"I don't want to believe that, even if I already do? I mean... I mean, apparently the thing you found most attractive about me was that I wanted to make everyone immortal, and that's the kind of person I am. And it's not even that selfish, I don't need to be the person to fix everything as long as everything does get fixed, but ugh."

"I'm not sure why this adds up to it being a good idea to interact with Jackson."

"It doesn't, this isn't any kind of rational well-thought-out decision, this is purely superhero syndrome. It's a problem that's right there."

"I try not to privilege problems that are right there except insofar as this makes them easier to fix."

"Ergo the 'not a rational well-thought-out decision' part. I am still going to make everyone immortal, just... I mean, it's an emotional thing, it would eat me alive if I never even tried."

"Is there a point at which you'd give up?"

"Yeah. I don't think I can convince him to actually care that he's being a creep and upsetting other people. If even therapy and stuff like that fails, there's really nothing I can do to help."

"But you're not administering the therapy, so... what's your contribution now it's been suggested?"

"I expect having someone to do stuff with will help him develop an interest in doing stuff."

"Do you do any stuff with him besides call him off his usual mealtime activities?"

"Well, we kinda talk about other stuff, by which I mean I tell him about stuff I do and then ask him about stuff he does. But when the part of his therapy that involves doing things arrives, I'd be there. In theory."

"Aha."

Sigh. "Sadde: the defender of the weak and oppressed, or something."

"...I don't think Jackson's oppressed. He's violating people's boundaries, the official policers of boundaries aren't touching it, and he knows exactly what he's doing."

"Yeah, I thought about that, too, but 'defender of the weak and buttholes' just doesn't have the same impact. Also I bet a bunch of subs' rights activists would disagree."

"Okay, he may get condescending service when he goes into town for a smoothie and if he weren't a psion he might experience a hiring disadvantage. He is not being contextually oppressed."

"Yeah, I know. I'm not saying he is."

Scritch.

And now Sadde's done eating.

"Want to go shopping?"

"Sure!"

"Good. There's a store a few bus stops away with some interesting things and I've squared away my budget."

"Interesting things?" she asks, lowering her eyes and biting her lower lip.

"Toys, pet. And actual non-imaginary rope."

"That sounds like a great idea, ma'am."