"I'm a second son with something a little off, Tiberius," Cash said. It was easy to snap at his cousin; they had never much liked one another.

"Even if I was entirely -" he could not say there. Cash gestured with his left hand, as if to conjure something in Tib's head. Sane, present, not-depressed, straight. Any of them worked. "- well. Even then there would be some slow-downs, here."

What he needed was someone at least a little desperate; ideally someone who would not torment him too much, someone who was not likely to notice her husband's inclinations, nor who was bedding her. He did not know where to start with this. And, of course, it didn't help that engaging with anything was hard - despite the freedom that Tiberius' offer promised, motivation was hard.

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