[virtueofsanityx]

sierra, 33, cst timezone, semi-selective multimuse, multiship oc rp blog. all of my open starters remain open indefinitely, both to mutuals and non mutuals. always happy to plot things out before writing, but you're free to just jump in. discord is available upon request.

carrd | open starters | wanted opps | wanted plots | ask memes

[dcgtown]

Frankly Gage didn't like the options he was presented with: admit jealousy or come off like a callous asshole. The worst part both things were true to an extend. He was jealous and he was kind of an asshole. Except he was never once embarrassed by Willow. "Whatever maybe I'm a little jealous. Just... don't go. Hang out with me instead. On dry land," he adds with a smirk trying to keep some of his cool.

[virtueofsanityx]

she doesn't mean to smirk, but she does. because how could she not when he's actually admitted to something like that. it's not as if willow is absolutely stupid, or blind. it's not like she hadn't done this on purpose, to try and see if there was any reaction from gage. because all of that is true, she's absolutely pushing buttons, because she's sick of living in what essentially feels like limbo. "what are we gonna do on dry land? do you have something fun planned?" she takes a step closer, tilts her head back so she's looking up at him. "because i don't want to give up a party for no plans. so if we're hanging out, what are we doing?"

[dcgtown]

Asher had spent more time than he cared to admit thinking about the what ifs of zombies. He was once a kid with an overactive imagination often left to his own devices and obsessed with all things a little bit weird. He was pretty sure twelve year old Asher had an entire journal sprawling stories about what it would all look like. At least from his limited perspective back then. "See we got the whole thing figured out," he smirks. "Plus, could think of much worse ways to spend the end of the world," he nods, meaning every word. "God, I would miss french fries though. Definitely not an apocalypse friendly food," he says popping another fry into his mouth.

[virtueofsanityx]

"i mean, i suppose if we're in an apocalypse situation, anyway, we'd have to start trying to grow our own food. potatoes can't be too hard to grow, right? so if we can figure out the farming thing, we'll grow some potatoes and i'll make sure you still get french fries sometimes." of course, it's all nebulous, a what-if scenario that doesn't have to come to anything, but mina always feels better when she has at least some kind of plan. it's part of her personality, one of the reasons why she works as a personal assistant. being able to organize things and keep track of everything happening. makes her feel much more in control. "how would we fill our days, between fighting the hoard and learning to farm? are we inventing new games to play, or just try to repopulate the earth or whatever."

[virtueofsanityx]

🌺Send this to ten blogs you think are wonderful.🌺

[feilien]

 As soon as Duri started packing, Matt didn't hesitate to join her. He, too, just kind of threw everything into whatever bag he had in his hand, not caring that toiletries really didn't belong with chargers and other electronics. Or that his sketchbook and pencils really shouldn't be in with a bunch of clothes. They could sort all of that shit out later. 

 Once done, he did another walkthrough of the room, just to make sure they'd indeed grabbed everything. Satisfied, Matt nodded his head and was about to grab the bags so they could head out, when Duri handed him one of her knives. He stared at it for a moment, debated teasing her about the fact he had plenty of those on his own, but simply smiled and bowed his head in the end. "You got it, boss." It was tucked away safely, and Matt made a mental note to keep this one for special occasions.

 Then he grinned, raising his eyebrows. "Is that a promise? 'Oh Matt, I won't ever leave your side, no matter what.'. I'll take it." Grabbing the bags, he nodded towards the door. "Enough love confessions. Come on, it's time to leave and get the hell out of here." Giving her no time to react, he'd already made his way to the door and stepped outside.

 He didn't stop or relax until they were sitting in the car. Plugging in whatever destination he could think of that would lead them in the opposite direction, he then started the car and got them out of there as quickly as possible. For a while, there was silence. Then he turned his head to briefly look at her. "Duri. I think it's best if you tell me as much about 'the family' as you can now. I can't be in the dark. Not now that they're going to be after us."

