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]

[Does your perfect recall make you have paid more attention in the first place?]

[self_composed]

[Not exactly - but it means that anything that registered even for a split second is there when I look for it, so it can feel that way.]

[nonbird]

[And I guess I could pay attention when I use that hex,] he says. [I'll think about it.]

[self_composed]

[It is not at all clear to me why that would even need thinking about,] Bella remarks. [It is a kickass superpower. I am not charging you one meeleeyun dollars for it.]

[nonbird]

[It's a permanent change to the way my thinking works,] he counters. [I want to actually make sure that it's unreservedly awesome, instead of just assuming it and then finding out differently.]

[self_composed]

[Fair enough. Is there anything you do want now? I am going to expect to hear from Libby some unknown time soonish, and would like to know the secrets of stars before that time. Progress is good.]

[nonbird]

[Don't hold your breath,] he advises. [I don't even know what I'm looking for. If I did, I could, well, look for it.]

[self_composed]

[Holding my breath would not do me any harm,] Bella says. [I don't firmly expect you to have a flash of insight the first time you pay close attention to the use of a hex. But I'd feel really stupid if you did, a week after I first meet Libby.]

[nonbird]

[Is there a reason why you want to know the secret when you meet her?]

[self_composed]

[In case I accidentally do something to alarm her and we have a magical standoff right then. I can probably win a magical standoff just by spamming hexes, but maybe I can't.]

[nonbird]

[Oh. I guess that's reasonable,] he admits.

[self_composed]

[I am typically reasonable, yes. If we assume Libby does not casually teleport when she doesn't have to, I have a minimum of several hours before she appears near me. She could, however, also choose to phone or email me. Can I interest you in a hex for a lovely new power, please?]

[nonbird]

[I don't want a lovely new power,] he says. [What else can I use a hex for? For that matter, what else can I use sundry other coins for? You could send me a stack of low numbers and I could spend half an hour recolouring my walls.]

[self_composed]

[You must be hard to get Christmas presents for. I think we've covered what you can do with triangles and squares - you still have some triangles, I think. Pentagons do nonmagical skills, spectacular motorcycles and other sundry objects, etcetera. Hexes will do stuff like lairs, magic doors, that sort of thing.]

[nonbird]

[I do still have some triangles! I can start with those, I guess.]

He puts his hand in his pocket and changes the colour of the empty plate. Red, blue, black-and-white stripes, green.

[What exactly do you mean by doing a lair?]

[self_composed]

[Alice has a lair that he lives in most of the time. I made it with a hex. Me and him are the only people who can get into it. I'd add you, if it were safe for you to become invisible.] Bella makes a small face. [The hex did the layout, the entrance, the air filtration, the climate control, and the lighting all in one go.]

[nonbird]

[...That is pretty impressive. Hmm. I can't think of anything to not-waste a hex on. I could probably make use of some squares, though. May I have some, please?]

[self_composed]

Bella sends him some squares, in a decorative little sack made of red linen, because why not.

[nonbird]

He giggles over brainphone.

[self_composed]

[I like the little touches,] Bella says tunefully.

[nonbird]

[Me too.]

[self_composed]

Bella hums happily to herself.

Goodness, what a busy day it has been. Janine will be home any moment and she has a paper to write.

Type type type.