Moira J. Moore > Quotes

“You get irritated when I say I'm not angry and you get irritated when I say I am angry. I can't win."
"Because you just saying whatever you think will shut me up," he accused me.
"Aye, but it's not working."
"Argh!" was his response, and he charged on down the street.”
― Moira J. Moore, The Hero Strikes Back

“You are trying to lure us into revealing information you're not entitled to? With chocolate and wine? Are you amateurs?”
― Moira J. Moore, Heroes at Odds

“Sometimes I was so funny I couldn’t stand myself.”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“There was alliteration happening all over the place in that sentence.”
― Moira J. Moore, The Hero Strikes Back

“Flown Raven is the country,"I muttered.
"City slave," he said.
"Farm boy," I shot back.
"I've never even seen a farm."
"Don't trifle me with details.”
― Moira J. Moore

“Taro came into the room, strands of hair flying free of the tie at the back of his skull, sweat plastering his cream-colored shirt against his chest and back. I wished I had an artist's skill, that I could make renderings of him in all his states of beauty. He would never want to look at them, or even know about them. I would just like them for myself. Maybe he would want to see them when he was much older, and beautiful in a different way.”
― Moira J. Moore, Heroes at Risk

“You're sending my mind to unwelcome places, Taro.
Good. It can keep mine company.”
― Moira J. Moore, Heroes Return

“So we waited. I felt useless. I felt like I was in the way. I wished I had some nervous habits so I could indulge in them.”
― Moira J. Moore, Heroes at Odds

“I couldn't be sure, and I certainly wasn't going to admit it to anyone, but I suspect I was the cause of the blizzard that hit us that night.”
― Moira J Moore

“In time I could move, though my body wasn't thrilled about it. I moved from the floor to the sofa I had fallen off of, which was all the progress I was going to demand from myself right then. Karish was much more ambitious, moving from the floor by the table to the sofa. He sat beside me and without the slightest hesitation or diffidence wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close, and I bonelessly complied. Pain eased, muscles loosened, and the beating of his heart helped to drive disturbing images from my mind. For the moment not giving a damn about how it looked or whether it was a bad idea, I curled around him and flattened my palm against his chest so I could feel the blood pulsing around him.”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“Hard to see the evil of a system that's treated you well all your life. Harder still to stand up to it, once you have seen it.”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“He is something, isn’t he?”
“You’re kidding. He’s half-dead and he’s flirting?”
“He’s got a killer smile.”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“My eyebrows couldn’t go any higher, so there was no way I could express the increase in my surprise.”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“What I’d always said in jest suddenly struck me as truth. Karish was something else, something other. I stared at him with wonder. “Holy hell,” I muttered.
He was looking at me warily. “Don’t you start, Lee,” he said, almost pleading. “I mean it. Really.”
All right. I could keep my mouth shut. Adoration wasn’t my style, anyway.”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“How can a school prepare you for murderers and mad-men?' Taro asked. 'Friends who would betray you to your death. People in authority who use their power to perform the most unnatural acts. People hating you because you can't do things you aren't supposed to be doing anyway. That's a lot to expect of a school.”
― Moira J. Moore, Heroes at Risk

