hollow.

GENERAL 

[ TOUCH ]  for sender to trace one of receiver’s scars 

[ TOUCHED ]  for receiver to trace one of sender’s scars

[ DISCOVER ]  for sender to see receiver’s scars for the first time 

[ DISCOVERED ]  for receiver to see sender’s scars for the first time 

[ CARESS ]  for sender to kiss one of receiver’s scars 

[ CARESSED ]  for receiver to kiss one of sender’s scars

[ SHOW ]  for sender to purposefully reveal their scars for receiver to see 

[ SHOWN ]  for receiver to purposefully reveal their scars for sender to see 

SCENARIOS

[ MEND ]  for sender to treat receiver’s wound which leads to them having to remove an article of clothing resulting in revealing scars hidden beneath

[ MENDED ]  for receiver to treat sender’s wound which leads to them having to remove an article of clothing resulting in revealing scars hidden beneath

[ BLUNDER ]  for sender to walk in on receiver in a state of undress thus seeing their scars for the first time

[ BLUNDERED ]  for receiver to walk in on sender in a state of undress thus seeing their scars for the first time 

[ KISS ]  our muses are having sex for the first time which then reveals sender’s scars to receiver 

[ KISSED ]  our muses are having sex for the first time which then reveals receiver’s scars to sender 

[ BATHE ]  our muses take a shower together and sender looks over receiver’s scars 

[ BATHED ]  our muses take a shower together and receiver looks over sender’s scars. 

WORDS

❝  your scars are nothing to be ashamed of.  ❞

❝  why do you hide your scars?  ❞

❝  i see every mark as something to be proud of,  proof of all i survived.  ❞

❝  can i ask what happened here—  how did you get this one?  ❞

❝  sometimes i get these phantom pains i guess you could say.  little aches and i find them oddly comforting.  because my soul still hurts even if my body is healed.  ❞

❝  i wish i could get rid of my scars.  they’re just reminders of everything i want to forget.  ❞

❝  is it alright if i touch this scar?  ❞

❝  it’s okay—  you can touch it if you want.  doesn’t hurt anymore.  ❞

❝  please don’t touch it.  ❞

❝  you don’t have to tell me how you got it.  i just wanted to see.  ❞

❝  looks worse than it was.  ❞

❝  i want to kill every person responsible for leaving you scarred. ❞

❝  i made sure the people who left marks on me wouldn’t get the chance to do it again.  ❞

❝  woah—  what the hell happened there? ❞

❝  you don’t have to hide them around me.  the scars are just part of who you are.  and i like all of what i see.  ❞

❝  i don’t really like letting people see them.  ❞

A collection of one hundred tropes of varying nature. Spiritual successor to my previous An Extremely Self-Indulgent Meme. Some of these pair well together and can easily be sent in various combinations. Some are also highly suggestive in nature. Engage appropriately.

one muse steps protectively in front of the other

one muse tends to the other’s injury

one muse is not acting like themselves and the other has to snap them out of it

one muse kisses the other during an argument

one muse pins the other to a wall

one muse kisses the other on their hand or wrist

one muse kisses the other on their neck or shoulder

one muse helps the other put on a necklace or tie

our muses aren’t supposed to be together but keep meeting anyway (on purpose or by accident)

our muses have a secret relationship

one muse takes a blow meant for the the other

one muse fights away enemies attacking the the other

one muse asks the other for their favor / a token before battle or a tourney

our muses share a night together believing it might be their last

our muses are in an arranged marriage / betrothal

our muses willingly marry for political reasons

our muses get married for love

our muses get married in a spur-of-the-moment decision

one muse has taken the other captive

our muses are in love but one thinks they aren’t good enough for the other

our muses are forced to ally for a common goal

our muses are enemies or former enemies but have started to fall for each other

our muses claim to hate each other but there is palpable tension between the two

our muses are trying to manipulate each other

one muse is trying to manipulate the other

our muses have feelings for each other but have conflicting loyalties

our muses are friends but have started to fall for each other

our muses are childhood friends that have been slowly falling for each other over the years

