"Okay. If the conversation ever comes on the table, it's important that you research birth control and health before you take any next steps together. I'm here for that if you need, or you could also get to the infirmary- they hand out free supplies."
Says Quentin, perfectly matter of factly, as he sips his cocoa.
"Don't rush. Don't feel pressure to move faster than you want to. The best advice I can give you is that you should learn to talk about it to each other before you do anything, so that you can approach it together- but it's perfectly okay if that's years from now, or some day but not with this girl, or even never."
"Yes," Credence says, looking just a smidge deer in-headlights; if he had
better circulation he'd be turning redder still. "Th-thank you, Quentin. Do
you, erm - do they teach this at school in the future?"
They may teach it in his present, for all he knows, but it feels unlikely.
"They teach the basic of sexual health and safety in some parts of the country. No school system that I know of teaches respect, communication and consent- but they're the kind of things that get talked about now, peer to peer."
Swirling his cocoa a little, so the residue on the bottom of the cup kicks up.
"Like how to be kind to one another in bed. And there are magazines and books for how to be good in bed. Sex, more now than in your time, is about pleasure, and there's a new emphasis on pleasing your female partner. Historically women have gotten kind of short shrift in terms of enjoyment of the marriage bed, and that's changing."
There's a reason that Credence's sisters were named Modesty and Chastity.
"I d-don't think she and I are going to have to worry about any of that, sir," he admits, so anxious that he slips up on Quentin's name, defaulting to the way he speaks to authority - which Quentin absolutely is right now.
He is nervous, but he's not really hearing himself speak right now,
either. He looks down at his hands, wondering if there's some pre-Obscurial
crackling around his fingertips.
"Well, if I try to explain this your face will explode from blushing, but maybe I'll get you a book, a pamphlet or two, and drop them off later. You can read them or not, depending on how this all goes."
He demurs, instead of launching into a full-tilt explanation.
Unfortunately, by having presented himself as an authority, Quentin is now
being taken at his word. This means that every day from now on, Credence
will consider himself a little more abnormal for never having so much as
held hands with a girl.
"...how? You're - you know so much more than me."
For Credence, the problem is in appreciating that their age difference is
less than that between, say, Modesty and himself.
Points out Quentin- for example, things like this. Though he hasn't realized his well-meaning reassurance was taken in the exact opposite spirit of which it was intended.
"In a lot of ways I think you're a lot more grounded than me."
"Clothes," Credence agrees. "You'll - show me how to pay for the cocoa?"
He still, despite everything, can't believe that this little card could be
money. The best he can imagine is that it's like a check you can use more
than once.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
magician_king) wrote2020-01-12 01:19 pm
no subject
Says Quentin, perfectly matter of factly, as he sips his cocoa.
"Don't rush. Don't feel pressure to move faster than you want to. The best advice I can give you is that you should learn to talk about it to each other before you do anything, so that you can approach it together- but it's perfectly okay if that's years from now, or some day but not with this girl, or even never."
no subject
"Yes," Credence says, looking just a smidge deer in-headlights; if he had better circulation he'd be turning redder still. "Th-thank you, Quentin. Do you, erm - do they teach this at school in the future?"
They may teach it in his present, for all he knows, but it feels unlikely.
no subject
Swirling his cocoa a little, so the residue on the bottom of the cup kicks up.
"Like how to be kind to one another in bed. And there are magazines and books for how to be good in bed. Sex, more now than in your time, is about pleasure, and there's a new emphasis on pleasing your female partner. Historically women have gotten kind of short shrift in terms of enjoyment of the marriage bed, and that's changing."
no subject
"I d-don't think she and I are going to have to worry about any of that, sir," he admits, so anxious that he slips up on Quentin's name, defaulting to the way he speaks to authority - which Quentin absolutely is right now.
no subject
Says Quentin, keeping his tone completely nonjudgemental, mildly interested as he invites Credence to think about the intensity of his reaction.
no subject
"What - what did I do?"
He is nervous, but he's not really hearing himself speak right now, either. He looks down at his hands, wondering if there's some pre-Obscurial crackling around his fingertips.
no subject
He promises, with an shrug.
"What are you feeling?"
no subject
no subject
He demurs, instead of launching into a full-tilt explanation.
no subject
That sounds like a reasonable compromise. Whatever happens, he doesn't want to do wrong by Shiro by being ignorant or unkind without even meaning to.
"...thank you." He sips his cocoa. "Ma - never even let me talk to girls about the Society."
Maybe thinking she could force his bloodline to end with him, he's wondering, more.
no subject
He blinks, and sits up, realizing;
"I forget I'm older than you."
no subject
Unfortunately, by having presented himself as an authority, Quentin is now being taken at his word. This means that every day from now on, Credence will consider himself a little more abnormal for never having so much as held hands with a girl.
"...how? You're - you know so much more than me."
For Credence, the problem is in appreciating that their age difference is less than that between, say, Modesty and himself.
no subject
Points out Quentin- for example, things like this. Though he hasn't realized his well-meaning reassurance was taken in the exact opposite spirit of which it was intended.
"In a lot of ways I think you're a lot more grounded than me."
no subject
"Really?"
Cue total bewilderment.
"....why?"
no subject
He admits, with a hasty sip of his drink.
"I feel really weird lately."
no subject
"Why?" If he can hear people, surely he has a responsibility to ask, to listen. "Has something happened, what's wrong?"
no subject
He promises, with a reassuring smile.
"Maybe just Christmas doldrums."
no subject
"Oh." Beat. "...You're sick?"
He does not know what a doldrum is.
no subject
He explains, taking a last deep drink of his cocoa.
"I'll be okay. It's good to be out with a project today."
no subject
Credence nods, and hurriedly finishes his own even though he has much more left. He'll regret it later.
"If there's anything I can do to help, I - I'll try," he says, not confident enough to offer anything more definitive.
no subject
He promises, with a small smile.
"But it is really nice of you. It's good to have friends here."
no subject
And for that, Quentin gets the tiniest imaginable, but noticeable and genuine smile.
"Yes, it's good to have friends."
At all. In general.
no subject
no subject
"Clothes," Credence agrees. "You'll - show me how to pay for the cocoa?"
He still, despite everything, can't believe that this little card could be money. The best he can imagine is that it's like a check you can use more than once.
no subject
He says, smiling- and leads him to the front to help him learn how the chip-and-pin works. Luckily, there doesn't seem to be a code required.
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)