i'm just that fascinating i guess

[self_composed]

The first day Bella spends out and about with her new who's-watching-me powers, she is rather alarmed.

Maybe she's just mistaken about how much time people spend looking at reasonably pretty eighteen-year-old girls. She kills a pentagon to try it on a nearby control - who's looking at that girl over there?

Fewer people. Fewer people are looking at that random girl, and less intently. They're looking at her familiarly - they know her - or casually - they're checking her out.

[I have a spy problem,] Bella says. She makes a faintly exaggerated show of snapping her fingers in frustration and turning around. She's going back to her room to get a mirror and bobby pins and barettes, so she can spy back on the pretense of checking her hair, without making it overwhelmingly obvious that she knows what's going on.

Comments

[nonbird]

[I'll bet,] he says. [But you're the one who made it in the first place, aren't you? So you're not likely to have to be reminded it exists.]

[self_composed]

[That's true. I don't have to be reminded of things generally, anymore. Well, for the most part - perfect recall's not the same as maximally convenient memory prompts.]

[nonbird]

[Yeah,] he says, nodding. [I can see that one, but it doesn't stand out as much as some of the others. Flight is noisy.]

[self_composed]

[Have you read them all yet?] Bella inquires. [What else is noisy besides flying?]

[nonbird]

[The... turbo brain?] He waves his hands vaguely. [It's very active. And...]

He makes an 'oh, dear' sort of face.

[That one. The this-must-be-what-you-meant-by-helping-your-boyfriend-out one. It's very, um, I'm not sure how to say this,] but apparently it involves more vague hand motions, [sharp? Minimal yet striking? Like one thin stripe of a very bold colour.]

[self_composed]

[I call it "cognitive speedup". And the other one the "agony beam". The others are quieter? I'd expect the regen power to be on par with the agony beam just via wild intuitive guess.]

[nonbird]

[No, that one's actually very subtle,] he says, shaking his head. [Almost wispy.]

[self_composed]

[Huh, weird. Any idea why? What about my various defensive powers, how loud're they? Especially the double-layered one?]

[nonbird]

[Double-layered one?] he asks, scrutinizing the collection.

[self_composed]

[I'm a wee bit paranoid,] Bella says. [I don't think I wanna give you more hints until we find out what you see on your own.]

[nonbird]

[Never mind, I see what you mean. They're not especially loud or especially quiet.]

[self_composed]

[Other properties?] prompts Bella. [Tell me everything.]

[nonbird]

[The one you call 'double-layered' doesn't really look double-layered to me,] he says. [I can tell two coins went into it, but only if I look very closely.]

[self_composed]

[It did take the second hex, so there must have been something left to do,] Bella says.

[nonbird]

[Well, yes. But it did it very, hmm, seamlessly.]

[self_composed]

[Go on?]

[nonbird]

[There aren't pieces of it that were added by the second hex. But there's more of it than one hex could account for, and it has a,] he makes more vague hand motions, [an extra-ness.]

[self_composed]

[You are so spectacularly eloquent. I don't suppose you want me to be able to read your mind too? Shan't do it without permission but then I could just look at what you're looking at.]

[nonbird]

[...You're welcome to read my power, if you think it would help,] he says. [I'd rather you stayed out of my actual thoughts.]

[self_composed]

[I'll try a temporary look at it and see if I can even make sense of it. That should only be a square; square can do lots of things if they don't have to last long.] A square goes. There is a thoughtful pause.

[I am shiny,] Bella remarks. [That's about all I could make heads or tails of.]

[nonbird]

[I expected as much,] he admits.

[self_composed]

[Okay, so that's not going to get anywhere unless I figure out a clever magical translation mechanism. Maybe I should just wish up a facsimile of your power, but it's clearly very complicated and you've got relevant experience and nativ-itude with it - for example, you can see my anti-magical-spying power apparently - so I think I'd rather just retain your services directly.]

[nonbird]

[Works for me,] says Lazarus. [As long as you don't mind that I can usually explain my conclusions but not how I got to them.]

[self_composed]

[I'll probably ask you anyway. Maybe we can figure out the right questions if we try,] Bella says optimistically.

[nonbird]

[I have a hard time believing that, but I guess we'll see.]