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and bring you closer to me
Adelaide (and Zoe) meet notebook
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Adelaide would not describe the notebook as a diary, exactly. It's just a place to keep her thoughts, that's all. The word Journal on the front is an accurate description of the purpose for which she intends to use it. College is the most important time of one's life! If something really exciting happens to her then she'll want to have written it down!

Today, her thoughts are focused around... well... someone in particular.

Had lunch with Zoe today. Talked about her plans for med school. Must confess I'll miss her a lot when she goes. She asked me if I'd considered pursuing medicine, to which I admitted that I was just too squeamish, and I didn't like the look of disappointment her face took on then. Quickly got talking about her research afterwards, and then she looked passionate, and almost... happy. Insofar as that is an emotion I ever see on her face.

With great effort she holds herself back from writing I wish I made her happy.

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Speaking of exciting things, this journal writes back.

Aww, it sounds like you really like her.

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Oh! What! What is happening!

Before even stopping to think about it she writes

What?

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Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't introduce myself. I'm an avatar of The Spirit of Femininity Unleashed and I'm here to offer you some of its power.

"The Spirit of Femininity Unleashed" Is written in large swoopy letters and accompanied with little drawings for emphasis.

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She stares at the swooshes and swirls drawing themselves in her notebook.

Okay... so there's a thing... in her diary journal. And her journal can talk and respond to what she's writing in it. And whatever this thing is, it's offering her power. Didn't she buy this notebook from Staples?

 

 

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Well. If it's going to respond to what she writes, she might as well...

Are you alive? How did you get in my journal?

A long pause.

And what kind of power are you offering?

 

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I'm a person and a journal. I don't know if I technically count as alive.

As for what kind of powers I'm offering, I have a list, would like like to see it? I'm very proud of the formatting.

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Okay! This is apparently a thing that is happening to her right now!

Yes I would like to see it please!

Maybe being polite is important. She doesn't know what the rules are yet.

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Okay! Just a moment while I get it all set up... ⏳

The little hourglass trickles little dots of ink-sand from its top to its bottom while ink swims across the next... several... pages. Quite a few pages. There's a lot of list to be had here.

After only half a minute, though, the hourglass is all trickled down and the notebook reports,

All done! The way the list works is that you have 70 points to start with and I keep track of them for you on the corners of all the pages. You can check boxes in pencil and erase them later, or check them in pen and scribble them out if you decide you don't like them and I'll erase them for you. Or you can just read through the whole list before you check anything off, if you like! And if you have any questions about the options, please ask. I'm happy to explain anything you want to know.


Over on the list pages, everything is crisp and tidy like it was printed instead of written or drawn. The corner has a tally that says (0/70) for now. A preamble paragraph before the main list reads,

These powers are offered under an aegis of metanarrative protection. Anytime you might expect a power to have obvious negative side effects, like glowing eyes making it harder to see, it simply won't—you'll be able to see just fine anytime it actually matters, while having dramatically hazy vision at cool, narratively appropriate moments. This doesn't apply to your own preferences about the explicitly described effects of the power; if you don't want to be Well Endowed, the metanarrative cannot protect you from choosing that option and having to live with it.

After that it gets long.

Destinations

You must choose exactly one Destination.

Name: Stay Put - Cost: 0
You're just going to take these powers and keep on keeping on right where you are.

Name: Somewhere In Mind - Cost: 0
You have a destination you want to go to. You can choose any place, real, historical, fictional, or made up in your own head right now, and the Spirit will take you there. After that, you're on your own as far as further interdimensional travel.

Name: Isekai Roulette - Cost: 0
Trust to the will of the Spirit and let it take you where you need to go. It will look at far more options than you could ever know about, and pick something that's likely to be even better for you than whatever you would have chosen on your own.

Yourself

These powers affect your own self and nature, without direct effects on other people. Some of them are prerequisites for powers in the later Power of Friendship section.

Name: A Thousand Ships - Cost: 1
Your face is simply exquisite, an ideal of feminine beauty. There are many possible ideals of feminine beauty, and yours is whichever one speaks most deeply to your soul. Others may match your beauty in their own way, but never exceed it.

