no cost too great.

assorted lines from shirley jackson novels. tw: blood.

‘ listen, if you’re scared – ’

‘ i won’t be angry, i promise you. ’

‘ you just go right ahead and eat. ’

‘ don’t go out without your jacket. ’

‘ i’ve had enough trouble, thanks. ’

‘ you’ve been asleep. i didn’t want to wake you. ’ 

‘ i’m just disappointed in you, that’s all. ’

‘ we’ll spend more time together from now on. ’

‘ if you don’t stop playing with your food you can just leave the table. ’

‘ this is a serious thing. i want you to realize that. ’

‘ we have only one defense, and that is running away. ’

‘ i won’t be gone more than a minute. ’

‘ put your head on my shoulder now, and go to sleep. ’

‘ i’ll try to cope with it. ’

‘ you just cut it out. ’

‘ don’t call me that. ’

‘ it’s not new, of course, but there’s lots of wear in it still. ’

‘ something smells good. ’

‘ don’t try to run away again. ’

‘ light-headed, and sort of dizzy. ’

‘ oh, shut up, dopey. ’

‘ it isn’t fair, it isn’t right. ’

‘ look at my thumb. ’

‘ don’t buy any store doughnuts. ’

‘ why, you look as though you’ve seen a ghost. ’

‘ i’ll have a headache if i don’t get some solid food soon. ’

‘ this is a river and we’re on it. ’

‘ no one’s stopping you. ’ 

‘ i was just too tired last night to clean up. ’

‘ we’re not afraid. ’

‘ everyone can hear you. ’

‘ i think flowers make a room look so friendly. ’

‘ damn you. ’

‘ pick them up yourself. ’

‘ i have a suitcase full of mystery stories. ’

‘ it’s just a toothache. ’

‘ lousy day, isn’t it? ’

‘ now promise. ’

‘ finally made it. ’

‘ some good books. ’

‘ it was all covered in blood. ’

‘ just isn’t possible. ’

‘ get away from there, kid. ’

sometimes you just purposely want to upset yourself and that’s okay besties.

“ you were alone, left out in the cold. “

“ and if you have to leave, i wish that you would just leave. ”

“ sometimes when i close my eyes i pretend i’m all right but it’s never enough. ”

“ it’s a damn cold night trying to figure out this life. ”

“ perfect couldn’t keep this love alive. ”

“ life can be so lonely and i’m stuck up in these thoughts. ”

“ i’ve been looking for someone to put up with my bullshit. ”

“ i surrender who i’ve been for who you are. ”

“ i can’t save us. my atlantis, we fall. ”

“ let me sleep, i’m tired of my grief. ”

“ ‘cause i built a home for you and me until it disappeared from me, from you. ”

“ you’re as sick as all the secrets you keep, but the truth is i don’t wanna be me. ”

“ i can’t believe i still want you after all the things we’ve been through. ”

“ let the time decide when i won’t need you. ”

“ you know too much, i can’t be proud. ”

“ i should let you go, my hands are feeling cold. ”

“ i tried my best to be guarded, i’m an open book instead. ”

“ people say goodbye in their own special ways. ”

“ if right is leaving, then i’d rather be wrong. ”

“ the fight for you is all i’ve ever known, so come home. ”

“ cause this is the end, pretend that you want it. ”

“ if you don’t love me, pretend. ”

“ i want you to stay. ”

“ truth is never vain, it turns strangers into lovers. ”

“ endlessly, for you i’ll always wait. ”

“ i’m staring at the mess i made. ”

“ i’ve lost it all, i’m just a silhouette. ”

“ you’re on my mind, love. ”

“ do you realize the words you say make bruises that don’t fade away? ”

“ all wrapped up in cellophane, the feelings that we had. ”

“ i hear my heart breaking tonight, do you hear it too? ”

“ you’re everything to me, that’s why i had to leave. ”

“ i can’t sleep cause when i do all i dream are dreams of you. ”

“ i do want you to know i’ll hold you up above everyone. ”

“ you were like my lover and my best friend. ”

“ i might be okay but i’m not fine at all. ”

sentence starters inspired by various lyrics from the songs of rina sawayama’s   sawayama !!   some lyrics have been slightly modified to be more usable .  change gendered language   &   add context to your needs .  happy roleplaying !!♡

starters  /  prompts taken from various characters starring in the game   fire emblem : three houses .  feel free to change pronouns  /  tenses as necessary .

