game over.

a collection of lyrics pulled from the ep everything to everyone.

everything to everyone (intro)

“ i can’t be everything to everyone. ” “ who do you talk to when you can’t talk to no one? ” “ forget all your problems, you know that i’m gonna solve them.” “ i hate when you’re crying. ” “ i’ll kill myself trying.” “ i’m not scared of dying. ” “ i hope that it’s over when i’m older. ”

in the kitchen.

“ it’s you that i’m missing. ” “ Please be careful, the knife is so big. ” “ we’re too young, too dumb. ” “ and now it’s just me. ” “ a hundred square feet of bittersweet memories. ” “ i still hear all your favourite melodies. ” “ strangers, to lovers, to enemies. ” “ i’ll dance with your ghost in the living room. ” “ i’ll play the piano alone. ” “ it’s real once everyone knows. ” “ could’ve at least shown me some decency. ” “ fallin’ in love, no, it ain’t for the weak. ” “ and i knew i would fall for you over and over. ” “ who would’ve known that the fallin’ would come to an end. ”

colorado.

“ i think my life might be better if i lived in colorado. ” “ sit around and get high. ” “ i threw my phone into a lake. ” “ maybe there i’d like myself. ” “ might even feel compelled to sing karaoke.” “ we’d start a brand new life and never be lonely. ” “ swear to god, i am going not that far. ” “ who am i kidding, i’m addicted to the chip on my shoulder. ” “ i’ll admit it would be nice to meet some one who’s not my type. ” “ i think i’ll probably hate my life. ” “ might even feel compelled to finally let go. ” “ it’s an empty dream. ” “ that shit’s not meant for me. ” “ i’d choose the devil i know over the heaven i don’t. ” “ this is hell, but i’ll stay right here.” “ i’ll stay right here. ”

don’t tell my mom.

“ do you like it? ” “ no, i cried. ” “ you did cry. ” “ sweetie, will you come home? ” “ who are you with? ” “  what are you on? ” “ when i was young my problems were her problems. ” “ i don’t wanna cause trouble at all. ” “ we’re worried about you. ” “ don’t worry about me. ” “ don’t tell my mom, i’m falling apart. ” “ she hurts when i hurt. ” “ my scars are her scars. ” ” what you don’t know won’t hurt you. ” “ at least in her mind, her daughter is fine. ” “ please don’t let her hear i’m dying inside. ” “ she’s dealt with this for years. ” “ i got it this time. ” “i worry about you. ” what can i do.

“ i’m holding your hand. ” “ i wonder if he notices the things that i can. ” “ you don’t even get it, no, you don’t understand. ” “ i want you, but i’m only one of your friends. ” “ i know all about you. ” “ i listen to your stories. ” “ he’s not what you need. ”  “ you know you’re too good for him. ” “ if it were me, i’d give you everything. ” “ so, what can i do? ” “ you feel it too? ” “ i just wanna say it. but i’m scared. ” “you ain’t looking at me the way i look at you. ” “i’d rather keep on lying than to tell you the truth. ” “ i’ll be here forever wondering. ” “ what can i—what can i do? ”

too well.

“ today i woke up in a good mood for once. ” “ i don’t hate you as much. ” “ you weren’t there in my dreams. ” “ i could finally sleep, i felt good. ” “ it’s easier holding a grudge. ” “ i’d rather be angry than crushed. ” “ i’m doing too much. i do too much. ” “ i’m back where i started again. ” “ this shit never ends. ” “ i get so sick of myself. ” “ i heard you’re happy somewhere else. ” “ i don’t forget too well. ” “ what a wreck. ”  “ what a shame. ” “ you called me at eight. ” “ you’re my biggest mistake. ”

moon.

“please don’t smoke, it’ll kill your palete.”

“(name), tonight is huge.”

“when you smoke, you ruin your ability…”

“oh, come on!”

“thank you.”

“thank god.”

“is that gonna fit everyone?”

“a night?”

“you’re fucking kidding, right?”

“what, are we eating a rolex?”

“come on, let’s not ruin this by talking price, yeah?”

“just go with the flow, let it be magical.”

“not bad!”

“oh, thanks man.”

“you deserve this, baby.”

“you know who’s gonna love this? (name)!”

“fuck. we’re dicks, huh?”

“great. a power tasting.”

“they’ll be wasted by the amuse.”

“hi guys.”

“look at you on a gangplank in heels.”

“holy fucking shit.”

“(name), oh my god.”

“who’s (name)?”

”okay, well, it’s official.”

”tonight will be madness.”

“all aboard!”

”wow.”

”please make yourselves comfortable…”

“ahoy!”

“and avast, me hearties!”

“let’s hope she’s seaworthy, eh?”

