"I will have to explain it to Evie. 'Hi, honey, this thing that's very important to you is being delayed because my friends think I might be being mind controlled.'"

"Well I wouldn't tell her that."

You do not have to and should not explain it, Jing Yi!

"What am I telling her then."

"We'll workshop something! Tell her you're still sick from your mysterious coma. You'd need to be in top form to take on Parker, surely."

"'So sorry, I have a terrible injury to my dominant hand, and am passing out randomly, and I don't want to drown in the Thames."

"That's good!"

"... If she mind controlled me, she can probably see through that."

"Terrence, if it comes down to it would you consider yourself capable of tying your flatmate down to something?"

"I mean, if she's mind controlling anyone she's not exactly going to develop qualms about it now."

"Probably."

He looks doubtful. "Are we sure?"

Terrence thinks about it. "No. I could give it a try, though."

Now there's a mental image he could do without.

"If I seem likely to do something very self destructive, you are allowed to tie me down. I just don't think it would work."

Is there anyone here who has above average strength. They aren't exactly selected for it.

"...guys, if she can mind control Jing Yi she can probably also mind control Terrence."

Well, good news, Jing Yi is below average strength, he's just very good at dodging.

...Oh, goddamnit. That's true.

Terrence blinks. Why had he not thought of that.

"I don't think - " he starts, and it's true, he doesn't have the sense he'd be easy to mind control, but surely everyone thinks that, most people don't have to contend with mind control as a real threat! So he shuts up. "Oh, fuck."

"Pardon my language. Well, I can get a boarding house room for the next... while."

How will he move his elaborate pinboard?? Well, he's been meaning to reorganize it for a while anyhow. Maybe this will be the reason.

(Oh my goodness Terrence still apologizes for swearing. He is so goddamn fussy. Oscar is momentarily distracted by this observation.)

"She's going to notice that. And have questions."

'Not easy to mind control' is not the first thought anyone should have about Terrence, no.

"It... it can't be a straightforward trump card. There's got to be, to be limits on it... But I can't see what they could be."

"...How about if I tell you all I'm getting married and want to kill Parker, then you all tie me up. I'm not very athletic," he suggests jovially. "Should be easy."

"We'll just have to... Keep an eye on people acting out of character. Because it might not just be Evie."

"That might be best. I'll spend a little more time out of the house. It won't look odd."

"...Wait, if she does get suspicious - and suppose she is mind-controlling you, she may well not be - is there any chance she could ask you about it, and you'd tell her about this whole conversation?"