My Memetastic Memes

“I’m a 5′3″ vessel of ‘fight me’.”

“What you have to understand is that I’m fueled by caffeine and spite.”

“I feel that expression so deeply in my soul all the time.”

“That’s because the tiny third shift terror provides.”

“I don’t know why people are still surprised. This is completely normal. Terrible, but normal.”

"Oh shit! Jesus throwing shade!"

“You’ve seen what happens to screwups, right? Let’s, um, do the opposite.” 

“Go on. It would disappoint me so much if you didn’t.” 

“There must be some mistake. You’re the bitch.” 

“We’ve come to save you.” 

“How did you find me?” 

“Take me back to her/him.” 

“I can’t leave the job unfinished.” 

“We didn’t save you just so you could rush off and commit suicide.” 

“We have a lot to talk about and not much time.” 

“I assure you that everything will be answered in time.” 

“You just need to know a thing or two. It’s the knowing things part that just so happens to be my specialty.” 

“Look. You obviously want to tell me something, so just stop screwing around and let’s hear it.” 

“Haven’t you learned by now that the real story is not always the whole story?” 

“You’re the one who gave them those things.” 

“The only thing I know for sure is that I don’t trust you. At all.” 

“Why don’t you do it yourself?” 

“I should have known you were part of this.” 

“I’ve told you what you need to do.” 

“You came back for me. After everything-” 

“You’re really going to have to learn to be tidier.” 

“Be honest and concise. As long as you tell the truth, no harm will come to you.” 

“Come with me. I have a special task that you can help me with.” 

“Is this when I, like, lean on the statue and fall through a trapdoor?” 

“What did you get me into?” 

“If you’re kind to it, it remembers. If it’s your friend, it will help you.” 

“If you wanted to talk to me, why didn’t you just come to my room - like before? Why go through all of this?” 

“Things are about to get messy around here, __.” 

“I hate to tell you this, but the flowers have teeth.” 

“Wait, never mind. I don’t know why I thought you’d answer that, since you haven’t answered any of my other questions.” 

“So what do you want from me? Why did you bring me here?” 

“It was selfish of me to get so close to you.” 

“I don’t know what that means.” 

“I hardly know anything about you.” 

“You’re not a gardener at all, are you?” 

“I wish I could tell you everything, __.” 

“I wish I could take you with me. But I can’t.” 

“We all have our secrets to keep.” 

“Don’t trust anyone. Don’t even trust me. Trust yourself.” 

“They know who it is.” 

“I just can’t wait for things to get back to normal.” 

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” 

“And how am I repaid for my generosity? With betrayal.” 

“We will have our justice! The truth always reveals itself.” 

“She/He knew the risks. She/He knows what she’s/he’s doing.” 

“She/He was willing to sacrifice herself/himself for you. Don’t make it for nothing.” 

“Go to your room. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” 

“I can’t believe a word any of you say.” 

“You didn’t need to know. It wasn’t part of the plan.” 

“What freaking plan? You didn’t tell me what I was supposed to do. You didn’t give me anything to go on.”

“When will you learn? Some things are bigger than you, ___.” 

“You just left me here. I didn’t know if I’d ever hear from any of you again.” 

“I did it because I had to, not because I wanted to.” 

“I’m just a chess piece for you people to move around.” 

“I thought I could trust you.” 

“I thought you understood what we were trying to accomplish.” 

“Being sorry doesn’t change anything. All it does is waste your energy>” 

“ARe you going to tell me what that is this time? Or are you going to surprise me again?” 

“I don’t see why I can’t just kill him/her. It would make everything so much easier.” 

“I hate him/her, and I hate his/her dumb little hats.” 

“It’s useless. Everything I do, I do for her/him. And still, she/he will never love me the way I love her/him.” 

“Why not start small?” 

“You’ll have to be more careful about that next time. You’re lucky it was me who noticed. Others around here get quite upset when things are where they don’t belong.” 

“It won’t happen again, _.” 

“Those who have sacrificed always have the most to lose.”

“”You made it. You’re here.” 

“I came as soon as I could. SOmetimes it’s hard for me to get away.” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Is there something wrong with my disguise?” 

“Yeah, they don’t really know me around here.” 

“You told me before that you worked here.” 

“How am I supposed to trust you when you won’t tell me the first thing about you?” 

“Tell me what you do know, then.” 