[virtueofsanityx]

she isn't really breathing, not until they're in the car and moving, and even then, the breaths are a little shaky and uneven. it's a wonder she hasn't gotten dizzy from lack of oxygen. her eyes focus intently on the road blurring in front of them, because she's afraid if she looks behind them, looks to see if anyone is following them, she'll start to panic all over again and that could absolutely be bad for the both of them. duri is a well oiled machine when she's calm and rational, when she can think straight. this is none of that, she's bound to make a mistake that could ruin the both of them.

so the silence is nice to allow her to gather her thoughts, and after a few moments, she feels like she's breathing somewhat normally again, and eventually, when he speaks up, she doesn't jump as badly as she thinks she might have before. though the sudden break in the silence is startling enough that she takes a moment before she says anything at all.

"his name is aleksander. my.. " she trails off for a moment, to think, before she shrugs her shoulders and sighs. ".. husband, i suppose, for lack of a better word. we met when i was a teenager. he was somewhere in his twenties. early twenties. already a speaker for the family, someone who spreads the word. i was deep into my training, focused so much that i didn't really notice him looking. i didn't really care if he was looking. i was one of the top trained fighters in the unit. when you're a child, in the family, they decide where you'll fit. your parents can encourage you toward a path, or they can allow the mother to decide. my parents wanted glory, so they didn't really let me feel things. because people who feel things aren't skilled assassins." she's rambling. it's been a long time since she rambled. her mouth closes for a moment while she tries to collect herself, her thoughts, and she shakes her head. "aleksander told the mother that i was his divine rite. i never had a say. his sister and i were in the same training course. she was always angry when i beat her and angry when she beat me and i wasn't upset about it. they believe they're the true inheritors of the earth. that anyone outside of the family is destined for misery. save souls and protect the holy people type bullshit. it's all quite convoluted."

[feilien]

 Duri, for all intents and purposes, just breaking down left Matt stunned, to say the least. So much so that he just stood there, watching her, for several long moments. Once he finally got a hold of his limbs again, he took a step towards her and reached out, his hand hovering above her shoulder. But it never settled. Instead, he let out a quiet sigh and dropped his head. Perhaps it was best to simply pretend he hadn't seen it. 

 So he turned around, stubbornly staring at the doors of the elevator until Duri could pull herself back together. It did have a very profound effect, though: it made him realize that they seemed to be in some seriously deep shit. And every step they took from here on out would have to be carefully measured and calculated. They had to be strategic, and functionally invisible.

 At the suggestion of leaving her here, he only offered her a sideway glance, before letting out a scoff. "Do you really think I'm that easy to get rid of?" The doors opened and Matt stood up straight, his hand coming up to rest on Duri's back, urging her along as they made their way to the room they'd been staying in. "You agreed to help me, now it's my turn to return the favor." Once inside the room, he closed the door behind them, locking it. "I mean it, Duri. I'm not letting them take you. We're in this together one way or another. I can't do what I'm determined to do without your help. And you—" He paused, shrugging his shoulders. "You deserve your freedom from whatever hellhole it is you've come from. I either make both happen, or none of it. Now let's pack our shit and go."

[virtueofsanityx]

there's something surprisingly grounding about his hand against the small of her back, and she has to take a moment to really allow herself to feel it, not tense up immediately, and take a deep breath before she moves in the way that hand is guiding her. because some part of her wants to run the other way and leave him here, to lead her people away from him and away from this. she'd never admit out loud that she's worried, or that she cares about matt's wellbeing, but some part of her, though she's unsure how deep that part may be, feels like she would truly be devastated if something happened to him.

maybe, she tells herself, it's because she thinks that she would feel personally responsible for it. guilt would get her.

the moment they're in the room, she's already moving, grabbing things that are scattered about, shoving them into bags without caring really what goes where. her mind is moving as fast as her hands and her body. she doesn't even have time to make a snappy remark at him, to accuse him of caring, though the thought does cross her mind.

she finds one of her knives, and she looks at it for a moment before turning on him and carefully pressing it into his hand, handle first this time. "don't think, stab." is all she offers before she goes back to packing things, double and triple checking. maybe she'll feel safe if they can get away from this place and it doesn't feel like they're being followed.

once she's sure she has everything, she turns back to him again. "last chance to save your own ass and leave me behind. if you take me with you, i'm not giving you this chance again, no matter how much i piss you off in the future."

