#but also element family made all of the imperfect in element perfect

[mochegato]

Santa Baby

This was getting out of hand.  Well, no, it was in hand, but it was a close thing.  Mayhem was definitely reigning.  But that’s what Christmas is, isn’t it?  Not the Hallmark, picture-perfect, sanitized, Instagram-ready version of Christmas.  No, the real Christmas is children running around and barreling into cousins and favorite uncles or aunts they haven’t seen in months to give them the biggest hug their little bodies can manage.  It’s grandparents or that one family member who isn’t blood related but is absolutely family, sugaring the kids up before sending them home with their parents.

Christmas is beautiful, glorious chaos, all tied up in red bows and tinsel.

Which is why Marinette was currently sporting her own red bows on her Christmas-red dress, long enough to be elegant for the formal atmosphere of the Wayne Enterprise holiday party, but short enough to allow her the freedom to run after kids while they enjoyed some adult-free time where they didn’t have to act like mini adults just because they were at their parents’ place of employment.

This area was the children’s area.  It was haphazard and imperfect, with bright, garish colors and visually-unappealing toys that made too much noise, but made children endlessly happy.  It was everything the party on the other side of the door wasn’t.

It was perfect.  With the very serious exception of the tinsel.  Whoever decided tinsel was the perfect addition to the children’s area either hated Marinette or did not understand children.  Marinette had spent her first half hour painstakingly collecting all of the tinsel within arm’s reach.  She was more than happy to blame Tim for the tinsel, after all he had bragged about having his hand in every element of the gala planning, though perhaps lamented would be a more appropriate word for what he had been doing.

It was also his fault she was there in the first place, and yeah, maybe she'd volunteered, more comfortable with toddlers than pompous, handsy businessmen.  And it wasn’t like she had a date to insulate her from the ‘friendly’ chatting filled with thinly veiled insinuations and innuendos, which meant the night would end with her upsetting at least one major partner in the company and either getting returned to intern status or just fired outright.  A fact which Tim knew and had heartily taken advantage of; the singledom not the fear.  Actually… she wasn’t sure it wasn’t both.

“Oh, no, sweetie, that’s not food,” Marinette called as she rushed over to yet another toddler who had a fistful of missed tinsel in his hand and was trying to shove his entire hand and its contents into his mouth.  She hoped she was keeping her voice light and airy, not letting the exasperation of repeating the same phrase yet again and she must have been successful because he grinned brilliantly at her, dropped the tinsel, and held his arms up in the universal child signal.

“You want me to pick you up?” she cooed, already lifting him onto her hip as she spoke.  “That better, Eli?”  He grinned up at her with a gummy smile that absolutely melted her heart.  She grinned back and tickled his belly as she stood, but as soon as she straightened she heard another yawp at her feet and looked down to find another toddler, this one a few months older than Eli, likely only nine months old.  Carrie was giving the same signal, clearly understanding that Marinette had a second arm and hip, and thus could certainly hold her as well.

“Ms. Dupain Cheng!  Ms. Dupain Cheng,” a young girl who could not have been more than 8 called to her.  “Watch me!”  It was the only warning she got before the little girl did a gymnastics pass with a series of cartwheels, front flips, and round offs.  Marinette only had time for her eyes to grow impossibly large before it was over, not that there was much she could have done with her arms filled with two toddlers.  “Good wasn’t it?” Lizzy beamed, only breathing slightly harder.  “I’m doing it for my competition in a few weeks.”

Marinette offered a strained smile.  “Yeah, sweetie.  Very impressive.  Great form.  But maybe let’s not practice gymnastics with so many kids running around.”  Lizzy gave her a flat look that made it clear Marinette’s argument was not appreciated.  “And not on a hard floor.  That’s… bad for your knees!” she tried quickly, this time receiving an uncertain side eye, which was better at least.

“Did you want to dance with kids over there?  Or if you want something a bit more creative, Sarah is over at the table drawing signs for Santa and Eric is drawing cars.”  She looked around with exaggerated covertness and crouched down to her level, which was quite a feat of balance and strength, if she did say so herself, with the two toddlers on her hips.  She lowered her voice so only Lizzy, Eli, and Carrie could hear her.  “There’s just about every kind of glitter on that table for you guys to use and you can use as much as you want.”

Lizzy’s eyes lit up.  “Glitter?”  Marinette hummed in affirmative, barely concealing her smirk at the growing excitement in Lizzy’s eyes.  “As much as I want?” she repeated as though there was a trick in the offer.

“Yep,” Marinette nodded, popping the p.  “As much as you want.”  Lizzy squealed and ran to the table completely missing the chuckles behind her as Marinette watched her launch herself at the different containers of glitter.  Her moment of levity only lasted a few seconds before she heard the distinct sounds of blocks crashing down and immediate bawling.  But before she could intervene, the doors burst open with a loud boom, distracting all the kids.

“Ho, ho, ho!” Santa Claus trumpeted, not so much easing into the room as bursting in.  “Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!”  All of the children stopped what they were doing to turn their attention to him.  Almost all of the smaller children rushed over to him while the older kids returned their attention to their activities, and a select few hid from him.  Whoever was playing Santa did an excellent job of threading the line with each of them, giving the timid kids their space, but making sure they knew he was open to talking if they were interested, chatting with the younger kids and getting their Christmas lists, while discussing video games and dancing with the older kids.

After he’d made the rounds he stopped by Marinette.  “And what about you, little girl?  What would you like for Christmas?”  His eyes sparkled with a contagious mirth.

Just then Eli tugged hard on her Santa hat and would have succeeded in pulling it off her head if Santa hadn’t interceded to put it back.  “I could use a bit of help,” she joked.

Santa opened his mouth, but whatever response he was going to give was interrupted by a couple coming in and calling for Eric, one of the kids that had hidden from Santa.  Eric ran up to them excitedly and jumped into his father’s arms, already babbling to both of them about his time there before his father had even stood.  His mother gasped at all the right places, her energetic smile becoming more tender when her husband kissed her temple and guided their family toward the door.

Marinette sighed longingly as they walked out the door.  “…and a boyfriend,” she uttered thoughtlessly but straightened up instantly, just realizing she said the words out loud, “…if you’re feeling generous,” she finished sheepishly.  Her cheeks heated a deep red in embarrassment, which seemed to thrill the toddlers on her hips who then reached to grab her cheeks, further bringing attention to her mortification.

Santa chuckled and nodded.  “I’ll see what I can do.”  He bobbed his head toward the party on the other side of the door.  “Gotta go make an appearance for the real children.  Merry Christmas, Marinette.”

“Merry Christmas to you,” she responded immediately.  She returned her attention to Eli and Carrie, nuzzling into them each in turn before his words sunk in.  She snapped her head toward the door.  “Hey, how do you know my…” but he had already disappeared, the door snicking shut quietly.  “…name.”

She stared at the shut door for a few seconds before deciding he must be another employee.  He certainly didn’t look like the real Santa.  She remembered his blue eyes vividly.  These were a very different blue.  But, before she could think too hard about why they seemed so familiar, Carrie knocked her out of her stupor with a baby hand to the cheek and loud noises making it quite clear she was ready to be entertained again.

“Oh, I am so sorry sweetheart.  Was I not giving you the proper attention,” Marinette giggled.  “Come on, you two, let’s play with the blocks over there.”  Carrie trilled as though she understood what Marinette was saying but kept her eyes darting between Marinette’s eyes and lips, waiting for her next words.  Meanwhile Eli looked toward the blocks and reached for them like the movement would get her to move faster.

Before she could make it to the blocks, she was sidetracked to the music section of the room where an argument had started over what song to play next.  A hearty Taylor Swift contingent was battling against an impassioned Disney contingent, though both of them were ignoring a significantly smaller Bell Biv DeVoe contingent of just one nine-year-old.

After much negotiation, and unabashed pleading, she finally got them to agree to a compromise of AJR to start, then shuffling the other options and letting the computer decide.  Thankfully, the older kids saw it as a fair compromise since nobody ‘wins’ and there are no biases.  Just random selections.  Once the older kids agreed and started dancing, the younger kids got excited as well.

She had just enough time to take a breath, her arms burning from still carrying Eli and Carrie, when movement at the door drew her attention.  A man, an indisputably stunning man in an impeccable suit, elegant in a boyish way, had poked his head in to look around uncertainly.  She eyed him suspiciously, He definitely wasn’t one of the parents who had dropped their children off.  She would have remembered those roguish eyes.  But if he wasn’t a parent, she couldn’t figure out why he would be there around all the innocent, defenseless children.

She froze for just a second trying to decide between the instincts to protect the kids in her arms by keeping them there or protect them by setting them down.  She opted to keep them in her arms for now, but keep enough distance between them and him so she could set them down and get between them if he got aggressive.

“Can I help you?”  She’d tried to keep the mistrust out of her tone, but she was entirely confident she hadn’t.

His eyes jumped to her and a broad, charming smile spread on his lips.  “Actually, I’m here to help you.  I was told you needed a bit of help.”

Marinette stared at him dumbfounded for a few seconds before Eli demanded her attention by tugging on her Santa hat and trying to bring it to his mouth.  She squeaked in surprise and shot him a sheepish smile.  “Okay.  Right.”  But instead of moving to invite him in, she stared at him hard for a few seconds.  He seemed honest, but she didn’t really want to risk it with children involved.

“Unless you don't want help with the kids...” he hedged when she hadn’t responded after a few seconds.

“Oh no, yes!  Please.  I just didn't think you worked here.  I thought everyone helping out tonight was supposed to wear a Santa hat or something,” she offered as lightly as she could, throwing out the bait to see how he reacted.

He raised an eyebrow.  “I don't wear funny hats,” he intoned.  His tone was so flat and his expression so unimpressed, she almost laughed.

“Not even for Christmas?” she teased, her eyes exaggeratedly wide, which was only encouraged by the toddlers trilling at her reaction.

He made a show of appraising her hat, barely clinging to her head with Eli still trying to chew it.  “Not all of us look as good in red as you do,” he crooned with a wink.

She blinked.  It was the wink.  It was too much.  She was not equipped to handle this much smooth flirting, especially not with two toddlers on her hips.  She had to take a few beats, covered by pretending to play argue with Eli, before she could get her racing heart and blushing cheeks in check.  But once she did, she wasn’t about to let this chance slip by.  “I think you'd look pretty good in red,” she purred back but had to immediately turn to Carrie so he couldn’t see her blazing cheeks.  Nope.  She wasn’t equipped to flirt back either.

He froze for just a second, but his lips quickly melted into a brilliant smile.  Until she spoke her next words very firmly.  “But, I can’t just let you work with the kids.  I don’t know who you are and even if I did, we haven’t done a background check.”

He nodded in understanding, his smile softening to just a slight upturn as he reached into his pocket, keeping his eyes on her the entire time until he pulled something out to show her.  “Here.  My WE ID card.  B… Mr. Wayne requires a thorough background check for anyone working for him.  Anyone who shows any indication of being a danger to children are not hired.  I don’t really know what else I could say to convince you right now.”

She stared at the card intently, analyzing each letter and color to find any indication of forgery, but she couldn’t find anything.  Thank God.  She really didn’t want to kick the sexiest man she’d seen in years, and she’d seen Dick Grayson up close and in person, out with a bad impression of her.  “I’ll take that assurance,” she grinned with a nod.  “And I definitely need the help, if you’re sure.”

As if to prove her point, at that moment, Lizzy rushed toward them in another impressive but ill-aimed gymnastic pass.  The man lunged for her moments before she crashed into another kid, everyone involved letting out a relieved breath.  “Oh, yeah, definitely,” he nodded as he gently placed Lizzy on the ground in a controlled motion that Marinette envied.  She’d only been supporting babies for a short period, not even their full weight which was mostly on her hips, and her arms were already starting to shake.  “Jason, by the way,” he finished when he’d turned back toward her.

“Thank you so much.  Marinette,” she grinned back with a severely limited using the hand holding Carrie.  She slowly lowered herself to Lizzy’s level cursing herself the entire time because she knew, she knew, she wasn’t going to be able to stand back up, but she had to do it anyway.  “I thought you were going to do some art with the glitter.”

“Got bored,” Lizzy shrugged, not able to make eye contact with Marinette because she was looking back and forth between the new adult and Marinette.

“You know, my brother does gymnastics.  Teaches even,” Jason started as he lowered down next to Marinette, his voice contemplative, like it was just a coincidence Lizzy just happened to overhear him.  “So, I can tell you, these floors are really dangerous for it.”  He knocked on the hardwood floor to demonstrate.  “They’re too hard and too slippery.”  Lizzy gave him the same unimpressed look she’d given Marinette earlier, then shot a suspicious look toward Marinette, clearly confident that Marinette had put him up to it.  “But what you can do…”  He shucked off his shoes and took a running start before sliding easily across the floor in his socks.  He turned back to Lizzy with a brilliant, boyish smile.

Lizzy grinned back at him and imitated him, bumping into him lightly at the end.  Pure, innocent laughter bubbled out of her, drawing the attention of several other kids around them.  Jason barely slid to a stop back next to Marinette before more children in the room started making their way over to them.  Even Eli reached for Jason to hold him and Carrie started wiggling in Marinette’s arms to get down and join the fun.

In no time, almost all of the children were running across the floor and sliding with differing levels of success.  This fact naturally led to it becoming a competition between them, with Jason not so covertly helping the littler kids and deftly handling any complaints of cheating or interference while keeping Eli laughing.  While he engaged the kids with that, Marinette took on the babies and kids who were not interested in the floor skating competition.  They seamlessly tag-teamed the kids, switching out when they needed, backing each other up, and working together to keep a smile on as many kids’ faces as they could while the clock ticked away unnoticed until finally, the last kid, Eli, was handed back to his parents.

Marinette breathed out a sigh of relief as soon as the door closed behind them and collapsed into a chair, her whole body melting into it and her head falling back as her eyes closed.  “Finally done,” she sighed.  Even in her exhausted state, she was still intensely aware of Jason and the fact that he’d chosen to sit in the chair that almost touched hers.  It took a few beats before she felt like she could handle speaking with him so very close and no children to hide behind.  “Thank you so much for helping me out.  I don’t know if I could have managed it without you.  Certainly not with my sanity intact.”

“No problem, glad to help.”  The smile he shot her should be illegal.  It made her heart start fluttering dangerously.  And the way the ball from the Santa hat Eli had taken from her and put on him, fell into his eyes?  Her lungs were paralyzed.  She didn’t think she’d be able to take a full breath ever again.  “And really, you should be thanking Santa.”

That knocked her body back into rhythm as she tried to make sense of his words.  “Santa?”  She’d made it very clear to Santa last time she’d seen him that he needed to stay out of her life, especially her love life.

His responding grin was slow and easy, distracting her momentarily into thinking about how she should start a catalogue of his different smiles.  Each one seemed to have a slightly different effect on her body.  “He caught me in the gala and sent me over.  Said he thought I might be able to help you.”

“Santa sent you over…” she asked slowly.

“Really, it was helping me more than you, I think.  I was more than ready to be out of there.  Pompous jerks that think they’ve earned respect and immunity simply by stealing wealth.  Honestly, it’s better if I’m not there.  I’m not sure what my dad is thinking manipulating me into coming to these.  Though this time it was more my brother pushing for me to come.  Said he thought I’d enjoy it this time…”  Jason chuckled and looked over at her. 

Marinette stared at her Santa hat.  This was against their agreem… “Ooohhh,” she breathed out before she realized it had slipped out.  ‘Santa’ not Santa.  Oh, that made so much more sense… kind of.  Still not sure why ‘Santa’ would care about her love life or be generous enough to send such an amazing option.

“Plans for the rest of the night?”

Marinette hummed, only incredibly distracted by the way he’d stretched his legs out in front of him to relax into his chair.  “Relax in a bath, I think,” she answered distractedly.  “That’s about it.  Nothing really.  Just want to get off my feet.  You?”

His eyes darted over to her, a conspiratorial smile on his lips.  “I don’t know about you but I’m hungry.  These things happen over dinner time and then never offer food.   I could go for a nice dinner,” his voice lifted at the end in clear invitation.

She nodded in agreement.  And, yep, that smile needed to be cataloged as well.  “Oh, food, right.  I forgot that was a thing.”  She looked over and smirked at him.  “That sounds really nice.”

He gave her a dazzling, pleased smile and walked over to grab his and then her coat.  He held her coat up so she could slink into it easily and she just barely managed to hold in her squeal.  Walking over to him normally was a challenge, but she thought she somehow managed it… more or less.  “You choose the place, I’ll pay,” she offered looking up at him through her eyelashes.

Jason slid her coat over her shoulders then ran his hands over her shoulders and upper arms, his touch feather light and Marinette almost pouted when he stepped back, but it turned into a laugh when he reached into his pocket and held up a credit card between two fingers.  “No, dinner will be on Santa.”  He winked before tucking the card back in his pocket then opening the door for her and sweeping his arm toward the exit with a small bow. 

“You stole from Santa?” she asked incredulously.

“Borrowed,” he corrected with a devilish grin, “borrowed from Santa.  He owed me anyway.” She huffed out a laugh as she moved forward.  “Now, come on, let’s find some place we can talk.  I’ve been dying to get to know you better all night.”  He let out a quiet breath as she passed through in front of him, a small, optimistic smile pulling his lips up.  “Merry Christmas to me,” he whispered to himself.

[cirusthecitrus]

Iliad? In my She-Ra cartoon? It's more likely than you think

Some of you may know that og Hordak and Prime (from the motu franchise) also have "normal" names. Sooo, you know how long it took my dumb ass to realize that Hec-Tor and Anillis are spelled and pronounced suspiciously similar to Hector and Achilles - u know, the heroes from Homer's Iliad??*

I have no idea if this lil trivia fact is an intentional reference or not or if this specific choice of characters is supposed to mean anything at all. But it means everything to ME

Because why Horde Prime of all people was given the name of a hero?? Why Hordak, his brother, was given the name of his enemy and his victim? And why do these names fit the 2018s versions of these characters so well?

!I'm not an expert in ancient literature or greek mythology/history or anything close so my knowledge and understanding of the Iliad and its characters is literaly on the surface level! I'm only making this post cause looking for parallels is fun c:

Horde Prime as Achilles

The mythological hero, Achilles was often reffered to as the beast, or pure element, force of nature, or even a star. Not a person, not a human being

He was an exceptional fierce hero known for his passion and determination, but also his arrogance and stubborness. Noble yet often selfish and capricious, understanding and caring yet cruel

The one who possesed arcane knowledge about the fate of humanity, and with it - about his own destiny

The one protected by the gods, who was so close to godhood himself, whos body was immortalized in the river Styx

And yet, one small part remained vulnerable, a part of him stayed painfully human. And once it was discovered and aimed at, he was as good as dead

The one who was driven by horrific almost animalistic rage. Rage that came from pain and grief. Rage that came... from love?

Achilles lost someone dear to him and this loss blinded him with desire for revenge, made him chase after the warrior who took his loved one from him. He refused to let go, not even letting go of Hector's corpse

Hordak as Hector

Described as "deserving of love" Hector was a great warrior, deeply devoted and loyal to his home and his cause

A brave unstoppable leader who nonetheless made many mistakes by letting his human emotions and traits make him act unwise, arrogant, reckless and naive

The one who believed in his gods and trusted so many, but in the end was only deceived and lied to. And this lie was the reason why Hector could not escape Achilles' wrath

The cause and the victim of Achilles' rage. His personal enemy, the one who killed his beloved. The one who feared Achilles so much yet in the end stopped running away and faced him in their first and final duel

The one who lost everything. Doomed to die tragically by Achilles' hand. Hector didnt even beg for mercy, only for his body to be treated with respect, but Achilles could not be reasoned with. Instead he dragged his corpse behind his chariot for days on end, not letting him rest. Not letting Hector return home to his family

But wait, who is Patroclus of this story?

Funny how this part of Achilles' story fits Hordak a lot more, since it was him who lost a dear friend and it was him who was consumed with grief and fury. Thus, in a way, Hordak is both Hector and Achilles and Entrapta is his Patroclus. But what's Prime's deal then?

We can always enter fanon territory and headcanon that Prime might have lost someone a long time ago and grief turned him into a monster. Could be a lover, could be a friend or family, could be his old self even. But then what Hordak had to do with it? Why he became the target of his rage?

Perhaps in this version Patroclus isn't even a person. An idea of perfection and control. Hordak's imperfections ruined the image of his ideal world where everything goes his way, ruined his own image, the facade of an all mighty god who could not make a mistake or create something less than perfect. In a sense Hordak's defect and later betryal killed everything Prime was working on and was trying to achieve, everything he believed in

Perhaps Hordak is both Hector and Patroclus. A brother Prime loved so much, but only when he was still a perfect obedient doll with no name. But once Hordak began to change, showing his personhood and becoming harder to control, becoming unrecognizable, HP could not accept it. In his mind Prime lost a brother, and someone who named himself Hordak was his murderer

Again, I have no idea why the hell they chose these names for their aliases. Achilles and Hector were in no way pure or flawless people, but... they were still heroes. Does this say anything about the characters of Horde Prime and Hordak or their dynamic? Especially their motu versions**?? Or was this just a reference for the sake of reference? (oh maybe im only seeing things and its not even a reference??) They could've chosen an iconic pair of tragic brothers instead idk on the surface it'd seem more fitting :/

But i'd rather keep my tinfoil hat on and think that it was all intentional, because I'm LIVING for the implications regarding Prime's humanity .з.

**Motu fans and experts if you're reading this, i'd love to hear your thoughts on this, you have to know more than me!

[milquetoast27]

Dai Gyakuten Saiban / The Great Ace Attorney Takarazuka musical notes/review!

As a Sherlock Holmes, DGS and Takarazuka musical enthusiast, this post has been my CALLING. Please prepare for massive info dumping as we dive into this wonderful and amazing musical!! (I cannot stop thinking about it 😊)

Firstly, the cast, costumes and staging are wonderful! Mainly, I was just really excited to see one of my favourite found families on stage haha (most of this post is just going to be me saying how amazing it was). In particular I loved Holmes and Soseki-- but it's so hard to say something like that when I loved everyone in the cast.

Chiaki Takato's performance in particular, however-- they clearly wanted Holmes to be the star and she absolutely SERVED. I LOVED getting to see Holmes be free and wild and chaotic on the stage as he was meant to!! While this is conveyed well in the games, it just comes out so much stronger on a stage. An extra layer of this that I love, is the fact that ACD Holmes and DGS Holmes both love to show off and have theatre-kid vibes, so it just feels so fitting for DGS Holmes to be in a musical. Takato also did an amazing job replicating the poses/images from the games, which is something I also appreciate that the entire cast does (such as Susato's cheering pose and Soseki's crying pose).

The the songs are super memorable, in particular I loved the Asouryuu one (sorry, I don't have the names for all of them yet), the one Holmes sings in jail, as well as the one in Act 2 that included the whole cast (with Ryuunosuke and Susato singing together). Another touch I loved, was how Asougi and Iris's songs were based off their themes from the games!

Some little touches I liked? I enjoy how Susato copies some of Holmes's poses, which she doesn't do in the games. She is supposed to be a yamato nadeshiko, or the perfect Japanese woman, so that she never really goes outside of this ideal. But she clearly has the capacity to be silly and has 'imperfections', such as her proprensity to throw people around and her fangirling over Holmes-- I love that this was taken a little further in Takarazuka's interpretation. ^_^

Small, but I liked that Iris's mug in Act 2 had some official DGS art on it.

I also enjoyed the references to the Sherlock Holmes canon! Before Holmes's second musical number, he says "Hunger makes me think faster!" (reference to how Holmes believes digestion takes blood away from his brain). Additionally, he replaces his cell with a wax dummy of himself, a reference to The Empty House (or Mazarin Stone). I believe neither of these were mentioned in the games, which means Takarazuka really did their homework on the original canon to bring in those lines. Although, I'm also not surprised, as they have already done a Sherlock Holmes musical before.

Also loved to see the random Maya character-- probably an ancestor of hers haha

I wasn't a huge fan of the RyuuSusa agenda they had going on, and reminded me too much of Leona from the first Takarazuka musical (more on that later). It felt too much like they forced a romantic element because it's popular with viewers. Not to mention, Susato is 16 and Ryuunosuke is 23. Overall though, it wasn't too bad, and the AsouRyuu segments were equally gay and enjoyable to watch, haha.

My favourite aspect! I adored that they included Yomigaeru Shinjitsu, the main theme of their first Ace Attorney musical in 2009! I wasn't expecting to see it, as DGS is a spin-off, but I tell you I was so excited to belt the words to that one again. Additionally I LOVED the reprisals, how they mixed in Yomigaeru Shinjitsu with the AsouRyuu song, and Ryuunosuke copying Phoenix's "FUH!" right at the end 🥰-- Gave me goosebumps. I made an edit of it, too.

So, yeah! I think that's about it. Thanks for reading my ramblings ❤

[thekingofwinterblog]

I think your point of Deku feeling like a lesser All Might is the result of the story not wanting to commit to any too radical change, only saying "people will try harder and do better" - hence Deku at best is an imitation of All Might, the symbol which for all the critisicm, basically got rehabiliitated.

Thats why, besides all the build up and weirdo fans that whiteknight the LOV too much, there was need for "redemption" - because this would make Deku look different, as someone who brought something truely new, something that could surpass even All Might - saving not only the civilians, the status qou - but also the villians, fixing society and not just letting it go on forever.

Back when the series was still running i was honestly thinking we were building towards the idea that the entire series was gonna be the origin story of the MHA universe's justice league.

That seemed the logical solution to a lot of the current system's flaws.

The pro hero system was an imperfect solution to a real, complicated problem(namely how to have a running society in a world where everyone has superpowers), and the series was ultimately about exploring those problems, and by extension the obvious flaw of having a superman figure to rely upon to effectively patch up it's shortcomings.

But the fact is, putting every, single problem upon the back of one man, no matter how strong and powerfull didnt work, and in large part was the reason why everyone was so complacant.

For all the infighting and competion for the rankings, the reality was that the entire system was built upon the expecation that all might would always be there, and when he wasnt, the much more flawed upper rankers failed to uphold the system, and in endeavor's case, did more to hurt the public's faith in the system than anyone else.

The obvious solution, and the one i expected the series to head towards, was to effectively do away with the competition element that the rankings represented, and solve the problem through how the Superheroes of the DCAU effectively solved superpowered crime once and for all.

centralize the entire japanese hero system into one, overarching organization that was for all intents and purposes a centralized superhero team with the entire group working together for the good of the nation, where people would be sent where they were needed, when they were needed, and because this would allow more control, heroes would both be more effective, but also have way more "time to kill" due to not constantly competing to stay relevant, and thus being able to devote more of their lives to do silly little things like take better care of their families.

That was where i thought the series was heading, and how izuku was going to surpass all might, by being the lynchpin for this new system.

obviously it wouldnt have solved all the problems, but i think few people would argue this kind of ending would have been a worse outcome than what we got.

Regarding the idea that the series would somehow "fix" society forever though, it's something i actually disagree with most of the others who hated the ending.

One of the things that made MHA special, is that unlike One Piece, that far too often had endings that were way too happy, MHA made no bones about the fact that there were no perfect fixes. the world was complicated, people were and would forever be flawed, and there was never going to be any one size fits all solution that would make everything better.

Im glad the ending did not backtrack on that point... But the problem is the fact that it offered NO solutions or improvements as a whole, with Uraraka and Shoji's work being the only real things that seems to have changed the system beyond everyone "Working harder".

also, there is one other point that the series screwed up on, which is how it handled the way it presented the virtues of what "The status quo" actually means.

MHA's entire first two thirds are about building up to a societal collapse, where law and order break down, where to hero system fails.

One of the reasons why the LOV are the villains of the piece, and what separates them from the heroes, is their ability to completely dissasociate the fact that they just set into motion events that killed hundreds of thousands of people, while discussing their hopes and dreams, as gigantomachia is killings thousands up people that they are literarily trampling underfoot.

One of the reasons Dabi is such an amazingly good villain is that he is the only leaguer who just throws any and all justifications for the greater good to the wind when Twice dies, and he commits himself fully to his actual goal, of hurting his dad, and ripping their society to pieces.

and he does just that in spectacular manner, as using his understanding of how society works, he shifts all blame unto him in the eyes of the public.

chapter 290 is probably MHA's best chapter, and definitly it's best villain chapter as Dabi in one move rips his dad's life and Japan's society to pieces.

But the manga does not in any way try to present him in a positive or even neutral light.

After all, his amazingly devastating revenge is juxtaposed with images of what ripping down the "Status Quo" actually looks like.

Shattered lives.

destroyed children.

lives on a grand scale snuffed out.

When Shigaraki gives his famous villain and heroes speech, what we are actually shown when he describes "Trash that needs to be coddled" we are shown what that actually means. Innocent children, who's lives have just been ruined, many of them who will now have to live with lifelong trauma.

and after all is said and done, what was the actual result of "Tearing down the status quo"?

