controlledflame

[controlledflame]

for muses that are getting to know each other

❝ what's your favorite color and why? ❞

❝ can i come with you? ❞

❝ you have a nice smile, has anyone ever told you that before? ❞

❝ how do you take your coffee? ❞

❝ sorry, what was your name again? ❞

❝ it just occurred to me i never asked you what your last name is. ❞

❝ actually we've met before. ❞

❝ i've heard a few things about you. ❞

❝ care to join me? ❞

❝ i'm not really sure why i trust you. ❞

❝ i don't usually talk this much, it just feels easy to say stuff when you're listening. ❞

❝ i know we don't know each other that well but if you wanna talk about it... ❞

❝ could you help me with something? ❞

❝ do you like it here? ❞

❝ are you new around here? ❞

❝ you can ask me anything you want. i promise i'll answer truthfully except the things i feel like lying about. ❞

❝ i don't mean to be too forward, you just seem like you could use a friend right now. ❞

❝ you can come with me. i mean if you don't have anyone waiting for you. ❞

❝ we're friends now. you can ask me for help. ❞

❝ do you like this music? i can change it. ❞

❝ what are your favorite snacks? ❞

❝ really? i wouldn't have guessed that about you. ❞

❝ do you mind if i ask about it? ❞

ACTIONS:

VISIT: for sender to go to receiver's home for the first time

VISITED: for receiver to go to sender's home for the first time

CRYING: for sender to see receiver cry for the first time

CRIED: for receiver to see sender cry for the first time

BEGIN: sender and receiver are on their first date together

TRIP: our muses go on a group trip but end up stuck together, away from the rest of their friends.

SITUATION: our muses are acquainted because one of them is their friend's roommate. muse a shows up when their friend isn't there and ends up hanging out with muse b one on one.

GO: our muses go to a zoo or theme park together and get lost.

INVITE: sender cooks for receiver for the first time

INVITED: receiver cooks for sender for the first time

TOGETHER: our muses spend the night for the first time

TRY: our muses hooked up and are hanging out the next day

COMFORT: sender is going through a break up and receiver offers to cheer them up

COMFORTED: receiver is going through a break up and sender offers to cheer them up

OFFER: sender gives receiver a ride to the airport/picks them up

OFERED: receiver gives sender a ride to the airport/picks them up

AID: sender helps receiver redecorate

AIDING: receiver helps sender redecorate

[controlledflame]

PROMPTS FOR PRE ESTABLISHED CONNECTIONS AND CREATING HISTORY BETWEEN CHARACTERS *  assorted dialogue for giving your characters a history and giving them past things or events to talk about, adjust as necessary

do you remember what i told you last time?

have you been doing well since i saw you?

that's not what you told me back then.

when was the last time i saw you?

you were shorter then.

i'm picking the restaurant this time.

we've known each other since we were children.

always knew i could count on you.

that time was different. this is worse.

you're not going to let me live that down, are you?

i seem to remember a conversation we had back then.

so you changed your mind about it?

do you remember our encounter in paris?

you should know me by now.

am i the only one that knows the truth?

we had a lot of help back then.

your mom told me to look out for you.

you just love bringing that back up to annoy me.

maybe don't mention my past indescretions?

this was never going to work out between us.

i told you not to get attached.

i know more about you than you think.

i was there, remember?

i'm not about to forget all the shit you put me through.

you told me you were going to try and make this work.

remember what i said to you?

the last time i saw you, things were good between us.

you never mentioned this before.

that was the longest flight of my life, and you made it worse.

can i still trust you after all that?

at least we tried to make something work.

we never discussed what happened between us.

okay, but i'm driving the car this time.

i haven't forgotten what you said last week.

i'm still thinking about your comment.

i didn't realize it was you when i first saw you.

you seem to make a lot of enemies around here.

there's not much for us to talk about.

we worked it out last time.

i know you far better than you know yourself.

we have a long history.

is that the shirt you were wearing last time?

what don't i know about you?

i haven't told them about us.

you were the only person i could go to.

you know me.

this is bigger than both of us.

i can't stand your driving.

are you taking me to the place we had dinner last time?

that's not at all what you said.

didn't we agree on that?

i thought i made it very clear where i stand.

are these the same people that came after you last time?

are you still going on about it?

can we talk about it?

staying silent about it won't help.

you're the only person who knows the real me.

this is a bad time to talk about your problems.

