Prompt #99

Made a drawing of the champions for my father (this is the first video game he has ever played) #legendofzelda #breathofthewild #botw #zelda #link #champions #fanart #botwfanart #art #sketchbooktour #sketchbook #sketch #sellartonline #artoninstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B-EwwaMBQ0q/?igshid=1c180pcjklbhl

P2 Obedience Without Rules

Part 1 here

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“Why’d you do it?”

Hero was frightened at first, thinking the worse- that Villain was mad at her. And maybe he was, but not in the anger which Hero assumed. An anger which involved malice, hatred, and revenge.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t think about it. I should have let him finish instead of-”

“Let him finish?” Villain squinted over at Hero, who wouldn’t face him no matter how gentle his tone was. Hero seemed- “Are you afraid of me?”

In response, the chains attached to Hero’s wrists clashed and jangled. She said nothing. Swallowed. Stared at the floor. Pondered whether this silence was a better or worse response than…than anything else. Maybe silence would upset Villain further.

Why exactly would he be mad with her? Well, it could have been for several reasons.

The first, Hero eliminated: Villain cared for her.

The second, infinitely more likely: Hero messed up, didn’t allow him to pass out- to avoid the pain which Supervillain caused.

The third, perhaps close to the first: Villain was annoyed by her self-sacrifice, only for it not to work. The stupidity of the act, the thoughtlessness.

“Hero.” Villain’s voice was more demanding this time- a mistake on his behalf. “You are afraid, aren’t you?” Even after that…scene. Villain felt bad, he did- though perhaps he shouldn’t have. He was truly a villain. Caring about whether or not some philanthropist was afraid of him might as well have been considered a crime against his own moral codes. And yet… “We’re- uh- we’re in this together, alright?”

Was such a simple statement easy to say? Not at all.

But was it necessary? Absolutely.

Truthfully, Villain wasn’t sure he would have survived had Hero not stepped in. Yes, he was upset- because he did believe Hero deserved better than to go through…through that. That, which Villain didn’t like to think of, even if it was over for the time-being. The torture.

In any way, Villain appreciated Hero for the help, but…but, it made him angry. Not at her. He couldn’t be angry with Hero, not for something that was so natural to her, and not when it saved him from more torment than he could handle. He was angry with Supervillain, for breaking someone not worth breaking.

It wasn’t that Hero wasn’t a worthy opponent. It was that she didn’t- again- deserve to be an opponent at all. She was kind, self-sacrificing, giving, thoughtful- in a caring way, not so much in a strategic one. Opponents were created with negative connotations, with spite and hate. Hero didn’t deserve that.

“What did you mean earlier,” Villain asked, “about letting Supervillain finish? Finish what?”

“Finish learning,” Hero said, voice almost quiet enough to miss. “It’s easier to let him finish the process, to- for you to sleep, so that it doesn’t- um- doesn’t hurt anymore. But I stopped him too soon and now-”

Is she sniffling? Villain couldn’t see her face anymore. She’d dropped it, letting her hair fall over her eyes and cheeks.

“-he’ll have to do it again. He’ll finish next time, have to do it all over again. I’m sorry.”

Don’t apologize. You didn’t do anything wrong, Villain wanted to say, but by judging the rest of this situation, saying anything would make it worse. Hero would view every word as a lie, or read it as aggravation, and fall further into brokenness. Not to mention, if Villain told Hero not to apologize, then she’d likely apologize again, feel bad for it, and then it’d become a cycle which neither party knew how to deal with.

“You didn’t do anything wrong, Hero. It’s okay.”

‘It’s okay.’ Well, wasn’t that the biggest lie of all? None of this was okay, but it was all Villain knew to say. All he could do in order to give Hero hope.

That’s what she deserves.

Hope.

So, maybe it was a good thing, to say they were okay, that they would make it out. Because it was the only thing the two had left.

I decided to make some Carmen Sandiego icons <3

Prompt #2228

“Oh honey, have you been out fighting another villain?” Their nemesis tutted. “You don’t want to make me jealous, do you?”

‏‎"Don't kill and don't be killed." #asrieldreemurr #undertale #undertale_fanart #fanart #sellartonline #drawing #sketchbook #sketchbooktour ‎‏ https://www.instagram.com/p/B4dHtbghOhm/?igshid=1hlmfdplrnaix

Prompt #184

Villain leaned beside a sliding glass door. “You never told me you were leaving,” they said as Hero walked out, a long plate in hand. 

The plate was tossed in the air, along with all the skewers used for kabobs. “Vil-Villain?”

“That’s my name. Don’t wear it out.”

“What are you- why are you here?”

Rolling their eyes, Villain pushed off the side of the house, bending down to pick the plate, which Hero so shockingly tossed, up. “Heard there was a cookout in town- figured I’d check it out. You feel like making a medium-rare steak for me? I’m not much of a burger or hotdog person.”

“You’re not supposed to be here,” Hero declared, hands shaking like a teacup chihuahua.

“Yeah?” Villain stuck the plate out, offering it to Hero. “You weren’t supposed to just…up and leave without a word. I thought we were closer than that.” As Hero clutched the plate, Villain bent down to pick up one of the skewers. “Guess I was wrong.”

It all feels the same

I loathe Heroine.

I loathed her ever since the first time I saw her. From the very first flashy, dumb grin she flashed at me.

I loathe the littered freckles on her cheeks and the red, long scar that went over her jawline. The dark circles under her eyes and her forever messy curly hair.

I loathe her stubbornness. How she shows up every day. How she manages to get up every time. How convinced she is that her actions truly matter. How she fights for each pathetic person, as if each and every soul was so precious to her.

