"I have a potentially complicating observation to make," says Miles. "Should I keep it to myself?"

"... Observe away."

"I'm pretty sure he fell in love with you over the course of that conversation."

She opens her mouth, then reconsiders, and closes it. She blinks.

"..... But I didn't even do anything?"

"You were very yourself."

"Oh. Yes. I. I suppose I was." She makes a complicated face. "Damn it the plan was not to seduce him."

"He sounded pretty content not to be seduced."

"... Yeah. Okay. I probably still need a hug, though."

This can be arranged.

Excellent. Hug.

"Of the complications to have, that's really not the worst one. I'm not sure it even counts as a complication."

"He seems really astonishingly reasonable!"

"Yes. I have taste even when I'm missing my soul."

He laughs and hugs her some more.

Giggle-hug.

... She recalls that they have an audience, and she gently unhugs.

"So um," she asks of Liesel, "any questions?"

"What can you tell me about his personality?"

"He's very honest and straightforward. He knows what he wants and arranges to have it, and while some of those things are objectively horrible, he's not otherwise inclined to make trouble. He's calm and reasonable and more thoughtful than you'd think at first glance, and -" she hesitates, then forges on, "- surprisingly sweet. To people he likes."

"I think I can work with that."

Smile.

"Okay. Good. If he doesn't like someone he will be up front about it, he's - he can lie, but he finds it sort of uncomfortable and doesn't unless he has a good reason. Like I said, arranges to have the things he wants."

"Yeah, this is going to be redeeming evil sorcerers on easy mode," she predicts.

Giggle.

"One day your collection of basement vampires will be complete!"

She cracks up.

"We might be like Pokemon, Miles. We can even be put in a box and ignored until necessary for a battle."

"You're going to have to explain that one, I've been on this planet for like a week."

"Oh. Uh. Pokemon's a video game based around capturing little adorable - or not so adorable - monsters to walk around and go on adventures with, involving a lot of fighting other little adorable monsters with your own. Because the adorable little monsters shoot fireballs, or create blizzards, or the like. Except you can only bring so many with you at a time, so many of them go into a box of shame to be ignored until relevant."

He giggles. "Please don't put me in the box of shame, Liesel. I'll be good."