navigatorwriting

[navigatorwriting]

24

"Hold this for me." Before the hero had a chance to object, the villain shoved the bloodied axe into their hands and dropped to rifle through their bag.

The hero squeezed their eyes shut and took a shaky breath, trying not to think about the smell. Oh God, they were holding the villain's axe. The blood was probably still warm. The hero's chest tightened. The stench was overwhelming. They thought they might faint.

"It's not going to bite you," the villain said.

The hero's lower lip trembled. "P-please take it back."

The villain sighed. The hero felt the axe lift from their outstretched hands. They opened their eyes.

The villain was looking at them, a mix of understanding and impatience in their eyes. "If you're going to vomit, let's get it over with," they said, "but don't faint on me. You're no good to me unconscious."

They started to cry instead.

The villain let out an exasperated sigh and stooped to pick up their bag. "Cut that out, I don't have time for that." They hoisted their axe over their shoulder. "If you're not going to vomit, let's go."

"Why are you doing this?" the hero choked out.

The villain looked them up and down. They had already noticed the hero was small; it was why the villain chose to spare them. But there was more that the villain hadn't realized immediately... they looked frail. Shellshocked. And, frankly, too young for this kind of setting. They had a feeling the hero wasn't too loyal to their team's cause, or at least that's how the villain wanted them to feel. It would be easier to earn the hero's trust if their morals weren't in the way.

The villain blinked. Were they going soft?

"It's business," the villain said finally, furrowing their eyebrows, mildly irked at how protective they suddenly felt. "And it should be for you, too."

They grabbed the hero by the shirt collar and pulled them face to face, startling them. They'd be damned if they went soft on the hero already.

"Because I'm your best shot at getting out of here alive."

#writing #fiction #snippet #writeblr #hero #villain #hero x villain #protagonist #antagonist #protagonist x antagonist #villain x hero

[navigatorwriting]

23

"They haven't... breathed in six hours," the lieutenant whispered earnestly.

The captain raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I follow."

"I'm serious," they hissed back. "They aren't breathing. It's freaking me out. Please talk to them about it?"

They stared at the lieutenant for a few more moments, mostly trying to understand the bizarre request. At last they agreed, and the lieutenant left their office looking slightly less perturbed than when they'd entered a few moments before. The door had barely swung shut when the alien breezed into the room, looking... oddly translucent.

The captain stifled a confused cough and sat up straight. "So," they began, shaking off the eerie feeling of the alien's eyes on him. They struggled with this species; something about the shallow placement of their eyes made for off-putting eye contact. "One of our crewmates has informed me that you have stopped breathing and they are concerned for you." When the alien made no attempt to reply, the captain reluctantly continued. "Would you care to tell me why that is?"

The alien blinked with an audible smack of their eyelids. "Why is neglecting to breathe a point of concern?"

The captain didn't see that one coming. "Uh, what?"

"Why does my crew want me to breathe?"

"Breathing is important," the captain responded, utterly perplexed by this situation. "We are concerned you are trying to harm yourself by not breathing. Already you look... thinner?"

"Hum. Does it hurt you if you don't breathe?" the alien asked. They seemed to be thinking.

"Yes, of course it does," the captain said. "Does it not hurt you?"

"Not at all. It is natural."

"It's natural not to breathe?"

"Yes."

The captain remembered the labored sounds the alien usually made while breathing. It had not been long since they'd joined their crew, but they always exhaled with a great sigh as if they were clearing their throat every second. "Then why do you breathe sometimes?"

Now the captain was even more confused. "What does that mean?"

"To stay solid."

"I wished to sublime. It will be easier to access the caverns when we arrive tomorrow. I will deposit again once we are inside."

"You... what?"

"We are on a reconnaissance mission, correct?"

"Well yes, but—"

"And the embassy requires we destroy as little of the natural landscape as possible?"

The captain was starting to understand, they thought. "Yes..."

