"Usually," said Kinexa.  "But sometimes, it can de-escalate a situation."

They both assented.  It wasn't a big deal.

"Could you not just put the whammy on them?" Terri asked.

"Hmm. I suppose this is too ordinary to the both of you," Nitocris said.

"Mental assault is escalation, not de-escalation," said Kinexa.  "Influencing minds directly is unethical, and I won't do it."

"Well, sure," Toxie said.  "...Kind of new for you?"

"Ah. Sorry, I don't know the rules with mental powers," Terri said.

"I have only been in this time for two years now. They are quite amazing devices," Nitocris said.

"Well, that's fair," said Kinexa.  "I was trained by a culture of telepaths; they have need of rules like that."

"Well, they aren't bad," said Hermione.  She had not produced a phone, but somehow a text had appeared in Nitocris's phone.

"Ah. I understand," Terri said.

Nitocris went to check what it was.

This is a text from me so you can add me to your Contacts from Hermione, apparently.  Somehow.

"Are there rules that you need to follow in the place you're from?" Kinexa asked, curious.  New cultures were always interesting to learn about.

"Not a lot of them," Terri said. "Just to be careful and not flood the surface with magma."

Nitocris looked from her phone to Hermione, back to her phone and back at the girl.

"How did you do that?"

"My phone is built in," she said.  "I'm a cyborg.  Most of what you see when you look at me is artificial."

"That... would be a good rule, yes," said Kinexa.  "Can you call up magma?"

"Yes, I can! I can show you sometime!" Terri said.

"Oh, yes, you mentioned that before! That is amazing!" Nitocris said.

"I don't think of it as amazing," said Hermione.  "'Medically necessary,' perhaps."

"That sounds spectacular," said Kinexa.  "...as long as we're careful.  I don't want to get burned, or see something set on fire accidentally..."

"That might be difficult," Terri said. "I'll try finding a way."

"While that is true, the fact that technology can do it is amazing," Nitocris said.

"It's mostly a refinement to my father's work," Hermione explained.  "...Less toy-like, of course, so I can usually pass."