[controlledflame]

nonverbal  meme  prompts ↪  they  seem  few  &  far  between,  so  i  tried  to  come  up  with  as  many  scenarios  as  i  could  think  of  where  dialogue  wasn’t  a  necessary  starting  point.  some  are  more  uh  specific  than  others  /  drabble-y,  but  they’re  all  dialogue-free  (  tho  ofc  this  does  not  necessarily  extend  to  the  response  itself  ).  to  reverse  who  sends  what,  send  ‘  [  prompt  ]+  ’  !  alter  any  as  you  see  fit,  &  lemme  know  if  anything’s  unclear  ♡

[  pull  ]  sender  pulls  receiver  closer  to  them

[  touch  ]  sender  places  their  hand  affectionately  on  receiver

[  guide  ]  sender  helps  receiver  through  a  difficult  video  game

[  lean  ]  sender  leans  on  receiver

[  pierce  ]  sender  helps  receiver  with  a  new  piercing  (  doing,  aftercare,  etc  )

[  sit  ]  sender  sits  in  receiver’s  lap

[  spar  ]  sender  pins  receiver  down  in  a  practice  fight

[  cook  ]  sender  makes  food  for  receiver

[  slide  ]  sender  pushes  an  item  across  the  table  to  receiver

[  kiss  ]  sender  kisses  (  lips,  cheek,  forehead,  hand,  etc  )

[  lead  ]  sender  leads  receiver  someplace

[  wound  ]  sender  injures  muse  in  a  fight  (  practice  or  real  )

[  snap  ]  sender  takes  a  photo  of  receiver  (  candid  or  posed  )

[  drape  ]  sender  drapes  their  arm  around  receiver’s  shoulders

[  bullet  ]  sender  takes  a  bullet  for  receiver  (  literal  or  figurative  )

[  nap  ]  sender  falls  asleep  against  receiver

[  teeth  ]  sender  bears  teeth  at  receiver

[  trace  ]  sender  traces  one  of  receiver’s  scars

[  cocktail  ]  sender  makes  /  gives  receiver  a  cocktail

[  comfort  ]  sender  comforts  receiver  when  they  are  upset  /  crying

[  bouquet  ]  sender  surprises  receiver  with  a  bouquet

[  massage  ]  sender  gives  receiver  a  massage  (  planned,  spontaneous,  full  body,  shoulder,  etc  )

[  mentor  ]  sender  takes  muse  under  their  wing

[  tattoo  ]  sender  helps  receiver  with  a  new  tattoo  (  doing,  aftercare,  etc  )

[  dare  ]  receiver  acts  out  a  dare  from  sender

[  hug  ]  sender  pulls  receiver  into  a  hug

[  phone  ]  receiver  sees  sender  smiling  at  something  on  their  phone

[  popcorn  ]  sender  makes  popcorn  for  a  movie  night

[  wake  ]  sender  tries  to  wake  receiver

[  groom  ]  sender  tries  to  make  receiver  look  more  presentable

[  flower  ]  sender  places  a  flower  behind  receiver’s  ear

[  sad  ]  sender  looks  at  receiver  sorrowfully

[  playlist  ]  sender  curates  a  playlist

[  fashion  show  ]  sender  tries  to  help  receiver  choose  an  outfit

[  shield  ]  sender  steps  between  receiver  and  danger

[  bandage  ]  sender  helps  bandage  up  receiver’s  wounds

[  duel  ]  muses  get  into  a  fight

[  fear  ]  sender  finds  receiver  having  a  nightmare

[  hold  ]  sender  holds  receiver’s  hand

[  bruise  ]  sender  finds  receiver  with  a  bruise  /  tries  to  help  receiver  cover  up  a  bruise

[  brush  ]  sender  brushes  /  styles  /  dyes  receiver’s  hair

[  portrait  ]  receiver  paints  a  portrait  of  receiver

[  assist  ]  sender  helps  the  receiver  with  a  task  they’re  struggling  in

[  wow  ]  sender  does  something  to  really  amaze  receiver

[  glare  ]  sender  is  still  hurt  after  an  argument

[  roast  ]  muses  roast  marshmallows  together  /  make  s’mores

[  shoot  ]  muses  attend  a  game  of  paintball

[  diary  ]  receiver  writes  a  journal  entry  about  sender  (  maybe  they  find  it  ?  )

