“A-Ah, yes, hello?”

The voice is mostly clear, the odd static-y interference notwithstanding, and Counselingway places an eager paw on his desk. “Yes, hello! Greetings from the moon, dear friend. How may we help you today?”

The disembodied voice laughs, a little breathlessly, “Yes, ah, well I first wanted to say how much I love listening to your show, it is a welcome respite after hours of endless work here at the An— A-Ah, sorry, I suppose I should try to remain anonymous...”

His words bring an indescribable joy to the little Loporrit, a familiar warmth spreading from his chest to the tips of his ears, and down to the pink paw pads of his little ashen-furred feet. “Wonderful, there is no greater joy to us here at Hope.fm!”

“Right,” Another delightful little laugh, music to his ears. “Well, I wanted to ask for some advice on a situation of a, err, romantic persuasion. F-For my friend, of course.”

Counselingway sees his fellow crew members bring their paws up to their faces, their excited stomping enough to cause concern that they’d be heard even through the glass dome separating them. He couldn’t blame them, however, for he would do the same were it not for his outstanding professionalism.

“Of course. Well while your Counselingway may not have much experience with romance, we do know quite a bit about love!”

“Perfect.” Was this person smiling, as they said that? “You see, my friend, he is soon to reunite with the woman he loves after some months apart, and he hopes that this will be the time where he tells her... Well, let’s say he wants to make things between the two official, so to speak.”

He nods along to his words, closing his eyes as he thinks upon them with great care. “And this friend’s ladyfriend, do we know if she has expressed interest in him?”

“A-Ah, well,” Counselingway gives him time to gather himself, not daring to interrupt. “I-I suppose, were I to presume as a third-party, that there, um, may be signs that she is. Hopefully. My friend, he is concerned about how to present his confession. She is a very busy person needed by many people, but he would like to create a more private situation for it, if possible...”

“Do you have any advice on how he might create some time for the two of them to talk, amidst a very busy work schedule?”

The Loporrit hums and aahs for a moment, his paw rubbing his chin, while he watches his live Loporrit audience quietly discussing amongst themselves. A conundrum, certainly, especially for those humans who so very much loved to throw themselves deep into their work, as certain Ways also did...

“Well my friend, while I wish I could say ‘there’s no time like the present!’ or to simply ‘go for it!’, I can see from your friend’s concern over the matter that this ladyfriend is very passionate about her work. It wouldn’t do to have her feel that your friend doesn’t value her dedication to her dreams.”

“I recommend that your friend try to organize something around her work. Perhaps plan ahead to make her dinnertime all the more exciting and romantic, or if he learns of a day off, perhaps he can be proactive and ask her out to some special trip!”

“If she sees how hard he worked to accommodate her schedule, I am sure she will feel the depths of his devotion!”

The person on the other end seems to hmm in understanding, though not necessarily in agreement just yet, and Counselingway feels a tightness in his chest. Had he gotten it wrong...?

“Do you not think she will feel put off, at having what precious free time she has taken from her?” He is hesitant, the Loporrit can tell.

Counselingway tries to smile in an attempt to comfort him, even if the voice couldn’t see. “Were they to start a relationship, would she not be spending most of that time together with him regardless? I think that’s part and parcel of being in love!”

The person laughs, rich and warm, even as his voice traveled across the cold vastness of space, and Counselingway’s nervousness settles, the joy he felt earlier returning in full force. “Right you are, my friend. Thank you, I shall let him know as soon as possible.”

There is jumping, and lots of dancing, outside of the studio, the cheering Loporrits reflecting that which Counselingway could not do, but felt all the same. “And thank you, for calling in! Your friend is lucky, to have such caring allies cheering him on. Know that we here on the moon are praying for his success with equal enthusiasm!”

“That’s all we have for today’s Way of Counseling! We hope you’ll share your joys and sorrows with us again another day. Good morning, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!”