“On Gortician, a promotion was survival. Firings were literal. You were incinerated, and your successor’s first job was sweeping your ashes up for Ned’s AtomicDustbin, Gortician’s recycle center.”

“Got any new ways to torture and kill people?”“Hmmm,” said the voice. “Did you try stabbing them?”“Of course. That’s one oh one stuff.”“Shooting?’“With extreme prejudice.”“Burning?”“Yes.”“Strangling?”“Naturally, I mean, I strangle people while I’m sleeping, even.”“Crushing?’“Sure.”“Mangling?”“All the time.”“Hmmmm. Can we think aboutthis?”

“Vreal filed away digital copies in triplicate, four analog copies, threw two copies away, shredded one, and finally, ate another. He was rather compulsive.”

“Never in his unlimited lifespan had he ever allowed anyone to call him anything but President Gorlax. Even when he was a fledgling, and not even a president. The other kids hated him for it. He had them killed.”

“So...like, you're lyin' on the battlefield with an arrow for a decoration, and everybody homes in on it like a beacon and they start pryin' it out WHILE you're conscious, and you're thinkin' "Ahh! Don't trouble yourselves, just leave it in there for goodness' sake! I got it first, it's mine! Don't touch it! I can use it to hang stuff on and--aahh!" And then when you finally faint from all the pain, they shake you and shout your name and try to wake you up, and you're thinkin' "Heeeeeeell no, I ain't comin' back to that! Why d'you think I fainted in the first place?!" Then they get all frantic-like and such and start hollerin' "Don't die on me, man!" and you're thinkin' "The only one gonna die here is you if you don't quit shaking me!”

“It wasn't what you were born to, and no good comes from getting out of your station in life.”

“Well, it kind of hurts when the kind of words you writeAnd kind of turn themselves into knivesAnd don't mind my nerve you can call it fiction'Cause I like being submerged in your contradictions, dear'Cause here we are, here we areAlthough you were biased, I love your adviceYour comebacks they're quick and probably Have to do with your insecuritiesThere's no shame in being crazy depending on how you take theseWords they're paraphrasing this relationship we're stagingAnd it's a beautiful mess, yes, it isIt's like we're picking up trash in dresses”