Forgot to say that in addition to me thinking Dracula can fuck right off whenever he says Jonathan Harker is his friend, I'm also adopting that stance when he says Peter Hawkins is also his friend. Peter is my friend also now, not yours. I'm taking Jonathan, I'm taking Peter, I'm taking everybody. Nobody is friends with you, Dracula, we're all friends. We're going to go trainspotting and eating paprika straight out of the jar and you're not invited, because nobody likes you and nobody wants to hang out with you, including your own brides
So, Jonathan's letter that Dracula burnt today, that was the shorthand one, right? Like was Dracula mad because he does know shorthand and now he knows Johnathan is on to him, or was it 'an insult to friendship' because he thinks Jonathan has a secret made up best friend language with Mina like besties do when they're little kids, but not one with him and he's feeling left out?
#dracula daily#My good friend Jonathan Harker is a master of subterfuge and espionage#He didn't sign the letter#Which no one else could have written#That'll fool him#Want to see Jonathan enter his gaslight gatekeep girl boss era#Claim one of the brides gave him the letter and the gold to post it#He just thought he'd write to his boss at the same time#Start some drama girl#Treat yo self
Can't decide if I want to picture Dracula climbing down the walls like a lizard as him going so fast his cape stays in place like it should, or gravity wins and his cape has fallen down over his head and he can't see shit and Jonathan has to struggle not to laugh at the same time as having the horrifying realisation that he's being held prisoner by an actual monster and not just a regular creepy old man
#dracula daily#He's such a ridiculous man#Spends all night with Jonathan doing a shite job of pretending to be human while thinking he's amazing at it#Then decompresses at the end of it by doing shit like this#Actually come to think of it this is a pretty standard reaction for having to entertain strangers in your own home and be sociable#For the first time Dracula is on to something
Getting ridiculously jealous of Dracula saying "my friend Jonathan Harker" in today's email. Fuck off you hairy palmed twat, that's my friend Jonathan Harker, not yours
Prompt #1829
“You should give him a chance. He has a good heart!”
“I’m not in need of a transplant.”
Prompt #3400
“I’ll find out how to end your immortality, how to take you down once and for all-”
“No you won’t.”
“Yes I will-”
The villain crouched down beside them, and rested a gentle hand on their quivering chest. “Much older and wiser minds have tried and failed. Much older. There is no way to kill me, no way for me to die.” They patted, twice, almost comforting. “But if you find a way, give me a ring. I’m always happy to try again.”
Prompt #3391
A dog was the perfect surveillance excuse. Walking it past villain’s various operations had revealed access points, cameras, traps, and employees that the hero had never seen before. They were just congratulating themself when the dog perked up and then yanked.
“Sorry!” the hero cried, as their dog jumped up at a very expensive suit. “So sorry, my dog just really seems to have taken a real interest in you.” The hero looked up at their victim, and their heart stopped.
The villain’s eyes sparkled knowingly. “Just the dog?”
'Shit. Fuck. Shit. He's on to us, or he's just flirting. Say something normal. Be charming. Claw this back.'
Their thoughts were running away from them. They had to say something.
"Well, actually, those pigeons in that tree seem to be watching you really closely too. You must have a way with dogs. And birds. Maybe all animals. I wouldn't know. I don't know you."
Villain's eyes lost their knowing sparkle as confusion set it. Their response wasn't as normal as it could have been.
"Uh, thank you." He paused. "I think."
Okay, he was confused. He was on the back foot. Things were going well.
"You're welcome. I'm a little jealous in fact. This begging mutt is only interested in me when I have food on my hand." The hero pulled back on the lead as the dog made another effort to scrabble at the villain's suit.
"You know, it seems like you're struggling to control your dog." Hero was offended, but it was better to let villain think them an irresponsible pet owner than correct them. Hero would be able to rein in a dog with ease, this stranger in the park couldn't, and so, they must be totally different people. "I actually train animals in my spare time. I'll give you my card. Call me, if you'd like. I won't charge for the first session while we get to know each other - see if we like one another."