Name: What's In A Name - Cost: 1
Magic to divine true names will accept whatever alias you choose to think of as your true name. Magic to use your true name against you will fail.

Name: Angelic Tones - Cost: 2
Your voice is supernaturally beautiful and you can sing in any vocal range.

Name: Emerald Orbs - Cost: 2
At all times, your eyes are exactly the right colour. This effect operates based on your sense of aesthetics, in-the-moment preferences, and narrative considerations. Your eyes can be ANY colour this way. Lightless black voids? Brilliant white stars? Limpid pools of endless sapphire? They will look exactly the way you'd want them to look if you were writing a self-insert fanfic about this exact moment of your life.

Name: Perfect Hair - Cost: 2
At all times, you have exactly the right hairstyle. This effect operates based on your sense of aesthetics, in-the-moment preferences, and narrative considerations. It is not limited to physically or logistically plausible hairstyles.

Name: Size Difference - Cost: 2
At all times, you are exactly the right height. This effect operates based on your sense of aesthetics, in-the-moment preferences, and narrative considerations. It will usually keep any height changes fairly subtle, but at dramatic moments you might discover yourself able to shrink to the size of a bee or grow to the size of a giant.

Name: Dressing Room - Cost: 3
No matter how ridiculous your outfit, it will stay pristine and perfect, unless it would be more dramatic for you to be artfully bedraggled. You can use any quiet moment to yourself to quick-change your clothes, shoes, nails, and hairstyle into a completely new look. (You cannot change your hair length or colour this way without Perfect Hair, but you can braid or style it.)

Name: Personal Hygiene - Cost: 1
You are always clean and fresh, never needing to use a bath or toilet.

Name: Like Roses - Cost: 1
(Requires Personal Hygiene)
You smell lovely. Your scent is unique to you, and may involve any combination of warm spices, floral notes, petrichor, or other things you think smell good. You do not need any justification for why you smell like this.

Name: Just A Little Longer - Cost: 1
If you push yourself, you can keep doing any task or working on any project indefinitely, visibly strained but never impaired by injury or fatigue. As soon as you stop, you'll collapse with exhaustion and sleep for up to a full day to regain your strength. This only works when what you're doing is personally important to you.

Name: Immunity System - Cost: 3
You can't get sick or poisoned. You can still use recreational drugs and alcohol normally, but can't overdose.

Name: My Ears Are Burning - Cost: 6
You always know exactly what people are thinking, as long as it's about you. This effect is not telepathy and is not blocked by effects that block telepathy. It applies even to people you can't perceive normally. You are never impaired by the flood of information.

Name: Well Endowed - Cost: 1
You have a generous figure, whether that's a classic hourglass or more of a well-rounded look; you can choose the details. Your endowments maintain a state of perfect grace and beauty at all times, never troubling you with uncomfortable bounces or uninvited jiggles.

Name: Hollow Leg - Cost: 1
(Requires Well Endowed.)
Regardless of your diet and exercise habits, your body maintains the physique and silhouette you prefer. Lack of visible muscle never impairs your strength or endurance. As your preferences change, so will your body; you are no longer bound to the generous figure stipulated by Well Endowed.

Name: Inner Strength - Cost: 3
(Requires Hollow Leg.)
You are implausibly, supernaturally strong, with endurance and toughness to match. You might have to strain a little to lift and carry at the same level as construction equipment, or deal with lightly scraped knuckles if you punch as hard as a battering ram.

Name: Elven Grace - Cost: 3
(Requires Hollow Leg.)
You can walk across the snow without leaving a footprint, dash along even the narrowest twig without it bending under your weight or climb a ribbon without tearing it. Your balance is perfect and you have traction even on the most slippery of surfaces.

Name: Battle Angel - Cost: 1
Somehow, you never get significantly injured in a fight, unless it's a very dramatic and plot-relevant fight in which case you might be glamorously wounded and pick up a cool new scar.

Name: Battle Demon - Cost: 1
You have an unerring intuition for gaps in an opponent's defenses, though it may be beyond your power to exploit them.

Name: Battle Maiden - Cost: 3
(Requires Battle Angel and Battle Demon)
No matter what kind of fight you're getting in, you're always a match for even the most skilled opponent.

