I think the Enemy got the chance to look through my memories at his leisure, since he was certainly thorough in tampering with them. I don't think he'd have too much particular difficulty with you. I appreciate the thought, though, and the golem. 

...well, you're welcome. Insert self-aggrandizing crack about how inimitable I am that I could probably compose very wittily if I were less upset. Does this imply that some subset of people should be told anything it might amuse the Enemy to holler at us over the walls.

You two should figure that out, I am not up on politics and perhaps shouldn't be caught up on politics. It's at least worth figuring out the spin that protects Findekáno politically, he'll know what that is.

Okay. I assume it's something reprehensibly sideways but I will not choose this occasion to rant about that.

Weak smile. The Enemy was very fond of looking like you. Like both of you. I could train myself not to flinch, if it'll make you sad, but I'm not sure I should bother.

The first time I believed it was real and got my head all back in order and then it was so much worse, afterwards.

You are deeply miscalibrated about what things make me sad if that was a serious proposal, even if you think that little of my priorities it's not like I couldn't just go to Findekáno while I'm waiting for Aydanci - no amount of being physically eighteen for a very long time would -

Usually at some point in the hallucination events conspire to make that impossible! I suppose I shouldn't spoil it for myself in advance. 

Ah.

Kib turns to the golem. "Don't let anybody touch him - or get within a foot - he may countermand or reinstate that case by case -" Kib swallows. "And if it's me break my jaw first."

"Unless my memories are much tampered with you can countermand that any time you'd like."

"I'd have to do it out loud, though, you'd hear me coming."

"It's really not the most pressing problem, I only mention it in case you'd wonder why I wasn't looking at you. If you reacted out-of-character enough that I noticed it as such they'd erase the memory and do the encounter again, of course you were going to say something plausible."

"Well. It is now the case within the internal logic of the scenario that you would hear me coming. I don't know if it helps, I don't know if anything helps, I assume explaining what things might help or not-help would feel like handing ammunition to someone standing over you with a crossbow."

"Little bit. I can do it anyway, for anything plausibly important in the unlikely scenario this is real and not useful to the Enemy in the much more plausible case where it's another game."

"Don't currently have anything pressing enough to justify bothering you further." Kib gets up. I love you.

And out he goes.

How's he doing?

And Kib relates the conversation as best he can remember.

Fuck.

You know, I'd just been carefully not thinking in any more detail than 'tortured' - 

No such luck.

What do you think the Enemy wanted - 

I don't know.

I need to think about politics but if I do that now I think I'll stab something. Going to - go for a walk, first.

I'm going to mindlessly churn out shines, we can always use more shines, right.

Yeah -

Kib goes and makes shines until Findekáno can explain the cover story if the Enemy decides it would be entertaining to tell everyone that Maitimo has boyfriends.

Findekáno doesn't explain that, when he comes back, just collapses onto the nearest piece of furniture and watches Kib with a wretched expression on his face.