Fear, hatred, mistrust, and murder. might makes right.

THIS is what always happens when law and order breaks down, and anarchy actually gets to reign.

it has happened countless times throughouth history, be it Japan's Sengoku Jidai, China's warring states periods, the french revolution, the russian revolution, the haiti revolution, the splitting of Alexander's empire, the norwegian civil war period, the era of the princes in ethiophia, the fall of the western roman empire, The Bronze age collapse, and so, so many others.

This is what ALWAYS happens when the "Status Quo" is violently torn down. And MHA for all it's faults does a pretty good job showcasing it.

No the problem is two fold, in how it actually showcases it in a grander context.

It lacks a figure that really calls the villains out on their hypocisy and the aftermath of what their actions have actually lead to.

2. We arent given a real estimate of just how BRUTAL their actions actually were.

In One piece chapter 543, the main protagonist of the series, Monkey D. Luffy is called out by Hannyabal that his actions in that arc, are, WRONG.

That the prison of Impel Down, that luffy and his gathered band are breaking out of exists to keep the people of the world safe, and to let innocent people live their lives in a "Status Quo" of peace and order, withouth having to fear for their lives from the "Golden age of piracy".

Now the One Piece universe has the caveat that the World Government is so objectively evil, that despite Hannyabal's good intentions here, you could make a solid case that every single one of the pirates in impel down is an objectively lesser evil than the WG.

However, that is not the argument luffy makes, because he is NOT a hero.

Luffy does not CARE about a debate in right and wrong. While he has his own morals, if the time comes that he has to choose between what he wants, or what others considers good, luffy does not care to debate such issues with them. because he is not a hero. he is a pirate, and he does as he will.

The reason why this scene works so well, is to illustrate the fact that luffy, despite doing a lot of good through the series, is NOT a Hero.

it's why at the end of this chapter, luffy is put face to face with his main rival, the likely final villain of the series blackbeard.

This is not the story about the rivalry between a good hero and an evil villain. It's the story about two men with the same goals and willingness to step over others that they dont like to reach that goal.

this entire scene and what it represents is all about laying this bare, and to prepare to lead into the fact that luffy's main motivation through most of one piece second half is to assassinate his political rivals.

While they might be objectively evil people, and luffy gets more, and better moral motivation to kill both of them, Luffy's actual motivation to kill kaido and big mom are built upon pure ambition and nothing more.

which is the point about the aforementioned scene in Impel down.

unlike MHA, One piece is NOT a story about good versus evil. it's main themes are freedom, for both good and ill.

MHA however, IS a story about good and evil, and as such is REALLY needed a figure like Hannyabal during the final arc, and objectively good person who called the league as a whole out on all their bullshit.

Because withouth it, it can, as proven by all the people who were confused about the league not getting any redemption, think that MHA is saying the league's actions can, in some way justify their actions, when the entire point of the latter half of the manga is to illustrate just how much it VERY MUCH CANNOT.

The destruction and death is there... but this was really a point where the story would have benefited from being blunt as a sledgehammer about just how evil the villains actually were.

which leads me to point two.

Hunter X Hunter has a villain group that also tries to rip down society and conquer the world in the form of a faction known as the chimera ants.

Their leader Meruem is frankly speaking one of the best shonen villains ever, and a REALLY well developed character, where over the course of one arc he becomes a far better and more nuanced person... though he never stops being an actual villain who's death was an objective good for the world.

He does HORRIFIC shit and is ultimately responsible for a lot of the horrible stuff his faction does... and yet his actual goals and death count is probably not THAT different than Shigaraki.

Both of them wanted to destroy the current world order, and both of them were stopped before their rampages could expand beyond one single country.

If this is the case, then why is Shigaraki fans far more upset that he was ultimately killed, than Meruem fans are that he was?

Well the fact shigaraki had a much more sympathetic backstory helps, i would argue there is a much, much bigger reason. Namely the fact that HXH focuses FAR more on the actual destruction and attrocities that Meruem's little takeover actual caused... but it also gave us clear, hard numbers, which makes it WAY clearer that despite everything, Meruem was a TRUE monster.

During the Ant's invasion they killed about half a million people, 478 594 of which were civilians, and 12 905 who were actual soldiers.

Those numbers are about comparible to what shigaraki probably killed, give or take. half of the heroes of a country with tens of thousands of them were killed, while law and order dissapeared, and gigantomachia smashed his way through a dozen cities in one of the most densly places on the earth.

I think MHA would probably have silenced a LOT of critisim for killing of Shigaraki and the League, if they had actually shown these numbers, and given us an exact number of just how many innocent people the league butchered or were responsible for dying in their war against Hero society.

[jerzwriter]

Uno reverse 🤍

What other fictional couple (it can be tv, movies, books, or even another fanfic couple) or celebrity couple reminds you of E/K, T/C and Z/E?

(Also for Ethan and Eva if you have someone in mind but no pressure ofc <33)

Oh my Gosh! I just realized I will have a FOURTH pairing. Dear God, someone stop me! This is lunacy! lol This is not as easy as I thought!

Tobias x Casey:

They came to me the quickest, and not just because another ask today reminded me of something. For them, I'd say:

Gomez and Morticia, The Adams Family - they're crazy about each other, even after marriage & three kids, it never stops. They can't keep their paws off of each other, forever call each other sweet names, and that newness never goes away. (In the Halloween template I did in October, Casey said Tobias always made them roleplay Gomez and Morticia. lol)

John Legend and Chrissy Teigen - The best friend vibe, the absolute adoration, the social media teasing, the children bringing adding joy, the imperfect beginning, but the perfect ending.

Mark Consuelos and Kelly Ripa - They just seem so natural. They fit and take life in stride. Years pass, kids grow, they're still crazy about each other.

Ethan x Kaycee:

Randall and Beth - This is Us - Two brilliant people with hearts of gold who are completely devoted to each other for the long haul. I also see Ethan and Kaycee like the parents of the friend group a bit; Randall and Beth, the most stable of the Pearsons, were often in that role. (Though I see Kaycee as a little more carefree than Beth.)

Tom & Rita Wilson - They're mature, still appear to be very much in love, they're serious but still playful, and their love is lasting.

Eli x Zoe:

This one was hard for me because I'm very unfamiliar with this genre. But this kind of works.

Katniss and Peeta - The Hunger Games - they are both leaders who do not give up; they have each been through hell, but keep going. But the difference is in this relationship, Peeta is the sunshine, and in my pairing, Zoe is the sunshine. No matter how awful (and it gets AWFUL), she always looks for the ray of light. This is one of the things that draws Eli to her.

Ethan x Eva:

This one is tough - I'm not familiar enough with them yet, but there are elements of

Harry and Sally - When Harry Met Sally (one of my all-time favorite movies and couples). It's the smart, witty banter that makes me think of them and Harry being a bit of a jerk for a while. Both of them taking some time to come around.

Maddie and David - Moonlighting - Not quite as rough and snarky, but it certainly has elements of this at the beginning of their relationship.

I'm going to think of better ones tomorrow, and I'll be mad at myself. lol

Thanks for sending this back!

[rabbitcruiser]

Look for Circles Day

Look for Circles Day is celebrated on November 2 every year. A circle is a shape where all the points in the shape are equidistant from a given point, which makes the center. This holiday is celebrated across the country and is a day set aside to look for circles in the world around us. The day is meant to be a fun activity for kids and adults alike. In addition to being a fun day outside, the day helps young children learn to identify shapes, which is an important part of their development.

History of Look for Circles Day

Look for Circles Day is an opportunity to take your kids out and spend time looking for circles in everyday life and in nature — whatever your surroundings may be. Very simply, a circle is a closed curve, and it is a shape that can be found in everyday objects and nature. A circle is a shape where all the points in the shape are on the same plane and are equidistant from a single point in the middle, which is known as the center of the circle. Circles may also be defined as a type of ellipse or a closed curve that has two regions — an interior and an exterior.

Look for Circles Day is not only a great way to encourage children to look for shapes in the world around them, but it is also great for encouraging children to pay more attention to their surroundings and appreciate the world around them. Shape recognition is an important aspect of participating in the world around us, and encouraging children to look for shapes strengthens their capacity to identify shapes and patterns in their environment. Circles are an easy shape to start with since they are one of the easiest shapes to find and identify in the modern world and nature.

Circles are used extensively in art as well, and many cultures have used the circle to represent important values and ideas artistically. Rotation, revolution, and other circular movements are important to everyday life, and as a result, the circular shape can be found easily in modern life. Circles and spheres are also easily seen in nature — from the rings on tree trunks to drops of water.

Look for Circles Day timeline

1700 B.C. Formula to Devise Area of a Circle

Ancient Egyptians work on a formula that could allow them to approximate the area of the circle.

353 B.C. The Circle is Defined

Plato writes “Seventh Letter,” and in it, defines and explains the circle and its shape.

300 B.C .Properties of Circles Explored

Euclid writes his mathematical treatise Elements, and explore the properties of circles in it.

1880 π Proved to Be Transcendental

German mathematician Carl Lindemann solves the issue of squaring the circle by proving π is transcendental.

Look for Circles Day FAQs

Why are circles important in life?

Circles are important for mobility and symbolism — as circular shapes like wheels help us get around and circles symbolize harmony.

Why do we find circles so beautiful?

The perfect symmetry and smooth shape of circles makes them beautiful to humans.

Where do we find circles?

Circles can be natural or man made, but natural circles are usually imperfect circles.

Look for Circles Day Activities

Make circle shaped food

Organize a community game

Go for a circular drive

A great way to help everyone look for circles is to make the circles yourself. Bake cakes and cookies, cut up cucumber and carrots and share them with your family and friends.

Get everyone in your community together for a fun game of looking for circles. Make your own rules up — like only finding perfect circles, or only circles from nature, and get exploring.

Head out for a long drive in your neighborhood — but make sure your route makes a perfect circle. Track your route on maps and share it on social media.

5 Facts About Circles That Will Blow Your Mind

Circle refers to the boundary

It’s the most symmetric shape

A circle in every triangle

It’s present in the word encyclopedia

People naturally walk in circles

The term refers to the boundary or the line that connects the equidistant points. The whole shape is called a disc.

Every line through the center of the circle is a line of reflection symmetry.

The circles inside triangles are called incircles and each of the sides is a tangent to the circle.

The circle in the word encyclopedia is cycle, and the word means circle of learning.

Without navigational cues, people could walk in circles forever.

Why We Love Look for Circles Day

It’s a fun activity

Keep our kids busy

Circles are fascinating

We love the idea of making a game out of looking for circles. We think it's fun to look for shapes in the world around us.

We think that this day is a great way to get kids outside and busy. We love that we can set up an activity that keeps kids engaged and helps them grow.

We love how easy and interesting it is to find circles in art and nature. We think that the shape is fascinating and love spending a day celebrating it.

Source

[somanytilesghaziabad]

When it comes to designing the perfect kitchen, every detail matters. From cabinetry to countertops, each element contributes to the overall aesthetic and functionality of this essential space. Among the many choices you’ll face, selecting the right flooring is crucial. That’s where Somany kitchen tiles come into play, offering not only durability but also style and sophistication.

Why Choose Somany Kitchen Tiles?

1. Quality and Durability

At Somany Tile, we pride ourselves on providing high-quality tiles that are designed to withstand the rigors of everyday use. Our kitchen tiles are made from premium materials, ensuring they are resistant to stains, scratches, and moisture. This durability makes them an ideal choice for a space where spills and splashes are inevitable.

2. Aesthetic Appeal

Your kitchen is often the heart of your home, and it should reflect your personal style. With Somany kitchen tiles, you can choose from a vast array of colors, patterns, and textures to create the ambiance you desire. Whether you prefer a modern, minimalist look or a warm, rustic feel, our tiles can help you achieve your vision.

3. Easy Maintenance

We understand that busy lifestyles leave little time for extensive cleaning routines. That’s why Somany kitchen tiles are designed for easy maintenance. A simple wipe with a damp cloth is usually all it takes to keep them looking pristine. This practicality makes them a favored choice for families and individuals alike.

Popular Somany Kitchen Tile Styles

1. Glossy Ceramic Tiles

For a sleek and polished look, consider our glossy ceramic tiles. These tiles reflect light beautifully, making your kitchen feel brighter and more spacious. Available in various colors, they can complement any kitchen decor, from contemporary to traditional.

2. Rustic Stone Finish

If you’re aiming for a more organic and earthy vibe, our rustic stone finish tiles are perfect. These tiles mimic natural stone textures, bringing a touch of nature indoors. They pair exceptionally well with wooden cabinets and open shelving, creating a cozy atmosphere.

3. Vintage Patterns

For those who love a touch of nostalgia, our vintage patterned tiles are a fantastic choice. These tiles can serve as a focal point in your kitchen, adding character and charm. They work beautifully in traditional kitchens or as a striking contrast in modern spaces.

Installation Tips for Somany Kitchen Tiles

Installing kitchen tiles may seem daunting, but with the right approach, it can be a rewarding DIY project. Here are some tips to ensure a successful installation:

1. Prepare the Surface

Before laying your Somany kitchen tiles, ensure the surface is clean, dry, and level. Any imperfections can affect the final look and longevity of your tiles.

2. Use Quality Adhesive

Investing in high-quality tile adhesive is essential. This ensures your tiles remain firmly in place and withstand the test of time.

3. Take Your Time

Rushing through the installation can lead to mistakes. Take your time to measure and cut tiles accurately, ensuring a seamless finish.

Conclusion

Investing in Somany kitchen tiles is a decision that enhances both the beauty and functionality of your kitchen. With their quality, variety, and ease of maintenance, they are the ideal choice for any home. Embrace the opportunity to transform your kitchen into a stunning culinary haven with Somany Tile.

[srishti-123]

The Beauty of Polki Jewellery

Source of info : https://www.jadaavjewels.com/

Introduction

Polki jewellery, with its rich history and outstanding creativity, has a unique place in the world of luxurious jewellery. This traditional Indian technique, that goes back to the Mughal era, has captured the hearts of jewellery lovers all around the world. The uniqueness of it lives in its raw, uncut diamonds, which are carefully set in gold or silver to produce amazing works of evergreen beauty and royalty. In this article, we will look at the beauty of Polki accessories, its history, the creativity behind it, and why it is still a popular option between modern brides and collectors.

The Origins of Polki Jewellery

One of the oldest types of jewellery made from diamonds is polki jewellery, which has a long and glittering tradition reaching over 2,500 years. The Mughals were between its first supporters, and it was founded in India. Polki accessories were the perfect representation of the royal taste of the Mughal rulers, who were known for their love of luxury and richness. Uncut, natural diamonds were used to create this piece of art form, and the beautiful shapes were put in gold. Years of expert artists, mostly in Rajasthan, which is still the basis of Polki workmanship, have passed down the skills of making Polki accessories. The art style in controversy gained popularity in the royal palaces of Rajasthan and came to represent the beauty and luxury of Indian royalty.

What Makes Polki Jewellery Unique?

There are multiple factors why polki accessories are unique, but the usage of uncut diamonds is what makes it unique. The raw, natural shape of Polki diamonds remains unchanged compared to other types of diamond jewellery in which the stones are carefully cut and polished to increase their brightness. Because these diamonds are not cut, they have a glossy, soft glow compared to the cut diamonds' sharp glitter. Because each Polki diamond remains in its original condition, complete with imperfections and spots, no two of them are the same. These qualities improve the attractiveness and genuineness of Polki accessories, upgrading it to an excellent investment for individuals who value the purest beauty of real diamonds.

Types of Polki Jewellery

Polki jewellery is suitable for a variety of events since it is available in a wide variety of designs and styles. Some of the most well-liked varieties of Polki jewellery are:

1. Polki Necklaces

Polki necklaces are a symbol of beauty and greatness. Large, uncut diamonds set in gold or silver commonly create detailed designs on these amazing items. Polki necklaces give a feeling of royal beauty to the wearer's look, making them suitable for weddings and other important occasions. Bridal Polki necklaces are especially well-liked as they represent both history, and traditional beauty.

2. Polki Earrings

Polki earrings are available in a variety of designs, from simple studs to beautiful chandbalis and jhumkas. The delicate but attractive method that the raw, uncut diamonds in Polki earrings reflect light makes them a great option for both professional and personal use. Polki earrings are often picked by brides to go with their wedding gowns, but they may also be worn to any event to give it an air of royalty.

3. Polki Bangles and Bracelets

Uncut diamonds and artistic patterns highlight Polki bangles and bracelets, making them really unique. To create an overall effect, these items are often paired with similar necklaces and earrings. Polki bangles are very flexible; they can be layered for a more dramatic impact or worn alone for a simpler look.

4. Polki Rings

Large, uncut diamonds are often found as decorative elements in beautifully crafted rings, which are known as Polki. These rings, which represent family tradition and custom, are often handed down as antiques. Because they provide a unique solution for normal diamond rings, Polki rings are a popular choice for engagement rings due to their natural beauty.

5. Polki Maang Tikkas and Hair Accessories

Bridal clothing has an impression of royal beauty from the use of hair decorations and polki maang tikkas. Uncut diamonds and enamel work are commonly used for decorating these items, resulting in an amazing contrast between the unpolished gems and the colorful decoration. Brides who wish to show off modern trends while showcasing their cultural tradition often go for polki maang tikkas.

The Attraction of Polki Jewellery for Modern Brides

Modern brides have been especially attracted to polki jewellery for a number of reasons. Due to its traditional beauty and rich cultural history, it is a well-liked option for weddings. Polki accessories are a perfect piece of jewellery for brides who wish to feel and look like royalty on their big day since it represents tradition, beauty, and royalty. The flexibility of Polki items represents one of its most appealing qualities. It looks stunning with both trendy wedding gowns and combining outfits, as well as traditional Indian bridal wear like lehengas and sarees. Brides can choose from a large selection of Polki accessories, ranging from small earrings and rings to bold necklaces, to fit their own taste.

Polki Jewellery in Modern Fashion

Even though polki jewellery has a long history, it is still popular in modern fashion. Polki diamonds are being used by a lot of modern designers who combine classic skilled work and the latest style in their creations. Polki accessories have become easier to find because of the combination of the antique and modern, attractive to both brides and those who love fashion. Nowadays, polki is a popular choice for parties, red carpet events, and other special occasions. They are no longer just for bridal clothes. Polki gemstones have become even more famous as a symbol of class and style when celebrities and style icons have been noticed wearing them.

Caring for Your Polki Jewellery

Polki jewellery is an investment worth making, and maintaining its life and beauty needs regular maintenance. The following advice will help you maintain your Polki items:

Store in a cool, dry place: Polki accessories are made of gold and silver foils, therefore it's important for maintaining your items in a dry environment to prevent damage from moisture.

Avoid exposure to harsh chemicals: Hairsprays, perfumes, and cleaning products might harm Polki jewels' beautiful enamel work and gold settings. Always use makeup and fragrance before putting on jewellery.

Clean with a soft cloth: After each usage, carefully wipe your Polki jewellery with a gentle, clean cloth without lint to help maintain its brilliant shine. Avoid using strong cleaning products or rough items.

Conclusion

A representation of centuries-old quality workmanship, cultural importance, and unchanging beauty, polki jewellery is more than just an important piece of fashion. Its raw, uncut diamonds, mixed with beautiful designs and ancient procedures, make it a valued treasure for people who value the natural beauty of diamonds in their purest form. Either worn by a modern woman on her wedding day or passed down as a family tradition, these jewels keep charming with their unique beauty and evergreen charm. Polki jewels abilities to bring together culture and modern trends makes sure that it will continue to be a symbol of luxury and beauty for years.

[itnseo91]

The Beauty of Polki Jewellery

Source of info: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/beauty-polki-jewellery-jj-tej-undefined-dnrff/

Polki jewellery, with its rich history and outstanding creativity, has a unique place in the world of luxurious jewellery. This traditional Indian technique, that goes back to the Mughal era, has captured the hearts of jewellery lovers all around the world. The uniqueness of it lives in its raw, uncut diamonds, which are carefully set in gold or silver to produce amazing works of evergreen beauty and royalty. In this article, we will look at the beauty of Polki accessories, its history, the creativity behind it, and why it is still a popular option between modern brides and collectors. The Origins of Polki Jewellery One of the oldest types of jewellery made from diamonds is polki jewellery, which has a long and glittering tradition reaching over 2,500 years. The Mughals were between its first supporters, and it was founded in India. Polki accessories were the perfect representation of the royal taste of the Mughal rulers, who were known for their love of luxury and richness. Uncut, natural diamonds were used to create this piece of art form, and the beautiful shapes were put in gold. Years of expert artists, mostly in Rajasthan, which is still the basis of Polki workmanship, have passed down the skills of making Polki accessories. The art style in controversy gained popularity in the royal palaces of Rajasthan and came to represent the beauty and luxury of Indian royalty. What Makes Polki Jewellery Unique? There are multiple factors why polki accessories are unique, but the usage of uncut diamonds is what makes it unique. The raw, natural shape of Polki diamonds remains unchanged compared to other types of diamond jewellery in which the stones are carefully cut and polished to increase their brightness. Because these diamonds are not cut, they have a glossy, soft glow compared to the cut diamonds' sharp glitter. Because each Polki diamond remains in its original condition, complete with imperfections and spots, no two of them are the same. These qualities improve the attractiveness and genuineness of Polki accessories, upgrading it to an excellent investment for individuals who value the purest beauty of real diamonds. Types of Polki Jewellery Polki jewellery is suitable for a variety of events since it is available in a wide variety of designs and styles. Some of the most well-liked varieties of Polki jewellery are:

Polki Necklaces

Poilki Jewellery Necklace Polki necklaces are a symbol of beauty and greatness. Large, uncut diamonds set in gold or silver commonly create detailed designs on these amazing items. Polki necklaces give a feeling of royal beauty to the wearer's look, making them suitable for weddings and other important occasions. Bridal Polki necklaces are especially well-liked as they represent both history, and traditional beauty.

Polki Earrings Earring Polki Jewellery Polki earrings are available in a variety of designs, from simple studs to beautiful chandbalis and jhumkas. The delicate but attractive method that the raw, uncut diamonds in Polki earrings reflect light makes them a great option for both professional and personal use. Polki earrings are often picked by brides to go with their wedding gowns, but they may also be worn to any event to give it an air of royalty.

Polki Bangles and Bracelets Bangles Polki Jewellery Uncut diamonds and artistic patterns highlight Polki bangles and bracelets, making them really unique. To create an overall effect, these items are often paired with similar necklaces and earrings. Polki bangles are very flexible; they can be layered for a more dramatic impact or worn alone for a simpler look.

Polki Rings Ring Polki Jewellery Large, uncut diamonds are often found as decorative elements in beautifully crafted rings, which are known as Polki. These rings, which represent family tradition and custom, are often handed down as antiques. Because they provide a unique solution for normal diamond rings, Polki rings are a popular choice for engagement rings due to their natural beauty.

Polki Maang Tikkas and Hair Accessories Maang Tikka Polki Jewellery Bridal clothing has an impression of royal beauty from the use of hair decorations and polki maang tikkas. Uncut diamonds and enamel work are commonly used for decorating these items, resulting in an amazing contrast between the unpolished gems and the colorful decoration. Brides who wish to show off modern trends while showcasing their cultural tradition often go for polki maang tikkas. The Attraction of Polki Jewellery for Modern Brides Modern brides have been especially attracted to polki jewellery for a number of reasons. Due to its traditional beauty and rich cultural history, it is a well-liked option for weddings. Polki accessories are a perfect piece of jewellery for brides who wish to feel and look like royalty on their big day since it represents tradition, beauty, and royalty. The flexibility of Polki items represents one of its most appealing qualities. It looks stunning with both trendy wedding gowns and combining outfits, as well as traditional Indian bridal wear like lehengas and sarees. Brides can choose from a large selection of Polki accessories, ranging from small earrings and rings to bold necklaces, to fit their own taste. Polki Jewellery in Modern Fashion Even though polki jewellery has a long history, it is still popular in modern fashion. Polki diamonds are being used by a lot of modern designers who combine classic skilled work and the latest style in their creations. Polki accessories have become easier to find because of the combination of the antique and modern, attractive to both brides and those who love fashion. Nowadays, polki is a popular choice for parties, red carpet events, and other special occasions. They are no longer just for bridal clothes. Polki gemstones have become even more famous as a symbol of class and style when celebrities and style icons have been noticed wearing them. Caring for Your Polki Jewellery Polki jewellery is an investment worth making, and maintaining its life and beauty needs regular maintenance. The following advice will help you maintain your Polki items: Store in a cool, dry place: Polki accessories are made of gold and silver foils, therefore it's important for maintaining your items in a dry environment to prevent damage from moisture. Avoid exposure to harsh chemicals: Hairsprays, perfumes, and cleaning products might harm Polki jewels' beautiful enamel work and gold settings. Always use makeup and fragrance before putting on jewellery. Clean with a soft cloth: After each usage, carefully wipe your Polki jewellery with a gentle, clean cloth without lint to help maintain its brilliant shine. Avoid using strong cleaning products or rough items. Conclusion A representation of centuries-old quality workmanship, cultural importance, and unchanging beauty, polki jewellery is more than just an important piece of fashion. Its raw, uncut diamonds, mixed with beautiful designs and ancient procedures, make it a valued treasure for people who value the natural beauty of diamonds in their purest form. Either worn by a modern woman on her wedding day or passed down as a family tradition, these jewels keep charming with their unique beauty and evergreen charm. Polki jewels abilities to bring together culture and modern trends makes sure that it will continue to be a symbol of luxury and beauty for years.

[cherrygorilla]

My first impressions of The Outsiders musical (plus my extra notes on your reaction to ✨Starlight Express✨)

As promised, I've compiled all the notes I made whilst I was watching the show you so graciously introduced me to into a neat little post for you to read. I know it's not nearly as exciting as a video, but hopefully you can still enjoy reading through them as much as I enjoyed watching it. It was so cool getting to watch it after knowing how important the story has been to you over the years, and how much it inspired your characters. It felt like I was unlocking new Danelle lore - I loved it 😂 But anyway, enough wasting time! I'll start with my reactions to The Outsiders (the overall show and each song), and then I'll tag on my comments about Starlight at the end. I did them as little bullet point-esque comments as I went along to try to stop myself from rambling too much, but I don't know how successful that was... 😅

The Outsiders:

Okay, first of all, I love that you can hear time period accurate music playing in the theatre before the show starts - I love when productions do that; it adds that extra layer of immersion and helps you get even more excited for the show to start - at least it does for me anyway.

The actor playing Ponyboy has a really unique voice - but I think it works well for the character. It feels really authentic. 

The use of the screens in the set to show the movie scenes at the start was cool - for what sometimes felt like a more limited/sparse set with the sort of scaffolding backdrop, it added an extra element of interest.

The contrast between the Greasers and the Socs in that first number was shown in such a cool way too - with all the Greasers playing around and doing their own thing to reflect their imperfections, but good hearts nonetheless - and then with the Socs being more reserved and putting their jackets all in perfect synchronisation to show how much more 'put together' they are. That's such clever choreography! 

The staging of everything is great too - it feels like such a big set but they use the space so effectively. And all the gravel on the stage is a great touch; it helps set the scene so well! I think I saw actual water in that tire too, which is another really cool feature.

Tulsa '67 - great song to set the scene - sets everything up really well - no notes - fantastic opening number 👏

The car pulling onto the stage was so cool - it reminded me of when I went to go and see the Back to the Future musical last month (which was amazing btw - gave me some very entertaining ideas for a one-shot 👀), because the way they used the delorean in that, and made it drive, was genuinely incredible haha.

Whilst I felt really sorry for poor Ponyboy when he had that run-in with the Socs, the way they did the fight scene (and all the ones that followed) was just brilliant. The way the lighting and the sound design and the way they did the choreography with the slow-motion sections - it was fantastic!! I've genuinely never seen anything like that in a show before - no wonder it won so many Tonys haha. It deserved to after seeing that!

Also - no matter how many fight scenes there were - I still couldn't work out how they got the fake blood all over themselves. Maybe it was just too late at night and I wasn't paying close enough attention - but that felt like genuine magic to me 😂

Grease Got a Hold - fun song to show the brotherhood of the Greasers - very time period accurate too - at least it sounds it to me lol - which works really well to help sell the story - it did a great job at introducing us to the way all the different main characters act too

Runs in the Family - really liked Darrel's character in the show - maybe it's because you made that connection with him being so similar to Miles, and you know how much of a sucker I am for that guy lol - but I also did just genuinely think he was a great character to add an extra layer of conflict - and the actor did a brilliant job of portraying it; I really believed him in the role, and I thought his voice was beautiful.

The scene with Ponyboy and Sodapop talking on the bed definitely gave me Bentley and Royce vibes - especially because they share a room. That moment about the book and how many pages it had got a laugh out of me too - the guy who plays Sodapop acted that bit really well. That whole exchange was just really sweet - they played out that super close brotherly bond so well - I can definitely see how their relationship could have influenced how you wrote the Murphys.