"Then my gaseous state will prove most efficient in this situation. The caverns are mostly sealed, as you know. I will fit through smaller spaces than I could in my solid state."

"... I see..."

"Is there still a problem, sir?" the alien asked.

"I—" The captain paused, shook their head to think. "No, there's no problem. Just... nothing I've seen before."

"Hum."

"Do, uh, let me know the next time you decide to sublime, though. Many of your crewmembers have no experience with your species and did not understand why you stopped breathing."

"I see," the alien responded. "Perhaps I may assemble a presentation on biophysical sciences?"

"For... what?"

"My crewmembers, to understand sublimation and the biological process of expelling heat. I will organize it for our 1800 debrief."

"...Sure. That's fine." The captain waved a weary hand to dismiss the alien, who walked out the door with a faint cloud trailing behind them. They let out a sigh and turned back to their paperwork, certain their hair would be turning grey after that conversation.

#what are you going to do with a degree in physical chemistry with a premedical focus #uhhh write fiction?? duh? #writing #fiction #snippet #writeblr #alien #space fic #outer space #fantasy #sci fi #my writing

[navigatorwriting]

22

When the hero came to their senses, they were mildly confused. They were in a bedroom they didn't recognize, sitting on the floor while someone's hands gently combed through their hair. They looked down at a pair of shoes on either side of them. Shoes that held feet, which were attached to legs, and the hands on their head were presumably connected as well. There must be someone seated behind them, they thought.

The hero jerked forward when they realized what that meant.

"Stop that," said a voice behind them as a hand cupped around their neck and firmly pulled them back to their seat, guiding their head to rest between someone's legs. The hero said nothing in response, their heart caught in their throat. The person behind them continued slowly unworking all the tangles in the hero's hair. The gentle touches were more soothing than the hero wanted to admit, and in spite of themself it eventually helped the hero calm down.

"What's going on?" the hero asked timidly, after a few minutes had passed. Their eyes burned with the threat of panicked tears.

"I'm trying to comb your hair," the person replied, tugging at a tangle. "I couldn't find a hairbrush so I'm doing it myself."

"No," the hero choked out, their tears spilling over. "Why am I here? What—" they gasped— "who—" they broke down, unable to stifle a sob, more tears cascading down their cheeks.

"Hush," came the person's impatient response. Their hands stopped moving through the hero's hair. They brought one hand over the hero's face and placed it firmly over their eyes, the other gently massaging the back of their neck. "Be quiet and relax." The hero could hear a shift in the person's voice as they broke into a smile. "You'll need to save your energy for later."

#fiction #snippet #writing #writeblr #hero #villain #hero x villain #protagonist #antagonist #protagonist x antagonist

[navigatorwriting]

21

The villain found them on a rooftop on the west side of the city. They landed a few meters behind the hero with a soft thud, just loud enough to announce their arrival. The hero didn't turn around, only stared straight ahead, gently swinging their legs from their seat on the edge of the building.

"Hey," the villain said quietly. "I heard what happened today."

When the hero didn't respond, the villain sat down next to them and continued. "I'm sorry it had to be like that. We've all been there."

The hero nodded slightly. Good, the villain thought. A reaction. That meant the hero wasn't completely numb.

"Do you... want to talk about it?"

The hero sniffed, the corners of their mouth tugging downward ever so slightly.

Well, it was worth a try. The villain patted the hero on the shoulder. "You made a hard choice. It's okay if you can't come to terms with it yet."

The villain was about to stand up and leave when to their surprise, the hero put their hand on top of the villain's, holding it to their shoulder. The villain froze, unsure what to do next.

The hero stared straight ahead, eyes unfocused on the setting sun. "I knew it was possible." They tilted their head thoughtfully. "And it was bound to happen at some point. I know I'm taking a risk with everyone I tell, it just...." They took a breath. "I just hoped it wouldn't be them."

