Nico grunted, stumbling a bit when Cassie pushed her forward but managing to keep her feet. This just seemed too much like gym class turned up to eleven for it to be anything but terrible.

But she still had to do it. Story of her life.

"One sec," she answered, holding the Staff out along her left arm as she chewed on a different fingernail this time.

"Skin deep, she said, then gritted her teeth against the pain as the Staff shrank down to the length of her forearm and sank into the skin there, becoming an elaborate tattoo that just barely missed being warped by the scars left by Old Lace's bite. She hissed, shaking her arm slowly to try and work the static-y pins-and-needles feeling out through her fingertips.

"It always feels like a giant splinter..." she muttered under her breath. "Okay, let's get this show on the road to hell."