"Yeah," he shrugs. "Also I'm not really sure how to test it unless we can maybe get some random chance of minor corruption in an image, then see if that gives less sway, but I don't know how we'd arrange that in the right way."

"But that'd just be equivalent to a little bit less data, if data's the relevant thing, I'm not sure how it'd help us distinguish between hypotheses about your natural sway."

"I mean more if the storage media were prone to gradual, minor, random data corruption, see if that itself reduces the sway or if it only reduces sway after the data corruption occurs. Like how a brain would have the random corruption over time. Though I guess that doesn't help with the optical illusion thing, unless we have a camera that has like a two-percent chance of, like, screwing with the colors of an image, see if that reduces all the sway of the images it produces?"

"Don't you have an eidetic memory now, though?"

"It's not totally perfect, but close, yeah, and it might still be the case and just a small chance of corruption greatly reduces the efficacy," he shrugs. "Probably not – I was just suggesting a thing it could be and it's sounding kinda unlikely."

"I'm not sure how to try. And I mean, cameras do have a small chance of that, too."

"Right, but it's pretty low after you take the photo, at least if you're talking about chance of, like, a bit of the image randomly flipping through something screwing with an electron – still, like I said, it's sounding weak and these suggestions of how it might still be the case are sounding that too." Shrug. "We could try using an actual camera, digital and with film, and also see if having a CD of my voice works like a USB dies, see if it's messed with by storage media?"

"Those are pretty good ideas, do you have these things?"

"I have a digital camera for sure, somewhere, and have a CD burner and probably some CD somewhere, but I dunno about the film camera, or like, a Polaroid or something." Shrug. "I'll go fetch?"

Willow speed dials someone on her phone and: "Hi, Manfred! No, not at school. Can you bring me a film camera and a polaroid? And maybe an old recorder. Sound, yes. Thanks, you're the best!"

Theo waits for her to hang up and then asks, "Manfred?"

"My butler."

"Butler."

"Yeah."

"That was me expressing my confusion and surprise by repeating what you said slightly flatly."

"I know."

"Well okay then! While your butler-who-shall-not-be-expounded-upon fetches things, shall I go look for the other devices?"

"Do you want me to expound upon him? I was just teasing you."

"I was teasing back," he says, raising an eyebrow a bit. "But sure, expound?"

"He is a butler. His name is Manfred. He works for my family."

Sadde snorts.

"Be back in a minute," says Theo, rolling his eyes and walking towards the door.

He might be smirking a bit too.

"Don't eat anyone!" she calls.

"Wasn't planning to," he responds, somewhat convincingly faking still sounding cheerful.

Then he's off to get some stuff.

"Hey if you can still hear me come back," she says in a normal volume.