Hero was pretty sure they weren't imagining the suggestive tone. They accepted the card Villain offered. It actually had his mobile phone number on it.
"Thank you." Hero said sincerely. "I'll definitely give you a call."
WIP: Open Seas
Pairing: Tess x Dorian
Words: 744
Not canon bc these two don’t get their shit together until the absolute last possible moment BUT they do end up this situation at one point.
Tess rearranged the blankets that had been stashed in the rowboat so they covered Dorian more completely. She could handle a cold; he was already fighting a gunshot wound and the associated blood loss.
“Don’t have to do that,” Dorian said. He still sounded weak, but better than he had when the mermaids had first dragged him from the water. His limbs splayed awkwardly across the bottom boards as he tried to leave her space and be comfortable at the same time.
“Of course I do,” she replied. “What kind of friend would I be if I fished you out of the ocean only to let you freeze to death because I didn’t want to share the blankets? Idalah would kill me.”
Prompt #3357
“I’m not licking your boots, that’s so unsanitary. Pick something else.”
Supervillain raised an eyebrow. “Are you really attempting to negotiate your own unconditional surrender?”
“Look, I respect the power play you have going on, but that’s just nasty. I’ll get on my knees and whatever, but licking your boots not happening. Who knows where they’ve been? Ew.”
Short Prompt #140
“Don’t.”
The human froze, wobbling on one foot in front of the control panel. “What?”
“Touch anything,” the alien replied with a low growl, flashing their teeth long enough to show off all 8 extended canines .
The human gave a little scoff but backed up against the ship wall anyway. “From one predator species to another, you’re not that scary.”
You drop a small piece of food on the floor, and decide to kick it under the oven/couch/whatever because you can’t be bothered to pick it up. As you’re walking away, you hear a very quiet “Thank you!” from under it.
“No problem,” I say, the words passing out of my mouth on autopilot, before my brain engages and I freeze.
I turn, and look at the fridge. It seems to be the same fridge that was here when I moved in.
I mean, I’m also kind of embarrassed. I never do that, I know that’s how you get roaches, but my back hurts so bad that getting up and down is next to impossible, much less bending over. “Um, you holding up okay down there?” I ask.
There was silence.
“I know that we’re probably the only apartment in the building that doesn’t have a bug problem. That’s, well, that’s you, right?”
Again, silence. But I know I heard it.
“Listen, I can’t really bend over right now, but if you’re down there and hungry, like, there’s half a rotisserie chicken in there that’s about to go bad. I was going to throw it away, but if you could use it-”
“Yesssss. Please.”
Well. Whatever it is, it’s well-mannered, anyway.
Prompt #3322
“You took on a sidekick,” Supervillain snarled. “You know I don’t share.”
“Neither do I,” retorted Superhero, “but out of the two of us, I’m not the one who got married this weekend!”
Prompt 387
The hero frowned at the sidekicks flinch. "Calm down, I'm not going to hurt you." They stroked their protégée's hair softly.
The sidekick knew all too well how that hand could twist and hit and hurt in ways no one would see. 'Not hurt you?' Maybe not now.
"The forums think we like each other." The hero said casually. "There's 'unbridled tension in every look.'"
They didn't know what to say to that. Fear and love were interchangeable when viewed through a mask.
The soft hand wrenched the sidekicks head until their gazes locked.
"What do you think? Is there romantic tension between us?" The hero's look made it clear that there was only one acceptable answer.
Prompt #3315
“Did you really tie me to a wheelie chair?”
“Uh, yeah? So I can drag you around my lair.” The villain squinted at them. “You got a problem with that?”
The hero immediately began to scoot away as fast as they possibly could. “Nope,” they called over their shoulder, “no problem at all!”
