#snippet prompt

[creweemmaeec11]

Reverse Tropes

Soulmates - Your soulmate is destined to be your greatest rival in life.

Amnesia - Instead of losing memories, they start getting memories that aren't theirs.

Forced Marriage - Forced Divorce.

Captured Prince - They think they've captured the prince of the opposing kingdom, but they've actually just captured a normal, random civilian.

Chosen one Prophesy - There is a prophecy about *someone* saving the world, but it doesn't actually say who...

Born with Special Marks - It's actually a mark that tells a person what they *won't* be good at.

True Loves Kiss - True Hates Kiss, good luck convincing someone who truly hates you to kiss you.

Love at First Sight - Hate at First Sight.

Rags to Riches - Riches to Rags

Found Family - You need to find your actual, related family.

Misunderstood Villain - Misunderstood hero. They are trying to be evil, why does everyone like them!?

It Was All a Dream - They thought it was a dream, but it turned out to all be real.

Secret Identity - The secret Identity is the one everyone knows, somehow, everyone has forgotten your normal identity...

Villain Defeated by Friendship - Villain defeated by hatred.

Bad Boy & Good Girl - Good boy and bad girl.

Stalking/Obsessive Love - Avoiding the person they like to try and ignore their feelings.

Monster x Hunter - Hunter x Hunter, both thinking the other is a monster, or Monster x Monster, both thinking the other is a hunter.

Hero Gets Framed - The wrong villain gets framed.

Yandere - but it's two going after each other.

[becomingthevlillainsfamily]

Hero x Villain

“They still send kids to fight their battles” hero’s eyes narrowed down with anger, barely shutting down the trauma etching to resurface, she stepped back, having a very good idea and experience of the events that would follow once you were caught, she couldn't prevent herself to break the rules, to break into the villain's lair. Her younger self knew that brainwashing was the worst but still it was second to torture, and so she promised to execute the plan, so that others wouldn't have to suffer from the agonizing things which would haunt them forever.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The grimy prison like warehouse, where the heroes in training were stacked up like commodities had left an irreparable impact on hero’s mind, and so here she was easily figuring out the prison in the villain’s lair. The grubby charred rods reminding her of the last torture ‘the others’ were subjected to, lowering down on knees witnessing the dim darkness covering her vision she whispered “No kids” only a bracelet she knew, the young trainee had the one she had given him. Various thoughts swirled in her mind, it had been years maybe the villains had changed their ways, their actions? Maybe they don’t lock the prisoners out here but where if not in this maze, her reasoning clogged up with indescribable thoughts soon chipped in with an alarm ringing in her head, forcing the hero to swipe a kick at the assailant, to send him off his footing. “I knew you would do this” the grip on hero’s ankle tightened as the now known figure pulled her ankle towards him, sending her off balance and on the ground, “Of all people” she gritted her teeth, the villain slowly closening the distance between them, his hand travelling up from her ankle to her knees, and slowly a bit up more “What do you think you are doing?” the unrestrained and unhesitant actions sending the hero in a frenzy, as she lodged a dagger out of her right boot and swung it at the villain’s neck, her wrist now in his grip. “You're portraying me as the villain.” the villain sobbed “You've never condemned actions like these before, so why now, darling?” the last word, sending shivers down the hero’s spine, as the villain threw away the dagger, trying to gain command over the situation over her strange reactions, over her now red neck and flaming cheeks as the hero reminisced about all of his previous actions, she shouted “Are you talking about those one sided actions of y-yours” it was hard to keep hold of the conversation and situation whenever she was facing him, as the hand slowly pulled up now both on each of her legs, the villain smirked, tilting his now near head towards the hero’s face, his eyes taking in every detail of the figure in front of him trembling, the now red cheeks and neck, he backed away instantly “Oh no” a twinge of sadness in the words, as he pulled his hands on his chest making a cross, “How could you think of such things?” the sudden pitiful act making the hero stand up on her legs, “What thoughts” she screamed, the accusator now audibly sobbing, she grabbed the shoulder of the guy in front of her, who easily fell back supporting his fallen figure with an arm and other over his mouth, sniffling again “Oh my” the hero flinched trying to pull back as a hand slinged behind her back and tugged her towards him, The grip on her waist remained firm as she noticed her left leg resting over his right, with the other kneeled on the ground. Gently stroking the corners of the hero's eyes, the villain whispered, 'Now' He carefully lifted the hero onto his raised leg, allowing her legs to dangle beautifully on either side, just as he liked. The hero trembled at the sensation of his breath against her face as he asked, 'Would you like to talk about the reason for your visit?'.

