as requested by a truly lovely nonnie who just made me so absurdly happy over the idea of like, having written a series of these?? i don’t know why, it just made me smile like an eejit for weeks, and so i really really hope these are what you were looking for!! if not, i will happily accept the knowledge that they might make someone happy or that someone might find them useful in the future! i hope you’re all safe and sound, go drink some water, and DO NOT ADD TO THIS LIST!! okay, thank you, i love you all! bon appetit!

[ INVITE ]:     sender invites the receiver to join them on the dance floor.

[ HAND ]:     sender extends a hand to the receiver, wordlessly asking for a dance.

[ TWIRL ]:     sender lifts their arm while dancing with the receiver, encouraging them to twirl while they dance.

[ LOCK ]:     while dancing together, sender initiates and maintains prolonged, intense eye-contact with the receiver.

[ PULL ]:     sender pulls the receiver closer against them while they dance.

[ POSITION ]:     sender rearranges the receiver’s hands to the correct, albeit more intimate position ( i.e. on their waist, hips, hands, etc. )

[ STEP ]:     sender steps on the tops of the receiver’s shoes while dancing so as to avoid any mistakes, and let the more experienced receiver lead the way.

[ STEPPED ]:     sender beckons for the receiver to step on the tops of the sender’s shoes before they dance, so as to let the more experienced sender lead the way.

[ WAIST ]:     sender rests a hand on the receiver’s waist as they dance together.

[ CHEEK ]:     sender draws the receiver in closer while they dance, until they’re dancing cheek-to-cheek.

[ HAIR ]:     while dancing together, sender buries their face into the receiver’s hair. (for muses with shorter hair, the sender might run their hands through their hair instead!)

[ DIP ]:     sender guides the receiver into an elegant, graceful dip, lowering them down while keeping a steady hand supporting them against their lower back.

[ BEHIND ]:     sender dances with the receiver while standing behind them.

[ DISCUSS ]:     sender pulls the receiver up for a dance in order to have a private conversation away from the crowds.

[ ESCAPE ]:     sender pulls the receiver up to the dance floor in an effort to dance across the floor and over to the main exit, as part of a spontaneous escape plan.

[ AVOID ]:     sender brings the receiver to dance with them in order to avoid a source of unwanted attention (aimed at the sender).

[ SAVE ]:     sender rescues the receiver from a source of unwanted attention by inviting them up to the dance floor to dance together.

[ OVER ]:     sender, while dancing with the receiver, suddenly lifts them up over their head. ( LIKE THIS! )

[ HUM ]:     sender begins to gently hum a tune for them and the receiver to dance to while in an empty, quiet room.

[ SING ]:     sender begins to sing a song for the receiver and themselves to dance to while in an empty, quiet room.

[ SILENCE ]:     sender and receiver begin to dance together in perfect silence.

[ RADIO ]:     sender and receiver begin to dance together while listening to a song on the radio.

[ TEACH ]:      sender offers to teach the receiver how to dance properly.

[ STUMBLE ]:     while dancing with the receiver, sender trips over, stumbling into the receiver in the process.

[ TOPPLE ]:     while dancing with the receiver, the sender trips over, colliding with the receiver and causing both of them to fall over in the process.

[ GUIDE ]:     sender, while in the process of teaching the receiver how to dance, slowly steers them through the motions of a dance while alone together.

[ STEADY ]:     sender catches the receiver and steadies them after they make an accidental misstep while dancing together.

[ UP ]:     sender briefly lifts the receiver up in the air while spinning during a dance together.

[ BACK ]:     sender slowly lowers their hand until it’s resting against the receiver’s lower back while they’re dancing together.

[ CHEST ]:     sender rests their head against the receiver’s chest while they’re dancing together.

[ FIRST ]:     sender and receiver share their very first dance together.

[ WEDDING ]:     sender and receiver share their first dance together as a married couple.

[ KITCHEN ]:     sender and receiver dance together in the kitchen.

[ OUTSIDE ]:     sender and receiver dance together while outside.

You will always fall in love, and it will always be like having your throat cut, just that fast.

