Side Story Tea with the Heroine
It started with a handwritten note.
"Dear Verenia,
I believe we should try again.
Sincerely, Not-Your-Enemy Yet"
It was signed with a little heart.
Of course, I showed it to Bug, who immediately tried to set it on fire with a paperclip.
I intercepted.
"She wants tea," I said.
"She wants to poison you."
"Then I'll bring my own sugar."
So we met at neutral ground: the Rose Garden.
Cursed only on Thursdays. Today was Tuesday. Probably.
The Heroine was already waiting.
A porcelain tea set shimmered on a lace-covered table.
Everything looked suspiciously wholesome.
I sat across from her.
Poured my own tea from my own thermos.
Stir with my own tiny spoon, which doubled as a weapon.
She smiled. "No cyanide today, I promise."
"Was that a Tuesday-only rule?"
"No. That's just when the poison lilies bloom."
We sipped our teas quietly.
Then she spoke.
"I dreamed about your life."
I paused. "What?"
"While I was... dormant. I think some of your data bled into mine. I saw what it was like. Being you."
"Glamorous," I deadpanned.
"Lonely," she said instead.
I didn't answer.
She continued. "Do you ever wonder who you'd be if you weren't written as a 'villainess'?"
"All the time," I said. "But then I realize—if I wasn't her, I wouldn't have made it this far."
Silence again.
Then I heard her laughter.
Soft. Real.
"I'm kind of jealous of you," she said.
I blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You keep breaking the story. I've spent my whole life following it."
We looked at each other.
No tea splashed. No knives flew.
Just... a weird truce.
Then, just as we were about to stand, she said:
"I'm going to try it too. Breaking the story."
I raised a brow. "You sure? It gets messy."
She grinned.
"I hope so."