"Alright, then."

Shrug. Nibble on crepe. "I never got Isabella to hit me. Roger did a couple times."

"I don't think Isabella would've. And did Roger give up, then?"

"Give up?" asks Jackson around a mouthful of crepe. "And she carries that cane around all the time, doesn't she even know how to use it?"

"Give up on hitting you. And I think she'd prefer using it on someone she's domming at the time," she says neutrally.

"I don't know if he'll do it again or not," says Jackson.

"Jackson... You really shouldn't keep doing that."

"How'd I guess you were going to say that," mutters Jackson.

"Maybe saying that it upsets everyone else doesn't move you, but it doesn't make you any happier either, I don't think. It doesn't look like it does, anyway."

"You don't have anything to compare it to," Jackson points out.

"I have you-at-lunch versus you-not-at-lunch? But you're right that if this produces some sustained wellbeing effect I wouldn't notice it, no. Does it?"

"Kinda."

"Mmhm?"

"...okay, can you elaborate on that just so I'm not jumping to conclusions, here?"

Shrug. "You're probably guessing right."

"Couldn't you, like, read or watch porn, or something?"

"...what makes you think I don't?"

"Well, the fact that you also use stuff other than porn to fuel the dreams."

"It doesn't work as well. Like, now I know what being kicked in the chest feels like, I can't read that."

"Is it a variety thing, then? Will you no longer want to be kicked in the chest now that you know what it's like?"

"I don't have an eidetic memory. It'll kinda wear off."

"There's a reason to get one, then. Can't you get just perfect voluntary recall or something, instead of regular eidetic memory?"

"I dunno. Maybe."

"You could maybe look into that, then," she suggests. "Has this actually made you happier, long term?"