“  feel free to say hi whenever you like  ”

“  don’t hold back for my sake  ”

“  you think I’m so clumsy that I need someone to watch over me ?  ”

“  you act like you’re full of regret  ,  but I know you don’t really mean it  ”

“  you actually look more handsome to me with honesty on your face  ”

“  don’t be ashamed of crying  ”

“  could you keep quiet for a bit ?  ”

“  you’re actually kind of amazing  ”

“  do you mean to imply you have no intention of acting a bit more respectably ?  ”

“  stop acting so nonchalant about getting hurt or killed  ”

“  naive and uptight is no way to live your life  ”

“  you’d better watch that temper  ”

“  i am absolutely disinterested in spending any time with you  ”

“  your lack of self-awareness is deeply troubling  ”

“  I’ll just be straightforward about taking advantage of you  ”

“  when will you tire of challenging me in pointless competitions ?  ”

“  you expect me to believe that ?  ”

“  i’ve had enough of your foolish antics  ”

“  i wish you would not sneak up on me like that  ”

“  before you reprimand me  ,  take a moment to consider your own failings  ”

“  it is like hearing a snake sing an aria  ”

“  am I hearing a deathbed confession ?  ”

“  i never have any idea what you’re talking about  ”

“  don’t walk away when i’m talking to you  ”

“  you’ll be the death of me for sure  ”

“  i do not intend to die  ”

“  i can’t believe you put yourself at risk for my benefit  ”

“  i don’t think i’ve ever seen you smile  ”

“  i do not desire your gratitude  ”

“  you’re surprisingly strong for how slender you appear  ”

“  perhaps i was flustered needlessly  ”

“  i had forgotten how charmingly ethereal you can be  ”

“  you’re going a little overboard  ”

“  you have shaken me to my very core  ”

“  so this is what death is like  ”

“  if you get sick of me  ,  i’m sorry ahead of time  ”

“  i’m embarrassed just thinking about it  ”

“  you’re like a little brother to me  ”

“  spending the rest of my life with you doesn’t sound so bad  ”

“  if our roles were reversed  ,  I don’t think I’d be able to forgive you  ”

“  you actually hate me  ,  right ?  ”

“  you haven’t stabbed me yet  ”

“  i want to be more like you  ”

“  i actually envy the size of your heart  ”

“  i don’t think you can solve all your problems by throwing a few punches  ”

“  there aren’t a lot of people like you in the world  ”

“  sorry I’ve been so oblivious to your needs  ”

“  sometimes you just can’t afford to wait around for someone else to notice ”

“  yesterday’s enemy is today’s ally  ”

“  you have to abandon old feuds  ”

“  learn to protect yourself before trying to protect me  ”

“  i always trust that you’ve got my back  ”

“  if only people could be more like flowers  ”

“  if you promise not to resort to violence  ,  I’ll do whatever you want  ”

“  i can’t stand the sight of me either  ”

“  i would be even more impressed if you hadn’t been screaming the whole time  ”

“  i did what was necessary to get you to comply  ”

“  you have so much power in you  ,  just waiting to be unleashed  ”

why do fireflies have to die so soon?

i’ll be around if you need me.

i’m tired. carry me.

what day is it?

sorry i’m so late.

drink it all.

you have to eat.

where does it hurt?

i made them for you.

time for bed, okay?

we’re safe here. don’t worry. 

try to be brave.

did you cry?

one night without it won’t matter.

be careful. and get over there as soon as you can.

my eye hurts.

are you cold?

i feel funny.

let’s just catch our breath first.

we’re all in the same boat.

anyway, did you stop by the hospital?

it’s dark in there. i’m scared.

haven’t really decided yet. 

just be careful you don’t lose it. 

why don’t you stop by later?

that was the night i died. 

then why didn’t you tell me? why were you hiding it?!

none of this is your fault. 

did you think time would stand still when you left?

just so you know, i will be looking at your ass.

revenge is about setting the world straight again.

i’m pregnant!

every word that comes out of your mouth is a fucking excuse.

what happens next is your choice.

you don’t say my name now. you don’t even look at me now.

all those things you’ve done - they’re in your past, right? 

that’s probably the first honest thing you’ve said to me in months. 

i’m doing this because i love you.

you think one good deed cancels out everything you’ve done? 

anything that happened would have happened a lot sooner, and a lot worse, if i hadn’t have met you.

just think of me as your guardian angel.

because you love me? do you have any idea how inadequate that sounds? 

i’ve done such terrible, unforgivable things.

stop defining yourself by what you do for other people. 

oh my god, you’re not dead!

you do know we can’t go back to the way we were. 

i needed to start over. go somewhere else. be somebody else. 

did you miss me?

thank you for not saying anything.

you are not in this alone. i will always be there.

this is all just one big game to you, isn’t it?

i’d rather not talk to you at all, because you have been a five-star dickhead tonight. 

you want every little corner of me, but i just don’t want to give it.

could it wait until the morning - or at least until after i’ve peed?

i think i need to do this alone.

you saved me.

i’m an animal! i don’t deserve mercy or forgiveness!

there’s still good in you. 

come on, i’ll make us a cup of tea.

be honest with me, [name]. have you ever even touched a boob? 

if you won’t protect yourself, i will.

