multiplicity.

i realized we’re both working for me.

i loved him, but i didn’t need him.

the world might be forever neutral, but that means hope is just as likely as despair.

sometimes it was beautiful.

perhaps my only real expertise, my only talent, is to endure beyond the endurable.

some questions will ruin you if you are denied the answer long enough.

i should have known that you were the one that stays.

i’m not untouchable anymore, am i?

there is no one with me. i am all by myself.

this was brutality for the sake of brutality.

anyone can do my job, but no one can be me.

i’ll see you in the beginning, friend.

you know the whole story.

the trees are not trees, the birds are not birds and i am not me, but just something that has been walking for a very long time.

i can, because i do.

i don’t belong here anymore.

there’s something disturbing about recalling a warm memory and feeling utterly cold.

i’m the vengeful bitch you scarred on the outside.

i should be dead. and i’m not saying that in some sort of dramatic fashion. i actually should be dead.

she has evolved. not for better or worse. she’s just different.

my blood’s not cold.

your lack of curiosity is merely an extension of your narcissism, your egotistical view of the world. the man i’m looking at right now is as good as he’s gonna get.

i feel unraveled.

i am not returning home.

you have to accept it, because it’s there.

you wanted to stand in the sun, in the bright white light. it blinded you.

you’re attracted to the truth.

what is it that is so special about you? you have so much power over him. he revolves around you.

try and stop me, you jumped up little shit.

i’m not trying to patronize you. it’s just that i care about you, and i just want to make sure that you’re okay.  so you know what?  it’ll make you feel better.  i’ll get you a plate of overpriced food, and i’ll be right back, okay?

how was the funeral?

normally people who die stay in their graves,

there is a secret that the casinos possess, a secret they hold and guard and prize, the holiest of their mysteries.

most people do not gamble to win money, after all, although that is what is advertised, sold, claimed, and dreamed.

i believe that all men are just overgrown boys with deep problems communicating.

that is the eternal folly of man; to be chasing after the sweet flesh, without realizing that it is simply a pretty cover for the bones.

the important thing to understand about american history is that it is fictional, a charcoal-sketched simplicity for children, or the easily bored.

at night, you’re rubbing yourself against worm food. no offense meant.

you have no idea what i can believe.

gods die, and when they truly die they are unmourned and unremembered.

some grifts last forever, others are swallowed soon enough by time and by the world.

i don’t like you.

i’m alive. i’m not dead. remember?

none of this can actually be happening.

if they lie to us, then nothing can be trusted.

i can believe things that are true, and i can believe things that aren’t true, and i can believe things where nobody knows if they’re true or not.

they die like men, after all.

this is a bad land for gods.

damn straight i’m a hustler.

we don’t need anyone to believe in us.

it’s going to be a white christmas.

they only tell the truth, and the truth is not what people want to hear.

i’ve come too far for more lies.

i’m going now. it will be better if i go.

i’m cold.

in the unlikely event of my death, you will hold my vigil.

you’re dead, babe.

like i said, don’t piss off those bitches in the airports, or they’ll haul your sorry ass back here before you can spit.

i have as many names as there are winds.

it’s a sacrifice, of sorts.

one day every soldier in the empire has to shower in the blood of your sacrificial bull.

you work for me now.

if hell is other people, then purgatory is airports.

if you just hang in there, someday they’re going to have to let you out.

that boy was one lucky son of a virgin.

i used to think that too. now i’m not so sure.

you’re not so prejudiced anymore.

life is a game, a cruel joke.

i mean, it’s not such a big deal.

i’ll work for you.

so what are you? a two-bit con artist?

you people talk about the living and the dead as if they were two mutually exclusive categories. life and death are different sides of the same coin.

that is merely the easy lie that gets them through the enormous, ever-open, welcoming doors.

you see, i am the only one of us who brings in any money.

if it makes you more comfortable, you could simply think of it as metaphor.

all we have to believe with is our senses, the tools we use to perceive the world: our sight, our touch, our memory.

it all depends on where you are.

i need someone to look out for my best interests.

it’s easy, there’s a trick to it, you do it or you die.

we are not friends.

anyone who says that sex is overrated just hasn’t done it properly.

either you’ve been forgotten, or you’re scared you’re going to be rendered obsolete.

you should know that when we’re done, i’ll be gone.

if you piss me off, i’ll be gone.

if you move and act in the material world, then the material world acts on you.

he’s hustling you, he’s a hustler.

some things may change; people however, people stay the same.

the best thing—perhaps the only good thing—about being in prison was a feeling of relief.

even for my kind, pain still hurts.

come and sit by me.

i’m impressed, you have class.

isn’t she the one who killed her children?

if we’re still loved and remembered, something else a whole lot like us comes along and takes our place and the whole damn thing starts all over again.

we just keep going anyhow, it’s what we do.

i can lie to them, tell them what they want to hear.

there’s never been a true war that wasn’t fought between two sets of people who were certain they were in the right.

i got a son, and you remind me of him.

would you believe that all the gods that people have ever imagined are still with us today?

people only fight over imaginary things.

it’s easier to kill people, when you’re dead yourself.