Great Expectations - really moving song that was great for showing off the guy who plays Ponyboy's voice - it was so powerful! I've got to admit I'm not always overly fussed about slower songs/ballads in shows, so I didn't necessarily love this at first - I thought it was a good song, but I don't think I fully appreciated it until I came back to listen to it again and could link it back to the rest of the show; I think it becomes more meaningful once you know the whole story - at least it worked that way for me

The exchange between Dally and Johnny Cade (I can definitely see why you thought August was a good match for him btw) was really sweet - they really sold that chosen family vibe between them. And it was clever how they incorporated the set-up with the switchblade knife too, what with it being so important later on. 

Friday at the Drive-In - nothing really groundbreaking, but it was a fun, catchy song - and I liked the choreography!

I loved getting to meet Cherry for the first time - with her bravery standing up for herself I can definitely see Vivien selling that almost defiant confidence really well. And how she speaks to Ponyboy afterwards - I could so see Vivien acting that out with Bentley. I sometimes forget how close of a bond Vivien and Bentley have because I usually think of them as a trio, or just Vivien with Royce - but I'd love to see them tackle this scene together; I think they'd do a great job. 

Going on from that - I Could Talk To You All Night - such a pretty song that is so enjoyable and easy to listen to - it works so well for the scene, and I think Vivien and Bentley would kill it - BUT, your idea of a one-shot with Miles and Carrie pre-relationship is absolute perfection for this song. It works amazingly - right down to their places in society and everything!! Aaah!!

I loved Cherry sticking up for herself when her boyfriend barged in and started being an asshole too - she's such a strong-willed girl, I'm obsessed with her. I could very much see elements of Carrie and Eric in her and Bob's relationship (unfortunately lol) - especially in TMM. If only Carrie had the same balls Cherry did to actually put herself first lmao.

Runs in the Family reprise - whilst I understand it was a little overkill for Darrel to fly off the handle like he did, I can appreciate his point of view and how he cracked under all the pressure he'd placed on himself. Like you said in your post, it's hard to imagine the Murphy brothers ever arguing like this - but it could be something interesting to play with just as a one off, to see how they would react - especially that element of Darrel talking about all the things he could do with his life if he wasn't tied down to providing for his brothers - I feel like Miles could share at least some of those struggles (I just don't ever think he'd express them lmao - especially not like that). Also - I feel like in this reprise, even more than with the song the first time around - part of the melody reminds me of What'd I Miss from Hamilton. Maybe it's just me though lol 😂

Far Away from Tulsa - what a pretty song! And what a sweet moment between Ponyboy and Johnny Cade - this was such a good way to show how close the characters are. And omg just imagining Bentley and August singing it 🥹 - I couldn't cope

Probably just me watching too much Starlight Express (as usual), but the "you're nobody" part of the following run-in with the Socs was very reminiscent of the "he said nobody, so he's nobody" bit in the show when the other trains are all picking on Rusty. Weird coincidence haha. But again, the staging of this fight was just brilliant - it was like I couldn't look away! And the underwater effects!! That was so cool!!

Run Run Brother - what an exciting end to the first act! Again, the staging of it was brilliant showing their escape - and I loved the song in this one too; I feel like it showed off Dallas' voice really well. 

Justice for Tulsa - this was a really cool opening to the second act - I loved the way they staged it with the interrogation; that was so clever and it set the tone really well how everything is a little darker and more tense compared to the bright and cheery opening of the first act. I really liked the second part of the song too with Cherry sticking up for the Greasers even though everyone else was turning on her because of it - she's definitely feeling like one of my favourite characters at this point. The tone of her voice is so pretty and clear too - you can tell there's a lot of power behind it as well. She's great!

Also - I know it's not really a comical show - but that cut back to Ponyboy after they'd cut and bleached his hair… 😳 Girl. I gasped. That wig. I know the point is that it looks bad but I was still speechless 😂 The poor guy! Wanted as an accessory to murder AND looking like a clown?! He can't catch a break!

Death's At My Door - what a sweet duet - not the most exciting of songs - but it's really heartfelt and showed off the characters' close bond really well. 

Throwing in the Towel - I already had a bit of an idea what this was like from the TV performance of it, but omg seeing it fully staged, and knowing about everything that led up to this point, made it so much better! What a beautiful song! Everyone put so much emotion into it - and then when Ponyboy started singing too to show how they were all thinking of and missing each other despite being apart - ugh, it was so good!! Definitely a stand out song of the show for me. Brilliant vocals, and amazing acting too from all three brothers. I can totally see the similarities to your Murphy brothers as well, which made it all the more enjoyable to watch. The actor who plays Darrell did a particularly great job here, and as an oldest sibling myself, I definitely felt the most connected to him - he's another favourite of mine from the show.

The comedic timing on that "Do I look like Julie Andrews?" line was impeccable - that whole section with them talking about Ponyboy's hair was so good - they delivered the lines so well; it felt so authentic. And Dally's reaction just made it even better.

Soda's Letter - another really pretty song - you could really feel the sentiment behind the lyrics - it felt (at least to me anyway) that even the music itself was showing that internal conflict in Ponyboy: the need to stay safe and loyal to his friends, but also that comforting pull of his family back home. It was really beautiful!

Dally's monologue that followed was really powerful too, with him trying to keep his 'found family' safe - definitely felt like his advice was driven by the fact that he didn't have a choice in his matter of just keeping moving on though, and that he was potentially a little jealous that Ponyboy did have a loving family he could go back to. There felt like there was an element of pride there too - where he felt like their new big brother who could look after them, especially after his talk with Darrell, so he didn't want them to go back and not have them solely relying on/looking up to him anymore. He wants to try to keep that control over them  - maybe because there's nothing else he can control in his life? Idk, maybe I'm reading too much into it lmao.

Hoods Turned Heroes - that whole fire breaking out really took me by surprise, but it was so brave of Ponyboy and Johnny Cade to go save all those kids despite being so weak and tired themselves. No wonder they were deemed heroes! It was a fun song to show off the upswing in luck for the Greasers back home though - and it provided an even starker contrast to the next scene with Dally carrying Johnny Cade like that. That was a really powerful moment.

Hopeless War - another beautiful song showing off Cherry's actress' voice - I'm obsessed with it. She's really great. Definitely gives me turf war vibes that could be used in a throwback one-shot/au or something before the surfers and bikers made up.

The set-up for the rumble had me so nervous ngl - I really appreciated Darrell coming back and trying to help though, even offering to take Ponyboy's place and fight for him (not that Ponyboy was ever going to let that happen, but you know, the sentiment was there haha). Very good big brother energy - very Miles energy too. I liked it haha.

And then the rumble itself: genuinely unbelievable theatre. I know I've said it before, but the way they used the sound, and the lighting, and the choreography of everything - and the rain and the fake blood too - it quite literally took my breath away. Sooooo insanely brilliant. I can't believe how synchronised everything was - it was really, really impressive. 

Little Brother - another seriously powerful song, made even more powerful by that amazing performance by Dally's actor. Omg he totally killed that - the pain and the emotion in his voice - he sounded totally broken, it was such a brilliant performance! And aptly heartbreaking after what happened to poor Johnny Cade - it's just a shame Dally felt so lost and angry that he ended up meeting the same fate.

That conversation between the three brothers centering around Ponyboy and his grief was so emotional and, again, really powerful. They acted it out so well - I could really feel their love and frustration with one another. Again, I could totally see the Murphy brothers acting in a similar way if they were ever in that situation, especially with the way they were talking about their parents and how they're all each other has left. May or may not have helped me a lot with later parts of TMM too hehe 👀

Also - the part with them saying Johnny Cade's mum never showed up to the hospital to collect his things: what the hell! That's so sad! Poor boy deserved so much better 😢

Stay Gold - I've always known about this phrase being linked to The Outsiders in some way because I think you've had it in your bio at some point, but I didn't know the full meaning behind it until I listened to this. And omg what a beautiful song - definitely one of my favourites from the whole show. It's so delicate and heartfelt and pretty - that melody is just so gorgeous. It really feels like Johnny's last way of comforting and reassuring Ponyboy, all wrapped up in a song. Sooooo pretty. I loved the touch of them getting Johnny to be the one to sing it too; it sounds so much more meaningful coming from him. I could totally picture August singing this as well - the lyrics all felt very 'him' with that soft, almost poetic edge and the link to nature. At least that's the vibe I have in my head of August anyway haha.

The way they brought Ponyboy's writing back to end the show with felt so satisfying - it was a great way to tie it all together as one big story and show how their lives had changed, but part of it would always stay the same. A great way to end it with some really nice harmonies!!

So yeah, in case you couldn't already tell, I really loved the show - thank you so much for introducing me to it! I'm so glad I'll finally have an idea of what you're talking about when you bring it up now lmaoooo. And I'm so excited to see your reaction to it, because I feel as though it'll just make me love it even more!

Anyway, speaking of reactions, here are all the things I had to comment on after watching your reaction to Starlight Express. They're in that same sort of bullet point-y style, and I didn't comment on everything because I'd have probably bored you for hours. But here were at least my main things I wanted to share with you! So yeah, thank you again for putting that video together for me; I had such a fun time watching it and seeing you experience the show for the first time. I can't wait to see what ideas it sparks for you in the future (even if they're just new, awesome nail designs 😉)

Starlight Express:

It was so cool hearing you say that you bet you'd have loved the show when you were a kid because that's when I fell in love with it - and how you hoped that there are kids in the audience that fall in love with musical theatre because of the show because that's exactly what happened with me, and is exactly what the musical set out to do. Andrew Lloyd Webber has said many times that Starlight was designed to get kids into theatre and get them excited about going so the fact you picked up on that so early on was so cool! 

I LOOOOVE that you fell in love with Greaseball so early on - Greaseball's always been one of my faves, and this London version just cemented it for me. She's such an icon. I always used to love Dinah because she got to be WITH Greaseball - now I just want to BE Greaseball 🤣

That's so cool that you've seen stuff from the Bochum version (and that you've been learning German?! That's awesome!), and that you can appreciate the costume changes and everything. This video version of the London production might not be the best because the costumes aren't all finished off with the lights on their chest yet - since it was taken during the previews - but I agree that they all still look insanely cool. 

Also - with Dinah being one of my all-time favourite characters in the show - those Dinah inspired nails you got (which I may or may not have clocked in the intro because I'm a freak like that 🤣) are AMAZING! They look so good!! I'd love to see what you get done for Greaseball/The Outsiders if you end up getting them.

I loved your interpretation of the coaches being like the Muses in Hercules - that's such a cool connection; I'd never thought of that before but you're so right! And I loved your comments/analyses on their costumes too - they were so fun to hear. And as someone who LOVES really reading into details - especially when it comes to colours and things - listening to you talk about everything you picked up on was soooo fun. 

You giggling at that moment at the end of Whistle At Me was so cute 🥰

Also, I know you realised by the end of the show, but they definitely do sing AC/DC in Electra's main song - which is cool for both the music connotations, and because of the alternating current/direct current electrical terminology connotations hehe. 

I LOVED your reactions to Pumping Iron because that's one of my favourite songs in the whole show - it's just so FUN - and I had a blast watching you experience it all. Also - the way that your homemade slushie exploding lined up perfectly with Control saying "uh oh" had me cracking up so hard 😂

You picking up on Pearl saying "lovers" in Make Up My Heart was so entertaining too - the characters used to be a lot more romantically motivated in other versions of the show, and carrying songs over without changing the lyrics much (this one in particular) doesn't always work so well 😂

Totally agree with your score for Momma's Blues too - I love Momma as a character, but I always skip that song because it's just so random and unnecessary - genuinely don't know why it was ever included other than to give the Poppa/Momma character something else to sing 😂

I'm OBSESSED with Rusty's voice in this production too - obviously all the other Rustys I've seen have done an amazing job too, but there's something about Jeevan's voice that is just sooo beautiful. It made me appreciate 'Starlight Express' and 'Starlight Sequence' so much more than I used to because of how gorgeous his voice is to listen to. Also, can you believe he was only 17 when he started the show?! Insane!!

Unfortunately Greaseball is always kind of a jerk to Dinah in the shows, which is such a shame because they are so cute together otherwise. I've seen a few different interpretations of it though, like where Greaseball's so hellbent on winning that they don't want any distractions from anyone (no matter who they're from), and their desire to win just completely takes over. But another interpretation I thought was quite cute was that Greaseball is so desperate to look tough in front of their competitors that they have to disregard Dinah so that they don't look weak, because every time they DO properly acknowledge Dinah (like at the end) they're just like putty in her hands haha. 

I'm glad you still liked UNCOUPLED so much too, because as much as I also love it, I feel like it works much better with an American accent. Every other English-speaking version of the show has had Dinah being American, and since that number is so country music inspired, I just think it sounds better with an American accent. Eve's acting definitely helps to sell it though - and the more I listen to it, the more normal it's starting to sound. So maybe it's growing on me after all 😂

Your analysis on the 'money-driven' aspect of Slick's character was really cool too. That's a new aspect for this production too, because usually it's CB in that position just wrecking the trains for shits and giggles because he's a little psycho - but the link to the big oil rigging industry is a great one to make! I kind of wish they did more with Slick's character tbh - I feel like what they show of her is a very base level of her character - I wish we saw more of her desperation and intensity. And like I mentioned with how I imagine Abby would play her, I wish there was more of an element of Slick wanting to help Greaseball because she idolises her, what with their almost identical colour schemes and their joint reliance on oil. I think Wide Smile, High Style kind of falls a little flat because Slick's motives were never really shown up until that moment. But oh well, I suppose the show can only be so long haha. 

That moment after Rusty wrecks in the first version of the final race being Royce and Vivien coded is so true!! I'm so pleased you saw elements of them in those roles like I did!

It was so cute seeing how excited you got about Hydra each time he came on stage too - everyone seems to be really loving him, which is great since he, and all the other fuel trucks, were new additions for this production. He just seems like such a cool, chill guy - he's great. And that musical hook of his is really catchy haha. I'm pleased you could see how I could link him to Ethan lmao.

I love that you enjoyed One Rock and Roll Too Many - that's such a fun number in the show. I wish they'd made it more obvious that the trains had wrecked though, because in other productions they roll out in tattered/falling-apart versions of their costumes, which I think sells it more. But I also understand that that might not have been possible this time around with the way that the costumes are so rigid/plasticy. Either way - it's still a really fun number.

In terms of their makeup too - I've seen some of the cast on tiktok doing videos about their makeup and they have to do it all themselves! I think they were taught how to do their specific looks initially, but they have to do it all themselves every night, which is super impressive.

Also - yes - I totally agree Hydra should have been up there on the podium with Rusty at the end. Pearl didn't even race with him once!! 😂

And your utter confusion with Greaseball's poor spelling 😂 I love Al's portrayal of Greaseball but I don't think she hams up the dopey/dumb and embarrassed aspect of that part where she struggles to spell 'sorry' nearly enough. 

Overall, I absolutely loved your reactions though - getting to introduce people to stuff I love and seeing their reactions is one of my favourite things to do, so getting to watch you experience the show for the first time and fall in love with it was soooooo special. I can't wait to see your reaction to the Outsiders one if you choose to do one for that too!

And with that, I think I've got through everything. And to save you from reading through even more of my ramblings, I'll leave it here. Thank you so much for getting through it all if you made it to this point though - you're a real one haha. On a serious note though, the dedication you've put into editing together that video and watching the show purely because you know how much I enjoy it, and going to the trouble of helping me watch The Outsiders, is insane - you've gone above and beyond any of my irl friends with all that, so thank you soooo much. You truly are the best! 🥰

Now, back to TMM! 😂

[room-surprise]

Thank you for making this post!

Ever since the translation of the winged lion page dropped, I've been seeing people say "this is proof that Mithrun's family physically abused him, or that Mithrun was afraid of being physically harmed by someone." But I don't think this is in any way indicated by the manga, world guide or daydream hour, and seeing the exact Japanese words used on this page and hearing what they mean just strengthens my opinion.

Emotional neglect and abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse, sometimes even moreso because the abuse being intangible can make it harder for the victim to even identify what is happening as abuse. Especially if the specific type of abuse is societal and widespread... Then it just becomes a normalized part of life.

Kui has shown us characters who have been physically harmed in the past (Laios by other boys, Kabru by Milsiril, Mickbell and Kuro by various people), but she shows us nothing like that with Mithrun. If she wanted us to know that he was physically abused in the past, she would have told us somehow.

I very much doubt that a random sentence in a part of the world guide that isn't even about Mithrun would contain "secret information" that reveals something completely new, and hugely important to Mithrun's character like physical abuse.

I think the lion page is just repeating the information we already know about Mithrun... That he was emotionally afraid of other people, insecure, had a huge inferiority complex, and desperately wanted to be liked by everyone.

All it would take is a single drawing of a raised hand, or a bruise, or Mithrun flinching away from a family member to make it clear that there is a physical harm element to his backstory, but there isn't anything like that in the manga, or any of the extra materials.

Meanwhile, we got a whole comic about Kabru's blue eyes and how they caused him and his mother to be ostracized, which is hugely important to giving context to Kabru's personality.

What Kui did show us is that Mithrun's brother is neglected and ignored because he's imperfect (disabled, ugly, not very smart, doesn't have silver hair and eyes), and Mithrun is treated better because he was "superior."

Why is Mithrun "superior"? Because he's the opposite of all those things that made his family abandon his brother.

This means Mithrun knows, deep down, that if he wasn't "superior" to his brother, he would also be thrown away by his family. So he has to be perfect. His greatest fear is becoming like his brother: unwanted, unneeded, left-over.

So when he's sent to the Canaries... he wonders what he did wrong. Wasn't he perfect enough? Was his family always able to see through the mask, and know that he wasn't actually superior? Did they finally decide that they loved his brother more, despite Mithrun trying so hard to be perfect at all times?

That's why Mithrun's desire is a world where "no one will emotionally harm/betray him." He wants a world where everyone loves him unconditionally. A world where he can trust the people around him... Because he's never experienced that in his life (except from his brother, who he resents for it. Why is his brother, the failure, the only one who loves him? It's insulting to Mithrun's ego.) Mithrun may in fact believe it to be impossible. In the dungeon he is play-acting with shadows and illusions, fake people who will only say what he wants to hear.

That's why the demon refusing to finish eating him is both such a huge insult, and a point of trauma. Mithrun believes the demon could see through to his true nature, and saw what traits and qualities Mithrun thought made him better than his brother, and took those things away from him: his good looks, his able body, his silver eyes, his beautiful sharp ears.

All of Mithrun's self esteem and ego depended on him having those things, and so of course Mithrun desired to preserve those qualities more than anything else... So the demon eating Mithrun's desire to protect and keep those traits was probably the most delicious thing the demon could eat. The only thing Mithrun truly cared about was being better than his brother... Because being better than him was the only safety he's ever known.

It is of course possible that Kabru omitted information about Mithrun being physically abused in his attempt to make the story easier to understand... However I think if that was true, Kui would have mentioned it in Mithrun's biography in the World Guide... IE: "Kabru left this out, but actually..."

(As an aside, I do think it's very possible that Mithrun may have already been self-harming before he went into the dungeon, and it just got worse afterwards. Self harm is common for people who live high-stress lives.)

i think some people get confused about mithrun's wish "for a world where he would have no enemies and no one would harm him" and assume that this means physical harm mostly. i'm not an expert in japanese, unfortunately, but i think the translation is pretty good, because it clarifies the meaning by using both words "harm" and "enemies". original meaning seems to be rather broad.

that part of the sentence in the original says [ミスルンは自分に仇なす者がひとり もいない世界を]. here it uses the verb [仇なす], which means: "to do (someone) a wrong, to do (someone) an ill turn, to take revenge, to resent, to bear a grudge". it's used in conjunction with the word [者] which means "a person" or "people". so, this combination of words basically describes any type of person who has ill intentions toward mithrun, who wants to do mithrun wrong. it might not include hurting him physically. it's also interesting that sometimes this combination literally means "a person who inflicts vengence", which could be used to describe post-dungeon mithrun...

[twentyonedental]

Smile Makeovers: Elevating Confidence through the Fusion of Art and Science | TwentyOne Dental

Introduction

In this informative piece, we'll dive into the world of smile makeovers. It's a highly effective method that is more than just improving your appearance. It could improve your confidence. Your smile is an essential part of your character. A smile makeover can be an unforgettable experience. From understanding the science and art behind smile makeovers to the numerous treatment options available at dentists in hove, we'll explore each aspect that can comprehensively understand this fascinating topic.

Understanding the Impact of a Beautiful Smile

Smiles are more than an expression. It is an expression of happiness and confidence. People with captivating smiles often make a lasting impression on people around them, making them appear more friendly and appealing. Studies have shown that a pleasing smile can positively impact many aspects of your life, such as relationships with family and friends, professional prospects, and self-esteem. A smile transformation is intended to improve your smile by fixing any flaws that make it challenging to achieve your goals.

The Art of Smile Makeovers

The art of creating a stunning smile is an art that requires skill, knowledge, and a keen eye for beauty. Smile makeovers don't have to be one-size-fits-all techniques; they are crafted to suit each individual's requirements for dental care and facial features. Highly skilled cosmetic hove dental clinic function as artists, considering factors like the shape of your teeth, size, color, and alignment to design the perfect smile to complement your facial shape.

Initial Consultation: Understanding Your Goals

Getting a gorgeous smile begins with an appointment with a respected cosmetic dentist. During this critical stage, the dentist will know your objectives and expectations. The dentist will also allow you to talk about any concerns you may have regarding your smile. This will enable the dentist to suggest the best options for treatment to get the desired result.

Comprehensive Smile Analysis

A thorough smile analysis is an essential element of smile makeovers. Dental professionals will extensively examine your teeth, gums, and overall health. Modern imaging technology can provide an accurate picture of your smile. This helps detect any dental problems that need to be taken care of before the transformation begins.

Treatment Options for Smile Makeovers

Smile makeovers include a variety of dental procedures that fix a variety of dental imperfections and imperfections. Some of the most commonly used treatments are:

Teeth Whitening

Teeth whitening is a well-known and non-invasive method that can significantly increase the appearance of your smile. As time passes, teeth may be discolored or stained due to diet, aging, or smoking. Professional treatments for whitening your teeth at the hove dental clinic office or in-home kits provided by the dentist can assist you in getting a sparkling white smile.

Dental Veneers

Dental veneers are small, custom-made shells fixed to the teeth' front. They're excellent for repairing chipped, sloping, or discolored teeth. Veneers can also fill tiny spaces between teeth, resulting in a perfectly symmetrical and uniform smile.

Dental Implants

Implants provide an enduring and natural-looking treatment for those who have lost their tooth. Implants consist of titanium posts that are surgically implanted into the jawbone. They serve as solid foundations for replacement teeth. Implants not only help make your smile look better but can also bring benefits to your life by maintaining the health of your jawbone.

Orthodontic Treatments

Orthodontic procedures like braces or aligners that are clear and easy to see are vital to correct misaligned or crooked teeth. These procedures not only improve how your smile appears but can also improve your oral health, as they make cleaning easier between your teeth and prevent dental problems.

Gum Contouring

Gum contouring, also called gum reshaping, is a procedure that can enhance the appearance of a "gummy smile" or an uneven gum line. This process involves removing the excess gum tissue to expose some teeth. This creates an attractive and balanced smile.

Dental Crowns

Crowns for dental use are caps that look like teeth. They are used to shield damaged or weak teeth and improve appearance. They're the ideal option for teeth that have been through root canal therapy or are suffering from significant decay.

Full Mouth Reconstruction

For patients who have severe dental problems, A full mouth reconstruction might be suggested. This comprehensive method involves several treatments to deal with different dental issues, resulting in a complete transformation of the smile.

The Science of Smile Makeovers

While the art of smile makeovers is essential, the science behind it is equally vital. Dentists utilize advanced technologies and evidence-based practices to ensure the efficacy and durability of the procedures.

Digital Smile Design (DSD)

Digital Smile Design (DSD) can be described as an innovative technology that lets dentists make a virtual model of your smile's transformation. With the help of sophisticated software and 3D images, dentists can show you the potential outcomes of proposed treatments before any work is done. This allows patients to make informed choices and realistic expectations of their smile's change.

Materials and Techniques

Modern dentistry uses high-end materials and techniques for durable and visually pleasing results. It doesn't matter if it's dental veneers constructed of tough ceramics or dental fillings with tooth-colored colors that blend with natural teeth The materials used for smile makeovers are made to withstand wear and tear while conserving their natural appearance.

Importance of Professional Expertise

A successful smile transformation depends on the skill of the dentist who performs cosmetic procedures. It is essential to select a professional with experience and expertise who knows the nuances of the design of your smile and has the experience of producing outstanding results. A visit to a certified cosmetic dentist will ensure that your journey to improve your smile is secure, efficient, and enjoyable.

Maintaining Your Beautiful Smile

When you've finished your smile makeover, Keeping your results for many years is crucial. A good oral hygiene routine, regularly scheduled dental exams, and following particular aftercare guidelines from your dentist are essential to keeping your fresh and beautiful smile.

Conclusion

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Keep in mind that your smile is your greatest asset. So, embrace it with confidence!

[fmdjoosungarchive]

【✧】━━━━ ♥ m o m      a e s t h e t i c ♥ ━━━━【✧】

sung is a family oriented sim and his mom is his favorite member of his family (excluding taehwan and taeyeon - babies will always win) so this is an aesthetic to appreciate their r/s. she’s the reason sung is the way he is anyway

word count: 443

warning: discussions of homophobic culture

tldr; in the recent theme of feeling strongly that sung’s parents aren’t ‘bad’ people, i want a teeny para series in dedication to that. this one is part of a diary entry from sung, that explains how He thinks of his mother’s pov of the situation (i would have written from her pov but i dont kno if it counts as a para in that case lol)

-

talked to mum today, too. she said that her tomatoes are growing well, but they’ve started to attract worms, and she doesn’t want to hurt the worms, even though they’ll probably disrupt the growth of the tomatoes. i told her i’d look up if there was any humane way to deal with that issue.

really, i should be writing that down before i forget. it’s so difficult to remember the smaller things like that when i’m busy. part of me wishes that i could have a manager for work, and a manager to help me with my personal life, but that would be too greedy. and, i’d have to share my personal life with a professional person o.o

that’s wayyy too scary

which reminds me... mum also said i should bring over my friend for dinner again. i was like friend? lol he’s my boyfriend. and she skipped right on to talking about what he’d like to eat when he’s over

i think sometimes it’s easier for her to forget that i ever told her about ryoma. she liked him, when they met, i could tell. i think he reminded her of dad, cos he reminds me of dad allllll the time. but when it comes to our relationship, she’d rather pretend it wasn’t happening, and that’s the best version of her reactions. it hurts, you know? something that makes me so happy.....

being understanding is really important, though. this is all new to her, i mean, it was new to me too. and even then, we know how difficult this kind of thing can be, especially since i’m a public figure. if this kind of information spread around... gosh, i don’t like thinking about it. haha this is why i try not to talk about this so much. gets me all upset and stuff haha

she just wants good things for me. dad, too, even if he doesn’t say it much. it can be dangerous, to do this kind of thing. the life we always talked about, that one i used to tell mom about when i was a kid, that wouldn’t be difficult. it’d be simple. i think that’s why they keep trying to set me up with other people, or push me towards friends like yujin. they hope i can fall more in love with someone else, so i won’t have to deal with those hardships. i just don’t think they can understand how fulfilled my heart is, in a way my exes never managed to do to me.

ryoma’s the one. if i’m patient, one day, they’ll see that, too. they’ve gotta be in our wedding party after all~

-

word count: 440

tldr; this isn’t driven by sexuality, but i want to tie it together with one of the good times sung and his mother have spent together. obviously, having good times with people that hurt you doesn’t mean that hurt is no longer there, or is void, and that’s not what i’m saying. i just want to highlight the importance of their relationship to sung and why for Him, and how He works, anyone saying to drop his parents wont get far

-

taehwan, in all of his six foot energy wrapped in a package half the size, lifted up a flower to sung at the very tip of how far his arm could reach. it still required looking down, but in feeling, it was as if the flower was right in front of his eyes.

sung squat down so he could wrap an arm around his nephew and pull the fast-growing boy up to his hip. a hand ready, but not taking the bait, he asked, “is this for me?” the following answer was the last piece of the puzzle that sung needed to pinch the stem of the flower between thumb and forefinger. “thank you, it’s beautiful.” he twirled the flower in a roll between his fingers. “how should i carry this? i don’t want to damage it. shall i wear it behind my ear? can you help me?”

in the conclusion, as taehwan made an attempt to place the flower over sung’s ear, and sung inevitably had to fix it, he noticed his mother had pointed her phone’s camera towards them.

“my sweet boys,” she’d said as the phone came down, followed by her closing the distance to pat at their cheeks, first sung’s, then taehwan’s. “you’ll give me a heart attack with all this sugar.”

sung brought taehwan back down to the ground, and took one of his hands so they could all continue walking together. his mother held onto sung’s other arm, wrapping one of hers around, and adding her other hand like a final lock.

