, I wanted to add a special ability to Alice’s, and an extra ability point to Smiler’s. I didn’t want to do this without a concurrent trade-off somewhere else, though (yes, I know I’m just using this for potential fic-writing purposes, not actually playing the game, but it still feels only fair!), so after some thought, this is what I’ve come up with for each of them:

Alice -- I felt like she really needed to have The Devil’s Footsteps special ability (the one that allows you to do things like jump extra high or extra far) along with Not To Be Trifled With (the one that allows you to do superhuman feats of strength or battle six people at once) at the start -- those two in concert basically cover everything she can do in the games! So, in exchange for her having two starting special abilities, I’ve decided she also starts with the Haunted trauma! This is a trauma that means you are haunted by bad things in your past and sometimes slip off into fugue states -- which meshes perfectly with Alice’s memories of the fire and Wonderland occasionally dragging her out of reality! It also means she can only take three extra traumas before having to get out of the criminal game -- usually, starting characters have four slots for having their brains broken. *shrug* Them’s the breaks!

Smiler -- After reviewing their stats vs their history, I realized that maybe I should have put that dot in Survey in Attune instead -- after all, they’ve been directly touched by their god Mar-Mal! That’s how they got the glowing yellow eyes in this verse! However, I still liked them having that dot in Survey, as it did also suit their character. So, in exchange for getting that extra starting dot in Attune, I’ve decided that Smiler has a slightly shorter stress tracker than most characters -- instead of nine slots, they get seven. Stress is something that characters can use to push themselves to perform certain feats (get an extra die while rolling a weak stat) or resist the consequences of their actions (downgrade a potentially crippling blow into one that just hurts a lot). It’s very useful, but you have to track it carefully, because once your character fills up their stress tracker, they have a mental break and gain a trauma. I figured that trading two stress slots for the Attune dot was both fair and thematically appropriate -- Smiler has lived in a cult that venerates happiness as holy for years, and was directly touched by a god of pure joy. It only makes sense that they’d be a little worse at handling stress and bad emotions!

Worldbuilding -- I haven’t fully fleshed out my Duskwall yet, but there’s a few ideas I’ve been banding around:

-->This first one is straight from the Oxventure Presents Blades In The Dark stuff -- one of Kasimir’s and Edvard’s earliest scores in Volisport was at Cab-Con, a convention for the various cabdrivers of the cities. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but as I wrapped up the episode, a pun popped into my mind referencing the even-more-powerful gondoliers faction (as more of the city is traversable by canal than by road) -- Con-Dola! XD So yeah, that’s the big convention in my Duskwall -- an annual festival the gondoliers put on where they try out new boat types, exchange stories, and have races. Members of the public can come in for a fee and bet on the boat races. It’s a fun time and everyone looks forward to it!

-->While the official book outlines a few holidays on the Duskwall calendar (the monthly Moontide celebration, Arkenvorn to honor the spirit wardens, Gratitude to honor the ascension of the Immortal Emperor to his throne (and just more general Thanksgiving stuff)), I decided we needed a Halloween equivalent as well and came up with “Devil’s Night,” where children dress up as devils and go around causing minor bits of mischief and knocking on doors for spare food and coin. The actual devils in the city are also said to offer better deals than usual, with prices that mortals are better able to pay, but people tend to be iffy about checking out if this is true or not. Because, you know, devils. There’s always someone desperate enough to try, though. . .

-->I’m still working on how the other Alton Towers coasters beyond Smiler and Wickerman would fit into this world, but I know the other secret weapons would all have various cults -- the Agents of Oblivion for, well, Oblivion (who sacrifice people to the void -- not sure if they’re trying to keep it contained or encouraging to grow yet. Maybe both, with a secret internal schism in the cult?); the Spirits of the Trees for Thirteen (who worship the poisonous trees in that one park and are trying to create more -- though perhaps a little less poisonous so they don’t immediately kill everyone they come into contact with); the Clan of the Creature for Nemesis (who worship this bizarre crab-like demon and believe it will somehow save them when the leviathan blood eventually runs out); and the Galactic Rangers for Galactica (who believe the stars are the remains of their god and that if they give her enough worship, she’ll do something about the moon that seems to keep getting either bigger or closer year by year. . .). Rita doesn’t get a cult -- rather, she’s the leader of the Speed Queens, a group of smugglers known for their insanely fast car that only she can drive properly. She is, however, involved with the head priestess of the Spirits of the Trees, even if she’s not an official member. XD

-->Very tempted to put Doc and Marty somewhere in this world, of course -- don’t know if they’d be criminals, but Doc would HAVE to be a Leech well-known for his bizarre contraptions and strange experiments with electroplasm. Probably they have the local equivalent of the DeLorean around, and Doc’s looking to get his hands on an old train. . .