[writersbloxx]

Body Language

When someone is...

Sad

Face/Body:

Avoidant/reduced eye contact

Drooping eyelids

Downcast eyes

Frowning

Raised inner ends of eyebrows

Dropped or furrowed eyebrows

Quivering lip/biting lip

Wrinkled nose

Voice:

Soft pitch

Low lone

Pauses/hesitant speech

Quiet/breathy

Slow speech

Voice cracks/breaking voice

Gestures/Posture:

Slouching/lowered head

Rigid/tense posture

Half formed/slow movement

Fidgeting or clasped hands

Sniffing or heavy swallows

Self soothing gestures (running hands over the arms, hand over heart, holding face in palms, etc)

[creweemmaeec11]

"Awe, come on! I'll be gentle!"

"No!" The villain hugged it closer to their chest, "No way!"

"So you trust me enough to tell me about it but not enough to let me touch it?"

"What if you flew away with it?! What if you dropped it in a river or or-"

The hero cut them off with a soft chuckle, stepping closer to the villain as they did, "Why would I ever do that?" They asked with a smile.

The villain's back hit the wall behind them, still clutching the stone to their chest.The hero matched with another step of their own until the villain was practically pinned to the brick.

"Why?" The criminal asked quietly, voice shaking, "why do you even want to hold it?"

The fingers traced aimless shapes along the villain's sides, causing them to squirm, but they were unwilling to take their hands off the stone still held to their chest, which left them defenceless to stop the action. (Not that they necessarily wanted to)

"I like the idea of watching you squirm under my fingers," hero grinned, relishing the way the villain's face grew red, "Not that I need a pebble to do that anyway, but,"

Prompt #72

"You bound your life to...to a pebble?"

"I mean, I'd say it's more of a stone--"

"A pebble."

The villain flushed, clutching the item carefully to their chest. "Shut up, it was an accident: I didn't know what my powers did back then!"

A beat.

The hero considered them slowly, gaze flicking between the villain and their clasped hand. They were trusting them with this. Their nemesis trusting them with the knowledge of something so personal - so vital to them.

They took a step forward, curious. "So, if the rock gets damaged in any way--"

"It hurts," the villain confirmed. "And it's more than just that. If I leave it in a small space like a drawer then I feel claustrophobic. If I drop it or if something nudges against it then I feel that too. One time a friend held it without knowing what it was and I- I don't even know how to describe it but...it was, um, i-intense."

The hero took it all in with an eager nod, fingers twitching at their sides.

"So...can I touch it?" they asked.

The villain blinked up at them, eyes narrowing. "Wha-- No! No, you cannot just touch it!"

[orpheeeeus]

Arthur: So what. You're not going to help my sister, your friend, because some dragon told you that she might turn evil one day, in a far away future?

Merlin: No, he told me that she will kill you, or that she will be responsible of your death. Morgana will betray you. I can't let her do that. I have to protect you

Arthur: *worry evident* A dragon told you that. A dragon… And… Are you sure you can trust it, this dragon?

Merlin: He's a him, not an it. *not looking at arthur* And… who else could I trust?

Arthur: *tears in his eyes. Take a deep breath, trying but failing to keep his mouth from curling downward* Me? *voice breaks* You could trust me?

[save-the-villainous-cat]

“Feeling lonely, hm?”

The hero didn’t burden their head with turning towards the voice. They weren’t in the mood for cruel charades.

Instead, they stared at the TV they hadn’t turned on in over a month and debated if not showing up at work would cause any huge conflicts.

Probably.

They closed their eyes.

“Don’t tell me you’re ignoring me,” the villain’s voice purred. “Me.”

“You’re not real, so it’s my obligation to ignore you,” the hero said. They stared at their hands and couldn’t help but feel like their physique had changed. They didn’t seem to be as muscular as before. They didn’t seem all that healthy either.

“Not real, huh?” The villain walked towards the hero’s armchair and let themselves drop lazily. “Now that’s a bit unfair.”

“Yeah,” the hero said. They stared at the coffee table with the empty coffee mug. “Some things have been pretty unfair.”

“I thought you were supposed to ignore me.”

“R-right.” The hero looked away and once again, their heart got quite heavy. They couldn’t sleep at night, that was one of the more annoying things. Eating was also difficult, working was…unbearable. They couldn’t think straight.

And above all those hallucinations…their eyes went back to the villain who was stretching in their chair.

Usually, those hallucinations made one mistake. Or better, that part of the hero’s brain that was responsible, made a mistake. Mischaracterising the villain in such a way that the entire illusion shut down entirely.

