Artiscain

“All I have is a scratch,” I explain. “One little, tiny …” I break down again. Because it’s not just a little tiny scratch, and I now that. The softest parts of my skin are under a stranger’s dirty fingernails, my DNA embedded there along with fast-food grease and his own dandruff. Some of my cells are with him right now and I don’t want them to be. I want them back. I want them all right where they belong and I can’t even imagine if it were the other way around, if I’d woken up with a miasma of them deep inside of me, and the thought sends me retching again, the sound almost drowning out the buzzing of my phone.”
― Mindy McGinnis, The Female of the Species

“No one is truly honest,” Nigel answered. “Even if we don't lie to others, we often lie to ourselves. And the word good means different things to different people.”
― stephanie garber, Caraval

“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

“Hearing the dog, Wei WuXian immediately felt his hair rise. He shrunk back into Lan WangJi’s arms, half-dead with fright, 'Lan Zhan!'

Lan WangJi had already embraced him without needing any reminder, replying, 'I am here!'

Wei WuXian, 'Hug me!'

Lan WangJi, 'I am hugging you!'

Wei WuXian, again, 'Hug me tight!'

Lan WangJi, also, 'I am hugging you tight!”
― 墨香铜臭, 魔道祖师 [Mó Dào Zǔ Shī]