universal star visitor brilliant start!

[incanted]

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.

Comments

[incanted]

She makes it the rest of the way to the kitchen without further incident.

[lexicality]

Lexi has ladled out four portions of soup, which are sitting at each of the four places at the table. She peers quizzically at Brilliance - she hasn't seen his human form before - but doesn't say anything.

[cardistry]

Brilliance plops himself into a seat and commences eating soup.

It turns out that split pea soup with bacon is maybe even better than bananas. Also, magical devices do not have table manners.

[incanted]

"Brilliance, eat with a spoon, you'll get soup everywhere," says Bella exasperatedly. "Like so, watch." She takes a spoonful of her soup.

[lexicality]

"Needs to be housetrained," mutters Lexi under her breath.

[cardistry]

Brilliance tries the spoon. It works much better this way! He beams gratefully at Bella.

[incanted]

"There you go. Consider practicing chopsticks on an uninhabited planet instead of picking up a pair for the first time in a Chinese restaurant, though."

[cardistry]

He cracks up. But manages not to giggle soup all over the table!

[incanted]

How skillful!

[lexicality]

"I don't think we have enough ice cream for four," Lexi says when the soup is dwindling.

[cardistry]

Brilliance looks disappointed.

[incanted]

"I'll skip dessert," shrugs Charlie, "have another bowl of soup, I outgrew my sweet tooth years ago." He ladles himself some more soup.

Bella gets up and distributes the available ice cream (Cherry Garcia) between three bowls.

[cardistry]

Brilliance beams gratefully at Charlie!

[incanted]

Ice cream, om nom nom.

[cardistry]

...Ice cream.

Ice cream.

Brilliance sinks down slowly in his seat, making an expression of unalloyed bliss around the spoon in his mouth.

[incanted]

"So ice cream is also a hit, huh?"

[lexicality]

"Oh my god, just eat it, it's just ice cream," says Lexi. "It's not like God made it."

[cardistry]

"Ice cream is the best," Brilliance sighs, and he spoons up another spoonful.

[incanted]

"Be nice, Lexi, he ate food for the first time ever just a few hours ago," Bella says.

[lexicality]

"Why does it matter, he's your - thingy."

[incanted]

"My device, and you're my sister but that doesn't mean it's okay for random people to be mean to you, just because it would be more relevant if it was me being mean to you."

[cardistry]

He gives Bella a warm smile made only somewhat ridiculous by the spoon sticking out of it.

[lexicality]

"Well, your device decided to move into our house and eat our ice cream," says Lexi. "It's weird, why doesn't he be a pack of cards?"

[incanted]

"Sometimes he's a pack of cards and sometimes he's human-shaped, we can buy more ice cream, come on."

[lexicality]

"It's not like we're rich."