Do you ever think about how in a Christmas Carol Charles Dickens draws specific attention to the ghost of Christmas past's arms being super strong and the spirit having to bear hug restrain Scrooge at points to get him to watch, and yet we've never had the spirit portrayed by a butch lesbian in a major film production? We're being robbed, comrades, we must take action
[id: “Open Seas, Snippet #2″ written over a photo of a crashing wave. /end id]
In which Tess is doing some mending when she has an unexpected visitor. Or, in which Tess meets a mermaid.
Wood creaked behind her. She tipped her head back, expecting to see blue sky and the rigging for the foremast, but instead found herself looking into an unfamiliar pair of wide set black eyes.
Tess pitched forward with a startled yelp, away from the bow, and twisted to face the owner of the eyes. A mermaid. She’d never seen one so close before. They were a barely studied species owing to their elusiveness and wily nature, but were known for being incredibly curious.
Prompt #3265
“You must be hungry,” the hero coaxed. “Starving, even. You should eat something. Anything. Make a request and I’ll bring it to you.”
“Freedom,” the villain snapped, and rolled away, facing the blank wall of their tiny concrete cell. “I’ll take fresh air as a substitute.”
TW: talk of starving to the point of un-aliving
The hero sighed, posture deflating, “You know I can’t do that…” their voice was quiet, but still enough to echo off the walls of the barren room.
“Bullshit,” the villain spat, tone flat, no argument to be made, “You don’t take a no on something you really want,”
“When it’s above the law,” the hero tried, but the villain simply scoffed. They said nothing else.
Silence hung in the air like daggers. It was all-encompassing, a deadly still- it felt suffocating.
The hero’s eyes drifted over the villain in front of them, who was currently rolled over on their side facing away from them. Their heart ached when they noticed just how much smaller they were compared to when they were first brought in.
For the first week or so, eating hadn’t been a problem. Probably assuming they would be able to escape, the villain was as lively as ever. But as the days passed and more escape attempts failed, the hero watched the hope drain from their eyes.
The hero had aided with the construction of the cell to ensure it held them. There was no getting out.
That was when it began. More and more food started being sent back after each meal. After three days, it was clear the plate was completely untouched.
They’d still been drinking the glasses of water accompanied by each meal, though, so in an attempt to get some calories into them, the next meal was sent with a glass of soda instead. A brand the hero knew the villain liked. They were desolated when the glass came back full, as was the steaming hot coffee they tried the next morning.
At least the villain was talking to them today. That alone had been sparse the past two weeks.
“What about a drink?” the hero tried, “You must be thirsty, at least. Name a drink, and I’ll get it for you,”
“Water,” the villain replied simply.
At first, the hero jumped at getting a response, only to deflate once their brain processed the reply.
“Our water fountain is broken,” the hero lied, trying to play innocent, “and the water from the taps isn’t safe to drink. Anything else? We have your favourite kind of soda, we’ve got juice, tea, I could even probably persuade the guards to give you a coffee or even a drink with alcohol in it if that’s what you want,”
Booze was most definitely against protocol, but they were getting that desperate at this point.
There was a second of silence before the villain rolled over, levelling a stare at the hero, unimpressed, a look of “how stupid do you think I am?”
They said nothing, continuing to simply stare.
The hero sighed, “You need to eat,”
“I need to get out of here,”
“Starving yourself won’t help,”
The villain’s face finally shifted to show emotion as they smirked, but it was a defeated and sad face, “Maybe not in the way you’re expecting, but it will still let me escape these concrete walls,”
“Villain please!!!” Hero practically cried, but the criminal’s face remained unmoving, “This isn’t the solution!”
“Life sentence, hero,” Villain reminded calmly, “It’s the only place outside these walls I’m headed anyway. Might as well just speed up the process. In fact, your bosses will probably be thrilled, less tax money and all that,”
The hero clenched their fists at their side. They didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t sit here and do nothing, but there wasn’t anything they could do either!