The hero hadn’t told their doctors about their imaginary nemesis. But that was mainly because the hero would probably not be allowed to work as a superhero for a few weeks.

They clenched their fists, dug their fingernails into their own flesh.

“You look troubled,” the villain said. “Are you eating enough? You’ve lost weight.”

“I’m fine,” the hero whispered back. They looked up at the ceiling.

“You miss me.” Every single time. The hallucination said that every single time. The hero turned their gaze towards the villain’s image and stared.

“Yes, I do. So what?”

“Most people feel some sense of accomplishment after beating their enemies,” the villain said. They put one of their thighs on the other. “And two months is quite enough time to find a new enemy worth your time.”

The hero’s eyes widened.

“I don’t want someone else. And I…technically, I didn’t defeat you. I didn’t kill you, I didn’t arrest you. You just…” The hero’s throat burnt like acid and their bottom lip trembled. “…you just died.”

They swallowed the pain and leaned forward.

“Just wish I could’ve said goodbye,” they mumbled. This time, the hallucination didn’t answer. “That wasn’t fair. Our relationship didn’t deserve that end.”

“I didn’t think you’d care about the end,” the villain said.

“Isn’t the end the most important part?” the hero asked. The taste on their tongue was extremely bitter and they knew it didn’t come from the coffee they had finished an hour ago. “Either way, you are haunting me. So, I guess once again I get the worst of it all. You got the easy way out. As always.”

“Haunting you?”

“Yeah.”

“You must really like me, then,” the villain said. They chuckled sweetly, like they had whenever the hero was embarrassing themselves. For some reason, the pit in the hero’s stomach grew, that unsettling feeling spread.

The hallucination had never been cruel enough to laugh. It was such a wonderful sound that even the hero’s lips curved into a smile.

“Yeah, can you blame me? I must’ve fallen a few months ago.” Suddenly, the hallucination was quiet again.

Their eyes met and for a second, the hero swore it was the real villain in front of them. They tilted their head.

“You never mentioned that.”

“Too afraid of rejection, I suppose,” the hero answered. They shrugged. “Any rejection would have been better than this, though.”

The hallucination got up from the chair and slowly walked to the couch where the hero was sitting on.

“I would have never rejected you, you dense…” The hallucination was even capable of blushing. The hero frowned. “Whatever.”

Ultimately, the illusion grabbed them, sat down on the hero’s lap and kissed them.

It took the hero a few more seconds to realise what was really happening.

[jesuistrestriste]

but android!art wireplay hhnnnnggg im shortcircuiting

cw (18+) : android!art, wireplay, implied corruption, first orgasm/simulated release

android!art asking you for help when his daily diagnostic tests sense that one of his wires has disconnected inside of his chest, opening up his chassis for you to dig your fingers inside and hopefully fix the issue.

and he’s fine with it all; no pain, no discomfort, no intense sensation linked to your touch there—at first.

but then your fingernail catches on the outside of a thick, blue wire close to his thirium pump, and suddenly his back is arching and his eyes are rolling under his lids and he’s gasping raggedly. he grabs onto your wrist, panting and writhing while his LED flickers from blue to red. he looks like a scared puppy, and you immediately notice that his pupils are unusually large beneath his fluttering lashes.

“i.. i’m sorry, i—.. that’s never happened before, i think my systems are just overworked and malfunctioning.. please, continue..”

so you do. you search through the colorful mess of his innards, your fingertips grazing each electrical tendril as you pass them by. it takes several long moments before you find the problem wire, and you’re just about to tell art the good news, but when you look up you find your breath catching in your throat.

he’s artificially flushed all over his face, his hands are gripping the edge of the sofa with white knuckles, and his head is lolling back lazily like he’s lost control of his expertly-engineered musculature.

“art?” you hum, “are you okay?”

he begins to quake, moaning lowly, and you can feel the scorching waves of heat radiating off of him.

he releases his grip on the couch only to readjust it and squeeze harder. you watch his adam’s apple bob as he swallows around a barely-contained whine.

“please, just— just plug it in, i can’t—“ he mewls.

you’ve never heard him sound so out-of-control before, but you want nothing more than to help him feel better. you line up the yellow wire with its designated socket, making note of the way his body jolts when you pinch it between the pads of your digits, and push it forward to click it back into place.

as soon as the connection is restored, art’s eyes are flying open—wide and wild—and then he’s wailing. his hips rush upward and knock your elbow in the process, his legs kicking out and convulsing as he curls in on himself. your own stomach swirls and flips as you take in the sight of his abdomen repeatedly tensing and relaxing in a vicious cycle of what appears to be.. hmm..

it takes a hand on his shoulder and your whispered reassurance for his cognitive capabilities to come back to him, but he can’t resist leaning forward to bury his face in your neck. his hands clutch your back, his breathing heavy and exhausted. his vision flares with pop-ups. “warning: systems overheating” and “warning: coolant levels low”.