“When I found him, I was going to kill him. How dare he do this to me? What did he mean by getting himself kidnapped? He was a man, for gods’ sake. He was supposed to be able to fight off kidnappers. He was a bloody hero, talented and beautiful and an aristocrat to boot. Heroes didn’t get kidnapped. Heroes rescued kidnap victims.
Leave it to a man, and a Source, to screw up something so simple.”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“But did he seem like a slavering lunatic to you?”
“No.” I hated honesty.
“Because he isn’t. He’s just trying to make change.”
“From Middle Reach?”
Lee, dear, would you like some sauce to go with your foot?
But no one seemed offended.”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“Please, Karish, all this temptation before you.” I nodded at all the pretty people around us. “Something’s going to burst.”
He smiled. No, leered. “You offering to do something about it?”
I reached back for one of the dishes on the table and found a wicked-looking knife. I raised it and cocked a suggestive brow.
He paled. “You’re a sick, sick woman.”
“Still think you’re going to like me?”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“Have you eaten?” he asked.
“Is the food any good here?” I’d heard some gruesome stories about food in public places.
“It’s all dead,” he told me. “Which gives it points over the academy.”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“He was an ignorant mushroom”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“Go to sleep. You look awful.” I stood.
“Leaving so soon?”
“I was told not to tire you out.” I looked at him. I would have wagered he couldn’t lift his head if he had to.
He could have died.
“I’m glad you’re going to be all right.” Weak words, insufficient for the relief I felt, but I’d never claimed to be any kind of poet.
He smirked. “Glad enough to get me some chocolate?”
I raised an eyebrow at him. No, not glad enough to fetch and carry for him. “I bet the bureaucrat out there would do that for you.”
Was that panic that flared in his eyes? “Amanda is out there?”
It amused me that he knew exactly who I’d been referring to. Assuming that was her name. “Want me to send her in?”
“Not if you hold the slightest affection for me in that cold, hard heart of yours.”
“Now that’ll take some serious self-examination,” I said, opening the door.
“What, no good-bye kiss?” he protested.
“Don’t tempt me, Stallion.” And because I was tired and light-headed with relief, I blew one at him before I left.”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“He was miffed because he hadn’t been the center of all my attention the night before. Pathetic. It would be enough to make me laugh, except he was also accusing me of dereliction of duty. I couldn’t let my own Source believe I wouldn’t do my duty. It would be difficult for him to do his job if he thought I wouldn’t be doing mine. Plus it was irritating.
I drained the last of my coffee.
Karish looked horrified. “Zaire, woman, how can you gulp it down like that when it’s still hot?”
Because I was a Shield. I gestured at the waiter. “You’re left-handed,” I said as my mug was filled. “But you use your right when you eat. You drank three mugs of ale and ate two bowls of the stew. You enjoyed it very much, even though you don’t like turnip.”
“Actually,” he interrupted me curtly, “I’m allergic to turnip.”
I almost smiled. Was he trying to shake my confidence? Amateur. “If you were allergic to turnip you wouldn’t have touched the stew at all.” Wouldn’t want hives defiling that perfect skin. “You eat your bread like a woman—”
“What the hell does that mean?”
“You tear it off in chunks instead of biting into the whole slice. And you slather all sides with butter. That’s disgusting, by the way.” Butter was not icing and shouldn’t be treated as such. “You sat straight in your chair, as you are now, without touching the back, despite certain fatigue. I would guess you spent some of your formative years with a wooden rod up your spine.” He leaned back in his chair, then, crossing his arms. “But for much of the evening you had your right foot wrapped around one leg of your chair. Your mother wouldn’t approve.” Another slow sip of glorious coffee.
He looked at me, frowning. And then the frown turned into a smile that I didn’t trust at all.
“You’re staring,” I pointed out tartly.”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero

“It's like people are going crazy. Again."

"Or still," Taro suggested.

"Still?"

He shrugged. "It's not like they were sane while we were gone and only got crazy after we came back."

Now, there was an idea. Maybe we had brought the craziness with us. "I think I like that idea better than the possibility that they're just getting progressively crazier woth no end in sight."

"There's always an end," he said.

"Aye, but some ends are better than others."

"We're not going to get into a philisophical discussion, are we?"

"I certainly hope not."

"Air is better blown to water," Taro added.

"Exactly," I said, though I didn't really know what that meant. I assumed it was something relevant.”
― Moira J. Moore, Heroes at Risk

“Can take care of myself.”

Aye, that was why she’d latched on to us, complete strangers that we were. “I’ll buy you an entire fee-sish while I’m out.” Fee-sish was a bright pink, sweet, juicy fruit encased in a hard prickly shell. I suspected it was a favorite of Aryne’s from the way she tried to snatch any that appeared on a plate in her vicinity, though she had never said as much to me. “If I come back and feel no suspicion that you’ve left the room, the whole fruit is yours.”

Aryne’s eyebrows rose.

Yes, I was aware of the wiggle room I’d left her in that statement. I would have to give her the fruit if she managed to leave the room and return without my suspecting she had ever left in the first place.

But then, I’d given myself breathing room, too. All I had to do was suspect. I didn’t have to prove anything.

I was able to outwit an eleven-year-old. Occasionally. I was proud of myself.”
― Moira J. Moore, Heroes Adrift

“It’s a necessary fiction.” “Also known as a bald-faced lie.”
― Moira J. Moore, The Hero Strikes Back

“The First Lieutenant shouted something, but I couldn’t hear it over the noise of the crowd.

