"It's a double pleasure to deceive the deceiver."

# BENTKNIVES ; ORIGINAL CHARACTER MULTI-MUSE BUILT ON THE FOUNDATION OF HOCKEY , WELL-ADJUSTED ATHLETES , HORROR & A LOT OF WEIRD SH*T  ; may contain sensitive && triggering content ; minors & personals dni

❝ it’s wanting that gets so many folks in trouble. ❞ ❝ it ain’t no secret i didn’t get these scars falling over in church. ❞ ❝ if you win power, remember why you wanted it. ❞ ❝ you do a man wrong, he’ll shoot you for it. you do a man right…well, he still may shoot you for it. ❞ ❝ trust me. there’s things you’re better off not knowing. ❞ ❝ you remind me a lot of myself. how i used to be. stubborn and angry. ❞ ❝ i hope you will give me some warning if you get the sudden urge to kill me. ❞ ❝ my side wasn’t chosen. my side was given. ❞ ❝ a little sore, but apart from a couple extra scars, it will be as nothing happened. ❞ ❝ i don’t think you’re a bad person. a little stupid perhaps, but not rotten. ❞ ❝ i certainly don’t mind you asking, if you don’t mind me not telling. ❞ ❝ you are being deliberately obscure as a substitute for having a personality. ❞ ❝ so do tell me, have you needlessly risked your life since we last spoke? ❞ ❝ i came into this world fighting. and i’ll go out of it fighting. ❞ ❝ i hear you speak and suddenly i'm reminded of how the people i respected most in my life had a problem with authority. ❞ ❝ you're looking much better. considering you were almost buzzard food a couple days ago. ❞ ❝ power is like a drink. the more you have, the more you want. ❞ ❝ people don’t forget. nothing gets forgiven. ❞ ❝ sometimes in the service of what is right, you got to do terrible things. ❞ ❝ you have quite a story. i really am a little jealous. ❞ ❝ old friends make the worst enemies. ❞ ❝ i had everything, and gave it up in the pursuit of nothing. ❞ ❝ hah. you were always bad at lying. ❞ ❝ i’m not going to stand by and watch good people suffer. ❞ ❝ some trees flourish, others die. some cattle grow strong, others are taken by wolves. some men are born rich enough and dumb enough to enjoy their lives. ain't nothing fair. you know that. ❞ ❝ if you find yourself in a hole, the first thing to do is stop digging. ❞ ❝ now, if you don't mind, i'd hate to spoil such a beautiful afternoon on such beautiful land with any further unpleasantries. ❞ ❝ i, too, have a family, friend. and so that we may see our families again i suggest we part ways amicably. ❞ ❝ sometimes i tell myself that everything happens for a reason. ❞ ❝ i see the good in everybody. it’s a flaw of mine. ❞ ❝ well, try not to get yourself killed. ❞ ❝ see if you can keep your gun holstered for once. ❞ ❝ i don’t pay much attention to rumors. ❞ ❝ i swear, if it was down to me, i’d never have gone anywhere. ❞ ❝ lock all the doors. whatever happens, don’t come outside. you hear me? whatever happens. ❞ ❝ what would you care? i’m just a nuisance to you anyway. ❞ ❝ i’ve been hearing some things about you. ❞ ❝ i would rather be dead than a cynic like you. ❞ ❝ damn, a little gratitude wouldn’t kill you. ❞ ❝ trust me, i ain’t no hero. ❞ ❝ as it turns out, it's you or me. the way i see it, might as well be you. ❞ ❝ you live in a dream world. it ain’t like they tell it in books. ❞ ❝ i’m asking you to do what i say, before you get yourself killed. ❞ ❝ those who sit on the fence make a choice…in their own way. ❞ ❝ i’d do anything for you, you know that. ❞ ❝ better watch your mouth, my friend. i've cut out a man's tongue for less. ❞ ❝ there's nothing worse than a nobody thinking he's a somebody. ❞ ❝ you got it all wrong. i’ve always loved you, even now. ❞ ❝ what the hell were you thinking, going off on your own? ❞ ❝ first impressions are hard to erase. ❞ ❝ it’s a long story. too long to tell without a drink in my hand. ❞ ❝ i’m not angry. i’m disappointed. ❞ ❝ you know me. i’ll be late to my own funeral. ❞ ❝ that tone of voice ain’t so becoming on you. makes you seem all pent up and angry. ❞ ❝ you think i don’t know who you are. ❞ ❝ why don’t i get a warm and tender embrace? ❞ ❝ what do you want me to say? yippee? ❞ ❝ there’s always a choice. you’re just too blind to see. ❞ ❝ you’re not ready for that yet. one step at a time. ❞ ❝ every time you go off, i worry you’re not coming back. ❞ ❝ it didn’t have to be this way. ❞ ❝ come on now. try to look on the bright side. ❞

