The Game
Part 2
Warning: manipulation, electricity used for restraining (I have no idea how to phrase this).
"Good mooorning," Hero sings, drawing out their vowels in a tone way too chirping for such an early hour. Villain wonders if they are the psychopath after all.
“What?" Villain blearily turns around, midway through taking a sip of their coffee. They don't have the energy to snarl, opting for a dismissive wave of a hand as they turn back around, ignoring Hero's presence to enjoy their drink. "It could have been good if I didn't have the displeasure if looking at you before I've had my morning coffee."
Hero huffs, unamused at the lack of reaction to their theatrics. But before they can speak again, Villain turns towards them again. "How did you find this place?"
Hero flashes a devilish smile, lifting their hand to show off the handcuffs they are holding. "You’re under arrest." They muse, enjoying this a little too much for Villain's liking.
"Like hell I am," they retort, placing their cup down with a clink. They aren't armed, but that doesn't mean they will go down without a fight.
"Don't make me force you, darling," Hero's voice is much closer now. Villain can feel their breath on the back of their neck, tickling them with a sinister promise.
"You think you can?" They question, standing up to face Hero at a common level. "Let's put that to the test, shall we?"
Hero's smirk is nothing short of sadistic. Oh, how the want to wipe it off Hero's lips. One way or another. But it's too early for that yet.
After a short and rather uneventful tussle and one broken cup - Villain makes sure to curse at Hero for that, since it's their favourite - the cuff clinks around their wrist, the other secured around Hero's to keep them under control. Villain almost breaks character at that statement but catches themself before Hero can notice both of them are exactly where Villain wants them to be.
They are barely restaining the urge to laugh out loud when Hero brings them to their Headquarters, leading them down the stairs towards what Villain assumes are the cells. Their eyes sparkle with anticipation when they pass the double doors, their lips parting in awe at the sight of the equipement they craved held behind tempered glass and layers of laser beams.
Everything was going according to plan. It's almost as if getting an unstable scientist near the most guarded lab in the city was Hero's intention as well. They chuckle, amused at how perfectly Hero played their part in their game, albeit unknowing.
Villain throws their head back, laughing out loud as they are tugged further down the corridor. The cell door creaks open and they are dragged in. Hero takes the cuff off their own wrist and chains Villain's wrists together through the bars of their cage before exiting.
Only when the door shuts with a loud bang does Villain stop cackling. They glance at Hero's smug smile, shaking their head. Their voice is barely a whisper when they speak, leaning in as if to share a secret. "You think you won?"
"I'm pretty sure it's obvious," Hero nods at their restrained hands clasped around the bars and flicks a switch, sending a current through the bars. Villain hisses at the sensation, letting go as their fingers spasm from the shock.
They watch Hero walk away, allowing them to revel in the victory they assumed they had. Once Hero is out of earshot, Villain's face breaks into the widest of grins. Their hands close around the bars, electricity running through them in waves of pain and pleasure.
Oh, this is going to be fun.
Part 2
A/N: based on this amazing request by @thiefofthecrowns. Thank you! I had a lot of fun writing this. I know it's on the shorter side but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless ♡
Masterlist
Taglist: @marvellousdaisy @alltimelowing @lateuplight @surplus-of-sarcasm @betwist @excusemeasibangmyheadonawall @enemies-to-idiots-to-lovers @miaowmelodie @thatonerandomauthor @hhabaddon @burningoutlikeicarus @daemonvatis @weepingcowboywolfbat @thelazywitchphotographer @kaiwewi @soul-of-a-local-bard @pigeonwhumps @aflyingsheepnamedrose @thatneptune @ohwellthatslifesstuff @worldsfromhoney @thiefofthecrowns @crow-with-a-typewriter @qualityrabbitsoup @stargeode @villain-life @villainsblood @whumpific @glassthedumbass @silviathebard @misskowe @ayeshaturnedtoashes4444
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Spiderwebs #22: Vanity
Masterlist
content: implied starvation
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This was a good sign. Their first excursion had been a success. Jackie was starting to warm up to her. He wasn't happy, but he was getting used to the operation of things, and that was all she needed. He had even buried a body with her, which was an impressive development considering their rocky start. Cooperation and compliance—that was all she asked of him.