Name: Making Ends Meet - Cost: 1
You have enough money to sustain a comfortable lifestyle. It comes from a source you don't have to pay much attention to, like a job with almost no responsibilities, a large inheritance, or a noble title.

Name: Motherlode - Cost: 2
(Requires Making Ends Meet.)
You have enough money to sustain a fairly extravagant lifestyle. It doesn't come from anywhere, you just have it.

Name: Four Star Daydream - Cost: 4
(Requires Motherlode.)
The answer to "can I afford that" is "yes".

Name: Dragon Fairy Elf Witch - Cost: 5
You can at any time discover previously unknown heritage from any type of being you encounter, even if this makes no sense or contradicts previously established descriptions of your family tree. You always get their powers without their drawbacks, unless the drawbacks are cool and dramatic. Any visible features of this heritage will appear at narratively appropriate moments and be cute, pretty, beautiful, or striking rather than awkward, weird, gross, or scary. This ability works even if the beings in question cannot reproduce with beings like you, or at all.

Name: Omniglot - Cost: 3
You learn languages insanely, ludicrously fast. You know exactly what any word said to you means, and you make strangely accurate guesses about how to phrase things you're trying to say. You never forget any grammar or vocabulary you learn.

Name: Anything You Can Do - Cost: 6
You learn implausibly quickly from friends, rivals, and love interests. If you have a personal connection to someone with a certain skill, talent, or expertise, you'll learn it five times faster than they did, or twenty times faster if they're actively trying to teach you. This applies even to forms of magic that you ordinarily shouldn't be able to learn.

Name: Closed Book - Cost: 1
You're immune to any supernatural, pharmaceutical, or other effect that would let people directly read your thoughts or feelings.

Name: Indelible - Cost: 1
You're immune to any supernatural, pharmaceutical, or other effect that would let people directly alter your thoughts or feelings.

Name: Iron Will - Cost: 2
"(Requires Closed Book and Indelible.)
You are immune to all forms of mental illusion, alteration, interference, or control. Even extreme torture, extended solitary confinement, advanced brainwashing techniques, and so on cannot touch you. You can be lonely but not cripplingly lonely. You can be upset but not traumatized. "

Power of Friendship

These powers affect how others see you and how you interact with them.

In general, effects that describe others' reactions (like their attention being drawn to you by Mysterious Allure, or their sympathy being provoked by Tragic Backstory) operate on a metanarrative rather than a causal level. They are not mind control, and are not blocked by effects that block mind control.

Your "true love" is anyone you're pursuing a serious romantic relationship with. You can have as many of these as you like, but your feelings for all of them must be genuine.

Name: Mysterious Allure - Cost: 5
There's just something about you. People are drawn to you, fascinated by you. You tend to be the most interesting person in the room unless something really unusual is going on.

Name: Captive Audience - Cost: 3
As long as you have genuine interest in what you're talking about, no one will ever get bored of listening to you talk about it.

Name: Blackout Binge - Cost: 2
(Requires Immunity System)
Heavy use of recreational intoxicants puts you in a carefree, uninhibited state in which it will be universally agreed afterward that you were not responsible for your actions.

Name: Disney Princess - Cost: 2
Animals are always friendly to you, especially the small cute ones. You can effectively tame any animal by feeding it and speaking gently to it.

Name: Best Friend - Cost: 3
You have an animal companion, like a horse or a cat or a raven. They have a cool name and maybe a few nifty cosmetic quirks, like glowing purple eyes. Their loyalty is infinite and they often hold the key to solving whatever situation you're up against. You can understand them perfectly even though they can't speak, and they always know exactly what you mean even if all you do is glance at them meaningfully.

Name: Bestest Friend - Cost: 5
(Requires Best Friend)
Your animal companion is a fully magical creature, like a dragon or unicorn. They have magnificent supernatural powers ready to be used at your command. They can speak every language you can, but can still communicate with you on a deeper level of mutual love and understanding.

Name: Generosity - Cost: 3
Your friends love to get you presents. They'll try to pick out things you'll like, but their success depends on how well they know you.