[feilien]

 “And here I was, thinking we don’t care about ‘the right thing to do’,” he grinned, throwing her own words back at her from earlier. Then he grabbed a pillow and hugged it close, resting his head on it while his eyes remained on her ( not that he could see a whole lot besides her shape; not without his glasses ). “There are cameras everywhere. The lobby, the elevator, the hallways. Pretty sure there was a security guard somewhere, too. This place isn’t like the cheap dives we usually stay in.”

 There was a brief pause as the words sank in, and once they did, Matt couldn’t help but let out a snort. “Don’t worry. I won’t make a move on you, if that’s what you’re worried about. I'm not into assaulting people. Besides, might I remind you it was you who insisted on this, not me?” So, really, she had no one else to blame but herself.

 Letting out a sigh, he turned around to grab the glasses he’d placed on the nightstand earlier, and put them on before sitting up. “I just think it’s a waste of money, if you’re not even going to enjoy the main function of a hotel room. Could’ve just stayed at a bar somewhere instead. Would’ve cost me far less.” He wasn’t sure why he was being so insistent, if he was honest. He was careful with his money, sure. But other than her being perhaps even more cranky tomorrow due to a lack of sleep, it shouldn’t really matter to him if she slept or not. And yet, he knew that this was the first time for both of them since going on the run to have an opportunity to just… relax for a night. “We can always play watchdog starting tomorrow.”

[virtueofsanityx]

there are plenty of arguments to make, but her body decides to make one for her as she feels a yawn bubble up in her chest and escape before she can even try to mask it. the truth is, she hasn't had a chance at a good nights sleep for ages, and the idea of being able to sink into something dreamless where she's not actually worrying about whether or not she'll wake up the next morning, and if anyone will be there waiting when she does is tempting. she waits a beat, then another, and finally sighs and gets up, stepping back into the room and closing the balcony door behind her before she walks over and very pointedly slips onto the bed on top of the covers.

"fine. but if we die in the night, i'll make sure to find you in whatever the afterlife may be to tell you that i told you so."

and she absolutely would because duri, beyond anything else she might be is petty about things, and if she thinks she's right, she's going to make sure everyone else knows that she thinks so.

it takes her a moment to settle before she leans over the edge of the bed to grab her bag and pull out the same bottle she'd offered him earlier. "sure you don't want one? i mean, i'll admit that i don't really know what they are, my nan gave them to me when i was a kid and i've been taking them ever since, but they help me sleep." she takes one without much thought, then lays back, not quite laying down, but with her back resting against the wall behind her. "unless you're an embrace the night terrors kind of guy. but if you wake up screaming, i will kick you to the floor."

[feilien]

 There was a quiet groan whenever Duri elaborated on the whole marriage thing. He’d heard a few things about the family by now, and each and every thing only had him despising them even more each time. It made him regret that he’d never done further research on them, as he was sure it would’ve come in handy now. If only to get the whole, unbiased picture, instead of bits and pieces now and again. But hindsight was 20/20, wasn’t it? He’d never expected to work with her, let alone be hunted by what could only be described as a cult going by something as obnoxious as ‘the family’.

 He was just about to let go and head back out to go grab the car, when Duri asked him to come with her instead. So he paused, and studied her for a long moment. He could’ve made a joke here; something along the lines of her being unable to part from him for even a moment. And, for a second, he considered saying it out loud, if only out of habit and an attempt to lighten the mood. But… Now was not the time, was it? Nor did he want to dismiss her concerns. She knew those people best, and if that woman was indeed as skilled as Duri, well… That was just asking for unnecessary trouble.

 “Yeah, alright. Come on.” Nodding his head, he led them to the elevator and, once the doors had closed, leaned against the wall with a quiet sigh. “Let’s head in the opposite direction.” It would set them back by days, but… If ‘the family’ had any inkling of their plans—he wasn’t sure why they would, but, better safe than sorry, right?—it was best to throw them off. What better way to do so but to throw their initial travel plans into the wind and head somewhere that made no sense? Then he looked up, his gaze settling on her. “You know I won’t let them take you back, right?”

