Greg bolted from the table and stepped out the back door into the alley. I ran after him, and found him out in the alley, leaning against a grimy brick wall, eyes closed.
I put my hand on his arm. “Greg,” I asked, “Are you okay?”
Before I knew it, Greg had grabbed me by the shoulders and pushed me against the wall. He said something in Polish, and of course I couldn’t understand it. His lips met mine, and —
“Oh,” I exclaimed shakily after an explosive moment where he tried to devour me. It had been ... strange. Part of me wondered what it meant; the other part of me wondered “Is that all there is?” Not a great feeling for one’s first kiss.
Greg leaned back against the wall beside me, his eyes closed. I noticed the fine lines in his face as I hadn’t before, and I knew he was what my Grandmama would call a lost soul. He took my hand. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, shouldn’t I be?” What I wanted to ask was “Why did you kiss me?” but I knew I shouldn’t because people didn’t dissect something as special as a kiss, even if there was something all wrong about it. I thought about that wrongness and burst out crying.
“Oh, Lord,” Greg muttered, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to — “
“It’s not that,” I sniffled. “I know you don’t — “
“Grace,” Greg sighed, “I wish I could, but I’m too messed up. I don’t even know if I have feelings anymore. And when my memories get too bad, I — I get overwhelmed and grab onto someone or something to remind me I’m still alive.”
We pulled ourselves away from the wall. Greg enfolded me into a hug, and I wanted to sing him a song about contentment and comfort.
***************
So let's look at the actions and their consequences:
- Grace demonstrates her ability to manipulate emotions, which affects Greg (in the next room)*;
- Greg has flashbacks and runs out of the room**;
- Grace chases him to an alley;
- Greg, after flashbacks, gives Grace a rather rough and unromantic first kiss;
- She starts crying;
- Greg apologizes for not having feelings for her;
- Grace comforts him.
There will be future consequences for Greg and Grace here which will leave readers thinking there will be a "ship" (relationship) here. I'm not telling, except that I'm uneasy about relationships that evolve from near-assaults.
Do actions always have consequences in writing? Not all the time; I would argue not nearly enough. In the action movie genre, the protagonist executes many destructive and illegal actions, but in the end, the protagonist suffers no consequences. Or, as in the Avengers franchise, the good guys cause immense damage (and possibly casualties; that's kept off screen.) At the end, an oblique mention of a large bill is made; Iron Man pays it. That is wish fulfillment deserving of a Marty Stu*** award.
I don't know if this hurts or helps my writing; it is what it is. I like my people to be realistic by their own definitions, even in fantasy. Actions have consequences, even in space or the middle of a pasture or ...
******************
* Off-stage
** Also off-stage
*** Marty Stu is defined as the male counterpart of the Mary Sue (a character who gets inserted, astonishes everyone, and gets the guy). I will argue that it's hard to find Marty Stus because they have been defined in Mary Sue (traditional female wish-fulfillment) terms. I consider the Marty Stu as the insertion/wish fulfillment where the hero makes dangerous and destructive decisions and actions, faces no consequences, and yes, gets the girls (usually plural) -- in other words, every action movie ever.
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