Strange Love Quotes

“As the combatant fell, she shouted, “This is Sparta!” Because obviously.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Snaps fell back onto his butt, staring at the seedlings with wide eyes. “Am I…a father?” “Sort of,” Beryl said. Zylar churred, amusement overwhelming him. Then Snaps lay down in front of the plants with a determined sound. “I will protect you, tiny green dirt dogs.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“At this point, she would slap a nun for a ham sandwich.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“He’d save her life first and sort the rest out later.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“She found his hesitant possessiveness adorable, because while he felt those things, he never tried to stop her from doing whatever she wanted. And she could eat his sweet vulnerability with a spoon.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“It was a deeply inhuman embrace, but something about the contact soothed her regardless, because it came from a friend.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“If you had to be abducted by aliens, it was good to wind up with one who respected your boundaries and preferences.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Zylar could not predict what medicine would make her better. Maybe healing would require art, music, or simply the solace of time. Whatever it took, he would help her surmount this tragedy.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“He was about to rush out and start a frantic search when Snaps bounded into their quarters. Quivering, he knelt and put a claw gently on the fur-person’s head. “I’m very glad to see you,” he said. “Now that is a proper welcome for a good boy,” said Snaps.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Terrible One, I’m most willing to receive affection from you in whatever form you wish to bestow it. If I find the delivery method strange, I believe I can adapt.” “Then hold still.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Zylar froze. Somehow he must have set off her predatory instincts. “I’m happy to hear that, but why are you grappling me?”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Is there anything I can do to ease your path?” Zylar paused then, waiting for her reply.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Come on. How bad could it be?” That was a rhetorical question, but nobody had explained that concept to dogs because he answered, “They could eat us. Burn us. Or put us in cages. Not all at once.” “Thanks.” “I’m here to help,” said Snaps.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“She wasn’t sure if he was talking to her or Zylar, but they both answered at the same time. “Positive,” and “Absolutely certain.” Maybe her heart fluttered a little. For damn sure, her alien hadn’t meant to steal her, but he was dead set on keeping her.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Zylar could not possibly have understood the female correctly. Her words registered as: Copulation! Let’s join and find out how this works.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Fuck it,” Beryl said. “Out-bonding it is. Let’s see where this goes.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Are you…proposing to me?” “Yes, Terrible One. You are the most hideous mate anyone ever brought back to Barath, and so you will drive all predators away from our nest with ease.” He churred again, a soothing sound, actually. “Thanks? But you need to work on the endearments.” She glanced at the dog, who cocked his head at her. “What do you think, boy?” “Go,” said Snaps.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Certainly, I’ve never seen anyone with such a fearsome aspect.” “Is that supposed to be a compliment?” she demanded. “Did it not sound like one?” He seemed puzzled,”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“A frond curled around her arm, and it dit feel like vegetation, not flesh. Kerr is a sentient plant? So freaking cool.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“You’re so unhappy. But the ancient grove has promised it will not be long.”

How did Kurr communicate with these ancestor trees anyway? It felt entirely unhinged to hang a whole plan on the whispered promises of elderly arboreal advisors, but hell, once she got abducted and decided to roll with it since it was better than her old life, did she really need to draw the line at listening to venerable vegetation?

“Well, if the trees said so…” ”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Give me time to leave with Snaps. It will make your overture more compelling if you do it when he can verify that I’m elsewhere.”

“Like I’m doing it behind your back.”

“What does my dorsal side have to do with anything?”

“Never mind.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“It was probably only a few intervals, though it seemed longer with Ryzven lurking and radiating impatience. At last Beryl and Kurr returned, markedly cleaner and fresher, and he heard Beryl telling the Greenspirit about the garden. His human hurried toward him, though her steps slowed when she spotted Ryzven nearby. Snaps squirmed in Zylar’s arms, so he set him down after checking the cord looped around his neck. Beryl reached for the leash as she eyed Ryzven, but she didn’t address him. Instead, she knelt and spoke nonsense words to the fur-person while rubbing him all over with her grabbers.

Kurr filled the awkward silence with a stiff, formal greeting. “Honor to your kith and kin, renowned Ryzven. I am Kurr.”

“A pleasure! Everyone who has been following the Choosing knows who you are, esteemed Greenspirit.”

While Zylar would be pleased if Ryzven forgot his business with Beryl while dallying with Kurr, he doubted he’d be so lucky. And as Beryl rose, Ryzven turned to her, making sure she got the full impact of his rare colors. He even puffed out his thorax a little, and Beryl let out a breath, a sound Zylar identified as annoyance. She said something the translator couldn’t process.

“I came to congratulate you on your—” Before Ryzven could finish his pompous sentence, Snaps ambled forward, lifted a leg, and eliminated on him.

“I don’t like him,” Snaps said. “Beryl doesn’t like him. Let’s go!”

“So sorry about that,” Beryl said in a flat tone. “Snaps is nervous around strangers.”

Zylar had heard sincerity from her many times before, and on this occasion, she wasn’t remotely apologetic. In fact, her eyes were twinkling and she seemed to be having a hard time restraining herself from making the battle face, which she’d said indicated amusement or enjoyment.

“You should clean that up,” he told Ryzven, who was sputtering incoherent outrage.

Most likely, he would live to regret all of this, but it felt so good to get the best of his arrogant nest-mate for once that he didn’t even look back when Beryl grabbed his claw and led him toward the exit. It occurred to him that she was leading him like Snaps, only by the limb instead of using a cord, but it would have lessened the impact of their departure if he mentioned as much.