-->And another one just for the funsies -- having gone through both the main book and a semi-official “cookbook” supplement (see the Supplements page -- I can recommend it, it’s a short but fun read), I have decided to pull a Fallout with this universe and declare that horses went extinct sometime during the great Shattering, and goats have taken over all of their roles. This is purely because sometimes I imagine my Three Pillars trio ending up in other worlds, and it amuses me greatly for them to go “what’s a horse?” whenever the subject comes up. XD

Scores -- Obviously, you can’t have a criminal gang and not have any crimes for them to commit! Here are some of the higher-profile missions the Three Pillars would undertake during their career:

-->Sorting out Dr. Bumby at the Houndsditch Home for Wayward Youth (their first score after getting together, and after Alice tells them what he’s up to -- their goal being to either get evidence of his misdeeds to one of the incorruptible Inspectors, or just straight-up kill the guy in a way that doesn’t leave a ghost)

-->Getting some of Victor’s stuff out of the Van Dort mansion (which involves Victor learning just how little his parents worry about his actual safety when he encounters them and all his mother can do is complain about how Victoria Everglot has now TWICE married someone else while he’s been missing; I am also SO TEMPTED to have Barnaby and Kasimir in the mansion on their OWN score to rob the place, only to run into Victor, Alice, and Smiler, and Victor to tell them “hey, help me get my stuff back and I will just GIVE you some money from the safe”)

-->Taking care of one Dr. Kelman and his Sanctuary when he puts out a bounty on the three of them, saying that they need his special “social compliance therapy” (this is how Alice and Victor learn Smiler’s birthname, and Smiler justifies the Advocates’ gray morality by saying “at least we don’t CUT THE SMILES INTO PEOPLE’S FACES BEFORE SCOOPING OUT THEIR SOULS”)

-->Acquiring rare and not-always-legal ingredients for the Golden Plum restaurant (I have this in mind as a score that would be kicked off by the first time Smiler overindulged their Pleasure vice there -- the owner and chef, having realized who they are and that they’re a scoundrel, does a little light blackmail to get the gang to help get him ingredients; part of Smiler’s price is that they get first taste of the resultant dishes, which the owner is happy to agree to)

-->Being hired by Victoria to embarrass her parents by stealing a silver egg they recently acquired and won’t stop bragging about (as you might imagine, she’s a little bitter about the Barkis thing and wants to stop them acting like it wasn’t her husband’s money that bought it; midway through the score though, things go off the rails when the egg HATCHES and produces a baby dragon -- cue the gang getting a surprise new pet)

-->Getting Alice’s Jabberwock’s Eye Staff (she needs it as her scary weapon, and I think it would be fun to make getting it an adventure -- maybe in the Lost District outside the lightning barrier?)

-->Attending Con-Dola (this would be a “joke” score where the goal is to actually have some fun in their lives; I can see Victoria hiring them for this one too, saying she needs them to do a few things there, and at the end they realize she hired them literally to have a nice day out XD)

-->And I’m kind of tempted to do something inspired by The Hangover movies and that one Skyrim quest “A Night To Remember” where, after a night of drinking, the gang wakes up in the Lord Mayor’s house not knowing WHAT happened last night (only that for some reason the lady of the house doesn’t seem to mind they’re there) and have to figure out what they did (possibly may involve them getting drunken group-married and being upset only because they didn’t realize that was an option and they would have liked to do that SOBER damn it)

We’ll see if any of these actually make “written” status! (I mean, I hope so, but with the monster of “Londerland Bloodlines: Downtown Queensland” looming over me. . .)

[victorluvsalice]

He did and he kinda regrets that XD This kind of horror just isn't his thing (Gothic horror, on the other hand...)

You're welcome! And yeah, life happens, and it happens a lot XD But I'm glad you enjoyed it. I saw that post about Adam, and I figured it was a good thing for Alice to get annoyed about -- like, he DID win, but he got screwed over! (And I had to mock the numbering system the minute I learned Saw 3D was in fact movie #7, and the next two movies didn't follow it at all. Like, WTF, filmmakers. XD) And LOL, good, good XD Glad you've created a good home on the internet for it! :p

Happy Birthday Newt!

@dont-offend-the-bees A combination of you telling me that anything cute and Valicey would do as a birthday fic and me knowing that you are still into Saw as a fandom led to this -- Victor and Alice reacting to the first Saw movie, inspired by a couple of posts I saw on your blog before you moved all the Sawposting to The Secret Saw Sideblog! Though the fic is technically Valicer out of necessity, because the only way I could think of to get the pair to watch it was to have it be a Halloween Movie Nights pick by Smiler's friend Thirteen, as per this headcanon post...

--

“That is unfair!”

“What’s unfair?” Thirteen asked, looking over at Alice.

“The ending!” Alice said, waving at the slowly-rolling credits on the screen before them. “All Jigsaw said to Adam was that he had to survive until six o’clock, correct? Nothing else? No other secret catches?”

“Don’t ask me,” Victor muttered, hands over his face. “I am actively trying to erase this movie from my mind.”

“There there,” Smiler said, rubbing his back comfortingly. “You’ll be fine – and yeah, ‘survive until six’ was the gist of it,” they added to Alice.

“Well, six o’clock rolled around, and Adam was still alive!” Alice pointed out, stabbing another finger at the TV. “He was wounded, sure, but he was still very much fucking alive! Which means he succeeded! Lawrence was the one who failed in his goal! And yet Lawrence’s the one who gets to crawl off and seek help while Adam gets electrocuted and sentenced to – I guess starving to death in that horrible bathroom? All because he, unsurprisingly, didn’t notice a damn key in his bathtub when he first woke up?”

