(no subject)
"Tolerated everywhere she'd ever been. As opposed, perhaps, to being wanted, welcomed, valued. Not noticed enough to be disliked; in a world where isolation kills and science has shown that any attention is preferred to none, she was tolerated; not even noticed enough to get rejected. Tolerated. And what is there in that to connect with enough to fight it? Tolerated. Blandly unseen, glossed over, endured. Until anyone who dared communicate was forced to pay the teind for all those who never tried to. And driven away, so that she could keep the one thing she had.
She knew exactly what she did. Pitiless insight isn't called that for no reason. Pity makes allowance and turns it's face away. Intellect does not. And so the same thing that let her see their neglect, made certain that they would never simply leave her alone, because such a clever little thing, such an earnest, forever hopeful of being loved little thing, such a biddable little thing must surely be useful somehow." - from "The Empty Crown" by Rosemary Edghill
She knew exactly what she did. Pitiless insight isn't called that for no reason. Pity makes allowance and turns it's face away. Intellect does not. And so the same thing that let her see their neglect, made certain that they would never simply leave her alone, because such a clever little thing, such an earnest, forever hopeful of being loved little thing, such a biddable little thing must surely be useful somehow." - from "The Empty Crown" by Rosemary Edghill