be discreet

[msmage]

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

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

Comments

[alicornucopia]

"There's not really a good time to do it, it usually all - goes kind of fast?"

[mrmage]

Blink. "Do you not... like... do stuff that's not sex?"

[alicornucopia]

Blink. "What counts as not sex?"

[mrmage]

"Dates, conversation, cuddling, sleeping together, watching a movie, having dinner..."

[alicornucopia]

"Sometimes I sleep over or eat there or there's a movie on."

[mrmage]

"So... don't you like... talk? During those times?"

[alicornucopia]

"...do you mean, do I talk while I'm asleep or with my mouth full or over a movie? I don't think that's normal."

[mrmage]

"I mean, when you're setting the movie up, or between bites like we're doing right now, or before you go to bed, or after you wake up."

[alicornucopia]

"Not much, no."

[mrmage]

"Well, couldn't you? Next time you're having a not-sex time together, you could ask him not to use the whatever-it-was."

[alicornucopia]

"Maybe," says Jackson dubiously. "...It probably won't help that I don't know what it was."

[mrmage]

"'The thing you used last time' should be enough, unless he used lots of things, in which case you can try to describe it, or point at it when he tries to use it?"

[alicornucopia]

"Maybe," but he doesn't look like a guy with a plan.

[mrmage]

"What's the sticking point, here?"

[alicornucopia]

"It's..." Jackson gestures helplessly.

[mrmage]

"Yes...?"

[alicornucopia]

"I don't know! But I can't just plain say 'that thing, I don't like it, can you not use it again'."

[mrmage]

"...why not?"

[alicornucopia]

"I don't know I just can't!"

[mrmage]

"How do you know you can't?"

[alicornucopia]

Jackson seems to find this question so astonishingly unhelpful that he can't even answer it.

[mrmage]

Which isn't that different than the entire rest of this conversation. "Well?"

[alicornucopia]

"Do you just sort of go around assuming you can do whatever?"

[mrmage]

"...unless it goes against the law or my moral principles, yes?"

[alicornucopia]

"Well... I don't."