"Haru's agent found one for me to check with, and... yeah.  Monsters, too."

"Gracious.  ...What are they like?"

"Uh, I mean, very alien, and I'm really worried I'm going to interpret something important wrong, but - wanting something, and afraid and maybe in pain or something like pain.  The one I met, at least.  I kind of - really freaked out about it.  Partially because of backlash but really, really not only because of that."

"...Mm.  Mhm."

"But, now that I know I can do this I can go into the next one with a better plan.  And take time to grieve this one now that... now that I'm not in the middle of a bunch of new things happening.  With a lot of backlash.  - Haru is very good."  (Aaa.)

"...He seems to have been a big help to you.  Are you trying to mean something specific?"

"Yeah, he had a thing about, like, thriving on whiplash?  That without I would have gotten really like, mired in downerism."

"And instead you - compartmentalized?"

"Yeah.  Yeah, I guess."  He should -

"So what do things look like for you two in the future?"

"Mom, I'm gay."

"Julien, I really - I sincerely hope it's not rude to say that... I did have some suspicions..."

Jesus Christ.  "You really scared me for a second there, but - no, I, uh, I don't think it's rude."

"Oh, good.  You were flirting a little relentlessly with that Jackson boy, back when you had him over for rehearsals in Grease."

"...Okay."

"Or, 'for rehearsals'.  I might almost say."

"- Mom!  I didn't even kiss him.  Jeez."

"Well, that's news to me, is all I'll say."

Jesus Christ.  - He can't say that out loud, in front of his mom.  Even if she accepts him being gay he doesn't need to rub the atheism in her face.  Or maybe extra so because of that.  "Anyway, Haru and I are partnering going forward.  Though I'm still going to try and meet other compatible people for backup."

"That does seem wise."

They proceed to talk more about Haru (having a romantic relationship can be a powerful thing, they agree (though he emphasizes that he does not currently have one, which is met with some awkwardness but not disapproval per se) but it can also make things fraught when it's entangled with logistical concerns; he mentions how kind-of convenient it is long term that he's so acutely incentivized to talk about his feelings, power-wise, even though it's pretty annoying and kind of scary in the moment.)  He updates her on the agent search (this guy seems kind of brusque and offputting, but the fact that he seems to say exactly what he means very directly might be a plus for when Julien is backlashed?  She thinks he should do a call or meetup before deciding but doesn't think it's worth dismissing him out of hand over).  He gives her more detail on his backlash and the events of his awakening, now that the main blocker on that is out of the way.  (There were checklists and shopping for harnesses and flying.  He - doesn't tell her about Bug.  It's kind of weird to mention the flying without that, but - he can tell her straight-up that there's something he doesn't want to fully explain yet because it's weird and he's not sure how it's going to shake out, after awakening.  And it feels really good to be able to have that amount of openness.)

He tells her about the dungeon.  About how worried he is, about all dungeons.  She... is clearly less worried about all the dungeons than him.  But she doesn't say she thinks he's stupid to be, and - he thinks - she doesn't seem to be willfully refraining from saying it, either.  She does point out that there are many more people who get kidnapped by dungeons than there are dungeons.  He points out that there are also monsters, and also they caught one and also Haru thinks there should be a monster zoo.  She makes a noncommittal but considering noise.

They spend a few minutes on nothing in particular, and then establish that they love each other but she loves him more, and that he should be as well as he can.  And that's it.

Phew.

Thanks.  I would be interested in having a call or meeting up with you sometime to discuss what a working relationship between us might be like.