It’s stated that she broke up with the last guy because he wanted to be monogamous and it would follow that the current guy probably doesn’t want that.
I had interpreted “his need for monogamy” as the need for him to be monogamous, but now I realize that a relationship where you commit to not have sex with other people but your partner doesn’t is pretty unlikely (ETA: and even so, it would be unlikely to make Ishtar want to break up with Albert), and so Albert needed both to be monogamous.
One-sided monogamous relationships aren’t all that uncommon; I know of several. As with a lot of non-standard practices involving monogamy, couples who practice it often don’t tell their friends and family about it. (Also, individuals who practice it often don’t tell their partners about it, but culturally we tend to put that in a different category.)
I had interpreted “his need for monogamy” as the need for him to be monogamous, but now I realize that a relationship where you commit to not have sex with other people but your partner doesn’t is pretty unlikely
Actually, I was referring to the fact that Ted won’t be able to see his girlfriend again if she fails because she wanted her adventures to have real-life consequences.
This scenario seems a bit hard on Ted. Great story, though.
Yes, it should be somehow made clear that Ted’s OK with Ishtar having sex with other people, at least.
It’s stated that she broke up with the last guy because he wanted to be monogamous and it would follow that the current guy probably doesn’t want that.
I had interpreted “his need for monogamy” as the need for him to be monogamous, but now I realize that a relationship where you commit to not have sex with other people but your partner doesn’t is pretty unlikely (ETA: and even so, it would be unlikely to make Ishtar want to break up with Albert), and so Albert needed both to be monogamous.
One-sided monogamous relationships aren’t all that uncommon; I know of several. As with a lot of non-standard practices involving monogamy, couples who practice it often don’t tell their friends and family about it. (Also, individuals who practice it often don’t tell their partners about it, but culturally we tend to put that in a different category.)
At least, it is in our particular culture.
Actually, I was referring to the fact that Ted won’t be able to see his girlfriend again if she fails because she wanted her adventures to have real-life consequences.
Ishtar decided that her adventures should have real consequences; Ted decided to follow a code of honor that made keeping him away from her possible.
If he hadn’t, the Machines would presumably have found something else to use for stakes.
Though he feels honor-bound because feeling that way is important to him, not because he would actually have to follow that requirement.
And he wouldn’t necessarily have feel bad about not seeing her, depending on the settings he’s chosen.
Divergent sexual/relationship desires are things that are explicitly not solved in this world. That said, Ted seems pretty fine with everything here.