“I don’t think he’d/she’d do that. But I’d stay away from him/her if I were you.” 

“She’s/He’s in her/his own little world. It’s kind of sad.” 

“What happened to her/him? Will she/he be okay?” 

“You work well under pressure, __. You’ll need that.” 

“I was just doing my job.” 

“If you aren’t up for this, __, I’m sure any of the other girls/boys/people would jump at the chance.” 

“This isn’t the time for mourning. We go on.” 

“Tell me the gossip. No one ever tells me anything.” 

“The atrocious mess is not the point, ___. The point is that you were careless. Very careless. I’m used to better from you.” 

“I’m sorry. So very sorry. I can’t imagine what came over me.” 

“I want you to hold on to it. To remind you of what happens when you disappoint me the way you did today.” 

“Don’t scream. I don’t want to hurt you, but I will if I have to.” 

“Just keep your mouth shut. I’m here for some information and then I’ll be on my way.” 

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll pretend this never happened.” 

“I’m sorry I ran off on you. It wasn’t my best moment.” 

“You know you’re nuts breaking in here, right?” 

“It doesn’t matter that she/he abandoned me.” 

“No, it’s not your fight. I have to do it myself.” 

“You joke, but this is serious.” 

“__, my dear, do you ever get the feeling you’re being watched?” 

“If I don’t come back, find a way to give everyone the plague.” 

“What did he/she do to you?” 

Tell me there’s another way out of here.” 

“Oh, did I make you mad?” 

“Not so talented after all, are you?” 

“What if I set the whole place on fire by accident?” 

“You didn’t think I could do it, did you?” 

“Go ahead. Just try and hide from me. But I’m warning you - I could find you anywhere.” 

“You were good back there. Really good.” 

“You’ve gotten so much better.” 

“It’s not just the magic. It’s the rest of it.” 

“The way you move; the way you think on your feet. You’ve gotten so good so fast.” 

“You’re a natural, you know?” 

“I wonder what happened.” 

“I mean, I was never like this before.” 

“What do you think you would be like?” 

“Let’s not get carried away here.” 

“My whole life has been about fighting her/him, you know? Who will I be when she’s/he’s gone?” 

“Do you think it will ever really happen?” 

“I know it will. I wasn’t sure at first, but know I know.” 

“I don’t know who brought you here or how they did it. But I know there was a reason for it. You’re here to help us. And I know you can do it.” 

“You have to be promise to be careful tomorrow. I didn’t want to bring you, but __ wouldn’t listen.” 

“I know the deal. I know why I’m important to you.” 

“I wouldn’t expect you, of all people, to let your feelings get in the way of what must be done.” 

“Stay back. They won’t notice us yet if we’re careful.” 

“There’s still plenty you can give me, __.” 

“I’m not going anywhere with you.” 

“He/She doesn’t mean anything to me.” 

“You have to do something.” 

“There’s nothing I can do.” 

“It has to be you, __. You have to do it.” 

“Well, it could be worse, couldn’t it?” 

“Do you understand what that means?” 

“If she/he chooses to make a nuisance of herself/himself, things will not be so pleasant for her/him.” 

“Looks aren’t everything, you know.” 

“You know how it goes. The maid always has the most valuable information. And the maid always cracks under pressure.” 

“Don’t worry, you’re still ___.” 

“Remember what I’ve taught you.” 

Enough of this. It’s time for you to go.” 

“That will never happen again.” 

“Please, please don’t, it was just an accident!” 

“What did they do to him/her?” 

“We should get out of here.” 

“You don’t think I can handle it.” 

“I know this is all new. I know you’re scared. But we need you; and I have faith in you.” 

“You have to want it. Do you want it?” 

“Forget about what you are supposed to do. Just do what comes naturally to you.” 

“I hate to break it you you, but none of this comes naturally to me.” 

“You have the talent. Once you learn how to harness it properly, you’ll be unstoppable.” 

“You’re not __, dear. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure you never become her/him.”

“Who am I supposed to be?” 

“The truth is, I already know exactly who you are.” 

“Don’t talk with your mouth full. Now, pour me a cup of tea.” 

“I don’t think you like me much. And I know you don’t trust me.” 

“That’s a good thing. You shouldn’t trust me.” 

“There’s just something about her/him. Something that creeps me out.” 

“Can’t you drop the good soldier crap for a second and just be a person?” 

