DEATHLESS.
the following prompts were taken from the novel deathless by catherynne m. valente, an american novelist & poet. the novel was loosely based on the tale of koschei the deathless, incorporating other elements of russian mythology, & setting it against the backdrop of the russian revolution. feel free to change the pronouns / prompts as you see fit, but be warned – below the cut, it’s quite long !
- ❛ the service of your body is not yours to give as you
please. ❜
- ❛ you probably won’t survive. ❜
- ❛ go. run. don’t look behind you. ❜
- ❛ i have come for the girl in the window. ❜
- ❛ i will never be without information. ❜
- ❛ i will see him with his skin off before i fall in love. ❜
- ❛ if the world is divided into seeing & not seeing, i
will always choose to see. ❜
- ❛ secrets are jealous things, permitting no fraternization.
❜
- ❛ no, it’s not like that, when magic comes. ❜
- ❛ magic does that. it wastes you away. once it grips you by
the ear, the world gets quieter & quieter until you can hardly hear it at
all. ❜
- ❛ the sight of it bruised my heart so that i cannot think
about anything else. ❜
- ❛ i’ll be so quiet, i’ll never talk again. ❜
- ❛ keep me & obey me, for i am your husband, & i can
destroy you. ❜
- ❛ i shall be clever, & i shall not let him go. ❜
- ❛ it is a new world, & we do not wish to be left
behind. ❜