“yes, sir. yeah.”

“boat jokes… we’re on a boat.”

“yeah. we’re on a boat.”

“hey, we got a famous person on board, huh?”

“hey, aren’t you supposed to be running interference for me?”

“make sure people don’t bother me, then?

“god, we both know you were not bothered.”

“i saw all his movies when i was a kid.”

“hey, listen.”

“apparently, he’s a big foodie.”

“beautiful. thank you.”

 “it’s one of his classics.”

“the lemon pearls are made with alginate.”

“alginate, as in…”

“pond scum.”

“it’s laughable.”

“it’s actually fucking laughably good.”

“think i prefer just the oyster, though.”

“please don’t say ‘mouthfeel’.”

“too late. mouthfeel.”

“jesus, this is like prom.”

“yeah? i never went to prom.”

“really? why not?

“‘cause none of the cool girls like you said, ‘yes’.”

“aw, poor baby.”

“well, fuck those bitches.”

“welcome.”

“it’s a pleasure to have you.”

“you gave my real name?”

“what about the paparazzi?”

“paparazzi? we’re on an island.

“i’m (name).”

“we’ll endeavor to make your evening as pleasant as possible.”

“that was really awkward, i’m so sorry.”

“don’t worry about it.”

“we’ll just go straight to the restaurant, if you don’t mind.”

“we’ve seen the tour many, many times.”

“thank you. please follow me.”

“so, like, what are you working on now?”

“aw, hey, thanks for asking.”

“see, people still know me.”

“we have the bounty of the sea surrounding us.”

“out there, right now, we are harvesting scallops. you’ll eat them tonight.”

“hey, harvest harder, me dude!”

“we’re starving!”

“this is insane.”

“smell that.”

“yeah, i’m a huge embarrassing foodie.”

“i love this stuff.”

“and i’m close, personal friends with the chef.”

“can we pop in here?”

“dude, i read about one of these online.”

“can i check it out?”

“but please, do not touch our proteins. they’re immature.”

“so, what happens if you serve it on the 153rd day?

“does all hell break loose, or…”

“well, i suppose the bacteria would introduce itself… to the consumer’s bloodstream and spread into their spinal membranes… after which point, he or she would become incapacitated… and shortly thereafter expire.”

“so, yes, all hell would break loose.”

“i’d like to work for her.”

“this is where we live.”

“you actually live here?”

“here we are family.”

“we harvest. we fement.”

“we slaughter.”

“dinner is typically four hours and twenty five minutes.”

“it’s best that we all live here.”

“burned out?”

“there is food at the end of this, right?”

“who lives there?”

“isn’t the GOAT the greatest of all time, though?”

“look at that view.”

“wanna take a picture?”

“just… you should have the better view.”

“well, i don’t need a better view.”

“you know my name?”

“well, the attention to detail, it’s like, fuck!”

“yeah, i noticed you didn’t ask his name.”

“this ongoing obsession with snow.”

“it’s officially a plague, and no one is immune.”

“i want to hear your pitch for the show…”

“come on. i’m trying to do a goodbye toast. can you please just let me do that?”

“i told you this two weeks ago.”

“we’re doing this? the ‘talking about our lives’ thing?”

“me and (name) aren’t good. it’s not good.”

“are you at fault?”

“i’m an asshole.”

“we’re pathetic, aren’t we?”

“so it’s okay… that i’m not as into this as you are?”

“i’m sitting with the coolest girl here.”

“they play with the raw materials of life itself. and death itself.”

“that was beautifully put, (name).”

“i think i’m starting to get it.”

“i have to beg of you one thing.”

“do not eat.”

“is he serious?”

“be mindful.”

“and look around you. here we are on this island. accept. accept all of it. and forgive.”

“here they come.”

“we, the people on the island, are not important.”

“what happens inside this room is meaningless…”

“nature is timeless.”

“are you crying?”

“it’s just that i find it all very moving. it’s all so beautiful.”

“i’m pretty sure he doesn’t even know about your existence.”

“relax. just eat your rock.”

“oh, my god. for crying out loud. it’s not brain surgery, okay?”

“okay, so we go to italy, right?”

“i eat the cheese, and then…”

“that’s a disaster.”

“whatever. at least we can say we’ve been here, right?”

“my dad used to say that you buy the experience.”

“i mean, this looks like… a suburban landscaping.”

“is he gonna keep doing that?”

“bread has existed in some form for over 12,000 years… especially amongst the poor.”

“ancient greek peasants dipped their stale, measly bread in wine for breakfast.”

“and how did jesus teach us to pray if not to beg for our daily bread?”

“he must be joking.”

“it’s gotta be a bit.”

