incanted | universal star visitor brilliant start!

Eventually Bella and Lexi go to bed - they have to coordinate this; Bella's a reasonably sound sleeper but Lexi's not, so if Bella goes to sleep first Lexi won't be able to drop off with all the random nouns and if Bella goes to sleep second Lexi will wake up when she's trying to sneak around. They get up, and they get ready for school.

+Morning, Brilliance,+ says Bella while she's brushing her teeth.

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From:

cardistry

"I never ate food before," says Brilliance. "Food is awesome."

From:

incanted

"So he doesn't need to eat," Charlie concludes.

"Not for biological reasons, but come on, he's teaching me magic, it's really nice of him, we can afford to toss him a new kind of vegetable a few times a week."

From:

cardistry

Brilliance glimmers happily.

From:

incanted

"All right, fine," says Charlie. "We can pay for your magic lessons with reasonable amounts of food and bookshelf space - is that all? Anything else involved in - magical device upkeep?"

From:

cardistry

"Nah," says Brilliance.

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incanted

"All right then," sighs Charlie. "You be careful with the - magic - Bella, all right?"

"I will, Dad," Bella promises. "Thanks for not pitching a fit."

"No problem," Charlie snorts.

From:

lexicality

The door opens again. "Hi, Dad, hi, Bella," says Lexi. "What's everyone want for dinner, I was thinking either I'd thaw some of the fish or do split pea with the last of the bacon?"

From:

cardistry

"Ooh," says Brilliance.

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incanted

"Make enough for Brilliance, he eats," Bella tells Lexi. "I'd say polish off the bacon, we bought a lot of it and those last strips'll expire tomorrow."

From:

lexicality

"Sure, soup," says Lexi, looking out of the corner of her eye at Brilliance, "can do."

From:

cardistry

The deck glimmers.

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incanted

Bella hangs out in the living room while Lexi starts cooking.

Charlie says, "If he turns into a human, maybe I should know how to recognize him?"

From:

cardistry

"Sure," says Brilliance, "want me to change?"

From:

incanted

"Yes, do," says Charlie.

From:

cardistry

Brilliance shifts form in a brief flare of multicoloured light, ending up in the jeans-and-T-shirt outfit from earlier.

From:

incanted

Charlie looks him over.

"All right. Won't panic if I find you in the house," he says. "You stay out of the girls' room unless it's got the door open."

"Dad," says Bella, exasperated.

From:

cardistry

Brilliance laughs.

From:

incanted

"I mean it," says Charlie.

"Dad, he's a deck of cards."

"Regardless."

From:

cardistry

"Whatever," says Brilliance, and he shifts down again.

From:

incanted

Bella laughs ruefully and starts outlining a practice plan for working with magic on the pretty sand planet. "Hey, did you figure out what percent of my mana I use on stuff before I went and flew in front of Charlie, Brilliance?" she asks.