yeah, i'm back in town.

i wanna see [ name ], okay?

well, that's not fair, is it?!

oh my god, you look.. like crap.

this long, no see? you don't get to know.

you have no idea what that costs me.

i wasn't talking about my cut, i was talking about my pride.

you've been gone for almost a year, [ name ]. i'm not judging, just saying.

i'm not judging, just saying.

oh, you robbed her body.

you can do better.

what the hell is wrong with you?

look at me, you understand? look at me!

use it, or hang it up, okay?

do not snap towels at me, [ name ], i had a very traumatic childhood.

get in the car, damn it! we're late!

suddenly you don't give a damn, i get pissed.

now, you had better be ready. are you ready?

you're sure as hell overdressed.

what, were you out all night or something?

i know this shit is as hard as it gets, but you gotta stop making it worse.

"fashionably late", you called it?

stick to your statement and you'll be fine.

i panicked, what do you want me to say?

where's your wit gone?

you haven't called me dipshit all day.

i know this thing's got you all twisted up, but you've got to forgive yourself.

[ name ], i know you're in there! open the door now!

it's not coming back to you?

i'm not sure i should say anything at all.

i don't want to talk about [ name ].

you need to talk to me about that moment.

feels like she's lying about something.

deep down, we all hope we're special.

the last thing i am is special.

oh. you're disappearing again?

weren't you coming back this weekend?

i got sick to my stomach, i basically puked on them.

what did you do to your hair? ... it's longer.

why are you such a dick?

first, though, you need a shower. and a xanax.

just keep away from me!

your partner. he was following you.

[ name ], where have you been?

there's blood everywhere!

holy shit, it's true ... that someone is killing us.

you need to get rid of the body.

uh ... how about you come help me?

for starters, you're a drug dealer.

of course not, you think we'd let that happen?

i don't ... nothing, i don't want to talk about it.

that's my one bit of good news.

is that so much to ask?

bastard must've followed me and nicked it.

okay, let's not go off ... [ name ], [ name ] !

how long can you keep gaming the cops?

what the hell are you doing?

i'm worried you're losing the plot again.

sorry, i've got a lot of work to do.

you're not ready for this, you need to take more time.

is that a diagnosis? cause i've got plenty of professional help for that.

i can't keep waking up at night, checking your breathing.

i knew it was too good to be true.

why would you help with such a stupid plan?

that was when i drew my weapon.

i'm not dirty, i just freaked out.

i'm not going to play [ name ] in the middle.

i'd do it all again, [ name ].

cut the shit, [ name ], and tell me where it came from.

yeah, i was gonna leave town, but i turned around.

are you wearing a wire?

if there's another version of this story ...

there's only one story, [ name ].

run me through it again. so i know you won't crack under questioning.

if they dig, they'll find the pills.

i wouldn't do that, [ name ].

i can't help myself.

— then why would you even ask?

because ... i told you to.

i'm gonna hang onto that money until you're cleared.

why would you go in my room?

the sink is broken, what the hell is wrong with you?

are you out of your mind?

idiot. do you even know who you're talking to?

i don't care who you are.

please just tell me ... who are we to each other?

are you kidding me? i'm not doing that.

you need to get out of here.

let go, don't touch me.

hide your ugly face on the way out.

i'm making progress, full progress.

what i'm trying to do is move on.

that's not gonna work for me.

does that sound stoned to you?

you have constantly tested me.

since you apparently already know where i live, come by after 9.

knock quietly.

come on, [ name ], give me a little love here.

why do you have to be such a hardass?

you know i never would've got in if you said we're going to the suburbia.

don't stop, someone might speak to us.

my skin breaks out every time we come downtown.

oh my god, who's in there?

[ name ], you always do this to me!

i don't do "backup", i don't even know what "backup" is!

close it, lock it.

you point a gun at me again, i'll kick the living shit out of you.

what the hell were you doing here?

seriously, it's life or death.

you can't just ignore it!

