And It's Way Nicer This Year Too

[save_us_alice]

Oh yes, you know the drill. Birthday times for Alice! We've got blue and white streamers held up with little cardboard Vorpal Blades, and a splash of red confetti across the tables and floor. The jukebox is on too, and playing a medley from both the original game and "Alice: Madness Returns" -- because while this Alice may be from the first game only, she still likes her sequel. Come, eat, drink, and be merry!

Comments

[save_us_alice]

"We're still on our roadtrip, though we took a brief break to attend a friend's son's first birthday party," Alice reports with a smile. "Victor and I are also getting driving lessons."

"She's a speed demon," DG-Victor reports.

"What can I say -- I like to go fast."

[alienlisa]

AL laughs. "So, what's easier to drive? Modern cars or the carriages from your time?" She thinks about that a moment. "Personally, I'd go with a horse-drawn carriage since I can hold a conversation with the power source." She giggles. "Granted I teleport everywhere; I don't need to drive. I do if I have to, but I haven't in a while."

[deadgirlslikeme]

"Having never learned how to drive a carriage, I really couldn't say," Alice admits, shrugging. "I barely know how to ride a horse."

"Same here -- Mayhew drove us everywhere," DG-Victor says, the other three Victors nodding along. "And my experiences with horse-riding -- well, I accidentally squeezed my knees during my first lesson from nerves and sent it galloping. Not fun. I prefer being a passenger to anything, I think."

[alienlisa]

AL nods. "I'd rather be a passenger than the driver, too. Well, when I'm taking that kind of mode of transport, since, again, teleporting. I do like to ride horses or the planetary equivilant wherever we are. Had a bit of a field day when I was stuck with Doc and Marty in 1885. When I wasn't helping trying to get them back home, I was chatting up his horses."

[museicalmarty]

"Yeah, teleporting's definitely the easiest -- PINpoints are great for that," Marty nods. "But sometimes you just wanna get out and see the open road." He laughs when she talks about her experiences with her Doc and Marty and their horses. "They have anything interesting to say?"

[alienlisa]

"They said that 'Honest' Joe Statler overcharges his customers for them," she answers. "Not so honest if you ask me." She paused, thinking. "I asked my Doc when I came back what he did with Galileo, Archimedes and Newton before he moved back to the '90s and he said he gave them to Seamus. At least they'd be well taken care of."

[clockwork_doc]

"Not surprised, really," Doc says, as Marty nods along. "And I'm glad to hear they went to the McFly family. Seamus seems like a trustworthy fellow."

"Though it is a little weird to think of him calling a horse -- even one he got from the other uses -- 'Galileo' or 'Newton,'" Marty adds with a chuckle.

[alienlisa]

"Yeah," says AL, nodding. "If they hadn't, I would've tried to find a Gate to Alnilam and send them there. The unicorns would've taken care of them. But, as it is, they were fine. I checked."

AL laughs. "I think my Doc told him he could rename them if he wanted, but I'm not sure if he did or not. Note to self: Find out one day." She chuckles.

[dee_lorean81]

"Good to know," Doc says, then laughs. "Yeah, you'll have to tell us when you do. I'm a bit curious now."

"Do you have any regular horses up on Alnilam, or is it just unicorns?" Dee asks, all curiosity.

[alienlisa]

"Sure. When's the next party? I'll find out by then," she laughs.

AL makes a so-so gesture. "Mostly the unicorns, but a couple actual horses."

"My horse is there," says Erik quietly.

"Yeah," says AL. "Cesar. He brought Erik to me in the first place and he needed somewhere to live afterward. There are a few animals that look like horses but aren't. They came from a different realm."

[clockwork_doc]

"Well, it should be Marty and the Victor's -- birthday. . ." Doc slowly turns, letting his eyes travel over the three Victors now making their residence in the Inkwell. "Oh boy. We're going to have to have a talk about how we're going to handle this."

"Ooooh, I see," Dee says. "Sort of how I look like a little girl, but I'm really a car?"

"With less shapeshifting, I'd imagine," Doc says, then glances at Lisa. "Though I can't say for sure."

