…or, Diss Orderly Conduct
I was still giving Iason a slow handjob when our hired carriage rolled up to the gates of Enwich, joining the evening traffic that was headed inside the city walls before the main gates closed for the day.
“Oh, shit,” I said, letting go when the carriage stopped behind the other vehicles in the entry queue.
“Don’t stop,” he said, taking my hand and putting it back in place.
“What if they’re checking IDs?”
“You have a free hand.”
They didn’t stop us, though if the people in the coach alongside us had looked over at the right moment, they might have gotten a bit of a show. Whatever. It was Iason’s bit of flesh that was on display, and it seemed he didn’t care.
Iason let the act reach its natural conclusion once we were inside the town. While he cleaned up, I slid over to the window and took a look around. The narrow street was paved with flat, irregular stone tiles that were fitted together for a perfectly smooth ride. The broad sidewalks were clean and glittered with quartz pebbles. The whitewashed store fronts and sidewalk cafes looked very upscale.
“Have you ever been to Enwich, Iamie?” Iason asked me.
“Yeah, we spent a night here when we were visiting for early orientation,” I said. “But I think we must have gone in through a different entrance.”
“Undoubtedly,” Iason said. “This is the upper city. I promised you a nice dinner.”
“Are we going to be underdressed?” I asked.
“I hope so, later,” he said.
“I mean, for wherever we’re going.”
“No, I do not think so,” he said.
The carriage was headed uphill, through a steep section of town where the buildings were taller and closer together. They were built at an angle to the street, so that their tops were level. We passed banks and trading firms, and then upscale clothing stores and high-end enchanters’ shops, and then we came into a break in the urban development.
The top of the hill was a park, green and growing. The trees didn’t show any signs that autumn was underway. The carriage stopped in a turnaround and the footman opened the door to let us out.
Iason held my hand and helped me down. It was interesting how an action could be completely emasculating at the same time as it threatened to provide a firm reminder of my manhood. He clasped the footman’s hand and patted him on the back, passing something shiny in the process, then shook the driver’s hand as well and waved them off.
“Won’t we need them again?” I asked.
“The restaurant is at one end of the park and the amphitheater is at the other,” he said.
“Won’t we need them afterwards, for when we go to the inn?” I asked.
“I told you, Iamie, I have no intention of sharing you with other men,” Iason said. “Though the sheer level of your appetite surprises me.”
“The inn is close by, then?” I asked.
“Not far, no,” he said. “But I could carry you, if you’d prefer not to walk.”
“Yeah, I don’t think so,” I said, shaking my head.
“You don’t think I could?”
“I don’t think you will,” I said.
“Would you stop me if I tried?” he asked.
“Let’s not find out,” I said. “That would be a great way to ruin the evening.”
The restaurant was a large eight-sided pavilion with the kitchen in the center, and all eight sides open air. Even as we approached, I could tell that we would more or less fit in. Some of the people were dressed in fancier clothes, but some were more casually dressed. We were about in the middle.
The path led up to the entrance, where there was a break in the railing. Iason once again took my hand and helped me up. I threw him a sideways glance, expecting to see the smug grin that was just on the right side of being a sneer. What I got instead was a look of attentive adoration that almost knocked me on my ass.
All the things he said and did to get to me, and the one that might have needled me the most was something he was sincere about.
Well, it wasn’t so bad to let him show a bit of honest affection. As long as he didn’t want to hold my hand when we were walking around.
“Hi, welcome to Astral’s in the Park!” the hostess, a very well-endowed woman who didn’t look that much older than me, said. “We do have an hour wait tonight, is that okay?”
“We have priority seating,” Iason said. “Iason.”
“Excuse me?”
“Iason,” he repeated. “That is the name it’s under.”
“Oh!” she said, stepping back behind her podium and flipping open some pages. “Can you spell that?”
“I can,” Iason said. “Can you?”
Her face reddened, and she began looking through the registry line by line.
“I-a-s-o-n?”
Iason just stared at her.
“Yes, that’s him,” I said.
“It’ll be about ten minutes,” she said.
“That’s fine,” I said.
Iason leaned in close to my ear. I repressed the urge to elbow him in the stomach.