“are you fuckin’ serious?”

“he’s basically insulting you.”

“it’s a concept.”

“i know what a concept is, (name).”

“call me the girl next door… but maybe there are some rules that you should give a fuck about…”

“this is all very clever, and i  didn’t want to pull this card… but you know who we are, right?”

“i know who you are.”

“we won’t tell a soul.”

“you will eat less than you desire and more than you deserve.”

“that is not what i meant, and you know it.”

“i am perfectly capable of deciding when i eat and what.”

“you shouldn’t be so fucking rude.”

“where do we know her from?”

“ so, let me tell you a memory of mine.”

“i finally had to stab him in the thigh with kitchen scissors.”

“we’re not so smart when we’re young.”

“no, the pictures. they’re all of us.”

“what the hell are these?”

“how did you get these?”

“yeah, a fucking taco that might hold up in court.”

“stop talking and let me think, okay?”

“did you just fucking snap at me?”

“you do not send shit back to this kitchen, you child.”

“what did you just call me?”

“i called you a child… because you’re fucking acting like it.”

“(name), you need to apologise to me right now. you cannot speak to me that way.”

“actually, i can because, ding dong, i’m the one who’s paying.”

“how can i assist you?”

“what’s behind that silver door?”

“you shouldn’t be in here.”

“why do you care?”

“i’ll ask again. who are you?”

“i’m (first name) (last name).”

“so, where are you from, (name)?”

“you want the address for mom’s trailer park, you asshole?”

“no, it’s not who you want me to think you are.”

“you shouldn’t be here tonight.”

“please get the fuck out of my way.”

“he aspires to greatness, but he’ll never achieve it.”

“there is no way to avoid the mess.”

“the mess you make of your life… of your body… of your sanity… by giving everything you have to pleasing people you will never know. ”

“what are you doing?”

“what’s wrong with you?”

“the fuck is that?”

“that was a shock. i didn’t see that comin’.”

“what happened?”

“it’s just part of the menu.”

“it’s part of the show.”

“that’s a stunt? what was that?”

“this is an exclusive experience.”

“is he dead?”

“it’s not funny.”

“it looks so damn real.”

“this is just theatre, right?”

“he just fucking shot himself, okay?”

“it looked very real, (name). quite real.”

“we’re leaving. now.”

“is something wrong?”

“there is no boat to leave on.”

“that would be very difficult without phone service.”

“fucking move.”

“i’ll handle this.”

“with which hand, (name)?”

“with which hand will you handle this? left or right?”

“what the fuck are you saying?”

“shall we choose?”

“come on. leave the guy alone.”

“what the hell’s goin’ on?”

“do you need assistance finding your seat?”

“there’s a finger right there.”

“it’s not funny, lady! jesus christ!”

“this is real, isn’t it? i can’t do it.”

“i can’t do a hostage thing. i can’t.”

“then why don’t you go talk to him?”

“because you know him, right?”

“i made that up.”

“because i’m a name-dropping whore.”

“your husband’s ring, madam.”

“i honestly think that this whole thing is just for our benefit.”

“that’s why he texted me.”

“why are you doing this?”

“i’ve served many (name)’s. you’re not a (name).”

“what the fuck does it matter?”

“you were not a part of that plan.”

“with us, or with them?”

“and then you’ll let me live?”

“let you live? no!”

“we’re all gonna die tonight.”

“so, the question is, do you wanna die with those who give, or with those who take?”

“it’s arbitrary.”

“these decisions are important…”

“god damn it. it’s not fucking fair.”

“you smoke all day. can’t even fucking taste it.”

“we’re cornered. let’s focus.”

“wait, what’s the play here?”

“what are our options?”

“the door is guarded… but that could be a play.”

“hey, guys. we gotta do something.”

“we can’t be cowards.”

“this worked in a movie i did once.”

“when they bring their knives and forks, we just storm the kitchen, okay?”

“you think we have better knife skills than them?”

“what other choice do we have?”

“fuck it. i’m gonna break this fucking window.”

“there’s a saying. ‘sometimes all you need is a good cup of tea’.”

“i’ve found that not only does tea cleanse the palate, but it offers a soothing balm when facing some hard home truths.”

“but before we continue… are there any questions about me?”

“i think i speak for everybody here when i say that… i wanna know… i mean, we wanna know…”

“why the fuck is this happening?”

“you loved that i texted you an invitation for this evening.”

“your ego was fed.”

“it wasn’t cod, you donkey.”

“and i’ve been fooled into trying to satisfy people who could never be satisfied.”

“just say how much, and we’ll give it to you.”

“do you hear that silence?”

“listen, can you hear it?”

“and what have you decided?”

“i shouldn’t be here.”