“some.. something just happened.. i.. i’m embarrassed, i’m so sorry—please, will you exclude that from your memory? i’m.. i’m so hot inside.. i’m.. i don’t know wh—aah..”

he nuzzles the bridge of his nose into your skin, still holding you tight like he’s afraid you’ll go. you realize that he’s become an entirely different android in the last few minutes. some part of him has sprung loose.

you have to let him cool down for the entire rest of the evening before he’s back to normal, at which point you assume all is well again—only for him to pad sheepishly over to you the next afternoon to announce that another one of his wires has mysteriously slipped out of its port..

what a coincidence.

[chaotic-orphan]

Concussed villain gets kidnapped?

Villain showed up on Hero’s doorstep, heaving in breaths as they slammed their fist on the door. Their arm was ridiculously heavy, and it took everything in them to throw it mercilessly against the wooden door. The effects were meagre knocks that Villain prayed Hero would hear.

If Hero was even home.

What if they were working tonight? Fuck, why didn’t Villain think of that? Their head was pounding so they rested their forehead against the cool wood, letting out a shaky, shallow breath, trying not to anger the fire in their ribs. Blood continued to trickle from their hairline down over their eyes and dripping onto their cheeks.

That wasn’t good.

They heard footsteps behind the door and Villain almost broke down there and then, relief flooding them like a tsunami of feeling, washing away everything that was keeping Villain upright. Tears poured down their cheeks at the thought of safety, hero looking after them… their hero. They could tell them about Superhero’s plans.

They could tell them… Villain put a hand against the door and pushed themselves backwards. They would’ve fallen if not for the arm that snaked around their waist. Villain blinked dumbly and glanced down. Arm around—?

Before they cry out or scream in warning a hand clamped over their mouth and Villain was ripped away from the door and into the shadows. Villain thrashed, struggling in their attacker’s grip, all their screams and cries muffled to nothing but silent pleas.

The door opened and Villain’s struggles renewed but Hero wouldn’t be able to see them from here. Hero wouldn’t know they were even there!

“Hello?” Hero asked into the darkness and Villain whimpered against the hands holding them in an iron cage. Villain threw their body forward, back, trying to dislodge their attackers arms but they didn’t budge even a little.

“If you want Hero to continue to draw breath, Villain, you’ll come quietly.”

Villain froze at the voice. That was… Superhero… the reason why Villain was in this state in the first place. Villain’s struggles renewed as Hero stepped out of their house. If they could even sense something was amiss so close to them then they would investigate. Hero would have to investigate, right? And Hero was in danger too!

Villain had to warn them, they had to!

“Hello?” Hero asked, a note of agitation creeping into their voice.

I’m here! Villain wanted to scream. Hero please! I’m right here.

A pinch in their neck and Villain’s fruitless struggles seized, their blood running cold. They flinched as cold liquid was pushed into their neck. No… no, no, no, no. “That’s it, Villain,” Superhero whispered. “Don’t fight it.”

The hazy world blurred even more and Villain fell back against Superhero’s chest, the fight leaving them almost instantly. What did Superhero drug them with?

Their eyelids shut and Villain forced them back open, with a gargantuan effort. The last thing they saw was Hero frown and close the door before their entire world faded to black in the arms of their enemy.

[withdrawingramen]

kinda a sucker for that trope where one injured character is lying on the ground all delirious and bloody and that blurry outline of a person gently lifts them onto a sitting position as they flicker in and out of consciousness, letting their aching body lean onto that support for a just few minutes before letting themselves fall into their unknown savior dfndsjmfjd aaaaaaaaaaa.

[kettlefire]

As Good as Good Gets (DP X DC Snippet)

Richard "Dick" Grayson is the golden child. In the eyes of the public, and in the eyes of the league. Dick is a sweet, caring son, a man who went from being a sidekick to being a hero. The pipeline from Robin to Nightwing had many people applauding his dedication to keeping Gotham safe.

No one knew the full story, not truly. No one but Bruce Wayne himself. And maybe a certain butler. Many don't know that Dick only became Robin to stop him from hunting down and killing the man who killed his parents.

No one really knows about the harsh fights and arguments he has had with Bruce. The times when Dick would find himself cut off from the Wayne name for a week or so. No one knows that the first person Dick warmed up to was Alfred. Having been bribed with cookies.