“She has udders like a cow’s,” he whispered. From the way the hostess turned from pink to crimson, I was sure his words were reaching her, too. “If only she had the brains to match.”
I stopped repressing. He grunted in surprise.
“Please excuse us,” I said to the hostess, grabbing Iason by the collar and pulling him away from the podium and back outside the pavilion so she could help the next people.
“You’re so violent today, Iamie,” he said. “I had no idea you were such a hellhound.”
“Knock it off, or I am leaving,” I said, dragging him back from the path. “And if I have to keep making ultimatums to make you act like a decent h—person, I’m leaving, anyway.”
“Fine,” he said, smoothing his shirt out. “You don’t have to be so serious all the time, though. You could let me have some fun.”
“‘Fun’ is what we had in the carriage,” I said. “This is you being a dick to somebody because you can get away with it.”
“In my defense, that is much more fun than when you can’t,” he said.
“If you treated people decently, you wouldn’t have to worry about getting away with it,” I said.
“Where’s the challenge in getting away with nothing?” he asked.
“I don’t know,” I said. “But it sure seems like what I’m asking is beyond your abilities. I shouldn’t have to keep making ultimatums to get you to knock this shit off.”
“Well, you’re welcome to stop doing that at any time,” he said. “You demanded that I be straight about my intentions towards you and so I have been, but at the same time I am supposed to be less-than-honest in my opinion about the woman behind the podium?”
“You carried your whisper to her,” I said. “You can’t pretend that wasn’t a deliberate attempt to be hurtful.”
“The list of things I can’t pretend is vanishingly small,” he said.
“Look, just don’t be a dick to people and then turn to me like you’re expecting applause and a blowjob,” I said.
“I do not require applause.”
“I’m serious,” I said. “And I’m getting sick of having to say so.”
“Fine,” he said. “Does this enjoinder against dickhood include women, too?”
“Why the hell wouldn’t it?”
“It may be obvious to you, but it isn’t to me,” Iason said, brushing my cheek with the back of his fingers. “I can’t read your mind, Iamie. I won’t know what you mean if you don’t tell me.”
“I don’t think you’re stupid, Iason,” I said. “But if you really can’t tell that it’s not okay to treat people like that, then I don’t want to be involved with you.”
“I forget, you want to bed girls,” Iason said.
“That isn’t why,” I said.
“No, it’s fine,” he said. “I do nice things for you. I suppose, in a way, it’s only natural that you would want to do nice things for girls that you meet.”
“Not calling someone a cow isn’t exactly going the extra mile,” I said.
“I didn’t call her a cow,” Iason said. “Is that your opinion of her?”
“Uh, Iason, party of two?” the hostess called. “Iason, party of two?”
Iason refrained from saying anything as she led us to our table. He didn’t look at or acknowledge her, either, but it was progress. If you can’t say something nice, and all that.
“Your server will be with you shortly,” she said, handing us menus. Iason wouldn’t take it from her hands, but picked it up and hid behind it as soon as she set it down in front of him.
“Thank you,” I said to her.
“You’re very welcome.”
“Just for my own personal reference,” Iason said from behind his as she left, “would you find it more objectionable if we ran out on the bill, or if I staged a scene to get our meals for free?”
“You mean you don’t have money to pay for this?” I asked.
“Well, of course I do,” he said.
“Good.”
“I simply don’t have it upon my person,” he said.
“Why not?”
“It’s the principle of the matter,” he said.
“What principle?”
“That there is no reason to pay for an expensive meal unless you need to impress somebody,” he said. “Maybe I am a little arrogant, but I feel that I have already amply demonstrated my purchasing power to you, Iamie. I came here with the intention of being given our meals for free, but you have been so touchy this evening that I’m afraid to put my plan into effect.”
“Did you skip out on the carriage bill, too, somehow?” I asked.
“No,” he said. “I had to pay for that in advance, including a hefty deposit. I have also bought our concert tickets and booked our room on my charged card. Considering this meal will likely be the least expensive item of the evening, I’m actually a little insulted that you would think it beyond my means to pay for. I think you owe me an apology.”
I glared at him. He sat there placidly. Before I could think of what to say to this, our server—a short, stout girl with wavy black hair and a snappy black uniform with a bowtie—arrived.