“all of this… is not meant for me.”

“you’re not sure i’m brilliant, so don’t say it.”

“i’m not sure that you’re brilliant.”

“i was expecting more.”

“i guess i’m gonna have to make your decision for you.”

“you thought i couldn’t tell?”

“i know a fellow service industry worker when i see one.”

“how do you know him?”

“you’ve been eyeing him all evening.”

“you don’t rattle easily. so, how did he rattle you?”

“if we can find a boat, we can make a break for it.”

“into the tranquil night air.”

“i’ll send for help. first thing.”

“i’ll leave you to it.”

“it’s getting chilly.”

“yes, well… there was a time that would have meant a lot to me, (name).”

“you know, it’s the emoji for me.”

“don’t fucking run next to me.”

“you’re running next to me!”

“it’s a big fucking’ forest! fuck off!”

“are we all really dying tonight?”

“everyone dying was my pitch, actually. i’m super proud of it.”

“anybody want any wine?”

“i heard a pop.”

“not that you guys give a single, flying fuck… but my name is not (name). it’s (name).”

“party’s over.”

“welcome back.”

“what did you get?”

“how’d you do out there?”

“i did great. i killed it.”

“i’m the only one who got away.”

“i’m sorry. i’m a fuckin’ failure.”

“i’ve been stealing money from you.”

“i know. you cc’d me in on it.”

“tell me why you’re here.”

“and what were you told?”

“what were you told ahead of time?”

“‘everyone would die.’”

“i seem to remember you had a date.”

“so, you hired her knowing she’d die?”

“you entitled piece of shit.”

“i’m gonna kill you, (name)!”

“calm down.”

“you can’t blame her, can you?”

“you’re not like the others, are you?”

“come with me.”

“i have something for you.”

“mr handsome boy.”

“i’m proud of you.”

“what do you need? we have everything.”

“shit? would you like some shit?”

“we strive for perfection… which of course does not exist, and that is a hard truth for me to accept… so please forgive me.”

“and that concludes our demonstration.”

“do you see a barrel?”

“look, i’m not trying to sound, like, all whatever here or anything… but i just don’t think it’s really fair.”

“do you wanna know why you’re being punished?”

“i saw the film calling doctor sunshine, and i did not enjoy it.”

“it was a sunday.”

“seeing you again now haunts me.”

“what happens to an artist when he loses his purpose?”

“what school did you go to?”

“i’m sorry. you’re dying.”

“motherfucker.”

“do you think you’re special?”

“you’ve disobeyed this rule.”

“you’ve been a nuisance since you have arrived.”

“you will not replace me.”

“i didn’t forget.”

“happy birthday to you.”

“you told them it was my birthday?”

“seemed funny about three hours ago.”

“i am a monster. no, was a monster. and a whore.”

“and at last, the pain is almost gone.”

“i can no longer be hurt, (name).”

“as dr. king once said, ‘we know through painful experience… that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor. it must be demanded by the oppressed.’”

“did he just quote martin luther king?”

“i see you found our radio.”

“it’s a boat!”

“did you call someone?”

“why didn’t you all try harder to fight back? to get out of here? honestly, you probably could have. something to think about.”

“are you the owner?”

“come on. clearly, there’s a misunderstanding.”

“on your knees with your hands over your head. now.”

“you’ve betrayed our sacred bond of trust.”

“you’ve shown your craft to be careless.”

“you’re an eater. you’re a taker.”

“i don’t like your food.”

“what did you say?”

“for starters… you’ve taken the joy out of eating.”

“every dish you served tonight has been some intellectual exercise… rather than something you want to sit and enjoy.”

“when i eat your food… it tastes like it was made with no love.”

“oh, this is ridiculous.”

“you’ve failed.”

“you’ve bored me.”

“and the worst part is… i’m still fucking hungry.”

“you know what i’d really like?”

“tell me.”

“yeah, we can do a cheeseburger.”

“the cheap ones your parents could barely afford.”

“american cheese is the best cheese for a cheeseburger… because it melts without splitting.”

“is the fryer still on?”

“one moment, please.”

“thank you… for everything.”

“i told you, you weren’t leaving.”

“the s’more.”

“it’s everything wrong with us, and yet we associate it with innocence.”

“but what transforms this fucking monstrosity is fire.”

Here are some angst conversation prompts from this generator. Use them for your angsty needs!

"You must be mad, coming here like this."

"They've been missing since Friday and you're not worried?"

"I never meant to come between you and them."

"But this is the only thing that's made the last three years bearable."

"No! I'm tired of doing what you say."

"Tell me what you saw, for his/her/ their sake!"

"This isn't just about you. It's about what's best for all of us."

"How, exactly, did you think that having an affair would help our marriage?"