[  dance  ]  sender  whisks  receiver  onto  to  ‘  dance  floor  ’  (  can  be  actual  or  pretend  )

[  rest  ]  sender  rests  their  chin  on  receiver’s  head  /  shoulder

[  manicure  ]  sender  paints  receiver’s  nails

[  tuck  ]  sender  tucks  in  receiver’s  shirt,  hair  behind  ear,  etc

[  chin  ]  sender  lifts  receiver’s  chin  up

[  lap  ]  sender  puts  their  feet  in  receiver’s  lap

[  write  ]  receiver  writes  sender  a  note

[  play  ]  muses  play  a  board  game  /  card  game  together

[  glance  ]  receiver  catches  sender  looking  at  them

[  ill  ]  sender  takes  care  of  receiver  when  they  are  unwell

[  hearth  ]  sender  lights  a  fire

[  tap  ]  sender  taps  receiver  on  the  shoulder

[  bake  ]  muses  bake  together

[  read  ]  sender  reads  to  receiver

[  study  ]  sender  tries  to  help  receiver  study

[  push  ]  sender  pushes  receiver  in  anger

[  skill  ]  receiver  tries  to  assist  sender  in  learning  a  new  skill

[  coated  ]  receiver  finds  sender  covered  in  blood

[  gesture  ]  sender  motions  for  receiver  to  follow  them

[  downpour  ]  receiver  finds  sender  out  in  the  rain

[controlledflame]

What kind of "I love you" are you?

love you!

it's the "i love you" we use every time we finish up a call with our mom, every time we want to offer our friends a bit of encouragement, the welcome home kiss on the cheek we give our lover every day. it's sending them pictures you know they'll laugh at, buying them strange little nothings that you know they'll like. it's having their bagel order memorized and setting their birthday as your password. somehow, their name weaves its way into almost every funny story you share with others. it's brief, casual, it's a habit. we aren't even aware we do it. it says that love is cradled lightly in your heart, generously given, spilling out into the world unbeknownst to you, making up the web of delicate threads that hold us all together.

Tagged by: @cardplays thank you!

Tagging: @heroftruth @evoblue @aotoreiki @kantoblood (tossing it back at you because I can) @danderosa @jocundcompany (maybe dani?) @onlyheartaches (guzma?)

[controlledflame]

random dialogue from the recesses of my sleep-deprived brain ... sentence starters

mixed bag of funny, angsty, angry, and just plain weird

"I picked you a flower."

"Am I dead? Please say yes."

"One more word and I'll leave."

"I don't think we can salvage this."

"If you were really sorry, you'd change."

"Don't tell me what I'm allowed to feel…"

"Don't act like you know what's going on."

"No. Get out of here. I don't want to see you."

"You snore so loud, I can't hear myself think."

"Who ever gave you the right to act this way?"

"They weren't supposed to tell you where I am."

"It's called empathy. Maybe you should learn it."

"I know I'm bad at this; you don't have to rub it in."

"Yes, I hear you. All the dramatics. It's hard not to."

"Why are you shrinking yourself for everyone else?"

"Yeah, let's see how YOU like cold feet on your back!"

"No. No, tell me what you actually think. I want to know."

"Just tell me how to help. I want to, I just don't know how."

"I'm gonna need you to take all that sass and go over there."

"You don't have to prove anything to me, you know that, right?"

"How long have you been carrying all those secrets on your own?"

"Let me just ask the spirits of the dead, first… The spirits said 'no'."

"Nothing you do will ever be good enough for them, so stop trying."

"Has anyone ever told you that your vibe is strange and off-putting?"

"I wanted to slam the door really dramatically, but the hinge caught."

"Everyone should be a lot more appreciative of me not going apeshit."

"Every time I see you, I get cute aggression, I can't help it. I must squish."

"This would be a lot more soothing without the underlying, constant terror."

"It's hard to believe your parents loved you if they gave you a name like that."

"If I looked into your brain, I think I'd just hear the Benny Hill theme on repeat."

"I knew this wasn't gonna work. Doesn't make it any less disappointing, though."

"Does this task require a bra/pants? Because, if it does, I will not be participating."

"I heard your stomach rumble from over here. No argument, I'm getting you food."

"Gonna need you to take a deep breath, find whatever inner peace you have, and be quiet."

"You'd have nothing to worry about in a zombie apocalypse… I mean, they eat brains, right?"