“Hello, my name is Anna Louisa, and I’ll be taking care of you two tonight,” she said, putting two water glasses with lemon wedges down. “Can I start you off with some drinks, and maybe an appetizer?”
“Bring us a bottle of North Forest Gold and two glasses,” Iason said.
“Okay, I’ll just need to see some identification,” she said.
“Was somebody claiming to be us ordering wine before?” Iason asked her.
“I’m sorry, but we get a lot of college students in here, and anyway, it’s the law,” she said.
“You can actually cancel the wine. He forgets the human drinking age is twenty-one,” I said. “He’s actually very forgetful. In fact, if you could give us a few minutes before we order, he needs to run down to our carriage to get his coin purse, which he forgot there. Right, Iason?”
It was his turn to give a death stare, which just made him look more attractive in a broody way. He pushed his chair up, stood up, and turned and stalked away towards the entrance.
“Is he coming back?” Anna Louisa asked.
“Yeah, he just has a delicate temperament,” I said. “He gets embarrassed easily, especially in front of pretty girls.”
“Oh, really?” she said.
“Yeah. Thirty years old and he’s never had a girlfriend. If he comes off, you know, rude or abrupt or whatever, it’s just because he’s nervous,” I said. “Sometimes, he thinks he tries to cover it by being funny, but his sense of humor is a little off. If he says something awful, try not to take it personally. He usually realizes what he’s done later and makes up for it with a big tip.”
“Oh, okay,” she said. “I’ll just get you a basket of bread, then, and keep an eye out for your friend.”
“Thanks,” I said.
We’d passed banks on the way up, and I knew Iason wouldn’t take long getting there and back. I paged through the menu to pass the time. Astral’s seemed to be a grill, with elven-themed dishes. There were a lot of game bird and hare dishes available in addition to the standard steak and chicken breast.
Iason returned before too long. He looked pissed, but he had a full coin purse in his hands. Anna Louisa hurried over to see if we were ready. I’d seen a lot of different things that looked good, but nothing that had jumped out at me. Before either I or she could say anything, though, Iason took my menu from me and thrust both of ours into her hands.
“We will both have the venison medallions in gold wine sauce, and please make it quick as we have concert tickets and would like some time to enjoy our meal,” Iason said, not looking at her.
“And do you want the soup or salad with that?”
“Salad,” Iason replied, in a tone that suggested he was bewildered and offended by the thought that somebody would consider ordering the soup.
“Would you like that with the herbed potatoes, the—”
“Wild rice,” he said.
“And to drink?”
“Iced tea, I suppose,” he said sullenly.
“And for you, sir?”
“Tea’s fine,” I said. “Thanks.”
“I’ll put your order in and bring out your drinks and salads,” she said. “House dressing okay?”
“How can I say if I’ve never tried it?” Iason asked her.
“It should be fine,” I told her.
“Should be, but I suppose we’ll find out,” Iason said.
“I’ll get those right out, then,” she said, and hurried away.
I turned to face Iason, who was turning his eyes away from me. We sat in stony silence while Anna Louisa brought us our iced teas, for which I thanked her.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” I asked Iason when she left again with a promise to return with the salads.
“What? I just ordered,” he said.
“What’s your problem with women, exactly?” I asked him.
“I am not interested in them,” he said.
“What I’m seeing isn’t disinterest.”
“Iamie, you have a perverse attraction to honesty, so let me put it this way: women are useless whores,” he said. “Distinct from boys such as yourself only in that you are a useful whore.”
“Now you’re calling me names,” I said.
“When I am nice to you, I can expect something in return. What do I get for being nice to Anna Louisa? It is her job to be nice to me. If you’re going to make me pay tonight, I don’t see why I need do anything further to earn good treatment from her.”
“You know, the only reason I’m not walking away right now is that she just put our order in and I don’t want her to have to cancel it,” I said. “But I am not a whore, and I’m not going to stand for you calling me one again.”
