even the hardest substance can be broken

(starters inspired by too many drinks, city lights, and the kind of honesty that only comes after midnight)

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐀𝐑 𝐈𝐒 𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆

“You look like you could use another drink… or a bad decision.”

“Don’t tell me you came here alone.”

“I’m not drunk, I’m just—emotionally flexible right now.”

“One more round, and I might actually tell you what I’m thinking.”

“I didn’t plan on running into you here.”

“You’ve got that look—like you’re either about to confess something or start a fight.”

“You’re staring again. Should I take that as an invitation?”

“You ever think about how many bad ideas start with a shot glass?”

“You dance like you’re trying to forget something.”

“It’s way past decent hours—what are you still doing out?”

𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐒𝐊𝐄𝐘 𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐆, 𝐄𝐘𝐄𝐒 𝐓𝐎𝐎 𝐒𝐎𝐅𝐓

“You can stop pretending you’re fine. Nobody believes it after their third drink.”

“I thought you didn’t drink anymore.”

“It’s funny—liquor makes you honest, but you still can’t say what you really want, can you?”

“You shouldn’t walk home alone. I’ll come with you.”

“You always talk like this when you’ve had too much.”

“You smell like smoke and regret. It suits you.”

“Let’s make a pact—we don’t talk about this in the morning.”

“You shouldn’t have kissed me. But I’m not asking you to stop.”

“You ever get drunk enough to think the world might love you back?”

“We’re both going to regret this tomorrow, aren’t we?”

𝐋𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐑, 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒 𝐒𝐋𝐈𝐏

“What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done? I’ll go first.”

“Tell me a truth—just one. The kind you’d never say sober.”

“You’re going to forget this conversation in the morning, right?”

“If I told you I missed you, would you blame the alcohol?”

“You keep drinking like you’re trying to forget something. Or someone.”

“I didn’t mean to call you. My hands just remembered your number.”

“Why are you crying? Don’t tell me it’s just the gin.”

“You said you don’t love me anymore, but you’re still here.”

“Do you ever wonder how we got this lost?”

“Sometimes, I think the night listens better than people do.”

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐋𝐎𝐖 — quiet streets, unspoken things

“I’ll walk you home. You can pretend you don’t need me to.”

“It’s too late for goodbyes, isn’t it?”

“We shouldn’t have let it get this far.”

“You can hold my hand. Just for tonight.”

“Do you ever wish you’d met me sober?”

“Don’t fall asleep yet. The world feels softer when it’s still spinning.”

“Stay until the city forgets our names.”

“You look different under the streetlights.”

“Promise me you won’t vanish when morning comes.”

“I don’t know what I’ll remember most — the taste of the drink, or you.”

if you are sending to a multi-muse, remember to specify the muse that the sentence starters are being sent for .

“ I never asked you to save me - I asked you to stay. ”

“ You keep saying you’re fine, but I can still see the blood on your hands. ”

“ Don’t touch me. Everyone I love ends up broken. ”

“ I forgave you the first three times. There won’t be a fourth. ”

“ You weren’t there when I needed you most, so why are you here now? ”

“ I stopped counting the days since you left - turns out forever is shorter than I thought. ”

“ All those promises you made sound like lies when I say them out loud. ”

“ I kept your side of the bed empty for a year. It’s time to admit you’re not coming back. ”

“ You look at me like I’m a ghost, but you’re the one who killed us. ”

“ I would have burned the world down for you. You wouldn’t even cross the street. ”

“ Say it. Say you never loved me so I can finally stop hoping. ”

“ The worst part isn’t that you lied - it’s that I still believed you. ”

“ I practiced smiling in the mirror so you wouldn’t notice I’m falling apart. ”

“ You taught me how to trust again. Thanks for the lesson. ”

“ Every time you walk away, a piece of me goes with you. ”

“ I didn’t lose you. You threw me away the moment someone better came along. ”

“ Stop apologizing. The damage is already done. ”

“ I still reach for you in my sleep and wake up colder than before. ”

“ You said ‘forever’ like it was easy. ”

