Jafar
I stand there for a good few seconds, staring down at the crumpled figure on the ground, my mind struggling to catch up with what just happened. “What the fuck?” I mutter, half-laughing despite myself. It’s not every day you slam someone to the ground and they just... drop like a sack of potatoes. I glance around, half-expecting this to be some kind of trap, but there’s no one else. Just her, lying there, barely clinging to consciousness.
The moonlight filters through the trees, casting a silvery glow on her face. It’is twisted in pain, eyes half-closed, lips parted like she’s struggling to breathe. I feel a weird pang of guilt twist in my chest. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I groan, pinching the bridge of my nose. I crouch down beside her, nudging her shoulder with the back of my hand. “Hey, you good? I didn’t mean to—”
Her head lolls to the side, eyes fluttering shut. Yeah, she’s out cold.
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “Well, this is just fucking great,” I mutter. “I come all the way out here, find a cute little cottage, and what do I get? Some psycho attacking me out of nowhere.”
I glance back at the cabin, then down at her again. She’s not exactly light, but I hook my arms under her shoulders and haul her up anyway. She lets out a weak groan, her head lolling against my chest. “Jeez, you’re heavy,” I grumble. “What have you got in those pockets?”
I carry her inside, kicking the door shut behind me. The warmth from the fireplace hits me instantly, and I take a moment to look around again. Yeah—cottagecore central. Soft, mismatched rugs on the floor, a few potted plants on the windowsill, and a bookcase packed with neatly organised items. I set her down on the red wool bed, glancing around like I’m intruding on someone’s private space. Which, I guess, I am.
I watch her for a second, debating whether I should just leave her here and go. But then she stirs, a pained whimper escaping her lips, and I can’t help but feel a twinge of regret. “Fine, fine,” I mutter, rolling my eyes. “Guess I’ll stick around for a bit.”
I grab a bucket of water from one of her chests and splash a little onto her face. “Hey,” I say, not too gently. “Wake up. I’m not going to babysit you all night.”
Her eyes fly open, and for a second, she looks completely disoriented. Then the pain hits, and she winces, squeezing her eyes shut. “Ugh, what the hell...” she groans, pressing a hand to her forehead.
I smirk, leaning back against the crafting table. “Well, well, look who’s awake. You gonna try to kill me again, or have you had enough for one night?”
She glares at me through half-lidded eyes, struggling to push herself up into a sitting position. “Who... the hell are you?” she spits out, voice weak but dripping with venom.
“Jafar,” I say, crossing my arms over my chest. “And you?”
She narrows her eyes, clearly unimpressed. “I’m going to call you dickhead. Okay, dickhead, you can leave now. Thanks for stopping by.”
I bark out a laugh, genuinely amused. “Oh, you’ve got a mouth on you. I wasn’t expecting that from someone who clearly spends their time making flower pots and knitting cozy little sweaters.”
She scoffs, rolling her eyes. “Please. As if I’d waste my time on something so pointless.”
I raise an eyebrow, glancing around the room pointedly. “Right. Because this place doesn’t scream ‘cottagecore princess’ at all.”
She flinches, like I’ve hit a nerve, then winces again, clutching her side. “You don’t know anything about me,” she snaps, the fire in her voice faltering slightly. “And for your information, this place is practical. Unlike you and that parrot you’ve got perched outside like you’re some kind of wannabe pirate.”
I can’t help but laugh again, louder this time. “Wow, you’re really on a roll. You haven’t even known me for five minutes and you’re already giving me shit.”
She slumps back against the headboard, closing her eyes like she can’t be bothered to deal with me anymore. “Just leave,” she mutters, voice strained. “I’m not in the mood to entertain guests.”
I push off the crafting table, taking a step closer. “Hey, you attacked me, remember? If anyone’s in the wrong here, it’s you.”
She opens one eye, glaring at me. “You were crouched outside my house like some creep. What was I supposed to think?”
“Maybe that I was admiring your... uh, very practical design choices?” I offer, smirking.
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She huffs out a breath, shaking her head. “You’re insufferable.”
“Thank you,” I say, flashing her a grin. “I try.”
She rolls her eyes so hard I’m surprised she doesn’t pull a muscle. “You’ve seen me, I’ve seen you. Now go.”
I hold up my hands in mock surrender. “Alright, alright. I’ll go. But you might want to consider locking your door next time. Not everyone’s as nice as me.”
“There’s more people here?” She frowns nervously.
“Uh.. not that I’m aware of, I didn’t even realise you were here until 5 minutes ago… and why are you here?” She narrows her eyes at that, but there’s a flicker of something else there—fear, maybe? It’s gone in an instant, replaced by that same steely glare. “Why would I tell you? Thanks to you I’m half dead, asshole.”
