SmolNarwhalWrites

Writing prompts, responses to prompts, short stories, my writing... Usually fantasy, scifi, and romance. Send me an ask!

[smolnarwhalwrites]

You know how dogs might have a dream about running and their paws move? What if a person with wings had a dream about flying?

Imagine their partner getting hit in the face by a wing in the middle of the night.

[smolnarwhalwrites]

Every Halloween for as long as anyone could remember, someone went missing. It was shrugged off as coincidence, that Halloween was an opportunity for a kidnapping. But those who were taken were never found, and no evidence ever came up to point towards a kidnapper. It was like they simply vanished.

One Halloween night when you were a child, you remember walking along with your friends. You were separated from them by accident and wandered through a secluded area of the city.

Suddenly, someone grabbed you, placing their hand over your mouth and hefting you up in their arms. You tried to scream, kicking out with your legs, but they were too strong. They carried you into a dark alleyway and deposited you on the ground.

You whirled around to face your captor, trembling in fear. He looked like a normal person, but his skin and eyes seemed odd. They were waxy and somehow didn't quite seem right. You tried to scoot away from your captor, but behind you came the voice of someone else.

"No, not that one," a smooth voice said from the shadows.

The man with the strange skin scoffed, crossing his arms, "You've never been picky before. Why now?"

"You must never harm this one," the voice responded almost gently, "Take [him/her/them] back."

"Fine," the man responded. He reached for you. You tried to evade him, whimpering in fear. He growled in anger, "Come here, you little mongrel."

From the shadows came a growl. Suddenly, you were scooped up in gentle arms, pulled into the shadows. "It's okay, little one," the being cooed softly, carrying you towards the entrance to the alley. The shadows moved around them as though they were part of them. The being deposited you gently just outside of the alleyway. "Run along. There's no need to be afraid."

You could not see their face, but their eyes glowed red from the shadows. A moment later, they were gone. And you were alone on the street.

Years had passed. Now, as an adult, you stood at the entrance to that same alleyway on Halloween night.

You had never dared come back for so many years, but something about tonight had drawn you to this place.

You cautiously entered the alleyway, eyes searching through the darkness. Had all those things really happened? Or was it the overactive imagination of a child?

But a smooth voice came from the shadows then, confirming your suspicions. "Hello, little one."

[writing-prompt-s]

The bar was the only place in the city where heroes and villains could both go to without fear of being attacked by their enemies. Not because they formed a truce or anything like that, but because they all feared the Bartender more than they hated each other.

[smolnarwhalwrites]

The two of us were inseparable from a young age. We were two halves of the same coin: dark and light, strong and smart, responsible and rebellious. Our differences made us stronger, our similarities made us better. We thought it would never end.

But this isn't a story about how we became friends.

It's a story about how we became enemies.

[canigetanamenforbritney]

And ANGST!

For your daily skin care

[smolnarwhalwrites]

Your comments crack me up!

[smolnarwhalwrites]

It started out as a simple poker game.

You had played before, of course. Some would even say you were quite good. But you'd never played with something so important on the line. It was a family heirloom, the last piece of your mother. She had passed it on to you, but before you'd had a chance to claim it, your step-father had pawned it. After that happened, you never expected to see it again.

But when you saw the one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry worn by one of the VIPs entering a crowded casino, you'd done everything you could to sit at the same table as them. It hadn't been an easy task, but now you had a chance to win it back.

The game had been heated. You won the first two rounds, your heart pounding at the sums your opponent was able to bet with. The third round, you removed a heavyset gold ring from your finger and placed it on the table. It was beautiful, inlaid with diamonds. You had stolen it from your step-father before you'd left home.

"Why don't we throw in something a little more personal?" You recommended boldly.

Your opponent's eyes narrowed, fingers touching the piece you had been looking for. Obviously, they had noticed your longing gazes. But, cruelly, they plucked a ring from their finger instead, placing it in the center.

