"I dance. Between the pink flower's grace and the black flower's skill..."

"Nice!"

"Magic's awesome. I haven't had nearly as much luck exploiting it usefully, the black flower seems like the best one and I've only just worked up to putting it in for real."

"Must be inconvenient, not liking pain!"

"I mean, hey, if someone offered me a way to become a masochist I'd take it in a heartbeat."

"If I knew how to teach it, I would! But it just seems to come naturally."

"Yeah, I think it's just one of those things."

"Yeah."

"Oh well. Pain tolerance can be learned, so."

"Close enough!"

"Does mean my learning curve with the magic isn't as good as those of you with innate advantages. Oh well."

Cass giggles. "I mean, I'm closer to you than Anna, I think? Anna's way out there."

"Oh?"

"Dunno about you, but I can't sleep with four flowers in."

"...I, uh, have been assuming that the healing factor would take care of any negative effects of excessive painkiller and sleeping pill use."

"I'm not sure Anna's ever taken a painkiller in her life."

"Good for Anna."

"Anna is weird," says Anna.

"Weird is good."

She beams.

"Especially when it helps you do magic!"

"A definite plus!"

She grins, conjures a few glass marbles, and sets them to orbiting her palm while slowly changing shape.

"Cool."

"So what've you been up to?"