"It's not just that, it's a whole tangled constellation of things of which that's the easiest to explain. And I did sort of try that anyway. And the answer was good enough - I mean, I'm dating him now, not just sort of awkwardly ogling him and getting needled by Lexi about it - but I'm still sort of bewildered is why I'm interviewing all the Bells with Jokers one at a time. Might talk to Shell Bell and Juliet too, they're not mono either."

"So... I dunno, what are you looking for, here?" says Jellybean.

"An understanding of how everybody else managed."

"I don't know if I'm any help. I pretty much - was presented opportunities and evaluated 'em on their own merits roughly one at a time," shrugs Cam, draping an arm around Jellybean's shoulders. "Which does not look like what you're doing even slightly."

"Not on an ongoing basis," says Aurora, "no."

"Maybe I should get around to reading your mind," Cam says to Jellybean.

"Maybe you should!" says Jellybean, snuggling up and kissing his cheek.

"Standard-issue? Enchanter's? Is there a wizard kind the manual never told me about?"

"There's not any good wizard kinds," he says. "I don't really care if it's standard or enchanter's or what."

"Let's go with standard," says Cam, and he wishes, and has a peep, nuzzling the side of Jellybean's neck.

Jellybean leans on Cam comfortably, and - loves him.

"...Good stuff, huh?" says Aurora, backing away.

Jellybean grins, kisses Cam, and teleports them to an otherwise unoccupied node of the orgy chamber.

[I should have done this fucking months ago, damn,] says Cam, by brainphone so he doesn't have to unseal his mouth from his boyfriend's.

[I don't know. Not this. I thought - that it sounded casual or something, I don't know, I wasn't paying enough attention obviously.]

[I know better and I am kind of high on knowing better. Damn. I love you.]