The Bittersweet (Tragic) Love Meme, part 2

[wrongs]

The Bittersweet Love Meme
(part 2)


Happy endings are what we crave, right? If we see a couple we like in movies or in real life, we root for them to make it. Why, then, is there such a desire to see love that's tragic, doomed, or bittersweet? People watch sad movies like Titanic, and they know what will happen, but somehow that makes it more poignant. This goes all the way back to tales like Romeo and Juliet. There's just something about a good cry that makes us feel that much more human and even more receptive of beauty.

This meme is equal parts tragedy and beauty, sweet and bitter. Some prompts may be triggering, so tread with caution.

How to Play
- Comment with your character, preferences, etc.
- Comment to others.
- Roll the RNG to determine which scenario to play out.

Prompts

1. Romeo and Juliet: The classic starcrossed lovers. You can't be together because of warring factions, and you're at the end of your rope. You have to do something.
   
2. Not the Same: Angel and demon. Human and god. Whatever the combination, you're not of the same kind. This probably won't end well, especially if one of you is immortal and the other's not, or there's some kind of power difference.
3. Past Wounds: One of you was hurt in the past, and it was so bad that it's hurting your relationship. Can you be healed by love, or is this something that can't ever be fixed?
4. Bad Things: This bad thing isn't in the past. This happened when you were together, and now it's affecting how your lover behaves toward you.
5. Loss: Perhaps it's a loss only one of you suffered, like a family member. Or it's something the both of you share, like the loss of a child. Sometimes, together you can pull through. Other times, it's just too much to bare.
6. I Can't Live Without You: Whether it be through injury, curse, terminal illness, one of you is dying. There's only a limited time left. Will you spend your last days with the person you love, or will you end it for their own good, so they don't have to watch you die?
7. Unfaithful: One of you has been unfaithful, even if you still love your significant other. Can this wrong ever be forgiven?
8. Gone Away: You're being torn apart by location and distance.
9. A New Start: The sweet part of bitter. Where one relationship ends, another begins. But is your heart too hurt to accept new love?
10. WILDCARD

Comments

[dillonrockstar]

[Tim just gives her a look and takes a long drink of his beer.]

Well this gonna be a hellva Friday night. More beer it is.

[He signals a waitress, grins at her and asks for another bucket of beer.]

[docsdaughter]

Looks like a new game of pool's starting--

[She's not surprised, really -- but it was worth a shot. She shoots the waitress a quick half-smile and turns her attention back to Tim.

Sigh.]

I'm not gonna get out of talking about this, am I?

[dillonrockstar]

Oh you can get outta it if you want but I promise I'll end up on a golf course drunk without pants if you do.

[Yeah, it'd happened before. Tim didn't deal with things the way most people did.]

I'd probably still let you come with me.

[docsdaughter]

'Probably'. [The beer's halfway to her mouth when she pauses and quirks a brow, mouth curving into a small smile in spite of wanting to avoid the hell out of actually having to explain to him right now.] ...Do I get to keep my pants?

[She works in a bar, she's seen her share of 'doesn't deal the way most people do'. In Tim's case, it might even be part of the draw.]

[dillonrockstar]

[Tim smirked at that.] Hell no, that's the only appealing part of this plan. No one is keepin' their pants.

[It would be a first, but also very welcome.]

[docsdaughter]

[She smirks back. Have an eyeroll, Tim.] Why does that not surprise me?

[The waitress returns with their bucket of beer, and Evie waits until she's gone before she glances briefly down at the table and back up, clearing her throat.]

So... I guess we should talk about this, huh?

[dillonrockstar]

[He shrugged in response to her question. He gives her a look, takes a sip of his beer and nods.]

Nights gonna go a whole lot better if we do.

[docsdaughter]

I'm--

[There's a sigh as she fidgets with her napkin. He's right, talking should happen. Doesn't make it any easier to spit the words out, though.]

Last guy I dated, I met at work and things were pretty good... until I caught him with my roommate. Not that I'm making any assumptions on you, but... [She shrugs.] You get burned once, you start looking for fire everywhere.

[dillonrockstar]

[Tim is quiet a moment, sort of staring into his beer. He takes a slow sip then leans forward, elbows going to his knees, beer bottle cradled in both hands.]

Nah, it's okay. I used to be that guy. [A lot had changed since then. He'd grown up, gone to college, dropped out of college, lost the girl he loved (and was faithful to), figured out how to live as 'the guy who used to be Tim Riggins' and been to prison for something that he really wasn't responsible for in order to give his brother a chance at a better life.]

