therese > therese's Quotes

“I will love you as a drawer loves a secret compartment, and as a secret compartment loves a secret, and as a secret loves to make a person gasp, and as a gasping person loves a glass of brandy to calm their nerves, and as a glass of brandy loves to shatter on the floor, and as the noise of glass shattering loves to make someone else gasp, and as someone else gasping loves a nearby desk to lean against, even if leaning against it presses a lever that loves to open a drawer and reveal a secret compartment. I will love you until all such compartments are discovered and opened, and until all the secrets have gone gasping into the world.”
― Lemony Snicket

“What is this, Enki?” says the Queen. “Do you not honor me?”

Enki’s smile is wide and bright. “I give you the greatest honor,” he says.

“You are dressed in the manner of a slave,” says she, “in a city where there are none.”

“There aren’t,” he agrees, though now his smile seems too sharp for his words. “But there is the verde.”

“And what of it?”

“I am dressed in the manner of my people.”

“Are we not your people?” And we see that the Queen is torn between amusement and anger. Enki is leading her in a dance, but has not tapped out its rhythm.

“You are everything to me.”

“And yet you come before us hardly as a king.”

“I come before you,” says Enki, “as a simple verde boy.” He takes a quick step back, almost skipping, and his dust-lightened hair bobs around his ears. “I will leave you as a king.” And when the drums start, that’s how he dances: as a king.”
― Alaya Dawn Johnson, The Summer Prince

“To feel anything
deranges you. To be seen
feeling anything strips you
naked. In the grip of it
pleasure or pain doesn’t
matter. You think what
will they do what new
power will they acquire if
they see me naked like
this. If they see you
feeling. You have no idea
what. It’s not about them.
To be seen is the penalty.”
― Anne Carson, Red Doc>

“You remember too much,
my mother said to me recently.
Why hold onto all that? And I said,
Where can I put it down?”
― Anne Carson, Glass, Irony and God

“I reached up and laid a hand on his cheek. “I know, honey.” His eyes softened a bit at my endearment. “Because you’re going to kill him for me, aren’t you?” His lips quirked just the slightest. “I’m going to destroy him for you, Halle.”
― Jodie Slaughter, All Things Burn