“I’m sorry if you don’t like the label, but what else do you call somebody who has sex in exchange for—”
“I have sex because I like it,” I said. “I didn’t ask you for jewelry and flowers and carriage rides. You give me those things because you want to. Even when you’re ‘being honest’, you act like you’re only interested in my body, but you keep giving me these things anyway. You might tell yourself that you’re only doing it to keep getting into my pants, and maybe that makes you feel, I don’t know, more macho or something, but—”
I cut myself off, as Anna Louisa was returning with our salad plates.
“Here you folks go,” she said, setting them down. “Your meals will be ready in just a bit.”
“I am sorry for being brusque before,” Iason said. “I felt foolish for having forgotten my money, and was in a bad mood. I should not have taken it out on you.”
“Oh, um, that’s okay,” she said. “We all have bad days, right?”
“I suppose we do,” Iason said.
“I’ll try to have your entrees out as soon as they’re up,” she said.
“Thanks,” I said. When she’d left, I said to Iason, “Okay, you apologized without prompting. I’m a little impressed. Do you have something to say to me?”
“You mean, do I intend to apologize for what I said to you?” he asked.
“Yes.”
“No. I think all boys who take it are whores,” he said. “That includes you, but it does not mean you in particular, and it doesn’t mean I can’t respect you.”
“But do you?”
“I’m learning to.”
“Well, that’s a start.”
MOOK! I lurve Twitter mobile updates
Oook! :p
My first ever Mook!
Dude. Iason lost tons of brownie points there : /
Though I’m supposing there has to be more to the story than just Iason being a perpetual dick. *shrug*
Iason amuses me sometimes … but most of the time, I absolutely can’t stand him, and Jamie should have ended this before it even started.
MOOK
I actually made it to the top 10? Awesome. Anywho, Iason….what the hell man. Just because you see women that way, doesn’t give you any right to be such a sheer dick. There better be a REALLY good background explanation…
Wow. Iason must’ve had some fucked-up upbringing, presumeably from the non-elf side. He reminds me of a guy I used to date, who has Asperger’s.
This was that guy’s opinion on girls who gave oral sex. xD And he used to say things like that at completely inappropriate times–during dinner, in a movie theatre, during sex… blergh.
So Iason has some pretty serious socialization problems, is rather amoral, and an ass, but seems to be able to learn when he wants, he just doesn’t really want to until he is forced into it. Even then he does so grudgingly. Jamie must find him amazingly attractive, cause seriously I would dump any prospective partner with this kind of chip on her (or his) shoulder.
Anybody else notice that Iason coaxed that “I’m yours” out of Jamie three times in the last chapter. Why does it seem to me that likely has some mystic significance and may be related to the bracelet?
*twitch twitch*
iason the elf
tries to act cool and macho
really just a dick
jamie the human
stand up for yourself some more
it will do some good
alexandra-san
please get rid of iason
he’s a total douche
….yeah, i suck at haiku, but it’s the best i can do
MOOK! I like Jamie more and more with this… he seems almost relentlessly decent. But I’m not sure there’s much good to see in Iason… maybe Jamie can perceive something from close up that’s worth teaching to be ‘humane’ if not… ‘human.’
Iason has got asshole down to a science. (mook)
But he is very young as elves go.
Ya I’m really disliking Iason. It’s a credit to the author the she can elicit such a strong response from her readers with one of her characters. Unfortunately my response is a growing disinterest in chapters that include him so much. I’m still reading, but at this point not enjoying so much.
Iason reminds me of many rogues and such that I’ve met in various games. Sure, he can talk the talk, but I await the time we read of his exploits in combat, to see if he handles himself with the same graceful destruction on field. Though he is such an annoying and unlikeable character, and I think if I met him at a bar I would probably punch him, I keep waiting to see what classhole-ish thing he will do next.
*jaw hanging open*
Erhmm, yeah… I can’t believe Iason’s behavior or opinions. They shock me. Because I’ve heard some stuff like that before.
But thinking about it, I really think it’s a good thing for SOMEONE to be writing about the real shit people can pull in relationships. You just have to be hooked in enough to care and suddenly you’re putting up with tantrums and all this other stuff. It’s very real and very surprising, and when/if it ever happens to US, the readers, I hope we handle it half as skillfully as Jaime. He doesn’t leave even though he plainly says he wants to, and knows how to answer crap about putting him down. He didn’t just start to cry, he told Iason he knew what he was, and Iason couldn’t call him that. That is what you do, in my opinion. You don’t take that BS.