Things weren't always this good, trusting, happy relationship between Bruce and Dick. It had been a rough ride, a complicated one. But that was okay, because it got better.

Dick stopped being so moody and angsty. He grew up, he learned, and he changed. He became an older brother, found people that needed him. Needed him in a way that the citizens of Gotham didn't need him.

His brothers like to call him annoying. A goody two shoes who Bruce trusted more than everyone else. They couldn't fathom how someone like Dick could be so stupid and bubbly at all times.

All times, except when shit hits the fans. Despite the name calling, despite coining Dick as the stupid Wayne. They all knew better. They knew that when it mattered, Dick Grayson always pulled through. He was a force to be reckoned with when needed.

The whole Wayne family was a force to be reckoned with when called for. It didn't have to be under the guise of costumes and vigilante acts. Whether he was Officer Grayson or Nightwing, Dick was a man with his morals and values.

One night on patrol as Officer Grayson, Dick found someone who needed that force. A force willing to protect and care for the innocent. The hurt. The damaged, yet still good.

It started like any other night. A call of shots fired by an empty warehouse. There was no sighting or knowledge of any rouges being there, so Dick took the call. Told the team he'll contact them if it seems more than just a civilian incident.

The warehouse was dark, reeked of copper and oil. It didn't take long for Dick to find the trail. The liquid he found looked like the person had been dragged before walking. There was a clear struggle, even with the mess and emptiness that was the warehouse.

That wasn't Dick's biggest concern. The concern lay in just how much blood there was. Too much for any normal person to lose and still manage to stumble through the warehouse.

It wasn't just blood. It wasn't that much, but Dick could spot the strangeness in the liquid. The mixed in green that had an eerily similar color and glow as a certain pit.

Without thinking, Dick followed the trail. Barely remembering to make contact with his family. Give them an update on what he found. Words telling him to stay put for backup went in one ear and out the other.

Something in Dick's gut was telling him he couldn't wait. He needed to find the source. Whoever was currently bleeding out in this warehouse. He silenced the comm, moving further through the dimly lit building.

Then Dick found it. Or more so, he found him. It was just a boy. A boy that reminded Dick too much of the youngest Wayne. A boy sat against a wall, looking pale and weak.

Red and green coated the front of the boy's shirt, arms wrapped tightly around his middle. An attempt to stem the bleeding. A puddle had already started to form beneath the boy, and Dick moved without thinking once again.

He quickly found himself kneeling beside the boy, hands carefully reaching out. Before Dick even touched him, the boy flinched. Eyelids suddenly opened, wide and terrified blue eyes landed on Dick's.

In just that one look, Dick knew what he had to do. The haunting, terrified, and pained look in the boy's eyes told Dick everything he needed to know. The boy was in danger. Someone had hurt this kid, and it was clear it wasn't the first time.

The boy struggled weakly against Dick's touch, terrified whimpers, and barely coherent pleas spilled from the kid's lips. It had Dick's heart aching, clear as day the poor kid has been through hell and back.

It took a lot of reassurance, gentle touches, and promises of help before the kid let Dick take a look at the bleeding wound. A promise on Dick's soul had been the final thing that earned him any semblance of trust. A strange promise, but Dick was willing to make it.

That concern turned to pure anger the moment Dick managed to pull the sticky shirt away from the wound. The sight of a Y-incision cut perfectly into the skin, stitches tight on the skin, but blood still leaking heavily from the wound.

It didn't take long for Dick to realize why. Despite the perfect surgical care of the wound, a good couple of stitches had broken. Leaving gaping spots for that red and green liquid to pour out of.

The boy was deathly silent, tears streaking down his cheek as wide blue eyes stayed trained on Dick. In that moment, Dick knew he had to help. Had to get the kid to safety, patch him up, and find out what kind of monster would do this.

It didn't matter if the kid was human or not. It didn't matter if the kid had special abilities or not. No one, absolutely no one, deserved to be vivisected.

The kid was shrouded in mystery, but that mystery only seemed to grow and become clearer when Bruce had entered the scene. The boy had tensed, eyes flashing a bright glowing green.

Lazarus pit green.

It set a pit of dread in Dick's gut. His mind brings forward memories of Jason. Jason, after his revival, after his dip in that cursed pit. The same flash that his brother would get if he got too angry. Too emotional.

As much as Dick wanted to focus on finding who did this, if it had any connection to Ra's al Ghul. He couldn't. Not when the kid tried to get up, to pull away as Bruce and the others made their way closer.

Right now, Dick only cared about making sure the boy was okay. Fixing those stitches, getting him a meal, and a warm bed.