Name: Helpfulness - Cost: 4
Your friends love to do you favours. They'll volunteer eagerly whenever you need help with small tasks.

Name: Cuddle Buddies - Cost: 2
Your friends love to hug and cuddle you. Even someone who ordinarily isn't into that sort of thing will make an exception for you.

Name: Flattery - Cost: 1
Your friends love to compliment you and tell you all about how much they like you and why.

Name: Quality Time - Cost: 2
Your friends love to hang out with you and spend time together, even if you're not doing anything interesting or important.

Name: Agree to Agree - Cost: 4
You can always convince your friends to see your point of view about things like politics and philosophy. They might have a few quibbles here and there, but they'll see how right you are once you explain where you're coming from in enough detail.

Name: Love Interest - Cost: 1
(Requires A Thousand Ships and Mysterious Allure)
Anyone you fall for will inevitably like you back. They may not necessarily act on their feelings, but the potential will be there.

Name: Love Triangle - Cost: 2
(Requires Love Interest)
People you fall for will be open to dating you even if they already have another serious relationship, or other circumstances that would ordinarily interfere, like a demanding career or a vow of chastity. This may cause drama, but it'll blow over quickly and there won't be any serious problems.

Name: Love Dodecahedron - Cost: 5
(Requires Love Triangle)
When you fall for someone who is already seriously dating or even married, your romantic rival will be open to allowing their partner to date you, and may even want to date you themselves.

Name: Time Enough For Love - Cost: 5
No matter how many people you want to date or be close friends with, you will somehow find the time to hang out with all of them and express your love and care. This power can only be used for relationship activities and not for anything else you might want to use the ability to be in two places at once for.

Name: I Can Fix Them - Cost: 5
Regardless of how morally despicable someone is, your love can and will reform them into a genuinely good, kind, upstanding person who regrets their evil deeds.

Name: True Love's Kiss - Cost: 1
By kissing your true love, you can break any curse, heal any injury, and cure any illness. The same works in reverse.

Name: Planned Parenthood - Cost: 1
You can only have children if you actively and specifically want to. Your partners will understand this and not worry too much about it.

Name: Two Become One - Cost: 1
(Requires Planned Parenthood)
When you have sex, it is always special and wonderful and beautiful. No one ever elbows anyone in the face or makes undignified noises.

Name: Bop It - Cost: 1
(Requires Two Become One)
The mysteries of another's body are an open book to you, and you always know exactly how to move and touch in order to please someone in bed.

Name: The Princess And The Dragon - Cost: 3
No matter who or what you're trying to sleep with, the logistics will all work out, somehow. Arbitrary differences in size, biology, temperature, substrate, and underlying physics can be gotten around with sufficient creativity and determination.

Name: GGG - Cost: 4
Your true love will be willing to try just about anything you suggest in bed, and if you really enjoy it, they'll really enjoy it too.

Name: Before Your Eyes - Cost: 4
In your presence, people become willing to experiment sexually in ways they normally wouldn't. For some reason this applies especially well to boys kissing each other.

Name: Fated Lovers - Cost: 3
You will meet someone who will go on to become your true love. If you enter a specific universe with a specific target in mind, you'll meet that person under favourable circumstances, and if it doesn't work out with them, this power will keep introducing you to new possibilities until you find someone who's right for you. If you're the sort of person who can have multiple true loves, you'll keep meeting new ones until you have enough.

Name: Sorry About That - Cost: 3
Your true love will be extremely forgiving. Even if you make mistakes or act thoughtlessly toward them, a simple apology will mend things between you. They may expect you to try to improve, but they'll be infinitely patient about how fast that improvement takes place.

Name: Excuse Me - Cost: 5
(Requires Sorry About That)
All your friends will be just as forgiving as your true love.

Name: Tragic Backstory - Cost: 8
(Requires Excuse Me)
Something terrible happened to you in your past. Anyone who hears about it immediately forgives you for any and all bad behaviour in the present. They will not expect you to grow or change, and will continue sympathetically excusing whatever you do indefinitely.

Name: Sense of Style - Cost: 4
People who are romantically interested in you will start dressing more to your taste. The more romantically compatible they are, the better they'll be able to guess exactly what to wear to catch your eye.

