Makoto Shinkai

A fire may be set by human hands, but after a certain point, the flames are spreading on their own. Hatred and antipathy are the same way. By the end, it isn’t even clear who started it; it keeps burning until the very last beam comes crashing down.

Maybe this was what people meant by marital bliss. The joy of my cat.

“Life became stronger after the sexes were separated.”

“I find that hard to believe.” I recalled the sight of her crying. She wasn’t strong at all.

“You could call it the power to love, the power to need others. This power we gained in exchange for loneliness makes a species stronger.”

I didn’t always understand what Jon said, but I was glad if her loneliness and sadness wasn’t all for nothing.