"It's a wish generally - Sue and Ivy do it naturally because Sue was dreaming when he went to Alethia to get Ivy, but she sometimes slips in and out in his sleep. At least last I checked; he may have patched that recently."

"Hi. I'm Damaris."

"Yseult," says Yseult, with a little curtsy.

"I probably could've guessed that, if I'd thought about it. Uh, nice to meet you."

"There is indeed," says Amariah wryly, "a lot of stuff."

Helen smiles tentatively at her.

"So this is somewhat less awkward than it could have been. If there are movies of me and Ranata's been helping out with you and stuff you probably have most of my life story, with whatever cinematic innacuracies - um - tell me about you?"

"I'm not really sure where to start," she says. "Kalavar used to love being dragons when I was younger... I'm really good at magic... I was kidnapped very briefly once, we never really found out why - oh, I have an ingot power, I can throw my voice arbitrary places. And listen arbitrary places, too."

"Kalavar wasn't even sure she'd settle," says Helen. "Because, well, Petaal. But she did, and she likes what she is now."

"I checked once," Yseult volunteers. "I would have an ostrich."

"I take it you didn't instantly need an ostrich in your life."

"I am happy to remain ostrich-free."

"You ever check?" Amariah asks Damaris, since this seems to be what they're talking about now.

"It does seem that way," chuckles Amariah.

"It's interesting," says Helen. "—Do either of you have ingot powers?"

Damaris shakes her head.

"Mine concerns mindscapes," says Yseult. "They are more understandable to me, and more malleable, than they are to most people."

"So I guess if you haven't turned up with one yet that's evidence in favor of the mint-parents-at-time-of-conception theory," Amariah says in Damaris's direction, "have Keziah or Céleste demonstrated anything yet, though?"