- GOODBYE, HORSES -

I know you couldn't disagree.

Everywhere I go, I get slandered, libeled!

Tell me what you come here for, boy.

You better get your bags and flee.

You're in trouble, boy, and you're heading into more.

Just trying to keep my customers satisfied.

It happened to me, and it can happen to you!

Now I see life for what it is.

It came and broke my pretty balloon.

There's something that I've got to let you know.

Do dreams come true?

I never told you of some things I've done I'm so ashamed of.

I tried with all of my heart!

I'm just not worthy of you!

Well, hi there, kid. You ain't been around for quite some little while.

Boy, don't get above your station.

Why could I not understand?

I won't stay in a world without love.

Your daddy, he's an outlaw and a wanderer by trade.

One more cup of coffee 'fore I go.

Your sister sees the future like your mama and yourself.

You've never learned to read or write, there's no books upon your shelf...

Your loyalty is not to me, but to the stars above.

If there's a chance for me, then I don't care.

When we met, I felt my life begin.

Things will be great when you're downtown!

You'll be dancing with them, too, before the night is over.

Hey, I saw your guy with a different girl...

She can't catch up with the working crowd.

Baby, I would like to go out tonight.

If I go with you, my folks will get uptight.

Now, I belong to you, from this day until forever...

Wish they'd let me in.

Wonder just what's goin' on in there.

Please, don't wake me up too late.

Leave your flowers at my door.

Don't say it's useless.

Don't say 'forget it'.

They say it's me that makes you do things you might not have done if I was away.

Don't leave me lonely. Don't leave me unhappy.

If you don't need me, then don't deceive me.

Be my angel and treat me right.

Don't send me roses on your behalf.

Have I ever told you how good it feels to hold you?

I think I may start crying.

My heart can't wait another day.

I can't live without you.

I love everything about you.

Oh, I'm so glad I found you.

Oh, tell me that you feel the same.

Well, I'm not the world's most physical guy...

Well, I'm not the world's most passionate guy...

One of us had better call up the cops.

Why'd you bring him in here for? He ain't the guy.

A poor boy like you could use a break.

You can come over.

Sleep by my window.

Your friends are so nice.

I've got to go home early tonight.

My enemies are sick or dead!

You see, everybody loves me, baby. What's the matter with you?

Won'tcha tell me, what did I do to offend you?

Why, you can't blame me, I'm Heaven's child!

I'm held in very great value... by everyone I meet but you.

I did a whole lot better than they thought I would, so...

C'mon and treat me like ya should!

Oh, he's being untrue, but I'm cheating him too.

I'm really, really happy.

Yes, I'm really, really happy with him.

Step into my room, we'll have a word or two.

Sure, I stopped drinking... but, for the moment, honey, here's looking at you.

Honey, welcome back home!

I know she told you.

Honey, I know she told you that she loved you.

I'll always be 'round if you ever want me.

Ain't nobody ever gonna love you.

Try to find something to do with your life, baby.

I was rummaging through a closet and it was just sitting there.

I was a writer then.

You're still a writer.

What thanks does she get? You go and kill her!

I'm your number one fan.

There's nothing to worry about.

You're gonna be just fine.

You've been here two days.

I'm also a nurse.

How come I'm not in the hospital?

You mustn't tire yourself.

You've gotta rest.

Will I be able to walk?

Your shoulder was badly dislocated.

I don't think a doctor could've done better.

It's not nearly as bad as it looks.

You think he might be missing, huh?

I hate that I made this call.

Tell me I'm being silly.

You were following me?

Could I ask you a favor?

What's your new book called?

Who am I to make a criticism to someone like you?

See what you made me do?

Can you ever forgive me?

No, I'm enjoying myself!

Let's go to the newspaper office.

Oh, I hope I didn't wake you.

Yeah, I'm, uh... starting to believe you.

You dirty bird... How could you?

She can't be dead!

I don't want her spirit! I want her!

She didn't 'slip away'! You did it!

