"Yes."
"And do you consent to answer our questions honestly and submit to magical examination if required?"
"I consent."
"Good." The physician opened a folder. "We've received reports that you display unusual emotional responses. Specifically, that you appear unable to experience fear, joy, anger, or other normal human emotions. Is this accurate?"
"Partially accurate. I experience emotions differently than most people. Not unable—just different."
"Explain."
Elara kept her voice level, clear. "I can identify emotions in others. I can understand what they mean and how they affect behavior. But I don't experience the same internal sensation that most people describe. When someone says they 'feel happy,' I don't have that same subjective experience. I recognize the behavioral indicators of happiness, but not the feeling itself."
"So you're emotionally deficient."
"No. I'm emotionally different. The outcome is functionality, not deficiency."
