“Having a brain hurt so much sometimes.”

“Sometimes Tally felt she could almost accept brain damage if it meant a life without reconstituted noodles.”

“I don't want to hurt you but I will if I have too - Tally Youngblood”

“Tally-When you looked around at everyone else how come you didn’t notice they were brain damaged?Az - We didn’t have much to compare our fellow citizens with. Only a few colleagues who seemed different from most people, more engaged, but that was hardly a surprise.History would indicate that the majority of people have always been sheep. Before the operation there were wars and mass hatred and clear cutting. Whatever these lesions make us, it isn’t a far cry from how humanity was in the rusty era. These days we’re just a bit easier to manage.”

“Which was worse: a friend with brain damage, or one who despised you?”

“Tally wondered if you could talk somebody out of their brain damage.”

“Maybe the natural world wasn't so jaw-droppingly horrible, appaling, nasty, vile. Sometimes nature could be quite sweet, really, as delicate as a confused and horny butterfly.”