The compliment gets a little titter from her, and Nel goes so far as to nudge the cup a touch closer to encourage Thom to examine it as much as he wants, "Thanks. I think my magic is why I can't keep my hair short." Even before last summer, Nel has always needed an excessive amount of haircuts to keep it manageable.

"I think so, as long as I've met it! Once I touch it, I know how it should be, but looking at a picture isn't good enough. I tried."