“I’m going to get pizza for us to share,” the hero decided. Maybe they could tempt them with their favourite food. Maybe the smell of it would be enough for the to break, the hero eating it in front of them. Something- *Anything*! Perhaps this was a dirtier tactic than they were used to, but, they were running out of options and time, “I’ll get you’re favourite, and we can eat it together just like we used to. I’ll even complain about the mushrooms,”
With that, they turned and walked away, determined to get everything they could remember the villain loving.
The criminal sat in their cell, watching with a blank expression as the hero left. It wasn’t until they were long gone that they smirked, genuine and amused.
Hero was breaking sooner than they’d expected.
Their stomach growled, and they clenched up in a ball as a wave of painful, cramping hunger passed through them. Looks like it was a race:
Between hero’s morals and their body.
oof, that ending!! 😍
I also love the contrast between the hero’s failed ‘water fountain broken’ manipulation attempt and the villain’s hardcore and bordering successful manipulation! even though the villain is the imprisoned one, it gives them a real edge in the power dynamic
Prompt #3260
“Damn, I really thought that would work.”
“How the hell did you think I wouldn’t notice a snake in my lair?”
“Uh…snakes are sneaky?”
“Just because it’s alliterative doesn’t mean it’s true, dumbass!”
Short Prompt #64
“You.”
The clone pointed at the scientist with one quivering finger.
“You used me.”
Scientist took a step forward, but the clone lurched backward three in response. When they came to a halt out of reach, their eyes roiled with disgust.
“I’m [Hero]. Not just inspired by Hero, but patterned after them to a T. You knew you could never have the real thing, so you created me to live out your weird obsessive fantasies.”
“No!” The scientist cried. “Er…well, yes… Maybe at first. But it’s not like that anymore! I love you!”
The clone shook their head. “I don’t even know who I am. How would you know?”
The scientist sputtered helplessly. “I…you’re just so…, and I…”
“No matter,” the clone interrupted sharply. “Perhaps you can prove it to me.”
The scientists perked. “How?”
The clone’s villain’s eyes gleamed darkly. “If you care about me so much, you should have no problem axing the original.”
Smoke and Deliveries Pt 2
I'm so proud of how this snippet is turning out. Please let me know your thoughts; I'd love to know!
Civilian saw Vapour again much sooner then they'd expected.
Not that they'd *expected* to see them again. That would imply a plan to run into one of the most dangerous people in the city on purpose, and that most definitely wasn't happening. No way.
If civilian was silently hoping it might happen, well, that was different than admitting it out loud, and *certainly* different from planning it.
In fact, Civilian was *planning* on never seeing them again.
This wasn't the point.
The point was, they ran into the villain again only a few days later.
Civilian was out doing some everyday activities in town. It was a nice evening, the sun just starting to go down, and they were walking down a smaller side street heading to the grocery store when a familiar voice came from the alley behind them.
"Hello shutterbug, lovely evening, no?"
The civilian whirled around, a strange molten feeling settling in their gut as their eyes settled on the figure.
Vapour stood in a luxurious suit-like jacket with what they could have sworn was a Burberry scarf draped around their neck. His smile was just as sharp and charming as they remembered. Deadly yet enthralling.
"V-Vapour," Civilian stuttered out, suddenly feeling short of breath.
The villain's eyes shimmered, smile sharpening, "I think that's the first time I've heard you say my name. Most people are too afraid, but I like the sound of it on your tongue," they smirked. It definitely didn't slip into a purr toward the end.
"Are you following me?" They blurted out, trying to ignore the heat rising in their cheeks.
It seemed a preeminent question, but the second it left their lips, their brain seemed to click back to reality as they remembered exactly who they were talking to.
Luckily, before they could sputter out what would have been a grovelling apology, Vapour gave a startled, but lighthearted laugh.
"Shutterbug," he said as he tipped his head to the side, tone dripping with amusement and... something else, "How could following you possibly benefit *me?*"
Civilian blinked. Something else was, undeniably, a degree of warm fondness that made their heart run laps in their chest.