I mean, how many other people are so shocked by Iason that they don’t say anything? What do you want to bet people like him take that to mean they have no argument?
Way to stand up for yourself Jamie….
Perhaps later tonight Jamie needs to give as well as take, you never know, may do Iason some good
Despite everything, I still like Iason, and have to agree with the previous poster who said he has some socialization issues. although this does put an interesting spin on the dance date in ToMU. Perhaps an apology?
Huh. Maybe if Iason’s around Jamie long enough, he’ll shape up to be (gasp) decent?
“I have also bought our concert tickets and booked our room on my charge card.”
Isn’t it charged card?
That was beautiful. Now I’m interested.
Gah. I’ve totally dated Iason before.
Though it’s must less prevalent these days, there used to be a small population of gay boys who had nothing but contempt for women. Referred to them as “fish” and the whole nine yards.
Utterly vile, and completely incomprehensible. Made me want to murder him, and I eventually dumped him when he sneeringly referred to one of my best friends by that sobriquet. I was all done.
Yay, Iamie standing up for himself! How long, exactly, do you think that will last?
He’s already starting to treat Iason… not like a project, exactly, but like someone whose behavior he wants to improve, so he can spend time with him. Or maybe I’m projecting.
I did notice one thing….
“What I got instead was a look of attentive adoration that almost knocked me on me ass.”
“My ass,” perhaps? Unless Iamie (I can’t help it, I love that name) speaks pirate. Which I do as well, honestly, so it almost slipped past Me.
Another fantastic chapter, Ms. Erin. I was sad to hear that you’d lost the MU chapter, but this more than makes up for it. I can now wait patiently.
“Iason amuses me sometimes … but most of the time, I absolutely can’t stand him, and Jamie should have ended this before it even started.”
But he’s really hot…
Granted, Jamie will likely sleep better if he sleeps alone for awhile, and there are all sorts of ways the whole thing can end badly. But it can end well. Jamie has to make sure he can rule his rod, but he might win thru.
Of course, I have been holding out hope Iason wasn’t really hostile to females…
I actually totally love Iason. Say what you want about him being a total asshole (and he is), but you can’t deny that he’s an incredibly well-crafted character. I may not like him in person, but he sure is entertaining. He may be my favorite More Tales of MU character, although Marlot is awesome too, if only because she’s a lot like me in so many ways.
And so begins Jaime’s career as Iason’s apologist (re: Iason almost knocking Mack off the rail in ToMU.)
And why does Iason’s assholiness have to come from the non-elf side of his lineage.. so far what we’ve seen of surface-elves in the MUverse hasn’t been all sunshine and lolipops.
Seeing as everything I wanted to say about Iason’s been mostly said, I’ll skip that part. Jaime is, to my mind, the archetypical (stereotypical? Not sure which is the better word choice here) “girl” in the relationship, smitten badly enough to put up with the antisocial personality traits and weather things out until he can “fix” his lover. It could very easily be a very short time until one of them, probably Iason by the look of things, has had enough. Implosion to follow. Film at 11. We’ve all seen it before, methinks.
On a related note, AE’s ability to organically portray such varied true-to-life relationship dynamics continually astounds me.
Les asks “And why does Iason’s assholiness have to come from the non-elf side of his lineage..”
Indeed Jamie and Steff have both commented on elven “snobbery”. This certain;y fits his non-gender directed abusiveness.
I agree with Kyle (#25). Iason might not be a good person but he is a good character. Not everyone can be perfect, otherwise where is the conflict?
So, yeah, that respect for Iason from last chapter? … that sound you hear is the toilet flushing.
@ Kyle: ITA about Iason and Marlot being entertaining reads, though I think my preference is reversed. Iason pisses me off more than Marlot does
And Jamie is a total rockstar in the restaurant.
Iason has finally crossed the line for me. Now it’s just a waiting game to see who else does.
This link expires late August 2008.