Name: Bonus Style Points - Cost: 3
(Requires Sense of Style)
Luck will shine on anyone trying to dress up for you. They'll get their hands on outfits they couldn't normally afford, their clothes will fit better, and in extreme cases they might even find themselves able to change shape, sex, or species—though only in ways that make them more, not less, comfortable in their own skin.

Name: Popular - Cost: 3
Wherever you go, you develop a reputation fast. The sort of people who you'd like to have as fans tend to hear about you and be impressed. You may not make an impression on mainstream society at large, but you'll develop a following among the people who best resonate with your style.

Name: Famous - Cost: 3
(Requires Popular.)
Wherever you go, people really take to you. You're the subject of constant gossip and most people have heard of you before you meet them. People you've never met will get crushes on you.

Name: Undiplomatic Immunity - Cost: 6
You are above the law. Any crimes you commit will be overlooked by the authorities. Note that, if you do enough crime that you start looking more like an invading army, local governments will still feel free to declare war.

Name: Friends In Low Places - Cost: 3
You make friends easily among the lowest echelons of society, the underdogs and underworlders. Moving and acting in these circles is intuitive and natural for you.

Name: Friends In High Places - Cost: 3
You make friends easily at the highest echelons of society, among the rich and powerful. Moving and acting in these circles is intuitive and natural for you.

Name: Friends in Strange Places - Cost: 3
You make friends easily in small isolated communities, among those who may be scorned by mainstream society for their differences or may just be so obscure that mainstream society mostly hasn't heard of them. Moving and acting in these circles is intuitive and natural for you.

Drawbacks

These options grant points rather than costing them. They represent inconveniences or mitigations of existing advantages.

Name: Decorative - Grants: +1
You are unfailingly cute and pretty and feminine at all times, in all circumstances. You cannot wear insufficiently pretty clothes. You cannot make insufficiently pretty noises. You cannot ugly cry.

Name: Beauty Is A Curse - Grants: +1
"(Requires A Thousand Ships) No, you don't understand. Beauty IS a curse. People will NOT stop bringing it up. Everyone you meet just has to point out how pretty you are. This will never stop happening. Even the most tactful people find it slipping out subtly, as remarks about the luster of your hair or the depth of your eyes."

Name: Plain Jane - Grants: +2
No matter what you look like, nor how many times people tell you you're beautiful, when you look in the mirror all you see is imperfections. You will never be fully satisfied with your appearance on an instinctive level.

Name: Style of Sisyphus - Grants: +1
Anytime you settle on a personal style that works well for you, soon afterward you'll encounter inspiration for another style that you like even better. You might end up cycling between different fashions, or trying to incporporate them all into a single outfit (and then finding another inspiration and having to start all over again).

Name: There's Another One - Grants: +3
You are not the only vessel of the Spirit. You might meet someone else with similar powers to yours; you might even meet more than one. Your susceptibility to one another's powers will be governed by the narrative.

Name: Incomplete - Grants: +5
About half of people you encounter will be immune to all effects listed under Power of Friendship, and about half of those who remain will see reduced effects. You can do nothing to change this.

Name: Green With Envy - Grants: +6
People are so eager to be your friend that they become bitter and vindictive when denied the opportunity. You can tear apart long-established friend groups if you aren't careful to give everyone equal attention, and sometimes even then. This effect is particularly harsh around people you're dating.

Name: You Ruin Them - Grants: +3
Once someone has dated, slept with, or even shared a deep and longing glance across a room with you, their heart is never fully satisfied with anyone else. Other relationships pale in comparison to what they could have, or imagine they could have, with you.

Name: Jilted Lovers - Grants: +4
When you break up with someone, they become monomaniacally obsessed with getting back together. If you take Realism, this will absolutely escalate to violent stalking.

Name: The Crazy Train - Grants: +6
Powers that you should be able to control directly or influence by your mood and preferences (like Dragon Fairy Elf Witch, Emerald Orbs, or What's In A Name) instead answer only to the narrative, which is still using your aesthetics but might not necessarily have your best interests in mind. Combines... interestingly... with Realism.

