She laughs. "No. There's two artifact types, far as anyone can tell - magical girls and monsters. We're monsters, which can look like pretty much anything not classic humanoid. Usually something humans might find scary."

"Why doesn't anyone know about this stuff?"

"The rumor's that anyone who tries or even plans to break the masquerade in a big way - go to the press, try to collect money for proving magic exists, use magic in a crowded area without hiding it - vanishes without a trace."

"Rumors."

"I've fallen out of touch with people before, but haven't actually known anyone who definitely just vanished instead of moving or retiring."

"Retiring? Why would you give up- this?"

"Don't know. There's fighting, between magical girls and monsters, but that's fun."

She wrinkles her nose. "Why fighting?"

"Lots of reasons. We have been for as long as anyone knows. Magic potential selects for being inclined to violence, though, I'm pretty sure - and monsters tend to be disobedient or non-conformist or independent, and magical girls tend to be conformist and obsessive and cliquish, and both groups are apparently willing to enforce that violently."

"Hmm."

"The fight's fun, too. Magical girls are a pretty good challenge most times."

"I haven't really tried fighting anything. Except some small wildlife."

"You can practice against me, if you want. And I can teach you magic! That'd be exciting."

"How much do capabilities overlap?"

"Varies - with individual artifact, actually. Magical girl artifacts have really strict restrictions on what powers are easy or hard to use with them, but monster artifacts tend to just have an aesthetic they make easier. Most everyone can learn how to hide themselves and their magic, for one, even when in human shape, and most monsters can change their avatar within their theme."

"I'm pretty sure my theme is electricity. What's yours?"

"I started with a tendency for pyromania - my artifact name's the Burning Ruby Tiger. But I quickly learned how to be free and swift as smoke, how to divine things via fire, how to feel and increase or decrease heat... Also learned how to reinforce my body. My claws are rubies, sharp and hard, and they burn when they cut, but I'm as hard to strike as a flame. I could probably summon fire creatures pretty easily, but I haven't put a lot of effort into that - my usual fighting strategy's more of a there and gone flash strike. I've also picked up some generalist stuff, mostly whatever's useful for hiding."

"That sounds very poetic."

"Often is! And some avatars also have abstract themes."

"Poetry is not really my strong suit."

Shrug. "I don't think knowing the metaphors in stuff is required to learn how to use magic."

"Oh, good."

"It's mostly fun and intuitive. Hard part for most people is thinking creatively."

"I noticed yesterday that I didn't have to try very hard for most things."

"That's generally pretty true, yeah, though it's easier for some people than others."