The villain said nothing. There was nothing to say.

They remembered their own failed confession, a lover who couldn't come to terms with their split life. The villain had felt guilty for weeks after the incident. They still couldn't shake the image of their lover's horrified expression as the agents dragged them out of their shared apartment. The worst part was when the villain still had to break up with their lover after the mind wipe; the two of them met in a cafe and the villain had to pretend like nothing had happened. They gave some made-up excuse to end the relationship, and they could do nothing but sit there as they watched their lover's heart break for the second time in two days.

"Who was it?" The villain asked.

The hero took in a shuddering breath. "My mom."

Ah.

Wordlessly, the villain pulled the hero into a hug and held them against their chest. The two of them sat like that for a long time.

#fiction #snippet #writing #writeblr #hero x villain #hero #villain #protagonist #antagonist #protagonist x antagonist #villain x hero

[navigatorwriting]

20

“So, when you’re filling a room, you have to remember that light doesn’t ‘flow’ the same way we think of water flowing. It won’t work if you try to ‘pour’ into the room like it’s a swimming pool.”

The hero scrunched their nose at their mentor. “Then how should I think about it?”

“Well, I’ve always thought of it like slices of cheese. You know.”

“I-- what?”

“Yeah, like those individually wrapped cheese slices? For like, sandwiches? The elders would probably be ticked at my Americanized metaphor, but it works for me, so...”

The hero stared, speechless. For as regal as the council acted, they decided, some of these supers were really weird...

#superpowers #superhero #light powers #superpowers au #this popped into my head in the middle of the night #dont ask for an explanation i dont have one #writing #fiction #snippet #writeblr #hero #protagonist

[navigatorwriting]

19

The villain shoved the scientist into the work bench, glass vessels shattering on the floor as the scientist struggled to catch themself.

"You have twenty-four hours to identify that DNA sample," the villain told them, turning to leave. "Don't bother trying to escape. My men are surrounding the facility with orders to shoot to kill."

The scientist blinked. "Are you stupid?"

The villain's shoulders flinched, as if the scientist's words had physically whipped them. "Excuse me?" they growled, turning back around to face the scientist.

"Twenty-four hours is nowhere near enough time to identify a DNA sequence. Even the crystallization alone will take days. Do you even understand what you're demanding of me?"

"Do it faster then."

"I won't do it at all," the scientist spat.

Without a second thought, the villain took two steps forward and struck the scientist across the face. The scientist stumbled, mouth open in shock. Their cheek throbbed and they could feel the skin turning red.

"I don't think you understand the gravity of your situation," the villain said. They grabbed the scientist by the collar of their shirt and lifted, forcing the scientist to meet their eyes. "Your team is fully preoccupied with reconnaissance and I know you don't hire excess staff in the laboratory. The nearest city is an hour by car and I've seen to it that the nearest radio towers will not be receiving or transmitting any signals from this location. And did you not hear me when I said the building is surrounded? Do the words 'shoot to kill' ring a bell?"

The scientist fumed and silently cursed their remote location. Their intention to keep the lab a secret had certainly backfired.

They glared up at the villain and tried to steady their breathing. "The only way I can identify a DNA sequence is by x-ray crystallography. The crystallization process will take three to five days and the instrument takes around eighteen hours to analyze a sample. I need at least a day to recreate the sequence once I have the sample's results." They swallowed. "I need at least a week to do this for you. A quick internet search could have told you as much."

Still seething, the villain dropped the scientist and allowed them to straighten their shirt.

"Get started then," they bit out. "I'll be back in an hour with... revised instructions."

They left the lab and slammed the door behind them, the impact rattling a rack of test tubes. The scientist stared at the door for a minute, then, with a deep breath, took the broom and began sweeping up the broken glass.