-> ACTIONS :

sender is aggressively banging on receiver's front door, demanding entry.

sender begs receiver for their help in faking sender's death.

sender seduces receiver in order to distract them.

sender has discovered receiver's secret life, and confronts them.

receiver catches sender as they're trying to skip town.

sender tries to seduce receiver in order to make them stop investigating.

sender arrives to receiver's place drunk and injured.

sender calls receiver for help getting the blood out of their car.

sender starts a physical fight with receiver in a sensitive environment.

receiver must cautiously evade sender, who thinks they're dead.

receiver gets a cryptic text from sender asking to meet in person.

sender and receiver return to their hotel room only to find it trashed.

sender is caught following receiver, and receiver confronts them.

sender stands between receiver's loaded gun and a third party.

sender accompanies receiver to a doctor's appointment.

sender leverages receiver's addiction/s against them.

sender witnesses something traumatic, immediately going to receiver.

sender holds a fake funeral for receiver, which the latter watches at a distance.

sender and receiver meet in a diner for a sensitive discussion.

she stands far away, ⠀ getting a solid look at the whole picture. ⠀ driver in the middle, ⠀ wading in a pool of blood, ⠀ posing beside a freshly dead body. ⠀ HER FIRST INSTINCT IS TO CRY. ⠀ but the idea of anyone seeing her cry (*off-screen) humiliates her, ⠀ and she can’t stomach the idea of him feeling bad for her ⠀ — ⠀ so, ⠀ she swallows that down and continues staring at him, ⠀ looking at the red that covers him, ⠀ her body beginning to involuntarily shake from overwhelm.

He’s never really been good at answering them though — especially not now, when her expression tears a grotesque gash in the midst of his ribs. He’d rather have his teeth pulled one by one, bone crushed by the rust of old pliers, than witness MJ in distress. Yet here he stands, the cause of it.

It never works like it does in the movies. He should’ve fucking known.

“ I’m gonna take care of it.” Matter of fact in tone, and his face softens a half a degree, then hardens again. There’s no need to explain. There's no time to explain. It isn’t her problem — or it was never supposed to be her problem. And the raw smell of his violence cannot be excused away ( he wanted to hurt him. he can't hide that. ) . “ But you can’t stay here. You gotta leave.” Driver tucks the hammer into his jacket pocket, then gives their surroundings a cursory glance. Still quiet. He’s half offended Nino only sent the one. “ Go to the shop. Take one of my cars. ” His throat feels raw with the sudden uptick in use, cobwebs clearing in a deep guttural sigh. He pulls out a keychain from the other pocket.

⠀ ⠀ she’s used to people teasing, ⠀ comments buried under compliments, ⠀ but this feels different. ⠀ blood rushes to her face as she hurries to explain, ⠀ but Driver beats her to it, ⠀ leaving her to respond with a smile and a nod. ⠀ … ⠀ she can sense the embarrassment in his expression, ⠀ so she changes the subject, ⠀ her voice smooth, ⠀ slightly warm. ⠀ “ ⠀ sorry to interrupt your work. ⠀ i hope you weren’t too busy. ⠀ ” ⠀ she says, ⠀ trying to meet his gaze again.

mj’s arrival brought out something else. a sharp prick between his ribcage, a pain he was unused to.

“ should come with you after. make sure it’s running right. ” his tongue slides the toothpick to the side of his mouth, biting down til it started to snap. driver can almost feel shannon’s eyes burning holes in his spine, and he shifts nervously — suddenly aware of their close proximity. he tilts his head to the side, finally breaking eye contact, and steps towards the shade of the garage.

vulnerability is a bleeding wound, ⠀ and she’s never sure how to patch it up. ⠀ how to express her feelings without sounding like she’s the least serious candidate for the grand prize on a game show. ⠀ hesitant and never quite sure how to answer any statement presented to her: ⠀ responding instead with a deflection or a joke.

the worst part of it all is she feels the same way. ⠀ she doesn’t normally feel this way, ⠀ completely willing to lay herself emotionally bare in front of him. ⠀ / ⠀ her breath hitches over the line, ⠀ waiting for him to follow up, ⠀ for another statement that she could latch onto. ⠀ [but she knows him well enough to know that he won’t.]