I thought you were good, [Name].

You're just another lying old dirty birdie.

Oh, you're such a crybaby.

You must rid the world of this filth.

You're not ridding the world of anything.

You're doing the right thing.

Well, isn't that an oogy mess?

Yeah, well, it's a theory.

See, isn't this nice?

Ooh, and look what I got for you.

What in the world do you think I'd write?

I know you didn't mean it when you killed her, and now you'll make it right.

You fooler!

Did I do good?

I thought you'd be interested.

Thank you for thinking of me.

Anything else I can get while l'm in town?

I'll tell you what's the matter!

I do everything to try and make you happy!

I feed you, I clean you, I dress you, and what thanks do I get?

What have you been doing?

I need my pills.

I want my pills now!

It just breaks my heart to see you like this.

You'll be brilliant.

Think of me as your inspiration.

I have faith in you, my darling.

You don't think he's dead, do you?

You'll have to do it over again.

It's not worthy of you.

Not even a hint?

I'm gonna put on my Liberace records!

You do like Liberace, don't you?

Would you have dinner with me tonight?

I couldn't have done it without you.

Can't get this in a restaurant in New York.

I ruined your beautiful toast!

Will you ever forgive me?

Can we pretend this never happened?

Why would you lose me?

You've been out of your room.

I have a system here!

What do you want to know?

I haven't invited you in.

I'm not much of a critic.

Would you like a cup of cocoa?

... you're not fit company for anyone else.

But you didn't even taste your cocoa.

I'm down here!

But now our time in this world must end.

I've prepared for what must be done.

I put two bullets in my gun, one for you and one for me.

Oh, darling, it'll be so beautiful.

I'll fix you something to eat.

You'll know very soon.

I've just started the last chapter.

You mean you don't know?

You'll know everything in a minute.

I thought you'd be thrilled. You're being taken seriously.

I wrote it for me.

I thought you were over it.

Will doesn’t think the other is going to like what he has to say.

They’re two very different people with two very unique motivations. How does Will begin to explain that he has the serial killer spider sense without sounding insane? Presumably, they share two similar states of mind that make them suitable for understanding each other. The problem was that Will had nothing nice to say about the other.

He only offers a crooked smile, “I’ll answer your questions if you answer mine.” He says, given the circumstances, he doesn’t know how his fate is going to turn out. He could, at least, fish around for some of his own curiosity before either of them had to act and take out the other.

One of Jame Gumb's biggest faults was his desire to be understood. Supposedly, such a thing was what made one human— that longing for connection.

All it seemed to do for Jame, however, was get him into trouble time and time again. He must have loved digging his own grave, because something inside him overpowered the rational part of his brain-- the one that was committed to silence-- and took the bait like a fish on a line.

Eyes narrowing, the blonde crouched down in front of the smaller man. He scanned Will's bonds for some kind of wilt, or a hint of an in-progress escape. Nothing, not yet.

It would stay that way, he told himself. As Will had said, it was Will who was tied up in Jame's basement. Jame had the upper hand here.

The risk was at a total net-zero.

"Well, since I do wanna know..." Gumb began, slow and skeptical despite the vaguely self-aware giggle that slipped through at the end. "Some other girls in some other river."

If Will told him what he'd done wrong this time around, then Jame would know not to make the same mistake the next time a fed showed up at his door.

Smiling the type of smile that spoke more of discomfort than joy, the killer inched closer.

"I don't quite remember the names. Wasn't important to me." Not really. More like he'd intentionally forgot them; intentionally snuffed any semblance of the victims' humanity from his line of sight so that killing them would be easier for him. "One that stands out was that, uh... Catherine Martin chick."

The media wouldn't let him forget her name. Back when the case had still been classed an active kidnapping, the poor lady's face and name had been broadcast on every TV and radio station in the entire Midwest and its neighboring states down south. The news had reached the West Coast, too. And the East Coast. She'd been in the paper, in magazines, and on the back of milk cartons.

