"If you suggested things and I evaluated them on their own merits and attempted to execute them or not would that have the same problems?"

"Might not."

"Why don't you suggest things, then, and I'll take the risk into account in evaluating them."

"I wonder if talking to him about what he wants and which of those things he has communicated would be a good idea."

"Maybe. I don't think it would be very manipulative to suggest to Ahya specific kinds of communication to have, though, she's very much interested in 'preventing disaster via talking about our relationship like adults.'"

"Oh good."

"She's not really an irresponsible person. I think she'd be perfectly respectable in--well, in a society she felt like she could wholeheartedly respect."

"I can understand that."

"It's not just that--she doesn't care about the kind of thing Tyelcormo's gotten up to, and pretty much everyone else does. It's--she thinks that even starting with the assumption that same-sex attraction is as big a deal as everyone thinks it is, 'disownment and/or being pressured to see Lorien about it' is--not an acceptable answer.

I don't disagree."

"Perhaps someday Eru will reveal his will more clearly."

"We can only hope."

"Is that Ahya's most significant complaint?"

"She has others but yeah I think the part where she feels like people are being coerced into having their heads screwed with is the biggest one."

"What're the others?"

"Uh, okay."

There are sort of a lot of them, of varying levels of pettyness.

He can relate to a few!

That's kind of vicariously gratifying and Marille makes a mental note to relay it to her sister who will find it nonvicariously gratifying.

He will be quite open in his support of all her grievances that don't touch on homosexuality!

Mhm. It totally makes sense that that would be the exception. Anyway she will definitely relay his support to her sister, Ahya'll be pleased.

"I don't care if she's respectable but I do want her to feel welcome here."

"I do appreciate it."

"Anyway, take care."

And Marille will go home to catch up with her sister some more and convey support and advice.

And her sister will appreciate support and advice and catch up and talk to some people and go talk to her boyfriend.

"Hey."