"Yes?"

Shrug.

Here's Chris!

Yvette looks between Serafin and Miles, apprehensive.

Then she decides she does not have time for her relationship drama, smiles an awkward apologetic smile at Serafin and Miles, and then carries on like there is no relationship drama to behold at all.

"Hi, Chris. Okay - so I'm pretty sure I can get your two branches of magic to make friends, but we'll have to be very careful about what chess metaphor we use, and I or Chris should be the major spellcaster for the spell, on account of how this is precisely the thing that got me my accidental soul."

"What do you mean by being very careful about the metaphor?"

"For that matter what do you mean about the metaphor in the first place?"

Oh right Serafin doesn't know how Chris's magic works.

"Sorry, Serafin. Chris has a magic system that's very tidy and friendly, and it's based around chess metaphors. It's not as freeform as yours, but it's also less wild, and doesn't require any torture at all. The reason we should be careful with the metaphor is that - okay, so, Chris's magic and my magic will be the base of the spell, and Serafin's magic comes along and magnifies the effects of it. We're all flexible enough to manage it, it's just a matter of - building everything with everyone else's idiosyncrasies in mind. Which for you, Chris, means that the structure needs to take into account what the other magics are like so it'll - hook up correctly, I suppose is the correct terminology."

"Huh. All right."

"I think I see what you mean," she says, nodding. "We should go over your spell's structure, then, and I'll think about how to build around it. As for Serafin... maybe I should try casting a few small spells with you as practice," she says to him, "to get a feel for how you power things."

"How much power am I putting into this? Or I guess, to put it another way: is there anyone around here I can hurt?"

"Um. I think that we're probably not going to be able to get your typical max level of power ethically, but." She makes an awkward face. "Depending on how much power we need - and I don't know the answer to that question yet, I don't know the specifics of how Chris's magic works - you, um. Already know my pain tolerances. I bet I could output more from emotional responses than - um, before, on account of everything. It probably shouldn't be our first option because I'm a little delicate right now on account of my recent ensouling, but it is an option."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Something to say over there?"

"Well, in the interests of having all of our options listed, I should probably mention that I have a high pain tolerance and might be slightly manic-depressive. I'm not thrilled about contributing in that particular way, but I'd do it if it seemed like it was actually the best choice available."

"Well. Good to know."

Look at that awkward expression on Yvette. She is so awkward. The most awkward.

"...Should we maybe have some kind of conversation before we start in on the magic," he says to Yvette. "With a smaller audience."

"Yeah, um. We probably should."

"Shoo," he says, with a general wave at the non-Yvette people present.

"Shooing," says Liesel agreeably. She and her aunt go back upstairs.

Miles looks at Yvette. "Am I staying or going? I should avoid being visible from outside the house but I bet I can do that and still not listen in if that's what you'd rather."

"I'm okay with you staying, if, um, Serafin is too?"

Shrug. "No problem."

"Preferences for - a part we start on or should I just spout out the very first thing that comes to mind and hope for the best?" she wonders, a little wryly.