#fiction #snippet #scientist #villain #scientist x villain #villain x scientist #writing #writeblr #annual post lol #no proofreading full send or nothing

[navigatorwriting]

18

The protagonist stood quaking in the middle of the room, the carnage still settling around them. Little crimson streams forming lakes and seeping through the cracks in the uneven floorboards. Screams still frozen on their friends' faces. Eyes still open. Limbs contorted in desperate attempts to escape, to stifle wounds, to get in one more attack before time ran out. Despite the scene, the protagonist stayed rooted to the floor, unable to tear their eyes from the antagonist looming in the doorway.

"W-what happened?" they whispered.

The antagonist curled their lips into a sharpened smile. "The inevitable."

#uhh hi? #im still alive just devoting more energy to my side blog #writing #writeblr #fiction #snippet #its rlly been a year since my last post whoops #this doesnt even count it was just in my drafts #hero #villain #hero x villain #protagonist #antagonist #protagonist x antagonist #tw gore

[navigatorwriting]

17

The antagonist dropped the corner of their newspaper and raised an eyebrow at the protagonist fidgeting before them. “And this started… when?”

“Um, Sunday night?” The protagonist bounced his foot on the rug. “It-it started when I was taking a bath, I thought my drain was leaking at first--”

“Except that it wasn’t.”

“Well, obviously I figured that out,” the protagonist snapped, rising further off the ground. 

The antagonist folded their newspaper and waved a hand in dismissal. “Alright, don’t freak out on me now. So you haven’t figured out what caused this?”

The protagonist shook their head, now hovering a good meter above the living room floor.

“Alright, walk me through what you did on Sunday.”

The protagonist swallowed. “Um, okay, I spent the morning alone, I went out around one, came back by--”

“Where did you go?”

The protagonist shifted their weight midair. “Um… therapy…”

“Who’s your therapist?”

“Dr. Ste-Stephens. Office on 10th Street.”

The antagonist tilted their head in some kind of acknowledgement. The protagonist wasn’t sure why that detail was important, but decided not to waste their energy on questioning them and instead focus on easing themself back down to the floor. 

“How long have you been meeting with him?”

“I think four-- four weeks.”

“Tell me about your latest session.”

They paled. “Surely that’s not neces--”

They fixed them with a look that made the protagonist drop six inches. “It is.”

The protagonist took a deep breath and began recounting their session, staring hard at the back wall of the room. Most of all, they had to be extra careful not to cry in front of the antagonist. Halfway through, they started to tip a little too far to one side and had to perform some awkward swimming motions to correct themself. Mercifully, the antagonist didn’t react much to either their story or their balance difficulties.

When they’d finished, the protagonist . The antagonist tapped their finger on the coffee table in contemplation. “So, what did Stephens say to you as you left?”

“Um, see you next week?”

“Think a little harder.”

The protagonist furrowed their eyebrows. “What…” 

The antagonist didn’t respond, waiting patiently for the lightbulb moment.

It had been a pretty intense session, way worse than normal. The protagonist had said so, right before leaving. “That one was heavy,” they had admitted with a half-laugh.

Stephens had just nodded. “It always gets worse before it can get better,” they’d said calmly, breaking a smile. “You’ll feel lighter soon.”

Oh, wait.

The antagonist noted the protagonist’s jaw going slack and smirked. “Well?”

The protagonist pushed the heel of their hand into their forehead. “They’re not-- they’re not a therapist, are they?”

The antagonist shook their head, mildly amused by seeing the protagonist tip backwards from the impact on their forehead. 

The protagonist groaned. Just when they’d finally found a new therapist…

“You know Stephens?”

The antagonist shrugged. “He used to be in the agency, but they had to fire him a while back. Something about using work resources for personal business.” He cocked an eyebrow contemplatively. “I guess he never really quit the industry though. I hadn’t heard anything from him in a long time.”

A thought occurred to the protagonist. They righted themself to stare intensely at the antagonist. “If you already knew about him… why did you make me tell you our whole session?”

