#prose;

[crownmemes]

The Horus Heresy Sentences, Condensed

(Sentences from The Horus Heresy (2006-2024) and related stories. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"The difference between gods and demons depends on where one is standing at the time."

"A weapon doesn't question who it kills or why. That isn't the point of weapons."

"I have never quite come to terms with my status. I see what I am capable of, and what is expected of me, and I shudder. The mere fact of me frightens me sometimes."

"The truth can't be wrong, even if it is ugly."

"Some of the things you have told me sound like wonders, yet you yourself do not seem to wonder at them."

"There is no fundamental immutable evil in the cosmos. It is too large and sterile for such melodrama."

"Answer me this: how far does your loyalty go?"

"I am your sword. Tell me where to strike."

"Common decency and civil behaviour are just a thin veneer over the animal at the core of mankind that gets out whenever it has a chance."

"It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shriek and groans of the dying who cry aloud for blood, vengeance, and desolation."

"There is little of you that can still be called human, isn't there?"

"When you live as complex a life as I have, you learn that it always comes down to a single moment. A moment in which a man finds out once and for all who he really is. This is that moment. Will it be a moment you are proud to look back on, or one you regret for the rest of your life?"

"No army will stand before you, no power of mortal man will lay you low, and no ambition will be denied you if you swear yourself to me."

"The more we learn, the more we question - and the more we question, the more we see through the lies perpetrated upon us."

"Glory? Glory is for those too weak to find inner strength, leaving them hollow parasites feeding on the affection of lesser men."

"There is no virtue in fighting for conquest. Nothing is more worthless and hollow than obliterating freedom for the sake of more land, more coin, more voices singing your name in holy hymn."

"Freedom is the only thing worth fighting for. It is why tyrants always fall."

"There are no gods. No herefores and hereafters. No futures but those we make for ourselves."

"We think we have seen it all, and yet there always comes a day when the universe shows us the folly of that hubris."

"There comes a moment for each of us when we are tested. What happens in that moment is the true measure of us."

"You are afraid of this truth because it is of such magnitude that you will be forever remade by it. What you do not realise is that you have already been changed."

"I envy you. You have something I do not. A duty. You know what it is you must do. You can find that clarity of vision - a mission you must strive to fulfil."

"Only in death does duty end, and you are not dead yet."

"You are my brother. I would have walked unto death with you. Why could you not have done the same for me?"

"There is no greater rivalry than that which exists between siblings."

[7wolfmoon]

It's been a year and a half. Of course Larkspur still hurts, but constant agony has given way to a dull ache most of the time. There are still moments where he breaks down, sometimes when he's reminded, and sometimes out of nowhere, but for the most part, he's able to go about his life almost as normal.

More and more, he allows himself to heal, to accept his reality. He's no longer jealous of his sister or his boyfriend. He's even been able to tolerate spectating most of the Entrails' matches. 

Sometimes, the saddest thing to him isn't that he can no longer interact with his Palisman, but that Lark's loved ones can't. Lark can feel the glow in his own chest, but the same can't be said for his friends and family.

Lately, in his dreams, he senses that familiar golden warmth not just in his heart, but also beside him. It's moved slowly outward, as he moves onward. Tonight, the presence is almost staggering, almost tangible.

Then he feels a small creature alight on his shoulder. He doesn't need to look to know who it is, but he does anyway. Of course he does.

You'll see me again, Flapjack had said to him back then. Lark didn't dare to hope that it would be literal, but at least here, now, in his dreams, the bird is as vibrant a red as he was when they first met. 

They don't need to say anything. Their shared love is understood. For a time, in that nebulous dreamspace, they just sit and enjoy one another's company.

When Lark wakes, it's with tears in his eyes and a smile on his lips. The weathered carving he sleeps with is as pale blue and motionless as ever, but this morning, it doesn't sadden him. He runs his thumb fondly over Flapjack's crest before rolling out of bed to get ready for the day.

Some weekends, the squad comes with him to the forest. When he isn't carving, Lark helps Willow and Dell tend the palistrom trees with Plant magic. The rest of the group does what they can physically, planting and watering saplings and keeping the area clean and safe.