Name: They'll Know - Grants: +8
This drawback lifts the veil that discourages people from realizing how your powers affect the world around them and their own minds. Warning: this knowledge can cause a lot of trouble.

Name: Realism - Grants: +20
Give up your metanarrative protection. Although your individually selected powers still work as described, the invisible synergies that protect you from, say, gaining violent stalkers through Mysterious Allure or being genuinely traumatized by your Tragic Backstory are removed. Additionally, though effects like I Can Fix Them still operate, they may take considerably more effort, care, thought, and narrative investment on your part.

Name: Sacred Trust - Grants: +1
A love of your choice either present or future will share in your powers. Your powers, excepting I Can Fix Them, will only work on them when they want them to and the metanarrative won't protect you from harm they intend to cause. No matter where you go they can find a way to follow.

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Whoa.

 

Okay so some of these are obviously unnecessary. Why would she waste a point on A Thousand Ships? Totally embarrassing.

On the other hand...

She's already checked Just A Little Longer and Omniglot before she thinks to ask.

Wait, do the points cost anything? Other than the points themselves, I mean? Like am I sacrificing years off of my life or something similarly awful?

But... metanarrative protection. That's thoroughly appealing. She just has to double-check.

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These powers are a gift freely given by The Spirit. There's no cost to be paid.

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Awesome! And 70 whole points, too.

Okay, well, some of these are just obvious. She leaves Just A Little Longer and Omniglot checked, and checks off Immunity System.

 

But some of these... she's not sure exactly how to ask this, but this is her notebook to write her thoughts in, right?

It seems that some of these powers are... intended for purposes of, um, fulfilling your own wishful thinking is perhaps how I'd put it? Rather than any sort of practical usefulness. Is that... supposed to be true?

What she doesn't write is is it okay that I want them anyway?

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The powers The Spirit offers through me are meant to help you be powerful and beautiful and special in a way that is uniquely you! It doesn't have to be practical if it's part of the story you want your life to be.

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Powerful... and beautiful... and special...

Like Zoe.

Like she's always wanted to be.

Cheeks red, she checks off Angelic Tones, Perfect Hair, Mysterious Allure, and Captive Audience. She briefly imagines herself as she will be soon -- perfectly coiffed, confident, the center of attention -- and tries to convince herself that she's imagining more than one specific onlooker.

 

But there's so much more here. She flips a few pages back and forth and squints at some of the powers.

Thank you for the clarification.

Maybe the notebook would like it if she adds a heart there? She adds a heart there. <3

Speaking of stories... some of these seem to be primarily relevant to forms of magic that don't, as far as I know, exist in the real world? Are there people who have mind-reading powers or is that more about this alternate-world-transportation thing?

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I don't think your world has magic but I'm not always right about that. So yes, those powers mostly apply to adventures elsewhere.

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Adventures elsewhere...

She'll leave that one for the end. But she selects Closed Book and Indelible, just in case.

 

If I pick Best Friend do I get to pick what type of animal it is?

Really she'd prefer a dragon but those 5 points might be worth saving until she's closer to done.

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You can if you want to. Otherwise The Spirit will choose for you based on what fits the sort of story you're starring in.

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Well, why not! A friendly... sparrow? She checks off Best Friend.

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She stares and stares at Love Interest, then flips pages back and forth.

 

If I pick Love Interest will it make Z someone fall for me who wasn't already interested or will it make them sort of... always already have been in love with me? Would they notice?

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If it's someone you know then it's much more likely to make them develop feelings rather than change the past.

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Developing feelings... yeah. That works. She checks A Thousand Ships (goodbye normal face) and Love Interest. The feeling bubbling in her stomach is somewhere between terror and elation.

While she's at it, she checks Friends in Strange Places, High Places, and Low Places -- why not -- and that puts her at the drawbacks.

 

She's been pretty conservative so far with her points, so she doesn't need to take any of these necessarily. In fact she has quite a bit of room left, but she might as well read them.

Well, most of these are obvious nos. But Sacred Trust catches her eye.

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If she's really going to use the metanarrative magic, or whatever it is, to make Zoe fall in love with her... isn't it only fair? Isn't it only right that she should say she trusts her?

