Hugs are good.

"-I am not entirely certain what about the situation is bothering you, but we can change the subject regardless, if you prefer?"

"I don't like that you have to get married to some guy and don't like that when you do he will presumably get you pregnant with all that entails. But me not liking it doesn't change anything."

"It's not at all my preferred state of the world but being an empowered does improve it tremendously. I was expecting to be married off to someone of my grandfather's choosing and to suffer great risks in childbirth. Instead, I will be largely free to find my own match, so long as I do so in a reasonable amount of time, and childbirth will be easy and safe."

Lucette can hug her Annie tighter.

Lucette is very good.

"I'm sorry you've been mind controlled into such a difficult love."

"It's more the circumstances that are difficult, I think."

Hugs.

"Are there...sorts of attributes my future husband could have that might make it easier?"

"I guess he could be gay, but I don't know how you'd tell in this cultural environment."

"I'm confused about why that would be better?"

".......because I want you to myself and if he wasn't interested then the situation would be more like that."

"Huh, I suppose that would be a reasonable expectation. My impression of gay men is primarily formed based on historical sources of dubious trustworthiness, which typically cast the behavior of such individuals as particularly cruel to the women around them, as well as the men. However, I imagine you are better informed than I."

"If it helps, I cannot entirely imagine a situation where I am even a fraction as attached to any man as I am to you."

"Thank you."

"...I do not know if reading my feelings about you is likely to help or hurt in this situation. I suspect you can, given that the link worked in the reverse direction when you so willed it."

"...I could try it? If you think it might be helpful. But it does not directly affect the thing where you have to get married."

Nod.

"You would know better than I if it would be helpful, I imagine."

"Should I prioritize matches with men who will not... care about me more than is necessary?" 

"- well I don't want them to do you any harm, or like, if you're going to be stuck financially relying on them because you don't have independent finances I don't want that to be hard for you, but if they're going to be - jealous in a way where they'd kick me out or be angry at you for liking me that might be bad? I don't know how many degrees of freedom you have though."

"I think I can achieve all those things, though if I want a husband who is willing to support very significant expenditures beyond the ones necessary for our comfort, then I may need to find a husband who is particularly interested in me and my endeavors."

"I mean, I think if I get IUDs working people would... buy them."

"If we wanted to have access to that money we'd need my husband on board? Or some other man, I suppose."

"How would your husband or some other man get my money?"

"You wouldn't receive it in the first place, I expect?"

"...what prevents me from selling an object for money? Or a service, like the healing."