I shrug. “Hey, you snuck up on me. I thought you were trying to rob me or something.”
We lock eyes in a stubborn silence. A minute passes. I sigh. “Look,” I say, trying to soften my tone just a bit. “I didn’t come here to fight. I just... stumbled across your cabin. I’ve been wandering for days, and you’re the first sign of life I’ve seen. So forgive me for being a little on edge.”
She raises an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “Wandering for days? What are you, some kind of adventurer?”
“Something like that,” I say with a smirk, but it fades quickly. “No, but seriously... how did you end up here? I didn’t think this was even possible. One minute I’m at my desk, and the next I’m here, stuck inside the game. I’ve been trying to make sense of it ever since.”
Her expression shifts, just for a moment. It’s like I’ve struck a nerve. “You too?” she mutters, almost to herself. Then she shakes her head, setting her jaw. “I don’t owe you any explanations. For all I know, you’re the one who did this.”
I laugh, a sharp, incredulous sound. “You think I did this? Trust me, if I knew how to suck someone into a video game, I wouldn’t be here whining about it.”
“Maybe you’re lying,” she shoots back, crossing her arms over her chest.
I let out a deeper sigh, rubbing the back of my neck. “Look, I’m just as confused as you are. I’ve been here for weeks, maybe longer. I lost track of time. I’ve been trying to survive, figure out what’s going on. Hell, I was starting to think I was the only one here.”
Her eyes narrow, like she’s sizing me up, weighing my words. “You’re really not lying, are you?”
I shake my head. “No. I swear. I don’t know why we’re here or how to get back. I was hoping you might know something.”
She lets out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “If I knew how to get out of here, do you think I’d still be sitting in this stupid little cabin? I’ve been stuck just like you.”
I frown, taking a step closer. “So you’re really saying you don’t have any answers either?”
She looks away, her jaw clenched. “No, I don’t. And even if I did, why would I share them with you? You nearly killed me five minutes ago.”
“Hey,” I say, holding up my hands again, “that was self-defence. You snuck up on me, remember?”
“Because you were lurking outside my house like a creep!” she snaps, her voice rising.
“Lurking?” I scoff. “I was checking to see if this place was safe. You should be thanking me for not burning it down.”
Her eyes flash, and for a second, I think she’s going to swing at me again. But instead, she just shakes her head, exasperated. “You really are a dickhead.”
I grin. “Jafar, actually. But sure, you can call me dickhead if it makes you feel better.”
She glares at me, lips pressed into a thin line. “Fine. Then you can call me... Colette.”
“Colette,” I repeat, testing the name. It doesn’t fit with the image I had of her—a feisty, stubborn warrior hiding behind a cottagecore facade. But it’s... nice. “Alright, Colette. Now that we’ve got introductions out of the way, can we agree not to kill each other?”
She rolls her eyes. “No promises.”
I laugh, but it’s cut short when I notice the way she’s still gripping her side. “I guess you’re still hurting huh?”
She scowls. “You don’t say.”
“Let me help you,” I offer, stepping closer. “I’m not a total asshole, you know.”
She snorts. “You could’ve fooled me.”
I grab a potion of healing from her chest and hold it out to her. “Here. Drink this. It’ll help.”
She eyes the potion suspiciously. “Why are you being nice to me all of a sudden?”
I shrug, giving her a half-smile. “Maybe I’m not as insufferable as you think.”
She takes the potion, but she doesn’t drink it right away. Instead, she studies me like she’s trying to figure out what my angle is. “So why do you think you’re here?” she asks, voice quieter now.
I meet her gaze, dropping the cocky smile. “Honestly? I don’t know. I’ve been asking myself that question since I got here. But if we’re both stuck in this mess, maybe we should figure it out together.”
She looks like she wants to argue, but then she sighs, taking a small sip of the potion. “Fine. But just so we’re clear, I don’t trust you.”
“Okay” I say nonchalantly, shrugging my shoulders.
She rolls her eyes again, but there’s a tiny, reluctant smile tugging at her lips. “Get out,” she says, waving her hand dismissively. “I need to rest, and you’re giving me a headache.”
I chuckle, backing towards the door. “Alright, alright. I’m going. But don’t think this is over, Colette. We’re not done talking.”
She just rolls her eyes harder. The door slams behind me, as if the cottage had enough of my insults too.
I stand there for a second, blinking at the closed door. “Well, that’s not at all how I pictured this going down,” I mutter to myself, shaking my head. Parrot flutters down onto my shoulder, squawking in my ear.
“Yeah, I know,” I say, scratching his head absently. “She’s a real piece of work, huh?”
I start walking back into the woods, the smile slowly fading from my face. I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this.