Her mother had even spoke to the news herself. She had written public letters addressing the then-anonymous Gumb, which may as well have never reached him. She had begged him to spare her girl.

Jame pressed his tongue against his teeth.

"... That'un survived, though."

Lucky her. He'd been about to do away with her, too, when Starling had crashed the whole thing. Perhaps it was for the best. For all of Jame's childish, metaphorical-fingers-in-ears coping, he still would have lost his mind if he'd had to deal with Mrs. Martin's incessant pleas flitting about in the back of his head while he fashioned her daughter's skin into fabric.

Just a little angsty

"Jaaaaammmeeeee," Valentino's voice is light and airy, syrupy and cloyingly sweet. There's no kindness in the way he says his name. Crimson smoke curls from the moth's lips, snaking out to wind loosely around Jame, punctuated into a heart once it reaches him before it fades away.

"Uh-huh."

A good day. Sure.

"Did you pick the shirts?" Jame asked cooly, lidded eyes flicking back to Val. It wasn't that he didn't know what Valentino did to those that questioned his decisions.

It was just...

"Cow 'n' snow leopard prints together is, uh, a bold decision."

And, if he had truly voiced his opinion, he would have added that nobody in their right mind was going to find him hot in that outfit. At best, they would laugh at him. At worst, they would be so focused on his horrendous getup that they would lose their good mood entirely. Maybe even turn the movie off.

And the three layered, tucked-in shirts on the image? Surely not, right?

"What kind of character dresses like that? Am I s'pposed t'be a pimp?"

Highly selective & mutuals only HAZBIN HOTEL MULTIMUSE starring VOX, VAL, ALASTOR, KATIE KILLJOY, TRAVIS, AND LOTS MORE! Recorded by Al. 21+. MINORS DNI. Read the rules BEFORE you engage! 🦋📺❤️

Revised, inspired by numerous other memes I've seen around. Meant for muns to communicate on things that they might be unsure how to say otherwise.

👻 - I'm too anxious.

😮‍💨 - I'm worried about bothering you.

🧑‍💻 - You seem very busy, and I don't want to add to that.

😴 - I'd love to interact, but I'm very slow right now.

🗣️ - I'm slow / not writing much right now, but I'd love to plot something or just chat OOC.

🕵️ - I'm not sure what our characters would do yet (and need help figuring it out).

👽 - I want to write, but I'd rather use a muse who is on one of my other blogs, and you don't follow it.

🤖 - I like your writing, but I don't know how well it will mesh with mine.

🥴 - I tried to reach out before, and didn't hear back from you. I don't want to bug you!

🏠 - Life is getting in the way.

🤨 - I mostly reply to starter calls and open starters, and you don't post them.

🥲 - I mostly like to plot, and you seem to prefer other forms of starting something.

😆 - I mostly send meme prompts in, and you don't reblog many that make sense for me to send.

🫢 - I have an idea, but I'm nervous about sharing it.

🫶 - I'm on hiatus/semi-hiatus right now, but I want to eventually.

🤠 - You followed me first, so I was waiting for you to reach out to me.

🧠 - I need more help understanding your muse.

🫨 - You seem to have lots of friends / mutuals already, and I don't want to intrude.

🫣 - I mostly followed because I want to ship, and I don't know if you're going to be on board.

😦 - The character I followed you for is low muse rn.

🫠 - The character you followed me for is low muse rn.

🤕 - I want to write, but your formatting / prose is hard for me to see/understand.

🥶 - We used to interact and it kind of fizzled out, and I'm not sure how to start up again.

🤙 - I don't have the energy to continue our current plot, but would love to plot something else or timeskip.

👀 - I think I want to retcon our stuff and start anew if you are also down for it.

🏃‍♂️ - I dropped our thread(s) and don't have an idea for another thing, so I'm waiting until I do.

🏥 - My (physical / mental) health is fickle.

🙊 - You seem to prefer fast replies, and I can take weeks/months and don't know if you'll get invested in a thread at my pace.