The antagonist smiled, and it was pleasant for once. No ulterior thoughts behind it. Come to think of it, the protagonist realized that was how the antagonist usually looked at them. Kindly.

“Reversing Stephens’s hex is only half of the problem,” the antagonist responded. “When you receive my help, I never stop halfway.”

The protagonist didn’t notice as they drifted back to the ground, focused in all their confusion on the antagonist alone.

“Besides,” the antagonist said, leaning forward in their chair, “aren’t you in need of a new therapist now?”

#writing #fiction #snippet #writeblr #protagonist x antagonist #protagonist #antagonist #hero x villain #inspired by a piece of art on pinterest but i can't find the artist bc pinterest sux

[navigatorwriting]

16

“All things considered, I’d say that went well,” the mentor said once they were safely back inside city limits.

The protagonist gave them no reply, pointedly ignoring the mentor as they stared out the window and fidgeted with the door lock.

The mentor frowned. They tapped their thumb on the steering wheel; these kinds of reactions were the exact reason why they usually avoided taking on teenagers. Grad school students tended to be a lot more reasonable, and infinitely more willing to listen to adults. “Okay, so maybe you’re a little embarrassed. Understandably so,” they added, tipping their head thoughtfully, “as that little incident would be difficult to live down with that type of crowd.”

“I realize that,” the protagonist snapped. They could feel the mentor giving them the side-eye, but the protagonist didn’t care about the mentor’s disapproval right now. 

“My point is,” the mentor continued, displeased with the interruption, “that you never have to see them again. You can afford to make your mistakes early, so that when–”

The protagonist locked eyes with the mentor, expressionless, and threw up a peace sign as they opened the door and rolled out of the moving vehicle.

“Son of a–”

The mentor slammed the brakes and let out an exasperated growl. They jerked the rear view mirror to the side and watched as the protagonist’s hooded figure weave through oncoming traffic and duck behind a gas station, all while the mentor sat stuck at a red light in the left turn lane. They puffed out their cheeks impatiently. They really wished they’d chosen one of the less promising grad students; at least those students knew how to sit through a lecture. 

#writing #fiction #snippet #writeblr #protagonist #mentor #big 'be gay do crime' energy #happy pride month folks

[navigatorwriting]

15

“Why hello,” the protagonist sang, peeking around the door, “what’s going on in here?”

The rival didn’t spare them a glance, busy mixing two colors of paint with the back end of their paintbrush. “Shouldn’t you be working?” they replied.

“Took a break,” they said back, inviting themself into the room. “I wanted to check in, see what you were up to. Painting though?” They cocked a smile. “I didn’t expect that one. Are you any good?”

“That shouldn’t matter, it’s just a hobby,” the rival countered. They put the end of their brush in their mouth and drew it into a fine tip, leaving a streak of green paint on their bottom lip.

The protagonist knelt down next to them, watching as the rival dabbed tiny streaks along the edge of the canvas. It was a small canvas, barely the size of a book, so the rival held it easily in their left hand while working. They pursed their lips, studying the canvas, then sighed and started wiping the streaks off with their thumb. 

“Can I see it?”

“I’ll show you when it’s finished.”

The rival licked the tip of the brush and tried to paint the tiny streaks again. Excess paint and practice brushstrokes ran all up the rival’s left arm in a variety of colors, as well as a stray mark or two on their nose and cheek. Pretty cute, the protagonist thought. The rival was great at appearing relaxed all the time. Even now, they excelled at it. Especially considering their position… the protagonist had to give them credit. They weren't sure they could be half as calm in the rival's place.

“You shouldn’t blame yourself for what happened yesterday,” the protagonist blurted.

The rival took a deep breath, their expression even. 

“I mean it,” they pressed. “It wasn’t your fault.”

“Administration didn’t see it that way,” the rival replied bitterly. They forced a half smile. “ ‘Paid leave, until further notice’. They’re just waiting a few weeks to fire me.” They shook their head and got up to go wash a brush out in the sink.

