"Who among us has not clicked something that turned out to be bad."

"...But I also clicked 'next chapter'.  Twice."

"Then probably it had some redeeming quality?"

"I am into some bad things."

"Then I guess it... appealingly presented a description of some bad things... that's not nothing. Monkeys on typewriters couldn't do it."

"I guess...  You get a lot more chances for monkeys to hit on the approximate thing once you allow that number of typos but don't care about what they are."

"Yeah, probably a factor of like... a hundred, maybe a thousand."

Snuggle.  Pensive scared snuggle.  "How far are you through?"

"Through what?"

"The book."

"Oh, right, sorry, groggy. About, uh... most... of it."

"We - you should watch the musical when you're done.  It's pretty good."

"I'll remember that."

Hug.  "...Do you think I'm an okay person?"

"I don't really know what you're usually like. It's... pretty neat that you are prioritizing not being an instrument of harm so highly?"

"Normally I'm a dungeon mats student.  Or a Tim Hortons employee."

"Dunmats are a cool topic. Sorta surprised you couldn't get work couriering for a warehouse or something instead of Tim's."

"Between the hours being less consistent and having to just be a tag-along to start out it wasn't enough money.  And it's a little bit competitive, but otherwise I would have applied."

"Makes sense."

"Dungeon mats seem like the way to help the world get better the fastest.  That I could do.  ...I also considered going into the business side of things, but that's only more helpful when you're the one making big decisions and it's not like I'm starting out with a ton of capital.  And it seems less interesting.  I don't - didn't - want to be out here Gift-of-the-Magi-ing with some hypothetical student who thinks business is more fun to them but believes the world needs one more material scientist, you know?"

"Yeah, that makes sense. I don't think it ever occurred to me to apply Gift of the Magi to college major selection but it makes sense."

"It's kind of not that.  That's kind of a more specific thing that this isn't.  But I guess you knew what I meant."

"...well, I thought I did but now I'm less sure."

Julien makes a vaguely distressed noise.

"...it's probably not that important?"