I was thrilled that the tenants were protecting Browne. In High Scape, corporal punishment was a form of entertainment. I didn’t know if I could bear to watch Browne being beaten. If she was going through it, the least I could do was bear witness, but I didn’t think I had the fortitude for it.

Then Fiona was shouting, and I couldn’t hear her, either.

This was getting ridiculous. “Will everyone shut the hell up?” I shouted.

The sudden silence was shocking and gratifying. Who knew I could do that? That had never worked at any other time in my life.”
― Moira J. Moore, Heroes Return

“Firth and Stone came to relieve us, something I always looked forward to. I loved Firth.
“Karish, my beautiful, my one, my only,” she crowed, as she always did.
Karish, who had risen to his feet as the ladies entered, scooped up Firth’s hand. As he always did. “Claire, my lovely,” he said in a voice as smooth as sanded wood. “It is a treasure to see you, as always.”
“You liar,” she retorted. “You’re such a tease.”
That was a little blunter than usual. Fun to see Karish gape like a fish, though. “I never am,” he protested.
“Sure you are, lad. All heat and promises and just when you get a girl all worked up you slither out of it.”
Karish blushed. I cackled. Stone smirked.
Granted, I wouldn’t want a man as old as Firth drooling all over me, but Karish asked for it. He was something of a slut and wore the reputation almost proudly. From what I understood, Firth was a slut, too, and she’d had many more years to practise it. She knew how to make the elegant, confident, suave Lord Shintaro Karish blush in a way no one else could, and it delighted me every time I saw it. He should have learned to back off by then. On the other hand, he might have forgotten after all that time spent away from High Scape. For certain he beat a hasty retreat out of there, taking me with him.
“Rrrrr,” Karish growled, once I closed the door behind us. “You have too much fun with her.”
Hey, it wasn’t my fault. He’d started it the year before by oozing all over Firth when they met. “I have nothing to do with it.”
“No, you just sit back and laugh.” He sounded almost bitter about it.
“Poor boy.” My feigned sympathy couldn’t have sounded more false. “Can dish it out but you can’t take it.”
He appeared scandalized. “I never behave like that.” He pointed a thumb back over his shoulder at the Stall.
“No, you’re a little more subtle, but give it time.”
He huffed. “I will never act that way.”
“All right.” We’d wait and see. When his looks began to fade a little. In twenty years or so.
“Brat.” He took my hand, and we trudged through the snow back towards the city”
― Moira J. Moore, The Hero Strikes Back

“Is she all right?”
“She seems to be, just washed off the blood and wrapped a bandage around her hand, but with Risa it’s always hard to tell. You know these law enforcement types. Can’t show any pain unless you’re actually dead, and then, well, what’s the point?”
― Moira J. Moore, The Hero Strikes Back

“Are you serious, Lee? You have your choice between standing around among the Empress’s court, being polite to arrogant parasites while you’re slowly being driven insane with boredom, or exploring an area of the world that few Northerners have ever seen. Which sounds better to you?”

“I’m not sure. Remind me which one doesn’t involve being on a boat.”

He frowned. “What’s wrong with being on a boat?”

“Besides the tendency to capsize and kill everyone on board? Nothing, I’m sure.” Plus there was something about the thought of all that open air and water that made me want to shiver.

“You’re afraid of boats?” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he pressed his lips together, as though wishing he could snatch back the question by the act of shutting his mouth.

But that was what it came down to, an irrational fear based on no experience with an activity others had no difficulty with. “Apparently so.”

“You never told me that.”

He appeared to be accusing me of something. “I didn’t know until just now, did I?”

“Don’t worry about it, Lee. It’ll be fine.”

I gritted my teeth. “Oh, I’m sure it’ll be a treat until the boat sinks.”

“Actually, I think they prefer to have it called a ship.”

“Don’t even start with me.”
― Moira J. Moore, Heroes Adrift

“Karish. The Stallion of the Triple S. My Source. I was chained to a legend. An infamous legend. Stories of drunkenness, whoring, and general recklessness filled my head. Oh. My. God. I must have been evil in a former life.
This was it. The person I would work with the rest of my life.”
― Moira J. Moore, Resenting the Hero