dmlza

[dmlza]

ok, so i've moved demelza over to the multi !!! i adore her with my whole heart, but i don't do enough with her to warrant her having her own blog, and i keep neglecting her, so a necessary move! .

[dmlza]

the verifiers.

dialogue prompts from the verifiers by jane pek.

you look like someone who makes lists for everything.

i'd like to hear your opinion before i tell you mine.

you're too nice for our family.

you act like you don't know me at all.

how strange that i used to worship ____.

we're not friends. we just pretend.

it's not a proper family gathering until everyone is upset.

killed anyone lately?

that's what i aim for: to be just a little less shitty than people expect me to be.

i feel sort of sleazy.

you're right. i haven't been fully honest with you.

i'm still figuring things out. what they might mean.

between deceiving and being deceived, i prefer the second option.

it always surprises me how surprising death is, when it's the one thing that's inevitable.

you don't know shit. don't try to pretend you do.

not all mistakes can be fixed.

neither admit nor deny. that's a very lawyerly approach.

take it, please. i'll feel better.

believing something for its convenience is at best negligence, and at worst culpability.

i don't trust anyone, except you.

how do you know what i like to read?

do you want me to help you take a picture?

it looks like your party's a success.

you're even sneakier than i thought.

i hate being told what to do.

guilt is the currency that our family traffics in.

i feel like i could ask you about anything, and you'd have something interesting to say.

walk it off. nothing hurt, right?

you've never known any of us.

well? aren't you going to say anything?

you never do anything for me.

don't tell me what i can and can't be like.

you don't deserve it. the way ____ loves you.

writers always talk about their characters like they're real.

let's pretend we're tourists.

i've been all fizzy with happiness, ever since we met.

you call it like it is.

i never meant to hurt you.

you can't always pick your weapons in your duels.

it's too late to change anything.

what if we take turns? we can answer each other's questions.

i know the truth is right there, but i can't see it.

here i am, crazy as ever.

all those little lies just make the truth feel worse.

i didn't mean anything by it. i just wanted it all to go away.

i love you, you little brat.

if you ever went away, there would be a hole in my world.

you millennials are unbelievable. all laziness and instant gratification.

i see you couldn't wait to get into more unnecessary danger.

is that a threat or a warning?

if i tell you, i'll have to get rid of you.

this is bigger than you know.

if you go any deeper, forget about getting out.

is there anywhere to eat in this wasteland of a neighborhood?

why do i feel like i've missed something?

did the english major make you such an annoying pedant, or were you always that way?

what's the point of knowing, if you don't do anything about it?

i always knew you were a romantic.

try to grow some balls.

you love me. i'm sure you do.

you become something, if you act that way for long enough.

is a digression into backstory really necessary?

can we get to the action?

you can be very persuasive.

we told each other everything.

you only ask to hang out when you want something from me.

i want someone like you. who isn't you.

are you having a quarter life crisis?

no matter what, you'll be okay. i'll make sure of it.

i'm having a bodysnatcher moment.

this would make a fantastic setting for a murder mystery.

people are constantly mistaking me for someone else.

i wish more people could think like you.

still trying to save the world?

i want the best for you. i always have.

damn, you're ruthless.

maybe i still don't know you at all.

you have to tell me the rest of it.

people tend to hear what they want to hear.

who do you think i want you to be?

[dmlza]

the smile that she returns to him is warm, and kind. she knows precisely why he's come, though it would be cruel of her to brig it up to him. in their experiences, they are kin, and she knows what it's like to want to shut the world away and pretend as if all the things that have wronged her have never existed. she can only be thankful that he has chosen to seek her company instead. ‘ never did i think i would hear 'ee complainin' that i be too well. but well i am, as is jeremy. he cries somethin' fierce but he's not gettin' worse, far as i can see. ’ her hand settles on his shoulder for just a moment, a brief interlude that she hopes tells him that she recognises herself in him and that he is welcome in her home for as long as he needs, before she continues on to the stove where a tea kettle awaits her.

‘ sit a while, please. i was just makin' tea a'fore you arrived. you'll have some? ’ it's phrased as a question, but the tone of her voice makes it clear that it's very much a rhetorical one. he will have tea, so long as he wishes to stay in her company. she simply won't be taking no for an answer at this time. ‘ i'd offer a slice of cake too but i fear i have none left to give. ’

" it's been so long since you've come to see me, i thought perhaps my services were needed. " there is a tease in his voice as he removes his hat and sets it down on the kitchen table. in truth, he had come seeking company. killewarren was too quiet. with no caroline - and no sarah - to break the silence, the place had become oppressive. he had always spent more time riding out to see his patients than he had by the warm fires of home... but now more than ever, the call of his work is particularly seductive.

but, for the moment, nampara is an appealing substitute. aside from friendly, welcoming faces, he knows that here at least, some of what he feels will be understood... " you are well? " he asks her. there is a knowing smile on his lips - she of all people cannot be blind as to what brings him here. " and jeremy's cold is not worse? "

starter call --> @dmlza

[dmlza]

just another observation.

