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]

[Well, that's comforting.]

[self_composed]

[I can't wish you immune to mental tampering through the ward, right? Can I give you immunity-to-mental-tampering shoes, or something? It won't help that much, but at least if you keep your shoes on throughout whatever happens we'll know your brain was also left alone.]

[nonbird]

[You can try?] he says doubtfully.

[self_composed]

[No good,] she says, after trying it. [Does "your shoes" refer to "you" too much? Can you give me another way to pick out the shoes - or whatever article of apparel?]

[nonbird]

[How about my watch,] he suggests. [It's actually Kolya's.]

[self_composed]

[Is it his only watch?]

[nonbird]

[No, but I bet it's the only one that's not with him or in our apartment.]

[self_composed]

[Okay. You go ahead and sing like a bird about the watch being the source of your power if they want to know why they can't read your mind and look like they're going to try anything... unsophisticated... to find out. If that would be preferable on your end, I mean; I don't know where relevant possible mental tampering falls in your preference ordering. This is just so they can't do fancy mental tricks without informing us of the possibility first. Warn me by brainphone before the watch comes off if that's going to happen.]

Wish.

Poof.

[Done.]

[nonbird]

[Oh, boy,] says Lazarus.

He spends a moment examining the watch.

[That's... interestingly specified,] he observes.

[self_composed]

[I am not handing them, whoever they are, a magic watch that will work if they remove it from your person.]

[nonbird]

[That is very reasonable,] Lazarus acknowledges.

[self_composed]

[Are you holding up okay? Not panicking, or anything?] Bella asks.

[nonbird]

[Not currently,] he says. [I make no promises about future panic.]

[self_composed]

[Understandable. I'm not planning to do anything as rash as this, but what would happen if I wished for your box to be defined in relation to - say - the sun, instead of the earth?]

[nonbird]

[I really don't think you can do anything to the box.]

[self_composed]

[That is very irksome.]

[nonbird]

[Yes it is.]

[self_composed]

[Well. I'll let you know if I think of anything else. I'll run at double speed while I do my homework so I can carry on thinking of things. But for the moment I'm pretty stumped. Keep me updated.]

Feeling like a bit of an anticlimax, Bella sets herself at x2 and goes to check her email, turning over what she'd do if she wanted to keep someone in a box and how she could thwart herself.

[nonbird]

[Will do,] he says.

Someone using Lazarus's email account has replied to the tail end of their conversation. That someone is probably not Lazarus, because the email was sent two minutes ago, while Lazarus was wandering around an empty warehouse.

The message reads as follows:

WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HIM???

[self_composed]

[...By any chance,] Bella says. [Does Kolya have access to your email?]

[nonbird]

[Wouldn't surprise me,] says Lazarus. [Why do I get the feeling this is not a hypothetical question?]

[self_composed]

[Well, it looks like two minutes ago "you" emailed me "WHAT DID YOU DO WITH HIM???", so, that was my guess. Any advice on how to handle this?] Bella inquires, clicking to reply.

[nonbird]

[...I would appreciate it very much if you'd yoink-proof him, and whatever other wards you can spare, just in case,] says Lazarus. [As for how to reply, well, I think that's up to you. I've never been kidnapped before, so I don't have a good idea of how he reacts to it.]

[self_composed]

[One no-magic-interference hex coming right up,] says Bella. Wish, poof.

She writes back, carefully. The email exchange contained no evidence of Bella herself having magic - but it's probably still the most suspicious thing in Lazarus's inbox.

You must be Kolya. I didn't do anything with Lazarus. What makes you think I did?

[nonbird]

[Thank you,] says Lazarus.

Kolya's reply comes a few minutes later:

SOMEONE did something with him. if not you then who? where is he i want him back help.