"Find some proof that they betrayed you."

"You did a bad thing for a good reason."

"I thought someone should tell you that your mother has died."

"Could you be happy here with me?"

"If you leave now, you lose everything."

"Move away from the door and let me at them."

"You had time to call the police. Why didn't you?"

"I'm too old to start again."

You think I'm being paranoid but the truth is I'm worth a lot more to them dead than alive."

"Were you really spying on me?"

"I've been waiting a long time for you."

"You've taken them back? You can't be serious?"

"You've only heard their point of view. You never asked mine."

"I don't think I could live alone again."

"Do you ever think we should just stop doing this?"

"I knew you wouldn't be able to see it through."

"Please don't argue. You have to leave right now, you aren't safe here."

lines through the movie because - hello - i adore just how well done it was. feel free to adjust pronouns/phrasing if needed. May include nsfw material.

~

"Of course not."

"Do you have the right person?"

"We have the right person."

"When did this happen?"

"Where?"

"What happened to the people she bit?"

"Who bit her?"

"We brought you here to help us keep this from spreading."

"We need a vaccine, or a medicine."

"I have spent my life studying these things."

"Please listen carefully."

"There is no medicine. There is no vaccine."

"So what do we do?"

"Do I look like I'm infected?"

"Show us your arm."

"Yeah it's not getting any worse, is it?"

"Don't worry about that."

"Well, I'm gonna."

"I'm not infected."

"Clearly not."

"I think what really impressed them was the fact that I didn't turn into a fucking monster."

"There's not gonna be anything bad in here?"

"Just you."

"Oh, funny."

"She made it through the fuckin' night."

"It doesn't matter."

"It's gonna happen, sooner or later."

"This is our best shot."

"Better them than us."

"You hungry?"

"You can share some of ours."

"Guess not you guys."

"Don't lie to me."

"You heard that?"

"I'm gonna talk to you like you're an adult."

"Answer my question."

"They're working on a cure."

"I've heard this before."

"Fuck you man, I didn't ask for this."

"You and me both."

"If she so much as twitches."

"Don't."

"Can I have a gun?"

"Absolutely not."

"No."

"I'll just throw a fuckin' sandwich at them."

"It's the long way or the we're fuckin dead way."

"How did you get bit?"

"How old are you?"

"Well, I mean, you got some balls on you, sister."

"Nobody's gonna be comin' after you, right?"

"Shit, I hope not."

"What was that?"

"Have you heard of books?"

"I don't know how to swim."

"No, smartass."

"I don't know how I was supposed to know that."

"Yes sir, I would like your finest suite please."

"Yes ma'am, would you like me to take your luggage?"

"You're a weird kid."

"Oh, fuck!"

"Fucking fabulous."

"When the fuck did that happen?"

"Can you give me a hand?"

"Nice knife."

"Where'd you learn to do that?"

"The circus."

"No more questions about me."

"Was it hard? Like, knowing they were people once?"

"Put the gun down."

"You're not immune from being ripped apart."

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me."

"More ground rules..."

"What the fuck is going on?"

"They went inside."

"Our luck had to run out sooner or later."

"Fuck. She's infected."

"Show me."

"Oops, right?"

"Shut the fuck up."

"Save who you can save."

"Oh, no, did it just start raining...?"

"Quick, into this cave!"

"That lightning almost hit us!"

"That thunder doesn't sound good."

"Let's take shelter in here for a while."

"I guess we're sleeping in here..."

"The sound of rain on the roof/window/etc. always calms me down."

"Shh... listen."

"Mind if I wait out the storm here?"

"Let's go play in the rain!"

"Of course it had to rain while we're out here..."

"Do you think the rain water is safe to drink out of this?"

"Those clouds don't look very good."

"We can still have fun, even if it rains!"

"You've never seen rain before?"

"This mud is thicker than glue..."

"My socks are soaked..."

"Yeah, yeah, I know. I look like a drenched rat."

"I'm not scared of thund--WAAAH!"

"Well, we picked a really bad time to go camping, huh?"

"We'll be stuck under this tree forever. We'll have to write our wills on leaves."

"Inside! Hurry!"

"The... the power just went out."

"This poor creature... we have to get it out of this storm!"

"Why do worms always come out when it rains?"

"At least I won't have to water the garden today."

"Relax, it's just rain."

"Gah! I just stepped in a puddle!"

"Would you mind if I stood under your umbrella...?"

"Do you want my coat?"

"I--It's so c-cold..."

"My hair is a mess!"

"Our clothes are soaked..."