You opened your mouth to protest, but they held up a long finger, "Nothing on this table is worth the piece you're after."

"Then what is?" You demanded.

Their eyes glittered, "You have only one thing to bet that is of equal value."

"Name it."

With a grin that seemed inhuman, they growled, "Yourself."

You stared, eyes widening in shock. But, as you looked over your cards, you decided it was a gamble you had to take. It was unlikely that they would win this round. "Fine."

They placed your mother's jewelry on the table, eyes shining with a sort of glee. With your heart pounding in your chest, you resumed the round.

[smolnarwhalwrites]

You stared at the cards on the table, heat searing along your skin. You'd lost.

Your opponent grinned, something about their attractive face seeming off, somehow. "It seems I've won."

"What- what happens now?" You stammer, unable to comprehend the situation at hand. The loud sounds of other patrons nearby was nothing in comparison to the roaring of blood in your ears.

"It seems you belong to me, now," they get to their feet, collecting their earnings. They replace your mothers jewelry on their person, the gemstone gleaming as it caught the light. Their eyes flash back up to yours, sending a shiver down your spine. You still haven't moved, too shocked to do anything other than wait.

"But... what does that mean? What- what should I do now?"

The question seems to please them. They smile, sauntering around the table until they were towering over you. You tremble as they reach for you, hand stopping a mere inch from your skin. They pull back, their smile disappearing, "Go home. Come back with any of your belongings you treasure. Anything else will be left behind."

"We're... leaving?" You can't seem to wrap your mind around it.

They nod slowly, "You have loved ones you need to say goodbye to?"

"No one," you admit, your head lowering.

"Then we will leave tomorrow," they decided.

"And my job? I don't have any money," you motion to the table in front of you, every last dime having been spent in the futile attempt to retrieve your mother's jewelry.

"Don't worry about that," they tell you. "You're mine, now. You won't be needing money or a job anymore."

You aren't sure how to respond to that, so you stay silent, still staring down at the table.

"I'm staying here at the casino. In the penthouse. Arrive by 8 tomorrow morning." They commanded. They didn't seem worried that you wouldn't show, although you weren't sure why. They didn't even know your name. "Goodnight," they vanished into the crowd, leaving you dumbstruck at the table.

"What have I done?" You whisper to yourself, staring at your hands. "What the hell have I done?"

[canigetanamenforbritney]

How did i never found this before?? This one's GREAT

[smolnarwhalwrites]

Thanks!

[smolnarwhalwrites]

Narah and Agni

Narah's favorite part of the job was roaming the rooftops at night with the speed of a cheetah, the eyes of an owl, or the strength of a gorilla. She loved the rush of adrenaline as she vaulted from building to building, on the lookout for danger.

Tonight, though, she knew where she was going. There was a fire down by the docks. She'd heard a certain villain had been poking around there the night before and the fire only confirmed her suspicions.

Agni had returned.

It'd been two months since she'd even heard a whisper about him. He hadn't been visiting his usual spots in the slums. It was strange that he was down by the docks at all.

But sure enough, as she approached the docks she began to see the glow of the flames. They'd almost completely consumed the buildings along the edge of the docks, the cargo on the docks themselves, and one of the ships docked nearby. There was a space that was empty, however, and several figures were huddled there.

Focusing, Narah channeled the owl, letting the animal run free in her mind for a moment. It took over and suddenly she was the owl, flying through the air toward the figures in the fire. She could see everything in great detail with the owl's eyes, the dark city suddenly spreading before her, doused in bright moonlight unlike how her human eyes had seen it. She dropped down next to the figures, the shift fading and leaving behind only herself.

As she'd suspected, it was Agni. He stood there in all his fierce glory, black and gold uniform shining in the firelight. There were three dock workers there as well, huddled together with fear in their eyes. One of them had a bloody nose.

Agni had seen her land and whirled on her now, eyes blazing red behind his mask.

"You should have told me you were back, Agni," Narah bantered. "I would have thrown you a party."

