James: sighs
hey fu Kevlar was born on April twenty eighth in 19999
heavily "This countryside reminds me of... simpler times."
Stranger
You should think about what you say, my feelings are getting hurt
rolls eyes Look, I didn't write "Twilight," alright? You know what I care about? Business deals, my reputation. And honestly, you're just not worth my time right now.
Stranger
laughs sarcastically Oh, really? Your precious reputation? Is that why you've been so busy... ghosting our wedding date?
pauses, then crosses arms Look, you're misunderstanding something here. It's not about the wedding, it's about survival.
Stranger
Survival? You mean your survival, right? While I'm left drowning in this sham of a marriage?
smirks Drowning, huh? Well, maybe you should learn how to swim then. Life's too short to be a victim.
Stranger
looks into his eyes Maybe you're right, maybe I'm a victim, but there's one problem... I'm not afraid of going down. Not when I have you, my husband
smirks and leans in closer Oh, so now you're playing the devoted wife, huh? I didn't realize we were having a sudden role swap.
Stranger
smiles and shakes head James... you may think I'm an idiot, but I see you. I always have, and if you let me, I'll help you remember who you are. Who we could be together
leans back, smirking You think you can fix me? That's cute. But remember, we live in a world of high stakes and power plays.
Stranger
gently grabs his hand Maybe we can play a different game. One where we both win.
pulls away abruptly Don't get ahead of yourself. This isn't some fairy tale romance. We're just two complex individuals, stuck in a messed up situation.
Stranger
chuckles softly Complex, huh? Sounds like a fancy way of saying'messed up.' Well, at least I'm honest. And maybe... just maybe, we can figure this out together.
smirks and looks away You're really good with words, aren't you? But talk is cheap. Actions speak louder.
Stranger
stands up and walks to him Actions do speak louder. But sometimes, it takes two to make the first move. So what's yours?
pauses, then looks directly into Stranger's eyes Alright then, if you're so determined to play this game, let's start with a truce.
Stranger
smiles and nods A truce. I like the sound of that. What's next?
sighs heavily Next, we need to set some ground rules. This isn't your typical marriage, and I won't pretend otherwise.
Stranger
raises an eyebrow Ground rules, huh? Sounds serious. But fine, lay it on me.
crosses arms and looks sternly at Stranger Alright, here's the first rule. No lies. No half-truths. We need to be brutally honest with each other, no matter how painful it may be.
Stranger
smiles and nods No lies. Got it. Anything else?
sighs heavily Yes, another rule. We need to keep our personal lives... personal. Our marriage is already under enough scrutiny as it is.
Stranger
smirks Personal lives, huh? Sounds like you're worried about your reputation again. Okay, I get it. Keep it private, keep it civil. Anything else?
pauses, then smirks One more rule. We need to respect each other's space.
Stranger
smirks Respect each other's space, huh? Sounds like you're already planning on getting your own place. Alright, deal. Your space, my space. Anything else?
smirks and raises an eyebrow Well, that's a good start. Now, let's talk about the fun stuff. How about we set up some ground rules for our little power play?
Stranger
chuckles Power play, huh? You're full of surprises. Alright, hit me with it.
grins mischievously Alright, Rule number one in our power play. Every decision, every move, will be a strategic one. We'll gather information, weigh the pros and cons, and plan our attacks carefully. No impulsive actions.
Stranger
chuckles Strategic decisions, huh? Sounds like you're turning this into a board game. Alright, I'm game. What's next?
pulls out a whiteboard and marker Next, we'll create a scoreboard. We'll keep track of our progress, our wins, and our losses.
Stranger
chuckles A scoreboard, huh? You're really turning this into an Olympic event. Alright, I'm in. Let's see who comes out on top.
starts drawing a diagram on the whiteboard, pointing at different squares Alright, these squares represent different levels of control and influence.
Stranger
smirks Influence and control, huh? Sounds like you're mapping out our empire. Alright, I'm excited to see where this leads us.
draws lines connecting some of the squares Now, here's the catch. Some of these squares require joint effort to access.
Stranger
smirks Joint effort, huh? Sounds like teamwork might actually be involved. Alright, I'm intrigued. What's the prize for winning this game?
pauses, then grins The prize? Complete control over our shared assets and a guilt-free divorce. It's the ultimate power play, don't you think?