I ain't anymore and I get why you're spooked. You don't do that to me and I won't do it to you. Deal?

[docsdaughter]

[Between the two of them, there are enough past life-changing experiences to make up a TV drama; some they know, a lot they haven't gotten around to talking about yet. Someday, maybe, if this... whatever-they're-doing ever makes it past casual.

She waits for his response, letting out the breath she's unconsciously holding when it finally comes and it's not the end of the proverbial world.]

Deal. [She takes a pull off her beer and flashes him a grin.] Should we shake on it, or would you rather pinky swear?

[dillonrockstar]

[A pretty exciting one even. Tim doesn't talk much about the things that have happened to him because a lot of it is too much to deal with. Sure, he'll mention he dropped out of college. He'll even confess to why--he was the stereotypical, small town, high school football player. He didn't need to read past the fourth grade because that was when Pee Wee Football started and they figured out he knew how to hit people. The other things though, those cut a little close to the bone to mention in casual conversation.]

Hell, I was hopin' we'd kiss on it.

[docsdaughter]

[With a side of depressing; 'watched cancer kill my mom and my brother before I hit my teens' doesn't exactly make for light, angst-free conversation. But aside from Mother's Day and the anniversary of Scotty's death being hard, she doesn't really talk about it. Even if she still can't hear "Time of Your Life" without tearing up, all these years later.]

Or that works, too. [Sly look.] Though if you're going to insist on the whole 'no one's keeping their pants' thing, I'm putting in an official vote for somewhere that isn't a golf course.

[dillonrockstar]

[Yeah, it would be something. Eventually they'll have to get sloppy drunk and discuss it, or at least that's how Tim discusses things.]

[he reached across the space between them, hand going to the back of her neck to pull her into a kiss. When it broke, he pulled back with a smirk.] You got anywhere in mind?

[docsdaughter]

[Probably the only way it's likely to get discussed. Talking is hard, or something.

She lets him pull her in, one hand sliding along his shoulder as she catches his mouth. She smirks back at him when they finally come up for air and makes a show of pretending to think about it.]

Maaaaybe... My place? Or, you know. Somewhere I'm not gonna freeze my ass off if it's naked.

[dillonrockstar]

[Talking about things like that are particularly hard. No one really wants to spill their guts about things that matter, or in Tim's case, things that might change Evie's opinion of him. Of course, if she'd done any kind of background check on him, the fact that he's an ex-con would have come up. A little more digging and she could find out it was for running a chop shop. He didn't steal the cars, just took them apart and sold the pieces off.

Her act makes him chuckle a little.]

Thing I could swing by your place, 'specially if your ass is gonna be naked.

[docsdaughter]

[If she'd grown up around a county jail instead of a county hospital, things like background checks might occur to her. But she didn't and they don't -- she's just a girl who works in a bar. Besides, people are more than the sum of their mistakes; she's pretty sure neither her ex nor her former roommate have a record, didn't make them good people.]

You swing by, and I'm pretty sure that can be arranged. [Yes, she might be playing a little coy.]

[dillonrockstar]

[That would be quite a relief to Tim. Of course, if things progress in a favorable manner, he's going to have to figure out exactly how to tell Evie about it. Tim would argue that he's a good person, but he is a very good person. He's just got his own code of honor and it doesn't always make sense to other people.]

Sweetheart, you had me at naked.

[docsdaughter]

[Moral codes are tricky like that. At least that conversation won't be boring. But for now...]

So... [She cocks her head and eyes him.] You wanna get outta here, or what?

[dillonrockstar]

[A grin slides across his face and he downs the rest of his beer, setting it on the bar. He tosses some cash out onto the bar and stands up, holding his hand out to her.]

Whenever you are, Sweetheart.

[docsdaughter]

[She finishes off the rest of her own beer and stands, too, slipping her hand into his and lacing their fingers as she matches his grin.]

How 'bout now? Now's good.

[dillonrockstar]

Y'know, I think I can do now.

[He leads them through the bar and holds the door open for her, leading her over to the passenger side of the truck where he has to open it with a key, letting her in before going around to the driver's side.]

Your place or mine?

[Keeping in mind his is a crappy studio in a crappy part of town.]

[docsdaughter]

[She climbs up into the passenger's seat, reaching back for her seatbelt as he goes around to get in.]

Doesn't matter. Mine's probably closer, though.

[Because she doesn't really mind the crappy part of town or the crappy studio, just the longer drive it would take to get there.]