You are going to break your promise. I understand.

You’re lonely too.

It will stop your breath, how cruel I can be.

I am a demanding creature. I am selfish and cruel and extremely unreasonable.

I am your servant.

I crawl at your feet; for before your love, your kisses, I am debased.

For you alone I will be weak.

I belong here, and you will not deny me.

I say these things, and the world listens.

I do not tolerate a world emptied of you. I have tried.

In the dark, I have pored over the loss of you like pale gold.

I will not let her speak because I love her, and when you love someone, you do not make them tell war stories.

I moved the earth and the water for you.

You will always run away with her.

You will always lose her.

You will always be a fool.

You will always be dead, in a city of ice, snow falling into your ear.

You have already done all of this and will do it again.

No one should be judged for loving more than they ought, only for loving not enough.

We look terrible to you, and severe, and you see our blood flying.

What we carry between us is hard-won, and we made it just as we wished it to be, just the color, just the shape.

There need never be any rules between us.

Let us be greedy together; let us hoard.

Do not leave me, swear that you will never leave me.

I am selfish. I am cruel. My mate cannot be less than I.

Sleep with fists closed and shoot straight.

I can’t abide a poor liar.

You look like a winter’s night. I could sleep inside the cold of you.

Oh, quit that. Blushing is for virgins and Christians.

Scold me; deny me. Tell me you want what you want and damn me forever. But don’t leave me.

Bad luck relies on absolutely perfect timing.

In his own country, Death can be kind.

What is the world but a boxing ring where fools and devils put up their fists?

Men die. It’s practically what they’re for.

I am no one; I am nothing.

Nothing in me was not made by you.

A revelation is always the end of something. It might even be cause for grief.

Just tell yourself a story that’ll satisfy you and pretend he told it.

Forever isn’t bright; it isn’t like that. Forever is cold and hard and final.

I savor bitterness - it is born of experience. It is the privilege of one who has truly lived.

If you want to kill yourself, do not use us as your knife.

What did I do wrong? Was I boring? Did I ignore you?

Don’t you dare speak to me like that.

I have worn nothing but blood and death for years.

I have fought all your battles for you, just as you asked me.

I have learned not to cry when I strangle a man.

I have learned to watch everything die.

I am not a little girl anymore, dazzled by your magic. It is my magic, now, too.

Are we not devils?

No one is now what they were before the war.

I have not seen you without your skin on.

Close up your head; your brain is getting loose.

We obsess. It’s in our nature.

I’ve a devil of a habit for being right.

In war you must always choose sides.

If you try to be a bridge laid down between them, they will tear you in half.

We are all dead. All equal. Broken and aimless and believing we are alive.

My old bones will follow yours soon enough.

It is better to be strong and cruel than to be fair.

I will see him with his skin off before I agree to fall in love.

After love, no one is what they were before.

I have survived, but I have not been spared.

In the space of one heartbeat to another I loved you and I was lost to you.

Frighten me, make me cry, only come back.

It’s not so bad, my darling. Being dead. It’s like being alive, only colder.

You’ll think it’s love, while he dines on your heart.

You will be so beautiful when you are old.

I cannot keep you and I cannot let you go.

You will live as you live in any world…with difficulty, and grief.

I look at you and it is like my throat being cut.

She said you’d come and I swore to eat your heart.

I still want to kiss you.

My heart is being cut in two. I cannot bear it.

What happens to anything beautiful?

A human with no heartbeat, and a corpse with a goal. A match made... in heaven? or a match made in hell.

i thought i told you to stay back.

i love you too much to let you get hurt like this.

this affects me, too, you know.

every time you leave, i sit up all night waiting, praying you'll come back alive.

you keep pulling stunts like this and something bad will happen.

do you have a death wish or something?

this isn't fair to me.

i deserve better than this.

i didn't get any sleep last night because i was so worried about you.

you promised me you'd stop going out at night.

i don't like hearing this.

you've been risking your life, and for what? so you can feel like a goddamn hero?

i said i would handle it.

what the fuck are you doing here?

