" Ha, your hair's almost long enough to braid," William teased.

" I'll cut it eventually. I don't trust your people with my hair," Nova replied.

A moment.

They were lounging on the grass of the garden room.

" Eh? They do just fine with mine."

" You would look good with a pile of straw for hair," Nova replied.

" Why are we here, anyway?"

" Was thinking about when you fought Diurn, and how you flung yourself down on me with a frankly embarrassing amount of passion after."

William wiggled his leg.

" My ankle still gets all weird feeling sometimes," he said. " I probably shouldn't have been on it so much then."

" Was that your first time getting broken bones?"

" Hm... Nah." He laughed. " It was kinda fucked up, actually. I had to get my arm and leg rebroken when I was like eleven because they didn't heal right before. You can't tell, right?"

Nova stared over at him.

" Not really," he said. " You have so many scars, after all."

" My ankle was a little bit different, though? He practically pulverized the bone. Little pieces and all that. I had to get pins put in. Whatever that means." He stretched. " As long as I can still run and jump with it, I'm fine."

" Hey. Wille. Where did... all of your scars come from, anyway?"