THE⠀𝕬𝚁𝚃𝙸𝚂𝚃'𝚂⠀𝕯𝑅𝐸𝐴𝑀 .

dialogue prompts from a beast slinks towards beijing: a novel by alice evelyn yang.

what month is it?

we were damned if we did, damned if we didn't.

what do you remember?

you look tired. are you in pain?

it's a 'three advil' kind of day.

you look familiar. do i know you?

something is definitely following you. whether you can see it or not is a different matter.

you look tired. not sleeping well? nightmares?

you're asking the wrong questions.

i'm not ready for that. i don't know if i'll ever be ready.

you cannot die. there are still things we need to say.

anything can be salvaged. nothing should be wasted.

some memories are untranslatable.

i don't know how to say it in words.

i wasn't going to go through with it.

breathe. it'll pass.

you could almost pass as human.

it was real. it was the realest moment of my life.

you haven't even said sorry.

i didn't ask to be the favorite. i'd give it to you, if i could.

you like winning more than anything.

what really happened? you can tell me.

does it hurt badly?

your unhappiness weighs on my soul.

it would have been better if i'd died. if i didn't exist.

you wear resentment like a second skin.

i don't know how much you remember.

no rest for the wicked, right?

do you want to sleep here?

why do you want to leave?

children, like animals, often have a preternatural sense for catastrophe.

i thought gods were supposed to be good.

we're like small toys to the gods.

you know how to spin a yarn.

i've never known someone with a dead ____ before.

you're everywhere, aren't you?

everyone's been listening to me talk about you for years.

i know when you're lying.

i don't like the way _____ talks about you.

i want to feel solid again.

you didn't try to find me.

you have a deceptively innocent face.

morality is a privilege we can't afford right now.

you hurt everything around you.

i don't want to be in the house any more than i have to be.

you haven't changed much. always taking care of everyone else.

you're not alright. you have a tell.

aren't you tired of it all?

all you're good for is running.

i've been looking for you for a long time.

i've never met someone like me before.

i'm what you made me.

the more you try to forget me, the more you become down to me.

do you think i was born cruel? i was made this way.

i wasn't built to be a caretaker.

am i awake? is it you?

why do you have to be a martyr?

i always hoped i'd heard from you.

why can't you just be honest?

i don't know how to live with this.

we've both done hard things to survive. that's human.

i can help you through it, if you let me.

i know more ghosts than living people.

i can't recognize you anymore.

you ruined me. i hate you.

i was afraid of how much i loved you.

reincarnate. become something else, something braver.

sender to receiver:

[ HOOK ] sender hooking a finger beneath receiver's jaw

[ PINCH ] sender holding receiver's chin between their thumb and forefinger

[ LOOK ] sender holding receiver's jaw and turning their head to look at them

[ PICK ] sender telling receiver to "hold still" while they remove something from their hair

[ GRAZE ] sender brushes their fingertip back and forth along receiver's jaw while they listen to receiver talk

[ DIRECT ] sender seeing that receiver is going the wrong way, takes hold of their shoulders from behind and turns them the right direction

[ BACK ] sender grabs receiver's wrist and tugs them closer when receiver tries to walk away.

[ TOY ] sender fidgets with something receiver is wearing while receiver talks to them

[ STROKE ] sender absentmindedly plays with receiver's hair while they're focused on another task

[ DEPART ] sender is saying goodbye and kisses receiver's forehead

[ DRESS ] sender without prompting helps receiver put on a jacket

[ UNDRESS ] sender helps receiver remove an article of clothing or jewelry

[ REFILL ] sender refills receiver's drink before they can ask or do it themselves

[ FIX ] sender cleans something off of receiver's face

[ RUB ] sender places their hand around the back of receiver's neck, rubbing their thumb just under their ear

[ PULL ] sender sits next to receiver and places their arm around their shoulders, gently pulling them into their side

[ BECKON ] sender sees receiver and lifts their arm up so they can come hug/cuddle them

[ GLIDE ] sender is gently rubbing/scratching receivers back and rubs their knuckle down their spine to the small of their back

[ CHEER ] seeing that receiver is scowling, sender rubs their thumb over the furrow between receiver's brows

[ TUCK ] sender finds receiver asleep somewhere and puts a blanket or their own coat over them

[ TRACE ] sender brushes their fingers along receiver's forehead, temple and cheekbone

[ BRUSH ] sender brushes their hand up and down receiver's arm as they walk past them

[ KEEP ] sender holds receiver's arm just above the elbow while they're talking or to get their attention

[ LEAN ] sender looks over receiver's shoulder who is sitting, placing a hand on their desk while receiver shows them something

[ NUDGE ] sender grabs the chair receiver is sitting in and pulls it closer

[ LISTEN ] sender is listening to receiver talk and picks up an object that belongs to receiver to fidget with

[ SEARCH ] sender searches out receiver's gaze in a crowded room either for approval or to check if they're okay

[ SMOOTH ] sender smooths their thumb over receiver's eyebrow

[ SLIP ] sender places their hand in receiver's back pocket while they walk together

receiver to sender:

[ HOOKING ] receiver hooking a finger beneath sender's jaw

[ PINCHING ] receiver holding sender's chin between their thumb and forefinger

[ LOOKING ] receiver holding sender's jaw and turning their head to look at them

[ PICKING ] receiver telling sender to "hold still" while they remove something from their hair

[ GRAZING ] receiver brushes their fingertip back and forth along sender's jaw while they listen to sender talk

[ DIRECTING ] receiver seeing that sender is going the wrong way, takes hold of their shoulders from behind and turns them the right direction

[ BACKING ] receiver grabs sender's wrist and tugs them closer when sender tries to walk away.