"I knew you weren't good for much, yet you continue to find new ways to disappoint me."

"Yeah, you jumpscared me! You move so quietly, it's like perpetually living in an indie horror game!"

"I can't lower my bar of expectations any more. The devil is already using it for limbo parties in hell."

"You're an amazing scientific study waiting to happen on how someone can survive so long without any common sense at all."

"I really don't care what you think or say about me. But, I draw the line at you disrespecting them... you're on really thin ice here."

[controlledflame]

This is overdue to be posted, because it was supposed to be for a zine (the status of which has been up in the air for a while now).

I was very pleased and excited to nab the slot for my favourite trio of goobers :3 This piece was completed in January, 2024.

[controlledflame]

It's unfortunately been far too long, he would not know if someone had been talking to him while only having seen Vermillion back then. He talked less back then, if someone had greeted him with familiarity? He would've been likely to simply wave and move on. He had no way of knowing.

[controlledflame]

✘ how did you come to know that you were a clone?

My muse has to tell nothing but the truth for 10 asks. 7/10.

He bit his tongue for a moment, letting the question hang in the air. How was he supposed to answer this in a way that made sense to common folk? "Well, being called the wrong name was a starting clue." Words passed from his lips, not really thinking of what he was saying. "I was raised Vermillion, Red was just a nickname." But no matter where he went - there it was.

"When I started my journey - if you could really call it that now - all the places I'd been... it moments before or after he was there. I had to go to minor gyms; I couldn't get legal major badges. Friends of his - I learned quickly how to relate to them, talk as if I'd known them for years. At some point...I believe I saw a picture of him. While my name was in tatters, his was up there. I suppose... Having a back up is nice." Hrm.

"It was less I knew, more than I realized. Having someone more willing to listen to your plans of war - raising them, that would've been smarter than trying to talk to someone who had the experience between right && wrong."

[controlledflame]

What kind of future do you want with Hilda?

It's a fair question, one that he thought about a lot while grappling with just how he was going to propose to his now fiancée. Where do things go from here, besides the obvious ceremony?

"It's hard to really put any kind of...absolute outcome that I want for it, to be honest. With how sporadic our lives can be overall."

Hilda's especially, as of late she's been involved in so much. She's come so far compared to the trainer he just happened to run into; seeming as unsure as he had been once with her direction in her life.

"I don't want to hinder the strength that she's gaining for herself, with everything that she's doing." He speaks as he muses to himself, "admittedly ideally I'd like a future where we can be sure that we'll be safe, but that's just... in full? Sort of impossible."

"But hopefully that hindrance doesn't hold us back from anything anyway, I want whatever situations that reach us to be things we can take on together. That... at least feels a little more realistic."

His voice softens, "though... a bit intimidating if we decided that we wanted more of a family."

Everything feels so still in the silence, as he thinks about that note. They'd never really... discussed the idea before, though it's not like it was something Red was particularly opposed to. It would be complicated, and worrying all the way through but... it could also be nice.

"Ultimately", he breaks the quiet once more. "I just want for us to have our own form of peace and happiness, even if we have to fight to keep it that way. It's not like we're strangers to that at least."

[controlledflame]

✘if you looked in a mirror, would you love what you see?

He doesn't feel the surreal urge that compels him to answer things anymore, which is a relief. It's stressful enough having said more out loud than he'd really wanted to already. But questions do still reach him, and at least for this one he has no problem answering honestly.

"Not everything," he admits. "I wouldn't enjoy the fact that I know I look very tired. I know my resting expression gives me a feeling of... a sort of cold reaction to things, if you don't know me. But largely my choices in my appearance have made me much happier."

"...Blue helped me with a lot of it, honestly." He mused as he went on, "I'd never been very sure about how I wanted to look but she had ideas and I ran with them. Kind of helped to shape me into who I am now."

"I am truly grateful still, I hope she knows it."

[controlledflame]

✘ whats your favorite foods

if that sent multi times, sorry, inter glitch

My muse has to tell nothing but the truth for 10 asks - 10 / 10

"Feels a bit basic, but I enjoy tofu takoyaki and ramen. I'm not too picky with food though, just don't really eat a lot of meat."

[controlledflame]

✘ what if red wanted a connection with you? how would you feel about that?

My muse has to tell nothing but the truth for 10 asks. 3/10.