Their third teammate winked at the protagonist, holding them back while the rival went along on their own, completely oblivious. “I’ve been fooling around with some of the equipment recently,” the teammate confided in them, showing off a homemade remote. “I’ve always wanted to play with it during a real mission though.” They flashed a smirk, that cocky smirk that the protagonist hated so deeply. “Don’t worry, I know you don’t like Rival all that much. They’ll be taking the fall for this one.”

And they pressed the button.

The protagonist shivered. They wanted to erase that disgusting smirk from their memory. No, from existence. The teammate didn’t deserve to walk away from this so easily, yet here the rival was, taking full blame for the teammate’s tricks. The teammate was a danger to the agency! What's worse, only the protagonist knew the truth. Even if they mustered up the courage to approach their administration, it was just their word against the teammate. The rival would be way better at this than them; they were always the confrontational one. No wonder the teammate chose to knock them out first.

The rival sat back down, a line of concern etched between their eyebrows. “Hey, there’s no need to get worked up about it,” they said softly, placing a hand on the protagonist’s arm. “I’ll be fine, I’ve got other options–”

“You don’t get it,” the protagonist retorted, pushing the rival’s hand off. They regretted that instantly; the rival just looked hurt now. They clasped the rival’s hand between theirs, eyes wide and earnest. “It really wasn’t your fault. And it’s probably going to happen again, and I… I’m going to need your help.”

The rival raised an eyebrow.

The protagonist filled them in.

#writing #fiction #snippet #writeblr #protagonist x rival #protagonist #rival #painting #protagonist / rival #which character is which #i keep losing track #this was supposed to be finished last tuesday rip

[navigatorwriting]

14

The antagonist stopped halfway to the cell door, a thought occurring to them. They turned slowly to face the protagonist again. “What do you know that I don’t?”

The protagonist, tied and seated against the far wall, furrowed their eyebrows. “Probably a lot of things,” they responded, “why?”

The antagonist shook their head and approached the protagonist. “No, that’s not what I mean,” they said intently. “You’ve changed your speech patterns. Something’s happened, what is it?”

The protagonist stared back at them, bewildered. “I… I literally have no clue what you’re talking about.” They tilted their head. “What did I say?”

“Stop playing dumb.” The antagonist snapped. “Tell me what you know.”

“Tell you what I know?” The protagonist rolled their eyes. “I did some research on plastic pollution not too long ago, do you want to hear about that? It’s estimated that 8 million tons of plastic waste enter the ocean every y-”

“I said stop playing dumb,” the antagonist growled again, now looming over the protagonist. “Tell me what you know.”

The protagonist heard a small, metallic click and winced: a knife, the antagonist’s favorite intimidation tactic. Hell, it worked. They leaned back as far as their restraints would allow, putting a hand’s width of space between them and their captor.

“I already told you everything I know,” the protagonist said meekly, all defiance abandoned. They felt their lip tremble. “I don’t… I don’t know what you want from me.”

The antagonist studied them, their eyes narrowed, hunting for any sign of deceit. After a long minute, they clipped the knife shut and slipped it back into their pocket. They stepped away from the protagonist, running a hand through their hair and started for the door again.

“You had asked if I could bring you a pillow, rather than asking if you could have one. The difference in subject made me wonder…” They glanced over their shoulder at the quaking protagonist and released an amused scoff. “But I guess you’re not that bright.”

Once the door closed, the protagonist sat up and straightened themself. They waited a few extra minutes before opening their hands to look at the weapon they’d stolen.

They smiled. Sure, their friends made fun of them, but being a theatre kid turned out to be pretty useful in this line of work.

#reposting bc i forgot tags #writing #fiction #writeblr #snippet #protagonist #antagonist #protagonist x antagonist #also imagine posting more than once every 40 days #simply could not be me

[navigatorwriting]

13

“Well, fine. We can just agree to disagree.”