“You can’t judge her/him now. She’s/He’s doing the best that she/he can under the circumstances.” 

“I’ve seen her/him. I’ve seen what she’s/he’s become.” 

“You don’t really think she’ll/he’ll see this and beg for forgiveness, do you?” 

“There is no more room for forgiveness. Not for me.” 

“That’s the difference between us. I wouldn’t hesitate if the outcome was ridding the world of her/his evil.” 

“No one else sensed it, I don’t think - but I did.”

“How do you know that?” 

“You’re afraid to do anything but wish for things to happen to you.” 

“You’ve wanted to run away for almost as long as you can remember.” 

“It matters how you do this; what you do to get there.” 

“Do you always ask so many questions?” 

“Do you really want to know who I am?” 

“Magic is just energy that wants to be something different.” 

“Don’t be too mad at __. He/She did what I asked of him/her.” 

“I’m not even sure if ___ actually knows how messed up this is. But you do. Why did you do this?” 

“So that justified everything?” 

“It’s funny - we actually need your sense of good around here.” 

“Things have gotten murky after so many years of fighting her/him.” 

“What if I want to be angry? Don’t I have a right to be angry?” 

“Look at what I did back there when I was angry.” 

“Being angry works. It works a lot better than anything else I’ve tried.” 

“I can imagine a lot of things. That doesn’t mean they’re possible.” 

“Anything is possible, dear. Look around you.” 

“Don’t encourage it, ___.” 

“I wasn’t going to let that happen.” 

“No one’s ever done that before.” 

“Look at you. All this training and you’re fighting like it’s your first day.” 

“There’s a lot for us to talk about, and I could use a nice, long nap.” 

“But it can’t make something out of nothing. It can’t help you if you don’t have it in you somewhere.” 

“Don’t you worry about a thing. You’re here now, and safe. And you’re free.” 

“I think you’re starting to understand. It will take a while, but you’re getting there.” 

“There will be plenty of time to talk about all of this later. First we need to get you cleaned up.” 

“___ certainly does know how to start a fight.” 

“Forgiveness doesn’t come easy for you, I see.” 

“Sometimes you have to bed so as not to break, dear.” 

“You manipulated me. I know it.” 

“You used your magic on me to make me think you were my friend.” 

“Maybe I did and maybe I didn’t; but if I did, maybe it was for a reason? And if I did, then what’s stopping me from doing it again?” 

“If we could do that we would have done it long ago.” 

“We made a deal. Remember?” “You agreed to join us when you took my hand.” 

“I didn’t know what I was agreeing to.” 

“Your ignorance makes no difference.” 

“You may look sweet, but I know who you are.” 

“I’m not who you think I am.”

“That’s why you’re here. We need you to stop her/him.” 

“Me? I just got here. How am I supposed to stop anyone from doing anything?” 

“You’re going to kill her/him. ___ must die.” 

“Um, I think you’ve got the wrong person.” 

“That was different. That was magic, I’m sure of it.” 

“Everyone has to start somewhere.” 

“Listen, I have my own problems.” 

“No offense or anything, it’s just, I’m not a killer. I’m not the girl/guy you’re looking for here.” 

“I think it would be pretty amazing to know what you guys know.” “But you all have magic; you know what you’re doing. I’m sure you can handle it without me.” 

“You haven’t been trained yet.” “You don’t know who or what you are yet.” 

“What happens if I say no?” “You can’t say no, remember?” 

“I know that you aren’t ready, __. Just put one foot in front of the other. The rest will come in time.” 

“Why would you do that? What is wrong with you?” 

“I just meant to give you a scare, see how good your reflexes are.” 

“I’d prefer not to get hurt in the first place.” 

“Is wit highly valued in your world? You seem to rely on it.” 

“Give me a break. You have to try or it’s no fun.” 

“Then why are we even bothering at all?” 

“You have to stop asking those kinds of questions.” 

“You don’t know ___. The more she/he gets, the more she/he wants.” 

“I was wondering that. Maybe it was stupid of me.” 

“What’s wrong with this place?” 

“Come on. Let’s keep moving. Forget we even saw it.” 

“You don’t understand. They have their ways. They know everything. They see everything.” 

“Maybe we should leave the road. We’re too exposed.” 

“If you ask me, brains aren’t all they’re cracked up to be.” 

“What if the magic’s gone?” 