"Uhm,"
They blanked, unsure what to say because, well... what good would it do? It's not like they had anything to offer, short of $10 cash and unlimited pizza discounts.
Vapour's smirk only seemed to grow at their tongue tied-ness.
"You can sleep easy, shutterbug; rest assured, I was merely passing by when I spotted you and thought I'd pop up to say hello,"
Civilian swallowed again, brain still buzzing, but the danger alarm in their mind was no longer blaring. Now, however, a different kind of alarm was sounding, a curiosity and interest of sorts, that felt like it could be just as deadly a game to play in the end.
"Oh, uhm..." Civilian could feel the heat growing in their face, and they couldn't seem to get it to stop. Their heart just wouldn't behave itself either. Something about being in Vapour's presence made the air feel... electric, exciting in a way that was both dangerous and alluring. The thrill of a rollercoaster. Maybe it was foolish, but... "H-hello"
The villain's smile grew delighted, at their seeming willingness to engage in the game, eyes drifting over the civilian in front of them, "so what's a little bug like you doing out at a time like this?"
"Oh, just uh, getting some grocery shopping done before my shift begins for the night," civilian replied sheepishly, fidgeting with their sleeve.
"Do you always work night shifts?" Vapour replied, tilting his head slightly in a clear show of interest.
This was beginning to feel strangely casual, though the electric buzz of the air was still ever present, but the adrenaline of danger had calmed "yeah, I always ask for the evening shifts, let's me sleep in late,"
Vapour laughed, "not a morning person, I take it?"
Civilian chuckled back, "definitely not. What are you, uh... I mean," they hesitated, gaze drifting to the ground shyly, "am I allowed to ask what you're..."
The villain smirked, "heading to a meeting, which I'll probably now be late for if I don't leave soon, unfortunately,"
"Oh! Of course! You should get going!" Civilian sputtered; they did *not* want to be responsible for Vapour being late to whatever villainous meeting he was attending. There was a disappointment in their chest however that they weren't sure how to feel about. "Uhm.. before you go..." they decided to take the leap of faith, their curiosity getting the best of them. "Can I ask something...?"
"Be my guest," the villain replied, hands moving from his pockets to behind his back casually.
"What... uh, what made you come and say hello?" They asked meekly.
Vapour smirked. He didn't answer right away, letting the question hang. His sharp eyes examined the civilian in front of him as a chilly breeze blew through the alley and past them both. Next to them, a streetside garden full of flowers was blooming.
With a gust of wind, a single rose was plucked from one of the bushes and sent soaring through the air, caught effortlessly by the villain's hand as he stepped forward with one smooth stride.
"You intrigue me," he finally replied as he tucked the rose behind civilian's ear.
Civilian's breath stuttered; it felt like their heart was suddenly pounding hard enough to push the air right out of their lungs.
The villain's hand lingered, thumb skittering feather-light over their cheekbone, causing goosebumps to rise all across their skin while they froze. His face and eyes were surprisingly soft as he looked over them. Civilian felt like they couldn't *breathe*.
Then suddenly, the villain smirked, "until next time shutterbug,"
And just like that, he vanished, like dust in the wind, particles slowly blowing away with the breeze as the contact of the hand on their cheek turned ghostly.
Civilian continued standing frozen, staring at the spot Vapour had just stood. Their face was burning, and there was no doubt the villain had felt the heat on his fingers.
Their cheek and ear were tingling so much they almost felt itchy, buzzing from the contact as if it had completed an electric circuit.
It would make sense, because they were pretty sure their brain was currently experiencing a power outage.
It felt like they couldn't think. Had that just happened?
Their heart was roaring.
Finally, after who knows how long, civilian managed to force themselves to keep walking. They did their grocery shopping in what felt like a daze. When they finally got home, they collapsed back against their door.
"Oh my gosh," civilian muttered, bringing their hands up to their cheeks.
Their fingers brushed the rose still tucked behind their ear, and they felt their face heat up.
Oh, they were in so very much trouble.