[virtueofsanityx]

it's silly, the way that she tries to maintain her composure right up until the moment they've reached the elevator, and then it falters and she all but crumbles. her body sinks in on itself, her arms wrap around her own shoulders like she's trying to hide. she twists her entire body away from matt, toward the wall, toward the corner where she quickly tries to gather some form of the stoic and level-headed facade back to her while her eyes water and her breathing goes shallow.

she's scared. because this is the first time she's seen anyone from the family that close in a long time. add to it the fact that the person is someone so intimately attached to her personally and it creates a strange layer of bizarre insanity to the whole ordeal. she wonders if she should scream, cry, hit something, but in the end, she forces herself to take a deep breath in, then finally turn to look at matt again, even if her face is still stricken and covered in that same fear.

she can only nod at his suggestion, because she doesn't trust her voice, but some part of her wants to argue that it would ruin everything. she's ruining everything. all her fault. she's simply as terrible as she's always been led to believe.

her head shakes, to try and loosen the thought and throw it away.

"you might not be able to stop them." her voice cracks when she says it, and she looks down at her feet instead of facing him. "it might be pointless. maybe you should leave me here and keep going on your own." then he wouldn't get hurt because of her. and maybe that's all she can really ask for.

[feilien]

 Well… It was quite easy not to have disappointing sex when you simply didn’t have it, wasn’t it? Not that he was going to say any of that out loud, of course. It was none of her business, and besides. He kind of wore his jokes—as bad as they might be—and his cockiness as a sort of armor, and taking some of it away wasn’t exactly in his best interest. So he just made his way to the bathroom to brush his teeth without going into it any further.

 Once done, he crawled into bed and let out a quiet sigh. It was a very comfortable bed, far more comfortable than the ones he’d been sleeping on. But conserving his money as much as possible meant he didn’t usually stay at the best of places, same as her. So this was an exception for him, too.

 When Duri offered him something that’d stop the dreams, Matt turned his head to look at her backpack and seriously considered it for a moment. But then he shook his head with a quiet ‘no thanks’ before closing his eyes.

 He tried to fall asleep for a while. Lying there in silence, waiting for sleep to finally take him. But it didn’t. So in the end, he just sighed and turned on his side so he could look out onto the balcony. “You know you don’t have to keep watch, right? No one’s going to hunt us down here.”

[virtueofsanityx]

she's already settled into one of the chairs overlooking the street below, twisted so that she can look out toward the world or back in toward the room, eyes lingering on the man and his mostly still form for a few moments once he's settled into bed before she picks up the phone sitting on her leg and starts mindlessly scrolling through it. it's one of those prepaid things, something that no one could ever really trace back to her, with a number from a different state. she mostly keeps an eye out for news articles, anything that mentions the family or any of their affiliates.

she gets absorbed in a book on some app she downloaded to keep her mind busy when he speaks up and causes her to jump a little, eyes moving toward him again while she uses her finger to keep her place.

"maybe. but for the last couple of months, i've been all alone and every time i fell asleep, i wished i had someone there to watch my back for me. so it seems like the right thing to do." there's a pause, and she considers him for a beat too long before she adds, "plus, do you really want to share a bed? it's cliche, and it's obvious. and i refuse to promise that i won't stab you in the night."

[feilien]

 Now, they’ve spent some time together by now, ad it was fair to say that Matt had seen a few of Duri’s sides. Not many, but some. The side he saw when she turned around to look at him, however, that certainly hadn’t been one of them. And, quite honestly? It unsettled him. The last thing he ever would’ve expected written all over her face was fear. Plain and obvious.

 And if that hadn’t been enough to seal the deal, the way he spoke certainly was. Nevermind the ‘might get killed’ part, but her referring to herself as a broken shell? It took him aback. She was always annoyingly confident, and seemingly unbothered by anything, and yet, here she was. Terrified, and honest.

 But instead of going into any of that, the only thing Matt said was: “Wait, you’re married?” Hold on. No, that’s the part that matters the least. Why the fuck is he asking about that? Clearing his throat, Matt shook his head and, still holding on to her wrist, started walking again—much more urgently this time. “I’m not going to die, and you’re not going back. I won’t let that happen.”

 Fortunately, the hotel they were staying at wasn’t too far away, and it only took them a couple of minutes to get there. “Go pack our stuff. I’ll go get the car and wait in front of the hotel.”