[ TOYING ] receiver fidgets with something sender is wearing while sender talks to them

[ STROKING ] receiver absentmindedly plays with sender's hair while they're focused on another task

[ DEPARTING ] receiver is saying goodbye and kisses sender's forehead

[ DRESSING ] receiver without prompting helps sender put on a jacket

[ UNDRESSING ] receiver helps sender remove an article of clothing or jewelry

[ REFILLING ] receiver refills sender's drink before they can ask or do it themselves

[ FIXING ] receiver cleans something off of senders face

[ RUBBING ] receiver places their hand around the back of receiver's neck, rubbing their thumb just under their ear

[ PULLING ] receiver sits next to sender and places their arm around their shoulders, gently pulling them into their side

[ BECKONING ] receiver sees sender and lifts their arm up so they can come hug/cuddle them

[ GLIDING ] receiver is gently rubbing/scratching sender's back and rubs their knuckle down their spine to the small of their back

[ CHEERING ] seeing that sender is scowling, receiver rubs their thumb over the furrow between sender's brows

[ TUCKING ] receiver finds sender asleep somewhere and puts a blanket or their own coat over them

[ TRACING ] receiver brushes their fingers along sender's forehead, temple and cheekbone

[ BRUSHING ] receiver brushes their hand up and down sender's arm as they walk past them

[ KEEPING ] receiver holds sender's arm just above the elbow while they're talking or to get their attention

[ LEANING ] receiver looks over sender's shoulder who is sitting, placing a hand on their desk while sender shows them something

[ NUDGING ] receiver grabs the chair sender is sitting in and pulls it closer

[ LISTENING ] receiver is listening to sender talk and picks up an object that belongs to sender to fidget with

[ SEARCHING ] receiver seeks out sender's gaze in a crowded room either for approval or to check that they're okay

[ SMOOTHING ] receiver smooths their thumb over sender's eyebrow

❝ you should try picking up a phone occasionally. ❞ @stelegy deadpans.

❝ ever thought that maybe i actively ignore your calls? ❞ jackie shoots back, effortlessly appearing from the shadows of their rendezvous point. she’s lucky he was there at the time, fully ignoring the third call only to be picked up by screecher—— and then immediately and personally taken away from screecher because the last time he had phone privileges, he ended up making a scam caller’s ears bleed out. so much for a quiet night in.

even if the right thing to do was to answer her calls. she was already testing her patience the third time and was only really spared because the kambal thought ( or knew ) it unwise to pester his darklings after a third ring. standing in the alleyway with her hands in her pockets, the shadows cling to him more than her. it’s only fair ; though she’s known them since she started, they know him better. they serve him more. she is careful where she treads but betrays uncertainty with confidence.

dialogue prompts from greenteeth by molly o'neill.

i've never been quite sure what it is that i am.

i am not a _____.

what do humans like to talk about?

how could they do this to me?

my whole life has fallen apart in such little time.

you have a _____?

they must all think i'm dead.

my poor ____. you must be so afraid.

how could i not have seen this coming?

do you think i'm in a position to be judging who's evil and who's not?

they care less about facts than about fear.

i've ever liked to be busy.

i thought the devil had come to drag me down to hell.

it doesn't seem that long ago to me.

you would come back here?

it wasn't bad. just different.

it drove me mad at the time, but i miss it now.

i don't blame you for wanting to leave.

i have a plan, but i'm going to need some help.

i was naïve and trusting, but i'm wiser now.

i would appreciate the company.

you are clearly far trickier than i gave you credit for.

you look as tired as i feel.

i'm out of practice at being courageous.

this is my home. i will not abandon it.

i can't leave. i tried once. i won't do it again.

i will help you, if you will let me.

it's not too early if i didn't go to sleep.

no offense, but this isn't exactly the center of civilization.

i don't have any dignity. i'd ask the devil himself for help.

i know it's hard to leave.

appealing to men is really not my area of expertise.

it is good to know i can still be surprised.

please. i want to help.

don't waste your pity on me.

fair weather, and good fortune keep you safe.

my life could use a little danger to keep it fresh.

i wish i didn't have to keep asking for your help.

i thought for sure you'd be killed.

i won't be underestimating you again.

whatever it is, i'm starting to believe we can face it. that we can find a way to win.

i don't think i'm particularly well-suited to the role of knight.

you rescued me. that's who you are.

don't sigh at me like that.

i know you're angry, but don't take it out on _____.

i've been doing fine on my own for ____ years.

i only wish i had more to share.

how long should i wait for you to drown your pride?

i don't do 'nice'.

this is the most interesting thing that's happened to me in years.

i am sure we both have stories to tell.

it was a dream. you're safe. this is real.

let's both forget the past, and try to do better in the future.

do you want company?

i only came up here to check that you were alright.

i thought we trusted each other.

i can't imagine what it must be like to lose a child.

i'm so tired. i don't know what the right thing is anymore.

it's bad luck to look back.

my world will be a darker place without you in it.

you must find a new light. it would sadden me to think of you in the darkness.

i hope you find your peace.

do you really think we have a chance?

there's not much for me to lose, these days.

you value your life so little.

you must promise me to fight. not to throw your life away.

lying is a mortal defect.

i'm not good, but i'm not all the way bad.

a half-rotten apple is a rotten apple.

of course i'm here.

you're not going. i will not lose you.

have you run off again?

why don't you tell me something you've learnt recently?