one muse has been in love with the other for a long time but is afraid their feelings are not reciprocated

one muse is in love with the other but they are in a relationship with or engaged to another person

our muses engage in a courtly romance

one muse is a knight in service to the the other’s family

one muse seeks comfort from a loveless marriage with the other, their lover

one muse traces the other’s scars

one muse kisses the other in a moment of heightened emotion

one muse confides in the other in a vulnerable moment

our muses are in love but circumstances prevent them from being together

our muses are exes who discover lingering feelings after reuniting

one muse confesses love to another after that person is injured

one muse confesses love to another because they believe they may die soon

our muses must share a bed

one muse lifts the other’s chin to look them in the eye

one muse places a hand at the back of the other’s neck to pull them extremely close

our muses have been hooking up, no strings attached

our muses have been hooking up, but one or both has developed deeper feelings

our muses are exes that hook up against their better judgement

one muse presumes the other is dead but is shocked when they show up alive again

one muse betrays their long held loyalties in order to save the other’s life from their own allies

our muses fake a relationship but have no actual interest in each other

our muses fake a relationship but start to genuinely fall for each other

one muse is known for their hard exterior and softens only in the other’s presence

one muse is the other’s weakness, something an enemy is trying to exploit

our muses are stuck somewhere together and must occupy their time

one muse has feelings for the other but has not acted on them due to their association with another character (a sibling / relative / ex / etc. ) or an organization

one muse is scared to act on feelings for the other due to poor experiences with love in the past

one muse is oblivious to the other’s feelings for them

one muse acts oblivious to the other’s feelings for them but really they are aware

one muse has unrequited feelings for the other

our muses are co-workers engaging in a hidden romance

one muse reveals one of their darkest secrets to the other

one muse comforts the other during an emotional breakdown

one muse calms the other from an intense rage

one muse’s family forbids them from seeing the other

our muses are in love but their friends / family do not support their relationship

one muse seeks redemption for past actions and comes to the other to atone

our muses regularly exchange letters

our muses move in together

our muses adopt a pet together

our muses have a child together

our muses adopt a child together

one muse discovers they are pregnant by accident

our muses have been set up by mutual friends

our muses have been set up by a matchmaker

our muses are in love with each other but are in denial

one muse is the other’s bodyguard / protector

one muse is royalty while the other is a commoner / rogue / societal outcast

one muse kisses the other for a bet

one muse relentlessly flirts with the other

our muses kiss for the first time ever

one muse wins a date with the other at an event

our muses dance together for the first time

one muse brushes their fingers through the other’s hair

one muse drunkenly confesses something to the other

our muses drunkenly hook up and wake up next to each other

our muses are roommates

our muses are partners in crime

one muse is a supernatural creature who falls for the other, who is a mortal

our muses are supernatural creatures from opposite clans or species that are historically hostile to each other

one muses is under a spell / in the middle of a monstrous transformation but somehow recognizes the other and refrains from harming them

our muses cuddle for warmth

our muses run away together

one muse wears piece of clothing or jewelry that belongs to the other

our muses bathe together

our muses cook together

our muses cuddle in bed

one muse serenades the other

one muse holds a weapon to the other as a threat

one muse physically lifts the other up

one muse protectively wraps an arm around the other

me: *sees a character destined for a tragic fate* You're my new favorite! i'll hug you and squeeze you and never let anything bad happen to you!!

there’s a stubborn side to heidegger. a cruel ache that urges him to spit and curse at the turk. a harsh ringing of whispers in his ear - ‘walk away, fuck them. to hell with them all-’ and perhaps if things hadn’t have happened as they had, he’d give in to the urge of bitter suggestion. he’d turn on heels the moment he parts from the car; wander away once more, submerge himself in the shadows of the slums. hope that the darkness would swallow him up and have him disappear - as if it hadn’t already taken so much from him.

instead, the former-general has wounds that sting with each and every step, aching bones and a heavy heart - a body that carries him behind rufus and company with slow steps, despite a conflicted mind. by the time they reach the door, and by extension, reno - he’s almost too tired to care for the redhead’s lacklustre reaction to seeing him.

well, what had he expected? a welcoming party? a big thank you for all of his efforts toiling away time amongst the bold and brilliant? he knows that soon enough, the suits will want to question him - they’ll want answers for the fuck up at junon. the deaths of their comrades. perhaps - should they be the smart sort - they’ll ask him why he once basked in evil? how a man could become so corrupted, he’d choose to corrupt all of those around him, too.

heidegger would wait for those questions. but for now - he instead follows alongside his former president and into the small room provided. a thank you on his lips though one that doesn’t quite find the volume to express anything aside from a nod.