Once they reached the public corridors, Kurr finally said, “I hope we have not given serious offense. I am…fearful.”

The Greenspirit must know Ryzven’s reputation well. He wouldn’t accept such a humiliation without striking back. “Do not let it lessen your satisfaction in what you’ve achieved today. I will apologize more fully another time.”

“Why would you apologize for something Snaps did?” Beryl cut in. “If anyone’s going to make amends, it should be me. Though for the record, I said ‘sorry’ already.”

“It was insincere,” Kurr noted.

Beryl stared for a long moment, then said, “That’s fair.” She took a step closer to the two of them and added in a whisper, “So when I apologize sincerely, I probably shouldn’t let on that I told Snaps to pee on him? I mean, theoretically.”

The Greenspirit emitted a shocked rustling sound while Zylar simply could not contain his glee. He churred louder than he ever had in his life. “Truly? That’s what you said that the translator could not comprehend?”

Then Beryl did show her fearsome aspect, displaying all her teeth. “I will neither confirm nor deny those allegations.”

“Confirmed,” said Snaps. “I was promised extra snacks.”

Still delighted with his intended, Zylar led the way to the garden, wondering how he should reward Beryl for improving his life in every conceivable way. ”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Though they had been gone maybe half an hour, according to her internal time clock, Snaps still went wild when they walked in, prancing around their legs with exclamations of “Welcome, welcome! I’m so glad you’re here! Welcome! Gosh! Welcome!”

Dogs were fucking great. ”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“They reached the garden, and Beryl turned to him. “Is it safe for him to play on his own here?”

“Define safe.”

“No dog-eating plants, he can’t open the doors and run away, that sort of thing.”

“I can disable to the motion-sensing feature on the entrance,” Zylar said, doing so as he offered. “And there are no aggressive botanical lifeforms cultivated here. Those are contained in the secure greeneries.”

Beryl’s eyes widened. “You’re growing attack petunias somewhere?”

“I don’t understand.”

“Never mind.” She knelt and put her hands on Snaps’s face, so the fur-person had to look at her. “Don’t eat anything in here. You understand? It might make you sick.”

“Eat nothing. Smell everything. I got it!” Snaps said. “Can I dig?”

“It’s probably fine. Just don’t hurt the plants.” She pulled the cord off him, setting him free to explore, while Zylar tried to understand why Snaps wanted to dig.

“I have nothing to bury,” Snaps said sadly, then he bounded off.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“As they closed the distance to his private quarters, he contemplated the problem, but before he came to any conclusions, he heard shouting.

“Hey! Hey! Hey!”

“So that’s what Snaps is saying when he barks,” Beryl said in a thoughtful tone.

“It sounds as if he has important news.” Zylar hurried ahead, entering with haste due to the urgency of Snaps’s cry.

“Finally!” Snaps said. “I’ve been saying ‘hey’ forever and nobody came.”

Beryl knelt beside him and scratched the top of his head. “Sorry, buddy. I’m here now. What’s the problem?”

“I’m bored! I’m so bored! I smelled everything in here so many times and—”

“You want to go out?” Beryl guessed.

“I peed where I’m supposed to. There’s nothing to eat, nothing to dig, nothing to chew. So bored!”

Zylar had no idea what could suffice as an entertainment device, but Beryl turned to him with a look he couldn’t interpret. “I need something that could work as a collar and leash. Otherwise he might get excited and run off.”

“You wish to fit him with movement-restraining devices?” At least, that was how the translator presented her request. If only he could be sure that meanings were ported accurately. Sometimes he found Beryl’s questions so baffling.

“Something like that. A rope would do.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love

“Also, I’ve been meaning to explain this to you. When I show my teeth, it’s not a display of power or dominance. I’m smiling. It means I’m amused or happy.”

“Truly?” That astonished him. He never would have made that connection on his own. “Would it trouble you not to clarify this to others? It makes you less imposing.”

“Uh, sure. They can keep thinking it’s a scary battle face, I don’t mind.”

“Thank you, Terrible One.”

“What did I say about working on your endearments?” she snapped.

Zylar processed the reaction, but he didn’t understand her outrage. “It is a compliment. You will behold many fearsome competitors in the Choosing, but I do not believe anyone can best you.”

“It’s a cultural thing, I get that. But if you want to put a smile on my face, call me sweetheart or baby or…” She stopped talking, likely reading his horror.

“Why would I comment on the delectable nature of your organs?” Zylar shuddered delicately. “It’s even worse to infantilize you.”

She tilted her head. “Shit, since you put it that way, now I don’t like those options either. Then…just use my name, okay?”

“Yes, Beryl. That I will do gladly.” He set off again, pleased with how readily they’d reached a sensible compromise. “What does your name mean?”

“It’s a mineral found on Earth. A gemstone, to be precise. The best known types are emerald and aquamarine, but I’m honestly glad my mom didn’t get more specific.”

“These gemstones are valuable, yes?”

“Some of them. Why?”

Ignoring the question, Zylar churred in satisfaction. “You are well named, my unexpected treasure.”

“I…thanks.” She ducked her head, and the color of her cheeks shifted, darkening with what looked like it might be an injury.

“Are you well enough to compete?” he asked.

“We’ll find out.”
― Ann Aguirre, Strange Love