"...I'm not sure if 'reason' is even the word," says Corona. "Just. Sometimes he'll do things that don't make any sense. He'll hurt himself or hurt somebody else or cry for days or break things, not because he's trying to get anything out of it, not because he decides to, but just because he has to do something and that's what came up. It won't all necessarily be destructive, either. I used to clean things a lot. The kitchen, my room, other people's rooms, whatever I could get my hands on."
"How much is known about the clusters, apart from that they exist and Glass can see them? I mean, I've been informed that I'm 'green', but I don't know what to do with that, either."
"I might be able to provide more insight if I'd judgesighted you or Felicity, but I haven't."
She doesn't press that point, but: "Felicity mentioned his stepfather's name. It's not the usual unpleasant parental figure name."
Corona looks at Jake. "It's... part of it, the kind of big main crucial part, is something that I think it would be better for Felicity if he gets to tell her himself. And I don't know how much I can give you around the edges before you'll get the middle." Looking at Elsie again, "You know our best guess at what he'll be like; knowing our best guess at why is a lot less important."
"As long as we're on the subject, do you have a general idea of how long it's okay to leave him by himself on the island, given that loneliness is known to be a problem? By himself except for his poof, I mean, which he'll have unless he throws it into the sea."
"Okay, then we shouldn't run into any problems there. I had been wondering if it would be a good idea to stop briefly at home mid-party."
"Of course. It would mostly be useful in case he spontaneously learned to freecast. He can already talk to her at any time as long as he's at home, and he could turn it off if he didn't want her looking at him."