[dmlza]

PROMPTS FOR THE BIG MISUNDERSTANDING *  assorted dialogue for that trope i really hate but you know what, sometimes it's good to explore this stuff even if it makes me mad, adjust as necessary

i overheard you talking earlier.

do you actually love me, or was that a lie, too?

you made me fall in love with you.

you were lying to me this whole time.

i never meant for you to hear that.

oh, i know what you said. you don't need to explain it.

when were you going to tell me the truth?

i just said those things! i don't know what came over me!

so now i know the truth.

this is what i get for trusting you.

i never lied about how i felt.

you're making a big mistake.

i opened myself up to you, and this is how you treat me?

go. i don't want to look at you anymore.

you lied to my face.

you don't need to explain anything. i heard the truth.

i get it. i'll just slow you down.

this was never supposed to happen this way.

look, i'm sorry. can we please talk about this?

you could have been honest with me from the start.

what was this, some kind of game?

i didn't lie about that!

that was your plan all along, wasn't it?

you think you can just walk in, play with my heart, and leave?

you manipulated me this whole time.

now i see you for what you really are.

none of that is true, and you know it.

why won't you give me a chance to explain?

that's all i needed to know.

i was so stupid trusting you.

i never should have listened to you.

that's not what i said!

i was just saying those things to get [name] to leave!

you made it very clear where you stand.

might be better if i just leave now.

you never wanted me around anyway.

so this was all a game to you?

how did you hear that? who told you?

yes, i lied to you, but i didn't mean for it to get this far!

i didn't mean any of it!

and all this time, i thought you actually loved me.

what a fool i was to trust you.

the longer you stand there, the angrier i get.

i'm walking out of here, and i'm never coming back.

nothing you could say right now would make me change my mind.

oh, i heard you. i heard everything.

[name] told me you were lying.

i know what really happened. you can stop pretending.

were you ever going to tell me the truth, or were you planning on stringing me along forever?

so that's it? you're just leaving?

did you really mean what you said, or was that a lie too?

everything is called into question.

i didn't lie about my feelings for you.

as much as i'd love to believe you, i can't. not anymore.

they were right about you all along.

when they warned me about you, i didn't believe them.

i never want to see you again.

please pack your things.

[dmlza]

[dmlza]

give me your hand. // from ross. @reiignonme — sent from this prompt (x) still accepting!

her feet, perched on stone that is roughly hewn from the elements, come to a still as he offers her his hand. she looks down at it, and then back up at him, before she cocks her head to keep the wind from blowing her hair into her eyes. ‘ do 'ee not think i can handle it m'self? ’ she plants her hands upon her hips, standing where she is and making no attempt to take his proffered help. ‘ or do 'ee just want a'be the heroic husband? ’ that question makes her smile, just slightly, exposing the fact that she's simply teasing him, but she tries to cover it with a neutral expression, hopefully before he has the opportunity to notice it.

[dmlza]

anatomy of a fall (2023) feel free to change as needed.

let's dry you off.

what makes you so mad you want to explore it?

it makes me feel high, like i'm on drugs.

time is not a problem here.

this is really weird. seeing you again, like this.

you need to wash up and get dressed.

honey, i know this is hard.

you can't spend whole days like this without going outside.

i'm so tired of crying.

don't worry. i'll take care of everything.

i just can't get it in my head.

spare me your comments.

give me your hand.

you need to start seeing yourself the way others are going to perceive you.

i should never have come here.

it's fucking absurd, isn't it?

you can consider me a friend. or not. that's your choice.

the law can't be someone's friend.

our relationship revolved around intellectual stimulation, even if it meant neglecting everything else.

seduction means several things.

i dislike being reduced to a marital status.

i found it atypical, nothing more.

you're nitpicking.

it's hard to read the intentions of someone you can't see.

i can work in any situation.

you couldn't be two places at once.

i'm sorry, i'm not finished.

you can't deny you're at the center of this equation.

this is your problem. you're responsible. deal with it.

after a while, i can tell what's real and what isn't.

it is just a little part of a whole situation.

sometimes a couple is kind of a chaos.

