Reading Viktor's emotions through their bond has become so second-nature to K that the muted emoting doesn't put him off the way it might others. He doesn't have to guess at how Viktor is feeling when he knows. It's a stroke of good fortune that Viktor also has an empathic animal companion, especially now, though K worries about how the chaotic storm of emotions might be affecting her when she probably has no way of understanding them.

"Healing, for one example. Healing magic that works on humans doesn't work on me." He rinses off one of his hands before lifting up his pendant that, yes, he still always wears.

"Mel's does because you found a way to convert it into something compatible with my system. Maybe your magic won't require that extra step. But I also understand if you would rather not experiment."