“ I keep replaying the last time you said my name, trying to hear love in it. ”

“ The silence after you left is louder than any fight we ever had. ”

“ I was ready to die for you. You weren’t even willing to live for me. ”

“ Tell me where it hurts, so I know where to stop touching. ”

“ You moved on so fast I didn’t even get the chance to miss you properly. ”

“ I built my whole world around you, and you just walked out the door without looking back. ”

“ The worst lies are the ones we tell ourselves to survive loving you. ”

“ I finally deleted your number. My phone still autocorrects ‘I’m sorry’ to your name. ”

“ You weren’t the villain - you were just cruel with good intentions. ”

“ I hate that I still check if you’re okay when I’m the one bleeding. ”

“ We didn’t break up. We slowly tore each other apart until there was nothing left to save. ”

“ You said you’d never make me cry. Look at me now. ”

“ I keep the voicemail you left the night everything fell apart. I’ve listened to it so many times I know your pauses by heart. ”

“ Loving you feels like drowning in slow motion while you stand on the shore. ”

“ I wasn’t enough to make you stay, but I was enough to make you feel guilty about leaving. ”

“ You came back like nothing happened, but I’m still picking up pieces you don’t even see. ”

“ I stopped leaving the porch light on. You never noticed anyway. ”

“ The saddest part is I still defend you when people ask why I’m not over it. ”

“ You didn’t just break my heart - you broke my ability to believe anyone else. ”

“ I finally understand why you always said ‘don’t get attached.’ You never planned on staying. ”

“ Every happy memory we had now feels like evidence in a crime scene. ”

“ I wish I could hate you. It would hurt less than this. ”

“ You keep asking what you can do to fix this. Start by going back in time. ”

“ I smiled in all the photos so no one would know you were destroying me behind them. ”

“ The hardest part of letting go is realizing you let go first. ”

“ I still flinch when someone says your name like it’s a curse. ”

“ You weren’t a chapter - you were the whole book, and now it’s on fire. ”

“ I didn’t lose feelings. They were murdered, slowly, every time you chose not to choose me. ”

“ I hope one day you look for me in a crowded room and feel what I feel every single day. ”

“ You walked away like it was easy, but I’m still here trying to remember how to breathe without you. ”

𝐠𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 -

01. avoids eye contact or looking at the floor. 02. wringing hands together in silence. 03. fidgeting with the hem of their shirt, unable to stay still. 04. looking at receiver in long silence before looking away. 05. silently leaves a folded note on the table in front of the other. 06. touches the others arm but pulls back out of guilt.

𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 -

01. slams fist onto a table without saying a word. 02. exhaling sharply through their nose and clenching their jaw. 03. throws an object across the room. 04. crossing their arms tightly, digging fingers into their own skin. 05. pacing the room with heavy steps. 06. glares at the other with a clenched fist.

𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 -

01. gently pushing stray hair behind the others ear. 02. resting their forehead against the others. 03. cups the others face with both hands. 04. pressing a kiss to the others forehead in silence. 05. lingering touches against the others face. 06. wraps their arms around the other from behind and rests their head on the others shoulder.

𝐬𝐚𝐝𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 -

01. wiping their eyes before someone can notice. 02. pressing their face into a pillow to muffle sobs. 03. pulls the other into a desperate hug and wont let go. 04. silently reaching for the others hand, needing comfort. 05. walks into the room with red-rimmed eyes and no words.

𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 -

01. spins the other around without warning in a hug. 02. links arms with the other and tugs them along happily. 03. provides the other with a handmade gift. 04. tackles the other in a sudden and joyful hug. 05. kisses the others cheek unexpectedly and grins.

𝐟𝐞𝐚𝐫 -

01. backing away slowly and looking for exits. 02. hiding behind the other and peeking around. 03. flinches at sudden movement from the other. 04. presses their back against the wall with eyes darting around the room. 05. jumps at a noise and instinctively grabs the others hand.

𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠

01. tucks a blanket gently around the other person's shoulders. 02. applies a bandage with slow and deliberate care. 03. brings them food and water and watches to ensure they eat. 04. runs fingers through their hair in efforts to soothe. 05. rubs soothing circles on the others back while they cry. 06. stays silently by the others side in support without saying a word.

𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠

" Roger." They try the name on their tongue, seemed about right, a heart breaker." You never tried to look for him? See what life he has made for himself?"

"what about you? do you have a sordid history as well?"

[ S ] kisses [ R ] in the dressing room, the door barely closed behind them.

[ S ] leans over and kisses [ R ] across a table holding an elaborate meal.

[ S ] steals a kiss with [ R ] on the street outside a restaurant.

[ S ] pulls [ R ] into their lap in a seat of [ S ]'s car for a passionate kiss.

[ S ] meets [ R ]'s lips in the back row of a dark movie theater.

[ S ] backs [ R ] up for a kiss at the [ library / bookstore ], in the stacks.

[ S ] sneaks a kiss from [ R ] in the back recesses of a church during prayer.

[ S ] plants a kiss upon [ R ] while dancing at a [ party / wedding ].

[ S ] leans over and kisses [ R ] in the coat check line of a crowded gala.

[ S ] kisses [ R ] in an otherwise empty aisle of the grocery store.

[ S ] kisses [ R ] in a rush before ducking into their waiting taxi.

[ S ] hoists [ R ] up to kiss them on the [ tailgate / bed ] of a truck.

[ S ] steals away for kisses with [ R ] in a quiet room at a house party.

[ S ] meets [ R ] in a kiss on a lively [ boardwalk / fairground ].

[ S ] pulls [ R ] in for a passionate kiss in a downpour of rain.

[ S ] leads [ R ] into [ S ]'s walk-in closet to kiss them in private.

[ S ] catches [ R ]'s lips at the [ subway / train ] station.

[ S ] shares a kiss with [ R ] on the private balcony of a hotel room.

[ S ] presses a kiss to [ R ] against the wall of a public hotel hallway.

[ S ] meets [ R ]'s lips on a ferris wheel, stopped at the very top.

[ S ] sneaks a kiss with [ R ] in a photo booth as the flash goes off.

[ S ] pulls [ R ] into a risky kiss under the bleachers during a game.

[ S ] nervously kisses [ R ] on [ S ]'s doorstep before rushing inside.

[ S ] ambushes [ R ] with a kiss in the locker room after a session.

[ S ] sneakily kisses [ R ] in the back of a class hall during a lecture.

[ S ] steals a kiss from [ R ] backstage at a show [ R ] is performing at.

[ S ] tugs [ R ] in for a kiss against the mirror of a thrift store fitting room.

[ S ] shares a heated kiss with [ R ] on the porch of a snowy cabin.

[ S ] sneaks a kiss with [ R ] in the [ pool / lake / sea ] under the moonlight.

[ S ] tugs [ R ] in for a kiss in the middle of a [ corn / hedge ] maze.

[ S ] pulls [ R ] in for a heated kiss at a rowdy bonfire.

[ S ] pushes [ R ] against an elevator wall for a passionate kiss.

[ S ] leans in to kiss [ R ] on the platform of a fire escape.

[ S ] leans over to kiss [ R ] in a moving taxi.

[ S ] finds [ R ] and kisses them desperately at the gate of an airport.

[ S ] kisses [ R ] on the highest deck of a skyscraper.

[ S ] corners [ R ] for a kiss in a museum after hours, paintings watching.

[ S ] kisses [ R ] in a record store, "their song" playing overhead.

[ S ] pulls [ R ] in for a kiss in the [ greenhouse / garden ] at night.

[ S ] steals a kiss from [ R ] on a bench at the bus stop, rain starting to fall.

[ S ] backs [ R ] up for a kiss in the bathroom of a [ bar / club ].

[ S ] trades a kiss with [ R ] on a [ sailboat / ship ].

[ S ] topples to the ground on top of [ R ] while making out in a meadow.

[ S ] shares a kiss under the sun with [ R ] in a field of wildflowers.

[ S ] presses a kiss to [ R ]'s mouth at the edge of a rocky cliff.

