Sex and interpersonal relations: an advice column

[cutting_edgex23]

Block parties and/or street festivals are no bad thing. Especially when there is funnel cake.

(X may have indulged in some with powdered sugar this time. No one faint.)

And there are games, and a lot of screaming children, and music. And some artwork.

But after all of that there is X's apartment, quiet and comfortable, and something like dinner.

After X feeds her fish.

Comments

[ellectrical]

Elle still has powdered sugar on her hands. This is what happens when she has no private place to melt it.

"Did you like it?"

Her attention is really on some powdered sugar still on the side of her right hand near her wrist. This is frankly more interesting than watching X feed her fish.

[cutting_edgex23]

X tilts her head a little, flicking a look at Elle over her shoulder as she finishes dropping blood worms and fish flakes into the tank.

"Yes," X says.

"Even when it was loud."

[ellectrical]

"It was like that a lot."

Instead of brushing it off onto X's floor, Elle finally decides to lick the sugar off her hand. It takes a little contorting.

[cutting_edgex23]

X grabs a few napkins for Elle on her way back from the freezer where she stores the fish food.

"You did not like it?"

[ellectrical]

"I don't care if it's loud."

Sometimes this can be a problem. But, in any case, she takes the napkins from X without complaint.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Okay," X says.

"Good."

Beat.

"But you did not like it?"

[ellectrical]

"I liked it."

Elle moves to throw the napkin away, before adding, "I hadn't - done it before."

[cutting_edgex23]

"I do not know if there will be more this year," X offers.

Carefully.

And somewhat obliquely.

[ellectrical]

Elle does manage to understand it.

And maybe in the same oblique way, she answers, "I don't want to go back yet."

She's not quite as good at this.

[cutting_edgex23]

"I can make dinner," X says.

"I have been shopping."

[ellectrical]

"What'd you get?"

X's tastes don't tend to vary that much. But Elle's still going to ask.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Parker told me how to make quesadillas."

Beat.

"With chicken. And Logan has a chili recipe."

Elle can pick!

[ellectrical]

She waits a long moment.

Then -

"Which one do you like better?"

[cutting_edgex23]

X has to think about it.

Then --

"The quesadillas are faster. When I do not need leftovers."

And since things are quiet now --

[ellectrical]

With a one-shouldered shrug, "I can help."

Really.

Maybe.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Okay," X says.

"You can grate the cheese."

Cheese in a bag is not something Mr. Simmons will let X get away with. Or Pam.

[ellectrical]

It sounds kind of boring. Were this someone else, Elle would complain.

Because it's X, she just slips over to the refrigerator to pull it open and look inside.

'Cheese' was a somewhat unspecific instruction.

[cutting_edgex23]

There is only one block of cheese in the fridge.

X, meanwhile, is pulling the grater out of the cupboard.

And pre-heating the oven.

[ellectrical]

It doesn't take Elle entirely too long to pull the cheese out and close the fridge again.

Well, it does, but everything else is left unharmed when she does emerge.

"How long does it take?" she asks, holding out her hand for the grater.

[cutting_edgex23]

"Not long," X says, handing the grater over.

She is getting out a knife for her own use.

It's not only the chicken that requires cutting.





And about halfway through preparations --

"Dinah gave me a vibrator."

[ellectrical]

Elle doesn't stop her grating, actually going out of her way to be sure she doesn't make a mess.

Though, the lack of reaction may be partly because it takes her a moment to remember what that means.



"Why?"

She does stop, though she only sounds confused.

[cutting_edgex23]

"I asked her why people like sex."

Beat.

"I think it is difficult for people to explain."

[ellectrical]

After a moment, Elle goes back to her grating.

"You said you didn't like it."

[cutting_edgex23]

"She said it is because I have not had an orgasm."

Beat.

"I do not know."

She flicks a glance at Elle and the grated cheese.

"You can stop now. That is enough."

The assembly part is not very time-consuming, either.

[ellectrical]

She puts the cheese down, and taps the grate a couple of times against the table.

"Do you want to do it?"