"Nope, I'm fine," he says cheerfully. "I mean, it hurt, but magical damage is good like that, it can hurt and knock you out and you'll be fine in ten minutes."

"I... guess that's convenient? I'm sorry it hurt."

"It's fine," he says cheerfully, "I've had way worse."

"...Ah. Yeah."

"And, you know... thanks."

"You're welcome," Bella says.

He shifts a little on the table.

"Does that mean anything when you slide around like that? Or - wiggle or whatever?" Bella asks.

"...maybe. I dunno. It doesn't mean a specific same thing every time."

"Should I be interpreting that last little shift as anything?"

"I'm - kinda nervous," he admits.

"What about?"

"I just - I get lonely, and I don't want to be, but I'm afraid of people, and I don't think I want to go but I'm afraid to stay, and really I'm kind of a mess," he says.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Bella volunteers after a silence.

"Well, that's good," he says. "I even believe you. I'm just not sure I believe that I believe you."

"...I'm not sure if that makes any sense," says Bella.

"I don't think you're going to hurt me," he attempts to explain, "not on purpose anyway, but the way I feel when I think about sticking around is still the way I'd feel if I wasn't sure."

"Hmm." Bella leans back in her chair. "I'm pretty good at picking apart my own feelings but I don't know if I'd be any help with yours."

"...Dunno what I think of that," says Brilliance.

She shrugs. "It's nothing spooky, I just write about what I'm thinking in a notebook and then it's all laid out to look at, not so slippery. If you want to turn into something that can write and borrow a notebook you can do that, but I don't think it usually accomplishes anything for people who aren't me for some reason."

"Yeah, doesn't sound like my game," says Brilliance. "I don't know... if I did stick around, I mean for a while, if I wanted to be - partners, what would that be like?"

"I'd ask you lots of questions about magic," Bella says. "And do experiments to fill in what you didn't know. And try to figure out the most efficient way to be constructive with it. And probably eventually I'd look for other magic people and ask them questions, and I'd try to find a Device who'd partner up with Lexi so she could help more effectively, and maybe look for other magic people who'd be on board with the general program. Also I'd try to become immortal."

"That... doesn't sound so bad," says Brilliance cautiously.

"I'd hope not," says Bella.

He snorts.