[ he nods— just. it was scary all around. he wasn’t home for it, and suddenly everything was loud and terrifying and nails started sliding off his fingertips like goop . . . shoka knew her way with him. a kelpie to kelpie, perhaps. ]

I clipped them! [ he bends his fingers to his palms and checks the edges, which were still okay for now. ] It’s dangerous to have them big in volleyball. Like, when you try to spike or block or even dig, the ball can go zing and kablam it off—

[ then sheepishly: ]

One time’s enough. Do they, um . . . Look like any you know?