Munday Love and Romance
Let's talk about LOOOOVE! Specifically, the romantic kind, although there are of course many different ways to love somebody.
1) Are there any romances in your story/canon/fanon/universe? [If the answer is none, go to question 4]
Yes, there are. The big one is between Victor and Alice, of course, but there's also two romances going on mostly off-screen during "Secundus" -- Richard and Emily and Victoria and Sir Christopher. Marty's also got Jennifer, his long-term girlfriend, at home. Doc's the only one not paired up, and he's going to get a love interest (Clara Clayton from BTTF III) in the sequel.
2) How central are these romances to the story in terms of plot?
Depends on the point in the story. The first "arc" of "Secundus" deals with Victor adjusting to his new life and making friends with everybody, so romance isn't important there. The second arc is him dealing with his feelings for Alice, and Victoria and Emily meeting their significant others, so romance takes a front seat for that section. Then the third arc focuses on dealing with the various parents and then having to defeat the Queen of Hearts. Romance remains fairly important (Victoria's relationship with Sir Christopher ends up being a major source of tension between her and her parents, and of course Victor and Alice's love ends up being vital to helping Victor get past the initial scariness of going Creative), but it shares center stage with the "action movie" moments. So I'd say romance is pretty important, but there's still other stuff that helps carry the story.
As for "Secundus 2's" potential plotline -- well, Doc and Clara falling in love and Marty and Jennifer's weddings are going to be important subplots, so it'll probably be fairly important there too. Dealing with some nasty villains out for revenge and Victor's nervousness over becoming a father are probably going to be a little more important, though.
3) How important are these romances to the characters themselves?
Very important! Let me break it down by couple:
Victor & Alice: Victor and Alice are madly in love -- which is a little surprising, since neither of them really expected to fall in love. (Victor honestly never thought anyone would look at him like that; Alice was frightened of getting close to another person.) They both sort of help each other loosen up a bit. And of course, it's Victor's closeness to Alice that helps him dig himself out of the pit that going Creative threatened to throw him into. If he hadn't had her as an anchor. . .
Victoria & Sir Christopher: Victoria's a bit of a romantic, and was thrilled to find someone she really did love to marry. Sir Christopher, although he's had the occasional romance before, never really thought of settling down until Victoria came on the scene. He gives her adventure, she gives him some stability.
Emily & Richard: They've got a dynamic like the above, although theirs is amplified. Emily always dreamed of being a bride, and finding Richard -- someone who adored her even though she was a Reanimated -- was her dream come true. Richard, for his part, didn't even think about romance until Emily came on the scene. And then he went at it with the same passion he gave any of his hats. (We just don't see it because Victor and Alice is the main romance.)
Marty & Jennifer: They met one day at the market, felt an instant attraction, and went in it for the long haul. Marty loves Secundus, but a small part of him is always eager to get back home because that's where his girl is. I get the feeling he's only truly happy with living there when he returns a married man. (He's happy enough beforehand, but having Jennifer there makes all the difference.)
Doc & Clara: They're sort of the opposite of Marty and Jennifer -- he rescued her, there was an instant attraction, and not long afterward they got married. Talk about chemistry. Doc, personally, always wanted to get married, but never found the right woman before Clara. Clara, on the other hand, was kind of fleeing marriage -- her parents were getting worried about her "spinster" status and sending her name out to all sorts of men she wasn't interested in. She's honestly surprised to find herself falling for Doc so quickly, but hey -- sometimes, you just click.
4) Do you like 'romantic plotlines' in the fiction you enjoy, even if the genre itself may not be specifically romantic?
I'd say I do. I don't read romance novels, and I don't find it strictly necessary (Alice's canon, for example, is about as unromantic as you can get), but I like a good love story. I guess I'm a bit like Victoria and Emily -- I like seeing two people meant for each other come together.
5) Do you feel love stories between characters are used too much, not enough, or just right in the stories you enjoy most?
I'd say just right, if only because I probably wouldn't enjoy them otherwise. Granted, I do my fair share of "shipping" (you know, pairing up characters that may or may not be romantically involved), but in the core canons, I'm typically good with what's presented.
