"Mugs are in steady supply!" She flits into the kitchen and returns with a mug bearing the legend #1 Grandpa!, which she hands to Cam. (She also brings a cup of fruity-smelling tea, which she may have already had steeping, and sips at it.)

Cam makes himself mulled cider. Sip. "Thanks."

"Oh, it's no trouble! So, apparently you're a nice apsel who doesn't put people in comas. What do you plan to do instead? Also, would you like to stay here, since Ari's the one who summoned you? We've got a spare room and all."

"Maybe. Once I am reasonably sure that the key information is not going to be carelessly deployed by this vector I might also fuck off and terraform Mars and visit the NIH and - are your bees in trouble? This year in the other mortal world I know the bees were in trouble."

"Yes, actually. It's because of the death of the Summer Lady, though, so your expertise may not be so useful here."

"Oh, other world it was mostly a disease."

"Well, it may still be a disease here. But the root cause stems from the Lady. Anyway, I may have mentioned that we're not idiots or inclined to tell idiots how to summon apsels, so you can soulgaze Ari and be on your way if you like. I offer our place mostly because if you stayed here you'd be protected from a lot of supernatural threats that might otherwise trouble you, and our world is tricky for outsiders."

"The soulgaze would by why I'm wearing these sunglasses indoors at night. It... might be prudent to stay here long enough to get a crash course on local hazards and what tacky accessories to wear to avoid them."

"The abridged version of that crash course is that fully avoiding hazards without being, or being accompanied by, a wizard, verges on impossible. I can make you a number of tacky accessories to shield your mind et cetera, at reasonable rates, but you'd need to stay here for a time waiting for me to finish them anyway. Until such a time as you're covered in sparkly things to keep you from getting your soul ripped out, you'd likely be best off if you only went out while accompanied by Ari or I. Or Peter, I suppose, if he shows up any time soon."

"I would appreciate accessories. If I make their nonmagical substrates do they have to be tacky?"

"Oh, they don't have to be tacky anyway. I'll make them perfectly tasteful if you like. I just tend towards the gaudy myself, as you may have noticed." She indicates the truly ridiculous volume of gemstones dangling from her person and set into her face, and the equal number decorating the room.

"Reminds me of home, land of universal making powers and chronic problems with garbage disposal."

"I just have enormous amounts of money, a friend who can turn things into shiny rocks, and very personal tastes."

"To be fair, the gems do help focus magic energies," contributes Ari (who has been eating a sandwich).

"And they're shiny."

"Very shiny indeed. On the subject of magic items, Ari suggested anti-clumsiness shoes?"