"Yes. They do. Even when you don't endorse feelings, they can still rear up. And some of it is... It being easy to be in the moral right, and it being hard to question yourself. Change is deeply unpleasant."

"Aww, that must be so hard for people. I can barely imagine what it's like to be angry about someone I love loving someone else too. That's such a weird feeling to try on."

She shakes her head vigorously to clear the unpleasant borrowed perspective out of her head.

"Love isn't pure and just like something out of a cartoon, for everyone else. It's all mixed up with lust, obligation, guilty, greed, annoyance and anger... True love saves the day? Unlikely, except perhaps for you." Sigh. "Sorry, I'm being depressing."

"Yeah, I know. S'okay, not your fault. I've had a multi-year relationship end in part because I'm incapable of jealousy. I really know how complicated it can get."

She intertwines her fingers and stretches her arms out, cracking knuckles. "I'm not a good person. I don't think hardly anybody is, and if they do, well, one of the seven deadlies is pride. What you do is what seems best in that moment. If you fuck up, there are more moments. Keep it simple. I guess."

"Yeah, at least I know now that people have this whole 'jealousy' thing that I have to model. Always gonna feel weird though."

She shakes her head. "No point dwelling on so much of society — especially mortal society — being full of mononormative bullshit. We're in a whole new world full of sexy magical lesbians, and we should embrace it."

She blushes and takes a deep breath, eyes closed. "Sure." And she can't even complain about not knowing how to do that or what to do or else Sable will Halp her. Which......... Might be good? But she doesn't really want to invite it yet.

Sable probably wouldn't precipitously Halp right now, just commit to Halping at some later point, but she can't explain that unless she's asked. Meanwhile, they're walking out of a Gate into what looks like a cute small town from rural Colorado, with Arcadia Central Library in view just down the street.

She will be quiet and pensive for the rest of the walk.

And Sable will be quiet and cheerful for the rest of the walk. And then they walk up the steps of a large brick building, with glass doors and big windows. Inside there's a big information desk, with a few computers. All around them are enormous shelves full of books, with cozy nooks and desks interspersed here and there. A large sign reads "Brooms allowed at walking speed only."

"Welcome to Arcadia Central Library," says an Elf at the information desk, looking up from her book.

"Hello. Can you tell us where to find Arcadia's policies on Consortation, information on Hell, general information on Consortation?"

She taps a search into her computer with a dissatisfied hum. "In reverse order: OS 29000-31000, OB 42000-44300, and right here." She grabs a sheet of paper from the printer and hands it to Abyssia.

The paper describes a divination-enforced policy requiring that any demons expected to remain on Arcadia longer than seven hours must be registered, and provides contact information for the registration office. It further states that any actions taken by a demon will be considered the responsibility of the summoner.

The librarian returns to her book. If anyone looks closely at it, it appears to be about fiendishly complex Curses.

"Thank you." She looks around for Explanatory Signs about library cards, library rules, etc, rather than interrupt her reading again.

There's a sign mapping classification codes to floors. The two code-ranges the librarian specified appear to be on the second floor.

Presumably something has checked whether she is an Arcadia student already. She glances at Sable. "If you wanted to do something else I think I could take it from here. Not that I'm telling you to go away either-" The last part is said faster with a vaguely guilty look, though still in a near-whisper.

"Leave?", comes a defiant whisper in response, "Not a chance. It's fascinating, I wanna help, and on top of all that it counts as study for me."

She starts walking to the elevator.

Follow follow. "Wait, so-" Headshake.

ANY study counts, not just study on the thing you're actually trying to improve?

She grins.

Spending enough time studying in a given day accrues power to unlock more magic, yeah, and it gets more expensive over time, but it totally works independent of what I study. I can apparently also take two specialties just by studying them directly, and supposedly time spent studying those counts for general study power acquisition.

I apparently get stuff from my Patron for free. It's pretty good stuff, admittedly. Oh, um, since I'm being open - I think it's a war god or something? Told me to take my sword and shield, fight and kill my enemies, doesn't matter who just fight, and be driven and strong. Because I was standing up to a bear even as a little girl, and had potential, maybe.

She shivers slightly.

She gives Bys a shoulder-bump.

Sounds intense. Glad the loot's decent at least. Well, either way, I've got your back. If they're good to you, then I'll tip my hat. If they try to fuck you over, then I guess I'll have to learn how to kill a god.

She shrugs.

There are definitely problems in this world. It'll take me a long time to level up to the point where I can pick a fight about 'em, but if a god gets in the way of making it suck less for my people, then eventually that's gonna be too bad for the god.

Ambitious.

O library o library, navigating through thee to the general "about Hell" section we go...

These books sure do look like they're about Hell: Hespatia: What We Know, Demon Identification Field Reference, Infernal Political History, Infernal English Dictionary, Infernal Contract Negotiation: a Primer, and more.

Faced with accepting a world that's cruel to the people I care about, or learning enough magic to bring it to heel however long that takes, I'm gonna choose the latter. Maybe that's ambitious, but I couldn't live with myself if I chose differently.

She talks like a cartoon character too. Valid. Admirable even. But it makes her head swim unpleasantly, a bit. This is important information for the future.

"Here we are. I want to focus on ... What Hell is like, what the general history of consortation is, and anything that looks like a productive or at least safe use of it, or parts of Hell that aren't completely horrible."