we have some unresolved issues to address.

i shall make sure that your needs are adequately taken care of.

it would distress me equally, my dear.

we don’t always remember the things that do no credit to us.

you want to talk about it?

ideas are more difficult to kill than people, but they can be killed, in the end.

all your questions can be answered, if that is what you want.

first, you go down on your knees. then i hit you a blow with it, so you don’t get up again.

if we do not believe, then still we cannot travel in any other way than the road our senses show us; and we must walk that road to the end.

people gamble to lose money.

if i win, i get to knock your brains out, with a sledgehammer.

too much talking these days. talk talk talk. this country would get along much better if people learned how to suffer in silence.

i can believe anything.

they are gone, all gone, but their names and their images remain with us.

there are accounts that, if we open our hearts to them, will cut us too deeply.

which path should i take? which one is safe?

if i tell you what i’ve learned you won’t think that i’m a nut?

it’s what people do.

if you didn’t have a death sentence, then prison was, at best, only a temporary reprieve from life.

you hurt people who need to be hurt.

it’s not easy to believe.

the people continue to suffer in numbers that themselves are numbing and meaningless.

is that you?

so, you’re praying?

i told you i would tell you my names. this is what they call me.

fiction allows us to slide into these other heads, these other places, and look out through other eyes.

i can see nothing romantic in a death sentence.

i want to rest now.

candy really did taste better when i was a kid.

religions are places to stand and look and act, vantage points from which to view the world.

i think i’ll stay right here for now.

religions are, by definition, metaphors, after all.

the really dangerous people believe they are doing whatever they are doing solely and only because it is—without question—the right thing to do, and that is what makes them dangerous.

gods are great, but the heart is greater.

once you learn your answers, you can never unlearn them.

which way would you walk—the way of hard truths or the way of fine lies?

i want nothing. no heaven, no hell, no anything. just let it end.

i got to tell you, you don’t look too bright.

i guess you’re going to ask what i’m doing here.

i was thinking more of how you died.

we may not die easy and we sure as hell don’t die well, but we can die.

for the most part, history is uninspected, unimagined, unthought, a representation of the thing, and not the thing itself.

what i say is, a town isn’t a town without a bookstore.

keep safe. i would not like to hear that you were gone for good.

the rest of them know what they are.

be brave.

have you ever looked at peas in a pod? i mean, really looked at them?

the quickest way is sometimes the longest.

you’re not dead, but i’m not sure you’re alive, either. not really.

i can't make out a heartbeat.

this has got to be, without a doubt, the single most humiliating day of my life.

look! he's breathing. he's so beautiful.

you really delight in these sadistic strains on my blood pressure, don't you?

a girl rescued me.

she was singing. she had the most beautiful voice.

i think you've swallowed a bit too much seawater.

we're just gonna forget this whole thing ever happened.

hmm. teenagers. they think they know everything. you give them an inch, they swim all over you.

my nerves are shot! this is a catastrophe!

don't you shake your head at me.

now look at me.

you'll have your looks, your pretty face. and don't underestimate the importance of body language.

i'm surrounded by amateurs.

you want something done, you've got to do it yourself.

first we've got to create the mood.

if only i could make him understand.

i just don't see the way he does.

i just don't see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad.

look at this stuff. isn't it neat?

i just don't know what we're going to do with you.

it was ruined! that's all! completely destroyed!

now thanks to you, i am the laughingstock of the entire kingdom!

you went up to the surface again, didn't you?

how many times must we go through this?

they are dangerous.

i'm not a child anymore.

don't you take that tone of voice with me.

if you would just listen...

so much for true love!

i consider myself a reasonable person.

i set certain rules, and i expect those rules to be obeyed.

is it true you rescued a human from drowning?

he would have died.

one less human to worry about.

you don't even know him.

know him? i don't have to know him. they're all the same.

have you lost your senses completely?

the solution to your problem is simple.

the only way to get what you want is to become a human yourself.

gee, you must have really been through something.

i can't stand it. it's too easy!

i'm really looking forward to this performance.

listen to me. the human world is a mess.

are you sure about this?

have i ever been wrong? i mean, when it's important?

this... i haven't seen in years.

do you think i was too hard on her?

we haven't dicussed the subject of payment.

i'm not asking much. just a token really, a trifle. you'll never even miss it.

life's full of tough choices, isn't it?

do you hear what i'm telling you?

i hope that you appreciate what i go through for you.

you gotta look your best.

you gotta bat your eyes. you gotta pucker your lips.

you are hopeless. you know that? completely hopeless.

i've never seen a human this close before. he's very handsome, isn't he?

i'm going inside.

have you noticed she's been acting peculiar lately?

i know you've been keeping something from me.

i feel really bad not knowing your name. maybe i can guess it.

you're under a lot of pressure down here. come with me, i'll take you home and get you something warm to drink.

any sign of them?

what have i done?

isn't this great? the salty sea air, the wind blowing in your face. a perfect day to be at sea.

perhaps you haven't been looking hard enough.

believe me, when I find her, i'll know. without a doubt it'll just... bam, hit me like lightning.

time to come out. you've been in there all morning.

where are you going?

she's a demon! she's a monster!

there's something different.

i lost her once! i'm not gonna lose her again!

you've gotta get away from here.