“I- what? No??” the protagonist spluttered. “This isn’t something you get to just disagree with me about. These are facts.” They prodded a finger on the table for extra emphasis.

“So then let me ignore them,” their lover said offhand. “I don’t like it, so don’t force me to face it. Surely you can respect that.”

The protagonist fumed. Their lover couldn’t even be bothered to hold eye contact with them. And this, this wasn’t something the protagonist could dismiss. It mattered too much to them. More, they realized, than their lover did.

The protagonist stood, reaching across the table and pulling the ring off their lover’s finger. The lover furrowed their brow, confused. They looked up at the protagonist.

The protagonist slipped the ring into their pocket. “Fine,” they said evenly. “I won’t force you to face it.” They shrugged, looking down their nose at their lover, already stoning their feelings towards them. “But you can find someone else to share your ignorance with, because I’m never going to be that person for you.”

#writing #fiction #writeblr #snippet #protagonist #love finding cute lil things like this in my drafts

[navigatorwriting]

12

You have to be careful at the side door entrance to your building. Most of the time, if you’re using that entrance, it means your hands are full. It’s easier to enter at the side, all you have to do is swipe your card and hit the automatic button. A recent addition to make the building a handicap-accessible location, but there’s little harm in taking advantage of the convenience.

I say ‘little harm’ on purpose; we can’t confidently say ‘no harm’ just yet, and you know why.

It happens when you’re halfway down the hallway. The door opens slowly, so you slip in as soon as it’s opened enough for you to pass through. It keeps opening, of course, because it’s automatic. You can hear the door make a light click when it stops, fully opened.

And then you hear it.

A single footstep across the threshold. The jarring clack of a foot clipping across the loose metal at the base of the doorway. The hairs prick up on the back of your neck. You know it’s entering the building behind you. You know better than to turn around. You’re not sure how, but somehow you know it doesn’t want to be seen. If you tried to catch a glimpse of it, even briefly, it won’t be there. You don’t dare attempt it; you don’t want to make it upset.

The heavy stairwell door swings closed behind you before you’ve even reached the first step, and there is no heavy footfall following you into the stairway. You heave a sigh of relief, but you’re still a little on edge. It may not be following you directly, but it is still in the building. You don’t know what it does or when it leaves. All you know is it’s there, and you’re worried about why.

A few weeks worth of passing conversation with the other residents confirms your suspicions; none of the others have been followed by it. You aren’t sure if this means they are hiding something from you about it, or if it has singled you out as the only person they want to follow.

You shiver. You don’t want to know the answer.

#writing #fiction #writeblr #snippet #horror #horror prompt #may or may not have written this about my dorm building #that side door kinda sketch or whatevah

[navigatorwriting]

11

The protagonist would like to say that they were completely passive, that these events were simply happening to them and they didn't instigate it.

But in truth, there is no such thing as a passive protagonist.

Nah, the protagonist made a major mistake and now the repercussions are playing out in serious, rapid succession. What is the protagonist going to do?

The most reasonable thing, of course.

Run away.

#writing #fiction #snippet #writeblr #protagonist #an appropriate response tbh

[navigatorwriting]

10 - protag x friend snippet

CW: mention of emotional abuse/gaslighting

“How much?”

The protagonist lifted their head to look at their friend. “..what?”

“How much of ‘this’,” they asked again, waving a pair of finger quotes in the air, “have they made you do?”

The protagonist faltered. Instinctively, they glanced around the room for possible exits. Yes, they’d just opened up to their friend, and yes, they had been needing someone to complain to about their recent stressors. But they didn’t expect their friend to try to solve their problems; this was just something the protagonist had to deal with. After all, they were a part of the team. It was their job to help the team however they were asked, no matter what it meant for the protagonist.

The friend’s lips thinned to a line while they waited for the protagonist’s answer.