you told me you'd stay put.

so much for laying low.

you remember how bad it was last time.

seems like you haven't learned anything.

i believe you promised me you'd lay low.

i can't keep doing this.

don't give me that look.

we'll discuss this later.

this stops now.

i'm tired of picking up the pieces once you've left.

you keep throwing yourself into danger.

you don't give a shit about yourself, do you?

i'm sitting here, worried out of my mind, while you're out doing god knows what.

that was really stupid of you, and you know it.

i thought you knew better than this.

what's your excuse this time?

you do realize what this does to me, right? seeing you get hurt like this? you know it hurts me, too?

you really don't give a shit how this affects me, huh.

that was the dumbest possible thing you could have done.

i need you to stop throwing yourself into harm's way.

that was completely unnecessary.

they had it handled.

you didn't need to step in like that.

why do you think you're invincible?

the last time you pulled a stunt like this, it nearly got you killed.

i can't just sit here and watch you get hurt.

what are you trying to prove?

you just like fucking with my heart, don't you.

this shit hurts me, too, you know.

you're not the only one affected by this shit.

you've got a lot of people counting on you to come home every night.

what happens if you don't come back?

you think we can just carry on without you?

you think i can handle things if you end up dead?

i'm not sticking around to watch you get hurt.

you're not even slick.

you think you're invincible, don't you.

quit pretending you've got everything under control.

let someone else do it for a change.

you can't keep putting yourself through shit like this and expect me to just sit back and watch.

i'm done with this.

next time you do this, i'm not coming back.

promise me this is the end.

look me in the eyes and tell me you'll stop doing this.

let the authorities deal with it.

you're making a big mistake.

is it worth dying for?

Sentence starters themed around the concept of MASKS, VEILS, OR ANY OTHER FACIAL COVERING. Change pronouns, phrasing or punctuation as you see fit, but please do not add to this list !

FROM THE UNMASKED

❝ What are you hiding under there? ❞

❝ I know you're smiling / laughing! I can tell! ❞

❝ I am the mask you wear. ❞

❝ Whose is the face in the mask? ❞

❝ Does it get sweaty under there? ❞

❝ That mask doesn't scare me. ❞

❝ Take that mask off! ❞

❝ Why do you wear that? ❞

❝ A mask will never hide the smile in your eyes. ❞

❝ Take off the mask when you speak to me. ❞

FROM THE MASKED

❝ There is a face beneath this mask, but it isn't me. ❞

❝ Why do you want to see my face so badly? ❞

❝ Behind the mask, I am only myself. ❞

❝ Perhaps you've already seen my face. You'll never know. ❞

❝ I am smiling. Can't you tell? ❞

❝ Everybody wears a mask. Even you. ❞

❝ What makes you think I'm hiding anything? ❞

❝ No one cared about me until I put on the mask. ❞

❝ Time to remove this mask. ❞

❝ Are you prepared to see what's underneath? ❞

MASKS AS METAPHOR

❝ If you wear a mask for too long, there will come a time when you can not remove it without removing your face. ❞

❝ A mask is not to disguise who you are but to show who you really are. ❞

❝ Once you drop a mask, you can never wear it again. ❞

❝ Remove the mask. Let me love the darkness you hide underneath. ❞

❝ The human face is, after all, nothing more or less than a mask. ❞

❝ A mask of gold hides all deformities. ❞

❝ Man has only one face, but a thousand masks! ❞

❝ Be careful with the mask. You may get used to it. ❞

❝ We put on masks we believe will be more acceptable to the world than the truth of who we are. ❞

basically i was looking over the protective prompts and the hero prompts and it hit me that like. the unbridled angst and vibes of the whole “post-battle” scene, or a scene set after an attack or a disaster or smth, needs to be ADDRESSED!!! and so y’all get the full weight of my angst today, sprinkled with a lot of teamwork and selfless and sacrificing vibes. i hope you enjoy! do NOT add further contributions to this list!!! i will curse your potato crops!!!

DIALOGUE PROMPTS.

