"You are rooming with Jenkins," Clarke points out. "He'd distort your sample size if anyone would. And it's not like I'm judging? I just... maybe it's oversharing, but it makes me kind of sad?"

"Sad?"

"...I don't... I mean, you're wearing that because it looks good on you, right, I can see that. You like the way you look and you want people to see how you look. I don't? I want people to think as little about how I look as possible? But if I did look good I'd want people to see it too. So it's... just, you know, sad. And my own problem, and I really don't need people feeling like they're hurting me by doing what I'd be doing too."

"Is that problem more shaped like you wish people thought you looked good right now or more like you wish you were a different shape which you prefer or should I just shut up and mind my own business."

"The second. I can tell you to mind your business when we get deeper into my business."

Bonus Style Points immediately comes to mind. If people can change shape, sex, and even species, he's sure Clarke would be able to look however he wants to look.

If Pete tries to seduce him, that is. Or, rather, succeeds at seducing him.

"My brain went into problem-solving mode, I have to admit, and it's probably not that kind of problem. I guess I should say, body dysmorphia sucks, I'm sorry."

"It does suck! And, uh, no, it's definitely not that kind of problem. They don't even make hormones for my thing-I'm-not-talking-about-in-greater-detail. If they did, I'd probably have been hunted down by NHS agents and injected with them already, they're very proactive."

........the NHS is proactive about people's hormones? Did some Traveler come over and fix them? Then again, Rowling doesn't exist here, and he supposes trans issues are probably less prominent in UK politics.

"Well, if—I guess this is silly, there probably isn't, but if there is any way I can help, let me know. I can procure a Victorian-style bather and wear that when I see you here."

"If that sounds fun, I wouldn't dream of telling you otherwise. Are we going to swim, or just chat?"

Time for a scene wrap, he supposes. "It's what I came here to do." Even though he spent a long time chatting but he's sure Time Enough For Love means that they'll be able to just swim as long as they'd originally wanted to, right? That whole conversation happened between scenes.

Yep! Clarke, who was after all here first, finishes a little bit sooner, but they've both got in a good workout well in time to be hungry for breakfast.

Now for breakfast, does he get to see his boyfriend again?

...should he be spending so much time with Ed? He wants to but also he has other people he should be talking to annnndd that's the kind of thought people who don't have Time Enough For Love have, what is he on about, of course he gets to spend breakfast with his boyfriend and still spend time with other people to develop relationships with them, duh.

(Also he does not want to be weighing his time in his mind like that, like, let him just spend some time with his boyfriend, okay? Okay.)

By way of positive reinforcement, Ed gives him a big hug when he spots him outside the cafeteria! Slightly rib-creaking but only slightly.

Edmund would've been a lot less able to do rib-creaking to og Pete, but that's a little bit gender euphoria, too.

.......but you know what would be funny? It would be funny for him to hug Edmund right back and lift him up in a way that ordinary physics and biology would look askance at, so that's what he's doing now.

Edmund squeaks about this very gratifyingly!

"Your rugby's paying dividends, I see," he says breathlessly once he's back on solid ground.

"We'll say that's what's happening and try not to wink at the camera while we do it."

"Right, yes, that was the amount of winking I was doing and you have chosen to wink slightly harder. On which note, you smell faintly of chlorine, have you been visiting plot-relevant zones without me?"

"I think every zone I'm in automatically becomes a plot-relevant zone. But the pool does seem to have become the hub of this dating sim, yeah."

"Some zones are created more plot-relevant than others. I would be more surprised if something interesting happened upon you entering my bedroom than Riddle's, for example."

"Riddle's bedroom is your brother's bedroom, that's like a boss battle waiting to happen; your bedroom will more likely have a threesome. Which of these is most plot-relevant is not as obvious as you might think."

Sporfle.

"We can't strictly rule out a threesome there either, you know. Obviously Peter would rather unman himself currently, but you do have a way with people."

"You know, that's really very flattering coming from you. But come on, let's go eat."

"Sorry, you want breakfast?"

But Edmund walks in and buffetwards, his fingers twined between Pete's.

"I want to scene transition to breakfast, how's that? I need some variety sometimes in how I say these things."

"Not really what I meant, but point taken. -oh, d'you want to watch the next season of KSBD tonight, by the way? I've been itching to see what you think of Meti."