Mara

“What I know now, my son: Evil begets evil. It grows. It transmutes, so that sometimes you cannot see that the evil in the world began as the evil in your own home. I'm sorry you have suffered. I'm sorry for the way your suffering casts a shadow over your life, over the woman you have yet to marry, the children you have yet to have.”
― Yaa Gyasi, Homegoing

“Most strong things are rigid. If you are water, you can shift to fit any mold and freeze yourself strong. You can be strong in any shape. You can be anything.”
― M.L. Wang, The Sword of Kaigen

“He recovered smoothly, his feet quickly finding their stance again in the gathering snow, but he looked stunned. The feat of strength, from such a diminutive theonite, should not have been possible. “What are you?” Takeru whispered. Something bigger than myself, she realized. “I’m Matsuda Misaki,” she said with pride and honesty she never attached to those words before. “I’m your wife.”
― M.L. Wang, The Sword of Kaigen

“Do you feel any guilt or remorse for the livestock you consume? Have you ever thought about how those animals become the food you eat? ...Your reaction isn't very rational. If you don't like the things you saw just now, I'm afraid you're missing the big picture. Humans chose livestock to be food. In exchange, they're fed, allowed to reproduce and protected from predators all their lives. Cows, pigs, and chickens have a much higher rate of survival in captivity, more than they would in the wild. So you see, the relationship is mutually beneficial for both parties.”
― Kyubey