He needed to get this kid someplace where he felt safe and secure. Comfortable and protected. Dick wasn't sure why. Maybe it was the promise he had made, but he wasn't letting anyone get to the kid.

That included his family. As strange as it seemed, Dick put himself between the others and the kid. Shooting them all a glare that they had only ever seen a handful of times.

Dick lifted the poor boy up in his arms, cradling the crying child close as he led the way out of the warehouse. Ignoring the questions or confusion coming from Bruce and the others. As Dick walked, feeling the trembling boy clinging to him, he made a rather obvious realization.

Maybe the eldest son really was more like Bruce than he expected. Just a few short moments the the boy, a boy that Dick didn't know his name, and he was ready to pull out adoption papers. To give the boy a safety he so desperately needs.

Give him the chance that Bruce had given him all those years ago.

[creweemmaeec11]

Why is asking permission for certain things, both romantic and platonic, one of the cutest, most heart-fluttering things ever?

"Can I hold your hand?"

"Can I kiss you?"

"Would you like me to carry your jacket?"

"Can I hug you?"

"Would it be alright if we cuddled?"

"Can I play with your hair?"

"Might I walk you home?"

"Can I tickle you?

"Is it okay if I kiss you goodbye?"

"Can I hold onto your arm while we walk?"

"Can I rest my head on your shoulder?"

"Is it okay if I call you (nickname)?"

"I'd really like to kiss you right now, if that's okay with you,"

"Would you let me take care of you?"

[becomingthevlillainsfamily]

It's not love (Hero x Villain)

What is love?

The hero had no idea, and maybe she would never, but for all she knew and could explain, was that if the man in front of her were to push her off this cliff, the only thing in her mind would be his hand on her body, until she succumbed to death. For all the times she knew, he was the reason for craziness involved in her feelings, at first she was called crazy for her enigmatic passion for the villain, to catch him alive and throw him in the prison, and now she was called a maniac for her indecipherable love for him. If she were to be honest, how she fell in love with him, was the biggest mystery for both her and the rest of the world, and maybe she hoped him?

“Oh my” the villain chuckled, taking in her stoic expression, would she still be like that if he was to push hero off this cliff, to her death, maybe she would be surprised, or she would grasp his collar and pull him off together, and surprisingly he wouldn’t mind it too. “This is Stockholm syndrome” he reminded himself, knowing how stupid his theory sounded, being locked up in the prison for less than three hours, and on your own accord doesn’t give you Stockholm syndrome, the only thing it gives is a stupid delusional gossip to people, he did enjoy reading the fanfics made on him and her though….but ‘This isn’t love’ getting into a thoughtful mode and checking her expression again he muttered ‘No one loves their nemesis’, contemplating on some serious disease he might have for his current actions, he walked towards her, part unknowingly? And part to get near her. The hero stepped back probably surprised at the closened distance between them and her crush's light footsteps gliding him towards her, slowly…slowly…Nope..too close….a slight misstep and surprise led to hero sloping back off the cliff, when the villain caught her immediately, his hand tightening on her waist….he enjoyed his hands on her, though they were falling ‘This isn’t bad, but still it’s not love’.

[writersbloxx]

Body Language

When someone is…

Nervous/Anxious

Face:

Darting eyes/avoiding eye contact

Rapid blinking

Tense jaw

Looking upwards when talking or fixing eyes on a more distant point

Furrowed (or raised) brows

Frowning

Blushing 

Micro-expressions- quick/short facial expressions like suddenly widening their eyes or a brief grimace

Voice:

Shaky or trembling

Higher pitch or thin

Breathy

Wavering

Raspy or slightly cracked

Hesitant

Speaking quickly or stuttering

Choppy (many pauses in speech)

Shorter, clipped words (staccato)

Gestures/Posture:

Tense, closed off stance

Hunched shoulders

Body is stiffened

Crossed arms

Fidgeting

Touching clothes

Cracking knuckles

Bouncing knee

Subtly covering their mouth

[autocrats-in-love]

Hi, do you have a snippet for prompt 321?

Prompt by. . .me (#321)

"Oh no," the hero said in horror. "What did I just do?"

They had just kissed the villain. Their sworn enemy. The person who they had vowed to bring to justice.

What's worse, they were already in a relationship.

The villain stared, amused. When would the hero realize that the villain and the hero's partner were the same person?

Falling Twice in Love

“This is terrible,” the hero said. “I have to call my partner. I can’t believe this.”

The villain didn’t say anything for a minute. How should they play this? Revealing themselves would be straightforward. But toying with the hero would be more fun. So. . .

