Floryie

“He became aware, very slowly, very gradually, that he held some impossibly complex model of the contest in his head, unknowably dense, multifariously planed. He looked at that model, twisted it. The game changed.”
― Iain M. Banks, The Player of Games

“To him the stars seemed like so many musical notes affixed to the sky, just waiting for somebody to unfasten them.”
― Joaquim Maria Machado de Assis

“even when rising from sleep, his mind was clear and focused, able to pick up on the essential points and make a concise judgment.”
― Michael Chatfield, The Second Realm

“Every element has sub-elements, but it also has aspects. For water, they are Flow and Change; for fire, Transformation and Destruction. Earth’s aspects are Foundation and Strength, while air’s are Freedom and Spirit. Metal is formed of Gravitation and Power, and nature—your alignment, Morgan—is made of Life and Death. The Domination elements are more aggressive, requiring emotion and drive in order to be utilized. The Discipline elements, however, require calm and willpower.”
― Ivan Kal, Guild Master