“You are assuming a lot in thinking Lawrence survived after–” Victor swallowed and shuddered. “After c-cutting off his own f-f-foot.”

“Actually, uh, it’s canon Lawrence survives,” Oblivion put in, sporting a slightly sheepish grin. “He shows up again in Saw 3D.”

“Oh great – when do we watch that one?”

“Don’t worry, we don’t have time for tonight,” Thirteen informed him with a cheeky smirk.

“What, because it’s long?”

“No, because it’s film number seven.”

That finally got Victor to look up. “It’s – wait, what?”

“Yeah, for some reason they decided to name it after the 3D gimmick instead of following the numbering system,” Rita explained, leaning around her girlfriend. “And then films eight and nine are Jigsaw and Spiral respectively, though Spiral’s actually more like a spin-off of the main series–”

“Can I please fully express my annoyance over the fact that Jigsaw killed Adam despite him winning his ‘game’ before we start talking about how this series screwed up its numbering system over halfway through?” Alice cut in, folding her arms and scowling.

“Well, the thing you have to understand about Jigsaw is – he’s a total asshole,” Thirteen reminded her. “He says that his games are to help ‘rehabilitate’ people and make them appreciate life and all that bullshit, sure, but honestly, I believe the dude just wants to torture as many people as he can, both before and after he bites it.”

“I can believe that,” Victor muttered, shivering. Smiler put a comforting arm around him. “And this is probably the least bloody of all the movies, isn’t it?”

“I haven’t seen them all, but I’m pretty sure it is, yes,” Galactica confirmed, giving him a sympathetic look from the other side of Oblivion. “You know, you could have left if you weren’t enjoying it – we wouldn’t have thought any less of you for it.”

“Yeah, I’m shocked you actually sat through the whole thing,” Smiler admitted, giving him a little squeeze.

“I am too, honestly,” Alice said, wrapping her arm around him to do the same. “I’m used to horrors like these – hell, the bathroom looked kind of like one I saw in Rutledge – but I know it’s not your cup of tea.”

“I thought it would be too rude to just get up and leave,” Victor groaned, putting his face in his hands again. “And I kept telling myself, ‘it’s the very first one, it can’t be that bad...’”

“We won’t make you watch any of the others,” Thirteen promised, patting his knee. “I mean, I appreciate you making the effort, but despite appearances, I don’t want you to have nightmares.”

“Thanks.” Victor shook his head. “I know you love that sort of thing, but – it’s just not for me.”

“Me either – especially if John Kramer can’t practice what he preaches,” Alice agreed, glaring at the screen as the DVD menu came up again.

“It’s actually not my favorite series either, if I’m honest,” Thirteen confessed. “I just like this one because of all the hot gay tension between Lawrence and Adam.”

“...there was a surprising amount of that,” Victor allowed.

“Mmm – though given Lawrence is married, he’d better start talking to his wife about either opening the relationship or getting a divorce before he hobbles his way back to that bathroom,” Alice declared.

“You know, I bet there’s a fic like that somewhere on AO3,” Smiler said, pulling out their phone. “Who wants to find a nice domestic AU to help us all decompress?”

[victorluvsalice]

Valicer Polyship Week 2024, Day Seven: Free Day – Only One Bed (Valicer In The Dark AU)

It's Day Seven, aka the finale of Valicer Polyship Week 2024, kindly brought to you by @polyshipweek! Today was the Free Day when it came to prompts, so I decided to scurry back to Day Five's list and grab the other prompt from that day that I was interested in -- "Only One Bed!" A classic fanfic trope to be sure -- and one that, for me, is probably permanently associated with my Valicer In The Dark verse, thanks to the fact that the gang's lair literally only has one proper bed. XD So, naturally, I had to write a fic about their bed situation! From Alice's POV, because I'd noticed that I'd written two fics from Victor's POV and three from Smiler's over the week, and I didn't want her to get shorted. This one was rather hard to bring together for some reason, but I got there in the end. Hope you enjoy!

--

When the Three Pillars first all moved in together, abandoning their old lives and claiming Elder Gutknecht’s home as their own, Alice had worried that the fact they only had one bed would turn out to be a problem.

Granted, they’d managed those first couple of days before killing Bumby all right, back before they’d realized they were going to be living together for the long haul – Smiler had been kind enough to immediately surrender any claim to the four-poster to their companions, and Alice had been happy enough to swap with Victor after the first Names (especially after seeing how poorly her new friend had slept on the floor). And yes, once they had realized living together was going to be a permanent change post-flight from the Van Dort mansion, one of the first things they’d done was set up a schedule to determine who got to sleep in the nice bed when, and who had to make do with the cots Smiler had sourced from their fellow Advocates. But Alice hadn’t been able to shake the conviction that, at some point, the bed was going to be a source of trouble. After all, going from an elegant four-poster to a rickety old cot wasn’t exactly the most pleasant experience – she’d been tempted a couple of times to refuse to give up her claim, and she was certain Victor and Smiler had too. It seemed only a matter of time before the schedule broke down and there was a fight over the damn thing. Not to mention she still didn’t fully trust that glass canopy, no matter how many times Elder Gutknecht assured her it was safe. So she kept an eye on the bed, and on her friends, and wondered what crisis would eventually spark.