[alienlisa]

AL glances over that the collection of Martys and Victors. "Good thing this place can be as big as you need it to be, eh?" She chuckles.

She scratches her head, trying to figure out how to explain. "Not exactly. No shape shifting. They're called 'Whorlings' and they come from a place called the EverRealm. The 'Whorl' is the absolute center of the EverRealm, where chaotic energies can change the form of anything that comes there. They can look like...well, anything, really, and be any size. Horses, cats, dogs, bugs. I have one that Victor might like." She rummages in hammerspace for a moment before producing a photograph of a very large butterfly. "That's Kallima, which means 'butterfly'. You know the alter ego's horse? I have a Whorling that looks like him." She rummages again and shows the picture. "Only I named him Skywalker since I'd already used Shada for someone else." For completeness sake, she rummages for the picture of Whorling!Shada.

((Now I'm wondering if Myrror still does those adopteds...I should email her))

[museicalmarty]

"Yeaaaah," Marty says, looking at the three Victors. "I think otherwise we'd have some major space problems."

The group peers curiously at the pictures. "Oh! She -- or he -- is lovely," Butterfly Boy says, all enthusiasm. "Reminds me a bit of Ferdinand -- though I imagine Kallima isn't big enough to ride."

Marty chuckles, then peers closer at the picture of Whorling!Shada. "Uh -- is it me, or does that winged-unicorny creature have little claws on its wings?"

((Indeed))

[alienlisa]

"I say she's a girl, but some might not even have a gender." AL shrugs. "She doesn't mind I call her female, so she's female. And, no, she's just big enough to sit on your head and block out the sun, which she does a lot. Helps if you're trying to do something outside and forgot your hat." She laughs.

"Nope, that's how he looks. He's friendly, even though he has a kind of self-important air to him." She scratches her head sheepishly. "A few of them that I've named after real people - so to speak - are, so it's kind of my fault." She shrugs. "Anyway, the Whorl apparently does a lot of weird things to whatever is in there. Believe me, he is not the weirdest looking Whorling living on Alnilam."

[butterflyboy]

"I suppose that's all that really matters," Butterfly Boy shrugs, then laughs along. "Butterfly hats! Maybe I could talk to Richard about making a mechanical version."

Marty snickers then shrugs. "We've been to the Nexus. Weird-looking creatures don't really even get much of a double-take anymore. I was just surprised to see claws on something horsey-shaped."

"I'm not so much," Butterfly Boy responds, smirking at him. "I live in Secundus, after all."

[alienlisa]

AL laughs. "But you live in England. There's rarely any sun in England." She snickers. "I guess maybe you could block the haze in the clouds."

"Well," she says to Marty, "think of him has being part dragon. They usually have a little claw or two on their wings. Not the dragon wings on my unicorn form, but if I had a dragon form it probably would."

[museicalmarty]

"Perhaps not, but there's plenty of reasons to wear a hat besides blocking out the sun," Butterfly Boy says. "The fun factor, for one thing."

"Look out, I think you inspired him," Secundus Marty laughs.

Regular Marty nods his agreement. "Yeah, that makes sense. Suppose you could call it a dragoncorn or something."

[alienlisa]

AL laughs. "That's okay."

"I already have a mernicorn - looks like a mermaid except she's unicorn instead of human. So dragoncorn isn't that far off if they don't already have a species name." AL shrugs.

[misslucysleeches]

"Dragcorn?" Lucy suggests, then shakes her head. "No, it sounds like a lousy racing event. Unidrag -- nope, that's worse. Dragocorn? Dragicorn? Dragonicorn? Eh, all that is is an extra letter shoved in. . ."

[alienlisa]

AL snickers. "Tell you what: if I ever come across one that isn't a Whorling, I'll ask what they prefer to be called. Every once in a while something like that will pop by Alnilam or some reason or another. And Woodhorn won't attack animals unless provoked."

[clockwork_doc]

"Sounds like the best solution to me," Doc says with a smile. "After all, they should get a say in what other people call them."

DG-Victor can't resist the opportunity to shoot Vic a quick look, which she responds to by sticking her tongue out.