"Why would he want that?" Vermillion was, by all means, just some sort of abomination against god. All sorts of things. But - the question did grant pause, wondering as he did. Hm. What was he supposed to say? Revolving all of that? It's a hard question. "I think I'd feel.. strange. About it. Wouldn't you? I don't think I'd mind, but we're about the same age... It's like talking to an estranged sibling, you know?"

[controlledflame]

✘ what would make you a villian?

My muse has to tell nothing but the truth for 10 asks - 9 / 10

And now for a question that makes him stare down at it with a heavy frown. But he does feel compelled to answer it, as much as it makes his skin crawl to think about.

"If I felt there was no better way to get my point across, I guess." He answers with a slight grumble. "I feel like the only way I'd ever fall into something like that is if I felt there was truly no other way besides going against the law, and I felt I was doing the right thing that strongly."

He pauses to think, and shakes his head. "I know the saying goes that... anyone is one bad day away from becoming someone they thought they never could be. I'm no different than anyone else at that. But it's hard for me to personally picture, so I'm not sure how else to answer than this."

[controlledflame]

✘ are you happy?

My muse has to tell nothing but the truth for 10 asks - 8 / 10

What a question to pose to him.

He finds himself staring at it, before looking up towards the clear night sky. Spark is sitting with him, same for Gleam, though both have long since dozed off with the dark rolling in. He stops to pet both of their heads before he stares back at the question.

"Mostly, I think." He answers softly, "I'm not completely satisfied with every single aspect of my life, I don't think any person really is usually. But... I've managed a seamless transition, I'm a known legend among trainers, I do my best to help people as I go along, and there are people in my life that I hold dear to me."

"...There's little more I want at the moment, than that. But maybe one day those wants will change."

[controlledflame]

✘ have you ever considered going into a different profession or is it to late now?

My muse has to tell nothing but the truth for 10 asks - 7 / 10

Again switching from a topic he wanted to never see the light of day fully, to something he'd answer readily with no problem? He can't help another halfhearted laugh.

"Well, is there a class for being a Pokemon Ranger that takes in adults and accepts Pokemon Trainers? I've never really personally looked into it, but I doubt it's too late. When I was a kid I was pretty divided on which path I wanted to take, you can see what I ultimately chose but I do still think about it sometimes."

[controlledflame]

✘ uwu what are your feelings towards green

My muse has to tell nothing but the truth for 10 asks - 6 / 10

Yeah he saw this coming, he can't believe he answered that so readily after usually dancing around the topic. He pinches the bridge of his nose before inhaling and exhaling, it's not like his words are going to reach Green's ears anyway-- who knows where he is now. But he's cut off contact with Red either way, so... it doesn't really matter, does it?

"When we were younger I loved him." He admits with such reluctance, like he wants to turn around and walk away from this question; he could even. But it feels dishonest, it's not talking about the here and now.

"Frankly I had feelings towards both of my best friends, while also being convinced that they had feelings towards each other. And that Green was possibly straight and I was departing from identifying with the gender he would've liked, so... watched that fly right away from me. But I was happy for him and Blue, even though it also sort of pained me to watch."

"...I don't think I can let go of a soft spot that I have for him, even though I know he'd probably punch me in the face if he saw me." He glances around again, as though unable to face this head-on. "I don't think he's wrong to do so either, Blue could've slapped me for the fact I never knew she went looking for me on Mt. Silver and that I was shocked that she did. I had been unaware of the impact I left on the people I loved so dearly, even if... largely they never knew."

"...I'm okay with Blue knowing now, I want to mend that bridge as much as I can regardless of where that road leads. But Green? I can't imagine him knowing would change anything, besides give him something new to taunt me with, a new reason to potentially punch me."

He sighs, finally feeling like he's said all that he can on the matter. "Let's leave it there, okay?"

[controlledflame]

✘ Are you at all worried, about anything in regards to your connection to Red?

My muse has to tell nothing but the truth for 10 asks. 2/10.

"I think he's gone missing." Vermillion quietly remarked after a brief pause. But what else was there to expect from someone known for flying under the radar for years? Even more so, to have learned he was violated in such an intimate manner? It was cruel to talk about someone who was listening, even more so to someone whose presence hung on his shoulders like shackles. "So I'm not too worried, really. If anything, someone might just call me a 'fan'. That's the price of being famous, people take after you whether your like it or not."