And then, early one Numbers, Victor reluctantly admitted that, even with access to such a large and comfy bed, he was having trouble sleeping. And Smiler offered up their hypnosis skills to fix the problem, and she insisted on watching just for her own peace of mind. And that – that led to them all sleeping in the bed together, her and Smiler wrapped around an entranced Victor, unwilling to move for fear of waking him and undoing all their hard work. And that had indeed sparked a crisis – just not the one Alice had thought. She’d expected to feel awkward about sharing a bed with Victor and Smiler. To feel uncomfortable about finding herself in such close quarters with them, even if they were people she liked.

She hadn’t expected to enjoy it. To realize that she’d had one of the easiest Names’s sleep of her life in that bed, cuddled up tight against Victor’s back. To additionally realize that she’d actually rather – enjoyed seeing Smiler hypnotize him. That watching Victor slip into trance had been – weirdly inspiring in certain ways. That she wanted everything she’d seen the previous Names to happen again, if at all possible – and the next day, and the next, and the next. That – that she was pretty damn sure she was in love with Victor, and maybe Smiler too, in a different way. And she hadn’t really known how to hell to deal with all of that knowledge. So she’d tried instead to ignore it, avoiding Victor and Smiler’s eyes and refusing to bring it up in conversation. Tried to remind herself that, however nice it had been (and it had been nice, oh God she hadn’t had something so nice since she was small), it couldn’t be repeated. That she would have to just have to go to her cot that Names and go to sleep and try not to think about how warm Victor had been against her, how weirdly sweet it had been to open her eyes and see Smiler looking back at her –

And then. Then they’d gone to that rich toff’s house. And Victor had nearly fallen off the roof. And Alice had gotten a stark reminder that life was short and that she needed to tell the people she loved that she loved them before it was too late. So, once they’d finished the job and made it back home, she’d forced herself to say that they needed to have a talk –

And discovered that Victor and Smiler had enjoyed everything that had happened the previous night as much as she had, if not more. That they hadn’t known how to bring it up either, consumed by the same doubts she’d had. That they – they loved her too. And after that rather a lot of kissing had happened, and after that –

Well. Alice forced herself to be practical and insist that Smiler only take back one cot, and keep the others for emergencies. Who knew if any one of them might need it for some reason or another. But in truth, she didn’t think the extra cot was very necessary at all.

Turned out, one bed was more than enough for three people.

[victorluvsalice]

Mini VITD Sims Lookbook (Largely Alice Focused Edition)

Hi all -- I ended up downloading and playing with some more Victorian and Victorian-esque CC for Sims 4 last Saturday, looking for some new looks for my Valicer In The Dark versions of Victor, Alice, and Smiler (mainly Alice, as per the title). And, as I'm still getting the next Chill Valicer Save update ready, I figured I'd share the results, in case any of you were interested/wanted some more CC to download! Here we go:

First up, we actually have something that I downloaded from someone’s lookbook post for their Alice Sim a little while ago (I'm afraid I don't remember whose at this point ^^;) – a conversion of Alice’s London dress from Alice: Madness Returns! As in, one Mimoto-Sims ripped this dress straight from the files of that game (along with a bunch of others) and turned it into an outfit in Sims 4! :D I’ve been looking for this for a while, and I’m quite pleased with it, though it is a little weirdly shiny – and if you think Alice suddenly looks a LOT thinner than usual in this dress, she is. Apparently I didn’t make my Sim Alice underweight enough! I think I prefer my Sims 4 version having a waist that doesn’t look like it could snap in half at any moment, though. XD

Okay, onto the CC I actually downloaded on Saturday, with Alice modeling the Ever Elegant Blouse v2 and the Rather Ravishing Skirt v2 from Gilded Ghost’s New Woman set! I ended up pairing these two together because, with the apron, I thought this made another good “maid” Alice outfit – though she looks like she’s working somewhere fancier than Houndsditch in this set, that’s for sure. (Now I’m tempted for her to somehow get her hands on a maid’s outfit from the Van Dort estate when her and Smiler’s attempt to return Victor to his parents ends up in them robbing them for being shitheads who don’t care about their son...) But it’s a nice look for her, and I am THRILLED that this and the other tops from that set worked with her necklace! :D Seriously, so many outfits hide that necklace, and given that it’s suppose to be her wearing Lizzie’s room key, I’d like it to be visible more often than not!

Case in point, the necklace is also visible in this outfit, which is Alice wearing the Jacket Jubilee top with the Perfectly Plain skirt from the New Woman set. This set I just thought looked nice on her, and made a nice – semi-formal? This feels fancier than casual, but not fancy enough to be formal. Like, maybe this is something she’d wear if the gang were heading to the Golden Plum for a nice dinner, or to a park for a trio date. That sort of thing. Not “fancy neighborhood” wear, but a step above hanging around the house.

By contrast, Alice is definitely not leaving the house in this outfit. XD This is dzifasims’s Bespoke Corset, paired with a plain Get Famous skirt that I thought looked like a shift or underskirt (I thought the corset CAME with one, but apparently I was mistaken). It’s nice to have a plainer corset that doesn’t look like it was bought for sex purposes, unlike the base game one. Though I do like the “bought for sex purposes” one too. XD Alice probably prefers this one, though – it’s more her style, and I think it makes good underwear for her.