you don’t seem the type to be violent. 

there has to be justice, whatever the cost.

is anything going on between you guys?

you know how to make someone feel welcome.

i choose you.

this has to be the end.

do you even know who you’re in love with?

i don’t care about the consequences. 

you are asking me to look away and i can’t look away anymore.

this was a really sweet, if a little crazy, thing to do.

so… we’ll talk later.

why won’t you stay down and die with dignity?

no. no further.

this is not over. it can’t be.

try not to have too much fun without us.

i have this blink candle. it’s formed from various animals that blink.

it’s so rare that we’re actually given the opportunity to be honest about everything. we might as well try it once and see if we like it.

you know i’m in love with you, right?

you seem… like a person. and that’s great.

those are coins! you’re not making it rain, you’re making it hail!

i’m killing someone, hold please.

your secret is safe with my indifference.

my heart is someone else’s.

do not go far from me. if we are out of earshot, you are too far from me.

um, i don’t know if it’s the food you made or the fact that we’re going to die tomorrow, but i want to kiss you.

i was all kinds of fucked up a few weeks ago.

you’re all kinds of fucked up all the time. we all are. and that’s why we’re together.

i just want to let you know… i am possibly the worst person you’ve ever met.

i think i kind of hope… not necessarily to hurt you or harm you, but i hope that one day… that you can know just how awful i can be.

you can curse, it’s okay. you killed one of us.

i think i’ve always been in love with the idea of you.

i was only gone for thirty seconds!

i encourage violence.

i can give you the means to protect them.

i do not want to die who i am. i’d like to live long enough to be someone else.

you’re on your own, fuckface.

a volcano is - is nature’s candle!

sometimes people go and they don’t come back.

do you spice?

so we’re going to kill everyone that we see in the next ten seconds.

i don’t want to be here if you’re not.

i told you before. no one kills you but me.

he traded his life!

i don’t have very many things that i care about and i don’t have anything that cares about me.

i’m great! well, not really, but i’m just going to pretend i’m happy so everybody can be okay!

i’ve been in a barrel for an hour. i fell asleep in there!

yes. i heard. it was the only thing i heard.

don’t cry. i’m just a little cold.

i bury my shame.

i should have told you. it’s yours.

forgiveness - that’s the key, isn’t it? it’s the only way to really grow.

your hair’s a mess. sit still.

you are my heart. you are me. you are my other half. you are welcome with me always.

you don’t always have to put on a brave face, dear.

we’re friends, right? are we friends?

i know we don’t always agree and i know i can be unkind, but… you know you’re family, right?

i’ve had a terrible thought. and it is sort of my business to have terrible thoughts.

take me instead.

we walk towards glory.

that’s mine! that’s mine!

did it choose me because i was broken, or did it break me?

please bring him back to me.

you think you care about me?

this was always supposed to happen, wasn’t it?

i love you. if i can find you, i will. if not, stay alive.

if he’s gone i won’t be the same.

i’d watch your moral panic all day, it’s delightful.

in many ways you are my total opposite. but you are also my best friend.

i made a choice. this is my family.

i forgive you. but i cannot let you leave.

please. please. i love him as much as you do.

fix him. fix him!

i like this family. i’d like to keep it.

i want you to know that you are like a brother to me.

talk about my sister again.

it’s been a while since we’ve had one of our depressing chats!

i can’t have you gone. i need you here.

i think we’re very broken people. but i think together we’re much greater than the sum of our parts.

don’t ever fucking do that again.

you didn’t die. but you did! but you didn’t. but you did! and then you didn’t.

i don’t want any of this! i don’t want any of this.

i’ve just had a near death experience and i’m craving some lasagna. 

you know, you’re getting weirder.

you and i are very different.

i’ve killed two of those who’ve wronged me and nothing is better. nothing feels better. nothing is avenged.

call me “child” one more goddamn time!

if you’re lucky, you die last.

some people have no sense of fucking honor!

i’ll take my clothes off if it’ll inspire us.

thank you for believing in me.

you’ve never done anything for me! never! you’ve never risked anything, you don’t know me!

everyone else believes in you. why shouldn’t you?

how many fingers am i holding up?

what’s the first letter of the alphabet? this you know.

yay! teamwork!

you fucking died!

don’t touch me right now! i’m not - don’t touch me!

i’m going to go get a sandwich.

you had us all very worried.

your reckless impulses will get you killed!

i’m done with gods. they will not help me. perhaps you will. 

this is too fucking much.

come here, you shithead.

it has been an honor.

screw you! i want my final words with you to be indignant and irritated.

you’re the face i saw when murder entered my heart.

i’m undecided about you.

never forget you’re my favorite. and i’m so sorry.

i’m not leaving him.

you’re a better man than you believe.

feel like making a home here?

you’re an idiot and i’m very proud of you. don’t do that again.

sound off if you’re alive.