“i can’t wait until you have children of your own. you’ll be such a wonderful father.”

warmth bloomed inside of sung’s chest -an excess branch to add to the bouquet that had sprouted bit by bit throughout the day. “have we moved past your being glad that i didn’t have children early on like sungmin?”

one of the only times in life sung ever felt as if he could be considered a funny person, was around his mother. her laughter rolled on as an aerated chuckle, her hand clapped on sung’s forearm. “i think i’ve been past that from the second i fell for taehwan. now i want all the grandchildren i can get.”

“i’ve got to get a move on if i want our kids to have similar ages. i can’t expect teenagers to get on well with children.” of course, given his career, life goals like these would have to wait. but, believing in the fantasy was much more fun. and thankfully, his mother was always willing to play along with him.

“should i be picking out a bassinet tonight?”

[turnpage]

send me a ✐ for a random sentence starter from my muse (1-1500) — tw: profanity, mild nsfw, long list

generator here quotes compiled from here inspired by

feel free to change to fit your preferences as need.

❨1❩ ❛ They are dreams, but I’m too out of control, I lose myself in them, and I’ve already lost too much to let them take over. ❜
 ❨2❩ ❛ Sometimes human places create inhuman monsters. ❜ ❨3❩ ❛ I'm not gonna hurt ya. I'm just going to bash your brains in. ❜ ❨4❩ ❛ Monsters are real. Ghosts are too. They live inside of us, and sometimes, they win. ❜ ❨5❩ ❛ The world's a hard place. It doesn't care. It doesn't hate you and me, but it doesn't love us, either. ❜ ❨6❩ ❛ The tears that heal are also the tears that scald and scourge. ❜ ❨7❩ ❛ Pull your act together and just go on. ❜ ❨8❩ ❛ I had never dreamed there could be so much pain in a life when there is nothing physically wrong. I hurt all the time. ❜ ❨9❩ ❛ Tough old world, baby. If you're not bolted together tightly, you're gonna shake, rattle, and roll before you turn thirty. ❜ ❨10❩ ❛ Are you sure self-pity is a luxury you can afford? ❜ ❨11❩ ❛ Truth comes out. In the end it always comes out. ❜ ❨12❩ ❛ Living by your wits is always knowing where the wasps are. ❜ ❨13❩ ❛ No matter where you go, the same asshole gets off the plane. ❜ ❨14❩ ❛ We sometimes need to create unreal monsters and bogies to stand in for all the things we fear in our real lives. ❜ ❨15❩ ❛ That’s your job in this hard world, to keep your love alive and see that you get on, no matter what. ❜ ❨16❩ ❛ Human nature, baby. Grab it and growl. ❜ ❨17❩ ❛ God wiped snot out of his nose and that was you. ❜ ❨18❩ ❛ Run away. Quick. And remember how much I love you. ❜ ❨19❩ ❛ How many times, over how many years, have I—a grown adult—asked for the mercy of another chance? ❜ ❨20❩ ❛ I was suddenly so sick of myself, so revolted. ❜ ❨21❩ ❛ You listen to me. I’m going to talk to you about it this once and never again this same way. ❜ ❨22❩ ❛ But those pieces, they’ll never fit just the same way again. Never in this world. ❜ ❨23❩ ❛ Dying is a part of living. You have to keep tuning in to that if you expect to be a whole person. ❜ ❨24❩ ❛ Officious little prick. ❜ ❨25❩ ❛ I’ve been sleepwalking again, my dear. — The plants are moving under the rug. ❜ ❨26❩ ❛ How I wish you were fear. ❜ ❨27❩ ❛ But it was a dreadful kind of curiosity, the kind that makes you peek through your fingers during the scariest parts of a scary movie. ❜ ❨28❩ ❛ All we have is time, you know. An eternity of time. Or shall we end it? Might as well. After all, we're missing the party. ❜ ❨29❩ ❛ We all remember our pleasant dreams more clearly than the scary ones. ❜ ❨30❩ ❛ The way things should be and the way things are hardly ever get together. ❜ ❨31❩ ❛ Got to be regular if you want to be happy. ❜ ❨32❩ ❛ But in a solitary life, there are rare moments when another soul dips near yours, as stars once a year brush the earth. ❜ ❨33❩ ❛ He showed me his scars, and in return he let me pretend that I had none. ❜ ❨34❩ ❛ Humbling women seems to me a chief pastime of poets. As if there can be no story unless we crawl and weep. ❜ ❨35❩ ❛ It is a common saying that women are delicate creatures, flowers, eggs, anything that may be crushed in a moment's carelessness.  ❜ ❨36❩ ❛ If I had ever believed it, I no longer do. ❜ ❨37❩ ❛ I thought once that gods are the opposite of death, but I see now they are more dead than anything, for they are unchanging, and can hold nothing in their hands. ❜ ❨38❩ ❛ I cannot bear this world a moment longer. ❜ ❨39❩ ❛ I have a better idea. I will do as I please. ❜ ❨40❩ ❛ All my life has been murk and depths, but I am not a part of that dark water. I am a creature within it. ❜ ❨41❩ ❛ You cannot know how frightened gods are of pain. There is nothing more foreign to them, and so nothing they ache more deeply to see. ❜ ❨42❩ ❛ When we are young, we think ourselves the first to have each feeling in the world. ❜ ❨43❩ ❛ When I was born, the word for what I was did not exist. ❜ ❨44❩ ❛ But perhaps no parent can truly see their child. When we look we see only the mirror of our own faults. ❜ ❨45❩ ❛ I will not be like a bird bred in a cage, too dull to fly even when the door stands open. ❜ ❨46❩ ❛ This is what it means to swim in the tide, to walk the earth and feel it touch your feet. This is what it means to be alive. ❜ ❨47❩ ❛ You threw me to the crows, but it turns out I prefer them to you. ❜ ❨48❩ ❛ Yet because I knew nothing, nothing was beneath me. ❜ ❨49❩ ❛ If now I am wise, it is only because I have been fool enough for a hundred lifetimes. ❜ ❨50❩ ❛ You can teach a viper to eat from your hands, but you cannot take away how much it likes to bite. ❜ ❨51❩ ❛ Give me the blade. Some things are worth spilling blood for. ❜ ❨52❩ ❛ I have been old and stern for so long, carved with regrets and years like a monolith. But that is only a shape I’ve been poured into. I do not have to keep it. ❜ ❨53❩ ❛ I wake sometimes in the dark terrified by my life's precariousness, its thready breath. ❜ ❨54❩ ❛ Understanding the world is a matter of keeping very still and showing no emotions, leaving room for others to reveal themselves. ❜ ❨55❩ ❛ Beneath the smooth, familiar face of things is another that waits to tear the world in two. ❜ ❨56❩ ❛ The truth is, men make terrible pigs. ❜ ❨57❩ ❛ My father has never been able to imagine the world without himself in it. ❜ ❨58❩ ❛ This is the grief that makes our kind choose to be stones and trees rather than flesh. ❜ ❨59❩ ❛ Witches are not so delicate. ❜ ❨60❩ ❛ Those who fight against prophecy only draw it more tightly around their throats. ❜ ❨61❩ ❛ I learned that I could bend the world to my will, as a bow is bent for an arrow. I would have done that toil a thousand times to keep such power in my hands. ❜ ❨62❩ ❛ There's the story, then there's the real story, then there's the story of how the story came to be told. Then there's what you leave out of the story. Which is part of the story too. ❜ ❨63❩ ❛ The best way of being kind to bears is not to be very close to them. ❜ ❨64❩ ❛ Life is warped. I'm just in sync. ❜ ❨65❩ ❛ Now it's a whisper from the past. ❜ ❨66❩ ❛ But hatred and viciousness are addictive. You can get high on them. Once you've had a little, you start shaking if you don't get more. ❜ ❨67❩ ❛ Why is it always such a surprise? The moon. Even though we know it's coming. Every time we see it, it makes us pause, and hush. ❜ ❨68❩ ❛ Perfection exacts a price, but it's the imperfect who pay it. ❜ ❨69❩ ❛ What is 'belief' but a willingness to suspend the negatives?  ❜ ❨70❩ ❛ I have scars, inside me. ❜ ❨71❩ ❛ The dead are not entirely dead but are alive in a different way; a paler way admittedly, and somewhat darker. ❜ ❨72❩ ❛ However dark, a darkness with voices in it is better than a silent void. ❜ ❨73❩ ❛ Amazing how quickly the past becomes idyllic. ❜ ❨74❩ ❛ It is another way of saying tough luck. To people you aren’t going to help out. ❜ ❨75❩ ❛ I'm waiting, far off in the future. ❜ ❨76❩ ❛ The only sure camouflage is unpredictability. ❜ ❨77❩ ❛ There are so many of them, and each one of them is doing part of the killing, whether they know it or not. ❜ ❨78❩ ❛ First rule: limit bloodshed by making sure that none of your own gets spilled. ❜ ❨79❩ ❛ I long to swim in liquid moonlight. ❜ ❨80❩ ❛ That's right, I don’t like to be summoned on trivial matters. ❜ ❨81❩ ❛ The part that really made me happy was that you wanted me to be happy. ❜ ❨82❩ ❛ Cut that part out of us: the grinning, elemental malice. Begin us anew. ❜ ❨83❩ ❛ Where there are wars, there will be crows, the carrion-fanciers. And ravens too, the warbirds, the eyeball gourmands. And vultures, the holy birds of yore, old connoisseurs of rot. ❜ ❨84❩ ❛ At last. It's you. ❜ ❨85❩ ❛ No, you will not be cooked on a fire when you die. Because you are not a fish. ❜ ❨86❩ ❛ Take what the moment offers. Don’t close doors. Be thankful. ❜ ❨87❩ ❛ How many others have stood in this place? Left behind, with all gone, all swept away. ❜ ❨88❩ ❛ Is it disapproval or extreme lust? With some men it’s hard to tell the difference. ❜ ❨89❩ ❛ My hair was driving me crazy, but then … I died. ❜ ❨90❩ ❛ Seek and ye shall find, eventually. And you found. You’re right, I don’t dispute that. Sorry. ❜ ❨91❩ ❛ Everything digests, and is digested. ❜ ❨92❩ ❛ My head was once a filing cabinet. Now it’s a flurry of papers, floating on a draft. ❜ ❨93❩ ❛ You cannot keep bumping your head against reality and saying it is not there. ❜ ❨94❩ ❛ I have a feeling that inside you somewhere, there’s something nobody knows about. ❜ ❨95❩ ❛ And if I don’t want to die, I’ve got to start living. ❜ ❨96❩ ❛ The world is a beautiful place. Don’t forget that. And don’t miss it. ❜ ❨97❩ ❛ I was fighting for my life. So I must not want to die. ❜ ❨98❩ ❛ Something’s happening to me, through me, something dangerous and new. ❜ ❨99❩ ❛ It’s taken root, a poison tree; it’s grown, fanning out, vines winding round my gut, my lungs, my heart. ❜ ❨100❩ ❛ We’re interpreters. We’re translators. ❜ ❨101❩ ❛ You’ll notice I’m not asking what made you this way. ❜ ❨102❩ ❛ No family, happy or unhappy, is quite like any other. Tolstoy was chock-fullo’shit. Remember that. ❜ ❨103❩ ❛ We lived in monochrome those nights. ❜ ❨104❩ ❛ You live in a dream. You’re a sleepwalker, blind. How do you know what the world is like? ❜ ❨105❩ ❛ Do you know, if you rip off the fronts of houses, you’d find swine? ❜ ❨106❩ ❛ I stand here in the dark: cold, utterly alone, full of fear and something that feels like longing. ❜ ❨107❩ ❛ The definition of insanity is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results. ❜ ❨108❩ ❛ Not to warm the flesh, but solely to please the eye. ❜ ❨109❩ ❛ Selective emotional detachment. ❜ ❨110❩ ❛ Not for me, or at least not today. ❜ ❨111❩ ❛ Dead but not gone, watching life surge forward around me, powerless to intervene. ❜ ❨112❩ ❛ Do I sound like a hillbilly saying that? ❜ ❨113❩ ❛ Remember, you’ve got your secret weapon. ❜ ❨114❩ ❛ The dream drains away like water. The memory, really. I try to scoop it up in my palms, but it’s gone. ❜ ❨115❩ ❛ My shadow stretches along the carpet, as though trying to detach itself from me. ❜ ❨116❩ ❛ It curls away from me, like blood in water. ❜ ❨117❩ ❛ It’s been so long since I felt the rain. Or wind—the caress of wind. ❜ ❨118❩ ❛ But snow I never want to feel again. ❜ ❨119❩ ❛ Through adversity to the stars. ❜ ❨120❩ ❛ No hero. No sleuth. I am locked in. I am locked out. ❜ ❨121❩ ❛ Thinking hasn't gotten me anywhere so far. ❜ ❨122❩ ❛ The face you give the world tells the world how to treat you. ❜ ❨123❩ ❛ Sometimes I think illness sits inside every woman, waiting for the right moment to bloom. ❜ ❨124❩ ❛ Women get consumed. ❜ ❨125❩ ❛ Sometimes if you let people do things to you, you're really doing it to them. ❜ ❨126❩ ❛ A child weaned on poison considers harm a comfort. ❜ ❨127❩ ❛ Safer to be feared than loved. ❜ ❨128❩ ❛ I ached once, hard, like a period typed at the end of a sentence. ❜ ❨129❩ ❛ It's impossible to compete with the dead. I wish I could stop trying. ❜ ❨130❩ ❛ I always feel sad for the girl that I was. ❜ ❨131❩ ❛ Every time people said I was pretty, I thought of everything ugly swarming beneath my clothes. ❜ ❨132❩ ❛ How do you keep safe when your whole day is as wide and empty as the sky? Anything could happen. ❜ ❨133❩ ❛ See, there I am. I told you I lived. I told you I was. ❜ ❨134❩ ❛ Sometimes I think I won't ever feel safe until I can count my last days on one hand. ❜ ❨135❩ ❛ To refuse has so many more consequences than submitting. ❜ ❨136❩ ❛ I'm here. I don't usually feel that I am. ❜ ❨137❩ ❛ I'm tired of dying. ❜ ❨138❩ ❛ What if you hurt because it feels so good? ❜ ❨139❩ ❛ How confusing to live in the shadow of a shadow. ❜ ❨140❩ ❛ Do you ever feel like bad things are going to happen, and you can’t stop them? You can’t do anything, you just have to wait? ❜ ❨141❩ ❛ Sometimes my scars have a mind of their own. ❜ ❨142❩ ❛ Everyone has their own version of a memory. ❜ ❨143❩ ❛ Isn’t a smile a girl’s best weapon? ❜ ❨144❩ ❛ My sense of weightlessness, I think, comes from the fact that I know so little about my past. ❜ ❨145❩ ❛ Do what I want; I might like you. ❜ ❨146❩ ❛ I feel sorry for Persephone because even when she’s back with the living, people are afraid of her because of where’s she’s been. ❜ ❨147❩ ❛ She has never told me she loved me, and I never assumed she did. ❜ ❨148❩ ❛ The sight of it actually does something to you, makes you less human. ❜ ❨149❩ ❛ It infects you. It ruined me. ❜ ❨150❩ ❛ Your health is not a debt you just cancel. The body collects. ❜ ❨151❩ ❛ Men love to put things inside women, don’t they? ❜ ❨152❩ ❛ We can know only that we know nothing. And that is the highest degree of human wisdom. ❜ ❨153❩ ❛ Nothing is so necessary for a young man as the company of intelligent women. ❜ ❨154❩ ❛ The strongest of all warriors are these two — time and patience. ❜ ❨155❩ ❛ If everyone fought for their own convictions there would be no war. ❜ ❨156❩ ❛ There is no greatness where there is not simplicity, goodness, and truth. ❜ ❨157❩ ❛ The whole world is divided for me into two parts: one is she, and there is all happiness, hope, light; the other is where she is not, and there is dejection and darkness. ❜ ❨158❩ ❛ Let the dead bury the dead, but while I'm alive, I must live and be happy. ❜ ❨159❩ ❛ It's not given to people to judge what's right or wrong. People have eternally been mistaken and will be mistaken, and in nothing more than in what they consider right and wrong. ❜ ❨160❩ ❛ You can love a person dear to you with a human love, but an enemy can only be loved with divine love. ❜ ❨161❩ ❛ If we admit that human life can be ruled by reason, then all possibility of life is destroyed. ❜ ❨162❩ ❛ We are asleep until we fall in love! ❜ ❨163❩ ❛ I simply want to live; to cause no evil to anyone but myself. ❜ ❨164❩ ❛ Everything I know, I know because of love. ❜ ❨165❩ ❛ Man cannot possess anything as long as he fears death. But to him who does not fear it, everything belongs. ❜ ❨166❩ ❛ If there was no suffering, man would not know his limits, would not know himself. ❜ ❨167❩ ❛ Yes, love, but not the love that loves for something, to gain something, or because of something, but that love that I felt for the first time, when dying, I saw my enemy and yet loved him. ❜ ❨168❩ ❛ How can one be well...when one suffers morally? ❜ ❨169❩ ❛ Kings are the slaves of history. ❜ ❨170❩ ❛ God is the same everywhere. ❜ ❨171❩ ❛ Pure and complete sorrow is as impossible as pure and complete joy. ❜ ❨172❩ ❛ One must be cunning and wicked in this world. ❜ ❨173❩ ❛ We love people not so much for the good they've done us, as for the good we've done them. ❜ ❨174❩ ❛ When one's head is gone one doesn't weep over one's hair! ❜ ❨175❩ ❛ For what, for whom, must I kill and be killed? ❜ ❨176❩ ❛ He did what heroes do after their work is accomplished; he died. ❜ ❨177❩ ❛ Life is too long to say anything definitely; always say perhaps. ❜ ❨178❩ ❛ Everything ends in death, everything. Death is terrible. ❜ ❨179❩ ❛ The distant and impossible suddenly became near, possible, and inevitable. ❜ ❨180❩ ❛ How often we sin, how much we deceive, and all for what? ❜ ❨181❩ ❛ The wolves should be fed and the sheep kept safe. ❜ ❨182❩ ❛ When I was a child, adults would tell me not to make things up, warning me of what would happen if I did. ❜ ❨183❩ ❛ My memory is a patchwork of occurrences, of discontinuous events roughly sewn together: the parts I remember, I remember precisely, whilst other sections seem to have vanished completely. ❜ ❨184❩ ❛ Would it be worse to love someone who is no longer there, or not to love someone who is? ❜ ❨185❩ ❛ Like mirrors stories prepare us for the day to come. They distract us from the things in darkness. ❜ ❨186❩ ❛ It is not that I was credulous, simply that I believed in all things dark and dangerous. ❜ ❨187❩ ❛ Sometimes you do things you regret, but there's nothing you can do about them. Times change. Doors close behind you. You move on. ❜ ❨188❩ ❛ Love will be an impulse that will inspire and ruin in equal measure. ❜ ❨189❩ ❛ He died alone. It don't matter a rat's ass whether there was anyone with him or not. He died alone. ❜ ❨190❩ ❛ It was love, I knew, and it tasted like champagne in my mind. ❜ ❨191❩ ❛ The end of the world is a strange concept. The world is always ending, and the end is always being averted, by love or foolishness or just plain old dumb luck. ❜ ❨192❩ ❛ She was my dream; and if you touch a dream it vanishes, like a soap bubble. ❜ ❨193❩ ❛ Daylight is always safe. ❜ ❨194❩ ❛ If not for death, they'd be content to simply exist, but with death, well, their lives will have meaning. ❜ ❨195❩ ❛ You want to know the future, love? Then wait. ❜ ❨196❩ ❛ There are things in the darkness beneath us that wish us harm. ❜ ❨197��� ❛ Fairy tales are more than true. Not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be defeated ❜ ❨198❩ ❛ But sometimes you leave blood on your instruments. ❜ ❨199❩ ❛ I'd like to be a wolf. Not all the time. Just sometimes. In the dark. I would run through the forests. ❜ ❨200❩ ❛ You've seen them. They have mouths that twitch, and eyes that stare, and they babble and they mewl and they whimper. ❜ ❨201❩ ❛ They are not mad, or rather, the loss of their sanity is the lesser of their problems. ❜ ❨202❩ ❛ Good a reason for writing as I know: releasing demons, letting them fly. ❜ ❨203❩ ❛ That miserable state in which everything seems flat and of equal importance; when nothing matters, and in which reality seems scraped thin and threadbare. ❜ ❨204❩ ❛ Someone had scrawled graffiti in black marker on the metal: JUST DIE, it said. Like it is easy. ❜ ❨205❩ ❛ Winter started today. The sky turned grey and the snow began to fall and it did not stop falling until well after dark. ❜ ❨206❩ ❛ Memory is the great deceiver. ❜ ❨207❩ ❛ Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way. ❜ ❨208❩ ❛ I may have lost my heart, but not my self-control.  ❜ ❨209❩ ❛ If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more. ❜ ❨210❩ ❛ I always deserve the best treatment because I never put up with any other. ❜ ❨211❩ ❛ But you know what I am. You hear nothing but truth from me. ❜ ❨212❩ ❛ I have blamed you, and lectured you, and you have borne it as no other would have borne it. ❜ ❨213❩ ❛ There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves. ❜ ❨214❩ ❛ One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other. ❜ ❨215❩ ❛ Better be without sense than misapply it as you do. ❜ ❨216❩ ❛ You must be the best judge of your own happiness. ❜ ❨217❩ ❛ Were I to fall in love, indeed, it would be a different thing ; but I have never been in love ; it is not my way, or my nature ; and I do not think I ever shall. ❜ ❨218❩ ❛ Indeed, I am very sorry to be right in this instance. I would much rather have been merry than wise. ❜ ❨219❩ ❛ If I have not spoken, it is because I am afraid I will awaken myself from this dream. ❜ ❨220❩ ❛ If a woman doubts as to whether she should accept a man or not, she certainly ought to refuse him. ❜ ❨221❩ ❛ Faultless in spite of all her faults. ❜ ❨222❩ ❛ A heroine whom no one but myself will much like. ❜ ❨223❩ ❛ There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart. ❜ ❨224❩ ❛ Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, and waste its fragrance on the desert air. ❜ ❨225❩ ❛ I pity you. I thought you cleverer. ❜ ❨226❩ ❛ Evil to some is always good to others. ❜ ❨227❩ ❛ I certainly will not persuade myself to feel more than I do. ❜ ❨228❩ ❛ She is loveliness itself. ❜ ❨229❩ ❛ Time does not compose me. ❜ ❨230❩ ❛ A man always imagines a woman to be ready for anybody who asks her. ❜ ❨231❩ ❛ I do not find myself making any use of the word sacrifice. ❜ ❨232❩ ❛ I am quite enough in love. I should be sorry to be any more. ❜ ❨233❩ ❛ I must tell you what you will not ask, though I may wish it unsaid the next moment. ❜ ❨234❩ ❛ I examined my own heart. And there you were. Never, I fear, to be removed. ❜ ❨235❩ ❛ With all your little faults, you are an excellent creature. ❜ ❨236❩ ❛ You have another long walk before you. ❜ ❨237❩ ❛ The child's laughter is pure until he first laughs at a clown. ❜ ❨238❩ ❛ What is marriage but prostitution to one man instead of many? ❜ ❨239❩ ❛ Out of the frying pan into the fire! ❜ ❨240❩ ❛ We must all make do with the rags of love we find flapping on the scarecrow of humanity. ❜ ❨241❩ ❛ She sleeps. And now she wakes each day a little less. ❜ ❨242❩ ❛ And, oh, God . . . how frequently I weep! ❜ ❨243❩ ❛ From the coffin of your madness there is no escape. ❜ ❨244❩ ❛ I am feeling supernatural tonight. I want to eat diamonds. ❜ ❨245❩ ❛ All the same there is a chance that if we keep on shaking our chains, one day, some day, the clasps upon the shackles will part. ❜ ❨246❩ ❛ It was sad music fit to make you cut your throat. ❜ ❨247❩ ❛ Nothing is more boring than being forced to play. ❜ ❨248❩ ❛ Amongst the monsters, I am well hidden; who looks for a leaf in a forest? ❜ ❨249❩ ❛ Wherein does a woman’s honour reside? In her vagina or in her spirit? ❜ ❨250❩ ❛ Perhaps...I could not be content with mere contentment! ❜ ❨251❩ ❛ Have you ever stared stark failure in the face? The trick is to outstare it. ❜ ❨252❩ ❛ Sometimes it seems that the faces exist of themselves, in a disembodied somewhere, waiting for the one who will wear them, who will bring them to life. ❜ ❨253❩ ❛ I have the febrile gaiety of a being without a past, without a present, yet I exist. ❜ ❨254❩ ❛ I felt myself turning, willy-nilly, from a woman into an idea. ❜ ❨255❩ ❛ She looks wonderful, but she doesn't look right. ❜ ❨256❩ ❛ The one-eyed man will be King in the country of the blind. ❜ ❨257❩ ❛ I raised you up to fly to the heavens, not to brood over a clutch of eggs! ❜ ❨258❩ ❛ I love to hear my bones rattle. That’s how I know I’m alive. ❜ ❨259❩ ❛ I learnt, first, as the birds do, from the birds. ❜ ❨260❩ ❛ Inside and outside match exactly, but both are badly wrong. ❜ ❨261❩ ❛ During the less-than-blink of time it took the last chime to die, there came a vertiginous sensation. ❜ ❨262❩ ❛ I fear a wound not of the body but the soul, an irreconcilable division between myself and the rest of humankind. ❜ ❨263❩ ❛ I fear the proof of my own singularity. ❜ ❨264❩ ❛ Still nothing could calm the fearful storm in my erupting skin. ❜ ❨265❩ ❛ Petersburg, loveliest of all hallucinations. ❜ ❨266❩ ❛ A breathless second between black forest and the frozen sea. ❜ ❨267❩ ❛ I'm beginning to feel totally cut off from the world. ❜ ❨268❩ ❛ What does this all mean? Where are we? ❜ ❨269❩ ❛ Sometimes I bleed. ❜ ❨270❩ ❛ If you see a ghost, you say "hello". ❜ ❨271❩ ❛ The war is not over. ❜ ❨272❩ ❛ You're not going. You left us once already. ❜ ❨273❩ ❛ You can’t go! ❜ ❨274❩ ❛ I loved you, but that wasn't enough, was it? ❜ ❨275❩ ❛ If you're dead, then leave me in peace. ❜ ❨276❩ ❛ The only thing that moves here is the light, but it changes everything. ❜ ❨277❩ ❛ I won't ask for forgiveness for something I didn't do! ❜ ❨278❩ ❛ Sometimes the world of the living gets mixed up with the world of the dead. ❜ ❨279❩ ❛ Death of a loved one can lead people to do the strangest things. ❜ ❨280❩ ❛ Sooner or later, they will find you. ❜ ❨281❩ ❛ They're everywhere - they say this house is theirs. ❜ ❨282❩ ❛ You're always teasing me, and telling lies. I'm sick of it. ❜ ❨283❩ ❛ Others will come. Sometimes we'll sense them. Other times, we won't. ❜ ❨284❩ ❛ No crying now. No crying. Stop that. Here. Look what an awful face you've got when you cry. ❜ ❨285❩ ❛ You listen to me. I've seen them too. ❜ ❨286❩ ❛ You'll see. There are going to be some big surprises. There are going to be... changes. ❜ ❨287❩ ❛ Why did you go and fight that stupid war that had nothing to do with us? Why didn't you stay like the others did? ❜ ❨288❩ ❛ Your place was here with your family. ❜ ❨289❩ ❛ So you say you know this house well? ❜ ❨290❩ ❛ I wasn't expecting you so soon. ❜ ❨291❩ ❛ What's the matter? Has the cat got your tongue? ❜ ❨292❩ ❛ You mean they just vanished? Into thin air? ❜ ❨293❩ ❛ No door must be opened without the previous one being closed first. ❜ ❨294❩ ❛ Here, most of the time, you can hardly see your way. ❜ ❨295❩ ❛ Whatever you do, don't open the curtains. ❜ ❨296❩ ❛ Now, come on. Eyes closed. ❜ ❨297❩ ❛ We start off with high hopes, then we bottle it. We realise that we’re all going to die, without really finding out the big answers. ❜ ❨298❩ ❛ By definition, you have to live until you die. Better to make that life as complete and enjoyable an experience as possible, in case death is shite, which I suspect it will be. ❜ ❨299❩ ❛ I chose not to choose life. I chose somethin’ else. ❜ ❨300❩ ❛ And the reasons? There are no reasons. ❜ ❨301❩ ❛ Love does not exist, it's like religion, made to control you. ❜ ❨302❩ ❛ After all, we're not fucking stupid. At least, we're not that fucking stupid. ❜ ❨303❩ ❛ You fucking knew that fucking cunt would fuck some cunt. ❜ ❨304❩ ❛ Everything in the street today seems soft focus. ❜ ❨305❩ ❛ What does that make us? The lowest of the low. ❜ ❨306❩ ❛ Take your best orgasm, multiply the feeling by twenty, and you're still fuckin’ miles off the pace. ❜ ❨307❩ ❛ It’s as if everything is a copy of what you knew before, similar, yet somehow lacking in its usual qualities, a bit like the way things are in a dream. ❜ ❨308❩ ❛ It’s all okay, it’s all beautiful; but I fear that this internal sea is going to subside soon, leaving this poisonous shite washed up, stranded up in my body. ❜ ❨309❩ ❛ It cuts me up. It confuses me. ❜ ❨310❩ ❛ It's not funny laughter. This is lynch mob laughter. ❜ ❨311❩ ❛ Protect me from those who wish to help us. ❜ ❨312❩ ❛ They mean well, and they mean well to me, but there's no way under the sun that they can appreciate what I feel, what I need. ❜ ❨313❩ ❛ The pit of melancholy is a bottomless one, and I am descending fast. ❜ ❨314❩ ❛ Living like this is a full-time business. ❜ ❨315❩ ❛ I’ll stand or fall alone. ❜ ❨316❩ ❛ We are no wiser now than at the start. ❜ ❨317❩ ❛ This is pathetic, and fucking boring. ❜ ❨318❩ ❛ Death is usually a process, rather than an event. ❜ ❨319❩ ❛ We're ruled by effete arseholes. What does that make us? ❜ ❨320❩ ❛ We are all acquaintances now. ❜ ❨321❩ ❛ The problem is that this beautiful ocean carries with it loads of poisonous flotsam and jetsam. ❜ ❨322❩ ❛ Life is beautiful. I'm going to enjoy it, and I'm going to have a long life. ❜ ❨323❩ ❛ The grim reality of impending death can be talked away by trying to invest in the present reality of life. ❜ ❨324❩ ❛ There must be more to life than this. ❜ ❨325❩ ❛ We all see what we want to see. ❜ ❨326❩ ❛ Statistically speaking, you're more likely to be killed by a member of your own family or a close friend, than by anyone else. ❜ ❨327❩ ❛ What am I living for and what am I dying for are the same question. ❜ ❨328❩ ❛ Maybe that's what love is: it's being pissed off. ❜ ❨329❩ ❛ You can forget who you are if you're alone too much. ❜ ❨330❩ ❛ Any religion is a shadow of God. But the shadows of God are not God. ❜ ❨331❩ ❛ Human understanding is fallible, and we see through a glass, darkly.  ❜ ❨332❩ ❛ We must be a beacon of hope, because if you tell people there's nothing they can do, they will do worse than nothing. ❜ ❨333❩ ❛ Everyone wants to feel like a princess, and princesses are selfish and overbearing. ❜ ❨334❩ ❛ We shouldn't have been so scornful; we should have had compassion. But compassion takes work, and we were young. ❜ ❨335❩ ❛ How easy it is, treachery. You just slide into it. ❜ ❨336❩ ❛ Amazing how the heart clutches at anything familiar, whimpering: Mine! Mine! ❜ ❨337❩ ❛ All creatures know that some must die ; that all the rest may take and eat. ❜ ❨338❩ ❛ Is this the image of a god? My tooth for yours, your eye for mine? ❜ ❨339❩ ❛ Without the light, no chance; without the dark, no dance. ❜ ❨340❩ ❛ Why are we designed to see the world as supremely beautiful just as we're about to be snuffed? Do rabbits feel the same as the fox teeth bite down on their necks? Is it mercy? ❜ ❨341❩ ❛ Love is useless, it leads you into dumb exchanges in which you give too much away, and then you get bitter and mean. ❜ ❨342❩ ❛ Maybe sadness is a kind of hunger. Maybe the two go together. ❜ ❨343❩ ❛ Now I can see how that can happen. You can fall in love with anybody -- a fool, a criminal, a nothing. There are no good rules. ❜ ❨344❩ ❛ If you really want to stay the same age you are now forever and ever, try jumping off the roof: death's a sure-fire method for stopping time. ❜ ❨345❩ ❛ You couldn’t leave words lying around where our enemies might find them. ❜ ❨346❩ ❛ I'm fine, for the moment. And the moment is the only time we can be fine in. ❜ ❨347❩ ❛ Because if you can't wish, why bother? ❜ ❨348❩ ❛ It's better to hope than mope! ❜ ❨349❩ ❛ Reality has too much darkness in it. Too many crows. ❜ ❨350❩ ❛ In any case, time is not a thing that passes, it’s a sea on which you float. ❜ ❨351❩ ❛ I know I’m deceiving myself, but I prefer to deceive myself. I desperately need to believe such pure joy is still possible. ❜ ❨352❩ ❛ Too much God and you overdose. God needs to be filtered. ❜ ❨353❩ ❛ Behind my eyelids I saw an animal. It was golden colour, with gentle green eyes and canine teeth, and curly wool instead of fur. It opened its mouth, but it did not speak. Instead, it yawned. ❜ ❨354❩ ❛ ‘Why can't I believe?’ I asked the darkness. ❜ ❨355❩ ❛ Everyone’s too sad for everything. ❜ ❨356❩ ❛ If you can’t stop the waves, go sailing. ❜ ❨357❩ ❛ I would like to be the air that inhabits you for a moment only. I would like to be that unnoticed and that necessary. ❜ ❨358❩ ❛ Men are afraid that women will laugh at them. Women are afraid that men will kill them. ❜ ❨359❩ ❛ In the end, we'll all become stories. ❜ ❨360❩ ❛ I am inadequate and stupid, without worth. I might as well be dead. ❜ ❨361❩ ❛ If you knew what was going to happen, if you knew everything that was going to happen next—if you knew in advance the consequences of your own actions—you'd be doomed. You'd be ruined as God. ❜ ❨362❩ ❛ If you can't go through an obstacle, go around it. ❜ ❨363❩ ❛ Stupidity is the same as evil if you judge by the results. ❜ ❨364❩ ❛ Time in dreams is frozen. You can never get away from where you've been. ❜ ❨365❩ ❛ Male fantasies, male fantasies, is everything run by male fantasies? ❜ ❨366❩ ❛ We still think of a powerful man as a born leader and a powerful woman as an anomaly. ❜ ❨367❩ ❛ If I love you, is that a fact or a weapon? ❜ ❨368❩ ❛ You fit into me like a hook into an eye. ❜ ❨369❩ ❛ Knowing too much about other people puts you in their power, they have a claim on you, you are forced to understand their reasons for doing things and then you are weakened. ❜ ❨370❩ ❛ Farewells can be shattering, but returns are surely worse. ❜ ❨371❩ ❛ Women have curious ways of hurting someone else. ❜ ❨372❩ ❛ This is the one song everyone would like to learn: the song that is irresistible: the song that forces men to leap overboard in squadrons. ❜ ❨373❩ ❛ Get rid of death. Make it be spring. ❜ ❨374❩ ❛ You are innocent as a bathtub full of bullets. ❜ ❨375❩ ❛ I am the space you desecrate as you pass through. ❜ ❨376❩ ❛ Favour me and give me riches, destroy my enemies. Save me from death. ❜ ❨377❩ ❛ She is a raw voice loose in the rooms beneath me. ❜ ❨378❩ ❛ Isn't the moon warm enough for you, why do you need the blanket of another body? ❜ ❨379❩ ❛ This is a torch song. Touch me and you'll burn. ❜ ❨380❩ ❛ If you look long enough eventually you will see me. ❜ ❨381❩ ❛ I would like to sleep with you, to enter your sleep as its smooth dark wave slides over my head. ❜ ❨382❩ ❛ I would like to give you the silver branch, the small white flower, the one word that will protect you from the grief. ❜ ❨383❩ ❛ But some people can't tell where it hurts. They can't calm down. They can't ever stop howling. ❜ ❨384❩ ❛ How else can we live, these days, except in the midst of ruin? ❜ ❨385❩ ❛ What am I living for and what am I dying for are the same question. ❜ ❨386❩ ❛ Gods always come in handy, they justify almost anything. ❜ ❨387❩ ❛ We loved with a love that was more than love. ❜ ❨388❩ ❛ Deep into that darkness peering, long I stood there, wondering, fearing, doubting, dreaming dreams no mortal ever dared to dream before. ❜ ❨389❩ ❛ The boundaries which divide life from death are at best shadowy and vague. Who shall say where the one ends, and where the other begins? ❜ ❨390❩ ❛ There is no exquisite beauty without some strangeness in the proportion. ❜ ❨391❩ ❛ Never to suffer would never to have been blessed. ❜ ❨392❩ ❛ Believe only half of what you see and nothing that you hear. ❜ ❨393❩ ❛ And all I loved, I loved alone. ❜ ❨394❩ ❛ Years of love have been forgot, in the hatred of a minute. ❜ ❨395❩ ❛ The best things in life make you sweaty. ❜ ❨396❩ ❛ There are some secrets which do not permit themselves to be told. ❜ ❨397❩ ❛ Anything is better than this agony. ❜ ❨398❩ ❛ You fancy me mad. ❜ ❨399❩ ❛ I hear all things in the heaven and in the earth. ❜ ❨400❩ ❛ Who dares insult us with this blasphemous mockery? ❜ ❨401❩ ❛ Leave my loneliness unbroken! ❜ ❨402❩ ❛ A more than fiendish malevolence, gin-nurtured, thrills every fibre of my frame. ❜ ❨403❩ ❛ The fury of a demon instantly possessed me. I knew myself no longer. ❜ ❨404❩ ❛ Let my heart be still a moment. ❜ ❨405❩ ❛ You call it hope —  It is but agony of desire. ❜ ❨406❩ ❛ Who has not, a hundred times, found himself committing a vile or silly action for no other reason than because he knows he should not? ❜ ❨407❩ ❛ To die laughing must be the most glorious of all glorious deaths! ❜ ❨408❩ ❛ The beating of a drum stimulates the soldier into courage. ❜ ❨409❩ ❛ Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practise to deceive. ❜ ❨410❩ ❛ I have been happy, though in a dream. ❜ ❨411❩ ❛ Nevermore. ❜ ❨412❩ ❛ The truth is, I am heartily sick of this life. ❜ ❨413❩ ❛ I am convinced that every thing is going wrong. ❜ ❨414❩ ❛ The scariest monsters are the ones that lurk within our souls. ❜ ❨415❩ ❛ And if I died, at least I will have died for you! ❜ ❨416❩ ❛ It is impossible to say how first the idea entered my brain; but once conceived, it haunted me day and night. ❜ ❨417❩ ❛ Hurt and humiliation — But this, I can not take. ❜ ❨418❩ ❛ The walls in there have ears. ❜ ❨419❩ ❛ This is for your ears only. ❜ ❨420❩ ❛ What is it? You have me scared. ❜ ❨421❩ ❛ Whoever isn’t for us, is against us. ❜ ❨422❩ ❛ You are just a body; to be dumped, disposed of like a carcass, left out for the birds to feed on. ❜ ❨423❩ ❛ The dead will have to forgive me. ❜ ❨424❩ ❛ From now on and no matter how your mind may I change, I will not accept your help. ❜ ❨425❩ ❛ If death comes, so be it. There will be glory in it. ❜ ❨426❩ ❛ Live, then; and live with your choice. ❜ ❨427❩ ❛ I am doing what has to be done. ❜ ❨428❩ ❛ Nothing is going to stop the ones that love you from keeping on loving you. ❜ ❨429❩ ❛ Worst is the man who has all the good advice, and then because his nerve fails, fails to act in accordance with it, as a leader should. ❜ ❨430❩ ❛ Only a loony would walk himself into this. ❜ ❨431❩ ❛ Why do you need such fences and defences? ❜ ❨432❩ ❛ Enough. Do not anger me. ❜ ❨433❩ ❛ The gods, you think, will side with the likes of him? ❜ ❨434❩ ❛ Watch it. You are over stepping. ❜ ❨435❩ ❛ I warn you. You should keep a civil tongue. ❜ ❨436❩ ❛ There is no such thing as an oath the can not be broken. ❜ ❨437❩ ❛ Every now and then, the things you’d hardly let yourself imagine, actually happen. ❜ ❨438❩ ❛ And you stand over this? This is the truth? ❜ ❨439❩ ❛ The bigger the resistance, the bigger the collapse. ❜ ❨440❩ ❛ Iron that’s forged the hardest, snaps the quickest. ❜ ❨441❩ ❛ Even the wildest horses come to heel when they are reined & bitted right. ❜ ❨442❩ ❛ That’s how guilt affects some people. They break and everything comes out. ❜ ❨443❩ ❛ Will it be enough for you? To see me executed? ❜ ❨444❩ ❛ So you know something no one else knows? ❜ ❨445❩ ❛ They know it too. They are just too afraid to say it. ❜ ❨446❩ ❛ If you die, how will I keep on living? ❜ ❨447❩ ❛ There was a star riding through clouds one night, & I said to the star, 'Consume me'. ❜ ❨448❩ ❛ How much better to sit by myself like the solitary sea-bird that opens its wings on the stake. ❜ ❨449❩ ❛ Alone, I often fall down into nothingness. I have to bang my head against some hard door to call myself back to the body. ❜ ❨450❩ ❛ I am made and remade continually. Different people draw different words from me. ❜ ❨451❩ ❛ For this moment, this one moment, we are together.  ❜ ❨452❩ ❛ Come, pain, feed on me. Bury your fangs in my flesh. Tear me asunder. ❜ ❨453❩ ❛ I am as neat as a cat in my habits. ❜ ❨454❩ ❛ Everything falls in a tremendous shower, dissolving me. ❜ ❨455❩ ❛ I am the foam that sweeps and fills the uttermost rims of the rocks with whiteness; I am also a girl, here in this room. ❜ ❨456❩ ❛ We are cut, we are fallen. We are become part of that unfeeling universe ❨457❩ that sleeps when we are at our quickest and burns red when we lie ❨458❩ asleep. ❜ ❨459❩ ❛ These moments of escape are not to be despised. They come too seldom. ❜ ❨460❩ ❛ Up here my eyes are green leaves, unseeing. ❜ ❨461❩ ❛ The moment is all; the moment is enough. ❜ ❨462❩ ❛ I do not want to be admired. I want to give, to be given. ❜ ❨463❩ ❛ I am not one and simple, but complex and many. ❜ ❨464❩ ❛ And if you are dead, I shall weep. ❜ ❨465❩ ❛ But beauty must be broken daily to remain beautiful. ❜ ❨466❩ ❛ But our hatred is almost indistinguishable from our love. ❜ ❨467❩ ❛ I desired always to stretch the night and fill it fuller and fuller with dreams. ❜ ❨468❩ ❛ Life is a dream surely. ❜ ❨469❩ ❛ I think sometimes I am not a woman, but the light that falls on this gate, on this ground. I am the seasons, I think sometimes, January, May, November; the mud, the mist, the dawn. ❜ ❨470❩ ❛ Oh, I am in love with life! ❜ ❨471❩ ❛ I have been knotted; I have been torn apart. ❜ ❨472❩ ❛ There was no freedom in life, and certainly there was none in death. ❜ ❨473❩ ❛ I do not know. I do not know myself sometimes, or how to measure and name and count out the grains that make me what I am. ❜ ❨474❩ ❛ I ride rough waters, and shall sink with no one to save me. ❜ ❨475❩ ❛ I am above the earth now. I am no longer upright, to be knocked against and damaged. ❜ ❨476❩ ❛ I see it all. I feel it all. ❜ ❨477❩ ❛ Death is woven in with the violets. Death and again death. ❜ ❨478❩ ❛ We have been walking for hours it seems. But where? I cannot remember. ❜ ❨479❩ ❛ If we were all on trial for our thoughts, we would all be hanged. ❜ ❨480❩ ❛ When you are in the middle of a story it isn't a story at all, but only a confusion; a dark roaring, a blindness, a wreckage of shattered glass. ❜ ❨481❩ ❛ Murderess is a strong word to have attached to you. It has a smell to it, that word; - musky and oppressive, like dead flowers in a vase.  ❜ ❨482❩ ❛ Sometimes at night I whisper it over to myself: Murderess, murderess. It rustles, like a taffeta skirt across the floor. ❜ ❨483❩ ❛ If the world treats you well, you come to believe you are deserving of it. ❜ ❨484❩ ❛ If I am good enough and quiet enough, perhaps after all they will let me go. ❜ ❨485❩ ❛ It’s not easy being quiet and good, it’s like hanging on to the edge of a bridge when you’ve already fallen over; you don’t seem to be moving, just dangling there, and yet it is taking all your strength. ❜ ❨486❩ ❛ There is no fool like an educated fool. ❜ ❨487❩ ❛ There are many dangerous things that may take place in a bed. ❜ ❨488❩ ❛ I am afraid of falling into hopeless despair, over my wasted life, and I am still not sure how it happened. ❜ ❨489❩ ❛ Underneath it all is another feeling, a feeling of being wide-eyed awake and watchful. ❜ ❨490❩ ❛ And underneath all that is another feeling still, a feeling like being torn open; not like a body of flesh, it is not painful as such, but like a peach; and not even torn open, but ripe and splitting open of its own accord.  ❜ ❨491❩ ❛ The small details of life often hide a great significance. ❜ ❨492❩ ❛ Guilt comes to you not from the things you've done, but from the things that others have done to you. ❜ ❨493❩ ❛ I wonder, how can I be all of these different things at once? ❜ ❨494❩ ❛ It is always a mistake to curse back openly at those who are stronger than you unless there is a fence between. ❜ ❨495❩ ❛ Some call this "Eve's curse," but I think that is stupid because the real curse of Eve was having to put up with the nonsense of Adam. ❜ ❨496❩ ❛ I don't know why they are all so eager to be remembered. What good will it do them? There are some things that should be forgotten by everyone, and never spoken of again. ❜ ❨497❩ ❛ I would never blame a human creature for feeling lonely. ❜ ❨498❩ ❛ If they want a monster so badly they ought to be provided by one. ❜ ❨499❩ ❛ It’s as if I never existed, because no trace of me remains, I have left no marks. And that way I cannot be followed. It is almost the same as being innocent. ❜ ❨500❩ ❛ Today you wear your habitual expression of strained anxiety; you smell of violets. ❜ ❨501❩ ❛ Of course you have always been an idealist, and filled with your optimistic dreams; but reality must at some time obtrude. ❜ ❨502❩ ❛ I wonder what would become of me, and comfort myself that in a hundred years I will be dead and at peace. ❜ ❨503❩ ❛ For it is not always the one that strikes the blow that is the actual murderer. ❜ ❨504❩ ❛ There is a “do this” or “do that” with God, but not any “because”. ❜ ❨505❩ ❛ If you have a need and they find it out, they will use it against you. The best way is to stop from wanting anything. ❜ ❨506❩ ❛ They say, why don’t you ever smile or laugh, we never see you smiling, and I say I suppose I have gotten out of the way of it, my face won’t bend in that direction any more. ❜ ❨507❩ ❛ I was shut up inside that doll of myself, and my true voice could not get out. ❜ ❨508❩ ❛ I see what you’re after. You are a collector. You think all you have to do is give me an apple, and then you can collect me. ❜ ❨509❩ ❛ If you want to be an asshole, it's a free country. Millions before you have made the same life choice. ❜ ❨510❩ ❛ Then there's the future. Sheer vertigo. ❜ ❨511❩ ❛ Nature is to zoos as God is to churches. ❜ ❨512❩ ❛ After everything that's happened, how can the world still be so beautiful? ❜ ❨513❩ ❛ There's something to be said for hunger: at least it lets you know you're still alive. ❜ ❨514❩ ❛ These things sneak up on me for no reason, these flashes of irrational happiness. It's probably a vitamin deficiency. ❜ ❨515❩ ❛ Toast cannot be explained by any rational means. Toast is me. I am toast. ❜ ❨516❩ ❛ You can’t buy it, but it has a price. Everything has a price. ❜ ❨517❩ ❛ As a species were doomed by hope, then? You could call it hope. That, or desperation. ❜ ❨518❩ ❛ I am not my childhood. ❜ ❨519❩ ❛ Human beings hope they can stick their souls into someone else and live on forever. ❜ ❨520❩ ❛ “I'll make you mine”, lovers said in old books. They never said, “I'll make you me.” ❜ ❨521❩ ❛ How much is too much, how far is too far? ❜ ❨522❩ ❛ Expectation isn't the same as desire. ❜ ❨523❩ ❛ Why not cut to the chase? ❜ ❨524❩ ❛ Maybe there aren't any solutions. Human society, corpses and rubble. ❜ ❨525❩ ❛ I thought you didn’t believe in God. ❜ ❨526❩ ❛ I need at least the illusion of being understood. ❜ ❨527❩ ❛ What change would have altered the course of events? In the big picture, nothing. In the small picture, so much. ❜ ❨528❩ ❛ You are only looking at the dirt under your feet. It's not good for you. ❜ ❨529❩ ❛ I like to keep only the bright side of myself turned towards you.  ❜ ❨530❩ ❛ Grief in the face of inevitable death. The wish to stop time. The human condition. ❜ ❨531❩ ❛ So many crucial events take place behind people’s backs, when they aren’t in a position to watch: birth and death, for instance. ❜ ❨532❩ ❛ Would you kill someone you loved to spare them pain? ❜ ❨533❩ ❛ When the water’s moving faster than the boat, you can’t control a thing. ❜ ❨534❩ ❛ Don't be so fucking sentimental. ❜ ❨535❩ ❛ Wrong, as usual. ❜ ❨536❩ ❛ Why do you want to talk about ugly things? ❜ ❨537❩ ❛ I understand why serial killers send helpful clues to the police. ❜ ❨538❩ ❛ Take your time, leave mine alone. ❜ ❨539❩ ❛ You will hear thunder and remember me. ❜ ❨540❩ ❛ If you were music, I would listen to you ceaselessly. ❜ ❨541❩ ❛ I seem to myself an accidental guest in this dreadful body. ❜ ❨542❩ ❛ Call me a sinner, mock me maliciously. ❜ ❨543❩ ❛ I, from the very beginning, seemed to myself like someone's dream or delirium. Or a reflection in someone else's mirror. Without flesh, without meaning, without a name. ❜ ❨544❩ ❛ I knew the list of crimes that I was destined to commit. ❜ ❨545❩ ❛ The future ripens in the past, so the past rots in the future. ❜ ❨546❩ ❛ You are untranslatable into any one tongue. ❜ ❨547❩ ❛ I was hoping my silence would fit yours. ❜ ❨548❩ ❛ See, we were never about butterflies. All about us is unearthly and radiant. ❜ ❨549❩ ❛ You do not know just what you've been forgiven. ❜ ❨550❩ ❛ I need to slaughter my memory.  ❜ ❨551❩ ❛ Forgive me that I appeared to you in waking dreams. ❜ ❨552❩ ❛ I will condemn, I will forget, I will give comfort to the enemy. ❜ ❨553❩ ❛ I know beginnings, I know endings too, and life-in-death. ❜ ❨554❩ ❛ Wild honey smells of freedom. But gold smells of nothing. ❜ ❨555❩ ❛ You are three times more beautiful than angels. ❜ ❨556❩ ❛ I will kill you without spilling your blood on the ground, not touching you with my hand, not giving you one glance. ❜ ❨557❩ ❛ You invented me. There is no such earthly being. ❜ ❨558❩ ❛ You’re late. Way too late. I’m glad to see you, nonetheless. ❜ ❨559❩ ❛ Forgive me that I felt forsaken. Forgive me that I kept mistaking too many others for you. ❜ ❨560❩ ❛ Real tenderness can’t be confused, it’s quiet and can’t be heard. ❜ ❨561❩ ❛ What else lived in that house besides us? ❜ ❨562❩ ❛ How unhappy we are together! ❜ ❨563❩ ❛ I defend not my voice, but my silence. ❜ ❨564❩ ❛ Without love, I'm more at ease, I'm sure. ❜ ❨565❩ ❛ I've got no more tears or explanations. ❜ ❨566❩ ❛ I’m not complaining. Happiness is not for me. ❜ ❨567❩ ❛ Are you not the only tie between good and evil, earthly pits and paradise? ❜ ❨568❩ ❛ In the morning we shall find out who has died in the night. ❜ ❨569❩ ❛ I was not a lovable child, and I've grown into a deeply unlovable adult. ❜ ❨570❩ ❛ The truly frightening flaw in humanity is our capacity for cruelty - we all have it. ❜ ❨571❩ ❛ I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ. Slit me at my belly and it might slide out, meaty and dark. ❜ ❨572❩ ❛ I am not angry or sad or happy to see you. I could not give a shit. You don't even ripple. ❜ ❨573❩ ❛ I was raised feral, and I mostly stayed that way. ❜ ❨574❩ ❛ I can feel a better version of me somewhere in there - hidden behind a liver or attached to a bit of spleen. But the meanness usually wins out. ❜ ❨575❩ ❛ I felt something loosen in me, that shouldn't have loosened. A stitch come undone. ❜ ❨576❩ ❛ Everyone who keeps a secret, itches to tell it. ❜ ❨577❩ ❛ Coffee goes great with sudden death. ❜ ❨578❩ ❛ I should just listen to my gut and then do the opposite. ❜ ❨579❩ ❛ “Smile, it can't be that bad!” Yeah, actually, it can, jackwad. ❜ ❨580❩ ❛ Everything bad in the world already did happen. ❜ ❨581❩ ❛ You’re going to find peace? Like knowing is somehow going to fix you? ❜ ❨582❩ ❛ Instead of asking yourself what happened, just accept that it happened. ❜ ❨583❩ ❛ Homesick for a place I've never been. ❜ ❨584❩ ❛ Worries find you easily enough without inviting them. ❜ ❨585❩ ❛ It is always consoling to think of suicide. It's what gets one through many a bad night. ❜ ❨586❩ ❛ Do you understand this is serious? ❜ ❨587❩ ❛ Sometimes it feels good to fuck with something. Instead of always being fucked with. ❜ ❨588❩ ❛ How could you kill something you cared enough to name? ❜ ❨589❩ ❛ Draw a picture of my soul, and it’d be a scribble with fangs. ❜ ❨590❩ ❛ We have the same chemicals in our blood: shame, anger, greed. Unjustified nostalgia. ❜ ❨591❩ ❛ I appreciate a straightforward apology the way a tone-deaf person enjoys a fine piece of music. ❜ ❨592❩ ❛ The phrase fuck you may not rest on the tip of my tongue, but it’s near. Midtongue. ❜ ❨593❩ ❛ Nothing to it but to do it. ❜ ❨594❩ ❛ There are a lot of people who deserve a lesson, deserve to really understand, that nothing comes easy, that most things are going to go sour. ❜ ❨595❩ ❛ If ifs and buts were candies and nuts we’d all have a very Merry Christmas. ❜ ❨596❩ ❛ Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. ❜ ❨597❩ ❛ What does it do to a girl who knows her mother is a murderer? ❜ ❨598❩ ❛ That mean old bitch across the street bit it. ❜ ❨599❩ ❛ Survival is a talent. ❜ ❨600❩ ❛ Crazy isn't being broken or swallowing a dark secret. It’s you or me amplified. If you ever told a lie and enjoyed it. If you ever wished you could be a child forever. ❜ ❨601❩ ❛ Who has the courage to burn themselves? ❜ ❨602❩ ❛ Is insanity just a matter of dropping the act? ❜ ❨603❩ ❛ Have you ever confused a dream with life? Or stolen something when you have the cash? Have you ever been blue? Or thought your train moving while sitting still? ❜ ❨604❩ ❛ You need to be well fed, clothed, and housed to have time for this much self-pity. ❜ ❨605❩ ❛ When I am supposed to be awake, I am asleep; when I am supposed to speak, I am silent. When a pleasure offers itself to me, I avoid it. ❜ ❨606❩ ❛ There is thought, and then there is thinking about thoughts, and they don't feel the same. ❜ ❨607❩ ❛ In a strange way we are free. We've reached the end of the line. We have nothing more to lose. ❜ ❨608❩ ❛ The world won’t stop because we aren’t in it anymore. ❜ ❨609❩ ❛ I can't answer the real question. All I can tell you is, it's easy. ❜ ❨610❩ ❛ I am lighter, airier than I’ve been in years. ❜ ❨611❩ ❛ I am not dead, yet something in me definitely is. ❜ ❨612❩ ❛ You meant that as an insult but I am taking it as a compliment. ❜ ❨613❩ ❛ What life can recover from that? ❜ ❨614❩ ❛ It's a fairly accurate portrait of me. It's accurate but it isn't profound. ❜ ❨615❩ ❛ Pull yourself together! There's nothing wrong with you. ❜ ❨616❩ ❛ It's quiet. It's like― I don't know. It's like falling off a cliff. ❜ ❨617❩ ❛ Once you start parsing a face, it's a peculiar item: squishy, pointy, with lots of air vents and wet spots. ❜ ❨618❩ ❛ I lost him. I did it on purpose. ❜ ❨619❩ ❛ It’s a mean world. There’s nobody to take care of you out there. ❜ ❨620❩ ❛ Reality is getting too dense. ❜ ❨621❩ ❛ I'm ambivalent. In fact that's my new favourite word. ❜ ❨622❩ ❛ I can't come up with reassuring answers to the terrible questions you raise. ❜ ❨623❩ ❛ A spring day, the sort that gives people hope: all soft winds and delicate smells of warm earth. Suicide weather. ❜ ❨624❩ ❛ Twenty-five chocolate chip cookies would be the perfect dinner. ❜ ❨625❩ ❛ A thought is a hard thing to control. ❜ ❨626❩ ❛ Life demands skills I don’t have. ❜ ❨627❩ ❛ Light like this does not exist, but we wish it did. We wish the sun could make us young and beautiful. Most of all, we wish that everyone we knew could be brightened simply by our looking at them. ❜ ❨628❩ ❛ It never stops, even at night, it’s my lullaby. ❜ ❨629❩ ❛ Love blurs your vision; but after it recedes, you can see more clearly than ever. ❜ ❨630❩ ❛ This is the kind of thing you see if you sit in the darkness with open eyes. ❜ ❨631❩ ❛ I have done something wrong, something so huge I can't even see it, something that's drowning me. ❜ ❨632❩ ❛ Whatever is happening to me is my own fault. ❜ ❨633❩ ❛ Hatred is easier. Hatred is clear, metallic, one-handed, unwavering; unlike love. ❜ ❨634❩ ❛ Potential has a shelf life. ❜ ❨635❩ ❛ Don’t move. Stay like that, let me have that. ❜ ❨636❩ ❛ I have come to the edge, of the land. I could get pushed over. ❜ ❨637❩ ❛ Never pray for justice, because you might get some. ❜ ❨638❩ ❛ It disturbs me to learn I have hurt someone unintentionally. I want all my hurts to be intentional. ❜ ❨639❩ ❛ We have been shark to one another, but also lifeboat. That counts for something. ❜ ❨640❩ ❛ This is what I miss, not something that’s gone, but something that will never happen. ❜ ❨641❩ ❛ I am not good. I know too much to be good. I know myself. I know myself to be vengeful, greedy, secretive and sly. ❜ ❨642❩ ❛ You are amazing. Amazing and agonising and almost lethal. ❜ ❨643❩ ❛ In my dreams of this city I am always lost. ❜ ❨644❩ ❛ I don't know where these feelings have come from, I don’t know what I've done. ❜ ❨645❩ ❛ I am not the centre of your story, you are.  ❜ ❨646❩ ❛ I’m mad because you’re an asshole. ❜ ❨647❩ ❛ It's enormously pleasing to me, walking away. It's like being able to make people appear and vanish, at will. ❜ ❨648❩ ❛ There is never only one of anyone. ❜ ❨649❩ ❛ I can't do this without feeling I'm acting. ❜ ❨650❩ ❛ I am prepared for almost anything; except absence, except silence. ❜ ❨651❩ ❛ I’m losing my appetite for strangers. ❜ ❨652❩ ❛ You wear your cravings on the outside, like the suckers on a squid. You want it all. ❜ ❨653❩ ❛ Knowing too much about other people weakens you. You are forced to understand their reasons for doing things. ❜ ❨654❩ ❛ I have lost confidence: perhaps all I will ever be is what I am now. ❜ ❨655❩ ❛ Echoes of light, shining out of the midst of nothing. It's old light, and there's not much of it. But it's enough to see by. ❜ ❨656❩ ❛ Whoever cares the most will lose. ❜ ❨657❩ ❛ Young women need unfairness, it’s one of their few defences.  ❜ ❨658❩ ❛ Time has gone on without you. ❜ ❨659❩ ❛ Don't let the bastards grind you down. ❜ ❨660❩ ❛ Who can remember pain, once it’s over? Pain marks you, but too deep to see. Out of sight, out of mind. ❜ ❨661❩ ❛ Better never means better for everyone. It always means worse, for some. ❜ ❨662❩ ❛ There is more than one kind of freedom. Freedom to and freedom from. ❜ ❨663❩ ❛ Remember that forgiveness too is a power. ❜ ❨664❩ ❛ I am not your justification for existence. ❜ ❨665❩ ❛ I want to be valued, in ways that I am not; I want to be more than valuable. ❜ ❨666❩ ❛ If it's a story I'm telling, then I have control over the ending. ❜ ❨667❩ ❛ All you have to do is keep your mouth shut and look stupid. It shouldn't be that hard. ❜ ❨668❩ ❛ Truly amazing, what people can get used to, as long as there are a few compensations. ❜ ❨669❩ ❛ I want everything back, the way it was. ❜ ❨670❩ ❛ You can't help what you feel, but you can help how you behave. ❜ ❨671❩ ❛ Nothing changes instantaneously: in a gradually heating bathtub you'd be boiled to death before you knew it. ❜ ❨672❩ ❛ To want is to have a weakness. ❜ ❨673❩ ❛ There isn't even an enemy you could put your finger on. ❜ ❨674❩ ❛ The past is a great darkness, filled with echoes. ❜ ❨675❩ ❛ Ordinary is what you are used to. This may not seem ordinary to you now, but after a time it will. It will become ordinary. ❜ ❨676❩ ❛ I wish this story were different. I wish it were more civilised. I wish it showed me in a better light. ❜ ❨677❩ ❛ The night is mine, my own time, to do with it as I will, as long as I am quiet. As long as I don't move. As long as I lie still. ❜ ❨678❩ ❛ By telling you anything at all I'm at least believing in you. ❜ ❨679❩ ❛ Whatever is silenced will clamour to be heard. ❜ ❨680❩ ❛ Don't worry about forgiving me right now. There are more important things. ❜ ❨681❩ ❛ Keep the others safe. Don't let them suffer too much. If they have to die, let it be fast. ❜ ❨682❩ ❛ The body is so easily damaged, so easily disposed of, water and chemicals is all it is, hardly more to it than a jellyfish, drying on sand. ❜ ❨683❩ ❛ The world is full of weapons if you're looking for them. ❜ ❨684❩ ❛ Nobody's heart is perfect. ❜ ❨685❩ ❛ One false move and I'm dead. ❜ ❨686❩ ❛ Watch out. I've got my eye on you. ❜ ❨687❩ ❛ Fear is a powerful stimulant. ❜ ❨688❩ ❛ I couldn't afford to lose you. ❜ ❨689❩ ❛ Name one hero who was happy. ---- You can’t. ❜ ❨690❩ ❛ I feel like I could eat the world raw. ❜ ❨691❩ ❛ We are like gods at the dawning of the world. ❜ ❨692❩ ❛ I could recognise him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world. ❜ ❨693❩ ❛ There are no bargains between lion and men. I will kill you and eat you raw. ❜ ❨694❩ ❛ You can use a spear as a walking stick, but that will not change its nature. ❜ ❨695❩ ❛ He is a weapon, a killer. Do not forget it. ❜ ❨696❩ ❛ Some men gain glory after they die, others fade. ❜ ❨697❩ ❛ I am made of memories. ❜ ❨698❩ ❛ Will you come with me? ❜ ❨699❩ ❛ I wish I had let you all die. ❜ ❨700❩ ❛ It is right to seek peace for the dead. You and I both know there is no peace for those who live after. ❜ ❨701❩ ❛ Bury us. Let us be free. ❜ ❨702❩ ❛ Go. He waits for you. ❜ ❨703❩ ❛ Nothing could eclipse the stain of this dirty, mortal mediocrity. ❜ ❨704❩ ❛ I know I have told you of this. ❜ ❨705❩ ❛ I don't know how you remember them all. I swear they look the same to me. ❜ ❨706❩ ❛ Perhaps you should get some new stories, so I don’t fucking kill myself of boredom. ❜ ❨707❩ ❛ I yearn for the darkness and silence of the underworld, where I can rest. ❜ ❨708❩ ❛ There is no honour in betraying your friends. ❜ ❨709❩ ❛ There is no answer. Whichever you choose, you are wrong. ❜ ❨710❩ ❛ Divine blood flows differently. ❜ ❨711❩ ❛ How is there glory in taking life? We die so easily. ❜ ❨712❩ ❛ This is what I will miss, I think. I will kill myself rather than miss it. ❜ ❨713❩ ❛ How long do we have? ❜ ❨714❩ ❛ Do you think we fight hopeless wars? ❜ ❨715❩ ❛ There is no law that gods must be fair. ❜ ❨716❩ ❛ I do not fear ridicule. I never have. ❜ ❨717❩ ❛ You were always better with words than I. ❜ ❨718❩ ❛ Who can be ashamed to lose to such beauty? ❜ ❨719❩ ❛ When you see beauty in desolation it changes something inside you. ❜ ❨720❩ ❛ That's how the madness of the world tries to colonise you: from the outside in, forcing you to live in its reality. ❜ ❨721❩ ❛ The shadows of the abyss are like the petals of a monstrous flower that shall blossom within the skull and expand the mind beyond what any man can bear. ❜ ❨722❩ ❛ Silence creates violence. ❜ ❨723❩ ❛ Some questions will ruin you if you are denied the answer long enough. ❜ ❨724❩ ❛ There are certain kinds of connections that are so deep that when broken you feel the snap of it inside you. ❜ ❨725❩ ❛ Nothing that ever lived and breathed was truly objective—even in a vacuum, even if all that possessed the brain was a self-immolating desire for the truth. ❜ ❨726❩ ❛ We all live in a kind of continuous dream. ❜ ❨727❩ ❛ You can either waste time worrying about a death that might not come or concentrate on what’s left to you. ❜ ❨728❩ ❛ What can you do when your five senses are not enough? ❜ ❨729❩ ❛ We will neither be what we had been nor what we would become once we reach our destination. ❜ ❨730❩ ❛ Perhaps my only real expertise, my only talent, is to endure beyond the endurable. ❜ ❨731❩ ❛ When you are too close to the centre of a mystery there is no way to pull back. ❜ ❨732❩ ❛ I long ago stopped believing in promises. Biological imperatives, yes. Environmental factors, yes. Promises, no. ❜ ❨733❩ ❛ I look not for shooting stars but for fixed ones, and I try to imagine what kind of life lives in those celestial tidal pools so far from us. ❜ ❨734❩ ❛ I hesitated for just a moment. Some part of me wanted to see the creature, I think. If so, it was a very small part. I ran. ❜ ❨735❩ ❛ I don’t require any of this to have a deeper meaning. ❜ ❨736❩ ❛ All of this speculation is incomplete, inexact, inaccurate, useless. ❜ ❨737❩ ❛ We don’t have real answers, because we still don’t know what questions to ask. Our instruments are useless, our methodology broken, our motivations selfish. ❜ ❨738❩ ❛ This part I will do alone. Don’t follow. ❜ ❨739❩ ❛ People my entire life have told me I am too much in control, but that has never been the case. I have never truly been in control. ❜ ❨740❩ ❛ Has there always been someone like me to bury the bodies, to have regrets, to carry on after everyone else was dead? ❜ ❨741❩ ❛ I loved them, but I didn’t need them, and I thought that was the way it was supposed to be. ❜ ❨742❩ ❛ Places can impress themselves upon me, and I can become part of them with ease. ❜ ❨743❩ ❛ There is no one with me. I am all by myself. ❜ ❨744❩ ❛ Pretending often leads to becoming a reasonable facsimile of what you mimic. ❜ ❨745❩ ❛ I think you're confusing suicide with self-destruction, and they're very different. Almost none of us commit suicide, whereas almost all of us self-destruct. ❜ ❨746❩ ❛ What did you eat? You had rations for only two weeks. You were there for nearly four months. ❜ ❨747❩ ❛ Something here is making giant waves in the gene pool. ❜ ❨748❩ ❛ I need to know what’s inside. ❜ ❨749❩ ❛ These aren't decisions. They're impulses ❜ ❨750❩ ❛ What do you think I do when you’re away? Do you think I’m out in the garden pinning, looking up at the sky? ❜ ❨751❩ ❛ If I know what’s happened I can save their life. ❜ ❨752❩ ❛ They either went crazy or something in here killed them. ❜ ❨753❩ ❛ Something is coming through the fence! ❜ ❨754❩ ❛ Nothing is written in the stars. Not these stars, nor any others. No one controls your destiny. ❜ ❨755❩ ❛ People who claim that they're evil are usually no worse than the rest of us. ❜ ❨756❩ ❛ Happy endings are still endings. ❜ ❨757❩ ❛ We believe in all sorts of things that aren't true; -- we call it history. ❜ ❨758❩ ❛ Does the devil ever struggle to be good again, or if so is he not a devil? ❜ ❨759❩ ❛ In the lives of children, pumpkins turn into coaches, mice and rats turn into men. When we grow up, we realise it is far more common for men to turn into rats. ❜ ❨760❩ ❛ Girls need cold anger. They need the cold simmer, the ceaseless grudge, the talent to avoid forgiveness, the side stepping of compromise.  ❜ ❨761❩ ❛ Love makes hunters of us all. ❜ ❨762❩ ❛ There is much to hate in this world and way too much to love. ❜ ❨763❩ ❛ You confuse not speaking with not listening. ❜ ❨764❩ ❛ As long as people are going to call you a lunatic anyway, why not get the benefit of it? It liberates you from convention. ❜ ❨765❩ ❛ The eye is always caught by light, but shadows have more to say. ❜ ❨766❩ ❛ Not everyone is born a witch or a saint. Not everyone is born talented, or crooked, or blessed; some are born definite in no particular at all. ❜ ❨767❩ ❛ We are a fountain of shimmering contradictions, most of us. ❜ ❨768❩ ❛ The wickedness of men is that their power breeds stupidity and blindness. ❜ ❨769❩ ❛ I know you don't want to hear this but someone has to say it! You are out of control! ❜ ❨770❩ ❛ Even at the very worst - there is always choice. ❜ ❨771❩ ❛ Maybe the definition of home is the place where you are never forgiven. So you may always belong there, bound by guilt. And maybe the cost of belonging is worth it. ❜ ❨772❩ ❛ Cross a man and you struggle, one of you wins, you adjust and go on -- or you lie there dead. Cross a woman and the entire universe is changed. ❜ ❨773❩ ❛ That was such a wonderful time, even in its strangeness and sadness. Life isn't the same now. It's wonderful, but it isn't the same. ❜ ❨774❩ ❛ I don't care for approval, and I don't mind doing without. ❜ ❨775❩ ❛ It's where I live. A permanent state of bereavement. This is nothing new. ❜ ❨776❩ ❛ Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. Always the godfather, never the god. ❜ ❨777❩ ❛ The world unwraps itself to you, again and again as soon as you are ready to see it anew. ❜ ❨778❩ ❛ Evil is an act, not an appetite. Everyone has the appetite. If you give in to it, that act is evil. The appetite is normal. ❜ ❨779❩ ❛ How many haven't wanted to slash the throat of some boor across the dining room table?  ❜ ❨780❩ ❛ Even God used silence as a strategy. ❜ ❨781❩ ❛ I learned failure early and mastered it. ❜ ❨782❩ ❛ It isn't whether you do it well or ill, it's that you do it all. ❜ ❨783❩ ❛ This is why you shouldn't fall in love, it blinds you. Love is a very wicked distraction. ❜ ❨784❩ ❛ Wisdom is not the understanding of mystery. Wisdom is accepting that mystery is beyond understanding. That's what makes it mystery. ❜ ❨785❩ ❛ Wrong takes an awful long time to be proven, in my experience. ❜ ❨786❩ ❛ Such brightness, as you know, decays brilliantly. ❜ ❨787❩ ❛ I take responsibility only for the future, not the past. The past can't hurt you the way the future can. ❜ ❨788❩ ❛ Tell me to mind my own business, tell me to go fuck myself, to piss off, go on, say it, but don’t tell me nothing’s wrong. ❜ ❨789❩ ❛ The truth isn't a thing of fact or reason. It is simply what everyone agrees on. ❜ ❨790❩ ❛ One can't make peace with another by force. ❜ ❨791❩ ❛ I am a forgettable leaf on a tree. ❜ ❨792❩ ❛ That's all I want; --- to do no harm. ❜ ❨793❩ ❛ I only believe in the opposite of luck, whatever that is. ❜ ❨794❩ ❛ Human beings are not born once and for all on the day their mothers give birth to them, life obliges them over and over again to give birth to themselves. ❜ ❨795❩ ❛ You’re too young to know that the heart's memory eliminates the bad and magnifies the good, and thanks to that we manage to endure the burden of the past. ❜ ❨796❩ ❛ Love, no matter what else it might be, is a natural talent. You are either born knowing how, or you never know. ❜ ❨797❩ ❛ Whatever you do, you will be sorry all the rest of your life. ❜ ❨798❩ ❛ There is no God worth worrying about. ❜ ❨799❩ ❛ The only regret I will have in dying is if it is not for love. ❜ ❨800❩ ❛ Wisdom comes to us when it can no longer do any good. ❜ ❨801❩ ❛ Think of love as a state of grace, not the means to anything, but the very end in itself. ❜ ❨802❩ ❛ Only God knows how much I love you. ❜ ❨803❩ ❛ There is no greater glory than to die for love. ❜ ❨804❩ ❛ Nothing resembles a person as much as the way he dies. ❜ ❨805❩ ❛ Take advantage of it now, while you are young, and suffer all you can, because these things don't last your whole life. ❜ ❨806❩ ❛ Today, when I saw you, I realised that what is between us is nothing more than an illusion. ❜ ❨807❩ ❛ I have waited for this opportunity for more than half a century. ❜ ❨808❩ ❛ I want to be myself again, to recover all that I was obliged to give up. ❜ ❨809❩ ❛ The only thing worse than bad health is a bad name. ❜ ❨810❩ ❛ This soup tastes like windows. ❜ ❨811❩ ❛ Why do you insist on talking about what does not exist? ❜ ❨812❩ ❛ One has to live a long time to know a man's true nature. ❜ ❨813❩ ❛ No, not rich, I am a poor man with money, which is not the same thing. ❜ ❨814❩ ❛ My heart has more rooms than a whorehouse. ❜ ❨815❩ ❛ That may be the reason he does so many things, so that he will not have to think. ❜ ❨816❩ ❛ Love if it exists, is something separate: another life. ❜ ❨817❩ ❛ Things did not go as badly for me as they would for you. ❜ ❨818❩ ❛ There are things you do only for love. ❜ ❨819❩ ❛ I’ll have plenty of time to rest when I die. ❜ ❨820❩ ❛ There is no innocence more dangerous than the innocence of age. ❜ ❨821❩ ❛ You treat me as if I were just anybody. ❜ ❨822❩ ❛ The symptoms of love are the same as those of cholera. ❜ ❨823❩ ❛ There is no law, human or divine, that you have not ignored. ❜ ❨824❩ ❛ Why is it that I feel I've known you so many years? ❜ ❨825❩ ❛ Stuff your eyes with wonder, live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories. ❜ ❨826❩ ❛ It doesn't matter what you do, so long as you change something from the way it was before you touched it into something that's like you after you take your hands away. ❜ ❨827❩ ❛ We need to be really bothered once in a while. How long is it since you were really bothered? About something important, about something real? ❜ ❨828❩ ❛ There must be something, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing. ❜ ❨829❩ ❛ If you hide your ignorance, no one will hit you and you'll never learn. ❜ ❨830❩ ❛ If you drown, at least die knowing you were heading for shore. ❜ ❨831❩ ❛ You can't make people listen. They have to come round in their own time, wondering what happened and why the world blew up around them. ❜ ❨832❩ ❛ It was a pleasure to burn. ❜ ❨833❩ ❛ I'm antisocial, they say. I don't mix. It's so strange. I'm very social indeed. It all depends on what you mean by social, doesn't it? ❜ ❨834❩ ❛ Being with people is nice. But I don't think it's social to get a bunch of people together and then not let them talk, do you? ❜ ❨835❩ ❛ Do you notice how people hurt each other nowadays? ❜ ❨836❩ ❛ Who knows who might be the target of the well-read man? ❜ ❨837❩ ❛ I don't talk things. I talk the meaning of things. ❜ ❨838❩ ❛ I'll hold on to the world tight some day. I've got one finger on it now; that's a beginning. ❜ ❨839❩ ❛ I just want someone to hear what I have to say. And maybe if I talk long enough it'll make sense. ❜ ❨840❩ ❛ That's the good part of dying; when you've nothing to lose, you run any risk you want. ❜ ❨841❩ ❛ Someday we'll build the biggest goddamn steamshovel in history and dig the biggest grave of all time and shove war in it and cover it up. ❜ ❨842❩ ❛ You're not like the others. I've seen a few; I know. When I talk, you look at me. ❜ ❨843❩ ❛ You're afraid of making mistakes. Don't be. Mistakes can be profited by. ❜ ❨844❩ ❛ When they give you lined paper, write the other way. ❜ ❨845❩ ❛ The sun burnt every day. It burnt time. ❜ ❨846❩ ❛ We have everything we need to be happy but we aren't happy. Something is missing. ❜ ❨847❩ ❛ I feel I'm doing what I should've done a lifetime ago. ❜ ❨848❩ ❛ I'm not afraid. Maybe it's because I'm doing the right thing at last. Maybe it's because I've done a rash thing and don't want to look the coward to you. ❜ ❨849❩ ❛ Good God, who were those men? I never saw them before in my life! ❜ ❨850❩ ❛ How do you get so empty? Who takes it out of you? ❜ ❨851❩ ❛ It must be right. It seems so right. ❜ ❨852❩ ❛ To everything there is a season. Yes. A time to break down, and a time to build up. A time to keep silence and a time to speak. ❜ ❨853❩ ❛ It's my game. And no one can help me. Not even you. ❜ ❨854❩ ❛ What makes earth feel like hell is our expectation that it should feel like heaven. Earth is earth. Dead is dead. You’ll find out for yourself soon enough. ❜ ❨855❩ ❛ Death is a long process. Your body is just the first part of you that croaks. Beyond that, your dreams have to die. Then your expectations. Your anger and memories must die. Your ego. Your pride and shame and ambition and hope. ❜ ❨856❩ ❛ Help me give up my addiction to hope. ❜ ❨857❩ ❛ Life is short, death is forever. ❜ ❨858❩ ❛ Hope is something really tough and tenacious you have to give up. It’s an addiction to break. ❜ ❨859❩ ❛ If the living are haunted by the dead, then the dead are haunted by their own mistakes. ❜ ❨860❩ ❛ We all wish to be pursued. We all long to be desired. ❜ ❨861❩ ❛ All the demons of hell formerly reigned as gods in previous cultures. No it's not fair, but one man's god is another man's devil. ❜ ❨862❩ ❛ I can become someone else, not out of pressure and desperation, but merely because a new life sounds fun or interesting or joyful. ❜ ❨863❩ ❛ It's my petty fear of personal rejection that allows so many true evils to exist. My cowardice enables atrocities. ❜ ❨864❩ ❛ You fucked up. Game over. So just relax. ❜ ❨865❩ ❛ The greatest weapon any warrior can carry into battle is absolute certainty of her eternal soul. ❜ ❨866❩ ❛ If killing you will end my existence as well, be it. Small loss. Such a life, as your puppet, is not worth living. ❜ ❨867❩ ❛ I might be a touch of a sadist and a little bit jejune but at least I'm not a victim, not any longer. I hope. ❜ ❨868❩ ❛ Dying seems like the greatest weakness, and in a world where people say you're lazy for not shaving your legs, then being dead seems like the ultimate character flaw. ❜ ❨869❩ ❛ Any concept of right versus wrong, is merely a cultural construct relative to one specific time and place. ❜ ❨870❩ ❛ To prove that I exist I must kill you. ❜ ❨871❩ ❛ I'd say that my life has been a way-too-long case history of chasing rainbows. ❜ ❨872❩ ❛ The world is a battle for attention, a war to be heard. ❜ ❨873❩ ❛ Every garden looks beautiful in May. ❜ ❨874❩ ❛ When we neglect to fear such brittle monstrosity, we render it powerless. ❜ ❨875❩ ❛ My taste for power continues to grow, as does my ability to accrue it. ❜ ❨876❩ ❛ Such language! Why don't you just take a dump in my ears? ❜ ❨877❩ ❛ You’d be foolish to count on people displaying high standards of honesty. ❜ ❨878❩ ❛ Depending on her mood, she can be more frightening than any demon or devil you might ever run across. ❜ ❨879❩ ❛ Cross your fingers! Maybe death won't happen to you. ❜ ❨880❩ ❛ Do not die while wearing cheap shoes. ❜ ❨881❩ ❛ Old habits die hard. ❜ ❨882❩ ❛ It's our attachments to a fixed identity that torture us. ❜ ❨883❩ ❛ What do I think I am? In a thousand words; I don't have a clue. ❨884❩ ❛ If I am to be saved it is because your love redeems me. ❜ ❨885❩ ❛ All I wanted was to be loved for myself. ❜ ❨886❩ ❛ I have tasted all the happiness the world can offer. ❜ ❨887❩ ❛ Shall we pity him? Shall we curse him? ❜ ❨888❩ ❛ You have a heart that can hold the entire empire of the world. ❜ ❨889❩ ❛ Look, I am not laughing now, crying, crying for you. ❜ ❨890❩ ❛ Tonight I gave you my soul, and I am dead. ❜ ❨891❩ ❛ You are afraid of me! And yet I am not really wicked. Love me and you shall see! ❜ ❨892❩ ❛ Are people so unhappy when they love? --- Yes, when they love and are not sure of being loved. ❜ ❨893❩ ❛ Your soul is a beautiful thing. No emperor received so fair a gift. The angels wept tonight. ❜ ❨894❩ ❛ Blood!...Blood!... That's a good thing! ❜ ❨895❩ ❛ Now I want to live like everybody else. I want to have a life like everybody else. ❜ ❨896❩ ❛ You will be the happiest of women. And we will sing, all by ourselves, till we swoon away with delight. ❜ ❨897❩ ❛ I should be as gentle as a lamb; and you could do anything with me that you pleased. ❜ ❨898❩ ❛ I am going to die of love, I am dying of love. That's how it is. I loved you so. I still love you so. ❜ ❨899❩ ❛ I am dying of love for her, I tell you! If only you knew how beautiful she was when she let me kiss her. ❜ ❨900❩ ❛ He fills me with horror but I do not hate him. How can I hate him? ❜ ❨901❩ ❛ Holy angel, in Heaven blessed, my spirit longs with thee to rest. ❜ ❨902❩ ❛ Nothing is colder or more dead than my heart. ❜ ❨903❩ ❛ I had loved an angel and now I despise a woman. ❜ ❨904❩ ❛ Our lives are one masked ball. ❜ ❨905❩ ❛ Why do you condemn a man whom you have never met, whom no one knows and about whom even you yourself know nothing? ❜ ❨906❩ ❛ He would commit murder for me. ❜ ❨907❩ ❛ If I don't save her from the hands of that humbug, she is lost. But I shall save her. ❜ ❨908❩ ❛ We will go from here together or die together. ❜ ❨909❩ ❛ Your fear, your terror, all of that is just love and love of the most exquisite kind, the kind which people do not admit even to themselves. The kind that gives you a thrill, when you think of it. ❜ ❨910❩ ❛ Destiny has chained you to me forever. ❜ ❨911❩ ❛ You must never ask me that. ❜ ❨912❩ ❛ Are you afraid that you will change your mind? ❜ ❨913❩ ❛ You must come and fetch me in my dressing room at midnight exactly. ❜ ❨914❩ ❛ The holes in your life are permanent. You have to grow around them, like tree roots around concrete; you mould yourself through the gaps. ❜ ❨915❩ ❛ I have never understood how people can blithely disregard the damage they do by following their hearts. ��� ❨916❩ ❛ There’s something comforting about the sight of strangers safe at home. ❜ ❨917❩ ❛ I have lost control over everything, even the places in my head. ❜ ❨918❩ ❛ It’s possible to miss what you’ve never had, to even mourn for it. ❜ ❨919❩ ❛ There’s nothing so painful, so corrosive, as suspicion. ❜ ❨920❩ ❛ When did you become so weak? ❜ ❨921❩ ❛ I don’t know where that strength went, I don’t remember losing it. I think that over time it got chipped away, bit by bit, by life, by the living of it. ❜ ❨922❩ ❛ Let’s be honest: women are still only really valued for two things—their looks and their role as mothers. ❜ ❨923❩ ❛ Sadness gets boring after a while, for the sad person and for everyone around them. ❜ ❨924❩ ❛ I’m playing at real life instead of actually living it. ❜ ❨925❩ ❛ I’ve just got to let myself feel the pain, because if I don’t, if I keep numbing it, it’ll never really go away. ❜ ❨926❩ ❛ I am not the girl I used to be. I am no longer desirable, I’m off-putting in some way. It’s as if people can see the damage written all over me, can see it in my face, the way I hold myself, the way I move. ❜ ❨927❩ ❛ Who was it that said following your heart is a good thing? It is pure egotism, a selfishness to conquer all. ❜ ❨928❩ ❛ It’s impossible to resist the kindness of strangers. ❜ ❨929❩ ❛ Sometimes I catch myself trying to remember the last time I had meaningful physical contact with another person, just a hug or a heartfelt squeeze of my hand, and my heart twitches. ❜ ❨930❩ ❛ I have to find a way of making myself happy, I have to stop looking for happiness elsewhere. ❜ ❨931❩ ❛ How did I find myself here? I wonder where it started, my decline; I wonder at what point I could have halted it. Where did I take the wrong turn? ❜ ❨932❩ ❛ Now look -- Now look what you made me do. ❜ ❨933❩ ❛ It’s okay, whatever you did, whatever you’ve done: you suffered, you hurt, you deserve forgiveness. ❜ ❨934❩ ❛ They’re what I lost, they’re everything I want to be. ❜ ❨935❩ ❛ You broke me and I broke us. ❜ ❨936❩ ❛ I’ve been the fool. If he does it with you, he’ll do it to you. ❜ ❨937❩ ❛ I’d never realised, not until now, how shameful it is to be pitied. ❜ ❨938❩ ❛ Sometimes, I don’t want to go anywhere, I think I’ll be happy if I never have to set foot outside the house again. ❜ ❨939❩ ❛ I don’t believe in soul mates, but there’s an understanding between us that I just haven’t felt before, or at least, not for a long time. ❜ ❨940❩ ❛ There can be no greater agony, nothing can be more painful than the not knowing, which will never end. ❜ ❨941❩ ❛ Being the other woman is a huge turn-on, there’s no point in denying it: you’re the one he can’t help but betray his wife for, even though he loves her. That’s just how irresistible you are. ❜ ❨942❩ ❛ I feel a rush of gratitude so strong, it feels almost like love. ❜ ❨943❩ ❛ You don’t know how determined I can be. Once I’ve made my mind up, I’m a force to be reckoned with. ❜ ❨944❩ ❛ The more I want to be oblivious, the less I can be. Life and light will not let me be. ❜ ❨945❩ ❛ You don’t have to be afraid of being alone. It’s not the worst thing, is it? ❜ ❨946❩ ❛ I have felt this way before. On a larger scale, to a more intense degree, of course, but I remember the quality of the pain. You don’t forget it. ❜ ❨947❩ ❛ If he thinks I’m going to sit around crying, he’s got another thing coming. ❜ ❨948❩ ❛ I don’t like to lose. It’s not like me. None of this is like me. I don’t get rejected. I’m the one who walks away. ❜ ❨949❩ ❛ I don’t remember anger, raging fury. I remember fear. ❜ ❨950❩ ❛ I can’t sleep. I haven’t slept in days. I hate it, hate insomnia more than anything, just lying there, brain going round, tick, tick, tick, tick. ❜ ❨951❩ ❛ Maybe the courage I need has nothing to do with telling the truth and everything to do with walking away. ❜ ❨952❩ ❛ I’m not beautiful, and I can’t have kids, so what does that make me? Worthless. ❜ ❨953❩ ❛ Failure cloaked me like a mantle, it overwhelmed me, dragged me under and I gave up hope. ❜ ❨954❩ ❛ It’s an odd thing to say, but I think this all the time; I don’t feel bad enough. ❜ ❨955❩ ❛ Some battles aren’t worth fighting. ❜ ❨956❩ ❛ I never felt guilty. I pretended I did. I had to. ❜ ❨957❩ ❛ I never meant for any of this to happen, we fell in love, what could we do? ❜ ❨958❩ ❛ What bothers me most is that I haven’t got to the end of my story, and I can’t start over with someone else, it’s too hard. ❜ ❨959❩ ❛ A person is, among all else, a material thing, easily torn and not easily mended. ❜ ❨960❩ ❛ It isn’t only wickedness and scheming that make people unhappy, it is confusion and misunderstanding. ❜ ❨961❩ ❛ Falling in love can be achieved in a single word—a glance. ❜ ❨962❩ ❛ Though you think the world is at your feet, it can rise up and tread on you. ❜ ❨963❩ ❛ I’ve never had a moment’s doubt. I love you. I believe in you completely. You are my dearest one. My reason for life. ❜ ❨964❩ ❛ It might hurt, it is horribly inconvenient, no good might come of it, but it is what it is to be in love. ❜ ❨965❩ ❛ It was always an impossible task, and that was precisely the point. ❜ ❨966❩ ❛ Come back, come back to me. ❜ ❨967❩ ❛ In my thoughts I make love to you all day long. ❜ ❨968❩ ❛ The truth is I feel rather light headed and foolish in your presence and I don’t think I can blame the heat. ❜ ❨969❩ ❛ Beauty occupies a narrow band. Ugliness, on the other hand, has infinite variation. ❜ ❨970❩ ❛ Is there any meaning in my life that the inevitable death awaiting me does not destroy? ❜ ❨971❩ ❛ However, withered, I still feel myself to be exactly the same person I’ve always been. ❜ ❨972❩ ❛ Hate is a feeling as pure as love, but dispassionate and icily rational. ❜ ❨973❩ ❛ I’m going mad. Let me not be mad. ❜ ❨974❩ ❛ Is everyone really as alive as I am? ❜ ❨975❩ ❛ Every now and then, quite unintentionally, someone teaches you something about yourself. ❜ ❨976❩ ❛ Something has happened, hasn’t it? ❜ ❨977❩ ❛ I like to think that it isn’t weakness or evasion, but a final act of kindness. ❜ ❨978❩ ❛ Is it possible that I am, in the modern term, in denial? ❜ ❨979❩ ❛ How could anyone presume to know the world through the eyes of an insect? ❜ ❨980❩ ❛ Not everything has a cause. Some things are simply so. ❜ ❨981❩ ❛ I’ll be quite honest with you. I’m torn between breaking your neck here and throwing you down the stairs. ❜ ❨982❩ ❛ How old do you have to be before you know the difference between right and wrong? ❜ ❨983❩ ❛ It was never meant to be read. ❜ ❨984❩ ❛ If I fell in the river, would you save me? ❜ ❨985❩ ❛ That was an incredibly bloody stupid thing to do. ❜ ❨986❩ ❛ I want to thank you for saving my life. I’ll be eternally grateful to you. ❜ ❨987❩ ❛ I’m very, very sorry for the terrible distress that I have caused. I’m very, very sorry. ❜ ❨988❩ ❛ Don’t call me that! – Please don’t call me that. ❜ ❨989❩ ❛ It may be the wrong decision, but fuck it, it’s mine. ❜ ❨990❩ ❛ Like patience, passion comes from the same Latin root: pati. It does not mean to flow with exuberance. It means to suffer. ❜ ❨991❩ ❛ No one ever really gets used to nightmares. ❜ ❨992❩ ❛ I still get nightmares. In fact, I get them so often I should be used to them by now. I’m not. ❜ ❨993❩ ❛ Sublime is something you choke on after a shot of tequila. ❜ ❨994❩ ❛ Some people reflect light, some deflect it, you by some miracle, seem to collect it. ❜ ❨995❩ ❛ Beautiful women are always drawn to men they think will keep them beautiful. ❜ ❨996❩ ❛ The ruminations are mine, let the world be yours. ❜ ❨997❩ ❛ You will fulfil a promise I made years ago but failed to keep. ❜ ❨998❩ ❛ Darkness never satisfies. Especially if it takes something away which it almost always invariably does. ❜ ❨999❩ ❛ I want something else. I’m not even sure what to call it anymore. ❜ ❨1000❩ ❛ What can I say, I’m a sucker for abandoned stuff, misplaced stuff, forgotten stuff, any old stuff. ❜ ❨1001❩ ❛ Is it possible to love something so much, you imagine it wants to destroy you only because it has denied you? ❜ ❨1002❩ ❛ It’s just silent, no sound at all. It’s like something’s waiting. ❜ ❨1003❩ ❛ I guess I’m hoping the weapons will make me feel better, grant me some kind of fucking control. ❜ ❨1004❩ ❛ Oh and something else: – Fuck you. ❜ ❨1005❩ ❛ God I’ve never been afraid like this. ❜ ❨1006❩ ❛ I miss you. I love you. There’s no second I’ve lived that you can’t call your own. ❜ ❨1007❩ ❛ I’m so tired. Sleep’s been stalking me for too long to remember. Inevitable I suppose. ❜ ❨1008❩ ❛ Not seeing the rip doesn’t mean you automatically get to keep clear of the Hey-I’m-Bleeding part. ❜ ❨1009❩ ❛ These days fantasies flourish and die like summer flies. ❜ ❨1010❩ ❛ Yeah I know, I know. This shit’s getting ridiculous. ❜ ❨1011❩ ❛ ‘Fuck’ and 'fall for’ have very different meanings. The first one you do as much as you can. The second one you never ever, ever do. ❜ ❨1012❩ ❛ It’s a nice idea but it reeks of hope. False hope. ❜ ❨1013❩ ❛ It’s, well…one thing in two words: fucked up…very fucked up. Okay three words, four words, who the hell cares…very very fucked up. ❜ ❨1014❩ ❛ Do you think I could spend the night at your place?  ❜ ❨1015❩ ❛ Any fool can pray. ❜ ❨1016❩ ❛ I feel like I haven’t slept in months. My neighbours are scared of me. ❜ ❨1017❩ ❛ I’ve lost my mind? Maybe, maybe, maybe. Maybe I’m just really drunk. ❜ ❨1018❩ ❛ Perhaps by cleaning out my system I’ll come to a clearing where I can ease myself into peace. ❜ ❨1019❩ ❛ I should be dead. Why am I still here? ❜ ❨1020❩ ❛ Fuck if I know. Your guess is as good as mine. ❜ ❨1021❩ ❛ You are my flesh. You are my bones. I know you too well. I read you too perfectly. ❜ ❨1022❩ ❛ Not all complex problems have easy solutions. ❜ ❨1023❩ ❛ Do you believe in God? I don’t think I ever asked you that one. ❜ ❨1024❩ ❛ We all create stories to protect ourselves. ❜ ❨1025❩ ❛ Are you kidding me? This place is scary. ❜ ❨1026❩ ❛ These days the only thing that gets me outside is when I say: Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck you. Fuck me. Fuck this. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. ❜ ❨1027❩ ❛ You like that crap because it reminds you of you. ❜ ❨1028❩ ❛ You may suddenly realise things are not how you perceived them to be at all. ❜ ❨1029❩ ❛ The two hardest tests are the patience to wait for the right moment and the courage not to be disappointed with what we encounter. ❜ ❨1030❩ ❛ People never learn anything by being told, they have to find out for themselves. ❜ ❨1031❩ ❛ Be crazy! But learn how to be crazy without being the center of attention. Be brave enough to live different. ❜ ❨1032❩ ❛ You are someone who is different, but who wants to be the same as everyone else. And that in my view is a serious illness. ❜ ❨1033❩ ❛ God chose you to be different. ❜ ❨1034❩ ❛ Why are you disappointing God with this kind of attitude? ❜ ❨1035❩ ❛ You have two choices, to control your mind or to let your mind control you. ❜ ❨1036❩ ❛ Everyone is indeed crazy, but the craziest are the ones who don't know they're crazy; they just keep repeating what others tell them to. ❜ ❨1037❩ ❛ Haven't you learned anything, not even with the approach of death?  ❜ ❨1038❩ ❛ If people don't like it, they can complain. And if they don't have the courage to complain, that's their problem. ❜ ❨1039❩ ❛ Nothing in this world happens by chance. ❜ ❨1040❩ ❛ I want to continue living my life the way I dream it, and not the way the other people want it to be. ❜ ❨1041❩ ❛ Be like the fountain that overflows, not like the cistern that merely contains. ❜ ❨1042❩ ❛ Collective madness is called sanity. ❜ ❨1043❩ ❛ Consider each day a miracle - which indeed it is, when you consider the number of unexpected things that could happen in each second of our fragile existences. ❜ ❨1044❩ ❛ You say they create their own reality, but what is reality? ❜ ❨1045❩ ❛ Many people don't allow themselves to love because there are a lot of things at risk. A lot of future and a lot of past. ❜ ❨1046❩ ❛ Death frees from the fear of dying. ❜ ❨1047❩ ❛ The danger of an adventure is worth a thousand days of ease and comfort. ❜ ❨1048❩ ❛ The happier people can be, the unhappier they are. ❜ ❨1049❩ ❛ Life is always a matter of waiting for the right moment to act. ❜ ❨1050❩ ❛ It's best to accept life as it really is and not as you imagined it to be. ❜ ❨1051❩ ❛ You don't seem mad at all. ❜ ❨1052❩ ❛ We’re allowed to make a lot of mistakes in our lives, except the mistake that destroys us. ❜ ❨1053❩ ❛ You’re what you are, not what others make of you. ❜ ❨1054❩ ❛ Am I cured? ❜ ❨1055❩ ❛ Real love changes and grows with time and discovers new ways of expressing itself. ❜ ❨1056❩ ❛ A lot of people think something is right, and so that thing becomes right. Is that it? ❜ ❨1057❩ ❛ They think they're normal, because they all do the same thing. ❜ ❨1058❩ ❛ I didn't know that other ‘me’s existed inside me, ‘Me’s that I could love. ❜ ❨1059❩ ❛ I have no idea what's awaiting me. ❜ ❨1060❩ ❛ What will happen when this all ends? ❜ ❨1061❩ ❛ I know that you are capable of great deeds. ❜ ❨1062❩ ❛ A loveless world is a dead world, and always there comes an hour when one is weary of prisons, of one's work, and of devotion to duty, and all one craves for is a loved face, the warmth and wonder of a loving heart. ❜ ❨1063❩ ❛ The truth is that everyone is bored. ❜ ❨1064❩ ❛ I feel more fellowship with the defeated than with saints. Heroism and sanctity don't really appeal to me, I imagine. ❜ ❨1065❩ ❛ If there is one thing one can always yearn for, and sometimes attain, it is human love. ❜ ❨1066❩ ❛ Who would dare to assert that eternal happiness can compensate for even a single moment's suffering? ❜ ❨1067❩ ❛ It's not easy. I've been thinking it over for years. ❜ ❨1068❩ ❛ While we loved each other we didn't need words to make ourselves understood. ❜ ❨1069❩ ❛ People are more often bad than good. ❜ ❨1070❩ ❛ I don't believe in heroism; I know it's easy and I've learned that it can be murderous. ❜ ❨1071❩ ❛ What interests me is living and dying for what one loves. ❜ ❨1072❩ ❛ In fact, nobody is capable of really thinking about anyone, even in the worst calamity. ❜ ❨1073❩ ❛ Nothing in the world is worth turning one's back on what one loves. ❜ ❨1074❩ ❛ Again and again there comes a time in history when the man who dares to say that two and two make four is punished with death. ❜ ❨1075❩ ❛ There are more things to admire in men then to despise. ❜ ❨1076❩ ❛ It is in the thick of calamity that one gets hardened to the truth - in other words, to silence. ❜ ❨1077❩ ❛ What on earth prompted you to take a hand in this? ❜ ❨1078❩ ❛ Your code of morals? What code, if I may ask? ❜ ❨1079❩ ❛ I'm fumbling in the dark, struggling to make something out. But I've long ceased finding anything. ❜ ❨1080❩ ❛ No doubt our love is still there, but quite simply it is unusable, heavy to carry, inert inside of us, sterile as crime or condemnation. ❜ ❨1081❩ ❛ I’m not happy to go, but one needn't be happy to make another start. ❜ ❨1082❩ ❛ I am incapable of suffering for a long time, or being happy for a long time. Which means that I am incapable of anything really worth while. ❜ ❨1083❩ ❛ I should have found the words to keep her with me. ❜ ❨1084❩ ❛ We can't stir a finger in this world without the risk of bringing death to somebody. ❜ ❨1085❩ ❛ The evil that is in the world comes out of ignorance, and good intentions may do as much harm as malevolence, if they lack understanding. ❜ ❨1086❩ ❛ There are always flies and itches. That’s why life is difficult to live. ❜ ❨1087❩ ❛ The best protection against anything is a good bottle of wine. ❜ ❨1088❩ ❛ There is no peace without hope. ❜ ❨1089❩ ❛ It's enough for me to be sure that you and I exist at this moment. ❜ ❨1090❩ ❛ There is always something left to love. ❜ ❨1091❩ ❛ A person doesn’t die when he should but when he can. ❜ ❨1092❩ ❛ Things have a life of their own. It's simply a matter of waking up their souls. ❜ ❨1093❩ ❛ Tell me something: why are you fighting? ❜ ❨1094❩ ❛ I've come to realise only just now that I'm fighting because of pride. ❜ ❨1095❩ ❛ One minute of reconciliation is worth more than a whole life of friendship. ❜ ❨1096❩ ❛ It's better than not knowing why you're fighting. Or fighting, like you, for something that doesn't have any meaning for anyone. ❜ ❨1097❩ ❛ Holy Mother of God! ❜ ❨1098❩ ❛ A person does not belong to a place until there is someone dead under the ground. ❜ ❨1099❩ ❛ I was born a son of a bitch and I'm going to die a son of a bitch. ❜ ❨1100❩ ❛ Bad luck doesn't have any chinks in it. ❜ ❨1101❩ ❛ I plead youth as a mitigating circumstance. ❜ ❨1102❩ ❛ Get those bad thoughts out of your head. You're going to be happy. ❜ ❨1103❩ ❛ Children inherit their parents' madness. ❜ ❨1104❩ ❛ I'll turn to ashes in here but I won't give this miserable town the pleasure of seeing me weep. ❜ ❨1105❩ ❛ You would be good in a war. Where you put your eye, you put your bullet. ❜ ❨1106❩ ❛ Men demand much more than you think. ❜ ❨1107❩ ❛ Even the craziest and most persistent love is just a temporary truth. ❜ ❨1108❩ ❛ If we’re alone you can whisper in my ear any crap you can think of. ❜ ❨1109❩ ❛ You have taken this horrible game very seriously and you have done well because you are doing your duty. ❜ ❨1110❩ ❛ We have the right to pull down your pants and give you a whipping at the first sign of disrespect. ❜ ❨1111❩ ❛ What worries me is not your shooting me, because after all, for people like us it's a natural death. ❜ ❨1112❩ ❛ What worries me is that you've ended up as bad as they are. ❜ ❨1113❩ ❛ It is characteristic of men to deny hunger once their appetites are satisfied. ❜ ❨1114❩ ❛ Dying is much more difficult than one imagines. ❜ ❨1115❩ ❛ If you have to go crazy, please go crazy all by yourself! ❜ ❨1116❩ ❛ We have still not had a death. ❜ ❨1117❩ ❛ How awful, the way time passes. ❜ ❨1118❩ ❛ You may be in command of your war, but I'm in command of my house. ❜ ❨1119❩ ❛ I missed you every hour. ❜ ❨1120❩ ❛ You know what the worst part was? It caught me completely by surprise. ❜ ❨1121❩ ❛ I’ve risked my life for you. ❜ ❨1122❩ ❛ The problem with wanting is that it makes us weak. ❜ ❨1123❩ ❛ I love you, even the part of you that loved him. ❜ ❨1124❩ ❛ I’m sorry it took me so long to see you. ❜ ❨1125❩ ❛ I never really belonged anywhere. ❜ ❨1126❩ ❛ Thanks for being my best friend and making my life bearable.  ❜ ❨1127❩ ❛ Thanks for finding me. ❜ ❨1128❩ ❛ You and I are going to change the world. ❜ ❨1129❩ ❛ I’ve been waiting for you a long time. ❜ ❨1130❩ ❛ I’m not used to people trying to kill me. ❜ ❨1131❩ ❛ You’re shaking. ❜ ❨1132❩ ❛ There's nothing wrong with being a lizard. Unless you were born to be a hawk. ❜ ❨1133❩ ❛ Make me your villain. ❜ ❨1134❩ ❛ Just you and me. It’s always just you and me. ❜ ❨1135❩ ❛ Do you blame me for every mistake I made? For every dumb thing I’ve said? ❜ ❨1136❩ ❛ Well, if it gets too bad, give me a signal. ❜ ❨1137❩ ❛ Did you tell him what I showed you in the dark? ❜ ❨1138❩ ❛ Did you miss me when you were gone? ❜ ❨1139❩ ❛ What is infinite? The universe and the greed of men. ❜ ❨1140❩ ❛ You’re interfering with my plan. ❜ ❨1141❩ ❛ Too much champagne? ❜ ❨1142❩ ❛ I hope you don’t expect fairness from me. It isn’t one of my specialties. ❜ ❨1143❩ ❛ There is something more powerful than any army. Something strong enough to topple kings. Faith. ❜ ❨1144❩ ❛ All you said was that I had to kill you. You didn’t say how. ❜ ❨1145❩ ❛ What is she? She’s everything, you dumb son of a bitch. ❜ ❨1146❩ ❛ She’s an ugly little thing. No child should look like that. Pale and sour, like a glass of milk that’s turned. ❜ ❨1147❩ ❛ I wouldn’t make that mistake again. ❜ ❨1148❩ ❛ It’s a great honor, to save a life. You saved many. ❜ ❨1149❩ ❛ In this world, there are things you can only do alone. ❜ ❨1150❩ ❛ What seems like a reasonable distance to one person might feel too far to somebody else. ❜ ❨1151❩ ❛ If you really want to know something, you have to be willing to pay the price. ❜ ❨1152❩ ❛ Why should you be interested in me? ❜ ❨1153❩ ❛ I have been told I've got a darkish personality. A few times. ❜ ❨1154❩ ❛ It's not as if our lives are divided simply into light and dark. There's shadowy middle ground. ❜ ❨1155❩ ❛ I'll write to you. A super-long letter, like in an old-fashioned novel. ❜ ❨1156❩ ❛ The spotlight doesn't suit me. I'm more of a side dish. ❜ ❨1157❩ ❛ The ground we stand on looks solid enough, but if something happens it can drop right out from under you.  ❜ ❨1158❩ ❛ So once you're dead there's just nothing? ❜ ❨1159❩ ❛ If only I could fall sound asleep and wake up in my old reality. ❜ ❨1160❩ ❛ Is action merely the incidental product of thought, or is thought the consequential product of action? ❜ ❨1161❩ ❛ Nobody can shake off their own shadow. ❜ ❨1162❩ ❛ The silence is so deep it hurts. ❜ ❨1163❩ ❛ I may not look it, but I can be a very patient guy. ❜ ❨1164❩ ❛ Killing time is one of my specialities. ❜ ❨1165❩ ❛ You can't fight it. ❜ ❨1166❩ ❛ Tell me something,—do you believe in reincarnation? ❜ ❨1167❩ ❛ I can’t understand nothingness. I can’t understand it and I can’t imagine it. ❜ ❨1168❩ ❛ I can hardly breathe, and my whole body wants to shrink into a corner.  ❜ ❨1169❩ ❛ I do have a few things wrong with me, but those are strictly problems I keep inside. ❜ ❨1170❩ ❛ I can't take it any more, I can't go on any more. ❜ ❨1171❩ ❛ You don't really have it together. ❜ ❨1172❩ ❛ Is it against the law for me to know it? ❜ ❨1173❩ ❛ I keep having the same dream. ❜ ❨1174❩ ❛ Are you asking because you really want an answer? ❜ ❨1175❩ ❛ I hate this! I don't want to be changed this way! ❜ ❨1176❩ ❛ No contradictions, no irony. They do everything according to numerical formulas. ❜ ❨1177❩ ❛ Want to hear the rest? If you’re not interested, I can stop. ❜ ❨1178❩ ❛ If I didn’t have these memories inside me, I would’ve snapped a long time ago. I would’ve curled up in a ditch somewhere and died. ❜ ❨1179❩ ❛ I don’t know what you’re feeling. I won’t even pretend. ❜ ❨1180❩ ❛ What are you doing here, honey? ❜ ❨1181❩ ❛ You're not even old enough to know how bad life gets. ❜ ❨1182❩ ❛ You don't understand me. ❜ ❨1183❩ ❛ All wisdom ends in paradox. ❜ ❨1184❩ ❛ It is love that overthrows empire. Love that binds two hearts together, come hellfire & brimstone. ❜ ❨1185❩ ❛ I have lost my gift. ❜ ❨1186❩ ❛ Winter is the season of alcoholism and despair. ❜ ❨1187❩ ❛ The seeds of death get lost in the mess that God made us. ❜ ❨1188❩ ❛ They're just memories now. It’s time to forget. ❜ ❨1189❩ ❛ The time has to be right and the heart willing. ❜ ❨1190❩ ❛ The world, a tired performer, offers us another half-assed season. ❜ ❨1191❩ ❛ Capitalism has resulted in material well-being but spiritual bankruptcy. ❜ ❨1192❩ ❛ Grief is natural, overcoming it is a matter of choice. ❜ ❨1193❩ ❛ I want out of that decorating scheme. ❜ ❨1194❩ ❛ With most people suicide is like Russian roulette. Only one chamber has a bullet. ❜ ❨1195❩ ❛ You never get over it but you get where it doesn't bother you so much. ❜ ❨1196❩ ❛ Don't waste your time on life. ❜ ❨1197❩ ❛ I'm a teenager. I've got problems! ❜ ❨1198❩ ❛ Adolescents tend to seek love where they can find it. ❜ ❨1199❩ ❛ Obviously, you've never been a thirteen-year-old girl. ❜ ❨1200❩ ❛ It was a mistake. ❜ ❨1201❩ ❛ It seemed like we were supposed to feel sorry for everything that ever happened, ever. ❜ ❨1202❩ ❛ Buffeted but not broken. ❜ ❨1203❩ ❛ Shit. What have kids got to be worried about now? ❜ ❨1204❩ ❛ If they want trouble, they should go live in Bangladesh. ❜ ❨1205❩ ❛ I can't wait until I get out of here. ❜ ❨1206❩ ❛ When she jumped she probably thought she’d fly. ❜ ❨1207❩ ❛ I do not think the patient truly meant to end her life. Her act was a cry for help. ❜ ❨1208❩ ❛ You're a stone fox. ❜ ❨1209❩ ❛ It was love at first sight, at last sight, at ever and ever sight. ❜ ❨1210❩ ❛ Light of my life, fire of my loins. My sin, my soul. ❜ ❨1211❩ ❛ He broke my heart. You merely broke my life. ❜ ❨1212❩ ❛ I'm sorry to have deceived you so much, but that's how life is. ❜ ❨1213❩ ❛ Words without experience are meaningless. ❜ ❨1214❩ ❛ I loved you. I was a monster, but I loved you. ❜ ❨1215❩ ❛ Come just as you are. ❜ ❨1216❩ ❛ If a violin string could ache, i would be that string. ❜ ❨1217❩ ❛ Perhaps, somewhere, some day, at a less miserable time, we may see each other again. ❜ ❨1218❩ ❛ What's so dreadful about dying is that you are completely on your own. ❜ ❨1219❩ ❛ Don't touch me; I'll die if you touch me. ❜ ❨1220❩ ❛ You took advantage of my disadvantage. ❜ ❨1221❩ ❛ I walk in a maze I cannot get out of. ❜ ❨1222❩ ❛ Life is just one small piece of light between two eternal darknesses. ❜ ❨1223❩ ❛ Imagine me; I shall not exist if you do not imagine me. ❜ ❨1224❩ ❛ There is no harm in smiling. ❜ ❨1225❩ ❛ There is no point in staying here. There is no point in staying anywhere. ❜ ❨1226❩ ❛ There is nothing more atrociously cruel than an adored child. ❜ ❨1227❩ ❛ I am so tired of being cynical. ❜ ❨1228❩ ❛ Come to live with me, and die with me, and everything with me. ❜ ❨1229❩ ❛ This is the only immortality that you and I may share. ❜ ❨1230❩ ❛ I loved her more than anything I had ever seen or imagined on earth, or hoped for anywhere else. ❜ ❨1231❩ ❛ I was despicable and brutal, and turpid, and everything, mais je t’aimais, je t’aimais! ❜ ❨1232❩ ❛ Years of secret suffering has taught me superhuman self-control. ❜ ❨1233❩ ❛ Solitude is corrupting me. I need company and care. ❜ ❨1234❩ ❛ I've missed you terribly. ❜ ❨1235❩ ❛ I've been revoltingly unfaithful to you. ❜ ❨1236❩ ❛ It doesn't matter a bit, because you've stopped caring anyway. ❜ ❨1237❩ ❛ What makes you say I've stopped caring for you? ❜ ❨1238❩ ❛ Nowadays you have to be a scientist if you want to be a killer. ❜ ❨1239❩ ❛ The sun climbs high in the sky, then starts down. People come, then go. ❜ ❨1240❩ ❛ Tell me, have you ever thought of killing me? ❜ ❨1241❩ ❛ I can not believe you are the same human being. ❜ ❨1242❩ ❛ Just how urgent is it? ❜ ❨1243❩ ❛ It is time for you to be going. ❜ ❨1244❩ ❛ How is it you know something like that? ❜ ❨1245❩ ❛ I don’t mind. Your mess is my mess. ❜ ❨1246❩ ❛ Everybody has one thing they do not want to lose. ❜ ❨1247❩ ❛ I’ll be late tonight, so don’t wait up for me. ❜ ❨1248❩ ❛ Nothing I’ve tried to do by myself has ever come off. ❜ ❨1249❩ ❛ I am not catching you in the middle of anything important, am I? ❜ ❨1250❩ ❛ Some things are forgotten, some things disappear, some things die. ❜ ❨1251❩ ❛ My biggest fault is that the faults I was born with grow bigger each year. ❜ ❨1252❩ ❛ To get irritated is to lose our way in life. ❜ ❨1253❩ ❛ A friend to kill time is a friend sublime. ❜ ❨1254❩ ❛ I don't really know if it's the right thing to do. ❜ ❨1255❩ ❛ Faster cars and more cats run over? Who needs it? ❜ ❨1256❩ ❛ Most of everything you think you know about me is nothing more than memories. ❜ ❨1257❩ ❛ Your fate is and will always be the fate of a dreamer. ❜ ❨1258❩ ❛ You’re loads better than you think you are. ❜ ❨1259❩ ❛ You’re only half-living, the other half is still untapped somewhere. ❜ ❨1260❩ ❛ The song is over. But the melody lingers on. ❜ ❨1261❩ ❛ You are extraordinary. ❜ ❨1262❩ ❛ We tend to fool ourselves into thinking that time is our size, but it really goes on and on. ❜ ❨1263❩ ❛ It could be five years or ten years or one month. It's all the same. ❜ ❨1264❩ ❛ I’m forever realising things too late. ❜ ❨1265❩ ❛ I’m not complaining when I say my life is boring. ❜ ❨1266❩ ❛ Weakness is something that rots in the body. ❜ ❨1267❩ ❛ Coming from your mouth, it has the ring of truth, but I doubt anyone would believe me if I told them. ❜ ❨1268❩ ❛ You can't expect something unreal to last anyway, can you? ❜ ❨1269❩ ❛ A wise man does not step betwixt the beast and his meat. ❜ ❨1270❩ ❛ So, kill me. Tell the others I attacked you so you killed me. ❜ ❨1271❩ ❛ Should never have come here. ❜ ❨1272❩ ❛ Hard to guess my tastes. ❜ ❨1273❩ ❛ Can’t it wait until the morning? ❜ ❨1274❩ ❛ You’ll find temper tantrums won’t help you here. ❜ ❨1275❩ ❛ It must have taken courage to return. ❜ ❨1276❩ ❛ It all sounds grimly dystopian. ❜ ❨1277❩ ❛ I am not afraid of you! ❜ ❨1278❩ ❛ All this could be avoided! ❜ ❨1279❩ ❛ You consider me a murderer? ❜ ❨1280❩ ❛ Gross way to die. ❜ ❨1281❩ ❛ What sparks wars? The will to power, the backbone of human nature. ❜ ❨1282❩ ❛ My life amounts to no more than one drop in a limitless ocean. Yet what is any ocean, but a multitude of drops? ❜ ❨1283❩ ❛ Our lives are not our own. We are bound to others. ❜ ❨1284❩ ❛ I believe there is another world waiting for us. A better world. And I'll be waiting for you there. ❜ ❨1285❩ ❛ You are allowed to feel messed up and inside out. It doesn't mean you're defective - it just means you're human. ❜ ❨1286❩ ❛ Power, time, gravity, love. The forces that really kick ass are all invisible. ❜ ❨1287❩ ❛ Unlimited power in the hands of limited people always leads to cruelty. ❜ ❨1288❩ ❛ Truth is singular. Its 'versions' are mistruths. ❜ ❨1289❩ ❛ Dreams are all I have ever truly owned. ❜ ❨1290❩ ❛ Your version of the truth is the only thing that matters. ❜ ❨1291❩ ❛ I believe death is only a door. One closes, and another opens. ❜ ❨1292❩ ❛ By each crime and every kindness, we birth our future. ❜ ❨1293❩ ❛ The healthy can't understand the emptied, the broken. ❜ ❨1294❩ ❛ Lying's wrong, but when the world spins backwards, a small wrong may be a big right. ❜ ❨1295❩ ❛ The weak are meat the strong do eat. ❜ ❨1296❩ ❛ Do whatever you can't not do. ❜ ❨1297❩ ❛ What precipitates outcomes? Vicious acts & virtuous acts. ❜ ❨1298❩ ❛ I remain thankful to God for all his mercies. ❜ ❨1299❩ ❛ You can maintain power over people, as long as you give them something. Rob a man of everything, and that man will no longer be in your power. ❜ ❨1300❩ ❛ Power. The ability to determine another man's luck. ❜ ❨1301❩ ❛ Pain is strong, aye - but friends' eyes, more strong. ❜ ❨1302❩ ❛ Perhaps those deprived of beauty perceive it most instinctively. ❜ ❨1303❩ ❛ Why ask a question whose answer would demand ten more questions? ❜ ❨1304❩ ❛ You can’t lie to your soul. ❜ ❨1305❩ ❛ Why would I want to do a thing like that? ❜ ❨1306❩ ❛ We start off with high hopes, then we bottle it. ❜ ❨1307❩ ❛ Better to make life as complete and enjoyable an experience as possible, in case death is shite, which I suspect it will be. ❜ ❨1308❩ ❛ I’m not running away, I’m moving on. ❜ ❨1309❩ ❛ The reasons? There are no reasons. ❜ ❨1310❩ ❛ Some people are easier to love when you don’t have to be around them. ❜ ❨1311❩ ❛ Love does not exist. ❜ ❨1312❩ ❛ Fuck that ‘regrets’ bullshit. ❜ ❨1313❩ ❛ How does it make you feel? ❜ ❨1314❩ ❛ It’s horrible how we always die alone, but no worse than living alone. ❜ ❨1315❩ ❛ Choose us. Choose life. ❜ ❨1316❩ ❛ You fucking knew that fucking cunt would fuck some cunt. ❜ ❨1317❩ ❛ I’m more of a warrior than you’ll ever be. ❜ ❨1318❩ ❛ What does that make us? The lowest of the low, the scum of the earth. ❜ ❨1319❩ ❛ You don’t have to run away.  ❜ ❨1320❩ ❛ I tried to stop because it was only causing pain. I couldn’t. ❜ ❨1321❩ ❛ I’m not going to get crushed. ❜ ❨1322❩ ❛ I love doubt in a woman. It’s nearly as sexy as determination. ❜ ❨1323❩ ❛ Take your best orgasm, multiply the feeling by twenty. ❜ ❨1324❩ ❛ You’re a mess. ❜ ❨1325❩ ❛ I know that it’s never left you alone. ❜ ❨1326❩ ❛ Are you asking me or telling me? ❜ ❨1327❩ ❛ You just get used to all the shit. ❜ ❨1328❩ ❛ You can’t afford a conscience in this life. ❜ ❨1329❩ ❛ None of us are saints and scapegoats are always handy. ❜ ❨1330❩ ❛ Doing things doesn’t hurt you; you get hurt by avoiding them. ❜ ❨1331❩ ❛ What was that? ❜ ❨1332❩ ❛ Protect me from those who wish to help us. ❜ ❨1333❩ ❛ You can’t love yourself if you want to hurt things like that. ❜ ❨1334❩ ❛ What happens when people open their hearts? ❜ ❨1335❩ ❛ Nobody likes being alone that much. ❜ ❨1336❩ ❛ I don’t go out of my way to make friends, that’s all. It just leads to disappointment.” ❨1337❩ ❛ Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Only assholes do that. ❜ ❨1338❩ ❛ You need to grab whatever chance you have of happiness where you find it, and not worry about other people too much. ❜ ❨1339❩ ❛ I want you always to remember me. ❜ ❨1340❩ ❛ Despite your best efforts, people are going to be hurt when it’s time for them to be hurt. ❜ ❨1341❩ ❛ What stays in your heart will stay; keep them, and what vanishes will vanish. ❜ ❨1342❩ ❛ All I want in this world is you. ❜ ❨1343❩ ❛ I want the two of us to begin everything from the beginning. ❜ ❨1344❩ ❛ No truth can cure the sorrow we feel from losing a loved one. ❜ ❨1345❩ ❛ What a terrible thing it is to wound someone you really care for and to do it so unconsciously. ❜ ❨1346❩ ❛ If you’re in pitch blackness, all you can do is sit tight until your eyes get used to the dark. ❜ ❨1347❩ ❛ I’ve had enough hurt already in my life. More than enough. Now I want to be happy. ❜ ❨1348❩ ❛ People leave strange little memories of themselves behind when they die. ❜ ❨1349❩ ❛ Stop eating yourself up alive. Things will go where they’re supposed to go if you just let them take their natural course. ❜ ❨1350❩ ❛ When your feelings build up and harden and die inside, then you’re in big trouble. ❜ ❨1351❩ ❛ When you fall in love, the natural thing to do is give yourself to it. ❜ ❨1352❩ ❛ If I have left a wound inside you, it is not just your wound but mine as well. ❜ ❨1353❩ ❛ Hey, what is it with you? Why are you so spaced out? You still haven’t answered me. ❜ ❨1354❩ ❛ People are strange when you’re a stranger. ❜ ❨1355❩ ❛ The dead will always be dead, but we have to go on living. ❜ ❨1356❩ ❛ You don’t get it, do you? ❜ ❨1357❩ ❛ I am a flawed human being - a far more flawed human being than you ❨1358❩ realise. ❜ ❨1359❩ ❛ At least let me know whether or not I hurt you. ❜ ❨1360❩ ❛ All of us are imperfect human beings living in an imperfect world. ❜ ❨1361❩ ❛ I’ve never once thought about how I was going to die. ❜ ❨1362❩ ❛ So I’m not crazy after all! ❜ ❨1363❩ ❛ I miss you terribly sometimes, but in general I go on living with all the energy I can muster. ❜ ❨1364❩ ❛ Will you wait for me forever? ❜ ❨1365❩ ❛ I don’t want our relationship to end like this. ❜ ❨1366❩ ❛ When am I going to be able to talk to you? I want you to tell me that much, at least. ❜ ❨1367❩ ❛ It hurts not being able to see you. ❜ ❨1368❩ ❛ I’m not totally mad at you. I’m just sad. ❜ ❨1369❩ ❛ The world is an inherently unfair place. ❜ ❨1370❩ ❛ Life frightens me sometimes. I don’t happen to take that as the premise for everything else though. ❜ ❨1371❩ ❛ I’m a real bargain, don’t you think? If you don’t take me, I’ll end up going somewhere else. ❜ ❨1372❩ ❛ We’re all kind of weird and twisted and drowning. ❜ ❨1373❩ ❛ Don’t you think it would be wonderful to get rid of everything and everybody and just go some place where you don’t know a soul? ❜ ❨1374❩ ❛ You’re not telling me anything I don’t know already. ❜ ❨1375❩ ❛ He who controls the past controls the future. He who controls the present controls the past. ❜ ❨1376❩ ❛ If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself. ❜ ❨1377❩ ❛ We shall meet in the place where there is no darkness. ❜ ❨1378❩ ❛ Until they become conscious they will never rebel. ❜ ❨1379❩ ❛ Power is not a means; it is an end. ❜ ❨1380❩ ❛ They are not interested in the good of others; they are interested solely in power, pure power. ❜ ❨1381❩ ❛ Now you begin to understand me. ❜ ❨1382❩ ❛ In the face of pain there are no heroes. ❜ ❨1383❩ ❛ Big Brother is watching you. ❜ ❨1384❩ ❛ Power is tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing. ❜ ❨1385❩ ❛ It’s a beautiful thing, the destruction of words. ❜ ❨1386❩ ❛ The choice for mankind lies between freedom and happiness and for the great bulk of mankind, happiness is better. ❜ ❨1387❩ ❛ Your mind appeals to me. It resembles my own mind. ❜ ❨1388❩ ❛ Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else. ❜ ❨1389❩ ❛ We do not merely destroy our enemies; we change them. ❜ ❨1390❩ ❛ How can I help it? How can I help but see what is in front of my eyes? ❜ ❨1391❩ ❛ You must try harder. ❜ ❨1392❩ ❛ Confession is not betrayal. ❜ ❨1393❩ ❛ What you say or do doesn’t matter; only feelings matter. ❜ ❨1394❩ ❛ If they could make me stop loving you —- that would be the real betrayal. ❜ ❨1395❩ ❛ Of pain you can wish only one thing: that it should stop. ❜ ❨1396❩ ❛ To die hating them, that will be freedom. ❜ ❨1397❩ ❛ No one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it. ❜ ❨1398❩ ❛ What can you do against the lunatic who is more intelligent than yourself? ❜ ❨1399❩ ❛ To keep them in control is not difficult. ❜ ❨1400❩ ❛ So long as they are not permitted to have standards of comparison, they never even become aware that they are oppressed. ❜ ❨1401❩ ❛ The consequences of every act are included in the act itself. ❜ ❨1402❩ ❛ The essential act of war is destruction, not necessarily of human lives, but of the products of human labour. ❜ ❨1403❩ ❛ Stupidity is as necessary as intelligence, and as difficult to attain. ❜ ❨1404❩ ❛ I hate purity, I hate goodness! I don’t want virtue to exist anywhere. I want everyone to be corrupt to the bones. ❜ ❨1405❩ ❛ The past is dead, the future is unimaginable. ❜ ❨1406❩ ❛ You know the answer already. Everyone knows it. ❜ ❨1407❩ ❛ You don’t give a damn what they suffer. All you care is yourself. ❜ ❨1408❩ ❛ It is not easy to become sane. ❜ ❨1409❩ ❛ No emotion is pure anymore, because everything is mixed up with fear and hatred. ❜ ❨1410❩ ❛ They say that time heals all things —- they say you can always forget. ❜ ❨1411❩ ❛ The object of waging a war is always to be in a better position in which to wage another war. ❜ ❨1412❩ ❛ I sold you and you sold me. ❜ ❨1413❩ ❛ You do not exist. ❜ ❨1414❩ ❛ How does one man assert his power over another? By making him suffer. ❜ ❨1415❩ ❛ Obedience is not enough. Unless he is suffering, how can you be sure that he is obeying your will and not his own? ❜ ❨1416❩ ❛ Everything else we shall destroy – everything. ❜ ❨1417❩ ❛ Two and two makes five. ❜ ❨1418❩ ❛ Facts, at any rate, can not be kept hidden. ❜ ❨1419❩ ❛ The past is whatever the records and the memories agree upon. ❜ ❨1420❩ ❛ So long as human beings stay human, death and life are the same thing. ❜ ❨1421❩ ❛ If both the past and the external world exist only in the mind, and if the mind itself is controllable—what then? ❜ ❨1422❩ ❛ The lie became the truth. ❜ ❨1423❩ ❛ It is like swimming against a current that sweeps you backwards however hard you struggle. ❜ ❨1424❩ ❛ Turn round and go with the current instead of opposing it. ❜ ❨1425❩ ❛ It’s only after we’ve lost everything that we’re free to do anything. ❜ ❨1426❩ ❛ I don’t want to die without any scars. ❜ ❨1427❩ ❛ This is your life and it’s ending one moment at a time. ❜ ❨1428❩ ❛ You know how they say you only hurt the ones you love? Well, it works both ways. ❜ ❨1429❩ ❛ You are not your job, you’re not how much money you have in the bank. You are not the car you drive. You’re not the contents of your wallet. ❜ ❨1430❩ ❛ You are not special. ❜ ❨1431❩ ❛ You’re not a beautiful and unique snowflake. You’re the same decaying organic matter as everything else. ❜ ❨1432❩ ❛ The things you used to own, now they own you. ❜ ❨1433❩ ❛ Today is the sort of day where the sun only comes up to humiliate you. ❜ ❨1434❩ ❛ Maybe we have to break everything to make something better out of ourselves. ❜ ❨1435❩ ❛ Only after disaster can we be resurrected. ❜ ❨1436❩ ❛ Everything is evolving, everything is falling apart. ❜ ❨1437❩ ❛ We’ve all been raised believe that one day we’d all be millionaires, and movie gods, and rock stars. But we won’t. ❜ ❨1438❩ ❛ Don’t you have other things to do? ❜ ❨1439❩ ❛ Prove you’re alive. If you don’t claim your humanity you will become a statistic. ❜ ❨1440❩ ❛ You have been warned. ❜ ❨1441❩ ❛ If you don’t know what you want, you end up with a lot you don’t. ❜ ❨1442❩ ❛ It’s not love or anything, but I think I like you, too. ❜ ❨1443❩ ❛ If I could wake up in a different place, at a different time, could I wake up as a different person? ❜ ❨1444❩ ❛ Why did I cause so much pain? ❜ ❨1445❩ ❛ The lower you fall, the higher you’ll fly. ❜ ❨1446❩ ❛ Maybe self-improvement isn’t the answer, maybe self-destruction is the answer. ❜ ❨1447❩ ❛ May I never be complete. May I never be content. May I never be perfect. ❜ ❨1448❩ ❛ Everyone smiles with that invisible gun to their head. ❜ ❨1449❩ ❛ We are not special. We are not crap or trash, either. We just are. We just are, and what happens just happens. ❜ ❨1450❩ ❛ The girl is infectious human waste. ❜ ❨1451❩ ❛ I want to destroy everything beautiful I’ll never have. ❜ ❨1452❩ ❛ On a long enough time line, the survival rate for everyone drops to zero. ❜ ❨1453❩ ❛ If you could be either God’s worst enemy or nothing, which would you choose? ❜ ❨1454❩ ❛ It is like you’re never really awake; but you’re never really asleep. ❜ ❨1455❩ ❛ Worker bees can leave. Even drones can fly away. The Queen is their slave. ❜ ❨1456❩ ❛ A moment is the most you could ever expect from perfection. ❜ ❨1457❩ ❛ The people you’re trying to step on, we’re everyone you depend on. ❜ ❨1458❩ ❛ You have to give up! ❜ ❨1459❩ ❛ Reject the basic assumptions of civilisation, especially the importance of material possessions. ❜ ❨1460❩ ❛ Without pain, without sacrifice we would have nothing. ❜ ❨1461❩ ❛ You have to realise that someday you will die, Until you know that, you are useless. ❜ ❨1462❩ ❛ A tiger can smile. A snake will say it loves you. ❜ ❨1463❩ ❛ Lies make us evil. ❜ ❨1464❩ ❛ If you died right now, how would you feel about your life? ❜ ❨1465❩ ❛ You always kill the one you love. ❜ ❨1466❩ ❛ Maybe we should always assume the worst. ❜ ❨1467❩ ❛ Put a gun to my head and paint the wall with my brains. ❜ ❨1468❩ ❛ Which is worse? Hell or nothing? ❜ ❨1469❩ ❛ A minute of perfection is worth the effort. ❜ ❨1470❩ ❛ You’re going to die, tonight. You might die in one second or in one hour, you decide. ❜ ❨1471❩ ❛ Lie to me. Tell me the first thing off the top of your head. Make something up. ❜ ❨1472❩ ❛ I don’t give a shit. I have a gun. ❜ ❨1473❩ ❛ I know who you are. I know where you live. ❜ ❨1474❩ ❛ Tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of your life. ❜ ❨1475❩ ❛ My philosophy of life is that I can die at any moment. And the tragedy of my life is that I do not. ❜ ❨1476❩ ❛ Everything is so far away, a copy of a copy of a copy. You can’t touch anything and nothing can touch you. ❜ ❨1477❩ ❛ There are a lot of things we don’t want to know about the people we love. ❜ ❨1478❩ ❛ We just had a near-life experience. ❜ ❨1479❩ ❛ If people think you are dying, they give you their full attention. They listen instead of just waiting for their turn to speak. ❜ ❨1480❩ ❛ I am nothing, and not even that. ❜ ❨1481❩ ❛ This isn’t really death. —- We’ll be legends. We won’t grow old. ❜ ❨1482❩ ❛ Stop trying to control everything and just let go. Let go. ❜ ❨1483❩ ❛ The amazing miracle of death, when one second you’re walking and talking, and the next second you’re an object. ❜ ❨1484❩ ❛ Only if we’re caught and punished can we be saved. ❜ ❨1485❩ ❛ I never thought about how important the sky was until I didn't have one. ❜ ❨1486❩ ❛ Dreams are like that: they go in and out of memories and scenes, but they're never real. They're never real, and I hate them because they aren't. ❜ ❨1487❩ ❛ Power isn’t control at all — power is strength, and giving that strength to others. ❜ ❨1488❩ ❛ A leader isn’t someone who forces others to make him stronger. ❜ ❨1489❩ ❛ A leader is someone willing to give his strength to others that they may have the strength to stand on their own. ❜ ❨1490❩ ❛ In the end, we are alone. ❜ ❨1491❩ ❛ It is like a piece of my soul is lost, empty. ❜ ❨1492❩ ❛ If my life on Earth must end, let it end with a promise. Let it end with hope. ❜ ❨1493❩ ❛ Sorry? Sorry isn't enough. ❜ ❨1494❩ ❛ Every single thing I ever loved is beyond my reach now. Everything I ever wanted. Everything I ever was. ❜ ❨1495❩ ❛ Will you stay with me? ❜ ❨1496❩ ❛ A leader doesn't make pawns - he makes people. ❜ ❨1497❩ ❛ Do you hear that? The pulse of life from your heart, the slow in-and-out from your lungs? Even when you are silent, even when you block out all noise, your body is still a cacophony of life. Mine is not. ❜ ❨1498❩ ❛ It is the silence that drives me mad. The silence that drives the nightmares to me. ❜ ❨1499❩ ❛ There is nothing between us but rain. There is nothing between us at all. ❜ ❨1500❩ ❛ I like a little chaos. ❜