"Look at us; we look like we just went swimming in all of our clothes!"

sentence starters based on scarlett thomas’ novel our tragic universe.  change however necessary.

tw: depression, relationship conflict, infidelity, emotional abuse/manipulation

❛ i’m a fucking failure . i might as well admit it . ❜

❛ everything’s shit . i can’t do anything without making a mess of it . ❜

❛ i didn’t mean what i said before . i wouldn’t kill you . i wouldn’t even blame you . ❜

❛ what happened to us ? i don’t know if i’m even good for you anymore . i fuck everything up . ❜

❛ he often said that he wanted to minimize the footprint he was making on the environment , but i sometimes wondered whether really he didn’t want the environment to make a footprint on him as it trudged on into an unknown future . ❜

❛ surely it didn’t matter where you were , as long as you were happy ? ❜

❛ i fail all the time , but it’s just not so obvious . ❜

❛ life isn’t all about success . we don’t all have to be [ name ] . it’s ok to just be . that’s what we’re doing , isn’t it ? ❜

❛ we could build our farm and live off the land . then none of it would matter . ❜

❛ we would live happily ever after because of all that stuff , not despite it . ❜

❛ i am a monster . fuck . i said i wasn’t , but i am . ❜

❛ i’m a real shit sometimes , but i do love you . ❜

❛ sometimes [ name ] talked about what she felt for [ name ] , and i just couldn’t understand it . she seemed to want him , not what he could give her . ❜

❛ do you know the difference between a lie and a story ? ❜

❛ it’s not a bad thing to be good at telling stories , and in some ways everything we tell is a story , but sometimes it’s good to remember which parts of the stories we tell are true , and which parts are made up . ❜

❛ you’re not the kind of person to overcome monsters . that’s a good thing , isn’t it ? remember the story of beauty and the beast ? the beast looked like a monster , and all he needed was love , and then when beauty really loved him he turned into a prince . in that story , beauty didn’t overcome the monster either ; she loved him , and they lived happily ever after . ❜

❛ if a monster , or something you call a monster , comes to see you and you become its friend , it stops being a monster , at least to you . in that sense , there don’t have to be any such thing as monsters . you have to decide something is a monster before it becomes one . ❜

❛ i suppose in an ideal world you would go your separate ways and leave each other alone . ❜

❛ the main thing is that you don’t have to be violent towards something just because you don’t like it . ❜

❛ in a sense you could say he hasn’t made anything of himself , because he hasn’t become rich and famous , and he doesn’t have a family and a house , but he’s very happy with his simple life . ❜

❛ i was looking back at him , and suddenly something happened with our eyes : they touched . somewhere in the air between us , we touched without touching . ❜

❛ i wanted to run my theory past you . do you mind if i do it now ? it looks like we’re stuck here for a while , and there’s no one else to really talk to about this . ❜

❛ it seemed to be one of the small sadnesses of contemporary life that there was always someone in your office , or down the road , or across the river who understood your inner soul better than you partner did . ❜

❛ [ name ] had seemed to understand my inner soul once , i remembered , but he was well out of date on that score now . ❜

❛ it’s an interesting conversation to have while we wait to drown . ❜

❛ disaster is built into every man-made system . ❜

❛ people are simply reading technology as tragic . people somehow know that technology is always doomed . all that hubris . ❜

❛ all stories of success begin with failure , and the reverse . love stories begin with loneliness ; loneliness stories begin with love . ❜

❛ narrative has to have patterns , other it wouldn’t be narrative , and while life doesn’t have to have patterns , the minute we express it as narrative it does have to have patterns ; it has to make sense . therefore we impose patterns on life in order that we can express it as narrative . ❜

❛ whenever something good happens , we start anticipating its end . ❜

❛ i wanted to take his arm , or his hand , but i didn’t . ❜

❛ it’s too depressing ; no one wants anything ; no one does anything ; there are no questions to be resolved . ❜

❛ things seem like magic only when we don’t understand the underlying forces that make them happen . ❜

❛ perhaps he’d been killed in an accident , and that was why he hadn’t been at the bus stop . If he had been killed , i found myself thinking , then i’d be free . i erased the thought from my mind , but I couldn’t undo the fact that i’d had the thought in the first place . ❜

❛ here , in front of me , were so many different kinds of madness that i could hardly breathe . ❜

❛ I wondered if there really were that many people who felt so victimized by contemporary life . ❜

❛ i find it all so depressing , but i don’t know why . ❜

❛ i’ve got a friend who says that the human being is a big computer that can compute everything that machines can’t — feeling , emotion and so on . ❜

❛ i want [ name ] to start taking an interest in me , and i want some passion in my life . ❜

❛ if everyone had money and love and creative talent there’d be no need for world peace . ❜

❛ everything i’d ever thought about it had seemed like a good idea once , and then i had another ‘ good idea ’ and had to delete the one before . ❜

