[Is it? Ginia laughs harshly, a huff of hot air across his shirt and skin. She leans a little into his hand, holds him tighter though careful not to squeeze him too much. She hits hard. She knows her strength. Maybe she doesn't know her strength. Strength and weakness, her scale of herself is broken when what is normal? What's the baseline to judge herself against?]

My second temple was full of fighters. I thought it was where I belong, what I wanted.

[Her signs spill from her hands. Strangely, it doesn't hurt as much as she thought it would to think about those months. It'll still take awhile for all the embarrassment and shame to burn off, but it doesn't ache as much.]

They were faster, stronger, I couldn't keep up. Or maybe it was all in my mind, I don't know. I made a lot of mistakes there.

[Maybe one day it'll be easier talking about it. Right now, looking back on those months still feels too embarrassing and shameful. Ginia tries to refocus and tie together the stray thoughts drifting around. It's a level of honesty she's not used to, but bottling everything will eventually suffocate her and her gods too.]

I didn't learn it was okay to be weak until I came here. I guess I'm still getting used to the idea. There's a lot I'm getting used to still. But coming here was the best thing to happen to me. I guess it's the case for everyone here from what I've heard.

[And I could have lost everything. It's nothing she needs to say; Kimi was there, he knows. Her breath skates across him again. Ginia glances at his neck, traces up to where it connects into his jaw.]

...I really want to kiss you right now, but I'm afraid of making the same mistakes again.