“You’re with someone?” The villain said, aghast.

The hero shot the villain with a treacherous look. The villain recognized that look from home. Perhaps the hero realized that, as well, because guilt seemed to fill them all over again. They started pacing back and forth, rubbing their hands together. The pair were standing in a deserted stairwell. The villain had approached the hero, impressed at the obliviousness the hero still exhibited surrounding the villain’s secret identity. They had decided that, perhaps, a kiss would jog the hero’s memory. So they pulled the hero in by the collar. The hero had returned it, because it all felt so familiar. It was a kiss the pair had experienced hundreds of times before-- from lying in bed in the late morning, to reuniting after days apart. Apparently, that still wasn’t enough for the hero to put the pieces together. The villain sat down on the bottom stair, stretching their arms as they watched the hero panic.

“I can’t believe this,” the hero said. “I cheated.”

“Did you, though? I kissed you first.” The villain said.

The hero didn’t appear comforted by that fact. “I kissed you back.”

The villain shrugged. “The heart wants what the heart wants.”

“I do not want you. Shut up.”

The villain had to stop themselves from laughing. “I beg to differ.”

The hero tried to take deep breaths. Which the villain knew they were terrible at. Their pacing was always off. Usually, the villain helped. But that might be a dead giveaway. And the hero could figure out this mystery for themselves.

“Isn’t part of your job playing detective?”

The hero ignored the villain in favour of continuing to pace frantically. The villain felt a gust of wind every time the hero passed them. The villain reached out and touched the hero’s arm. The hero froze, staring down at where the villain’s fingers met their sleeve. It probably felt achingly familiar, in a way the hero couldn’t define. This was getting painful to watch.

“Are you a detective, or not?” The villain said.

The hero didn’t take their eyes off the villain’s hand. “Yeah. I solve crimes.”

The villain couldn’t tamp down the smile. They pulled their hand back. “Yeah, that’s what I thought. You must be pretty bad at your job, then.”

The hero blinked. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

The villain held their finger up. They reached into their pocket and pulled out a tube of lip balm. The same flavour they used at home. They popped off the cap--the hero had to dodge it--and applied it liberally. They looked to the hero for a reaction. The hero still didn’t seem to get the picture. The villain lowered their arm. A sigh escaped them. “You are so unobservant. How do you find criminals?”

“I don’t really need to find them. They come to me.”

“And kiss you.”

“This is the first time this has happened!” The hero shouted.

The villain stood up. The additional height from the step made them taller than the hero for once. The hero looked up, keeping unhappy eye contact. “Second time.”

The hero looked even more offended. “It is not-”

The villain leaned down and kissed the hero again. Softly. Making sure to transfer their lip balm. When they pulled back, the hero was furious. “I can’t believe. . .”

Their words died in their throat as they licked their lips. The flavour registered. The hero’s eyes lit up. The villain could hear the gears turning in their head. Could see the pieces sliding into place. The hero found the villain’s eyes again. “Step down.”

They backed up, giving the villain room to get eye level with them. The hero stared at the villain intently. Then they reached out and pulled their mask back. Their eyes filled with surprise. Then relief. Then rage.

“You asshole!” The hero said.

They punched the villain in the arm. The villain hissed. “Ow!”

“Why would you do this to me?” The hero said.

They peeled back their own mask. Their face had gotten redder with anger. The villain shrugged. “In my defense, I didn’t think you would go this long without figuring it out?”

“When did you figure it out?”

“Pretty much immediately. You’re not very subtle.”

The hero rubbed their temple the way they always did when the villain’s shenanigans got to be too much. “So, you’re a criminal?”

“You’re a cop,” The villain responded.

“No, I’m not! And I said I was a consultant for the police.”

“I said my company’s work was shady.”

The hero didn’t look appeased. “You didn’t tell me you were the one committing the crimes.”

“Oops.”

The hero sighed. They stared deeply at the villain. Then they pulled them into a hug. The villain hugged back. The hero pulled away and wiped their eyes. “We have to figure this out. You’re taking me out to dinner.”

The villain gave a military salute. “Yes, chief.”

“Shut up.”

The hero couldn’t keep the fondness from their voice. As they took the villain’s hand and let the pair out of the stairwell, the villain knew they would eventually be forgiven. 

[orpheeeeus]

Merlin: *buried in Arthur's arms, not really believing the man is hugging him* Say, Arthur?

Arthur: Yeah?

Merlin: Aren't you. I don't know. Afraid?

Arthur: … of you?

Merlin: Yeah

Arthur: *tightening his arms around merlin* Never

Merlin: *bitter laugh* Why? Because I'm useless?