[ tug ] sender tugs receiver behind them during a tense moment

[ pull ] sender pulls receiver out of harm's way at the last second

[ tuck ] sender stares at receiver and quietly reaches up, tucking a fallen strand of hair behind receiver's ear

[ yank ] sender yanks receiver closer to them, ending up in semi-suggestive close proximity

[ steady ] sender grabs receiver's arm to steady them before they fall over

[ walk ] sender moves around receiver and walks closest to the street as they travel down the sidewalk, keeping receiver away from any potential danger in the roadway

[ untied ] sender drops to their knee and starts tying receiver's shoe for them

[ spoon ] sender lifts a spoon towards receiver's mouth, encouraging them to eat

[ trace ] sender traces receiver's lips with their thumb

[ pin ] sender pins receiver to a tucked-away spot in the shadows to avoid being caught

[ neck ] without a word, sender dips down to receiver's throat and kisses them soundly

[ handheld ] sender slips a hand behind their back and grabs receiver's fingers as they stand behind them

[ carry ] without asking, sender takes receiver's heavy bags from them and carries them

[ lock ] sender and receiver lock eyes across the room

[ drink ] sender brings receiver a drink and holds it to their lips, insisting they take a drink

[ reload ] sender reloads receiver's gun for them in the middle of a fight

[ shelter ] sender uses their body to shelter receiver from an explosion or attack

[ carry ] sender picks up receiver and carries them off the battlefield and into a safe spot before running back to the fight

[ toss ] from a secret hiding spot only receiver and sender can see as they avoid an enemy, sender silently gestures to receiver to toss them (their gun, something valuable, etc.)

[ stairs ] sender offers out a hand to help receiver ascend or descend a staircase

[ cover ] sender covers receiver's eyes so they don't witness something gruesome

[ fix ] sender comes up to receiver and fixes their collar and/or tie

[ shake ] to convince receiver not to do something, sender hastily shakes their head from a distance

[ watch ] from a distance, sender taps on their watch to show receiver they're running out of time

[ i'll go ] sender gently pushes receiver back, taking charge and insisting they will handle the dangerous task

[ reach ] through a locked gate, sender reaches for receiver's hand

[ ship ] as receiver's ship takes off from the planet, sender waves to them from the ground and watches them leave

[ protect ] after someone threatens receiver, sender rushes over and gets right in their face to protect them

[ punch ] after someone attacks receiver, sender rushes over and punches them in retaliation

[ nip ] sender playfully nips at receiver's neck

[ knuckles ] sender kisses receiver's knuckles in a polite gesture

[ squeeze ] sender gives receiver's butt a playful squeeze from behind

[ danger ] as an all-powerful receiver is about to lose control of their powers and cause massive damage, sender finds their eyes and tries to talk them down

[ goodbye ] without saying a word, sender approaches receiver and kisses them goodbye

[ wipe ] sender wipes a tear from receiver's face

[ location ] without saying anything and giving away the surprise, sender takes receiver to a secret spot

[ hold back ] sender has to hold back receiver from attacking someone

[ game ] sender lets receiver win a game they're playing

did i do this to you ? or have you always been like this ?  because if it was me   .  .  .   i’m sorry.  

i will bury him, and i will dance on his grave.

if i didn’t know better, i’d say you still have feelings for me.  i saw your face.  i know you.

this is who you married.  this is who you love.

you chose love.  you chose me.  you chose your own happiness, and that’s not sitting so well with you now.  

it’s just inside, rotting deep inside you, the choice you made. and it’s not so much the choice, it’s the fact that you now know you’re capable of making that choice.  that’s what’s keeping you awake at night.

you did something.  it doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be happy. 

they've got you under observation. i never knew what that meant until now. from what i can tell, it means a nurse will come in here every five minutes, wake you up and ask if you're resting okay.

i hate you. you left me all alone.

i don't forgive you. you are not forgiven.

oh god, you smell good. you smell like my guy.

i could picture the vegetables we would grow. i could picture the babies we would grow. now, it feels like someone else's life.

you have no idea how much damage control this requires.

i don't know what to say. i don't know how to get through to you.

i'll just sit here, and i won't run my mouth with a lot of noise that's not worthy. so you be as full on crazy as you want, for as long as you need, and i'm gonna be right here with you.

you don't dismiss me.

do you still love me ? it's a yes or no question.

i've killed kings, chief. consider it done.

i am all alone, except for you. i need you. you are all i have. you are everything.

they don't live on the dark side of the moon.

call off your puppy.

you don't want to talk about the fact that my wife moved out, and i'm alone ?

you do not summon me !

come back to me. forgive me. i love you.

i want what i asked for. nothing less.

she's not thinking like the political animal i know she can be. right now, she's thinking like someone who's hurt, has been broken one too many times.

i am here to find out what do you want ?

i have told you that i'd give it all up for you, again and again. i think you don't believe me. i think you believe that i will never choose you.

watch me earn you.