Thank you for the ask @songsofsomnia! These were really fun :)
(AO3 Link)
THE HEART OF WONDERLAND
🥰 - A smiling face with three hearts. As a prompt I interpreted the face in a more condescending and evil way.
The next thing she knew was the cold floor on her cheek and the pain devouring her throat. She clawed at herself, twisting, wheezing.
“My my, I’m shocked you fell for that. I thought you would be smarter than this,” came another voice. Smooth. Condescending. As treacherous as the cursed apple on the floor. The ominous bite that marred its flesh glinted in the torchlight.
No! NO! She strained to reach the dragging gown circling her, to claw, to maul, but any hope of defiance withered away when all her muscles suddenly seized up. Her body was betraying her. All but her eyes ignored her screeches to move.
The dress stopped. Fabric folded and pooled in before her face as its owner knelt down. She looked up, wishing to burn hatred into her assailant, but even her eyes began to give in. As her vision faded, a hand lifted her chin. Gentle. Loving.
“Welcome home, my lost princess.”
YOU WOULDN’T END THE WORLD OVER A TORTILLA CHIP…
😭 - A sobbing face.
“What? No, this can’t be it,” Olvia whispered. Despite her best efforts, she let out a sob. Angry tears rolled down her cheeks, and she scrubbed her muddy face with muddier hands.
“I am sorry, Miss Olvia. We have exhausted all efforts, and with the imminent storm we cannot guarantee safety during the search.”
“With the imminent storm I can guarantee he will DIE out there!”
“Miss O-“
Olvia grabbed the acolyte by his cloak and yanked him to her face. Weapons rose around her, but she didn’t care.
“Listen here, Rivens. I don’t care what you think you are, or what you think you can trick us into thinking you are-“
“Olvy-“ Helena’s voice.
“But I swear to all the angels above and devils below, if your little cult hurt a single curl on my brother’s head-“
“OLVY!”
Everyone was tense and ready to pounce on her. But she held her ground, glaring into the cloth shrouding their face. Unseeing. Unfeeling. Betraying nothing of what lay underneath.
Olvia scoffed and let go. She shoved her way through the crowd despite Helena’s protests and swung the doors open. As she crossed the barrier, she could hear Helena’s voice in the background.
“I would like to apologize on her behalf, Enlightened One. She can be sensitive…”
The doors swung close.
Olvia stormed down the long, dark hallway. She welcomed the chilly air and pouring rain steadily getting louder. She much preferred this than the stuffy spire. At least the rain is what it says it is. At least it doesn’t pretend to be what it’s not.
A voice drifted from the shadows.
“He hears Its calls. He follows Its song.”
Now the weather was talking to her. “Fuck off. I don’t want any of your nonsense.”
She took a step forward but staggered back when the shadows coalesced into something solid. A tiny flame sparked to life, illuminating the small, round body it belonged to. Another robed one.
“He give me this. Say you trust me if I have.”
They held up a silver chain adorned with a carved charm and a large turquoise stone. His talisman.
Olvia’s eyes widened. “Give me that!” She lunged forward, but they sidestepped with ease.
“No. You follow. I show you.”
Down the hall, the doors opened. Footsteps echoed throughout.
“No time! We go!”
Olvia balled her fists. If this is we her best shot at finding OJ…
“Lead the way.”
DEATH ORDER
🥺 - A pleading face.
“You would do that for me? You would?!”
Ari exchanged a glance with Angeline. Even if their clock-headed friend had no eyes in the traditional sense, one could just feel the puppy eyes he would have if he did.
“…Uhh-huh,” he responded. “All you need to do is let Angie and I take a little visit to the vault, and then we can, uh, grab lunch or whatever.”
“And sail swan boats in the lake!”
He looks like he could burst at any moment, Angeline’s voice sounded in his mind.
Yeah, no kidding. Pop a gear like last time. “…And sail swan boats in the lake! Right, haha. Just remember, not a single word to anyone, okay? This is a secret between friends.”
“Friends, YES! WE’RE FRIENDS!” he squealed. He jerked forward with his arms out for a hug, nearly toppling over the desk in the process.
“Oh, that’s alright-“
“C’mahnnn Ari, it’s a friendship hug,” Angeline said with a sleazy grin.
“FRIENDSHIP HUG!”
“Okay, fine-“ No sooner did the words leave his mouth when Angie pulled him in.
When they were finally on their way, Ari fixed his ruffled hair and tie with a huff. Angeline swung the keys around her fingers and whistled an easy tune. The sound echoed through the soaring marble halls.
“Now then,” he muttered. “Time to look into the untimely murder of one Jeanette La Sue.”
Rules: Post the last 7 lines you wrote for the last WIP you worked on and tag 7 people.
I was tagged by @wynters-writings ! Thank you!
No pressure tags: @wastelandauthor @mariahwritesstuff @artbyeloquent @ihernglass @aohendo @mjjune and anyone else who wants to do this! <3
Some of my favorite lines (in no order) from Queen of Hearts :] (the draft is too discombobulated to do the last 7 lines lol)
"You’re not here to kill—yet."
"Because, Helly, when I die, they'll write songs about me, ballads, epics, of every throat I slit and every chalice I poisoned."
"As much as I love a pleasure trip"—this earns a deliciously deep flush to her dark cheeks—"it's unlike you to ask for me so directly. So why am I here?"
“Meet the royal brats of Harmonia.”
I pin him to be around 16 or 17 by the roundness of his cheeks, but his eyes are far too bitter than they should be for someone his age.
"Be careful—the mace is dangerous, but his smile is fatal."
May the gods bring you home from the trials ahead.