“I think we’re good to go. Just don’t talk. Don’t do anything that will attract attention.” 

“I don’t think it worked.” 

“That was actually sort of fun.” 

“I feel sorry for you. I really do.” 

“I know you want to, but you can’t.” 

“It’s not worth the risk.”

“I swear! I just wanted to help!” 

“I can give you information!” 

“She’s/He’s right. She/He had nothing to do with any of this.” 

“Make it stop. Please. I didn’t mean to - I didn’t know.” 

“She/He shouldn’t pay for what I did.” 

“Don’t speak until spoken to. And don’t look Her/His Highness directly in the eye. And for heaven’s sake, stand up straight. The princess/prince deserves respect.” 

“I am the only one. There can only be one.” 

“I’m nothing like you.” 

“__, we are completely and totally screwed.” 

“Sorry. I guess I never introduced myself. I’m __.” 

“Who are you meaning why are you here? Meaning, what do you want with me? Meaning, how did you get in here meaning, who the fuck are you?” 

“I’m here to keep you company. For as long as I can, at least.” 

“Should I go? I really didn’t mean to upset you. I thought it would help.” 

“You can take it, if that’s what you want. I’ll give it to you. But it won’t do you much good.” 

“Why? Why are you trying to help me?” 

“No one does anything because it’s the right thing.” 

“Ever since I saw you, I just had a feeling.” 

“How did you know I would be here?”

“We could make a break for it. Maybe with the two of us, we could fight our way past the guards.” 

“That will just get us both killed. What’s the point of that?” 

“Who are you? How did you get in here?” 

“They’re almost here. I can get you out of here, but you have to make up your mind quick.” 

“Will you join me? Yes or no?” 

“What’s the catch? I’m not giving you my firstborn, if that’s what you want.” 

“You’re smart. I suppose you’re right to ask.” 

“Now we’re going to have to fight.” 

“At least I see you have a knife already.” 

“All you need is something to give you that extra push.” 

“Who the hell do you think you are, trying to steal my boyfriend/girlfriend?” 

I didn’t talk to him/her. He/She asked for help.” 

“And what could he/she find so interesting about you?” 

“You’ve always had a hard time keeping your mouth shut when it’s good for you, but this is low, even for you.” 

“I thought you could be the bigger person at a time like this. I guess I overestimated you. As usual.” 

“Where are you going?” 

“You don’t see it, do you? She’s/He’s already getting hers/his. You don’t need to help it along.” 

“One second, you have everything, your whole life ahead of you; and then, boom. They just suck it all out of you like little vampires till there’s nothing left of you.” 

“Don’t be so sensitive, __. It’s not all about you.” 

“Just take my hand. Try not to make any sudden moves.” 

“Am I dead?” 

“If you were dead, would we be having this conversation?” 

“It feels like there’s something under there.” 

“There is so much you don’t know. So much you have to learn. I wish you didn’t.” 

“You’re like her/him in so many ways, but I can tell you’re different.” 

“I can’t help you. I’m not powerful enough.” 

“Don’t make the same mistakes she/he made.” 

“Excuse me? Do you have a problem?” 

“Wait, you’re not kidding, are you?” 

“You really aren’t from around here.” 

“You’re from the Other Place, aren’t you?” 

“How did you get here?” 

“You know what? Never mind. It’s better if I don’t know. In fact, it’s better if I don’t talk to you at all.” 

“Like I said, I’ve already got about five thousand problems, give or take a thousand.” 

“I’d love to hear your story, but it’s not worth it. Good luck. You’ll need it.” 

“Just let me ask you some questions. I have no idea what’s going on.” 

“Let me come with you. I promise - I’ll do whatever you want. I swear I won’t get you in trouble. But I’m alone here, and I have no idea what I’m doing.” 

“The best thing you can do right now is get your ass back to wherever you came from and hope you never wind up in this sorry place again.” 

“I don’t know how to go home.” 

“Have you been following me?” 

“I wasn’t following you, I was just going in the same direction you were going in.” 

“Seriously. I can’t believe I’m risking my own neck to help you out.” 

“You’ve already proven you have no survival instincts.” 

“Now, can you tell me what was going on back there?” 

“You ask too many questions.” 

“How about you stop asking about things you’ll never understand.”

“Are you ready to meet your new family?” “I don’t remember the old family.”

“Did it hurt when they put it on?”

“I don’t remember.”