“Can I eat that?”
Jackie’s voice brought her back from her thoughts. He was sitting on her sofa, legs curled up, staring at the sandwich on the table like it would run away if he blinked. Such an ordinary, domestic scene. What was Heather doing? What had she done? Why had she kidnapped a man, then killed another? She was sure there was a good reason, but she could remember it in the morning. Right now… food. Right. Giving Jackie food.
“Go ahead. It’s all yours.” She had disposed of her coat, and Jackie had disposed of his gloves. She now sat across from him, on a chair she’d retrieved from the kitchen.
“Thanks!” He took it without hesitation and ate quickly, his body angled away, guarding the precious treasure of a single sandwich. As if she was going to take it from him. It was a bit uncomfortable to watch, especially as he was covered in dried blood.
She stared at nothing at all, as he ate. What other experiments did she have to perform? The paralysis compound had been perfected, at that point. She’d done a few dissections on the jars of organs, and found little worth noting. She still needed to find the source of the immortality—that was something. Something to occupy her.
Jackie had finished eating a long time ago. He was now giving her a curious look, trying to decipher what had captured her gaze. He had such captivating eyes, such a pretty face—not that Heather thought… well… in any case, this was irrelevant.
“You’re filthy,” she said casually.
He sounded genuinely hurt, or at least confused. “Excuse me?”
“You’re covered in blood, I mean.”
“Ah, yeah.” He cleared his throat and grinned again. She could tell he was scared. Startled, for whatever reason. The smile didn’t reach his eyes. “You’ve got a bit of something too. Over there—no, higher—“ He put a finger to the edge of his face.
“Thanks.” Heather wiped her face, though she doubted that would remove the stain. “Are you still hungry?”
“No.”
“Are you sure? People usually eat dinner at this time.”
He shook his head. "I’m fine. I don’t eat much anyway.”
They lapsed into silence. Heather couldn’t think of anything to say. It was the fatigue, she decided. It had been a long day. Small talk came sparse after a murder.
Jackie was the one to break it. “You’re not so bad. I guess.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean—“ He took in a sharp breath. He spoke with a gentle yet adamant air, as if he was attempting to give her advice. “I don’t know. You’re okay.”
“How touching. Didn’t you threaten to kill me once?”
“I’m mercurial, alright? I’m a sensitive soul.” He shrugged. “Besides, you’re one to talk. You have mood swings, like, every day.”
“I don’t—“ She thought about this. “Never mind.”
He began to pick at the edge of the sofa, at the seams of black leather. Fluffy white pillows surrounded him like the petals of a lily. Behind the curtained window, the light slowly drained from the sky. The clock on the shelf carried the seconds past them, tick-tick-ticking faintly in the background. The sound seemed to echo. Her house always felt empty, even in the presence of other people. And it had been so long since she had lived with other people.
She wasn't alone anymore, but she felt no difference. Her home was constantly quiet. A kind of reverential silence, the silence of churches and graveyards, sticking to the walls like mold and hollowing them out. Jackie didn’t have a very active presence there, after all. Four months, and this was the first time he'd seen the living room.
That was not an accident. It was safer to keep him in the basement. It was easier. Still, Heather thought he needed the fresh air. He was starting to get restless, fidgety. He didn’t sleep much. Was that normal? She didn’t know much about people. Just the inner workings. Birds and dogs had to be taken outside their cages sometimes, or so she’d heard. Even rats liked to run around, but Heather’s subjects usually died before that ever became an issue.
And there was the topic of Jackie’s growing weakness. Despite his attempts to hide it, his fragility was obvious to Heather. It did not surprise her in the slightest. To regrow entire limbs, to replace entire organs—well, it would take a toll on anyone’s body. He didn’t eat enough, of course. And God knew what those drugs were doing to him in the long-term.
That wasn’t a bad thing, necessarily. If Jackie could physically overpower her, he could escape. And that wouldn’t do. Along with the usual fear of incarceration came a stronger hunger, a stronger want, something stronger than she was used to. What did she want, exactly? It was hard to say, looking at him, still a sort of stranger regardless of their time together. She didn’t really know Jackie, did she? He was still a subject to be studied. That’s what she wanted, maybe. Answers.