Onto the masc stuff, with Smiler showing off pandorasimbox’s Azariah’s Sacksuit. I have mixed feelings on this – the basic shape of the suit is okay, and I liked pairing it with the bowler, but as per usual this suit did not have any of the right swatches I needed for Smiler. The problem is, people do a lot of muted colors for Victorian-style clothes, and even the ones that include brighter swatches tend not to do a lot of yellow. Meaning I often end up with poor Smiler wearing beige because that’s as close as I can get. *sigh* I mean, I do rather like the look on them – they kind of look like they’re auditioning for a Charlie Chaplin movie – but it’s gotta be BRIGHTER, you know? *sigh* I gotta learn how to recolor clothes... (Also, amusingly, the boots are actually from Moschino – they actually look Victorian enough when you cover up the tops with a long pant.)

Fortunately, while [LonelyBoy]’s TS4 Solardius Outfit doesn’t have a yellow swatch, it DOES have a black swatch with gold decorative details, and that I can work with – especially when paired with the High School Years shoes I love so much for Smiler in the “black with yellow stitching” swatch. :) Not sure how much I like the high collar on Smiler, but this is certainly not a bad look for them!

And it CERTAINLY isn’t a bad look for Victor, who suits that high collar much better. XD As you can see, Victor got the nice dark blue swatch with the red tie, which is kind of the inverse of his tie/vest color scheme in the movie. XD But it suits him, and again, this seems like a nice, semi-formal outfit he might wear for an outing with his partners where he wanted to look a little more put together. :)

And there you have it – me playing with my favorite trio like dolls again. XD What can I say, it’s fun to dress them up in new outfits! And these particular sessions help inform me of what I’d like my trio to wear in the Valicer In The Dark universe. Since, you know, I’m pretty well obsessed with that these days. XD So don’t @ me, downloading CC is writing research, okay? Okay. :p

[victorluvsalice]

AU Thursday: Valicer In The Dark -- Fun With Trauma

Hi all -- it's time to talk about my VITD trio again! Specifically, today we're discussing their Traumas! :D Now, "Trauma" in Blades In The Dark refers to a condition your scoundrel picks up when they max out their stress during the course of their adventure -- once they fill up all their stress boxes, they have some sort of mental break, can no longer participate in the rest of the current score, and develop a new specific personality quirk that will haunt them for the rest of the adventures. A character can develop four traumas before they have to be retired from life as a scoundrel (either literally retiring or being thrown into jail as a sacrifice to the Bluecoats). On the plus side, each new trauma is also a chance to earn extra XP -- if your character struggles with the side effects of a trauma during a score, you can mark a point or two of XP for it and level up your character a little bit faster. The book has eight potential traumas for scoundrels to pick up -- Cold, Haunted, Obsessed, Paranoid, Reckless, Soft, Unstable, and Vicious -- but as I've thought about my trio and where I want them to go (and what other systems in the book I'd like to use), I've come up with somewhat more bespoke traumas for them:

-->Alice: Our favorite Cutter actually starts with a trauma -- as I've mentioned before, I looked at the description for the Haunted trauma -- "You’re often lost in reverie, reliving past horrors, seeing things" (pg 14) -- and went "yeah, that pretty well covers her hallucinations of Wonderland." (It's the reason she also gets two starting abilities instead of just one -- trade-off!) As for her next potential trauma, I was initially considering Vicious -- "You seek out opportunities to hurt people, even for no good reason" -- but then decided that perhaps a slightly more logical one would be a tweaked form called Overprotective -- "You make sure everyone knows that what's yours is yours, to the point of violence." Alice is, of course, protective of Victor and Smiler even before she picks up this particular trauma, but afterward, she can get a little overenthusiastic about keeping danger away from them, simply because she doesn't want to lose the people she loves again. That house fire where her family died did a number on her head, after all! The pair probably have to rein her in sometimes to make sure she doesn't accidentally cause them more trouble trying to keep them safe. I don't have a specific scene in mind for what triggers it, but I know it would have to involve Victor and/or Smiler getting hurt and her just letting loose to protect them.

-->Victor: My initial ideas for a trauma for our lovely Whisper were Paranoid -- "You imagine danger everywhere; you can’t trust others" -- as the result of a particularly dangerous score that spooked him badly, or Obsessed -- "You’re enthralled by one thing: an activity, a person, an ideology" -- as the result of him getting a little too much into studying the dangerous magic of Duskwall...but then, while researching the Ritual special ability to figure out how to create new rituals for Victor to use, I found the sample ritual "Portal to the Depths" -- which involves singing an ancient song to open a portal up into the Void Sea, swamping anyone unlucky enough to be in front of it with its dark water filled with mysterious starlight and dragging them into the cold depths. The thing is, whenever someone uses this ritual, along with taking six stress, they must also tick a progress clock called "Seduced By The Leviathan's Song."