Everyone socializes with the older Palismen who've yet to find their witches. It would make sense for their numbers to lessen as more of them bond with their partners, but more and more have actually seemed to venture out of the old forests in the time since Belos' defeat and the fall of the Coven system, almost faster than witches can take them in. Which is fine by Lark, really. He's happy that they feel safe enough to show themselves. And even with their magic helping some of the trees grow large enough to harvest a branch or two here and there, the palistrom forest is still so thin that he feels guilty with each cut he takes.

Once all the trees have been checked on, and the wild Palismen are entertained, he contemplates the latest branch. Having carved a couple dozen by now, he has a good idea of how many he can make while wasting the least amount of wood. He stares long enough that he feels eyes on himself as well.

Someone eventually asks what they're all wondering. Is he ever going to carve for himself?

And, as he has each time he's held a block in his hands, Lark considers it. But today, unlike every other time, he doesn't feel an overwhelming longing to do so. He feels lighter, somehow, as if a long-shouldered burden has been lifted.

"No," he answers with both softness and finality. "I don't think I need to anymore. I just want to help other people find their partners... I want to make up for all the damage I caused. Hopefully... put more kindness out there than all the hurt, you know?"

It makes sense, in a way. They've all been there for him since he lost Flap. They've all seen his growth. Luz and Gus as his siblings and Willow and Nico as his partners all have sad but knowing smiles for him, in their own ways.

Just as he sets the branch down to start his cuts, something in the canopy moves. A figure swoops down toward him, and if it weren't for the color, Lark would swear he knows the silhouette. But the old bird-shaped Palisman that lands on his outstretched hand is blue. 

They stare at one another for a moment before Lark lifts his other hand to stroke its head. Come to think of it, he does recall seeing this one among the others occasionally, but it's never approached him before now.

"Nice to finally meet you," he says with a relieved, breathy laugh. 

Waffles coos in response, and he understands her.

My little Lark, I've been waiting for you.

.

.

.

[[ as a note: i had this planned before anything was confirmed. i know her name was confirmed waffle singular and hunter carved her himself. i don't care. :) this is my blog and i do what i want. ]]

[crownmemes]

The Horus Heresy Sentences, Vol. 3

(Sentences from The Horus Heresy (2006-2024) and related stories. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"I will follow any orders you give, but not this one."

"What I am about to say will not sit well with you, and at the end of the telling, you may wish you had not asked for it."

"You are more than the stone and steel face you show the stars. You can be open."

"You said 'you people'. Is that because you don't think you're one of us?"

"You are carrying so much weight upon your shoulders, but you are still reluctant to let others bear it with you."

"You bury your rage under rock and steel."

"Only in death does duty end, and you are not dead yet."

"Is there ever a day where you don't concern yourself with the welfare of others?"

"Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away."

"You are what you are by an accident of birth. What I am, I created for myself."

"You've been reading poetry again, haven't you?"

"It has been too long since last we made war, but what a chance we have now to remedy that!"

"It seems to me that you already have your course set on war without consulting me."

"A man's character can be judged by his questions rather than by his answers."

"Difficulty is no excuse. Perfection must overcome difficulty."

"To speak the truth of war, you must see it all - the glory and the brutality."

"All warriors who follow their leader's orders must carry the weight of them also."

"There is no purity in pride. Never forget that."

"Once this meeting is over, I think you and I should have a talk."

"Truth, like surgery, may hurt, but it also cures."

"Can it be possible for anything to be too perfect?"

"When a sinister person means to be your enemy, they always start by trying to become your friend."

"It is not birth or rank, but virtue that makes the difference between men."

"You will never know what is too far until you go beyond it."

"Doubt is not a pleasant condition, but certainty is absurd when it is built on a lie."

"You are my brother. I would have walked unto death with you. Why could you not have done the same for me?"

"You dare return to me in failure?"

"Perhaps you can defeat me, but I have no wish to trial either of us in such a fruitless and wasteful trial of combat."