1) Are there any romances in your story/canon/fanon/universe? [If the answer is none, go to question 4]
Yes, there are. The big one is between Victor and Alice, of course, but there's also two romances going on mostly off-screen during "Secundus" -- Richard and Emily and Victoria and Sir Christopher. Marty's also got Jennifer, his long-term girlfriend, at home. Doc's the only one not paired up, and he's going to get a love interest (Clara Clayton from BTTF III) in the sequel.
2) How central are these romances to the story in terms of plot?
Depends on the point in the story. The first "arc" of "Secundus" deals with Victor adjusting to his new life and making friends with everybody, so romance isn't important there. The second arc is him dealing with his feelings for Alice, and Victoria and Emily meeting their significant others, so romance takes a front seat for that section. Then the third arc focuses on dealing with the various parents and then having to defeat the Queen of Hearts. Romance remains fairly important (Victoria's relationship with Sir Christopher ends up being a major source of tension between her and her parents, and of course Victor and Alice's love ends up being vital to helping Victor get past the initial scariness of going Creative), but it shares center stage with the "action movie" moments. So I'd say romance is pretty important, but there's still other stuff that helps carry the story.
As for "Secundus 2's" potential plotline -- well, Doc and Clara falling in love and Marty and Jennifer's weddings are going to be important subplots, so it'll probably be fairly important there too. Dealing with some nasty villains out for revenge and Victor's nervousness over becoming a father are probably going to be a little more important, though.
3) How important are these romances to the characters themselves?
Very important! Let me break it down by couple:
Victor & Alice: Victor and Alice are madly in love -- which is a little surprising, since neither of them really expected to fall in love. (Victor honestly never thought anyone would look at him like that; Alice was frightened of getting close to another person.) They both sort of help each other loosen up a bit. And of course, it's Victor's closeness to Alice that helps him dig himself out of the pit that going Creative threatened to throw him into. If he hadn't had her as an anchor. . .
Victoria & Sir Christopher: Victoria's a bit of a romantic, and was thrilled to find someone she really did love to marry. Sir Christopher, although he's had the occasional romance before, never really thought of settling down until Victoria came on the scene. He gives her adventure, she gives him some stability.
Emily & Richard: They've got a dynamic like the above, although theirs is amplified. Emily always dreamed of being a bride, and finding Richard -- someone who adored her even though she was a Reanimated -- was her dream come true. Richard, for his part, didn't even think about romance until Emily came on the scene. And then he went at it with the same passion he gave any of his hats. (We just don't see it because Victor and Alice is the main romance.)
Marty & Jennifer: They met one day at the market, felt an instant attraction, and went in it for the long haul. Marty loves Secundus, but a small part of him is always eager to get back home because that's where his girl is. I get the feeling he's only truly happy with living there when he returns a married man. (He's happy enough beforehand, but having Jennifer there makes all the difference.)
Doc & Clara: They're sort of the opposite of Marty and Jennifer -- he rescued her, there was an instant attraction, and not long afterward they got married. Talk about chemistry. Doc, personally, always wanted to get married, but never found the right woman before Clara. Clara, on the other hand, was kind of fleeing marriage -- her parents were getting worried about her "spinster" status and sending her name out to all sorts of men she wasn't interested in. She's honestly surprised to find herself falling for Doc so quickly, but hey -- sometimes, you just click.
4) Do you like 'romantic plotlines' in the fiction you enjoy, even if the genre itself may not be specifically romantic?
I'd say I do. I don't read romance novels, and I don't find it strictly necessary (Alice's canon, for example, is about as unromantic as you can get), but I like a good love story. I guess I'm a bit like Victoria and Emily -- I like seeing two people meant for each other come together.
5) Do you feel love stories between characters are used too much, not enough, or just right in the stories you enjoy most?
I'd say just right, if only because I probably wouldn't enjoy them otherwise. Granted, I do my fair share of "shipping" (you know, pairing up characters that may or may not be romantically involved), but in the core canons, I'm typically good with what's presented.