“ can you hear me? hey… [NAME], can you hear my voice? “

“ come on… wake up. please… please wake up… “

“ oh! oh, thank god! i thought we lost you… “

“ hey, hey… look at me, okay? you gotta get up now. you think you might be able to walk? ‘cause they sent for back-up, and if they find us… we cannot let them find us. understand? “

“ go, go! save yourself! i’ll buy you some time! “

“ we both know i’m not walking out of this one. it’s okay, alright? it’s okay… just… do me a favor, will you? will you make them pay for this? i don’t care how. but… don’t let them get away with it. “

“ hey, how badly are you hurt? can you move? you think you can walk? “

“ if you can’t walk, i’m gonna have to carry you, alright? we can’t stay here. “

“ hey, look at me. i’m slowing you down, we both know it. it’s okay. i’ll hide and wait for back-up; you get yourself out of here. “

“ you’re gonna need to climb up on my back, you’re slowing us down with that injury. “

“ will you quit talking like that?! i’m not leaving you behind! “

“ what the hell are you doing here?! i told you to get out of here! “

“ you’re shivering… hey. hey, listen to me, okay? everything’s gonna be alright, i promise. here… take my jacket. don’t worry, i’m warm-blooded. “

“ i’ll get blood on your shirt… “

“ hey, don’t you dare close your eyes, you hear me? you die in my arms, and i’m gonna stick the dry-cleaning bill for this shirt in your coffin, that’s a promise! “

“ i know we almost died just now, but… am i the only one who’s hungry? “

“ we need to get you to a hospital… “

“ hey, come on now… you’re okay. you’re good, right? “

“ i must be hurt pretty bad if you’re being this nice to me. “

“ quit playing the martyr. we’re not leaving you behind. “

“ you know, i hate to be the negative voice, but… did… did we just lose? “

“ look at me… i’m not gonna make it. it’s okay, i’m fine with that. but… you can’t stay here. you’ve got a good long life ahead of you. and you’re smart, too; too smart to wait around here and waste that long life. so you get out of here, and you go live that life. live it for both of us. will you promise me you’ll do that? “

“ back-up isn’t coming. is it? we’re on our own, right? “

“ can’t sleep, huh? it’s okay. it’s probably all that adrenaline and shock; i can’t sleep, either. wanna keep each other company? “

“ i don’t give two shits about the back-up; i’m just happy you’re alive. “

ACTION PROMPTS.

as always, add a “+ REVERSE” to switch the roles!

[ CARRY ]:     having found the receiver in an injured/weak/unconscious state, the sender carries them in their arms to safety.

[ TILT ]:     the sender gently tilts the receiver’s chin up so that they can check to see if they’re okay.

[ PULL ]:     sender takes the fallen receiver’s hands and carefully pulls them up so that they’re standing once more.

[ WAIST ]:     sender, while physically supporting and steadying the receiver, loops an arm around their waist for extra support.

[ BACK ]:     sender crouches down slightly to let the wounded receiver climb on their back, giving them a piggy-back ride to safety afterwards.

[ HAIR ]:     while in the process of checking the receiver for injuries or other signs of harm, the sender gently brushes several strands of hair from their eyes.

[ TEND ]:     sender begins to care for the receiver’s injuries.

[ LEAN ]:     the wounded sender leans against the receiver for physical support.

[ SUPPORT ]:     the sender encourages the wounded receiver to lean against them for physical support.

[ PUSH ]:     the sender gently pushes the receiver back to lie down so they can check them properly for injuries.

[ COAT ]:     sender removes their jacket and drapes it around the shoulders of the trembling receiver.

[ BLANKET ]:     just as they’re all about to go to sleep, the sender covers the receiver with their own blanket.

[ AWAKE ]:     the sender, unable to sleep, gets up to go for a walk, and finds that the receiver is also unable to sleep.

[ TOGETHER ]:     when the receiver awakens, they discover that the sender has been sleeping next to them, arms wrapped around one another for warmth, comfort, protection ( or something more… )

[ BANDAGE ]:     the sender sits down across from the receiver and begins to bandage their wounds.

