Nope, United States. I like waking up early. :)

1. Well, close the door. She dropped to her knees between the driver's side door and the car so he couldn't shut it. And no, it doesn't make you a monster. :)

2. Yeh, women can't help it. That's why there are so many laws and security rankings in this world to protect men. That's why there are Guardians.

3. It is a concern that lies at the heart of this story as described in the summary: 'can a marriage survive'. :)

Well a lot happened in terms of world building I suppose. Many things have been explained by their conversation, yet mysteries still remain.

And don't worry about toning it down, lol. I like long comments.

Wow, excellent commentary. First, let's take a look at what the story says.

In chapter 6, Luna mentions having 'clear' skin, but Ash doesn't see any significant difference. He even speaks of pimples as a common thing in this world (we assume among Ascended women too, as they comprise 99% of the population).

In chapter 7, Luna describes herself as 'perfect' when she awakens, even though she hasn't seen herself yet. Therefore, how much of 'beauty' or 'physical perfection' is psychological?

Later, she looks in the mirror sees a lithe, toned body. She specifically thinks "the person I'd always wanted to be". Again, there appears to be a psychological factor involved here.

Anorexia is so devastating because people perceive themselves as being overweight when they are extremely thin. That's just one example, but it shows the subjectivity involved in the concept of 'beauty'.

I think a lot of people in real life don't see themselves as physically beautiful or perfect. But if they truly did, what would it look like? Probably different for different individuals. There is no empirical mandate that the model on the cover of Sports Illustrated is epitome of female beauty.

Regan mentions that healing burns 'excess fat', but what does that mean? Luna still describes Regan as 'significantly more full-figured' than herself.

Being overweight or obese isn't a cosmetic problem. These conditions can increase risk for coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, diabetes, sleep apnea, etc.

However, a 'healthy weight' doesn't mean 'thin' or 'skinny'. There's a range. People can fall in different areas of that 'weight spectrum' and still be healthy.

And even if someone is obese, that doesn't mean they're not beautiful. Based on Regan's words, Healing (as the name implies) increases one's health, not beauty. In fact, she mentions the primary reason people visit healers is the 'feeling' they get afterwards, not the physical effects.

We've also seen the 'older lady with gray hair' in chapter 3. Since she works in a hospital, it's likely she has access to Healing. However, that implies Healing and Ascension are not 'fountains of youth' and is yet another example that beauty (e.g., the stereotypical concept of beauty we see on pageants and fashion runways) isn't the target.

Finally, be aware that the entire story is told through the perspective of Ash or Luna (so far). Beauty and physical perfection are not objective/measurable things, but that still doesn't stop the concepts from occuring as thoughts in the minds of individuals. Luna's concept of 'clear skin' may not be the same as mine and Ash sees no difference. Again, the psychological factor; the brain is a powerful thing.

As for being 'smarter', well I could go on forever about that too. How effective are standardized tests today (IQ, SAT, ACT, etc) at measuring intelligence? Nothing we've seen so far has shown Ascended women as significantly smarter than Ash. Now if Regan's words about induced Ascension are true, that could change. After all, Luna demonstrates incredible memory (sometimes associated with intelligence). However, she still has anaive quality about her that persists into her Ascended form.

As for the treatment of males in this world, well, it's not a perfect world. Equality simply doesn't exist in many aspects of this world. Maybe Luna and Ash's relationship will be different in that respect. Earlier, she said she didn't want to be 'like Regan'. We'll see what happens.

I usually don't write this much in a reply, but you got me thinking. Thanks for the comments!

Regan says "fluids involved with sex are like contact poison." That isn't necessarily referring to saliva. I suppose I'm trying to say nothing we've seen so far indicates their relationship will have more or less oral sex than prior to Luna's Ascension.

POV switches are a little tricker in a first person story, but I still enjoy doing them and reading them. Thanks for your comments!

Lol. Well women are 10 to 13 feet tall, so not quite the size of a bus. In chapter 5, Luna sees 'mouth to mouth kissing' as the epitome of marital fidelity. Therefore, it's safe to assume French kissing another woman would be considered cheating.

As for sex, that may not have the same implications as it does in our world. While we don't know the specifics of a Healer's role in this soceity, we get the impression heterosexual sex has other uses, perhaps even outside of a monogamous relationship. Either way, that's an excellent question. If Luna and Ash would ever get outside the house again, perhaps we'd see some more answers to these questions. :)

We'll likely find out the answer in a future chapter. Excellent question though. Thanks for the review!

Well, I made it X just to be safe. As for 'children' or any other underage characters, they won't be anywhere near content as depicted in this chapter for obvious reasons. As for the sweetness, we'll you're going to have to talk to Ash and Luna about that. :)

I never write for the reviews, but at the same time, reviews like this encourage me to continue. It means a lot. Thanks!