“i-” i want nothing, is honestly what he wants to say. i deserve nothing, is the thought that lingers. “never mind me, mr presi-” he clears his throat, a dart of eyes toward a window overlooking yet another lonely slum “rufus.” old habits die hard and with that he thinks, you can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

he sighs, unwilling to let rufus in on his train of thought but taken aback enough by the other’s hospitality that he is willing to spare the blonde more than just a few words.

“i’ve-” he hesitates; a man once so reluctant to unveil anything other than anger. for him to turn to rufus, hazel eyes a glimmer with a worn gold - his lips twisted with the aged sadness of an old soldier - is revelation enough. “all i’ve done is rest. exhaust my own exhaustion. await the day when someone - anyone - decides to take vengeance upon me.” hell, rufus ( or even his turks ) could certainly be contenders. “i’ve longed for death-” a man that the blonde wouldn’t recognise speaks until heidegger snaps himself from a musing with a flicker of lids and clear of his throat; his gaze shoots back toward the other, a new found strength - or perhaps a false enthusiasm.

Being in the presence of Heidegger made the room feel even smaller than it already was. There was a tension between them, so much had happened between them, so many things left unsaid, and now to be around one another again.. it was difficult to think of a way to act. Should he pretend their past had never happened? Should he treat Heidegger like any other man that was seeking shelter here at Healen Lodge? Ah, how frustrating it was. Rufus could hear the other man sigh, he was probably struggling to think of what to say just like the former president was.

For a moment neither of them spoke, both pairs of eyes just stubbornly looking out of the window as if they desperately tried to look at anything but each other. Maybe it was better like this. If they didn’t speak to each other. Rufus was pretty certain one of the Turks was lingering outside the door, not with their ear pressed against the wood, but still close enough to hear what was spoken. He couldn’t blame them. They were Turks, it was in their nature to spy, and he knew they had his best interest at heart, they didn’t trust Heidegger, so they wanted to make sure the former war dog would not start biting again.

Then when Heidegger finally speaks again the stoic masquerade he had put on for the last hour or so was slipping. ‘I’ve longed for death..’

No, Rufus wanted to tell him. You can’t leave me again. You are still needed. But before the foolish part of him could express that the older one asked once more what Rufus wanted him to do. Did he not understand yet? The time to ask for orders and guidance was over. Now they had to learn to see each other as humans with their own free will, their own wants and wishes for the future. But yes, Rufus understood. It was difficult to dare to dream of a future when the guilt inside one’s heart was telling someone they deserved to die. In a way it was the same for Rufus. Why dare to try and be a good man if he would die soon anyways.

“Magnar..”, Rufus finally said, speaking the other man’s name so gently it was barely audible. “It is not about what I want anymore, it is about what you think is right. It is about how you think you can turn this world into a better place.”

Rufus finally dared to face the other man once more, but he kept his hand on the windowsill to keep himself from swaying as the exhaustion from the day finally was catching up to him.

“And you know.. even if you are not interested in changing this world for the better, you are welcome to stay here. I owe you that much.”