i want to drink all night.

is it a great reason for placing your life in someone's hands?

you look like a dog.

i can't trust someone if i can't put an animal's head on them.

do you remember me from before? when we first met?

i was hopelessly in love.

i think a lot of things i don't tell you.

when you look at me, i can feel that you are judging me.

my love, i just want you to know one thing.

i just wish you would be shielded from all this.

this isn't working for me anymore.

are you fucking serious?

it's a beautiful and generous choice, and i thank you for it, but you don't have to do it.

it's naive and, frankly, it's depressing.

you never smile at anyone.

i have to accept that you fuck other people.

i'm not a victim!

you're incapable of facing your ambitions, and you resent me for it.

you're a monster.

you can still see the dent.

it was sexual. we slept together twice.

it was a tricky year.

interesting take on feelings.

people exaggerate and alter facts when they argue.

i think i want to be alone.

my role is to protect you.

fucking help me!

to overcome doubt, sometimes we have to decide to sway one way rather than the other.

i'm not accusing, just making a point.

you need to be aware of it. it'll happen someday.

you have to try this, really.

i'm gonna throw up.

you're ready to go home?

one more, for the road.

i thought i'd feel relieved.

[dmlza]

“is love cruel? is love unkind?” @sgarrigh — sent from this prompt (x) still accepting!

she's not expecting the question, busy as she is with her own wandering thoughts. her head lifts to regard him, to gaze at him quizzically as she process what he's just said to her. what does she know of love, truly? her experiences are reduced to two men, one of whom she has been married to for longer than she can even care to remember, and the other a fleeting attraction that stuck around for far too long.

so how can she be expected to answer that? from her own experiences, yes, that much is a given, but she feels wholly unprepared for it. that won't stop her from trying, though. ‘ ...i think love be what ye make it, but it can't be love if it be cruel. y'should treat the person you love with kindness, else why spend all the time with 'em that ye have? ’

[dmlza]

where she should be comforted by his words, instead they make her discomfort grow. she thinks that maybe she would have preferred it if, instead of assuaging her concerns, he confirmed them. at least then, she would have had a reason to feel this way. now, however, she feels as if she's being ridiculous. and it's not because of dwight, but because if ross isn't doing anything so obvious that his closest friend would know about it, then what reason does she have to suspect anything at all?

‘ per'aps i'm mistaken, but does he not seem to be spendin' more time with elizabeth? ’ even as the words leave her mouth, she hates herself for sounding so... jealous. it makes her sound like a little girl who's been told to share her favourite toy, when she promised herself that she would never be that kind of wife, would never be that kind of woman.

she's quick to continue speaking, not leaving dwight enough time to call her out for her petty jealousy, as much as she doubts that he would. ‘ an' if it were just that, maybe i could ignore it. but when he is home, all he wants to talk about is that mine of his, an' i swear, i feel like a spare part to a horse cart. ’ with all that said, she drops into the nearest chair with a huff, a small weight having been lifted off of her shoulders. does she feel completely better? no, of course not, and she won't until she actually has this discussion with ross, if she ever does. but there's less of a sense of dread in her chest now that she's gotten it all out.

he knows better than to interrupt. what she has to say has clearly been weighing on her mind, the words important but difficult to muster. he means to be an encouragement, not to spook her out of making a confession which could bring her some relief...

he will not pretend he is comfortable with the prospect. with learning the unpleasant complications in the marriage of his fondest friends... in one respect, they have no - or few - secrets from each other. in another, he has no wish to insert himself where he is not needed... but what right would he have to call himself her friend if he avoided a confidence? and one in such desperate need of sharing, at that? he has never been one to shy away from discomfort and he has little intention of beginning now - at demelza's expense.

but when she reaches her end, his brow furrows. " surely, you cannot believe that... " his tone is gentle, but it does not hide that he thinks her fear to be wholly unfounded. impossible, even. " ross can, i know, be foolish, but... that seems particularly so. even for him. " the note of levity in those last words does not lessen his meaning. but he grows serious again as he pushes onward. " what could possibly make you believe so? " it is an honest question and he hopes she understands it as such - not some preemptive defense of his friend. he will not offer such a defense if it becomes clear it is undeserved...

[dmlza]

there are other things that she should be doing rather than standing in her kitchen and talking to him. a fox had gotten into the grain stores overnight and whilst she'd managed to clear up the majority of the mess, she now has to find a new way to make sure that the grain is kept safe and dry, whilst also making it fox-proof. usually, she would leave such a task to ross, but with him being who knows where, it falls to her, lest they lose even more of their precious supplies.

but she needs to get this off of her chest. it's eating away at her, burning a hole into not only the love that she holds for ross, but the feeling of comfort that she would usually relish from nampara. and who better to tell than dwight, who knows of ross' behavioural patterns, and knows of his flights of fancy.