[ DRAG ]:     unable to leave them behind, the sender drags the wounded receiver out of danger and into a safe hiding place for both of them to wait until help arrives.

[ TOUCH ]:     the sender nudges or touches the receiver to check and see if they’re alright after the attack.

[ CLEAN ]:     the sender gently and carefully begins to bathe the blood/soot/ash/dirt from the receiver’s skin during a moment of calm.

[ PRIORITY ]:     when they arrive at a designated safe place, the sender refuses to be examined or cared for until the receiver is taken care of first.

[ PROMISE ]:     before leaving to get help/food/water/a rescue mission etc, the sender assures and promises the receiver that they’ll return safely, refusing to bring them along or to stay behind.

[ BROKEN ]:     after having promised the receiver that they’d return, it’s learned that the sender died during their mission. how does the receiver respond?

[ TRAPPED ]:     after having promised the receiver that they’d return from a mission, the receiver learns that the sender has been kidnapped or otherwise trapped, requiring a rescue mission to bring them home.

[ RESCUE ]:     the sender and receiver reunite after the sender embarked upon an infamously perilous rescue mission to save the receiver.

[ FOUND ]:     after a massive rescue mission to try and find the missing receiver, the sender is the first to find them just as the efforts are about to be abandoned.

[ HOPE ]:     just as the receiver is about to lose hope in ever finding the sender again, a message or clue of some kind is discovered that essentially guarantees that the sender is still alive, restoring the receiver’s hope once more.

[ CLING ]:     having finally been reunited, the sender pulls the receiver into a tight, overwhelmingly relieved embrace, clinging to them and burying their face in their shoulder. the whole deal. make it EMOTIONAL–

[ TEARS ]:     having finally found the receiver, or having finally been found by the receiver, the sender breaks down in tears of relief, fear, and many other emotions as they officially reunite.

The ghost holds the brush and turns it over as Eris speaks. It's a nice brush. One of probably higher quality than they'd care to get for themselves. Even when alive. They hold it up to the light of a window, looking for any shine. It's hard to tilt their head like they want to without feeling the scarf holding their head on shift. They reach down to tug it back up. They'd rather not risk it falling off, mostly because it was annoying to get it back in place. Head sure do roll and they didn't want the king to feel obligated to go chasing after it. Once they're sure their head isn't going anywhere, they turn away from the window.

They cross the drawing room back to Eris. Standing just behind them. "Bit of a waste of hair," they muse softly. They run their hand through Eris's hand, trying to get a good idea of exactly how tangled it was. The moment they real they've touched the other without asking they pull back. Their living counterpart wasn't the kind to do that, but the ghost knew better. Death hurt. Being dead hurt. Even if their living counterpart hadn't felt a single ounce of it in their life, the ghost understood what it felt like in their soul. It's smart to spare themself any more pain.

👑 the monarch doesn't stop to consider much when phantunz takes their hair and touches it with the familiarity of a friend - in a way, it's comforting. to have someone, at least the obvious counterpart of said someone, treating them no more than what he was. king came second only to the fact that he had been raised, honed, and regarded as a sell sword for most of his life. the fact that betraying both his friends and his own moral code of loyalty put a crown on his head was nothing in his mind - a matter of cause and effect. phantunz's death too, had been a matter of consequence. still, he can't help the familiar acknowledgement of tilting his head back into the other's hand, giving them an equally exposed access to neck and throat alike. if the ghost so desired, they'd be a matching set. two sides of the very same coin. sell sword and mercenary. was there much difference?

"do what you must," eris tells them carefully, squeezing his eyes shut against the strain and snagging of coiled knots. "I'll cancel anything that gets in the way, or simply wear a hat." he'd done so before, fashioned his hair in such a way that the messy knots weren't visible after punz had gone and gotten herself killed. phantunz had taken up the role of 'royal hair brusher' - a silly, stupid title the two had come up with in the quiet. when hired hand and friend blurred and danced on the line between them like something mischievous and thrilling. or... rather, when the crown came off and the truth was aired out before his sternum, like something calm and deeply missed.