“We don’t know if this is something else,” Sveta said. “And apparently we’ve been acting like things are normal for a month, because you haven’t been hanging out with Slician for no reason. What you want, Weld, is to not be the bad guy. And it’s great you get these mystery villains to blame, but… it doesn’t change the reality.”

“It changes the context.”

“No it doesn’t,” Sveta said. “Not the context that matters. You don’t want to be the bad guy, but the only way you get that is if everyone agrees it’s fine to dump your girlfriend because she’s a monster, because she’s disabled—”

“I don’t want to dump you.”

“What do you want!?” Sveta asked, raising her voice.

“Stop,” I said. “I’m interrupting. I’m being intrusive and butting in because this doesn’t look like it’s going to end or stop otherwise.”

They stopped. Sveta didn’t breathe, but with my hand on her back I could feel the pulse of fluids through the organs behind her head, near where her shoulders were.

Weld was statue still, only his face betrayed any emotion.

“Okay?” I asked, trying to gather my thoughts.

“I’m okay with it,” Sveta said, jumping right back into it. “Fuck it. I’m the freak, you’re the guy with a heart of literal gold, Weld. You’re not the bad guy, Weld, you’ve been so good to me. I’m the one with the problems and I heaped them onto your plate. You want absolution? You got it. You tried and it’s okay. I’ve got my own shit to deal with and I need to get that done on my own. So you don’t need to tell me it’s not a breakup and we’re somehow going to stay together, because I know when you’re lying. I know you that well.”

“You’re not a freak, and that’s not it,” Weld said.

I hated to interrupt again, but I doubted there was anything to be gained from letting this continue, besides bitterness.

“Master–stranger protocols,” I said.

They stopped, looking at me.

“It’s not a set of magic words,” Sveta said. “You can’t just say them and expect us to just comply.”

“That’s kind of what they are. I argued for them before, on the phone with Rain. I’m pushing them now. We’re not getting anywhere, and I don’t like how this started or why it’s happening. Protocols.”

Sveta shook her head, but she didn’t speak again.

“Okay,” Weld said. “What next?”

“Do you have work?”

“Yeah. Later this afternoon, until ten, might go as long as midnight.”