Fuck. Now he sounded pathetic. But the time for games was over. Rufus already prepared himself to be laughed at for showing the slightest sign of weakness, he knew his father and the old Heidegger certainly would have laughed, but Rufus tried to do better, he really did. So if Heidegger had trouble to decide, Rufus would help him by suggesting something:

“How do you feel about taking a bath while I search for something to eat for you? And for a spare set of clothes, the ones you are currently wearing are in desperate need of washing.”

a man’s bond only found through pain - he’d thought himself able to shape other’s the same way he had once been made. put them through hell so’s they come out the other side demons. a demon like him. ( and in truth, so many never came out the other side - so many, perhaps, spared ).

the only retort to rufus’ initial musing are eyes, grey - a look without pleading, without sorrow. a look of acceptance. though what good would a man like heidegger be in this new world? he had forever flourished only in a fight - only had a heart for a select few ( a heart that had given out not long ago ). what good was an attack dog when the world needed not animality but humanity? in the presence of the other’s goodwill, it’s easy to feel useless-

that is until his coughing; a weakness shown by the blonde. a weakness heidegger hasn’t seen in so long. though this isn’t emotional, this is physical. his pale skin and frail frame suddenly of note to the former-general. weakened sight that scans rufus for signs of sickness. alarm when he realises with the others’ words just how ill he must be.

'might not have long’? says who? the aggressor in heidegger wishes to snatch the other’s hand, pledge loyalty with the optimism of finding a cure for whatever ails him. the broken man, however? the man who sits opposite the blonde, weakened by time and barely kept together by fragments of a past, long gone? he can only respond with a sigh. lower eyes and leans back into his seat, spares a glance for the world passing by - ignores the mumble of the man driving ( a man he’d no respect for then and still no respect for now ).

“they forget that if it weren’t for us…” longing eyes pine for the sky ( pine to be a part of it ) “the barrier would have never been broken.” and then resentment comes with the twist of his lips, sympathy he’d never ( and would never ) feel for the dregs of society. their enemies. “…don’t you-” a sigh “don’t you think it’s better to focus on yourself. your own health. finding-”

optimism in the flicker of his glance, ignorance as the car prepares to pull to a stop.

When the car finally came to a halt Rufus was already reaching out to open the door when he noticed a shift in the expression of Heidegger’s eyes. They had been hopeless and almost sad before, but speaking those words, Rufus could swear there was a flicker of optimism returning to them. A flicker of the intensity the other used to show when he was enthusiastic about something, usually like war and weapons. It was there for only a second or two, but to Rufus it felt almost comforting to see there was still a fragment of the old Heidegger hidden in this broken shell of a man.

And before he could reply the door next to him was opened, Tseng calmly looking at him as he held out his hand for Rufus to grab to get out of the car, but the former president knew that internally there was nothing left of the Turks’ calm composure, not as long as Heidegger was around. There was no trust or kindness between these two and Rufus already wondered how long it would take until they would try to kill each other for the first time.

Outside Rufus waited for Heidegger, who had to climb out of the car by himself, and before the older one had the chance to suggest looking for a cure again, Rufus dismissively waved his hand.

“We are already looking for a cure, but it is not my top priority. Let’s head inside.”

And with that Rufus climbed the stairs to Healen Lodge, Tseng and Heidegger trailing him like shadows, just like in the old days.

“Boss! You are already back, did you find what you were looking.. for..” The enthusiasm Reno greeted them with turned sour once he saw Heidegger entering the room right a few short seconds after Tseng, but Rufus silenced him with a dark glare. None of the Turks trusted Heidegger, and he most likely didn’t trust them in return, and for once it was Rufus who had to hold all of them together. It was a challenge, it was new, because he had promised them he wouldn’t order them around anymore, but they would have to find a way to work together eventually.

“I will speak to you later, this man needs rest.” And with that he almost gently put his hand on the small of Heidegger’s back to lead him down the corridor, away from the judging eyes of the Turks.

“I am positive you understand why they are all on edge, you had your differences in the past.”

Rufus closed the door behind himself and then stood there awkwardly for a moment, gaze wandering through the little room that would be Heidegger’s home now, if he decided to stay. It was a pretty basic room, with a bed, a closet and a desk, but at least it had its own little bathroom next door.

“Tell me what you need. Do you want to eat or bath first?”

Now that it was only the two of them there, Rufus looked at Heidegger with something like very guarded affection before turning his head towards the window, worried about what the other’s arrival would mean to the project of Edge. And to himself.