"Shame I missed it," Agni retorted. "Guess I'll just have to throw one myself." At that, his hands caught fire, flames dancing along his arms. He threw it at her, balls of fire hurling through the air in her direction.

She felt the power surge through her as she channeled the cheetah, bounding out of the way just in time. She dodged the first one, leaping and rolling so that the second went flying over her head. She changed directions suddenly, feeling her power swell as she aimed a right hook directly at his face.

She felt heat singe the side of her face and the two of them were pushed away from each other. She'd hit him though, and there was blood on his teeth to prove it. He smiled, "Good one, Nar. But not good enough."

The volley of flame that came after was nearly impossible to avoid. The cheetah's speed was perfect for short bursts, but didn't have the stamina to keep up. So she let that go and instead channeled the wolf.

A growl left her throat as she lunged for him again, this time aiming a kick to his side. It connected and he was put off-balance. He cried out softly in pain, returning the blow quickly with a closed fist. She felt the heat mingled with a searing pain as he delivered an uppercut to her abdomen. But it wasn't enough to deter her from her goal.

The time for banter was over. They both got serious then, dancing around like the flames that surrounded them. She was landing more hits than he was, but she was also getting tired. He was looking rougher, favoring the places she'd hit over and over, but his fire was as hot as always.

She slid back, panting. There was a sheen of sweat on her brow. Agni was also breathing heavily, red eyes fading to a cool amber. Something caught his eye behind her and he took a step back. "Perhaps we should call it a night, Narah. It seems to be getting late, after all."

There was the crack of lightning and suddenly another one of the city's heroes, Silverspark, was standing next to her. "Need some backup?"

Agni gave her a cheeky salute, grinning, "Until next time."

He leapt up into the sky, flying away in a blaze of flame.

Narah swore and whirled on Silverspark, "What are you doing here? This was my fight."

Silver took a step back, holding up his hands, "Whoa, sorry. I didn't mean to interfere. But the fire kept spreading, so I thought you might need some assistance."

Silverspark was a handsome young man. Narah thought perhaps he was a bit younger than her, although she couldn't really tell with the silver mask across his face. He had pitch black hair and tan skin, slightly darker than her own. His uniform was mostly silver, with stripes of white and electric blue like lightning.

Narah sighed, "It's fine. Let's focus on putting out the fire. And we need to get these civilians to safety."

She could hear sirens in the distance now. She was grateful that they'd hopefully have firetrucks on the scene within moments.

She turned to the three dock workers, "Come on, let's get you out of here."

Silverspark became lightning for a moment, disappearing and reappearing on top of a tall light pole that stood near the fire. "There's a path to your right that looks to be safe-ish."

"Thanks, Silver," she made her way to the right, making sure to keep the workers close. They coughed in the smoke, covering their mouths and noses as best they could until they were clear. It burned in her throat and lungs, making it difficult to breathe at all. Two firetrucks and an ambulance arrived then, rushing out to put the fire out. Narah left the three dock workers with the ambulance and waved Silverspark back down.

He appeared next to her with a crack of thunder, smiling faintly, "Well gee, you really didn't need my help. Sorry to steal your thunder."

"It's fine," she waved it off. "Thanks for stopping by anyway. I think the firefighters have it from here."

"You're probably right." Silverspark got serious then, looking out into the flames. "Hey, Narah? Have you heard of someone named Bloodstain?"

Narah felt cold suddenly, despite the heat of the fire, "Yes, of course. He's been leaving a trail of bodies from city to city for months. He's even killed heroes."

"Villains, too," Silver's eyes seemed to gleam in the firelight. "Did you hear about the last murder?"

"The villain from the Springs? Yeah, I heard about it."

Silverspark shook his head, "No, they recovered another body this morning, a civilian."

Narah's eyes widened. "Another one? Was it in the Springs again?"

"No, it was in Southside Park," he revealed.

Narah took a step back, covering her mouth with a hand. No, it couldn't be. "But… that means…"

"Bloodstain is here in the city."

