THE ABILITY TO HOLD PAIN ,
a sentence starter prompts list comprised of quotes from the novel the sword of kaigen: the theonite war story by m. l. wang. please be advised that this list may involve topics including, but not limited to, murder, death, and violence. change verbiage as needed.
you don’t need to play dumb with me. i like you better when you’re smart.
be careful how hard you love what you know you can’t have.
i’ve never seen you smile. what’s wrong with you? are the corners of your mouth busted or something?
you’re not a disappointment. you couldn’t be if you tried.
you… are you saying our government would lie to us?
any warrior will tell you that even the strong can’t afford complacency.
you’re a good fighter and your small-town pride is cute, but it’s all based on a lie.
you’re talented, but talent is meaningless without self-discipline. you will never be fully realized if you continuously let your pride run away with your principles.
you’re patriotic and loyal. you’re exactly what everyone’s told you to be.
if i kill you, you’ll be facing me with a sword in your hand.
i don’t just make up ridiculous, self-serving lies whenever i feel like it.
are you hurt anywhere else? is there any bleeding?
the moon and ocean fear no change.
we can’t claim to be crime-fighters if we disrespect life just as much as the criminals we fight.
i don’t think killing a horrible, hostile person is really disrespecting life.
if you didn’t want your enemies dead, why even bring me onboard? why did you choose me?
street fighting is always messy and full of cheating.
so, you care that everyone lives, but you don’t care whether you fight clean?
how easy do you think it is to build a life out of nothing?
it’s not your powers that make you special.
i know you can take care of yourself. i’m just not sure you will.
do you not understand? you’re going to die!
if i think your life is in danger, i will kill for you.
only you could turn an offer for help into a threat.
for someone so proficient at fighting, you certainly seem to loathe it.
careful what you wish for.
you should lie down and rest for at least a little while.
can i tell you why i hit him?
you learn over time that the world isn’t broken. it’s just…got more pieces to it than you thought. they all fit together, just maybe not the way you pictured when you were young.
listening never made any man dumber, but it’s made a lot of people smarter.
the world is whole. you are on the right path. everything is going to be alright.
ours is borrowed power, a gift and a blessing. the true power belongs to the gods.
respectfully, i just want to know how you feel about your government lying to you.
do you fight to be remembered?
if it came to it, i would have killed without a second thought. if it was to save [name], i would have killed as many people as i needed to.
that is the dumbest thing you’ve said all day. square up.
i’m not sure i’m worthy of your pride, but i will be. just wait.
you’re going to find something worth fighting for and you’re going to get your chance to fight for it.
you think i’m a good person. that saved my life.
you saved me. i’m going to return the favor, but i need you to trust me and hide.
are you serious? you’re sure you don’t want to run?
power. that’s really the thing people use to decide who they marry?
i don’t want to leave without you.
a life of dangerous adventures might seem worth it now, when you are young and seemingly invincible, but one day, you will have children, and you will not want that life for them.
you’re trying to hurt me so i can leave you here without any guilt.
i know your tactics. they won’t work on me.
this doesn’t seem like something you would have chosen of your own free will.
i made a decision you don’t like, so i’m a coward?
divinity lives here. i think this is a place of miracles.
i never loved you the way i should have.
the least i can do is warn you about what is going to happen next.
are you always going to be this mean to me?
this power… i might not understand it completely, but i know that it comes from my will to protect the people i love.
i’m impressed. patience has never been your strong suit.
you’re good at talking to people – lifting them up, breaking them down. you’ve always been good at that.
i’ve stood by too long while you disgraced yourself, but this–this is the last time you will be weak in front of me.
the anger is not going to go away, but you are going to face it and tame it.
you’re guilty of the same thing i am.
if you don’t want to hurt me, you will face me like a real fighter, with respect
there are worse things than fighting. i like a bit of fighting. it’s silence i can’t stand.
when you’ve been around the world and seen all different kinds of lies, it gets easier to see through them. i don’t fault you for being misinformed.
what happened to the fearless optimist i knew?
a person’s tragedy doesn’t define them or cancel all the good in their life.
how many of them did you kill?
i’ll never understand how you forgive people you disagree with so fundamentally.
i thought i could become strong enough to protect the people i cared about from anything. i understand now that that’s not true. and it’s too late.
janainaart
theartofmadeline
snowghoul
germansingergirl
