"I'm not sure where you got that impression," he says mildly, to the comment that he'd made it sound like people paired off because of love, here, "I made my first contract just to get out of the Down. I'm sure most people are the same. Things can be more than one thing, you know. It can be both a business arrangement and something that leads to something else. The contracts can be entirely platonic, as well."

"This place is inconsistent at best and that is likely the kindest thing I can say about it. I enjoy playing games and I have found the ones offered here to be... interesting. It does, however, rankle me that those I care about are submitted to the same. Howwever, I acknowledge that I've little choice in the matter and, if I want to have any kind of a life here, some amount of compliance is necessary," he looks back over at the expo floor, "If you wish to exercise some of that free will not 'going along with it', you're certainly welcome to. Eventually they will stop being polite about your interference and they have enough power to subdue gods. You can take several guesses as to why people seem accepting, even if they are not."