Velocity perked up at the questions and drew in a big vent. "They're sort of... Well, in my universe, conjunx endura and amica endura are the formalized recognition of romantic and platonic bonds in our society. On the surface it's just the next step of a relationship, but as my research proved, it's goes so so much deeper than that! It sounds wonderful, doesn't it?" She asked dreamily. "Either one of them? I would love to just, I don't know..."

Her smile faltered, and she hugged an arm to herself, because she knew herself well enough to know that no one would ever want to do either of those things with her. You didn't spend almost your entire life being mocked and overlooked without it making a few things crystal clear.

"...Well, the important part is that our society recognizes these bonds as important, and confer legal rights and so forth. Oh! And I got readings on the matrix by sort of... Um. Have you ever gotten readings on something by observing its effects on something else, like gravity wells or quantum anything? That's the idea. So whenever we said or did certain things to the matrix carrier, we observed the reactions in their conjunx and amica endura who were several buildings away. Fascinating stuff, it-"

She faltered again, then tilted her head, looking back at him with a blink. "If better standards mean I'll think different things about you, then I want to stay the way I am," she said simply.