“The problem seems to be dealt with,” I told Mike. “If it’s not, I’ll have to beat somebody up.”

“I hope you aren’t taking to that as your first solution?”
I paused. “No. I know better. But sometimes it’s a good means of persuasion.” I perched on the end of the couch. “And besides, persuasion had been applied, and not worked. It’s all some people will take seriously. I just feel bad about having to harass the victim.”

“From what you said, he brought it on himself by going after somebody else’s man.”

I thought about that. “He had a decent motivation. It was stupid, but it wasn’t evil.”

“Stupid and amoral.” Mike settled onto the other end of the couch, his arms above his head.

“Fairy. They’re all amoral to at least some degree. Not much to be done about it.” You couldn’t change what people were.

“Seems to me that supernaturals have a lot fewer choices than mortals.”

I considered that. “You can’t change what you are. ‘Human’ is just a lot broader than ‘fairy’ or ‘demon.'” Or maybe you could. “Or maybe you can, thinking about the Einherior.”

“Who aren’t human any more and are defined by the choices they made when they were human.” Mike considered that for a long moment. “I’m defined by my choices too. The more choices you make the fewer you have left. We have a choice ration.”

I digested that. “I have choices too, but I think they’re rather more limited. But I have to do what’s necessary.”

“You care, though.”

“By choice?” I tossed that back at him. “Do I choose to care or was I made to care?”

“You could go with Surtur tomorrow.”

“Caring is what stops me. And this is getting meta.”

“It is,” he agreed. “Analyzing yourself too much will give you a headache. You said you had special brownies.”

I laughed. “You make me sound like a drug dealer.”

“Brownies are almost addictive enough to count.”

He hadn’t had mine, though. “Watch out. They really are a Loki attractor,” I noted as I hopped up and headed to the kitchen.