[virtueofsanityx]

"technically, not legally. the family doesn't believe in the legality of marriage, just the divine rite or whatever. bullshit hand binding ceremony type shit." all a load of crock, in duri's opinion. she'd been selected by someone, and it had been decided that she was his rightful wife and she hadn't really gotten a say in the matter. the only thing that gives her any kind of solace about the whole thing is the fact that it's not filed on paper legally somewhere, because she can deny it. and it's not as if the family is big on police, so they won't go filing a missing persons on her anyway.

despite his assurances, though, duri's still terrified. if nothing else, there's some part of her that's bleeding guilt, because if matt gets hurt, it's her fault. technically, the only reason she'd left the family at all is that she'd been the one that had failed to kill him in the first place when it had been ordered. and now that they've been spotted together, it means they're all going to think they planned it all from the start.

she can only imagine the twisted things they'll claim about her, the whispers. she shouldn't care, but even that thought puts her more on edge.

she offers a nod, a small one, but hesitates and then shakes her head. "come up with me. just in case..." she trails off, and embarrassment mixes with her fear to create a rosy shade on her cheeks. "i don't want to risk losing sight of you right at this moment. in case she doubled back to follow. she's trained like i am."

[famishdd]

“okay, deal.” zuri nods at cameron’s offer, already tearing open a pack of gummy worms with her teeth and grabbing two. “well, to be fair, i am easy to love.Ii mean, look at me.” she grins, knowing that’s only half true. zuri could be tough to crack. more bark than bite, sure, but it took time before she let anyone in. she’d noticed cameron showing up at her shows again and again, lingering around until she’d finally asked him outright if he was a stalker. turns out, he wasn’t half bad. actually… she liked being around him.

“so, do you ever go on those rich friend trips? feels like they’d be amazing, but also kind of make me feel like shit. being around people with so much access to everything.” she lets out a small laugh, her gaze drifting to the road ahead as the turns grow sharper the closer they get to where they’ll camp for the night. she can’t think of a time she’s done something like this willingly. sure, back in the early touring days, they’d crashed in parking lots for a few hours but that was necessity. this? this feels different. like maybe they’re both just trying to stretch out the time they have together… or maybe cameron just likes sleeping in his car.

“we’ve got a few shows next month,” she adds, glancing over at him. “short west coast run, but the label’s splurging. getting us a tour bus.” the invitation slips out before she can overthink it. “you should come. if you want.” she shrugs, but there’s no regret in it. “not as exciting as france or brazil, but we have a good time. plus, you can earn your keep. work the merch table.”

[virtueofsanityx]

"you are." he agrees easily because in his opinion, it's simply a matter of fact. cam has never been embarrassed by his feelings, even if they're his to keep to himself. there's certainly a different between ignoring your feelings and embracing them without shoving them at everyone else. he likes zuri. he likes her spirit, the way she seems to light up whatever room she's in. her music is good and her laugh is incredible, and there's no denying that she's gorgeous on top of everything else. but cam is careful. just in case he feels more, he doesn't want it to become someone else's issue.

"mm, yeah. never really of my own accord, mind you, but murph likes to pick up and leave the country at the drop of a hat. he gets a big feeling and then needs to go on a cruise about it." he chuckles a little, under his breath, before offering a shrug of his shoulders. "they're fine, fun most of the time, but i kind of hate flying. not scared of it or anything, just don't love being cramped in a tube with my ears ringing. it's why i prefer road trips."

another couple of turns and he's reached the spot he remembers. it's allegedly romantic, but he's not sure if that's true or not, and he parks with a sigh before flipping the car off completely. "yeah? you trust me to run your merch table? i do have a lovable face, could probably sell water to a fish or somethin', so it's a great choice." there's a pause, a moment of thought before he makes the impulsive decision he was going to make anyway. "yeah, alright. i'm in. when do we leave?"

[feilien]

 Despite his grand declarations just moments earlier, he suddenly fell suspiciously silent whenever Duri took off the robe. His gaze, too, was suddenly stubbornly averted as the nervous bouncing of his leg only grew faster. Clearing his throat, he simply shrugged his shoulders, as his eyes jumped around the room, studying the generic painting above the bed, the countless lights, and then his fingers. “Yeah, well. Call me stuck up, I don’t care. And I can’t help what you do, do whatever you want. I’m still gonna wait.”