@shipperwithnomisterssecondblog

[smolnarwhalwrites]

It started out as a simple poker game.

You had played before, of course. Some would even say you were quite good. But you'd never played with something so important on the line. It was a family heirloom, the last piece of your mother. She had passed it on to you, but before you'd had a chance to claim it, your step-father had pawned it. After that happened, you never expected to see it again.

But when you saw the one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry worn by one of the VIPs entering a crowded casino, you'd done everything you could to sit at the same table as them. It hadn't been an easy task, but now you had a chance to win it back.

The game had been heated. You won the first two rounds, your heart pounding at the sums your opponent was able to bet with. The third round, you removed a heavyset gold ring from your finger and placed it on the table. It was beautiful, inlaid with diamonds. You had stolen it from your step-father before you'd left home.

"Why don't we throw in something a little more personal?" You recommended boldly.

Your opponent's eyes narrowed, fingers touching the piece you had been looking for. Obviously, they had noticed your longing gazes. But, cruelly, they plucked a ring from their finger instead, placing it in the center.

You opened your mouth to protest, but they held up a long finger, "Nothing on this table is worth the piece you're after."

"Then what is?" You demanded.

Their eyes glittered, "You have only one thing to bet that is of equal value."

"Name it."

With a grin that seemed inhuman, they growled, "Yourself."

You stared, eyes widening in shock. But, as you looked over your cards, you decided it was a gamble you had to take. It was unlikely that they would win this round. "Fine."

They placed your mother's jewelry on the table, eyes shining with a sort of glee. With your heart pounding in your chest, you resumed the round.

[smolnarwhalwrites]

You stared at the cards on the table, heat searing along your skin. You'd lost.

Your opponent grinned, something about their attractive face seeming off, somehow. "It seems I've won."

"What- what happens now?" You stammer, unable to comprehend the situation at hand. The loud sounds of other patrons nearby was nothing in comparison to the roaring of blood in your ears.

"It seems you belong to me, now," they get to their feet, collecting their earnings. They replace your mothers jewelry on their person, the gemstone gleaming as it caught the light. Their eyes flash back up to yours, sending a shiver down your spine. You still haven't moved, too shocked to do anything other than wait.

"But... what does that mean? What- what should I do now?"

The question seems to please them. They smile, sauntering around the table until they were towering over you. You tremble as they reach for you, hand stopping a mere inch from your skin. They pull back, their smile disappearing, "Go home. Come back with any of your belongings you treasure. Anything else will be left behind."

"We're... leaving?" You can't seem to wrap your mind around it.

They nod slowly, "You have loved ones you need to say goodbye to?"

"No one," you admit, your head lowering.

"Then we will leave tomorrow," they decided.

"And my job? I don't have any money," you motion to the table in front of you, every last dime having been spent in the futile attempt to retrieve your mother's jewelry.

"Don't worry about that," they tell you. "You're mine, now. You won't be needing money or a job anymore."

You aren't sure how to respond to that, so you stay silent, still staring down at the table.

"I'm staying here at the casino. In the penthouse. Arrive by 8 tomorrow morning." They commanded. They didn't seem worried that you wouldn't show, although you weren't sure why. They didn't even know your name. "Goodnight," they vanished into the crowd, leaving you dumbstruck at the table.

"What have I done?" You whisper to yourself, staring at your hands. "What the hell have I done?"

[smolnarwhalwrites]

You always imagined your soulmate to be this wonderful, kind person. You thought you might run into them in public. Maybe at work or even while you were out running errands.

What you didn't expect, however, for your soulmate to already know you. In fact, they've known who you are for years. They've kept tabs on your whereabouts and never made themself known... Until now.

It started with small things. The rent on your tiny apartment kept you busy. Sometimes, you skipped meals to keep the lights on. You didn't have a car, instead walking to work and school or riding your beat up old bike. Occasionally, food would show up on your doorstep. It was a blessed treat, usually the type of food you wouldn't buy for yourself. You were managing to keep your head above water just barely until you lost your job.

