be discreet

[msmage]

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

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

Comments

[mrmage]

Eight?

"Did your mom invite anyone else?" he asks Alex as they're led to the table.

[catalexis]

"Didn't tell me if she did. Maybe she thought it'd be fun to meet your folks? Do they live around here?"

[eclipsi]

Isabella squeezes Sadde's hand hard.

[mrmage]

"My-"

They're in view of the table.

Sadde stops walking.

[eclipsi]

"Do you want to go sit in the car while I talk to Mom?"

[mrmage]

"I- I- I-"

But Tobias has spotted them and stood up, beaming. He's a tall, handsome man, and he has enough presence one almost feels like he's carrying several implements on his person, but he's prim and proper as only a conservative dom can be. His wife and kids are present, too, and Sadde's half-brother stands up, too, though he's more neutral than anything, and certainly no older than twelve if that.

"Well, it's nice to finally meet you!" Tobias says to Alex. "You must be Sadde's dom, yes?"

[catalexis]

"Um," says Alex, "my sister is holding his hand, so I don't know why you thought that."

[kindestgarden]

"Alex," says Renée - that must be Renée - reproachfully.

[eclipsi]

"He's mine," says Isabella firmly.

[mrmage]

Tobias' smile doesn't falter, though there might be the slightest of impressions that he hadn't noticed Isabella there before. "Of course, of course. I'd love to get to know you. Let's sit." He's the first one to, followed by Jonathan.

Sadde looks at Isabella, his eyes suddenly devoid of emotion, and then moves to obey.

[eclipsi]

Shitshitshit.

Isabella pulls Sadde to the other end of the table and uses her cane to corral a kneeling cushion from another table and sits him on her right where the table will block the line of sight between Tobias and him if he hunkers down.

She glares daggers at her mother.

[kindestgarden]

Renée has no idea what's wrong, but she blinks and doesn't object. "Well... this is Isabella, I must have neglected to give her name in my email, and that's Alex..."

[mrmage]

Sadde does not object or react to much, and he's put where she wants to put him. He doesn't even comment on being sat on her right, and just keeps his eyes downcast.

"Yes, I do apologize for assuming. It is my pleasure to meet you both," he says, and sounds for all the world like he means it. "These are my son Jonathan, my wife Bethany, and my daughter Sarah."

"It's nice to meet you," Jonathan says, and smiles a bit. The other two merely dip her heads in acknowledgement.

[eclipsi]

Isabella plants her hand on Sadde's head and pulls it to her thigh, thumb smoothing his hair. "Hello," she says levelly.

[mrmage]

Sadde's head goes.

"So, how'd you two meet? Sadde hasn't told me much about it, or you."

[eclipsi]

"We met at school," says Isabella.

[peterxy]

"Of course," he laughs. "Tell me more about yourself. And you seem to have already collared her?"

[eclipsi]

"I'm a psion. Going precog when I'm done with eidetic memory. And yes, that's my name on the collar."

Pet, pet, pet, pet, ceaseless soothing motions of her hand on Sadde's head.

[mrmage]

Mmhm, yeah, Sadde doesn't look like he'll be issuing many opinions tonight.

"Oh, good for you, you're probably all set for money, then."

[eclipsi]

"Will be, yeah."

[mrmage]

"I see, I see. And has my daughter been good? She's always been a bit of a troublemaker, back home." He doesn't even try to look at Sadde or acknowledge he exists, so he doesn't notice it when the boy winces at being misgendered. Or maybe at the question as a whole, it might stir up some memories.

[eclipsi]

"He's been lovely for me," Isabella says frostily. Pet pet pet pet pet pet pet.

[catalexis]

(Alex's look of dawning horror may indicate that Isabella is multitasking.)

[mrmage]

"That's splendid, I'm very glad someone's been able to set he- him straight. Succeed where I failed, so to speak," he says, and laughs good-naturedly, apparently completely oblivious to the mood. Jonathan looks like he's trying to mimic his father, while both Bethany and Sarah are quiet and subdued and don't really look up or participate in the conversation.

('Set him straight' also provokes a wince.)

[catalexis]

"Be right back," says Alex, hopping to his feet and making for the bathroom.