"Really and truly," Liliana said, appreciating yet another person who didn't immediately take offense to her existence. She didn't care when people did, but the moralizing got tedious. "And I am happy to elaborate all you'd like about the subject, though we may need to come up with a conversational safe word to let me know when you've heard quite enough."

She chuckled softly, gesturing at one of the bartenders to bring over a glass of the sangria. "Can I interest you in a drink, Irene? And ask what it is that you do, before I monopolize the conversation entirely?"

Look, she could talk about herself all day. It was one of her favorite subjects (to a point, anyway), but she did actually know how to socialize. Mostly.