sun-bleached flies.

dialogue prompts from anita de monte laughs last by xóchitl gonzález.

the parties here are all the same.

i'm not being cynical, just honest.

you always come back with the longest stories.

human will is a particularly powerful magic.

you take the sounds of home for granted.

my gilded cage comes with barbed wire.

promise you'll start calling me ____.

it's not every day i meet someone who can insult me without making me feel bad.

most people are phonies, you know?

endings are tricky things to pinpoint, aren't they?

perhaps we were always doomed.

endings are long and messy. and honestly, i'm not certain they exist.

i don't like being part of a schtick.

i've learned to put on a good show.

i thought you might need a drink.

i know you've never been a fan of mine.

romance is a bitch.

i'm not going to fall in line. not now, not ever.

your actions have consequences.

you needed me before you even knew me.

you are a tough fucking cookie.

you are so fucking cool.

you should really just let me go.

it's even better than i imagined.

it's late. just sleep over.

tell me why we're laughing.

this was sloppy, sloppy kid shit.

people still do ketamine?

i've always just been good at things.

everything worth doing hurts at least a little bit.

you can't imagine what happens to children when adults see them as dispossessed.

you've read too much freud.

i didn't really appreciate what it was that i had.

i'm a bit dramatic.

catastrophe can be a course correction, you know?

everyone freaked out a bit, but not you.

i'm part witch, and witches are never surprised.

i don't want to fight anymore.

no one's ever asked me that before.

i've always been too much or not enough.

everything has a workaround, for a price.

when we get along, we're unstoppable.

what you did was profoundly uncool.

your silence speaks volumes.

what do you need me for, anymore?

oysters are supposed to be an aphrodisiac. did you know that?

please bullshit someone else.

you've always had a good head on your shoulders.

maybe everything doesn't need to be so hard.

how did you know it was me?

i didn't know those were my glory days.

people like me can teach people like you a thing or two.

thought is a very powerful thing.

misery really does love company.

probably what's wrong with you is that you think you always know what's wrong with you.

i hate crying. even when i'm the one doing it.

i've never seen wasps be so emotional.

you want to split a box of wine?

[ 1. ] sender steps between receiver and an aggressive stranger, voice low and steady: "walk. away."

[ 2. ] sender teaches receiver self-defense, hands firm on their hips as they adjust their stance.

[ 3. ] sender presses their forehead to receiver's, voice breaking as they murmur, "i don't know how to fix this, but i'm not leaving."

[ 4. ] sender shoves receiver out of the way of a projectile.

[ 5. ] sender combs their fingers through receiver's hair in the aftermath of a traumatic event, whispering words of comfort.

[ 6. ] sender whispers, “i’ve thought about this all day,” before pinning receiver against a wall for a searing kiss.

[ 7. ] sender wipes away the receiver’s falling tears with their thumb and whispers, “i’m here."

[ 8. ] sender patches up receiver's wounds, hands trembling as they whisper, "you can't keep doing this to me."

[ 9. ] sender shoves receiver into a hiding spot, hissing, "stay here or i’ll kill you myself."

[ 10. ] sender finds receiver drunk at a party, sighing. "let’s get you home."

[ 11. ] sender is discovered sleepwalking by receiver.

[ 12. ] sender steals receiver’s weapon and presses it to their own chest, daring: “go ahead. prove me right.”

[ 13. ] sender ‘accidentally’ flashes receiver while changing, purring, "see something you like?"

[ 14. ] sender whispers, "you’ll ruin me," before biting receiver’s lip hard enough to draw blood.

[ 15. ] sender takes over while receiver is giving themselves stitches, promising to handle it.

[ 16. ] sender frantically grips receiver by the shoulders, "don't you dare close your eyes."

[ 17. ] sender fixes receiver’s crooked [ tie / jewelry ], teasing, "nervous?"

[ 18. ] sender shakes receiver out of a nightmare, comforting them in the aftermath. "same nightmare again?"

[ 19. ] sender brings hot tea and medication to a [ hungover / ill ] receiver.

[ 20. ] sender invites receiver to dance with them, insisting, "what? this song's perfect."

[ 21. ] sender leaves a single rose on receiver’s windshield with a note: "you’re being followed. smile."

[ 22. ] sender pins receiver’s wrists during a sparring match, grinning, "yield."

[ 23. ] sender playfully steals something from receiver, initiating a chase. "come and get it, then."

[ 24. ] sender drapes a blanket over receiver, accidentally waking them. "sorry, go back to sleep."

[ 25. ] receiver returns home only to find sender already there. "finally."

[ 26. ] after a pleasant night out together, sender asks: "can i kiss you goodnight?"

[ 27. ] sender wipes the blood from receiver's face, murmuring, "let's get you cleaned up."

[ 28. ] sender shoves receiver against a vending machine to dodge security, breathless. "act natural."

[ 29. ] sender wakes receiver in the throes of a nightmare, reassuring them, "it's okay, it's not real."