[ there's a passing glance at the notebook, before he goes back to Hiro's face. ]

You're going to need more paper.

[ he says cooly.

there would be translation between the way that morals experience reality and the way that gods do. it would take more practice in finding the correct strings to pull and lies to weave. it wasn't like elementals or dark magic or light magic or anything of tangibility. illusions were lies built on perception, and occasionally those lies became truths, and they could become truths and trick the ones that wielded them. ]

First, you have to get better at lying. Remember that lie about the spire that you told me? I want you to make it better. Magic is only as clever as the bearer, and you can snap your fingers and create something unbelievable without setting the tone and poof! Someone sees right through it, and you're on the other end of a sword.

[ he sits next to him, leaning his palm on his cheek and his elbow on his leg. ]

Lie to me.