The protagonist shrugged. “A lot, recently,” they admitted. “But it’s honestly fine, I can handle it. The ends justify the means anyways.”

“Except that you clearly can’t,” the friend replied. “Do you realize what this sounds like?” They didn’t wait for the protagonist to answer. “It sounds like emotional abuse.”

The protagonist rolled their eyes. “It is not–”

“Here, let me tell it back to you. Your team asked you to do something once, and it made you extremely uncomfortable. You said so, and they disregarded it. Now they keep making you do it and gaslight you into feeling bad if you don’t do it for them, completely ignoring your boundaries and emotions even though they know this is hurting you.” They jabbed a finger on the table to emphasize the last few words.

The protagonist… couldn’t roll their eyes at that one. “Well, when you say it like that...”

“Exactly.” The friend rose suddenly from their seat and gave the protagonist a pat on the hand. “Sit tight, I’m going to have a few words with someone.”

#writing #writeblr #fiction #snippet #we stan a protective friend

[navigatorwriting]

9 - protag x rival snippet

The rival hurled the protagonist on the ground and pinned them, bringing their sparring match to an abrupt halt and knocking the wind out of the protagonist. They stared at the rival in shock, trying in vain to catch their breath. The rival, too, was breathing heavily from the impact. The pair took a moment to heave a few breaths, eyes locked on each other, their faces not eight inches apart.

Something of a mischievous light glinted in the rival’s eyes. “Can’t breathe, eh?” they asked, a smile cracking at the corner of their mouth.

The protagonist rolled their eyes because yes, obviously they couldn’t breathe.

“I guess you could say I–” the rival took another breath, “–took your breath away?”

The protagonist couldn’t help it; they let a short laugh out of their nose.

The rival grinned. “You know… you’re kinda cute like this. Under me.”

The protagonist raised an eyebrow. Oh, they knew exactly where this was going. They bit their lip coyly and gazed up at the rival. The rival got the message and leaned down to kiss them… 

… and that’s when the protagonist flipped the rival over and pinned them to the ground.

“You fool,” the protagonist panted (they hadn’t fully caught their breath quite yet), “you should have known I wouldn’t kiss you today.” They smirked. “My lips aren’t moisturized.”

#writing #fiction #writeblr #snippet #rival #oneliner #got chapstick?

[navigatorwriting]

8 - horror theme description snippet

They’re just outside the door. Not all the time, but just often enough. You’re never able to predict when they’ll be there. They walk by, they’re laughing. They move in groups, and you don’t. Strength stands in numbers, and theirs will always be greater. 

But you’re safe as long as you’re inside. They won’t come in the door, even if it’s unlocked. (But you always lock it anyways, it feels safer.) They don’t touch you when you venture outside either, but they will stare. It feels as if their group doubles in size the instant before you step outside your door and look around at them, you didn’t hear this many voices inside. They pause their conversation to stare at you. You try to act unbothered but they know, their eyes go right through you and they can feel your thoughts and your instincts and the hairs pricking up on the back of your neck. 

And they’re always talking. Constantly talking, especially when you would really like them to be quiet. Just barely too loud when you’re trying to fall asleep, but never loud enough to hear what they’re saying. Are they talking about you? You can’t make out any of their words, but your ears burn a little extra when you double check the lock hasn’t been turned open.

It’s fine, you tell yourself. It’s only for a few months more, and then you can relocate and you’ll never see them again. But a few months leaves them too much time to grow bolder; to speak about you, to approach you, to knock on your door and expect your hospitality as you both play through a facade of pleasantries, when you both already know. You both know that they are sizing you up and that you are helpless, and it will only be a matter of time before they want to come inside.

You shudder, and put in a pair of earplugs before checking your lock one more time.

#writing #fiction #writeblr #snippet #horror #yeah this was inspired by my floormates who are loud all the time and super annoying to live with #oh and they never wear masks #so rip me ig