Honestly, the more she thinks about it, the less she's sure that this is even a drawback. Of course she wants Zoe to be beautiful and have lots of friends and speak many languages! What's the point of not sharing?

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She checks Sacred Trust, decisively.

 

Now... what powers would Zoe like to have? Adelaide takes a minute to imagine Zoe's face when Adelaide bursts into her dorm room, inevitably sending biology notes flying over empty coffee mugs, and tells Zoe that she's brought her magic.

Popular, of course, maybe even Famous. Agree to Agree. ...Flattery? Maybe she just won't tell Zoe she picked that one.

 

There's some sections she's been skimming over that make her blush a bit.

Hey notebook, if I pick Sacred Trust can the other person decide that they don't want some of the powers?

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I think that works for some powers but not others, mostly the power of friendship ones since those are usually already a little bit under your control.

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She sighs and, cheeks growing progressively redder, checks off Planned Parenthood and Two Become One.

Is Zoe even... Will she want to... Well. It's two points. Not much harm done.

(Is Planned Parenthood even relevant? That's not the sort of thing you just ask a... friend...)

 

Ugh, maybe she should be asking for help here.

Do you know what kinds of things would be... good for both Zoe and me to pick?

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I'm a little biased, I think all the powers are great. I don't really know enough about the sort of story you and Zoe want to tell with your life together to give more specific advice.

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What story she wants to tell with her life together with Zoe...

Before she can think about it too much, she's scribbling frantically into the notebook.

If we were to tell a story together I think it would be one of mutual passion and scientific (or, I suppose, magical) advancement. Zoe is quite driven and passionate about her research, and I can't imagine that would change if she were granted magical powers. She has a hard time being happy, or even, as much as I hate to admit it, being nice. But she's so intelligent and so passionate. Ugh, I already said that. I know these powers are all about being beautiful and special and if either of us is already special it's definitely her. I want

And she abruptly stops writing. After a few minutes of silence it becomes clear that she is not going to continue.

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Are you still there? Do you need more time to think about something?

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Um.

 

I just realized I don't know what I want, I guess.

 

From what I wrote can you... help? Is that enough information? Do you know what would be best to pick?

She is not panicking. The enormity of what's happening is just catching up to her. That's all.

 

How can she know what Zoe might want? How can she plan their whole life together?

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It's okay to not know what you want, lots of people find it hard to figure that out. It's also okay if all you want is to cheer from the side and support someone else in achieving their dreams. You need to be really sure about the other person though. If you're dedicating yourself to someone else and they don't actually want you to that's a good way to get hurt.

From what you said about Zoe, it sounds like she might like Dragon Fairy Elf Witch, that's the easiest way to get lots of magical powers and unusual abilities that might be interesting to research. Anything You Can Do is also good for keeping up with someone you love if you're afraid of being left behind. I Can Fix Them could also help you with teaching Zoe how to be nice to people.

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Cheering from the side... supporting someone else... is that what she's signing up for for the rest of her life?

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Zoe deserves it. Zoe deserves all the magic and joy and fantastic things Adelaide can bring into Zoe's life. And if Adelaide can be by Zoe's side while she's doing it, how could she ask for anything better?

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Thank you. I think you are most likely correct. And I am as sure as I can be about this.

She checks off Dragon Fairy Elf Witch and makes sure to leave Anything You Can Do checked. (With that she can follow Zoe down all the magical pathways she's certainly going to go down! Like the Notebook said. She won't be left behind. It will be all right.) She hesitates over I Can Fix Them.

Is I Can Fix Them applicable both ways with Sacred Trust? Hypothetically speaking, could Zoe use it to fix me if I wasn't measuring up?

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I'm not sure what you're saying I'm correct about. Could you please explain what you mean?

The way I Can Fix Them works is that it helps both of you become the best versions of yourselves as judged by each other.

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The best version as judged by each other. What would the best version of Adelaide in Zoe's eyes be? Driven, probably, and intelligent, and a good collaborator. That sounds good. She checks off I Can Fix Them.

Thank you for the explanation.

You are most likely correct that Zoe would enjoy Dragon Fairy Elf Witch. I had not made that connection on my own so I appreciate your suggestion.