Cue me coming up with a scene where Victor, having filled up that progress clock, is with Alice and Smiler at The Docks (yes, this the name of a neighborhood in the city; it is self-explanatory) -- and ends up getting mind-controlled by the song of a nearby Leviathan into nearly walking off one of said docks to either drown or get devoured. Fortunately, this is after the trio have started playing with hypnosis in their private lives, and Smiler and Alice are able to stop him in his tracks by invoking their control over his mind -- but the experience leaves Victor with the custom trauma Phobia -- "You are terrified of a particular person, thing, or place and refuse to be near it." As you might imagine, Victor's terror revolves around the ocean, and he refuses to be anywhere near it if he can -- no more scores involving The Docks for this trio!

-->Smiler: Deciding on any trauma conditions for our cheerful combination Leech/Slide was a bit tricky for me at first -- not only is Smiler a naturally-cheery person who takes a lot of things that would stress out others in stride (see them very casually talking to ghosts in "Start At The Beginning...Sort Of"), they also of course end up in possession of the ability Functioning Vice, which allows them to adjust how much stress they clear when indulging their Vice and makes emptying out that track between scores a lot easier. I really wasn't sure which of the ones on offer would actually fit them --

And then. While reading through the "Changing The Game" section of the book, I stumbled across the "Forgotten Gods" section in "Advanced Abilities and Permissions." Which details what happens when your character opens their mind to a forgotten god -- including access to the ability Glorious Visage, which allows the character to hit everyone in the vicinity with an image of the god's form, costing them three stress and causing everyone around them to at least flee in fear or be paralyzed with dread. The more traumatized the character, the more harm they can do, up to killing a specific person by shattering their mind. I was like "Oooooo, wow, creepy but neat" --

And then I was like "Smiler's already been touched by their god..."

Cue the creation of the custom trauma Vessel -- "Your body is capable of hosting the will of a forgotten god -- and they know it." The way I see this working for Smiler is, the first time they overmax their stress, their god Mar-Mal sees this, is like "!!! Let me help!" and straight-up possesses their body for the rest of the score. Fortunately they do leave once the danger is passed -- helped by Victor and Alice going "It would make us VERY HAPPY if you gave us Smiler back" -- and Smiler recovers from the experience, but the door has been opened in their head, and it's not being shut anytime soon. The trauma automatically gives them access to the customized special ability Joyous Visage -- where Smiler can use Mar-Mal's power to stun people with happiness (it works a bit like the "Hysteria" power in VTMB's version of the Dementation discipline, with people getting completely incapacitated by laughter) -- but every time Smiler uses that power, a die must be rolled. On a six, they use the power safely and only take two stress; on a five through two, they use the power but Mar-Mal takes an interest in the proceedings, forcing them to take three stress; and on a one, Mar-Mal is like "time to take over again!" and possesses their body for the rest of the score. On the plus side, Mar-Mal automatically succeeds at everything they do while in control of Smiler's body (they are a fucking god, after all); on the minus side, when they leave, Smiler has to deal with Level 2 "Post-Possession Exhaustion" harm (because hosting the power of a god is no joke). Smiler has mixed feelings about this whole situation -- on the one hand, they're super excited that they can host the will of their god and not die, but on the other...they are a little scared that maybe, one day, Mar-Mal won't give their body back...

And there we have it -- three lovely traumas for my characters to suffer with! I don't know yet when they'll come into play during all the various stories I have planned, but they are there when I need them! I'm sure the trio are thrilled. XD

[victorluvsalice]

Valicer In The Dark -- Evolution Of A Bit About Horses

Me: [doing a post about worldbuilding in my Valicer In The Dark universe back in June 2023] Hmmm -- I don't remember off the top of my head whether or not there were any mention of horses in the actual Blades In The Dark book. You know what, rather than checking, I'm going to be funny, pull a Fallout, and declare them extinct in the world of the Shattered Isles! That way, if I ever have my VITD trio visit another universe, I can amuse myself by having them be like "...what's a horse?" whenever the topic comes up! :D I'm sure that, when I next reread Blades In The Dark, nothing will pop up to utterly ruin my bit! :D

Me: [rereads Blades In The Dark and discovers plenty of references to horses -- including, most importantly, the fact that the natives of the nation of Severos who don't live in the Imperial cities live in tribes on their ghost-hunting horses]

Me: D: My bit :(

[later on:]

My Brain: Hmmmm...okay Vic -- I have given this some thought, and the way I see it, we can go one of three ways. One -- we keep the bit, throw out that stuff in the book, and say that horses are extinct in your version of the Shattered Isles. Two -- we toss the bit, admit we were wrong, and that horses do exist, even if they're rare. Or three -- and I think this is the best option -- we modify the bit and say that horses are extinct in your Shattered Isles everywhere but Severos.

Me: Why are you so sure Option 3 is the best option?

My Brain: Because not only does it mean we don't have to completely chuck the bit -- it also opens up a story idea. There's a Severosi faction in the book -- The Silver Nails, remember? They want to get control of the heavily-haunted Lost District, and one of their assets is supposed to be their cavalry horses. What if, in your world, they're trying to smuggle in those horses, haven't succeeded yet because the animals keep dying en-route -- and when they do get a living horse successfully into the city, it escapes? And the Three Pillars happen to be nearby when it does, and have to help stop the damn thing before it causes too much damage or gets itself killed? That could be a cool score for them to complete, and gives you plenty of opportunities for them to be absolutely freaked out by this weird-looking creature that they previously assumed was just a type of goat all the while. Just total "?!?! That's a horse?!" the whole time.