‘ ...mayhaps not, ’ she admits, finally, quietly, though she is quick to speak her next words to him. ‘ not that i not be well in myself, i've no complaints of my health. ’ she knows that she has to be careful with what she chooses to say to him. not because she's worried that dwight will tell ross of her feelings — though she couldn't care less if he did precisely that — but because she doesn't want to make him feel like she's trying to turn dwight against his friend, when that's not what she's trying to do. ‘ ross has been in the house less of late, is all. starts to make you wonder if'n he's tryin' to stay away. ’

he returns her smile, but is hardly fooled by it. one thing he has come to learn about demelza is that, for all her excellent and admirable qualities, she can no more hide her feelings than the sun can choose not to rise in the morning. today, the disquiet in her eyes is not merely about jeremy... his position is not the easiest, perhaps, torn as he is between two of his dearest friends, with no wish to take one's part over the other. but neither can he sit by while there is clearly something wrong.

" i thought i might wait, yes, " he replies, following her lead for the moment. " but i have no wish to intrude if i am keeping you from more important matters... " in truth, they both have other duties - she to the farm, he to his patients. but ultimately, friendship is far more than mere convenience, is it not?

he lingers a moment, taking longer than necessary to fasten the clasps of his case. his bedside manner is one he has honed carefully, one he feels confident in... but this is something else entirely. something he is far less versed in, good intentions or no... " demelza, " he ventures at last. " chastise me for intruding if you wish, but, you seem... out of spirits. " he looks at her questioningly. " is my diagnosis so far from the mark? "

[dmlza]

PROMPTS FOR BEST FRIENDS FOREVER *  adjust as necessary, send 'reverse' for the reversal action prompts

DIALOGUE PROMPTS

i never want to know a life without you.

you're a great friend to me.

you mean a lot to me. i hope you know that.

what would i do without you?

don't make me sit on you.

we have too many inside jokes.

i really missed you.

i'm here for you, no matter what.

you can count on me.

wanna hear a dad joke?

you left this at my house.

whatever you need, i'll do it.

that's what best friends are for.

we're friends, right? friends look out for each other.

they thought we were siblings! honestly, i don't blame them.

i really need a friend right now.

could you please come over?

stop making me laugh!

i wouldn't be able to survive this without you.

you can lean on me. i'll be there for you.

i won't just abandon you.

we've been friends for years.

why don't you come over tonight?

let's get a bite to eat. i'm starving.

last one there's a rotten egg!

i call shotgun!

move over! i'm coming in!

you know... you're my best friend.

i trust you more than anyone else.

do you pinky promise?

if you don't stop, i'll tickle you.

i'll bring the snacks!

let's sit at our favorite table.

i've known you since i was five!

they literally can't separate us.

i don't think they've ever seen us apart.

will you be at my wedding?

let's do this together.

of course i remember our handshake.

i don't know how to function if you're not there.

you're the best friend anyone could ever ask for.

do you remember how we met?

stop messing up my hair!

honey, i'm home!

this is basically your house, too.

i really need your help.

i'll be a shoulder to cry on.

if anyone hurts you, they have to answer to me.

you have to carry on without me.

we can do this.

you're the only person who ever really believed in me.

ACTION PROMPTS

[ handshake ] sender and receiver perform their signature best friend handshake

[ pinky ] sender makes receiver pinky promise

[ steal ] sender steals a piece of clothing (like a hat) from receiver and puts it on

[ cheers ] sender and receiver lift their drink glasses in a celebratory toast

[ game ] sender challenges receiver to a board game

[ laughing fit ] sender and receiver end up in a hysterical laughing fit at a joke the sender made

[ keep away ] sender steals an item from receiver and plays keep away with them, holding it too far from their reach

[ splash ] while swimming together, sender splashes receiver

[ club ] sender and receiver go bar-hopping

[ movie night ] sender and receiver have a movie night complete with snacks, blankets, and lots of pillows

[ console ] sender is deeply distraught, so receiver comforts them

[ cuddle ] sender and receiver cuddle

[ sleep ] sender and receiver fall asleep together

[ toss ] sender keeps tossing items at receiver to get their attention

[ reach ] sender is about to fall to their death, and receiver reaches just in time to catch their hand and save them