The Title of the picture is relevant, but the rest is a Non Sequitur
OK…I need to shoot Iason with a dull crossbow bolt somewher non-life threatening, but EXTREMELY painful….I think that would properly equate the headache he gives Jamie. Jamie needs a better “girlfriend” than Missy to take him away from elf-hole.
OOK!
Oh. Wow. Iason. He doesn’t just have socialization issues, he’s not just an asshole, he is a raging, frothing misogynist. This chapter left something of a sour taste in my mouth…usually MU is my fun escapism before bed, but this was all the sexist bullshit I deal with all day, times ten. Jamie seems to be teaching him a bit, but…yikes.
It occurs to me that there may be no better misogynist than a gay male misogynist (for some value of “better”.) Straight male misogynists generally consider women sub-human but still “useful” but a gay man can dismiss the gender entirely.
Though there does seem to be a sad note of self-loathing here– homophobia is really just a special kind of misogyny, as Iason hints at here– a man who “takes it” is feminine, and therefore not worthy of consideration as a person.
I had a strange sort of fondness for Iason, before…I hope Jamie can teach him. I think he’d be happier; might not have to do so much stupid “masculine” shit as if he has something to prove; could have an equal, loving relationship with Jamie (or anyone else) if only he could get over the misogyny/hints of homophobia.
MOOK!
Wow. Iason is REALLY an asshole. I certainly wouldn’t put up with his crap and I’m glad to see Jamie isn’t either. Although I wonder how they manage to make it three weeks together to be at the dance we saw in ToMU. Having to give ultimatums to get decent behavior sucks.
And yeah – Iason doesn’t have a lack of interest in women. He has a full on hate for them. Otherwise, why go out of his way to be a prick to them. It’s a very insightful, and scary, comment that he feels it’s fine to be a complete dick to anyone he can’t get some use out of. Makes you wonder how he’ll act if Jamie ever kicks him to the curb.
Excellent writing AE.
@31 MistyCat, I also saw that comic and laughed out loud because of ToMU and MOARMU.
Iason is an ass, but I like seeing how he forces Jamie to stand up for his beliefs. Also looking forward to the concert.
*WINCE*
Oh dear… Iason… *sigh*
Up till now, I’d been able to give him the benefit of the doubt, but this was just asshole-y.
…that said, he did have some HILARIOUS lines in this one…
“This is you being a dick to somebody because you can get away with it.”
“In my defense, that is much more fun than when you can’t,” he said.
For crying out loud Jamie ditch this immature narccissitic jerk!
His labelling of women is absolutely disgusting, and if you hadn’t noticed the only difference he sees between you and them is that you’re “useful” to him.
If that isn’t plain enough I don’t know what will be.
Eugh, ok we know they’re still dating at least by the next dance but I suppose we can hope it’ll be over by the end of it, I don’t care what Iason says , he has no respect for Jamie and short of making a serious effort (which I don’t see him caring enough to do) he never will have.
basically he seems to think you’re only worthy of being treated like a real person if you’re sticking a penis in someone, if you don’t have one you’re a useless whore (because he’s not attracted to you and that’s all that matters) and if you have one but prefer to recieve than to give (or are just in that position for the time being ) then you’re still a whore but one he can use.
I guess part of this comes from his whole hunter/prey concept but it’s still a festering pile of dung whatever way you look at it.
Someone should make a big poster of Iasons opinions and stick copies up everywhere he goes.
I’m too damn lazy to read if anyone’s mentioned this before, but Iason is almost like Sooni. He requires instant satisfaction, does not understand many people, and thinks he can get away with pretty much anything. Yey, dramadrama. Oh, and here’s a song involving the OOKness.
Oook-oook-atchoo, ahmnahmnahm,
I’m so happy to sing this song!
A MUnkey am I, you can plainly see,
I love drama, it’s all for me. ~~~
@31 MistyCat:
LOL! Thanks for the link.
I’m also on the “Iason is a dick” bandwagon. What I’m wondering is if AE will wave her magic wand and have us all raving about how wonderful he is before this rodeo is over.
That last line has me interested. Iason is starting to respect Jamie. Which, granted, he should have from the beginning, but then he wouldn’t be Iason. He’s starting to tell the truth more, and learn what he can’t get away with. He’s still had 30 years to perfect his asshole-ness, so Jamie’s not going to get rid of it that semester, but it looks like Iason is trying to improve. Iason might not want Jamie for his lifetime, but certainly wants Jamie for almost all of Jamie’s lifetime it’s seeming.