“I think you should take a shower,” she decided. “I’ll show you to the bathroom.”
“Shower?” he echoed. “Just a shower? It’s not an experiment?”
“No. What kind of experiment is that?”
He didn’t answer. “One last thing. Does your bathroom have a lock? I know—“ He held up his hand, as if she was about to protest about what an offense this was. “I know, just… does it lock? From the inside?”
“Yes, it has a lock, and all that.” She gave an exaggerated, exasperated sigh, more out of habit than anything. “I’m not a monster.”
He didn’t seem to understand, but he nodded.
See, she was capable of kindness! There you go. That was her generosity, over and done with. Nothing more needed to be said. She showed him to the bathroom, then left him to sort whatever he needed out.
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He came back about twenty minutes later, in which time Heather was able to scrub most traces of blood from the house, and dispose of the chainsaw, which she had thrown into the river as well. She then waited in the living room again, watching the clock.
When Jackie returned, he looked unsure of himself. Less scared now, more overly polite. He sat back down on the sofa, significantly cleaner, hair still damp and curls heavy, hands clasped together in his lap. He couldn’t quite meet her gaze, but didn’t quite glance away either. Didn’t say anything, didn’t ask about anything. Watched, listened to the clock.
Though Heather shouldn’t have, she found his wary respect a little amusing. She couldn’t quite believe that she was intimidating, that she held any sort of power over other people. Other people always appeared as a paradox, or else as immaterial, indistinct shadows. Trying to catch smoke, trying to control light sparks, trying to capture the brief sounds from the next room. That’s what other people were—always in the other room, something she wanted to possess but could never grasp. But here was Jackie, in the same place and time as her, maybe not totally under her control but at least a little put-off by her presence.
“You have a nice bathroom,” he offered.
He was just trying to make small talk, she figured. “What do you mean, nice?”
“The soap looked expensive.”
She’d seen him nearly every day for the past four months, at least once a week, but this was the first time that she really felt curious about him. Thought of him, not in the context of a drug or dissection, but as his own person. How many layers to that nesting doll? People were all so complicated...
“How are you?” she asked instead.
“Tired.” That was it, a monotone answer. “Heather, can I go outside again? Tomorrow?”
“I don’t know about tomorrow.”
“But eventually?” He spoke earnestly, and now Heather knew this was like the small talk—he wanted, not the truth, but just something. Something to hope for, something to keep. “Soon?”
She nodded.
Heather never thought about her other subjects like this. The dog bones went with the garbage, and that was the end of them, the moment where they stopped to exist in any meaningful way. That was necessary. A necessary separation, a mental blockade. If you thought too much about anything, if you let your logic run its complete course, then you’d fall into an inertia that would never lift. Maybe all this contemplation was bad for her, like candy was bad for your teeth. But it was so sweet, wasn’t it? The thought of knowing someone so deeply.
“Well, then.” A little curiosity was fine, but she needed to know when to quit. Heather stood. “It’s late. We should go to sleep.”
He stood also, after a reluctant pause. “Okay.”
She thought of pinning him to the wall and breaking his neck. Holding him and watching him die. Holding him, a living thing, a real person in her home and in her arms. Catharsis for this tension. It came on as a papercut does—there, all of a sudden, welling up red, meaningless and shallow but too sharp to ignore. Ah, it was all his fault. He was making her feel things. She hated him for it. He was too good at it, with that poised little frown, that wide and wary look.
Instead of enacting this, she swallowed, picked the thought off like a scab. “I’ll take you to your room, then.”
He nodded, so unaware of her feelings, so oblivious. That was for the best. Their relationship was purely professional, but she still wanted him to respect her.
It was laughable, she knew. Pointless. What he thought of her didn’t matter in the end. That was vanity, plain and simple. But they could find some common ground, couldn’t they? This could work, this would work, over the months and days, even over the years. They would find something to share. A life, to share. A life and a home, quiet though it was, unnatural though it was. A compromise of sorts.
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Taglist:
@theelvishcowgirl
@lthrboy
@whumpy-wyrms
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