"If this seems like a good time for a break I don't have any compelling reason to push on tonight."

"I'd be okay with it either way."

"All right then, let's stop there for now."

"Thank you all for coming. I think you did some good foundational work and I appreciate your willingness to trust me with your stories. We stand ready to tackle the hardest part next time we all meet together."

"If any of you want to meet separately before we all meet as a group again, I'm open to that. Sometimes it can be easier to work through part of the problem with fewer people in the room. I think to arrange that you should talk to your coordinator and they'll handle the scheduling."

"If anyone has any questions, let me know. Otherwise I'll see you soon."

Ramona is not actually sure that's true; she thinks it's completely possible the Amentans decide not to return, which is absolutely their right. On the flip side, if they do come back, that'll be a really good sign for their buy-in.

"Thank you." The blues get up - Tish looks over her shoulder at Meelia - and they leave the room.

Ramona stands as they leave, projecting steadiness as best she can.

"See you soon." Meelia says to Ramona as she leaves as well.

A few days later, Ramona looks at her schedule in the morning and sees that the family therapy clients are coming in again. How about that!

She reviews her case notes and thinks about what she'd really like to see happen.

Best case, therapeutically speaking: Meelia tells her story and the Amentans go, "Ohhhh, wow, we never thought about it like that, thank you so much for telling us." This seems unlikely!

Another very good case, diplomatically speaking: both sides realize that it's important to check how they are different, and communicate about that, before integrating too much. This feels more realistic, and even if it's ultimately implemented in a fairly xenophobic way, that's probably actually a net positive?

And then it's time for the appointment!

Ramona stands as they come in, again, in case they want to pick different seats this time, but clients mostly just do "same seats" after the first session, like it's a bus ride home from a field trip.

Tish and Haemi indeed sit together where they were last time.

Meelia does as well.

"Welcome back! I'm glad to see you all again."

Ramona means this sincerely. It wasn't an easy start, last time, but the case is intriguing. She definitely wants to hear the next part of the story.

"By default, the plan for today is to continue sharing both sides of the story of what happened when Meelia visited Amenta. Before we start on that, is there anything anyone wants to say? Feedback from last time, things you've been thinking about since we last met, an alternate suggestion for how to spend the time today. Anything you like."

Ramona looks around warmly.

Meelia spent most of the rest of the time in-between sessions napping, and doesn't have anything to volunteer right now.

"Well, we've been asked to pass on a request to do as much technology and information trading as is possible through these sessions, which I assume is very little but might not be none. But nothing too germane to the topic."

"Meaning... your government wants to learn more about amalien technology, and is hoping you can get information about that during family therapy?"

This is a new one.

"Are other diplomatic channels closed at this point?"

"- no, about your technology. Since we don't have another line of communication to whatever planet you're from."

Ohhhhh.

This is an unexpected side effect of contracting through the Astral Therapy Agency.

Normally Ramona's clients come from worlds that have ties to Earth that don't run directly through her. She's never been the sole representative of Earth before -- there was one occasion when she was the primary representative, but those clients were free to move about and check out Earth without Ramona as intermediary.

This feels a little fraught. She'll try to remember not to give away the homeworld.

Ramona tries to regain her composure.

"Oh! Oh, I see. Thanks for explaining."

"As I'm sure you're aware, the Astral Therapy Agency terminates the sessions if we use them to do anything other than the therapy. So while I might give context on my own perspective on a situation sometimes, I will probably not be going into much detail about technology."

Ramona is suddenly acutely aware of the iMac and the printer and the mini-fridge in her office, not to mention her cell phone. The Amentans mentioned having gadgets that sounded like cell phones, so maybe all of this is fine.

"Haemi, Tish, can you say anything about why you decided to come back, and what you're hoping to get out of this session?" Other than technology info.

"Well, we do also want to know how Meelia's doing - she hasn't written, and her guards say she's just been napping a lot - and to see if there's any reconciliation to be had, especially since Meelia's about to go tell all the other amaliens her side of the story."

Ramona is not encouraged by her inferences about that last part, so she lets it go and focuses on the part that does seem constructive.

She turns to Meelia. "How are you doing, Meelia? Anything you're hoping for in this session?"

"I'm doing okay-ish I think? It's not very fun being alone on a ship but I can just nap a bunch and soon I'll be home and that's nice."

"I don't know what I'm hoping for? Prolly that I'll get a chance to talk about how I feel about some of the harder bits of what happened, which is scary but important I think." 

Ramona had hoped to use the break between sessions as motivational leverage. If the Amentans returned, that would be evidence that they were at least somewhat bought into the process. Unfortunately, now that they're here at least partly on a mission of interdimensional technology acquisition, Ramona's best motivational move is unavailable.

Nothing for it but to press on and see what happens!

"All right then, sounds like we're ready to get started."

Ramona looks down at her notes.

"So Meelia, last time we met, I heard about the time before you arrived, and the first few days you spent on Amenta. And then on something like... the third day? Something happened. Your hosts mentioned you staying out late that third night. Do you remember it the same way? What happened that day?"

"I did stay out late. I um. Went exploring to see a place Cheep found."

She closes her eyes to help her remember.

"The ground was painted red on the way there and I followed it and I eventually came to a neighbor-hood with people who all had red hair and then uh. One of the reds got his foot broken by a purple delivery person who was holding boxes - I think it was an accident but the delivery person was so angry at the red haired person and wasn't helping them and I wanted to help and. Um - he seemed really angry to me. And the reds seemed really scared of him. And I tried to help and he started saying he might get the police and um. One of the reds told me they really really really didn't want the police around and. I couldn't do anything to help with that - not right then, while someone who might call the police was watching."

"I had to go through a bunch of shower things or else the purple would keep being angry and it took really really long - like a few hours - and also it hurt Cheep a bunch. And then I went back into the red neighborhood but sneaky this time so no one else could spot me. But everyone was still scared, maybe cause they thought I would call the police? And after that Tish called."