"I mean, the alternative I'm thinking about is writing books about it not answer questions on a case-by-case basis."

"To quote this one writer: This is the way the world is. Adapt or bring about change."

"I love you," he says. "I'll write a book on vankires, then."

"I'm probably headed in that direction at you, too. I'll be your first round editor for that book."

"I'm really happy to hear it. So how's stuff been, while I was away, other than the golem?"

"Well, there are lots of rumors about you and me after that scene with Leah. I am determined to not particularly care."

"What's their nature? It'd be very bad PR if it got out that vankires were sirens who removed people from their previously happy lives by our mystical songs and turned them into one of us."

"Love triangles and feeling sorry for or mad at me or Leah and being confused about your place in this salacious drama. More personal than species based. Though Leah is still harping on about the tempting thing, most people are dismissing it as Eristal nonsense. That's a religion. They don't have great credibility."

"That's the homophobic religion? And who's the third element of our triangle supposed to be, exactly?"

"Leah and you both want me, I want you, this other guy wants Leah, Leah admitted you're hot, Leah is apparently my ex now. She's not, by the way. But just gossip all around. I kept telling people to focus on class."

He laughs. "You're probably right." Pause. Uncomfortable pause. "And, er. If you... want to, er, be with Leah. Too, or, erm, instead. It's alright."

"Oh, heck no. Especially not after she pulled this. She's kind of a harpy. Possessive as all heck and nagging and so on."

He nods. "Alright. Did you—know she wanted you, before that?"

"No... I had noticed that she acted weird around me sometimes but thought it might be, I don't know something from the religion."

"And how'd you figure out, this time?"

"Gossip said so and once I was looking it seemed to fit."

"Ah.—and is she the only one?"

"Oh, you're... Afraid someone will steal me away? That's surprisingly endearing. As far as I know there's nobody else than her and you who likes me like that more than a little bit."

"I mean... kinda. Not exactly. Just—I want you to be happy, and if that means not being with me then you should not be with me."

"Well I'm happy with you. If I already had someone maybe it'd be different, but given the givens and given that I'm going to turn I probably shouldn't go looking."

It's very unfortunate that Terel cannot see his face because he is glowing. That might go through when he says "I love you," though.

"That is really obvious by now."

"Yes, well, I think it bears repeating," he says. "Are there any people who aren't getting all worked up over this gossip?"

"Sure, people more than two or three connections away from Leah don't care, the faculty has practice ignoring student drama unless it's likely to affect our learning."

"You should be friends with those instead, sounds like less of a hassle."