[ Hei works with a steady precision, like he handles sutures or explosive chemicals, his fork barely scraping against the edge of the bowl. At her words, he raises an eyebrow. His own childhood was hardly conventional. He'd transitioned (was forced to transition) from a boy to a miniature adult with no period of adjustment. But just because his experiences differed from 'societal expectations,' doesn't mean he's unfamiliar with the other end of the spectrum. He'd be a bad chameleon, otherwise. ]

So they locked you up in an ivory tower. [ It doesn't sound scathing, just matter-of-fact. ] You were the special little Avatar to them. Nothing else. [ It makes sense now, where her naivety, her jittery self-image, stems from. ] They may as well have crippled you.