Esmeralda

“Tanith: Serpine is used to the Elders taking forever to make their calm, thought-out decisions. So he won't be expecting anything as amazingly rash and reckless as this
Ghastly: That'll teach him to underestimate stupid people.”
― Derek Landy, Skulduggery Pleasant

“Serpine: Well, Skulduggery? Where is that tired old defiance - the taunting, the goading? Where are the endless heroic clinches? Aren't you going to look me in the eye and tell me to do my worst?
Skulduggery: Actually, I was going to ask that you go easy on me. I'm feeling kind of tender today
Serpine: This is your one chance. Tell me where the key is
Skulduggery:OK
Serpine: Really?
Skulduggery: No, only joking. Do your worst.”
― Derek Landy, Skulduggery Pleasant

“Yangchen stared at her before bursting into laughter. Chaisee startled backward. Yangchen’s shrill howls bounced and redoubled inside the small enclosure. Regrets? Threatening the Avatar with regrets was like trying to drown a fish.”
― F.C. Yee, The Legacy of Yangchen

“When playing the game, sometimes you didn’t want your opponent to respect you as smart, rational, and clever. Sometimes you wanted the opponent to believe you were completely unstable and utterly reckless.”
― F.C. Yee, The Legacy of Yangchen