[longing-for-rain]

Are you being serious right now?

Multiple characters, including Toph and Aang, are shown to be bending prodigies basically from birth, but you have a problem with Katara being a fast learner after she spent her childhood desperately chasing any scrap of waterbending knowledge she could find?

Katara is the only character (aside from Zuko, which is one reason they work so well together) shown to struggle with her element. Which makes perfect sense considering she was the last waterbender in her tribe.

Katara did have practice—years of it. She just needed instruction from a waterbending master on proper technique. It actually makes a lot of sense that she progressed more quickly, considering that. Arguably, more sense that Sokka having a major glow-up after a day of training with Piandao. But he’s a man so I get that someone like you wouldn’t hold him to the same standards. Or Aang, who learned waterbending even faster than Katara, learned earthbending quickly despite it being his elemental opposite, and also learned firebending in a matter of weeks. But sure, Katara is the one you’re going to accuse of being overpowered here. Might as well just call her a Mary Sue while you’re at it.

Oh and yes, of course she was shown beating male waterbenders. Probably because female students weren’t allowed. What a coincidence she was just fighting men! Men who, by the way, had been holed up in the North Pole, not actually fighting firebenders like Katara already had experience with at that point.

Katara also had a beautiful and often overlooked arc of her own. She not only struggled with learning her element, but also with her trauma. Both parts of her identity, which intertwine beautifully in the end.

She also has flaws and imperfections, which brings her character realism. She doesn’t always express her trauma in pretty ways. She can bottle things up and snap at people. She also has a tendency to be too trusting at times, like she was with Jet.

But the beauty of Katara is that she does grow from it while still retaining her compassion and desire to do what’s right by people. She’s less trusting of Zuko, but is able to work through that and form a powerful friendship with him.

And finally, what is this creepy fixation you have on her beauty? What universe do you live in where every other character is gushing about how gorgeous she is? Sure Aang is obsessed with her and Jet is somewhat implied to have a crush on her, but literally where else? There are more examples of other characters acting smitten by…all of the male main characters. Mai, Jin, and random side characters lusting after Zuko. Sokka and his many lovers, even Ty Lee hitting on him. Aang and his fangirls. But then again…I’m not surprised that you hold them to different standards given your attitudes.

But for argument’s sake, let’s say you have a point. How does this show that Katara is respected by the writers, in any way? It’s just reducing her down to an object, the same way she was in her final scene. The same way she is whenever they make a point of having Aang oogle her. That is the opposite of respect.

Then later in canon, she ends up alone in the South Pole, her only four grandchildren implied to hardly visit. The emphasis is entirely on the airbending portion of her family. None on the tradition of southern waterbending. She’s remembered as the greatest healer, an occupation she explicitly stated she didn’t want. Bloodbending was demonized and made illegal, while Toph got a school and eventual faction dedicated to her bending subtype. Toph and Zuko being allowed to return to help with the Red Lotus but not Katara. But sure, Katara is clearly so favored by the narrative.

Yeah, no. I do not see respect here.

Respect for women in general that you clearly lack as well. Seriously, what is this incel garbage on my post. Whining that you don’t like to see a woman be better than men at things, and dare to be beautiful too? How dare she! Go back to Reddit, I’m sure they’d love you there.

I saw your post about how healing isn’t as respected as other bending subtypes and it also occurred to me that the other waterbending subtype Katara learned (bloodbending) was demonized to the point the narrative took it away from her by making it “illegal”

This is a great point, they really didn’t let Katara have anything did they 💀

[rabbitcruiser]

Look for Circles Day

Look for Circles Day is celebrated on November 2 every year. A circle is a shape where all the points in the shape are equidistant from a given point, which makes the center. This holiday is celebrated across the country and is a day set aside to look for circles in the world around us. The day is meant to be a fun activity for kids and adults alike. In addition to being a fun day outside, the day helps young children learn to identify shapes, which is an important part of their development.

History of Look for Circles Day

Look for Circles Day is an opportunity to take your kids out and spend time looking for circles in everyday life and in nature — whatever your surroundings may be. Very simply, a circle is a closed curve, and it is a shape that can be found in everyday objects and nature. A circle is a shape where all the points in the shape are on the same plane and are equidistant from a single point in the middle, which is known as the center of the circle. Circles may also be defined as a type of ellipse or a closed curve that has two regions — an interior and an exterior.

Look for Circles Day is not only a great way to encourage children to look for shapes in the world around them, but it is also great for encouraging children to pay more attention to their surroundings and appreciate the world around them. Shape recognition is an important aspect of participating in the world around us, and encouraging children to look for shapes strengthens their capacity to identify shapes and patterns in their environment. Circles are an easy shape to start with since they are one of the easiest shapes to find and identify in the modern world and nature.

Circles are used extensively in art as well, and many cultures have used the circle to represent important values and ideas artistically. Rotation, revolution, and other circular movements are important to everyday life, and as a result, the circular shape can be found easily in modern life. Circles and spheres are also easily seen in nature — from the rings on tree trunks to drops of water.

Look for Circles Day timeline

1700 B.C. Formula to Devise Area of a Circle

Ancient Egyptians work on a formula that could allow them to approximate the area of the circle.

353 B.C. The Circle is Defined

Plato writes “Seventh Letter,” and in it, defines and explains the circle and its shape.

300 B.C .Properties of Circles Explored

Euclid writes his mathematical treatise Elements, and explore the properties of circles in it.

1880 π Proved to Be Transcendental

German mathematician Carl Lindemann solves the issue of squaring the circle by proving π is transcendental.

Look for Circles Day FAQs

Why are circles important in life?

Circles are important for mobility and symbolism — as circular shapes like wheels help us get around and circles symbolize harmony.

Why do we find circles so beautiful?

The perfect symmetry and smooth shape of circles makes them beautiful to humans.

Where do we find circles?

Circles can be natural or man made, but natural circles are usually imperfect circles.

Look for Circles Day Activities

Make circle shaped food

Organize a community game

Go for a circular drive

A great way to help everyone look for circles is to make the circles yourself. Bake cakes and cookies, cut up cucumber and carrots and share them with your family and friends.

Get everyone in your community together for a fun game of looking for circles. Make your own rules up — like only finding perfect circles, or only circles from nature, and get exploring.

Head out for a long drive in your neighborhood — but make sure your route makes a perfect circle. Track your route on maps and share it on social media.

5 Facts About Circles That Will Blow Your Mind

Circle refers to the boundary

It’s the most symmetric shape

A circle in every triangle

It’s present in the word encyclopedia

People naturally walk in circles

The term refers to the boundary or the line that connects the equidistant points. The whole shape is called a disc.

Every line through the center of the circle is a line of reflection symmetry.

The circles inside triangles are called incircles and each of the sides is a tangent to the circle.

The circle in the word encyclopedia is cycle, and the word means circle of learning.

Without navigational cues, people could walk in circles forever.

Why We Love Look for Circles Day

It’s a fun activity

Keep our kids busy

Circles are fascinating

We love the idea of making a game out of looking for circles. We think it's fun to look for shapes in the world around us.

We think that this day is a great way to get kids outside and busy. We love that we can set up an activity that keeps kids engaged and helps them grow.

We love how easy and interesting it is to find circles in art and nature. We think that the shape is fascinating and love spending a day celebrating it.

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