 Honestly, the thought of getting laid was… Well, he’d never quite understood it. He’d never felt the need to just go out and pick someone up with the goal of just sleeping with them. As a matter of fact, it sounded quite boring to him. He’d rather be sitting here, arguing with her than doing that, even as annoying as she was. ( The irony that that was probably going to be his life for the next few months wasn’t lost on him )

 “Don’t worry. I’m not in the habit of having disappointing evenings.” Stop digging yourself deeper, you idiot. Letting out a sigh, Matt pinched the bridge of his nose, then looked up at the ceiling.

 “That’s my burden to carry for the rest of my life. I know that.” He didn’t need her to tell him. He was all too aware that none of it would ever go away–nor did he deserve it to. “I’m not doing it for myself. You can believe me, or don’t. It doesn’t make a difference. But you asked me why, and I gave you the honest answer. I want it to stop. All of it. And I know I’m being naive. I know… That someone else will simply step in to fill the vacuum. But…” Another sigh, and Matt got up, clearing his throat. “Anyway, it’s late.  I think I’ll head to bed.”

[virtueofsanityx]

she watches his eyes bounce around the room with mild curiosity, though her mind refuses to connect to the idea that his gaze is avoiding her, most especially after he's seemingly made it quite clear that he has no interest in the way that she looks to begin with. she also can't connect his suddenly strange behavior with her appearance because duri doesn't know how she looks, how the silk clings to her skin, how the color contrasts against it. she doesn't pay attention to those things, she was never bred to be a great beauty, so she's not one in her mind. his strange behavior is something, but she can't connect it with her.

she stands after a beat and starts collecting the things on the table to set them aside, to clean up a bit. he's already stated something about going to bed, but she feels restless, feels the need to stretch. when her body twists and she feels little pops up and down her back and legs, she lets out a soft huff of air that sounds more relaxed than normal, and she offers a shrug of her shoulders. "i'm sure everyone has had disappointing sex. even i've had disappointing sex and i just started having sex a year ago." the door that leads out to the balcony calls to her, and she moves over and opens it.

"i'll read and keep watch, then. get some sleep." she calls the words over her shoulder as she steps out into the cool night air, looks up at the sky, dotted with faded stars in the light pollution of the street lights below. she yawns, but ignores it as she twists to face into the room again, eyes him. "in my bag there, it keeps the dreams from showing up, if you want to take one. right front pocket."

[santiagogarcia]

OSCAR ISAAC and JESSICA CHASTAIN at the 78th Venice Film Festival HBO Scenes From a Marriage red carpet

[feilien]

{♚ x @virtueofsanityx || Duri x}

Continued from here

 It had all happened in the blink of an eye, and his reaction had been more instinctive than anything else. He wasn’t even sure what had happened, only that shit had suddenly hit the fan and that he was pretty fucking sure Duri would’ve already killed whoever that was, had he not gotten a hold of her as quickly as he had. “No,” he muttered in her ear, his grip only tightening.

 Then the other woman disappeared, and Duri’s wrath immediately turned on him. “Yeah? Right here? In the middle of the fucking street?” He gestured around them, at the people who had stopped, and the ones who were exchanging nervous glances, phone in hand, just in case. “I’m sure that would’ve done us a huge favor.” The shove was met with a sigh, and he just stood there a couple of seconds after, before he finally turned around to follow.

 “Yeah, maybe. But we’d have a much bigger problem. Slow down!” Grabbing Duri by her wrist—no doubt inciting a renewed wave of wrath—he held on to her just so she had to match his pace. “I’m sorry. But I can’t just let you kill openly in the street now, can I? We’ll pack our shit and get out of here. We’ll lose them again.”

[virtueofsanityx]

she's on edge, everything is too loud, everything is too quick, and her feet are moving like they have to if she wants to live. and maybe that's the case. maybe it's the truth. there's a chance, a small chance, that she's overreacting, but she would rather overreact than allow herself a moment of weakness and get dragged back. the punishment would be huge for her. the singular focus in her mind right now is that she has to get as far away from this place as she can, and she has to find a way to make sure matt is there, too.

because it's not just her head, it's not just getting dragged back to the ranch and disciplined, it's not just re-education and being placed back in line.

it's matt being killed for aiding and abetting her freedom, now. the thought of it puts a stone in her stomach. especially given who that woman was, who the woman is to her. it doesn't even register that she's a click away from full blown sprinting until he's grabbed her and forcefully slowed down her progress.

she whirls around to face him, eyes locking on his, and she knows somewhere deep in her own heart that it isn't rage reflected in them.

it's fear.

