[ Takes a subtle breath in and out, and … ffffff, fine, fine, okay — allows herself one very gentle and discreet ruffle of her wings, like the avian equivalent of a dog shaking itself off. Stop being a dumbass, Korone, damn. ]

… It is okay to be who you are. Being different … thinking about and experiencing the world in different ways — is okay. [ Is she saying that to Rinku or herself? … Yes. Probably. ]

[ A small puzzle toy — similar to a rubik's cube but way more complex — appears in her hands. ]

Um. Yes and no? ... Maybe kinda, in some ways. [ Because that surely makes sense. ] Sorry I'm being vague; I haven't talked about this much and it's a little [ a lot ] tricky to find the right words and place to start. [ But she's gonna do her absolute rubesty, and after a couple of twists of the puzzle, she dips her metaphorical toes in: ] I ... my younger self ... grew up in a 'normal' world. There wasn't really any magic at all. No monsters, no cool powers, just humans being humans. We were a regular high school kid with two parents working in law enforcement.

So ... being kidnapped to those other places, not knowing how to fight, surrounded by powerful people and magic and monsters and all sorts of things. It was amazing, but it was really scary too. It was terrifying.