"Okay, that sounds like 'the kind of thing that is a good idea in theory, but requires way better oversight'."

"And the oversight is terrible, but it's getting better as we learn more about other kinds of people - with occasional setbacks when we learn that, yes, ogres really do enjoy the taste of human flesh when they're back home and they're just politely indulging local ordinance."

"Better than not, I suppose. And I...can't say I approve of any amount of consumption of sentient beings, but I'm also not going to start looking accusitorily at people because I think their reasons for not doing terrible things aren't good enough."

"Oh, yeah, I don't care why they're temporarily not eating people except for the implications of 'temporarily'."

"Agreed. Luckily if there's anyone in my world with a taste for human flesh it's an isolated incident and not at all problematic to deal with."

"That's nice. I found out a little while ago that a species that is usually considered friendly and benign has absolutely no moral qualms about eating humans if they happen to be in the water at the time."

"Joy."

"And I'm not sure how to handle this information, because our humans aren't such great people either and they might consider it a reason to be unwarranted amounts of horrible to the mermaids."

"That does sound like a problem. I don't suppose it's occurred to the ogres and whatever else that eating people is going to get unwarranted amounts of horrible rained down on their heads?"

"Oh, the ogres can handle it, or at least prefer to try. Mermaids sort of - get toothy, but they still aren't as big and tough as an ogre."

"I suppose that makes sense, on the ogres' side at least. For values of sense that have more to do with 'this is a predictable behavior' than 'it is in any way sensible'."

"I'm glad you get the distinction between those things. A lot of people don't."

"If more people understood the difference, there would be less of a difference."

Bella thinks about that, then giggles.

"I'm not coming up with any clever solutions for the mermaid problem."

"I'm figuring I talk to some dolphins and octopi and see where that gets me, and if I'm very lucky it gets me dolphin friends who can talk to the mermaids more effectively about this than I can."

"Good plan. And if you're not lucky you can talk to different dolphins."

"Yep."

"How'd you find that out, anyway?"

"A mermaid told me during one of those conversations I mentioned where I explain Human Facts."

"Ah. So why are you a designated exposition person? I am because my parents run the school, so I'm generally assumed to be knowledgeable without being, you know, a teacher. Yet."

"Apparently I'm good at explaining stuff without being incredulous that there's people who do things in non-human ways, or using prerequisite concepts they don't have, or being... overtly judgmental... or treating them like they're stupid for not knowing? And word got around that I was good at that?"

"Makes sense. Yay for competent nonjudgemental exposition."

"I said I'm not overtly judgmental. I judge the hell out of some things I hear. It's not even just eating people. You wouldn't believe how casual elves are about rape under some circumstances."

"...Gooood point. And good distinction, I entirely see what you mean. I wouldn't predict rapist elf behavior based on the word as it's used in my universe, but I have an endless capacity to believe in human--or other sapient--evil."