"We're going to be trying to fix the whole universe. If we don't help people I don't think it will mean much to plead pure intentions."

Cir hugs him. "I think it matters that I could tell."

"Yeah, that bit's been saving me repeatedly - the manifest ways I can mess up don't include leaving you in doubt about whether you're safe with me -"

Smile.

Kiss.

Kiss. 

" - do at least want to sit down and have a very serious consent talk, though, if you'll put up with me that far -"

"I don't mind."

Snuggle. Sit. "Cam suggested I ask - if it wasn't inherently the case that I wouldn't want to do anything that harmed you - can you tell me no -"

"Yeah. If we couldn't do that they'd have to screen more carefully, or the sharing between thirty people would get to be a problem."

Nod. "It is possible for what I want to conflict with what you want, right?"

"It'd get harder if I were dwindled more but yeah."

"Okay. So - nothing about your access to resources is because you are my redmage. You can order anything you want at Bar - she does food and drinks and books and most medium-sized objects - you can go anywhere you want - with a fairy to make sure no one touches you if you like - if anyone harms you or takes something of yours there will be remediation, if you get hurt you will be healed, if you want to bring your family through the same applies to them. All of those things would remain true if you now announced that you really can't stand redheads and never want to be in the same room as me again. If you would like to be my redmage I would like that very much but everything I have to offer you is yours anyway. Does that make sense?"

"Would you have actually special cased me, if I hadn't grabbed your hand?" wonders Cir.

"I think so, if you'd explained why. I would definitely have dithered over it a lot more."

"I'd never actually seen someone with red hair before, it's strange but I think it's pretty."

"I'm glad you don't find it a horribly obnoxious color. Elves have a thing about hair, I would have warned you not to touch anyone's except -"

"Hair actually doesn't count, just skin, but I usually wouldn't risk it."

"Continue not to risk it with Elf hair. Relatedly Elves don't have a taboo on nudity but we do avoid having our hair loose."

"I did notice you had a thing about it but I couldn't tell exactly what it was, is that the right analogy -?"

"That's the best analogy anyone's come up with so far. It was based off nudity taboos among a different set of humans, though. I think humans vary in strength of nudity taboos - you went swimming unclothed -"

"It's fine for swimming. You wouldn't just walk around like that."

"Elves mostly wouldn't swim with their hair loose if they're older than children."

Nod. "I don't think my family would want to come through. Most of them. Maybe Ruviri."

"Who's that?"

"Next oldest after me. She's a redmage too. She hasn't really thought it all through yet. She'd want to bring her attendant if she came. ...This would not make you look less like you're just really into redmages."

"I don't mind it looking like I'm really into redmages, I mind - everyone was surprised I wanted you to have a separate room. Everyone asked me in the first place where I wanted you sleeping, instead of asking you. When there are thirty customers it's grossly coercive to you but at least - you are taking customers, if a customer is misbehaving you can send them away, if a customer gets off on beating you up they will be prevented from doing this - this arrangement is exactly as horrible as I am personally inclined to be and no one cared - went out of their way to assure me I wouldn't lose any social standing for being horrible -"