[ It was a lifelong struggle to prove yourself better than those around would have assumed. Mariette faced it constantly in her world, barely staying afloat among the societal structures that threatened to drown her. Her companion seemed to know what that was like, or at least, has seen the manifestations of it.

Mariette tilts her head, eyes back on her neighbour’s face, those words pulling something deep inside her, turmoil darkening her grey eyes. ]

Maybe here, they’re really considered not to be. That’s what it looks like, anyway. [ It's a sight that's too familiar but not at all comforting. She tries for a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. ] But if you find someone, then you'll be treated well, right? [ It's wrong, of course, but here, it might be easier to go along with the system than to fight it. ]