I loathe the way she pretends. Pretends to be confident. Pretends to be in control. Even when she is hurt and anxious and so obviously tired. How she comforts every victim, when she can barely calm herself. How she smiles softly, even at me. As if I were that easy to fool.

I hate her for rescuing me. 

She threw herself into the water. She pulled me up to the shore. She stayed until I sat steadily. Then she left. Not even giving a demand or a price or a reason.

I hate how she laughs at my jokes. As if we were friends. As if I actually make her smile.

I hate her most when it’s just the two of us. Hate how calm she gets. Hate how much she underestimates me. How calmer she gets.

And I was angry when I found her lying in the cold. Angry at her recklessness and bravery and passion, that forced her to never back down. Angry that I had to drag her out of there. That she used me for warmth. That she looked so comfortable. 

I get angry when she doubts herself. 

Because I know just how harder my life has been ever since she came to it. I know how kind she is in her greatest victories, I know how purposeful she is in her darkest hours, I know her better than everyone.

I was angry at her lover the moment I met her.

Angry at this feeble, laughable, fool who seemed to think she deserves Heroine. I got furious when she approached me. The idiot smiled and offered her hand.

I pushed it right away. I shoved her past me and wanted to walk away, to wait until she realizes just how useless she is to everyone. Wait until she leaves my and Heroine’s life. 

But she dared to keep talking. Dared to say she understands me. Dared to say Heroine’s name.

I lashed out at her. 

I yelled that she has no right to tell me about Heroine. That she’ll never know Heroine like I do.  That she is just lonely and desperate enough for Heroine to pity. That she would never truly love her.

I was pulled to the ground, and saw Heroine above me.

I could barely recognize her face. There was so much loathe and hatred and anger in her stare. I never saw her like this, not when she fought the worst of villains, not in the most stressful situations and not when I was in danger.

She told me to stay away from her lover.  That otherwise she will kill me.  That she doesn’t want to see me ever again.

She only stopped when my eyes started to water. I couldn't tell anymore what expression she wore, but I saw her leaving.  Panic rose through me, and I called her name. Begging her to stay.

She looked back at me, and for the last time, I saw her clearly. There was no malice nor pity in her eyes. Only disgust.

I loathed myself ever since.

CW for implied underage drinking

Forty minutes into the party the hero disappeared. The villain found them alone on the back porch, surrounded by other people's discarded red cups and cigarette butts, staring up at the moonless sky. They did not turn, even as the villain slid the door shut with a whoosh and a click on the noise of the house party.

"These people are weird," the villain said.

The hero laughed, but hollowly. "I'm pretty sure it's you and me that are the weird ones here."

"Oh no," the villain said, leaning against the railing beside them. "I've checked it out thoroughly. We're the normal ones. Everyone else is strange."

The hero glanced back. "I was wondering when you'd come looking for me," they said softly.

"You could have found me," the villain protested.

They shifted, letting their shoulder just brush the hero's sleeve. Once the hero would have tossed the villain 30 feet for daring to come so close. Now they didn't so much as flinch, eyes locked on the sky.

The villain shrugged.

"Do you miss it?" the hero whispered. "Flying?"

"Don't bitch to me about it," the villain said, with more snap than they'd intended. They took a swig from the bottle of something they'd picked up inside. It was awful, just like everything else. "This is the world your boss made. No more powers. No more battles. You and me, free to be normal teenagers."

The hero looked down. "He wouldn't have done it if your boss hadn't murdered me."

The villain choked mid-sip. The hero gave them a sideways glance. "You didn't know? I mean, maybe I flatter myself, but it was the last thing I remember before everything changed. What it felt like to die."

"Shit," the villain said weakly, for lack of anything better to say. "Huh. Congrats on having the universe rewritten to bring you back?"

"Thanks, I hate it." The hero took the bottle, took a swig and gasped. "That's foul," they sputtered, wiping their mouth. "Speaking of bosses, you seen yours?"

"No. Well, yeah. Sort of." The villain grabbed the bottle back. "She's some kinda CEO now. Said I'm worthless to her now, she has no time for sniveling children, blah blah blah. Normal stuff. You?"

The hero shook their head. "He might be hiding. Or. He might. Be gone," they said, voice disjointed and jumbled. "There was a reason he didn't rewrite the universe everyday."

Silence fell between them. Inside, a new song had come on and the other kids were screaming along to the chorus. Something about being a teenage dirtbag, baby.

The hero looked over to the villain, tears in their all-too-human eyes. "I'm not going after her. If that's what she sent you to find out. I'm not gonna try and arrest her or attack her for killing me in an alternate timeline." They raised their hands, laughed again. "What could I possibly do now?"

"Hm. Well, finance undergrad, law school, government service, take over the SEC, give it teeth, and then in just 15 years you're primed to use teeth to rip your enemies apart where it hurts- their bank accounts," said the villain promptly. "Just to spit ball it out there."

The hero looked at them - actually looked at them - for the first time. "Oh damn," they said. "You hit the ground running."

The villain leaned in again, dropping a hand over the hero's. Sort of to hold them in place. Sort of just to hold them. "Join me. Or don't. We can make this, like, normal teenagers hating each other if you're more comfortable than that. We can fist fight right here."

The hero looked at the villain like they'd lost their mind, tried to pull away. "What is wrong with you?"

"Same thing that's wrong with you." The villain held on. "You're the only other one who remembers what we were, what we did. I don't want to be alone. And, God, you died? Do you want to go somewhere talk?"

The hero looked down at the protagonist's hand on their theirs. "Yes," they said, in a high, broken whisper. "Let's get out of here."

After that they were inseparable. At least, until the world changed again.

VERY important things to consider from carmen season 4