It was the worst week of the semester. You were in the middle of studying for finals and you had a ton of work to do. It wasn't your fault, really. You'd been fired after a Karen badmouthed you in front of the district manager. When the first of the month rolled around, you tried to pinch together what meager savings you had. But when you approached your landlord with your rent, you were informed that it had already been paid in full.

Stumped, you returned to your job hunt. You couldn't be sure it actually was your soulmate looking out for you. Maybe it was a mistake. But that night, dinner arrived on your doorstep. And with it, a single red rose.

[smolnarwhalwrites]

The gifts continued for a long time after that, usually just things you needed when you needed them most. Food, new shoes, a new bike helmet when the buckle on your old one snapped. But then, sometimes it was something romantic. A rose, a t-shirt from your favorite band, a book you'd been wanting to read but hadn't had enough spare money to go and buy. You didn't know what to think of it.

Who was this person? Why did they keep themselves secret?

Knowing they must have been watching you somehow, you began writing them thank you notes. You stuck them under your doormat, sticking out just barely so that your admirer would see it. The first time you did it, the note disappeared that very same night.

You never got a response, but you started writing the notes every time your admirer left something for you. Even if you couldn't pay them back for their kindness, you still wanted to thank them.

One day, something different arrived on your doorstep. It was an invitation of some sort, your name scrawled on the front in elegant, lilting cursive. On the inside was a single card. The paper was smooth and white, embossed with gold lettering. All that was written was a date, time, and location.

Heart fluttering in your chest, you thought perhaps you would finally get to meet this person. You marked the meeting on your calendar. It was in two days, on one of your only off days. You eagerly counted down the minutes.

[smolnarwhalwrites]

When the technology to revive fallen soldiers was invented early during the war, it gave one army a huge advantage. Or at least, that's what they thought.

When a soldier died in combat, they were taken to a "respawn station", where they were revived and sent back out to fight.

The enemy army got ahold of the technology later in the war, by the time the soldiers who had been revived over and over again were starting to go insane.

Oh, yeah, that was the kicker. Being brought back to life ripped away pieces of your sanity, little by little. How could a soldier die over and over again, only to be sent back out into endless death and destruction?

The enemy army didn't exactly "win." Rather, both armies just went completely insane.

[smolnarwhalwrites]

A put their arm around B and B's knees began to buckle, body going weak.

"I'm sorry," B muttered, their cheeks heating in embarrassment. "I'm so pathetic."

"Don't apologize." A frowned, holding them closer so they didn't fall. In one smooth motion, they lifted B up bridal-style, passing to the closest seat and sitting down, arranging B in their lap.

B felt like their face was on fire, looking into A's gentle gaze.

"What?" A raised an eyebrow, a smug smirk making its way across their lips. "You've never been swept off your feet before?"

B hid their face, voice small when they murmured, "My family was never the touchy-feely type."

A's face changed, the amusement fading from their eyes. "What do you mean, B?"

"I just- I never- I mean-" B stumbled over their words, unsure how to explain what it meant to them that A would even want to hold them like that.

A ran their fingers gently through B's hair and all the tension left their body. They became weak in A's arms, closing their eyes at the soft touch. "You can tell me anything, B."

Tears welled in B's eyes, a lump forming in their throat. When they looked back up into A's eyes, they were surprised by the tender care they found there. A had caught on to where this was going, but B still couldn't bring themself to talk about it.

"It's okay," A sighed, hand kneading down B's back. It felt like Heaven. "You don't have to talk about it. But just know I am willing to listen."

A tear slid down B's cheek. They nodded and leaned into A's chest. Their voice was barely audible, but they whispered, "Thank you."

[smolnarwhalwrites]

Depending on how you choose to interpret this prompt, could have tw. Please read the tags. Thanks!

"Just once," X had said.