“Can I touch it?”

“That’s enough, ___. People are watching.”

“I hope you’ll let me know if you need anything.”

“It’s going to be alright, love. Our luck is changing.”

“I’m glad to see you’ve given this so much thought.”

“Of course. I don’t want to be any trouble.”

“What am I supposed to do?”

“Never forget that I love you so, so very much.”

“If I’d only been stronger, if I’d only tried to fight, this wouldn’t have happened. It’s all my fault.”

“Stars above, would you stop crying?”

“I have as much right to be here as you do.”

“I came here to tell you something. It’s important.”

“Just a moment. I need a moment to think.”

“Oh, dear, it seems that I’m more hurt than I thought I was by your fickleness.”

“I believed I was your personal guest tonight.”

“You can’t think she’s prettier than me.”

“Ignorance is your defense? How trite.”

“It won’t make a difference. You know it won’t.”

“It really is an illusion. You’re not beautiful.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. Do I look like a threat to security?”

“I didn’t know how to control it. I didn’t know what was happening.”

“You worry so much about such silly things.”

“I came down here for a very important reason, you know, and we haven’t got all day.”

“What? Are you crazy? Are you suggesting that I should try to escape?”

“Why would you joke about this?”

“I understand you are frightened right now, and confused. Do not think too much.”

“Please, calm yourself. We do not know that this woman is to blame.”

“We mustn’t jump to conclusions.”

“That is not how our system works.”

“I will not follow your laws so long as they permit disobedience to flourish.”

“It was meant as a friendly joke. I understand now that it was an ignorant decision, and a joke that would not cross cultural lines, and I can only apologize and ask for your forgiveness.”

“The punishment should be all mine.”

“I have learned something valuable about you tonight, ___. I hope you have learned something about me, as well.”

“I hope you noticed that I am capable of choosing my battles. If that’s what it takes to end the war.”

“How dare you send for me like some common criminal?” “Didn’t you think that maybe I was in the middle of something?”

“You’ve made it necessary to take precautions.”

“I haven’t done anything.”

“You haven’t answered my question.”

“This is unacceptable. I will not tolerate such behavior from you.”

“After everything that I’ve done for you, everything we’ve sacrificed, you have the gall to steal from me.”

“I didn’t steal from you.”

“It is too late for that.”

“You have proven that you have no part in this family. You have proven that you cannot be trusted.”

“Maybe she’s/he’s been busy?” “Oh, yes, you look completely overwhelmed.”

“Here, I brought you something.”

What’s that for?”

“What? I can’t buy you a gift?”

“So why are you ignoring me? Did I do something?”

“Stars, __, if I’d known you were going to embargo me for asking you on a date, I wouldn’t have dared.”

“Don’t you have something important to be doing? Like, running a country?”

“Might I have the honor of treating you to lunch?”

“Believe it or not, I’d actually kind of resolved myself to that fact already.”

“I know this is stupid, but part of me felt like if I could come see you today, if I could convince you to go with me tonight, then maybe I could still change things. It’s dumb, I know.”

“I just don’t know that I could watch so many people die.”

“Yes. Are you kidding? I think that’s the best offer I’ve ever had.”

“My request still stands, by the way, if you change your mind.”

“He/She doesn’t know, does he/she? He/She doesn’t know about your - about you.”

“What did you think was going to happen?” “Could you have come home any slower?”

“Is there something you needed?”

“You shouldn’t even say her/his name.”

“You’re right. I don’t believe you. You’re a liar and a thief, and you don’t care about anyone but yourself.”

“It kind of is my problem. I mean, we all have to live here.”

“You know I’ve actually been considering that lately.”

“I’m sorry. I’m sure this is horribly inappropriate, but … it seems that my life is about to be ruined.”

“You’re not fine. What causes it? What can we do to make it stop?”

“What do you think you are doing here?”

“Do you not understand when I told you to stay away?”

“I’m talking life. You are not safe here!”

“But it did affect me. I trusted her/him, as much as anyone else.”

“That shouldn’t have happened, right?”

“That shouldn’t have happened.”

“You don’t seem too surprised.”

“Or you just didn’t tell me the truth.”

“If you would stop yelling, I would tell you.”

“Sometimes you are quite unnerving, __.”

“How can I believe anything you’ve said?”

“She/He would be about your age now.”

“It was a long time ago.”