"There is no greater rivalry than that which exists between siblings."

"If it can bleed, we can kill it."

"How narrow your mind is. How ignorant you are of what is to come."

"Have you lost your mind as well as your honour?"

[crownmemes]

The Horus Heresy Sentences, Vol. 2

(Sentences from The Horus Heresy (2006-2024) and related stories. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"When you live as complex a life as I have, you learn that it always comes down to a single moment. A moment in which a man finds out once and for all who he really is. This is that moment. Will it be a moment you are proud to look back on, or one you regret for the rest of your life?"

"No army will stand before you, no power of mortal man will lay you low, and no ambition will be denied you if you swear yourself to me."

"The more we learn, the more we question - and the more we question, the more we see through the lies perpetrated upon us."

"Why is it that men have to die any time any of us tries to do what is right?"

"This planet should have been dead a long time ago."

"There are no hells. No gods. No eternal rewards or punishments."

"To show you care for something is to show weakness. If you care for something, an enemy can hurt you with it."

"Glory? Glory is for those too weak to find inner strength, leaving them hollow parasites feeding on the affection of lesser men."

"There is no virtue in fighting for conquest. Nothing is more worthless and hollow than obliterating freedom for the sake of more land, more coin, more voices singing your name in holy hymn."

"Freedom is the only thing worth fighting for. It is why tyrants always fall."

"People must know that they are valued. Praise from one's peers must be given when the moment is right. Without it, even the most steadfast man will eventually feel unvalued."

"There are no gods. No herefores and hereafters. No futures but those we make for ourselves."

"Out of respect to you for your service and record, I won't consider your obstreperous manner to be discourteous to my rank, but do not mistake what I just asked for a request!"

"I heal better standing up."

"Not dead, then?"

"Like you, my suspicions were piqued. Unlike you, my skills in stealth are at a decent standard."

"When you have fought for as long as I have, you'll learn that some things transcend even the commands of your masters."

"You are of purpose."

"Do your duty, or I'll find a man who can."

"I have reached my bounds with your doleful conduct. If you have nothing else to volunteer but that, I will ask you to leave."

"No man can outlive entropy."

"We think we have seen it all, and yet there always comes a day when the universe shows us the folly of that hubris."

"Live as long as I have and you'll come to understand that it's not the years that count - it's the distance you travel."

"There comes a moment for each of us when we are tested. What happens in that moment is the true measure of us."

"You are afraid of this truth because it is of such magnitude that you will be forever remade by it. What you do not realise is that you have already been changed."

"What do you believe in?"

"What we are is as much where destiny takes us as it is what we do with the journey."

"I envy you. You have something I do not. A duty. You know what it is you must do. You can find that clarity of vision — a mission you must strive to fulfil."

"Are you always this pessimistic? We're not corpses yet!"

"We have come too far to sit back and wait for death to take us. We have to act!"

"Watch your tone! My leniency only extends so far!"

"I will not give up now! Not after all this has cost us!"

[crownmemes]

The Horus Heresy Sentences, Vol. 1

(Sentences from The Horus Heresy (2006-2024) and related stories. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"The difference between gods and demons depends on where one is standing at the time."

"A weapon doesn't question who it kills or why. That isn't the point of weapons."

"I have never quite come to terms with my status. I see what I am capable of, and what is expected of me, and I shudder. The mere fact of me frightens me sometimes."

"You have a very lovely voice. You could ask me to do anything."

"The truth can't be wrong, even if it is ugly."

"Are you saying that I bore you?"

"Some of the things you have told me sound like wonders, yet you yourself do not seem to wonder at them."

"Have you not seen things so bizarre they left you speechless?"

"There is no fundamental immutable evil in the cosmos. It is too large and sterile for such melodrama."

"I could give someone a bad name just by standing next to them."

"If I insulted you in any way, let me assure you, I meant it."

"Does it hurt? The truth you keep hidden?"

"Answer me this: how far does your loyalty go?"

"Did you not see the warnings I left?"

"Why have you tasked me with this? Why have you forsaken me? Why?"