It had several meanings, Y had discovered. The first time they'd been together, Y had told X they weren't interested in a relationship. They weren't even sure if they wanted to be intimate with anyone.

"Try it," X had suggested, coming a bit too close. Something about their smell had been nearly intoxicating to Y. Something in their eyes had mesmerized Y so much that they had nearly given in that very moment. It was like X had hypnotized them somehow. "Just once."

So they did. X had taken them back to their fancy apartment in the nice part of town and laid them on their bed. They'd made love. It'd been nothing like what Y had expected.

And when Y left, they swore they'd never do it again.

But they were wrong. Anytime X came around, it was like Y lost all their senses. They said yes over and over again until Y could hardly recognize who they were anymore.

One day, Y vowed to never see X again. If they could avoid them, this wouldn't keep happening. It worked, too. For nearly a full month.

"Hey, Y," X drawled from behind them. "Long time, no see."

[gingerly-writing]

Prompt #2668

“You can’t- you can’t fucking buy me!”

“Thank you, beloved nemesis,” said the villain in their favourite mocking tone, “for rescuing me from a slave auction by spending an exorbitant amount of money on my stupid ass.”

The hero flushed, their blustering almost knocked of course. “I, well, I- what were you doing at an auction in the first place!”

“Oh, I don’t know, it’s not like a friend-of-a-friend saw your name come up on the advertisements and contacted me to let me know my idiot nemesis was up for sale. Honestly, it’s like you’re allergic to gratitude. You’d be too busy screaming to deliver this inane lecture if [supervillain] had bought you instead.”

[yourheartonfire]

The hero froze in their shackles. “[Supervillain] is here?”

“Yes, but don’t worry.” The villain glanced down the hallway impatiently for the cashier to return. The auction must be just about over and the villain very much wanted to be gone before the final gavel. “They dropped out of the bidding as soon as it got a bit too rich. Guess you don’t matter as much to them as you thought.”

“Huh.” The hero gave their head a shake, as if trying to clear it. “Lemme see if I track you here, chief. You’re saying [supervillain] helped run up the price, then bowed out to let you pay the bill?”

The villain blinked. “Um…”

The hero narrowed their eyes. “Hey, on a totally unrelated note, does this seem to be taking a really long time?”

“If you’re suggesting I’m being set up, the house wouldn’t allow that. This place is professional!” Still the villain found themselves up on their feet, scoping the exits, listening for incoming threats. It was quiet. It was really, really way too quiet.

The hero rolled their eyes. “Oh, glad we can rely the underground slave auctioneers to do right by you. Get me out of this.”

“Oh, if it will make you feel better,” said the villain breezily as they scrambled to unchain the hero. “Out of idle curiosity, what exactly are you capable of right now?”

“Fuck all,” said the hero, staggering as they climbed to their feet. The villain was forced to catch them as they lurched. “They’ve got me drugged to the gills with something suppressing my powers.”

“And yet they left your mouth working,” the villain muttered. “Okay. Not that everything isn’t fine and normal and going to plan, but just to stop your complaining, we’re cutting up two floors and then out through the loading dock.” They drew their back-up gun. “You know how to use one of these? That’s the shooty end, that’s the squeezy end.”

“I hate you so much,” the hero grumbled but curled mostly steady fingers around the gun’s grip. “[Supervillain] is going to kick your ass and I can’t even enjoy it cause they’re coming for me next.”

“Maybe if you were nicer you’d get better knights in shinier armor.” The villain slung the hero’s arm over their shoulder. “Okay, you ungrateful bastard. Let’s go.”

[smolnarwhalwrites]

The two of us were inseparable from a young age. We were two halves of the same coin: dark and light, strong and smart, responsible and rebellious. Our differences made us stronger, our similarities made us better. We thought it would never end.

But this isn't a story about how we became friends.

It's a story about how we became enemies.

[smolnarwhalwrites]

"I don't love you. I never loved you!" X spat, pushing Y away from them.