"they are going to kill you. they're going to drag me back there and lock me up until i'm a broken shell of the person right here, and that person is already a pretty broken fucking shell. so if you don't mind, let go, move your ass, and don't talk until we're at least a hundred miles away from this place and my sister-in-law. cool? cause i'm not going back there, and i'm not letting you die."

[feilien]

 “Oh? It’s not? Damn, what a disappointment,” he sighed dramatically, then smiled and rolled his eyes. “It’s called manners. Believe it, or not, I do have those from time to time. You bought and brought the food, the least I could do was wait.” Shrugging his shoulders, he focused back on the food and quickly demolished another taco.

 The noise, of course, didn’t go unnoticed. But the only thing that gave away he’d heard anything at all was a brief quirk of his brow and perhaps the ghost of a grin. He, too, was a bit too much in love with food.

 Then he nearly choked on the food in his mouth, and had to hit his chest a couple of times before clearing his throat. “Oh please. Don’t flatter yourself. There’s nothing I haven’t seen before, and nothing I couldn’t go see with someone a lot less… aggravating.” Right. Because he was in the habit of… Oh nevermind. Might be best to just let her believe he was some kind of playboy, right?

 At the question, Matt looked up at Duri and contemplated answering truthfully for a moment. Then he sighed and shrugged his shoulders, before eating the last bite and closing the container. Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms in front of his chest and started bouncing his leg up and down. “I don’t care about power. I want none of it.” And that was the truth. He’d never wanted to lead, had never wanted to be the one to take over one day. He’d just always been told that that was his life’s goal, and he’d never bothered to argue. “I realized just how much I was intentionally being kept in the dark. About the things we do. About the things I helped to do. Maybe… If I had looked just a little bit closer, had stopped believing everything I was told and opened my damn eyes, I would’ve realized it sooner, but—” What use was it asking what if questions now? “I finally saw everything for what it was. The lives we destroyed. The lives I destroyed. And I… I have to put an end to it. Even if it’s the last thing I do, I owe everyone at least that much.”

[virtueofsanityx]

duri fears that she's going to roll her eyes so much that eye strain is inevitable, but they roll again anyway as she shifts a little in the chair she's sitting in, and slips the hotel robe off her shoulders to drape across the back of the chair. she could care less about appearance in this room, and it's not as if he's looking in the first place. he's made that clear and she's grateful for it, honestly. the room is warm, no matter how airy the silk pajamas might be, the robe sweltered. "having manners is all very well, i suppose, but flaunting propriety makes you look stuck up. i wouldn't have waited for you, and i'm not ashamed of that fact."

she takes another bite of a taco, chews thoughtfully for a moment. perhaps there's something to be said for the innocence of youth. duri is an adult but a stunted one. the family had been very strict about things more intimate in nature. it was not a free and open discussion, it was never a question. while she had been one of the lucky few women specially trained in skilled and armed combat, she still had all the expectations placed on her that anyone else like her might have. she has no idea if matt truly is out and about, throwing himself at people, but she can't say she'd be surprised if he was.

he's certainly got the face for it.

"if you've got plans to get laid, all the better for me. i'll sleep soundly in that king bed over there. just make sure you wash up when your done, and don't wake me when you come stumbling in from the disappointing evening."

duri might find his cause noble. she might even respect him for his answer, but she has no intention of sharing that. instead, she offers the kind of hum that doesn't give away her thoughts at all. she doesn't look at him with any kind of sympathy or any kind of interest. she looks bored. "cut off the head, save the world, then? assuage all your guilt and try to drive the demons out of your head?" she leans forward a bit, lowers her voice like she's sharing a great secret. "they never go away. you'll always be just as miserable as you are right now. we both will."

