#ch

All of a sudden, in the good-natured child, the woman stood revealed, a disturbing woman with all the impulsive madness of her sex, opening the gates of the unknown world of desire. Nana was still smiling, but with the deadly smile of a man-eater. ↗

— Émile Zola

#sexuality #woman-s-character #love

My mental approach is totally different. My coach predicated everything on defense. He always talked about defense, defense, defense. I took it to heart that if you play defense, you can take the heart from an offensive player. ↗

— Eric Williams

#always #approach #coach #defense #different

I took a job at the pool in order to earn the five cents a day it cost to swim. I counted wet towels. As a bonus, I was allowed to swim during lunchtime. ↗

— Esther Williams

#bonus #cents #cost #counted #day

Psychology either tends to glorify human beings or trivialize them, leaving out the complexity of the human soul and the demands of God. ↗

— Gene Edward Veith Jr.

#psychology #sociology #love

Last night I danced. My body rose from its slump for the first time since the beginning of sorrows - my fingers beckoning to the stars at arm's length, back arching as tingles bubbled up my spine, hips caught in a silent tempo while on tiptoe I twirled in endless euphoric circles. It didn't matter that you loved me or that you didn't. For I was wanted by the gods last night; their seraphs and muses descending on moonbeams into my midst, caressing my face and gliding their spirited arms about my waist, lifting my toes from the soil that I might feel what it is to fly without heaviness of heart. I danced with them under the glow of a loyal moon. For one brief, visceral dance I joyed as Heaven joys - in endless bliss. And the universe cherished me. ↗

— Richelle E. Goodrich

#inspirational-quote #joy #love #moon #moonbeams

For certain, neither of them sees a happy Present, as the gate opens and closes, and one goes in, and the other goes away. ↗

— Charles Dickens

#love #melancholy #sadness #love

I'm a new man, Giovanni. If you want to imitate me, you'll have to abandon the mask and get a face like this one." Erik smiled mirthlessly at his young nemesis, his teeth shining madly in the dim light of piazza. "You can't have her! She loves me. The mask won't do. You could never giver what she wants, because she wants me!" Giovanni tried to follow Meg and Roul, but each time he shifted Erik was there. ↗

— Sadie Montgomery

#giovanni #meg-giry #phantom-of-the-opera #raoul #vicomte-de-chagny

Basically, secure people feel comfortable with intimacy and are usually warm and loving; anxious people crave intimacy, are often preoccupied with their relationships, and tend to worry about their partner’s ability to love them back; avoidant people equate intimacy with a loss of independence and constantly try to minimize closeness. ↗

— Amir Levine

#love #love

They should." "Should be like a wood bee," she said. It was a private joke, a mocking appreciation of the slipperiness of even the simplest hope, a nonce catchphrase like so many others lifted from favorite movies or TV shows that served as a rote substitute for conversation and bound them like shut-in twins, each other's best and, most often, only audience. ↗

— Stewart O'Nan

#conversation #hope #movies #pop-culture #tv-shows

I'll go get the horse and buggy," you'll say. And I'll say, "But I thought we were taking the hovercraft? ↗

— David Levithan

#love #love