Hi. I absolutely love your work! Can I ask for a prompt that is kinda dumb but also funny?
The hero and the villain have a deal where the villain helps the hero by "kidnapping" them because that's the only way that hero can get days off work. Like hero is immediately released once villain "captures" them.
Thank you so much for your time! Keep up the amazing work!!!
"So, do you do this for like all the heroes on the roster, or...?"
"The ones I don't think are going to blab to management and ruin it for everyone, sure," the villain said idly.
The villain was busy, focused on their own schemes and works once they'd untied the hero as usual. The hero sat on their chair, rubbing their wrists, watching.
"Oh?" the villain echoed.
The hero swallowed, recovered. "You're like a professional holiday manager!"
The villain snorted. "And here I thought I was a regular saint. A real hero type."
The villain glanced up at them, at the words. Their head tilted, studying the hero for a moment.
"Don't you have a holiday to get to?" the villain asked. "You can go, you know. I'm sure your bed is calling or whatever it is you do with your time off."
"Do you ever take time off?"
"Your concern is cute but unwarranted."
"Darling," the villain said. "Kidnapping the likes of you is my time off. A hobby, if you will."
"Oh," the hero said, again. They didn't move.
The villain raised an eyebrow.
"Right." The hero scrambled to their feet, flushing. "I'll leave you to it. Sorry."
"Did you want to be the only one on my roster?" the villain asked.
They'd thought they were. It felt a little ridiculous in hindsight to think they had something special. That the villain cared, uniquely, for them. They were simply intense about whatever they focused on. It didn't actually make the hero the centre of the world.
"No!" the hero said, quickly. "No. I mean - who am I to deny anyone a break? Stupid that we all have to go to such extreme lengths for it, but hey ho. That's the economy."
The villain sounded disapproving.
"That's the economy," the villain said. "What a wonderful way to settle for your crappy situation and relegate all responsibility in demanding better."
"What do you want me to do?!" The hero spluttered, scoffed. "Start a superhero union?"
The villain shrugged. "Why not?"
"You just want to bring us all down!"
The villain blinked at them, then went back to their work without further comment.
The hero stood there for a moment longer, floundering. Bereft.
The villain looked so pretty, in the soft light of their lair. The hero had heard - in whispers, where management couldn't hear - that other heroes thought so too.
Did any of them stay with the villain during their 'days off'? Or were they all summarily released the moment the job was done?
God. It shouldn't have mattered. They had the day off. They had a million things they could do, not including sleep! They didn't need the approval of some villain, no matter how pretty or helpful they might be.
"How would I start a superhero union?" the hero asked.
The villain looked up at them, again, at the words. They studied the hero a second time.
The hero bit their lip, squaring their shoulders. "Hypothetically," the hero said.
The villain sighed, rubbing their temples, then pointed to the seat opposite. "Sit," they said. "How much do you know about labour history and inciting rebellion?"
"Uh..." The hero hastened to sit, before the villain changed their mind and told them to leave again. They tried for a smile. "Nothing? Teach me!"
The villain blinked. Once. Gently withering.
"I've been a bit busy saving the world," the hero said. "Don't look at me like that!"
"You care far too much about my opinion and far too little about what actually matters," the villain said.
"Jesus," the hero muttered. "Don't pull your punches. It's my day off."
The villain sighed. Then, they closed what they were doing, and focused. That dazzling, gorgeous, world-narrowing focus. The hero sat a little straighter.
"Okay," the villain began. They drew out a notebook, scrawling on the front page, before sliding it across the hero. "Listen close."
HOW TO OVERTHROW MANAGEMENT: STEP 1 (ORGANISE)
"Ooh," the hero said. Their stomach flipped. "I feel very illicit and villainous right now."
The villain shot them a look, exasperated. "I take it back. Give me the notebook."
The villain grabbed the notebook, crossed out their heading, and wrote again. They shoved the notebook in the hero's direction. Their fingers brushed, sending a jolt down the hero's spine.
STEP 1: WHY ADVOCATING FOR YOURSELF IS NOT EVIL.
"Oh," the hero said. "I don't think you're evil."
"I said illicit and villainous. Not evil."
The villain stared at them for long enough that the hero wondered if they'd said something wrong.
"Just...listen," the villain said. "And don't tell the others. They'll start thinking I work for free."
"Just between us then," the hero replied. They tried, and failed, to smother a smile. "Sure thing."
The villain rolled their eyes, but the smallest hint of a smile curled their lips for a second, as they shook their head.
"So," the villain began again. "Historically speaking...."
The hero leaned forward, elbows on the desk, the picture of the diligent student, ready to learn.
It would have been a wonderful way to spend a day with their crush, except, by the time the villain was done, the hero did actually want to start a rebellion.
It was always the pretty ones.