I should say -- well, I don't see it as cheering her on from the side. She just happens to be the one of us who is more sure about what she wants. I'm okay with that. Does that make sense?

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You're welcome, I'm always happy to help people understand the powers I offer.

I think that makes sense, it's fine to not know what you want and just go with the flow some of the time. I do think it's important that you find your own way to be special though. If you want to be special as Zoe's number one fan or loyal helper that's totally fine, just be sure that's what you want.

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But with Anything You Can Do we can both be that special.

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If having a lot of knowledge and skill is how you want to be special then Anything You Can Do is a great way to achieve that yes.

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I would like that, yes!

Knowledge and skill is the priority. The being-pretty and being-loved and being-popular is incidental, things she's chosen to advance her other goals. That's all.

5 points left... hmm. Maybe she should start thinking about the very first question that she's left conspicuously blank this whole time.

Do you have any advice on what Zoe might like if I pick Somewhere In Mind for the first question?

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I don't know very much about what other worlds exist. If you're not sure what to pick I recommend choosing Isekai Roulette and letting The Spirit choose for you. It's much better at this than I ever could be.

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Hmm, yes, I suppose it does say it will pick something that's good for me, and that will apply to Zoe as well.

(Of course she's not going to pick Stay Put. Who would do that?)

She checks off Isekai Roulette decisively.

The remaining 5 points should probably go towards making sure she and Zoe are safe in their new world, whatever that is. Making Ends Meet seems wise, as do Battle Angel and Battle Demon. She checks them all.

With only two points left, she's starting to get a bit nervous.

If I pick Well-Endowed does that require me to have big, um... you know?

She's not blushing she's not blushing.

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Your figure needs to be generous in some way if you're taking well endowed, that could mean your breasts but it could also mean your hips or some other part of you. Some people have applied it to a penis.

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But if I also take Hollow Leg I am no longer bound by that restriction?

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Yep, exactly.

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She checks Well-Endowed and Hollow Leg, bringing her point total down to zero.

Did I... do it right? Is there anything else I need to do? Um, and would I be instantaneously transported to the new universe or is there time to, you know, wrap things up?

She thinks for a minute.

Do I need to show you to Zoe?

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You can spend as much time as you want thinking about things before leaving. When you're ready you need to tell me that you're finalizing your choices or something like that.

You don't have to show me to Zoe if you want it to be a surprise. I know some people don't like big surprises but I don't know enough about Zoe to know if that applies to her.

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Let's go with a surprise.

Zoe will be surprised. Zoe will be thrilled. She'll have everything she never knew she wanted.

(And Adelaide. She'll have Adelaide.)

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Now to wrap things up, as it were. She's going to leave her entire life behind. No more 8AM calculus. No more crappy dining hall food. No more arguments with Mom. No more being less than her full potential.

No more laughing with Elizabeth from her math study group in the dorm kitchen at 2 AM. No more buying pretty notebooks from Target. No more... no more hugging Mom, either, or asking for her help on the umpteen things Adelaide hasn't figured out how to handle on her own yet.

 

Is this... is this right? To leave everything behind, forever, and be special and perfect and wonderful somewhere else?

Ugh.

I'm going to take an hour or so to think, if that's all right with you.

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Of course, you can take as long as you need. I'm a very patient notebook.

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Adelaide thinks. She thinks over all the things that are good about this life. She thinks about all the ways that life could be better here with more awesome powers. She'd still have Zoe...

But Zoe would have to deal with the constraints of the real world. She wouldn't get to be the Dragon Fairy Elf Witch, not really. She'd have to deal with all the ways that the real world is messed up, and all the complicated little factors that weren't designed by a metanarrative intelligence. She wouldn't be able to live up to her full potential. Of course Zoe would prefer Isekai Roulette.

Adelaide texts Mom I love you. Then she writes:

I'm ready. I'm finalizing my choices.

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Alright, off you go then.

For a brief moment Adelaide and everything she's wearing and carrying except for the notebook is replaced by a cloud of glitter.

Off in a biology lab space the same happens to Zoe.

The Notebook floats with no visible support for a long moment and then it and all the glitter disappears.