❛ life is a great quest , and you are its hero . the purpose of life is the completion of the quest . To complete the quest you must work out what you most want to find in some faraway cave , then take some weapons , go out and find the cave and get this thing . anything that stands in your way is a monster . ❜

❛ some beings have to be monsters , because otherwise how do you define other beings as heroes ? ❜

❛ it just wasn’t any good to find out that you are a monster and overcome yourself : the monster has to be outside you , and you have to kill it and move on until you get your treasure and your princess and become enlightened and then ascend to the road to perfection . ❜

❛ no . i mean she’s gone . i don’t know where . ❜

❛ it’s not really a mystery to me , but i’m too tired of it all to try to understand . ❜

❛ i was going to say i was sorry and i hoped his hand felt better , but actually i’m not sorry and i hope it drops off . ❜

❛ he didn’t say much . it was obviously one of those things i was supposed to know never to mention . ❜

❛ maybe there was always something . but there was also always the sense that if the something could be fixed , then all would be perfect . ❜

❛ i’ll never know , because i can never ask him about it again . you know how you can only ever talk about a problem once with [ name ] and then if you bring it up again he goes totally crackers ? ❜

❛ [ name ] could be a real skeptic when he wanted to be , which made his belief in aliens and sea monsters all the more interesting . ❜

❛ it means i’m not as mad as i thought i was . ❜

❛ if the future has already happened , or , at least , if it’s possible to compute , then of course you can predict it . ❜

❛ if a person’s collective thoughts are not kept in their head , but outside in a collective space , then anyone can access them . ❜

❛ I think the wrong type of person senses that there’s more power out there than they’ve been given access to , and so they pretend they’ve got it . ❜

❛ you’re always going to see fraudsters and tricksters out there on the street , peddling what they’ve got , because there’s no other way for them to live . ❜

❛ but what’s the point of it all ? this universe that’s just data . ❜

❛ death has to be what defines life , since living things are those things that will die but are not yet dead . ❜

❛ i saw the people themselves , already bad copies of pictures in magazines , aging , breaking , dying , for no reason at all , just like everything they ever bought . ❜

❛ each time two of them kiss in a disco , they imagine they are embarking on a perfect romance . ❜

❛ the people will lie , kill or steal for these items , which they believe to be love potions , beauty creams , elixirs of success or even flat-pack fairy castles . but in fact all they are trading are empty cardboard boxes , which they stack up in their houses until there are too many and then they throw some away . ❜

❛ why would you choose to die if there was an alternative ? ❜

❛ i half-wanted to say sorry , but i didn’t , because i also half-wanted to scream at him that it was his own fault , that everything he was upset about was his own fault . ❜

❛ i’m not sure i love you anymore , and i didn’t want to be anywhere near you this evening because you’re a fucking lunatic . ❜

❛ instead of comforting me , as i thought he would , he said , in a cold voice , ‘ you are just like your mother , ’ and left the room . i knew then that i’d lost him forever . ❜

❛ [ name ] didn’t like us playing together , so we’d stopped . ❜

❛ pretty shit . i keep having to go and cry in the toilet . ❜

❛ i don’t think i can come out tonight , unfortunately , which is such a bummer because i so don’t want to be at home . ❜

❛ of course , people did look after others in this way , sometimes for years . what was so wrong with me that i could barely manage it for a day ? ❜

❛ please don’t leave me alone . the world’s sort of vibrating . ❜

❛ i willed the phone to ring again . it didn’t . ❜

❛ don’t take the piss . i’m enjoying this . it’s making me feel better . ❜

❛ birds must be happy when they fly . ❜

❛ that weird plant must really like growing in sand . ❜

❛ evolution keeps on trucking until the end of time , which is never tomorrow , even though we all think it might be . ❜

❛ surely anything that existed and could think would find itself astonishing . ❜

❛ the placebo effect might not be the results of the patient’s mind , but your mind . ❜

❛ will you thank [ name ] for me when she gets back ? i’m too embarrassed to see anyone right now , especially her . ❜

❛ everyone’s got things they find hard to do . ❜

❛ she had her hands wrapped around her coffee as if it was the only source of warmth in her life . ❜

❛ i wanted to meet you again after that party , but i never did , and now i probably never will again , and it’s a shame , because i thought we could have been friends . ❜

❛ you know , not everyone is judging you . everyone’s got something that other people would think was awful if they knew . people like to attack the people who can’t or won’t hide , because that’s all part of their own camouflage . ❜

❛ i won’t ever come first for him , even though i’m the one who is there all the time , and i’m actually interested in him and his life . ❜