“Listen carefully, as this may be something of a shock to you.”

“Would you like to try and use it now? You may be able to. I’m no sure.”

“No, that’s all right. I’m not ready for that.”

“A promise is a promise.”

“But don’t you need it?” “Then I think this will be sufficient.”

“I do not know what her/his plan could be, but I know it will not be for the greater good of Earth/(place). This could very well be a trick.”

“That is what I thought.”

“I thought you could use my guidance.”

“Is this timing inconvenient for you, __?”

“I’ll believe it when I see it.”

“I have not lied to her/him.”

“She/He will refuse. We mustn’t fool ourselves.”

“She/He wouldn’t risk that.”

“Perhaps, she/he will make good on her/his threats.”

“If her/his desire were to start a war, she’s/he’s had plenty of opportunities.”

“No, I think this is the perfect time for paranoia and distrust.”

“It seems you’ve all missed the very obvious point of those pictures.”

“You think she’s/he’s trying to threaten us?”

“Stars, __. I came as soon as I heard.”

“I brought something for you.”

“Can you sit up?”

“I kept my promise.” “You can’t have this one.”

“__, somebody went through a great deal of trouble to bring you here, and now you are in extreme danger. You cannot jeopardize yourself.”

“Funny. I’ve found myself imagining that exact thing lately.”

“I knew you liked him/her. You pretend to be immune to his/her charms, but I could see the way you looked at him/her at the market.”

“Yeah, well. We all have our weaknesses.”

“What are you doing down here?”

“Oh for heaven’s sake. You’re not helping.”

“I’m just making conversation.”

“Having a mental breakdown is not on my list of things to do today.”

“I guess no one’s home.”

“That information was classified. You should not have heard it.”

“It is a most useful trick.”

“I’ve heard that when citizens are unruly, there’s usually a good reason for it.”

“Proper is such a subjective word. The solution is effective, and that can hardly be argued with.”

“How can I turn a blind eye to something I’ve never heard of?”

“I know my own when I see them, and right now there is one in these city walls.”

“I want her/him found and brought to me.”

“Do you intend to always let your adviser make your decisions for you?”

“I have brought you a gift.”

“I wasn’t sure if I should save it for the big night, but I’ve determined that it might give the wrong impression if I were to withhold it.”

“How long have you had this?”

“You would withhold this? When so many are dying?”

“You have much to learn about politics. I think you will soon discover that it is all about give and take, my dear handsome/beautiful ___.”

“You can’t imagine how happy I am to see you.”

“Something’s come up. I need to go talk to __.”

“Would you like to walk with me?”

“I know what it is you were looking for.”

“I don’t even know what she/he discovered yet.”

“I didn’t think it was possible to hate anyone as much as I hate her/him.”

“She/He knows I hate her/him. Trust me, she’s/he’s not trying very hard to change that.”

“Come to the ball with me.”

“That got your attention.”

“Listen. I’m sorry, I really am. But I can’t go to the ball with you. You just have to trust me on that.”

“Why? Why don’t you want to go with me?”

“It’s not that I don’t want to go with you, it’s that I’m not going at all.”

“So you do want to go with me.”

“Actually, there’s something … I’d like to tell you. If that’s alright.”

“I feel like I’m going to ruin everything.”

“I’ll tell you everything, but we have work to do.”

“You mean you have to go back?”

You realize what this means?”

“My stars, you could be a celebrity because of this!”

“It’s going to take all our time and money to fix it up.”

“But why? WHy are we fixing it?”

“Discussions must go two ways, __. We will listen to her/his requests, but she/he must listen to ours as well.”

“They asked me to go back again today.”

“Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable?”

“Can I do anything for you?”

“You, uh, said something was worse?”

“Never mind. I didn’t mean to pry.”

“No, it’s all right. You’ll find out soon enough.”

“Please sit down. I only need to finish up a few notes, and then I will tell you some things I’ve learned since yesterday afternoon.”

“But I frankly didn’t see that it was any of his business.”

“He’ll/She’ll find out eventually.”

“That was something of a risk. You understand that people aren’t supposed to leave once they arrive, don’t you?”

“But… that’s illegal.”

“They’re not supposed to be here at all.”

“Why haven’t we stopped them?”

“You make it sound like they’re escaping from a prison.”

“Don’t look so frightened, __.”

The chances that you have ever crossed paths with one is extremely unlikely.”