Me: ...you're right, that is the best option.

So yes -- please accept my extremely-belated apologies about being wrong about a small thing in my worldbuilding post from over a year ago that probably none of you remember, and enjoy this updated post on the status of horses in my version of the Shattered Isles and Duskwall. XD I am actually quite looking forward to writing that story at some point -- I suspect it will be most chaotic.

[victorluvsalice]

Valicer OT3 Week, Day One: Meet Cute!

Hi all! As per @ot3-week the tumblr, this week -- March 17th through the 23rd -- is OT3 Week the week! So what better way to celebrate than with a week of Valicer fics? :D We start today in the Modern!AU verse (the one where Victor, Alice, and Smiler all meet and get together as modern-day college students, most often seen in my Not-Incorrect Quote collections) with the "Meet cute" prompt -- and what cuter way to meet than the classic Crash-Into Hello? Though only two of the polycule officially met that way -- one was just observing...

--

It has to be them – right?

Alice frowned as she gathered up the various books and notebooks so necessary to her life as a college student, turning the question around in her head as her fellow students hurried out the door. I mean – there can’t be that many people out there going by “Smiler,” she continued to herself, eyes flicking to the person in question as they too gathered their things. It doesn’t feel like a common nickname, at any rate.

“It’s not a nickname at all – it isn’t Nick,” Hatter declared, tapping the ground with his cane. “Unless that’s what the professor had on his screen, in which case that is the nickname – and if that’s the case, this person seems to have disavowed it, given how insistent they were on being called ‘Smiler.’”

Oh hush – you’re focusing on the wrong thing entirely, as usual, Alice though, rolling her eyes as she stuffed a textbook in her backpack. Ugh, really hoping this doesn’t telescope my spine before my next class...anyway, I just think it would be even more of a coincidence to run into someone going by Smiler who wasn’t the curator of that website my boyfriend likes so much than one who was. Especially one taking a psychology class with lots of focus on altered mental states.

“And yet, not impossible,” Cheshire said, appearing beside her. “Which is why you haven’t actually brought the subject up to them for confirmation, I purrsume.”

That, and it would be incredibly awkward – “Oh, hi, I’m not a fan of your website because I don’t get why people would like being hypnotized because of this one asshole psychiatrist who tried to get me to forget he was the one who killed my entire family, but my boyfriend really loves your work, to the point where he’s embarrassed to tell me how often he actually visits your site.” How the hell is anyone supposed to respond to that? Alice shook her head and hoisted her backpack up onto her shoulders. No, better to stay quiet for the time being. It’s not like it’s a huge deal anyway – as previously stated, I’m not the one listening to those inductions. I’ll mention it to Victor later, see what he thinks, and then we’ll see about getting to know this Smiler better. If we decide to do that at all.

Backpack secured, she headed out of the classroom and into the hallway – ironically, right behind Smiler themselves, who fortunately only had bright yellow eyes for their phone. Alice stuck close to the wall to avoid the hustle and bustle of bodies going to and fro as people hurried to their next class, or toward the common area, or outside to get a breath of fresh spring air. Right – common area, to get a jump start on my homework, Alice decided, mentally planning out the best route. And then off to my history class, and then I should be –

“Alice!”

Alice jerked her head up to see Victor fast approaching, smiling and waving at her. “I thought I’d come down and keep you company!” he called as he neared. “My science class was – oh!”

Thunk! Victor jerked backward as he smacked headlong into the equally-distracted Smiler. Their shoulder bag slipped as they juggled their phone, and a couple of textbooks came tumbling out, sliding across the floor. “I’m so s-sorry!” Victor gasped, immediately dropping to his hands and knees to retrieve the lost property before it could get kicked away. “I-I should have p-paid more attention to w-where I was going.”

“Oh, don’t worry about it!” Smiler said, living up to their name as they got their bag resettled properly on their shoulder. “I wasn’t paying attention either. Accidents happen – it’s no big deal!”

Victor froze mid-reach toward the second book, eyes wide. “Ah – uh – um – y-y-yes,” he managed after a moment, blinking rapidly. “I – s-still.” He grabbed the book, then handed it and its sibling over, staring at Smiler with an expression that hinted he didn’t quite believe they were real. “S-sorry.”

“Seriously, it’s fine,” Smiler assured him, happily oblivious to Victor’s shock. “Don’t beat yourself up over it. See you around!”

And with that, they were off, rejoining the flow of humanity around them with ease. Alice watched them go, then walked up to Victor as he slowly got himself off the floor. “Well – that answers that question,” she said.

“Huh?” Victor said, still staring at the spot where Smiler had been.

“Whether the Smiler who just appeared in my psychology class is the same one that’s been melting your brain on the regular,” Alice clarified. “I had an inkling, but...”

Victor went bright pink. “I – ah – yes,” he finally got out, rubbing the back of his neck. “I – wow, I t-thought for sure they used s-some sort of voice changer...”