❛ he doesn’t mean to hurt my feelings , but he does , all the time , because he’s been put in this impossible position . ❜

❛ she has a nice big house , i imagine , and a cleaner , and nice furniture , and a husband and three lovely children , and that gives her the right to judge me , and decide how i should live . ❜

❛ i imagined being with [ name ] until we were both in our sixties and realized i’d probably rather shoot myself . ❜

❛ it was when i’d noticed the agelessness of his arms that i’d first realized he was a man , like any other man , and that he would also have feelings and memories and hopes and a heart and a naked body , just there under his clothes . ❜

❛ [ name ] told me he was going to tell [ name ] not to come round anymore . ❜

❛ you do look after me . sorry i’ve been a dick recently . ❜

❛ it’s so easy to start thinking that life is totally meaningless . ❜

❛ when i was a kid i thought death would happen to other people , but not to me . then when I grew up and realized it was inevitable for everyone , it was just such a fucking downer , you know ? ❜

❛ she’d even considered ruins , since , as she put it , she was already ruined herself . ❜

❛ don’t you think it’s interesting that people spent loads of time and money building structures for no reason other than to amuse themselves , or have something better than the neighbors , or so they could pretend to be living in the past , or in a fairy tale or something ? ❜

❛ was all that [ name ] , or was it just my idea of him ? ❜

❛ i just don’t want to go and play happy families with [ name ] and fucking [ name ] , of all people , especially when she’s shagging someone else . ❜

❛ i’m not into morally policing my friends . or my family , for that matter . ❜

❛ i wish i’d never told you any of that stuff now . i knew you’d find some way of using it against them . ❜

❛ if i sat there now , with so much life to contemplate , i felt that i might just watch the sea forever , and freeze with no fire and starve with no food . ❜

❛ i’m thinking about having an affair — which by the way will remain an affair even if i do leave [ name ] , because the , um , third party has got a partner as well . ❜

❛ you can’t really be in love with one person and officially living with another ; it has to be both at once . ❜

❛ i went through them all one by one after [ name ] rejected me . With the first three i convinced myself I was in love each time . ❜

❛ there was no conversation , but i understood , and he understood , that i’d had all his friends and now it was his turn . ❜

"What are you hiding from me?"

"Close your eyes. No peeking!"

"Hey, can you help me real quick?"

"I'm hungry."

"Seriously, could you be any slower?"

"I think we missed our ride..."

"Are you okay?"

"No, really, breathe louder. It's not at all annoying."

"Do you want to head up to the roof?"

"You know, your taste in music really sucks."

"Whoa, wait, how late is it now?"

"Look at you, you're so cute!"

"Do you think we'll ever be able to fly?"

"Uh... there's only one bed in here..."

"Do we even have enough money for this?"

"Hey, take a walk with me. We have to talk."

"What are you even talking about?"

"I'm about three seconds away from screaming. Just a warning."

"Do you need any help with that?"

"Put that back right now!"

"You really believe that?"

"I hate this SO much."

"This is for me...?"

"Sorry, I'm just... really upset."

"May I have this dance?"

"I didn't mean to..."

"Do you think we'll be together forever?"

"I didn't think I could hate you more, but apparently I was wrong."

"You didn't think I would just leave, did you?"

"What I wouldn't have given to be a fly on the wall for that."

"How did you even... manage this?"

"Everything is okay, don't worry about it."

“I THINK.. I THINK THAT I DO NOW?” jamie wondered, raising an eyebrow at that, because.. once upon a time, he would not have believed it. that he knew edward evernever and that the other actually gave a damn about him? it was.. it was more than he had ever believed that he would deserve and right now, he was damn sure of that. just.. no, he had never believed that this was where he would be - a full and complete member of the farm, having someone who loved him and that he loved back but.. he wouldn’t CHANGE it for the world, that was for sure. “i’m sorry that i was so stubborn at first. i was still holding on to some stupid notion that my uncle was my friend and that he gave a damn about me and.. it was a lie. it’s alright, though, because.. i lost him but i found you. you and me. forever?”

“MY DARLING, YOU COULD NEVER,” otto shook his head a little bit, moving forward as he did so, because.. right now, he didn’t want to let her go. right now, he didn’t want to let her go because there was a chance that the past could come back out there to hurt him and.. no, he didn’t want to get her caught up in that, that was for sure. he didn’t want her to get caught up in what he had done in the past, because.. if she did, there was a chance that she would get hurt and right now, he didn’t want that to happen. in fact, he couldn’t absolutely let it happen, because.. she meant the world to him and no, he had never loved anyone as he loved her. right now, he doubted that he would be able to, that was for sure. not at all. “you are no trouble at all, i just.. the past is slowly catching up to me. i don’t want you to get hurt.”