be discreet

[msmage]

It's not much later, in Isabella's room, that she asks:

"So... is Alex really a dom?"

Comments

[msmage]

Blink. "I didn't mean it like that!"

[eclipsi]

"What did you mean it like?"

[msmage]

"Well, like, it's a nice thing! I like belonging to you, it's nice to date and stuff. It's a shame in the same way, I don't know, lactose intolerance is a shame, because cheese tastes nice? It's one less nice thing he has. Which, I mean, granted, he doesn't particularly care that he doesn't have it, I suppose, but. I dunno."

[eclipsi]

"Alex would probably say that it's not particularly a shame that there are people who can't abide watching Nascars go round and round in circles, however much fun the fans have in the process."

[msmage]

"I suppose," she sighs. "Though it's not quite the same, relationships are kinda... a bigger deal? Than hobbies. But, yeah, I mean, you're right."

[eclipsi]

"He views the entire enterprise with enough revulsion that I don't think he believes he's missing out, let alone that he's missing out on anything important. I suppose he might feel differently about how much harder it makes it to find especially close relationships but he has a twin."

[msmage]

"Who basically lives in his head, I don't think you can get significantly closer than that."

[eclipsi]

"It's verbal voluntary telepathy, I don't think that quite qualifies as living in his head, but yes."

[msmage]

"Must be nice, anyway, being that close to someone."

[eclipsi]

"It's nice."

[msmage]

"...what did he think of me, in the end? I think I picked on him too much there for the first couple of days."

[eclipsi]

"...yeah, he wasn't thrilled. I don't think you're best friends or anything but you didn't permanently sabotage anything."

[msmage]

Sigh. "I didn't mean to hurt him, I was just... joking around." She shakes her head. "Guess I'll have to make a better impression next time."

[eclipsi]

"You have to gauge how your jokes land and recalibrate from there, pet."

[msmage]

"Yeah. For what it's worth, I do like him."

[eclipsi]

"That's good."

[msmage]

"Y- yeah," she says, her eyes widening in something that could dramatically be described as 'dawning horror.' "What is he gonna tell your parents about me."

[eclipsi]

"...Uh, what do you want him to say? I can coach him."

[msmage]

"I don't know, I hadn't expected to mishandle it that much, I had hoped to just. Get him to like me."

[eclipsi]

"I'm not sure what horrible thing you think might happen if he gives our parents a mixed review."

[msmage]

"I don't know either!"

[eclipsi]

"Then why are you worrying about it?"

[msmage]

"I don't know, 'cause having your parents like me sounds like an important thing?"

[eclipsi]

"I'm sure they'll like you, pet, and even if they didn't it wouldn't matter that much, what are they going to do about it?"

[msmage]

"Well, nothing, but it's not a matter of doing anything. It's, you know. Your twin is important to you and I'd like him to like me, and same about your parents."