[ S ] steals a kiss from [ R ] on a park bench at midnight.

[ S ] claims a kiss from [ R ] in the backseat of a car at a drive-in movie.

[ S ] kisses [ R ] on an ice rink amidst muffled giggles as their skates wobble.

[ S ] lays a kiss to [ R ]'s lips at the foot of a waterfall.

[ S ] sweeps [ R ]'s into a kiss in their apartment kitchen.

[ S ] lazily kisses [ R ] on the couch of their living room as a movie plays.

[ S ] leans over to kiss [ R ] under a sky full of brilliant stars.

[ S ] catches [ R ]'s lips at the middle of a bridge with water rushing below.

[ S ] steals a kiss with [ R ] in an art gallery, exhibits ignored entirely.

[ S ] leans [ R ] into a kiss atop a picnic blanket in a [ meadow / park ].

[ S ] gives [ R ] a lingering in the parking lot of a movie theater.

[ S ] trades a kiss with [ R ] while sitting on the front porch.

[ S ] steals away for a kiss with [ R ] in the closet at a house party.

[ S ] leans in to kiss [ R ] in a bubbling hot tub under the stars.

[ S ] steals a kiss from [ R ] in a shadowy theater balcony during a play.

[ S ] leans in to kiss [ R ] in the depths of a [ basement / wine cellar ].

[ S ] sneaks a kiss with [ R ] on a hay bale at a pumpkin patch.

[ S ] plants a kiss on [ R ] at the top of a lighthouse.

[ S ] steals a kiss from [ R ] at [ R ]'s place of work.

[ S ] sweeps [ R ] up for a kiss on the steps of a courthouse.

[ S ] pulls [ R ] into a phone booth for stolen kisses, glass fogging up.

[ S ] kisses [ R ] on the steps leading up to their apartment.

[ S ] gives [ R ] a casual kiss in the middle of a crowded mall.

[ S ] meets [ R ]'s lips on the dance floor of a crowded club.

[ S ] hoists [ R ] onto the hood of [ S ]'s car to kiss them.

[ S ] leans [ R ] against the wall of a private stairwell to kiss them.

[ S ] pulls [ R ] into a kiss as soon as the motel room door is closed.

 There was no immediate answer. Instead, his eyes—much like hers—were focused on the menu. Not that he was really taking any of it in. He'd probably just go with a simple cheeseburger anyway. How could he, when the only thing on his mind were her words?

 Setting down the menu, Matt had just opened his mouth to reply, when the server approached and asked them about drinks. Letting out a quiet sigh, he then smiled and ordered a simple coke, as well as the burger, before handing off the menu.

 Waiting until she was out of earshot, he fidgeted with his fork in the meantime. "I'm no king, Duri. And I believe you're far more than just a sword." And he certainly didn't agree with the notion that she wasn't smart. She had incredible street smarts, at the very least. And that was worth far more than anything else in their line of work ( life? ), wasn't it?

 "As much as I despise it, I'm not like him. My grandfather. I'm not about to let someone else do all the dirt work for me. Especially not considering that this whole thing is my plan to begin with. I'll do what I have to. I'm just hoping that one day... Should I survive all of this, I won't have to anymore, you know? I just want to leave Long Zhi behind someday. For good."

 Wishful thinking, perhaps. But he had to aim towards something if he hoped to keep his sanity.

 The server returned with their drinks, and Matt nodded his head in thanks. He took a sip first, then let his eyes rest on Duri. "Is there anything else you can think of doing besides this? There has to be something, right?"

just in case.

they are a pair, after all, fancy clothes sitting in a dingy diner. but perhaps they simply look like a fascination instead of being some kind of sore thumb.

the question startles her a bit, and she blinks once as she finally looks at him. of course she's thought about something else, anything else. she has dreams that don't revolve around this, but she's never let herself think of them for long.

"i think i'd like to do something with antiques. i've always loved old things. just a bit of polish and they shine. but i don't exactly have time to start restoration projects currently, so i guess i never think about it." a pause, as she sips her water. "what about you?"