Christmas Starter for @str3lok

The party was in full swing by the time Colt finally spotted her across the room. Kira Romanova. She had this way of existing in spaces that made everything else feel like background noise—like a flickering candle in a sea of dimmed lights. Even now, in the soft glow of twinkling Christmas lights and the chatter of the others around them, his focus zeroed in on her immediately.

She wasn’t doing anything out of the ordinary, just standing there with a drink in hand, laughing at something someone had said. But that laugh—it was the kind that made his chest feel lighter, like he’d inhaled a lungful of winter air that somehow didn’t sting. He found himself grinning like an idiot just watching her.

And then it hit him.

The mistletoe.

Colt had spotted it earlier when he’d ducked into the kitchen to grab a drink. Someone had left a sprig dangling above the fridge, and he’d pocketed it, half on a whim, half because he figured someone might as well put it to good use. Now, with his heart doing a ridiculous tap-dance in his chest, he realized this was his chance to do something—well, something stupid, probably, but also maybe a little bit brilliant.

Before he could overthink it, he grabbed the sprig from his pocket and strode across the room, weaving through clusters of people with the kind of ease that came from years of practice moving unnoticed. Not that he was trying to go unnoticed now. Quite the opposite.

When he reached her, Kira had her back turned, still engrossed in conversation. He hesitated for the briefest of moments, wondering if this was too much. Too ridiculous. But then he grinned, because being ridiculous was kind of his thing.

Raising the mistletoe above her head, Colt cleared his throat, a playful smirk already tugging at the corners of his mouth. “Hey, Romanova,” he said, his voice light and teasing, but loud enough to cut through the noise. “You busy?” His gaze went from hers up to land on the sprig of green and white in his hand.

The room seemed to hold its breath, or maybe that was just him. Either way, Colt leaned a little closer, his grin widening as he raised the mistletoe just a bit higher.

“Pretty sure this means you owe me a kiss,” he said, his tone cocky but his eyes soft. His heart was pounding now, loud enough that he was sure she could hear it, but he held his ground, waiting to see how this would play out.

kira was stuck in one of those conversations. and she had just about exhausted every viable question, remark and offhanded sly comment, when a tap on her shoulder awoke her from a trance of awful chitchat.

she turned on her heels and smirked. of course it's him. of course he'd do that. kira would indulge him, she had nothing against a bit of fun. but, at the end of the day, she knew colt. and she knew herself.

❝i think you have to earn that❞ she brought her lips up to his, just enough to reply without actually kissing.

the redhead raised her hand and slowly took the mistletoe from his hand. the devil himself couldn't rival the smirk she wore --she wanted to have fun, would be a real shame if she let him get what he wanted so easily.--

❝look at america's sweetheart trying to mingle with the russians.❞ she continued, taking his hand, intertwining her fingers with his. --the problem was, kira didn't know how he'd earn that. she knew she'd indulge the both of them and the night would end at her apartment. how they're going to get to that point? she'll figure out soon enough. for now being chased and desired was enough.--

the first few days were rough, to say the least. kira was in and out of consciousness --and the time spent awake, she screamed, because the nightmares didn't stop, because they wouldn't let her see him, because they wouldn't tell her anything about his condition. she would have cried, but the sobs were drowned out by the pain in her chest--

she would have cursed god himself out, but kira was past believing that there was something greater than man, because when she was dying, her crimson blood spilling on the snow, she didn't see a light, or st. peter waiting by the gates. all she saw was dark, not comforting or soothing, not even scary, just darkness. she was cold until she wasn't.

kira wouldn't call @nomanslannd a soulmate. she didn't believe in divine intervention, or chance. she willed this. knit the threads of fate one by one until they spelled his name. he loved him intentionally, with every bit of conscience she was born with.

Ian was in that strange in-between state. Where he was awake but still drifting, teetering on the edge of sleep. He was aware of everything around him, but his mind felt foggy, as if he could slip into a dream at any moment. It was hard to explain, but he'd learned to navigate this hazy space during his childhood.