[virtueofsanityx]

[ hold back ] sender has to hold back receiver from attacking someone @ Duri bc lbr, it's bound to happen 😂

"let go of me!" the words hiss out through clenched teeth, fingers clawing at the arms banding around her middle, pressing her back against his front while she still struggles to break free and wipe the smug little smirk off the face of the woman still standing there looking at them. matt it far too smart for his own good, and he's gone and placed his arm right over the handle of the knife tucked at her hip, so she can't even grab it and throw it. she wants to scream when the woman twists and walks away with a parting shot.

and the moment the woman is gone and she's free, she's whirling around to face him. "the hell was that? i could have taken her out, you know. do you even realize who she is?" but why would he? she's a ghost from duri's past, not one from matt's. she can feel that familiar feeling, danger crawling up her neck. hands lift and press against his chest, giving a hard shove as all of the pent up anger has to go somewhere, and then she huffs and move around him.

"we have to leave. she's from the family and they'll know we're here. if you'd have just let me kill her, this wouldn't be a problem."

[mcflymemes]

PROMPTS FOR SILENT ACTIONS THAT SAY A LOT *  i wrote these with the implication that the sender doesn't say a word before they perform the action. adjust as necessary, send 'reverse' for the reversal of the prompt

[ tug ] sender tugs receiver behind them during a tense moment

[ pull ] sender pulls receiver out of harm's way at the last second

[ tuck ] sender stares at receiver and quietly reaches up, tucking a fallen strand of hair behind receiver's ear

[ yank ] sender yanks receiver closer to them, ending up in semi-suggestive close proximity

[ steady ] sender grabs receiver's arm to steady them before they fall over

[ walk ] sender moves around receiver and walks closest to the street as they travel down the sidewalk, keeping receiver away from any potential danger in the roadway

[ untied ] sender drops to their knee and starts tying receiver's shoe for them

[ spoon ] sender lifts a spoon towards receiver's mouth, encouraging them to eat

[ trace ] sender traces receiver's lips with their thumb

[ pin ] sender pins receiver to a tucked-away spot in the shadows to avoid being caught

[ neck ] without a word, sender dips down to receiver's throat and kisses them soundly

[ handheld ] sender slips a hand behind their back and grabs receiver's fingers as they stand behind them

[ carry ] without asking, sender takes receiver's heavy bags from them and carries them

[ lock ] sender and receiver lock eyes across the room

[ drink ] sender brings receiver a drink and holds it to their lips, insisting they take a drink

[ reload ] sender reloads receiver's gun for them in the middle of a fight

[ shelter ] sender uses their body to shelter receiver from an explosion or attack

[ carry ] sender picks up receiver and carries them off the battlefield and into a safe spot before running back to the fight

[ toss ] from a secret hiding spot only receiver and sender can see as they avoid an enemy, sender silently gestures to receiver to toss them (their gun, something valuable, etc.)

[ stairs ] sender offers out a hand to help receiver ascend or descend a staircase

[ cover ] sender covers receiver's eyes so they don't witness something gruesome

[ fix ] sender comes up to receiver and fixes their collar and/or tie

[ shake ] to convince receiver not to do something, sender hastily shakes their head from a distance

[ watch ] from a distance, sender taps on their watch to show receiver they're running out of time

[ i'll go ] sender gently pushes receiver back, taking charge and insisting they will handle the dangerous task

[ reach ] through a locked gate, sender reaches for receiver's hand

[ ship ] as receiver's ship takes off from the planet, sender waves to them from the ground and watches them leave

[ protect ] after someone threatens receiver, sender rushes over and gets right in their face to protect them

[ punch ] after someone attacks receiver, sender rushes over and punches them in retaliation

[ nip ] sender playfully nips at receiver's neck

[ knuckles ] sender kisses receiver's knuckles in a polite gesture

[ squeeze ] sender gives receiver's butt a playful squeeze from behind

[ danger ] as an all-powerful receiver is about to lose control of their powers and cause massive damage, sender finds their eyes and tries to talk them down

[ goodbye ] without saying a word, sender approaches receiver and kisses them goodbye

[ wipe ] sender wipes a tear from receiver's face

[ location ] without saying anything and giving away the surprise, sender takes receiver to a secret spot

[ hold back ] sender has to hold back receiver from attacking someone

[ game ] sender lets receiver win a game they're playing

[ shower ] sender joins receiver in the shower they're taking