“You sure seem to know a lot about them.”

“I’m an old man/woman, __. I know a lot about a lot of things.”

“So they don’t like mirrors because they don’t want to see themselves?”

“Vanity is a factor, but it is more a question of control. It is easier to trick others into perceiving you as beautiful if you can convince yourself you are beautiful.”

“But mirrors have an uncanny way of telling the truth.”

“Then you must leave. Quickly. You can’t be here when she/he arrives.”

“What does this have to do with me?”

“I am not sure how to say this. I thought I would have more time.”

“You don’t think that’s bad enough?”

“This is not common knowledge.”

“Well, but it is common sense when you know the history.”

“I understand this is a lot to take in.”

“Why? Why would she/he care about me?”

“SHe/He would care very much about you.”

“I was under the impression you didn’t care about the opinions of your guinea pigs.”

“You no doubt recognize this.”

“Let me tell you what is peculiar about it.”

“Has this happened before?”

“What do you mean when you say you don’t remember anything?”

“Is this relevant?”

“It’s fascinating.”

“Go? ___ you must realize how valuable you’ve become with this discovery.”

“So I’m still a prisoner. Just a valuable one now.”

“This is much bigger than you realize.”

“You have no idea how important … no idea of your worth.”

“Things are quite different than they were an hour ago.”

“You really think I can help?”

“All right, just so long as we’re clear -I am here on a volunteer basis now, which means I can leave at any point I want to. No questions, no arguments.”

“That, I’m afraid I cannot promise.”

“You should be grateful for the time you have with him/her.”

“I need to feel like I’m doing something.”

“We should have her/him incarcerated.”

“It’s better treatment than they would give us.”

“I know this is a difficult time for you.”

“This is a difficult time for everyone.”

“Diplomacy be damned. There. End of discussion.”

“Brilliant idea. Why didn’t I think of it?”

“You’re basing this wishful thinking on rumors.”

“It couldn’t hurt to do some research, could it?”

“Now who’s listening to rumors?”

“And here I thought I was just emotionally withdrawn.”

“Great. I have glitches.”

“When do we get to start saving lives?”

“What are you going to do?”

“Just a little experiment, nothing to worry about.”

“Are you alive?”  

“I didn’t realize you would be so sensitive.”

“Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll still recognize your noble sacrifice.”

“They can’t send you back!”

“You’ll have to file an official complaint, I guess.”

“So sorry to barge in.”

“What else do you want me to do?”

“Honestly, I don’t care so much what you do and don’t appreciate right now.”

“You’re the one who betrayed me, when I’ve never done anything to you.”

“You know very well what you’ve done to me.”

“How could you wait so long to tell me?” “You’ve only been home for what, four hours?”

“I knew it! I knew you liked him/her too!” “I can’t believe you actually met him/her!”

“It’s not fair. Did I mention how much I hate you?”

“What else? Tell me everything.”

“What did he/she say?” “What did he/she do?”

“I don’t want to believe it either, but they’re all saying it.”

“You don’t know that.”

“I’ve never seen one like this.”

“It’s hideous. What an awful color.”

“So, does this mean we can’t use any of its parts?”

“Can we go now, please?”

“What are you doing?”

“What am I going to tell them?”

“I wasn’t sure that you would come back here, __.”

“I don’t understand you, __. How could you be so selfish?”

“I don’t have it.” “I don’t know where she/he got it from.”

“They can check again if they want to.”

“Don’t insult me.”

“Do your kind even know what love is?”

“Can you feel anything at all, or is it just … programmed?”

“Of course I know what love is.”

“But I never wanted you. You know that.”

No, it’s not my fault.”

“I didn’t ask to be made like this.”

“I didn’t ask for you or anybody to adopt me.”

“This isn’t my fault!”

“What are we doing down here?”

“A volunteer? Been  while since we had one of those.”

“Either way, they’re going to die.”

“Yes, well. Thank you for the optimism.”

“If you will just hold still and cooperate, we won’t take up too much of your time.”

“I didn’t sign up for this. I didn’t volunteer for your stupid tests.”

“Keep that thing away from me.”

“You are doing your fellow citizens a great service by being here.”

“Yeah? And what’d they ever do for me?”

“Have you ever seen anything like her/him before?”

“Are you sure that’s such a good idea?”

“Why don’t you sit down? I have some important things to discuss with you.”