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She knows enough about tech stuff to double-check that while she's deleting. Any encrypted comms apps like Signal or such, that would have locally-stored keys or messages? Or is it all cloud stuff?

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Eliel doesn’t have many social media apps downloaded and they’re all cloud based so it shouldn’t take long for her to delete them.

In the meantime he’s very intentionally not looking and telling her the first random anecdote that came to mind. (Some incident with bees while on a family hiking trip, it’s fortunately not particularly embarrassing.)

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Pretty shortly she's done. She hands the phone back to him. "Okay, all of that was cloud stuff, so you should be safe from data loss and public exposure alike."

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“Thank you”, he replies, taking the phone and putting it back into his pocket.

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And then they’re saved from more awkward storytelling by a knock on the door.

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"Probably Leo," Sable says, rising from the couch. "You coming to the door with, or tanking the backlash for the minute?"

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“Yes, it should be him. My backlash would probably have me looking for you or someone else to tell stuff to so I’ll just come along.”

Not having let go of her hand yet, he also stands up.

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And back to the stairs and up to the door. She opens it and smiles. "Hello!"

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“Hi!”, Leo replies with a similar smile. “You’re Sable, right?”

He’ll glance briefly at Eliel (who nods at him for a greeting and continues to try very hard to stay silent) but otherwise keep his attention on her.

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"I am! You're Leo, I take it? Come in!" She'll step back down the stairs with Eliel to clear the way for Leo to enter.

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“That’s me! Eliel’s extrovert,” he adds lightheartedly, “he’ll usually say that it’s against his will but he doesn’t really mean it.”

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Eliel was going to interrupt to comment that he doesn’t actually dislike Leo’s company but Leo says it first.

(See, backlash? He doesn’t need to say things when Leo’s around. Leo probably knows him better than Eliel knows himself.)

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"Cute. So, welcome to my studio apartment. I do not have esper money yet, because I'm a two-weeks-old baby esper who is still trying to figure out how to handle backlash management enough for better testing because I stubbornly want to have better information before I go agent hunting."

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“That makes sense. Esper powers look like they can get complicated! And I guess that having found someone you’re compatible with will be helpful?” He gestures at Eliel.

“Back to what I’m here for, uh, can you demonstrate your power? I hope that’s not a weird request but, well, you’re a stranger and El’s probably awakening and I’d like to be a bit more sure that him staying with you is a good choice.”

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"Permission to peer a bit at your mind, your goals specifically?"

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“El wouldn’t like it but I don’t mind. Go right ahead!”

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No, but you see, it would be a great idea! If Sable looks into his mind then he’s hiding less stuff! Shut up, backlash. (It doesn’t listen but he’s going to focus on deciding what to tell Sable next time he’s speaking instead of interrupting now, and feel generally miserable but it’s a different flavour than the embarrassment.)

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She opens eyes that aren't physical, listens to something that isn't a sound, the feeling is unlike anything she can describe properly. Around her are minds, sparkling bright, glimmering with intents and goals. One of them, just a few feet in front of her, is Leo. What are his goals, what does he want, what does he seek?

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His most immediate goal is making sure that Eliel is as safe and comfortable as possible. Much less intensely and it’s obvious to her that this will immediately get discarded if it interferes with the first one, he would like to help everyone at the party he was planning to go to have fun. The third near-future goal she might notice is to get a good grade on the exam on Tuesday.

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And there's the non-obvious fact she can use to demonstrate.

"Good luck with Tuesday's exam," she says with a smile. "What's it on?"

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He smiles back, “Analytic Geometry, not my favourite subject.”

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"Not one I've gone deep into, unfortunately, and I think Eliel's going to probably be taking up all my attention, otherwise I'd offer to help you study. Your other goals were to make sure he's safe and comfy, and to make sure the party guests have a fun time if that doesn't conflict with Eliel Protection Duty, but those were much too obvious given what I already knew. The exam was new, something Eliel hadn't told me about."

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Leo nods, “thanks anyway. Luckily, I already have a study group and none of its members are busy watching over awakening espers, at least as far as I know. I’m not really a hidden motivations kind of guy,” he adds with a chuckle, “but you found something to confirm your esperness, so everything’s good.”

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"Glad to soothe your concerns. My plan is to keep him fed and watered, keep him from reinstalling social media apps, chat as much as he needs, and give him as much platonic cuddling as he wants. Then we'll see what he wants to do when hellweek's over."

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“Thank you. Let me know if either of you needs anything. If you want my guess, once hell week is over he’s going to want to hide for a while.”

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