"Alright.  We're going to be working together, so why don't we go around the metaphorical table and introduce ourselves.  I'm Jude Frye, and I'm the victim here, dangit!"<br/>--Now that's not a very good start, darling.  We really need to work on your vocabulary.  Let's start with--<br/>--There are 587 sentient beings within half a kilometer of us who know more swearwords than Jude.--<br/>--Yes, yes, he's inadequate.  We've seen more than enough proofs of that already.--<br/>--Well, I don't know about<em>inadequate</em>, per se...--<br/>--I'll tell you what's inadequate.  The geezer upstairs expects us all to work for him for less than I made in interest during the time Jude spent talking to him!--<br/>--You really haven't been paying attention to our host, have you?  It's never been about the money.  It's about us.--<br/>--That, at least, I can agree with.  In part.--<br/>--You agree with about a seventh of it, don't you?  But you have to admit it was Wrath who convinced him to make a deal first.--<br/>--And where is Wrath now?--<br/>--He's sulking because he didn't get a rematch with the bitch who brained him.  One-track mind, that one.--<br/>--The female you speak of is a better magical healer than anyone in this room.  But so are the furnishings.--<br/>--Huuuungry...--<br/>--You're a conceptual force.  You don't have a physical body.  You don't need to sleep, breathe, or eat.  Or talk, for that matter.--<br/>--Want food.  Little nibble.  Please?--<br/>Seven voices, (six internal and one, Jude's, external) spoke at once.  "NO."<br/>--Well, we have some common ground.  Isn't that nice?  Now perhaps we can talk about something that actually matters, like the world outside our host's skull.--<br/>"Yes,<em>let's</em>."<br/>--Oooh, he's getting angry!--<br/><br/>***Much more of the same followed.  With librarians and sidhe and pasta.  Jude found it surprisingly easy to stay awake during the hours-long discussion, the surest indicator of how important it was.  He could sleep later.***