“You must not become a silly creature ... relying on other people to tell you what is valuable and what is not...the most important thing in life is to be able to see things as they really are.”

“…you look like a loved person. It always shows on people’s faces. The ones who discover love when they are much older always look startled. The loved ones expect it from other people.”

“It is very easy to convince yourself that you have done something correctly if you never pay attention to what else you might have done in the first place. (Satomi from Picking Bones From Ash)”

“My mother always told me that there is only one way a woman can be truly safe in this world. And that is to be fiercely, inarguably, and masterfully talented. This is different than being intelligent or even educated. (Satomi from Picking Bones From Ash)”

“You can’t control what others think. The only thing you can control is yourself. Some people will look down on you for your choices in life, no matter what they are. You can’t do anything about that. The only thing you can do is decide how to live your own life. And to hell with everybody else”

“At bottom, and just in the deepest and most important things, we are unutterably alone, and for one person to be able to advise or even help another, a lot must happen, a lot must go well, a whole constellation of things must come right in order once to succeed.”

“I can’t help feeling possessive over you Layla. You’re the most valuable thing in my life and I won’t share you with anyone, ever. You’re everything to me. I’d kill for you. I’d give up everything I own just to keep you. You’re my whole universe and I couldn’t exist without you.”