More Than Appearance Quotes

“Well, with every pirouette, we entrust the weight of our bodies on the tips of our toes, with the promise of them delivering us in cyclones. Our arms, always elegant it may appear, struggle beneath the heaviness our muscles battle to stay fluid. It looks effortless--- every allongé, every piqué as simple as the natural flow of water. But every dance, every move our bodies make, is a war against itself. It's magnificently dangerous. Like... blooming into an ocean. That's what it feels like. An ocean. Deep and rich all-encompassing, drowning out everyone in our presence. They sink into the moment, succumb to every movement, and simply just admire.”
― Kiana Krystle, Dance of the Starlit Sea

“The Floribunda Rose

Abundant blooms of sweet perfume, silky smooth to the touch, and intoxicating to the senses, floribunda can and will fool you. In reality she is tough, disease-resistant, prickly, and very hardy in colder zones. The proverbial iron fist in the velvet glove of plants.”
― Margot Berwin, Hothouse Flower and the Nine Plants of Desire

“You don't belong in Jack's world, and he doesn't belong in yours. My advice is to get out while you can."
I glared at him with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance. "You think you know everything about me, but I'm not a nice girl. I've done bad things. I've been arrested, handcuffed, and interrogated in the police station as an accessory to crime. I've broken laws. I've been threatened, kidnapped, tied up, and was an active participant in a high-speed car chase. I know who Jack is. I have a good idea about what he does. And I can make my own decision about whether we're good together or not, which, by the way, we are, subject to smoothing out a few wrinkles."
George chuckled. "So, you're saying that what you see isn't what you get. You're no lightweight."
"Damn right.”
― Sara Desai, 'Til Heist Do Us Part

“Despite nearly drowning and narrowly avoiding a mermaid's song, I'm intrigued by this new world. I'm curious how their ruler determines what makes a hero and what makes a villain. It can't be as simple as which side of town a character lives on, if they have horns or halos or use swords or spells. There might have been a time when I thought good and evil were clear-cut, but that all changed when Jack set out to save Christmas and ended up ruining it instead. He became the villain instead of the hero he yearned to be.
And what about me? I live in a world of monsters who, by most reckonings, would be considered villains. Yet that's the last way I think about gentle Behemoth, sweet little Zero, friendly Undersea Gal. Do they think of me as a hero simply because I come from a land of sweet dreams? Of course not. If they look at me with any admiration, it's because of my efforts as queen, not the crown alone.”
― Megan Shepherd, Hour of the Pumpkin Queen