[ tent ] sender and receiver attempt to pitch a tent together

[ rescue ] in a dramatic turn of events, receiver shows up in the nick of time to save sender's life

[ costume ] sender and receiver wear matching costumes to an event

[ pillow ] sender and receiver have a pillow fight

[ hobby ] sender and receiver enjoy their favorite hobby together

[ piggyback ] sender gives receiver a piggyback ride

[ treehouse ] sender and receiver hang out in a treehouse

[ notes ] sender and receiver pass secret notes to each other

[ fast food ] sender and receiver visit a fast food restaurant to grab a bite to eat

[ risk ] sender puts their life on the line to protect receiver

[dmlza]

there is an immediate sense of relief that floods through her as dwight gives jeremy a clean bill of health, her son's wellbeing having been at the forefront of her mind since he had taken a fall. some luck it had been, then, that dwight had arrived not a few minutes before, looking for her husband. if only she knew where he was, then she might have been able to help, but as it stands, she's no more clued in than dwight is.

she barely gets the chance to brush her fingers through her son's hair as he darts from the room, already eager to find some other minor trouble to land himself in, such is his way. ‘ i reckon's he might bounce should i let him jump off the roof. i won't hold my breath that he should be thinkin' to try it next. my nerves mightn't take it. ’

then comes the question that she'd been dreading, the topic of conversation turning to her own wellbeing. how should she answer him? it would be betraying the friendship that her husband had with dwight to speak ill of him, but how could see possibly describe her mood without bringing him up? ‘ better now jeremy sees fit not to make my heart give out. ’ it's a weak smile that she manages to summon up for him, though she figures it's better than nothing. ‘ are you stayin' a'wait for ross? can't say i know when he be returnin'. ’ maybe he'll ignore the slight hint of bitterness to her tone, if only because she doesn't mean to add it.

he smiled as jeremy scampered off out of the parlor, the spill he'd taken clearly making no great impact on the boy's exuberance. it was a refreshing sight - and one that provided stark contrast to his last call and the feverish young family he'd tended in sawle. he'd done what he could, planning to return to them in the morning - but he knew they would weigh on his thoughts in the meantime...

as he packed his instruments in their leather case, he ventured a glance at demelza. " as you see - no harm done, " he said, with a slight smile and a knowing glint in his eye. " no doubt he thinks himself invincible - and at that age, he very nearly may be... "

he eyed her a moment then. the house seemed quiet today, despite the eager young boy's antics. and while he made it a point to force no confidences, she had become his friend as firmly - and as fondly - as her husband had. he flattered himself that in the years they had known each other, he had learned to read her as well as almost anyone. " and you? " he said, voice deliberately light. " are you well? " it was an invitation to speak if she wished, or to reject with no harm done.

𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁𝚃𝙴𝚁 𝙲𝙰𝙻𝙻 --> @dmlza

[dmlza]

just an observation.

[dmlza]

“ i am not that man. i have never been that man. ” ( from ross! ) @kessenyans — sent from this prompt (x) still accepting!

her brow creases, furrowing at his words. he sits on their end of their martial bad, half-clothed, having paused in his de-robing to speak to her. ‘ ross... ’ she moves to him, settling her hand on his cheek in an effort to turn his head so that she can look him in the eye. it's always better when they're connected like that, when she can see those thoughts swirling behind his eyes like a storm just off the coast. ‘ think you i care what man 'ee be? all's i care about is that i have my husband here, home, and safe. i don't ask for nothin' more'n that. ’

all she wants is her home to be secure, for her life with him to be one that doesn't cause her strife, yet more and more it seems as if things aren't going to work out that way. ‘ you don't have to try'n be somethin' you're not. not with me. ’ surely he's noticed too? surely that's the cause for this maudlin mood that strikes him?

[dmlza]

[dmlza]

“ i can stay and make myself useful. ” @sanitatcm — sent from this prompt (x) still accepting!

‘ don't be thinkin' you'll be gettin' off easy by makin' that offer on account a'kindness an' all that, ’ she warns, wiping her flour-covered hands off on her dress, apron be damned. a ball of dough rests on the kitchen table, freshly floured and ready to be rolled into a pie crust, which had been her task when he'd come walking through her kitchen door. she's pleased to see him, always is, his warm nature a welcome presence in her home. ‘ since you'll be wantin' to stay for dinner, i see's no reason why you can't help out with the makin' of it. ’ her hands find their way to her hips, and the expectant look that she gives him is slightly marred by the smile that is threatening to pull at her lips. she cannot keep serious for long, especially not around a friend. ‘ how fares your pie-makin'? be it as good as your doctorin'? ’