jay > jay's Quotes

“Don't let ignorance win. Let love.”
― Nancy Garden, Annie on My Mind

“Children ceased to be children when you put a sword in their hands. When you taught them to fight a war, then you armed them and put them on the front lines, they were not children anymore. They were soldiers.”
― R.F. Kuang, The Poppy War

“Remember this feeling. This is the moment you stop being the rabbit.”
― Nora Sakavic, The Foxhole Court

“War doesn't determine who's right. War determines who remains.”
― R.F. Kuang, The Poppy War

“I didn't think I was a personal problem. You hate me, remember?" "Every inch of you," Andrew said. "That doesn't mean I wouldn't blow you." The world tilted a little bit sideways. Neil dug his shoes harder into the floor so he wouldn't fall over. "You like me." "I hate you," Andrew corrected him, but Neil barely heard him.”
― Nora Sakavic, The King's Men

“The thing about mountains is that you have to keep on climbing them, and that it's always hard, but there's a view from top every time when you finally get there.”
― Nancy Garden, Annie on My Mind

“You know, I get it. Being raised as a superstar must be really, really difficult for you. Always a commodity, never a human being, not a single person in your family thinking you’re worth a damn off the court— yeah, sounds rough. Kevin and I talk about your intricate and endless daddy issues all the time. I know it’s not entirely your fault that you are mentally unbalanced and infected with these delusions of grandeur, and I know you’re physically incapable of holding a decent conversation with anyone like every other normal human being can, but I don’t think any of us should have to put up with this much of your bullshit. Pity only gets you so many concessions, and you used yours up about six insults ago. So please, please, just shut the fuck up and leave us alone.”
― Nora Sakavic, The Raven King

“Ugh! Young girls, they should laugh. Life's bad enough when you're grown, you might as well laugh when you're young.”
― Nancy Garden, Annie on My Mind

“If it means losing you, then no”
― Nora Sakavic, The King's Men

“Everything about Andrew was hot, from the hands holding him down to the mouth steadily taking Neil apart. Neil finally understood why his mother thought this was so dangerous.”
― Nora Sakavic, The King's Men

“Your parents are dead, you are not fine, and nothing is going to be okay. This is not news to you. But from now until May you are still Neil Josten and I am still the man who said he would keep you alive.”
― Nora Sakavic, The Raven King

“Have you ever felt really close to someone? So close that you can't understand why you and the other person have two separate bodies, two separate skins?”
― Nancy Garden, Annie on My Mind

“This,” Neil flicked his finger to indicate the two of them, “isn’t worthless.”
“There is no ‘this’. This is nothing.”
“And I am nothing,” Neil prompted. When Andrew gestured confirmation, Neil said, “And as you’ve always said, you want nothing.”
Andrew stared stone-faced back at him.”
― Nora Sakavic, The King's Men

“It’s not the world that’s cruel. It’s the people in it.”
― Nora Sakavic, The Foxhole Court

“All eyes are on you. It's time to show them what you're made of. There's no room for doubt, no room for second guesses, no room for error. This is your night. This is your game. This is your moment. Seize it with everything you've got. Pull out all the stops and lay it all on the line. Fight because you don't know how to die quietly. Win because you don't know how to lose. This king's ruled long enough—it's time to tear his castle down.”
― Nora Sakavic, The King's Men

“It sounded like a dream; it tasted like damnation.”
― Nora Sakavic, The Foxhole Court

“This is my reassured face," Neil said, pointing up at his blank expression.”
― Nora Sakavic, The Foxhole Court

“Neil had been doing one stupid thing after another all year long and this has turned into one of the best years of his life.”
― Nora Sakavic, The King's Men

“God damn it, Minyard. This is why we can't have nice things.”
― Nora Sakavic, The Foxhole Court

“Don't punish yourselves for people's ignorant reactions to what we all are. Don't let ignorance win. Let love.”
― Nancy Garden, Annie on My Mind

“Andrew dug a finger in Neil's cheek and forcibly turned his head away. "Don't look at me like that. I am not your answer, and you sure as fuck aren't mine.”
― Nora Sakavic, The King's Men

“It's Annie and me they're all sitting around here like cardboard people judging; It's Annie and me. And what we did that they think is wrong, when you pare it all down, was fall in love.”
― Nancy Garden, Annie on My Mind

“Thank you," he finally said. He couldn't say he meant thanks for all of it: the keys, the trust, the honesty and the kisses. Hopefully Andrew would figure it out eventually. "You were amazing.”
― Nora Sakavic, The King's Men

“This isn’t about the Ravens. This is about you. This is about everything it took you to get to this point, everything it cost you, and everyone who laughed when you dared to dream of something big and bright. You’re here tonight because you refused to give up and refused to give in. You’re here where they all said you’d never be, and no one can say you haven’t earned the right to play this game.
“All eyes are on you. It’s time to show them what you’re made of. There’s no room for doubt, no room for second guesses, no room for error. This is your night. This is your game. This is your moment. Seize it with everything you’ve got. Pull out all the stops and lay it all on the line. Fight because you don’t know how to die quietly. Win because you don’t know how to lose. This king’s ruled long enough—it’s time to tear his castle down.”
― Nora Sakavic, The King's Men

“Is your learning curve a horizontal line?”
― Nora Sakavic, The King's Men

“As he slipped the lock into place again he realized his hand was trembling. He held up his shaky fingers where he could see them better and wondered at the equally weak flutter in his chest.

Hope was a dangerous, disquieting thing, but he thought perhaps he liked it.”
― Nora Sakavic, The Foxhole Court

“I won't be like them," Neil said. "I won't let you let me be." "One hundred and one," Andrew said, "going on one hundred and two." "You're a terrible liar," Neil said, and Andrew kissed him into silence.”
― Nora Sakavic, The King's Men

“Who said 'please' that made you hate the word so much?"
Andrew gazed at him in silence for a minute. "I did.”
― Nora Sakavic, The King's Men

“It’s about second chances, Neil. Second, third, fourth, whatever, as long as you get at least one more than what anyone else wanted to give you.”
― Nora Sakavic, The Foxhole Court

“I have become something wonderful, she thought. I have become something terrible. Was she now a goddess or a monster? Perhaps neither. Perhaps both.”
― R.F. Kuang, The Poppy War