Arthur: *choses his words carefully* No, it's because you're a good man

Merlin: I- *pauses, blinks, sighs* I'm not a good man, Arthur. I-I've done things

Arthur: *tenses, doesn't dare to interrupt because he knows merlin would clam up if he did*

Merlin: *tries to sound resolute* I had to do it.

Arthur: *with pity or compassion* Really?

Merlin: I had to protect you.

Arthur: It's not your job to protect me, Merlin

Merlin: *suddenly tears himself apart from arthur* But it is! *frantic* You're the Once and Future King! Or you will be! I have to protect you, I was born to protect you!

Arthur: *astonished by Merlin's frenzied, almost fanatic, voice. Whispers in dawning horror* What are you talking about?

[save-the-villainous-cat]

“Again,” the villain said. Their voice was like honey. “Say it again, please.”

The hero sighed softly. They knew their nemesis was quite dramatic, but this seemed a little too excessive. The hero wouldn’t be surprised if the villain revealed they were recording them just to listen to the hero repeating it over and over again.

“I didn’t know where else to go,” the hero said.

“Hm.” The villain gave them a once-over and put one thigh on the other. They tilted their head.

Honestly, the hero wasn’t in the mood for games, but they were also aware of the villain’s personality. Angering them was a stupid mistake, mocking them wasn’t smart either.

If they wanted the villain’s help — and they needed, undeniably, inevitably their enemy’s help — they needed to play nice. But that didn’t mean the hero was going to submit entirely. It wasn’t in their nature to drop to their knees desperately and beg.

“One more time?” the hero asked. They smiled, as if it was a joke the two of them shared.

“No, that’s enough for now. Sit down.” The villain pointed at the chair on the other side of their desk and the hero followed their command. They couldn’t help but clench their fists, though. “How can I help you, dear?”

“I…” The hero stared at their own hands. Unfortunately, the villain was their only option. How utterly frustrating. “My friend has been missing for two months now. I thought maybe you could-”

“Two months?” The villain leaned back in their chair, raising their eyebrows. “They’re probably dead, then. Is there something else you want from me?”

“Hold on, they’re not dead.” The hero frowned. “They were working on this project and investigated an underground criminal network. I need you…”

They stopped. Just like the hero, the villain didn’t like to be ordered around. The hero understood that perfectly. Understood like no one else how trapped one felt while following commands.

They tried to soften their voice a little.

“I’d like you to find them. Please, you’re my last hope.”

They stared at each other.

“A journalist friend?” the villain asked curiously.

“Yes.”

“Then they’re definitely dead.” Their voice was definite.

“Hey, stop saying that. They’re not dead.” The hero stood up, ready to get into some kind of fight, but they reconsidered. Their heart was beating in their throat, chills ran down their spine. Fighting in the villain’s home wasn’t going to get them closer to the truth. “Please, I…I can pay you. I can work for you, I can…they have a family and I promised to protect them. I’d do anything to get them back, they’re like a sibling to me. Please.”

The villain stared at them, saying nothing.

“Please,” the hero repeated.

“Sit and calm down,” the villain instructed and the hero dropped back into the chair. It didn’t even occur to them that they were in fact, following the villain’s commands without questioning. Finally, the villain stood up and walked around the table. “You’d do anything, you say?”

They twirled a loose strand of the hero’s hair around their index finger. For some reason, the hero’s body couldn’t determine if it was calming down or if it was terrified of the villain.

The hero’s breath hitched when they realised how close the villain was.

“Anything,” the hero said quietly.

“Now that’s quite the stake, hm?” Their index finger touched the hero’s cheekbone and the hero’s heartbeat skyrocketed. The hero didn’t say anything. “What if I want to keep you forever?”

The hero’s eyes widened. They hadn’t thought of that.

Their eyes met the villain’s and their enemy started smirking.

“Ah, I love it when you speak without thinking. It’s adorable to watch you come to terms with the consequences,” the villain purred. Their thumb found the hero’s chin. “You have no idea how adorable you are when that sense of justice takes over you.”

“Please,” the hero said. They closed their eyes, gathered themselves. “I mean it. Keep me if that is what you want. I just need them to be safe in their home.”

The villain’s features hardened a little.

“You really mean that?” Apparently, the villain had joked about keeping the hero. The hero could have bitten off their own tongue, but if that was the only way, the hero was ready.

“I do.”

The villain waited, stared at the hero, reconsidered.

“Fine. I will find them, but in return I want you to stay with me.”

“Deal.” The hero supposed they were a little reckless, but other people had always been their priority.