“Look, just don’t be a dick to people and then turn to me like you’re expecting applause and a blowjob,” I said.
“I do not require applause.”
This had me turning into a Iason fan…
then the he showed his true colors. What the hell is wrong with him? If someone isn’t useful to you you can treat them like crap? If that were true, then following Iasons idea any straight guy can calling him a “useless fag” and he has no right to be upset, but we all know this is not and should not be the case.
I do have one remark about his thoughts on women, if it wasn’t of a woman you my dear dumbass elf wouldn’t be around…. then again that might be a mark against women too, well at least one of them.
I love the comments of “but maybe Jamie can change him!”
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
AHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA
*deep breath*
AHAHAHAHAHAHAH
AhAHAHAHAHAHAHA
….
no.
One possibility nobody has mentioned is that Iason is burning some of Jamie’s “I can’t believe you did that! oh my god! Stop and behave!” cards early for something more fun later. Sort of an “I was nice to the waitress, paid for dinner instead of skipping out on it, this that and the other… and here you are crumbling at the idea of being polymorphed into a stag and letting me take you as a polymorphed drake” or whatever he has planned.
i have to go with the idea that the misogyny comes from the elf side, i have to say.
the elven men all fuck around with each other, and the elven women, who have no mention that i’ve heard of of fucking around with each other to nearly that extent, bind their breasts and beg for the scraps of male elven attention that will be bestowed. yikes! and, furthermore, it would help explain steff. in our society, it is far less acceptable to “want” to be a girl (effeminate men) than to “want” to be a boy (ambitious or masculine women) all the way from childhood up (sissy vs tomboy), because male is seen as the more desirable condition, and therefore the naturally the state to want to be. female is seen as the undesirable, or “wow there must be something WRONG with you to want that” condition. how much more must steff be feeling it from elven culture with their open misogyny? and not only does she “want” to *be* female, but she wants to FUCK females, gross! why would you do that! remember how steff said that she was ‘that crazy tranny with a 5 o clock shadow’ equivalent to elves? that she would never pass? think of how those people fare in our society, then multiply it by elves’ disdain for women. yikes!
Iason is like a male model, only more so: able to get away with murder, and tedious because that’s always what he does. Also like a male model, he’s not too bright, because when it comes to the relative usefulness of “whores,” only one of those genders can bear children– less important to an elf, but still something that most people would factor in. Yes, yes, Iason approaches everything from a “How much does Iason get from it?” standpoint, but being as even elves have kids, it’s a gap. You know, the big, yawning one, right above his shoulders. What he really needs is someone who isn’t impressed with him at all; Marlot would do but for the fact she’s a girl. That would– or should, Iason’s not the swiftest on the uptake– at least confuse him a little, and maybe shake up his perception of the universe. I mean, wow, what do you know, the center isn’t his prick! What a stunning revelation!
I liked him for a while, but being a dick for the sake of being a dick has never impressed me much. Choosing not to be a dick, or being a better dick when someone has it coming, okay. But running around all but having a tantrum all the time? Pfft.
Wow- is Iason an ass or what?
Your description of the restaurant was well crafted and was very easy to picture. Another stunning chapter!! Can’t wait to read what happens next (and I hope Iason gets his head out of his ass soon)
“Mook” – a slang term referring to someone incompetant, or otherwise incapable, used for nearly 35 years now. Quite a funny thing to see people shouting joyously.
This story is much more relationship-focused than ToMU so far, it is like a soap opera. I hope that more becomes of it, and that it is not just a way to re-comment on things which happen in ToMU while pandering to this audience’s need for drama among the characters. The people in this story seem very interesting (Except Missy, who is just a waste of space so far.)
@ an elf girl 46:
Except that Jamie was also raised in elven culture, and this shocked him. He doesn’t act like this, he’s surprised that Iason acts like this, and I’m sure most elves don’t act like this. All Jamie’s ever said about male/male relationships in elven culture is that they’re more accepted and commonplace, not that they’re the norm.