Alice snorted. “How about we discuss it somewhere a little more private?” she offered, taking his hand. “So not everyone has to see you burning your face off during this conversation?”

Victor gave her fingers a squeeze, swallowing hard. “Please.”

[victorluvsalice]

Valicer OT3 Week, Day Seven: Free Day!

It's the finale of OT3 Week! Thank you @ot3-week for bringing it to us! And, as is tradition, the final day is a "free day" for anything you may want to write --

And without a prompt to guide me, I naturally went back to my beloved Valicer In The Dark trio! :D Because my favorite AU of the moment definitely needs to be represented during this week as well. So have the trio hanging out in their lair after they've gotten established and fixed the place up some, with Victor bringing up an interesting topic of conversation...

--

“This is about as far from how I expected my life to go as possible.”

Smiler looked up from their spot on the floor, hand still wedged in the brushes of their Smile Sweeper automaton. “Hmmm?”

“It’s just – whenever I pictured my future, I pictured the plan my parents had made for me,” Victor continued, absently picking out a melody from the piano. “An arranged marriage to whoever was most likely to get them the status and the house in Brightstone my mother so craved. A job working in, then running Father’s cannery once he was ready to give up the reins. Children whenever Mother decided she wanted grandchildren. Things like that. I never – I hoped that I would come to love whoever my parents picked out for me, and that they wouldn’t mind me having a dog, but other than that...I didn’t really have any dreams for myself.” He looked around the living room. “Certainly not any that included me running away from home, becoming a Whisper, and setting up house in Six Towers with two people who actually and truly love me.”

“Don’t forget becoming a semi-famous criminal,” Alice put in, eyes still on her sketchbook.

Victor snorted. “That too. But yes – it’s really not where I thought I’d end up in life.”

“I don’t think any of us expected to end up here,” Smiler pointed out, finishing unwinding the thread that had tangled in the brushes. They flipped the Sweeper back over and switched on its electroplasmic battery, causing it to come back to life with a happy ping! “On my end, I thought I’d be living in Advocate headquarters for the rest of my life. Helping out fellow Advocates, advancing our causes, eventually trading Joy Serum sales on the street for taking over the shop in Nightmarket from Mum and Dad. Maybe get married and have children, maybe not – I wasn’t going to commit until I knew for sure it was going to make me happy. But in my future, I always put the Advocates first.” They grinned. “Then a man fell out of a wall in front of me and Alice, and everything took a big old left turn.”

“It was more to our side,” Alice said, smirking as she looked up. “But they have a point, Victor – do you think I expected any of this to happen? I couldn’t picture a future for myself at all for years – all throughout my time in Rutledge. It was too hard to think of a life without my family. And even when I realized I had to and defeated the Queen of Hearts to get myself out of there, I never thought much beyond the next week or so – simple survival always took precedence. Hell, even when you caught me on the way to Nan’s to talk to her about Bumby and what I should do, Smiler, I didn’t have any plans beyond taking care of him.” She bit her lip, lowering her sketchbook to her lap. “I think, subconsciously, I assumed I’d immediately get caught for his murder and Hollowed out.”

“Alice,” Victor started, getting up from the bench.

“I’m fine,” Alice assured him, holding up a hand. “And that’s the crux of the matter, isn’t it? I’m fine. Not perfect, but – bloody hell, in a better state than I ever thought I might achieve after Rutledge. I still talk to things that aren’t there, sure, but it’s not nearly as bad as it was. Wonderland’s even gone from hindrance to help, in fact – you two know my hallucinations are better at picking up things than I am sometimes. And as for the rest of it – I’ve got a roof over my head, I’ve got time for hobbies, I’m making a difference for those less fortunate than myself – in a very illegal manner, granted, but fuck the Bluecoats and all the corrupt shites they stand for–” She looked from Smiler to Victor, expression softening. “And I’ve got two people who love me, which is two more than I ever imagined.”

Victor smiled, going to join her on the couch. “Me too. I’m – I’m so happy I fell out of that wall in front of you two. Or, to the side, or – near you,” he finally said with a laugh. “Let’s just say near you.”

“I’m happy too,” Smiler said, releasing the Sweeper onto the floor and getting up to join them. “I don’t even want to imagine life without you two now. You’re my best friend, Alice – and you’re the best partner I could have ever dreamed of, Victor. I love you both so much.”

“I couldn’t have put it better myself,” Alice said, taking Victor’s hand and giving it a squeeze. “I know it was a bit of a long, bumpy road to get here, what with all the nonsense surrounding how we met and our chosen profession, but – I am so glad we put in the work.”

Victor squeezed her hand back, then took Smiler’s as they sat down next to him. “Me too. I am truly blessed to have you both in my life. I can’t wait to spend all our remaining years together.”

“Same,” Smiler said, leaning their head against his shoulder.

“Same,” Alice echoed, doing the same. “I just hope we have plenty of them – we have ticked off a lot of powerful and important people.”

“Well, they have to find our heavily-warded and ghost-protected house first,” Smiler said with a cheeky grin. “And good luck to them.”

“Mmm – though, that reminds me,” Victor said, looking between them. “I overheard in the greenhouse the other day a woman talking about how she was looking for someone to steal a brooch back from her estranged husband...”