"It is too hard. It is too much. Why did you leave me to do this on my own?"

"Have you ever known me to lose a fight?"

"You always want to be the first, don't you?"

"I am your sword. Tell me where to strike."

"What do you leave here for me that you don't dare bring me directly?"

"Will you follow me no matter what I do?"

"Common decency and civil behaviour are just a thin veneer over the animal at the core of mankind that gets out whenever it has a chance."

"Find some other gullible fool to seduce. I don't have time."

"It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shriek and groans of the dying who cry aloud for blood, vengeance, and desolation."

"If you think you can bully me with your bad manners and your high and mighty attitude, you can go to hell!"

"I usually make up my mind about someone in ten seconds, and I very rarely change it."

"You have a thinker's head on you, but wars are not won by thinkers. They are won by men of action."

"There's always room in my life for temptation. I count it a bad day if I'm not tempted by something or another."

"We are brothers, yes, but like all brothers, we squabble and seek to outdo one another."

"One should never see a drinking establishment well lit. It just makes them look even sadder."

"There is little of you that can still be called human, isn't there?"

"Only one person has a need to know what's the things inside my head, and that person is me."

"A sacrifice is not a sacrifice if it is not valued by the giver."

[crownmemes]

Jane Austen Sentences

(Sentences from Jane Austen. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"Every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters"

"There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends."

"Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way."

"Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion."

"It is very difficult for the prosperous to be humble."

"It isn't what we say or think that defines us, but what we do."

"I have loved none but you."

"There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others."

"I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal."

"There are as many forms of love as there are moments in time."

"I wish, as well as everybody else, to be perfectly happy; but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way"

"I have no notion of loving people by halves; it is not my nature."

"If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more."

"A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of."

"I may have lost my heart, but not my self-control."

"Business, you know, may bring you money, but friendship hardly ever does."

"How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!"

"Marriage is indeed a manoeuvring business."

"Surprises are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable."

"When pain is over, the remembrance of it often becomes a pleasure."

"Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings."

"I have not the pleasure of understanding you."

"I always deserve the best treatment because I never put up with any other."

"I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve."

"The distance is nothing when one has a motive."

"The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it."

"Nobody minds having what is too good for them."

"Without music, life would be a blank to me."

"It is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage."

"My feelings will not be repressed."

"Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance."

"My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people, who have a great deal of conversation"

"Angry people are not always wise."

"There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well."

"Those who do not complain are never pitied."

"One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other."

"You hear nothing but truth from me."

"The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love."

"One cannot have too large a party."

"There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart."

[crownmemes]

George Orwell Sentences

(Sentences from George Orwell. Adjust phrasing where needed)

"Perhaps one did not want to be loved so much as to be understood."

"If you want to keep a secret, you must also hide it from yourself."

"Now do you begin to understand me?"

"Reality exists in the human mind, and nowhere else."

"You're only a rebel from the waist downwards."

"Men can only be happy when they do not assume that the object of life is happiness."

"Power is in tearing human minds to pieces and putting them together again in new shapes of your own choosing."

"Political language is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind."

"The consequences of every act are included in the act itself."

"Beauty is meaningless until it is shared."

"The most effective way to destroy people is to deny and obliterate their own understanding of their history."

"If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear."

"Who controls the past controls the future. Who controls the present controls the past."

"In the face of pain there are no heroes."

"The essence of being human is that one does not seek perfection."

"There are occasions when it pays better to fight and be beaten than not to fight at all."

"In a time of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act."

"Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it."

"We know that no one ever seizes power with the intention of relinquishing it."

"Man serves the interests of no creature except himself."

"On the whole human beings want to be good, but not too good, and not quite all the time."

"To survive you often have to fight, and to fight you have to dirty yourself."

"In our age, there is no such thing as 'keeping out of politics.'"

"Within any important issue, there are always aspects no one wishes to discuss."

"We have now sunk to a depth at which restatement of the obvious is the first duty of intelligent men."

"We are all capable of believing things which we know to be untrue."

"Power is not a means; it is an end."

"I enjoy talking to you. Your mind appeals to me."