She paused for a moment before replying. "You have scales all over your body? That capture light?" Finally, someone else who had a strange- and painful- ability.

"Yes. Except for on my head and hands, so I cover them up. They steal light to give me energy, but I shed them every four months and they are practically the only things that can penetrate my scales. I would let you touch them, but you seem to have a thing against touch. One of them got stuck in the seam of my pants, and stabbed me as I sat down." I pull the scale out of my pocket, twisting it in the light so the little reserves of color sparkle. A small globe of light swims towards it, and is captured in the center, making the scale glow. This shows the small veins of purple and blue twisting through it.

Robyn watched in awe as it the scale glowed. It's beautiful. "If you told me your ability I suppose I should tell you mine. I can heal any injury- but it doesn't turn out well for me. If I heal it, I earn it." She brushed the hair in front of left eye away, revealing the paler eye. The scar that ran through it was slightly faded but still visible.

"I see. That's awful, having to take on other people's hurts. Does it work both mentally and physically?" I ask, starting to warm up to her questions. I scooch my back a bit further up the wall, sitting straighter.

"Only physically, I think. It's only happened twice."

"Ah, I see. I do hope that it's not mental too. It would confuse anyone, having more than one voice in their head." Aw *$#@, that made me sound like that's happened to me before. "At least, that's how I'd imagine it to work."

"Yes," she said, watching him. "It would be terrible."