He was grateful for the hazy half-awake state, because it meant he heard Kira jerk awake beside him. Tonight, it was her turn for the nightmare. Given their jobs, and the intensity of their lives, it wasn’t unusual for one of them to wake in the middle of the night, trapped in a nightmare they couldn’t escape. Ian shifted in bed to face her, his voice soft in the darkness. ❛ You okay? ❜

He wished he could protect her from all of it. He wished that just holding her could make everything better. But he knew too well the games the mind could play. It wasn't as simple as reassuring her that everything would be okay. The truth was, it was more complicated than that. He gently brushed a strand of hair from her face. ❛ Want to talk about it? ❜

He was never quite sure whether to push or give her space. He knew that, when the shoe was on the other foot, he preferred to be left alone. Most of the time, he'd slip out of bed and go for a 3 a.m. run, or sit on the fire escape with a cigarette, just to clear his head. Being alone with his thoughts always helped him. But Kira was different. She didn’t need solitude the way he did.

she felt as if she would forever be there, stuck in the moment. gun pressed against her temple, snow covering every bad decision that led her there. on her knees praying to a god she didn't believe in, waiting to be executed like a lame horse.

kira jumped from the bed, a deer frozen in the headlights of a time that passed. it had passed, that much was true, a categorical fact. she lived. they both did. she couldn't deny that, but the part of her brain that dabbled in facts was locked away. she stumbled to the window, climbing out to the fire escape. she wrapped her arms around her knees and let the cold night air brush across her face

one, two, three, four, five... slowly, the redhead came to her senses, she peered out the window and motioned for ian to join her.

❝sorry❞ kira muttered, her voice still dry and hoarse. she wanted nothing more than to disappear in his arms, run away from the nightmares and never face them again. but she knew that was impossible. this work is what she was cut out for. and she liked it. loved the chase, loved the hunt. but she was tired of paying the price. ❝i-❞ she started, resting her head on his shoulder. they knew eachother far too well for kira to have to explain herself. but none the less, she continued. ❝russia, again.❞ she quieted after that, looking over the fence, taking in the view. the town was never quiet, never empty, never asleep. she liked that. ❝we should get away for a little while.❞ kira finally blurted out, turning her head for a few degrees to catch glimpse of ian.

Questioning Sentences, Vol. 24

(Questioning sentences from various sources to ask all kinds of muses. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"Do you honestly think that now is the right time for this conversation?"

"Don't you think I know what I sounded like today? Do you think I enjoy being humiliated and laughed at like that?"

"Are you mocking me?"

"Are you watching my house?"

"Do I sense the cold silence of disapproval?"

"If we identify a UFO, does that just mean it's an FO?"

"Do you believe there's something out there?"

"Do you know the difference between order and chaos?"

"What happened to your resolution to be more accepting?"

"You hate anyone who can't do what you do, don't you?"

"Do you still believe humanity can do better?"

"Is there really ever such a thing as an accident?"

"Where have you been all my life?"

"Why are you trying so hard to get rid of me?"

"How does it feel to know that you have failed?"

"You like fighting, don't you?"

"Do you want revenge? Is that what you're thinking right now?"

"You're a smart man. You could be anywhere doing anything. Why do you do this?"

"Hey, are you experiencing an ominous sense of foreboding?"

"Are you really going to pull that trigger?"

"They all hate me. You don't hate me, do you?"

"What am I afraid of? I think the better question is what are you afraid of?"

"Have you any idea how much I've missed you?"

"How much longer are you going to drag your heels before you tell her how you feel?"

"How did they manage to get so many snobs in one place?"

"Have you thought about what you're going to do when you retire?"

"Do you think he'll be jealous?"

"Do you ever wish there was another way?"

"You're a pretty smart kid, you know that?"

"Do I strike you as someone who can't speak for herself?"

"Is there a Greek god of disappointment?"

"Aren't you a little young to be getting married?"

"Why would you say something like that?"

"When exactly was the last time you had a psych evaluation?"

"Can I ask you a personal question?"

"Do you remember the last time we danced?"

"If you can't trust your own mind, then what have you got?"

"I never knew so many books even existed. Have you read them all?"

"You'd use your gun on my mother?"

"So, how did you become a hostage?"

"We've never met before, right?"

"What are you doing here, apart from trying to avoid me?"

"What? You telling me you've never had a thing for bad boys?"

"They say you're a genius. Are you?"

"How come you always have to lead?"

"Do you enjoy threatening people?"