"That isn't what you said last night," Y retorted, grabbing X's wrist and pulling them back into their arms.

"I lied."

Y looked deep into X's eyes, "Then I'll make you love me."

"You can't make me love you!" X struggled to get out of Y's embrace, but the effort was in vain. "Let me go!"

"No," Y's voice was firm. "I'm never letting you go again."

[smolnarwhalwrites]

Hero was shocked when they received an invitation to dinner from their archnemesis, Villain. It took them a long time to decide what to do. After all, Villain had been unusually absent lately. Maybe they had been planning something. Maybe this was a trap, intended to take care of Hero once and for all.

But there was something unusual about the whole thing. Hero was uneasy, but reluctantly decided to go.

The dinner was on the roof of a fine restaurant. It was secluded and quiet, away from the public that might watch them or share their meeting with news outlets. Hero went in prepared, their powers ready (and/or) armed to the teeth.

Villain was already there when Hero arrived, sitting at a small round table on the roof. The seating area was quite nice, actually, only ten or so tables, all empty. String lights hung from poles and each table had a candle and vase of flowers at the center. A server was standing nearby, waiting to take their orders.

Villain was well-dressed, having abandoned their usual getup for something a bit more appropriate for the occasion. They still kept their identity concealed, however, as they always did. In their hand was a glass of red wine.

"Well, Villain," Hero cut straight to the point, plopping down in the chair across from Villain. "Why are we here? What game are you playing?"

Villain motioned for the server to come forward. The server poured Hero a glass of wine. White, the kind Hero liked. "Wouldn't you like to order first?"

"No, I want to know why I'm here." Hero told them curtly.

Villain turned their head and coughed into their elbow. They looked tired, more tired than they'd seen them in a long time. Hero frowned as Villain muttered, "Very well."

The server returned to where they'd been, giving them some privacy.

"I'm retiring, Hero," Villain revealed.

Hero's jaw dropped. "Retiring? You can't just retire."

"Sure, I can," Villain swirled the wine around in their glass before taking another swig.

"What about your plans? Your goals?" Hero sputtered.

Villain snorted, rolling their eyes, "Yes, my goals. I may not have succeeded in all of them, but I succeeded in the most important one."

Hero frowned. "You said you wanted to take over the city."

"I lied."

"Then... what?" Hero re-examined what they'd known about Villain. What had they succeeded in doing?

Villain coughed again, louder this time. When they stopped, Hero was staring at them.

"There's something wrong with you." Hero realized.

"Shall we order food now? I'm starving," Villain waved the server back over.

"Villain," Hero gripped Villain's arm, surprised by the wave of panic that swept across them. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

Villain shook their head, "Server, please bring our meals now." The server immediately left them alone again. "I ordered for you, I hope that's alright."

"Villain, tell me. What's wrong with you?"

Villain coughed again, a grating sound that rattled in their chest. When they looked up and Hero again, they could feel the words before Villain even spoke them.

"I'm dying, Hero."

[smolnarwhalwrites]

"It's you! It's really you!" You say, cupping the cheeks of the person you thought you'd lost. "I thought you were dead!" Tears welled in your eyes, your mind not quite believing that your true love was standing before you again after all this time.

Confusion flits across their face. They take a step back, just out of your reach. "I'm sorry... have we met?"

Your heart drops to your feet. "No... No, please tell me you're joking!" The tears begin to fall now, your chest feeling tight. "Please, it's me. It's me."

"I'm sorry," your love looks uncomfortable. "I don't believe I've ever met you before."

[smolnarwhalwrites]

When A enters the dungeon, they see B hanging from a wall, their wrists chained.

"Hate to break it to you, but I'm still alive," A saunters up to B and grips their chin so that their gazes are locked.

B is suppressing a smile, the edges of their mouth twisted up just slightly. "What a shame. Now, help me out of these chains?"

"Why would I do that?" A leans in so that their lips are less than an inch from B's own. "I'm the one who put you here, after all."