(retroactive)

[her_imperial_radiance]

It is after the very first Bellparty.

"Dad never comes to these," Elspeth tells her grandma. "Too many strange Bells. If there were strange Edwards, Mama might have trouble with them too, but there aren't so far. But I can reintroduce you now, if you'd like."

Comments

[alicornucopia]

In he comes. "What have you been talking about?"

"You, among other things," says Edward. "You are not obliged to relinquish parental claim on me."

[prima_sequentem]

She doesn't have quite a good enough read on Carlisle to decide whether or not he would be amused by all the commentary about sharp objects, so she doesn't volunteer it.

[alicornucopia]

"She's also as impressed with your character as everyone else is," says Edward.

"That's very kind of you," Carlisle tells her modestly.

[prima_sequentem]

She grins.

"I notice that sort of thing."

(And is now amusing herself imagining Carlisle with a cute little halo.)

[alicornucopia]

"Which reminds me," says Carlisle, "Addy has been asking permission to check to see if your particular brand of insight is magical or potentially so. I believe she's hoping to get a better reception by going through others rather than inquiring herself."

[prima_sequentem]

"I would be happy to check if I'm magically insightful, but I don't see a need to involve Addy in the process."

And she bets she's not.

[alicornucopia]

"Eleazar is the other option. He isn't as convenient, but he might be more pleasant," says Edward. "Perhaps the next time we're relatively near to Alaska."

[prima_sequentem]

She wonders idly if coins couldn't manage it somehow, but - well, no hurry.

"Although I suppose I'm going to meet both of them anyway, in the course of meeting pretty much everybody."

[alicornucopia]

"I could imagine using coins to determine if you have witchcraft at all, but I'm not sure how to design a wish to also provide the sort of detail Addy or Eleazar could," says Edward.

[prima_sequentem]

"Starting from the premise that I probably don't have witchcraft, the wish might be more efficient, depending on size. Except that since I am going to meet both of our resident magic-sniffers, there isn't much point to wishing about it first."

[alicornucopia]

"I don't think Eleazar would describe himself as a magic-sniffer," says Carlisle. He omits Addy from this remark.

[prima_sequentem]

"And a good alternate term would be...?"

[alicornucopia]

"I think Eleazar would prefer 'sensor'," Edward says. "Addy, I imagine, will assent to any description that gets you to let her touch you and check."

[prima_sequentem]

Lizzie shrugs. "Okay, magic sensors."

[alicornucopia]

"Eleazar used to work for the Volturi, longer ago than Addy did, and one of the things he did while he was there was work on the categorization of witches," Edward says. "He left with his mate, when he met her."

[prima_sequentem]

"Aha," says Lizzie. "Sounds like a useful person to know."

[alicornucopia]

"Quite. He doesn't get all of Addy's fine detail, but he's got some advantages - he could sense Bella, when her guard was down; Addy can't copy her unless her shield is down," says Edward.

[prima_sequentem]

"Which means not at all, if I remember correctly?"

[alicornucopia]

"Not for Addy," Edward says. "For occasional brief moments she can let someone through. Me, Elspeth. Until she's distracted or loses focus. She's had less success with people she isn't close to, none with Addy so far. Addy is of course confident that eventually Bella will trust her to the point of being able to allow it."

[prima_sequentem]

"I have no comment on that eventuality."

But she expects to have a prediction, once she knows Bella and Addy well enough.

[alicornucopia]

"Addy is very simply put together. She almost prides herself on it. She runs on novelty and discovery. Predominantly of magic, although other things can interest her too."

[prima_sequentem]

"It's the details that get you," says Lizzie.

[alicornucopia]

"Yes. The Volturi ought to have been able to control her, and didn't - she had blackmail on the one of them who understood her, and the other knew enough about that to take her out while he was gone, but not how to manage her."

[prima_sequentem]

"Sounds like tough times for the Volturi."

Lizzie is so glad that this worldwide conspiracy is being run more efficiently.

[alicornucopia]

"And Addy proved willing enough to work within Bella's rules," says Carlisle. "I have some hope for her developing beyond her original motives."