Sorry for the month-long hiatus. Turns out grad school actually requires some effort. I'm out of class until mid-January though, so hopefully we can get back to your regularly scheduled programming... at least for a while. It saddens me greatly that I've not made as much progress in this book as I thought I had (according to my Nook, I'm 51.1% of the way through), but we must trudge on.
When we last saw Ana, she had just finished reading an email from Christian telling her that he would be with her shortly to discuss the soft limits of his "contract". He appears, clad in jeans, a tshirt, and a leather jacket, and Ana loses herself for a moment.
"'Hi,' he says and his face lights up with his radiant smile. I take a moment to admire the pretty. Oh my, he's hot in leather." -- admire.... the pretty. really? also, literally everyone is hot in leather. it's a fact. unless you're David Schwimmer, I guess.
He's brought champagne, which would be a nice gesture if it wasn't Christian, and Ana tells him they have to drink it out of teacups because they've packed everything else.
"I head into the kitchen. Nervous, butterflies flooding my stomach, it's like having a panther or mountain lion all unpredictable and predatory in my living room." -- is it? are you sure?
Ana emerges from the kitchen with teacups (no saucers, you uncultured swine?) to find Christian looking at the note she left him on the Thomas Hardy novels she intends to give back.
"'I bought these for you,' he says quietly, his gaze impassive. 'I'll go easier on you if you accept them.'
I swallow convulsively." -- what does that look like, exactly?
They go back and forth for far too long about what Ana is going to do with these books. Christian won't take them back, Ana doesn't want them, Christian wants her to want them because he wants her to want to please him and her wanting them would somehow do that, Ana suggests donating them to a charity in Darfur because THAT'S what they need, and finally, Christian - tired of wanting Anna to want to please him and Anna not wanting to not please him but also not wanting the books - tells her to stop thinking about it.
"'Don't think, Anastasia. Not about this.' His tone is quiet and serious.
How can I not think? You can pretend to be a car, like his other possessions. My subconscious makes an unwelcome vitriolic return. I ignore her." -- I see what you're going for here, but you've either just suggested that all of Christian's possessions are cars, or that all of his possessions pretend to be cars. I'm not an expert but I don't think either of these statements is correct.
After some coaxing (and being called a 'ho' by her own subconscious), we get to the root of the problem: accepting lavish gifts from Christian in exchange for sex makes her feel cheap. Personally, I think it's obvious that she's insanely expensive, but I'll let her have this one. Christian pours each of them a glass of champagne and they go to the couch to discuss the soft limits - but not before Ana downs her glass and he gives her more champagne.
"Christian rises gracefully and collects the bottle. He fills my cup. Is he getting me tipsy? I eye him suspiciously." -- we're all eyeing him suspiciously, Ana.
They talk about a lot of things that aren't the soft limits, and Ana gets more and more impatient. After some irrational anger at her not telling him she has interviews for publishing houses in Seattle, Christian decides that they can finally move on to the reason he's here. But first, more champagne.
"'Drink up, let's talk about these limits.'..... I drain my cup.
He glances quickly at me.
'More?'
'Please.'
He smiles that oh-so-smug private smile of his, holds the champagne bottle up, and pauses.
'Have you eaten anything?'
Oh no . . . not this old chestnut. (do people really talk like this?)
'Yes. I had a three-course meal with Ray.' I roll my eyes at him. The champagne is making me bold.
...........
He fills my cup and I drink practically all of it."
So. The soft limits they're discussing include:
- Masturbation
- Cunnilingus
- Fellatio
- Swallowing Semen (why did ELJ capitalise this?)
- Vaginal intercourse
- Vaginal fisting
- Anal intercourse
- Anal fisting (except fisting of any kind is off the table.)
Christian asks if there's anything else on the list Ana objects to, and it turns out there is.
"'Anal intercourse doesn't exactly float my boat.'
'I'll agree to the fisting, but I'd really like to claim your ass, Anastasia. But we'll wait for that.'"
Christian divulges that he has had anal intercourse, and that it was with Mrs. Robinson. Ana is extremely confused by this ("Holy shit . . . how?"), having never heard of strap-ons, dildos, or sex toys in general.
"He moves on down the list.
'And . . . swallowing semen. Well you get an A in that.'
I flush, and my inner goddess smacks her lips together, glowing with pride." -- may I refer you to the above gif.
He refills her glass of champagne again, and moves on to sex toys. The list is as follows:
- Vibrators
- Butt plugs
- Dildos
- Other vaginal/anal toys (for a 'contract' this is harmfully vague language.)
Ana, ever eager to show how much research she hasn't done, has a question.
"'Butt plug? Does it do what it says on the box?' I scrunch up my nose in distaste." -- honestly how thick are you.
She gets offended that Christian thinks it's funny she felt the need to ask such specific questions, and then they move on to bondage. It consists of 2 lists:
"Does the Submissive consent to:
- Bondage with rope
- Bondage with leather cuffs
- Bondage with handcuffs/shackles/manacles
- Bondage with tape
- Bondage with other
Does the Submissive consent to be restrained with:
- Hands bound in front
- Ankles bound
- Elbows bound
- Hands bound behind back
- Knees bound
- Wrists bound to ankles
- Binding with spreadbar
- Binding to fixed items, furniture, etc.
- Suspension"
Somehow, Ana gets distracted from the list at hand and moves on to her own concerns.
"'Okay . . . Well, gagging me. I'd be worried I wouldn't be able to breathe.'" -- not on the list, but fine. also, do you regularly breathe only through your mouth?
Christian explains that she'll definitely be able to breathe, but that doesn't quite put an end to Ana's fears. What if she needs to safe word and can't speak? Sure, she could just punch him, but Christian explains they'll use hand signals. Still though, Ana is dubious.
"I blink up at him. But if I'm trussed up, how's that going to work? My brain is beginning to fog . . . hmm, alcohol." -- this is bad.
Ana makes the observation that Christian ties his submissives because he doesn't want them touching him. The topic makes him uncomfortable, so he moves on the only way he knows how.
"'You don't like talking about that,' I murmur.
'No, I don't. Would you like another drink? It's making you brave, and I need to know how you feel about pain.'" -- obviously he refills her glass, but really.... decisions about pain should be made when the person is sober. things hurt a lot less when you're drunk.
He breaks out the punishment list. Ana's subconscious "runs, screaming, and hides behind the couch." Because this is a healthy, trusting relationship.
- Spanking
- Whipping
- Biting
- Genital clamps
- Hot wax
- Paddling
- Caning
- Nipple clamps
- Ice
- Other types/methods of pain
Prior to this meeting, Ana had taken genital clamps off the table, though Christian informs her that it's caning that hurts the most. But don't worry - we'll work up to that. He tells her there's one more thing he wants to talk about and then he's taking her to bed.
"'Bed?' I blink rapidly, and my blood pounds through my body, warming places I didn't know existed until very recently." -- public education has failed no one as hard as it has failed Anastasia Steele.
Christian takes Ana into her room and begins to undress her, in the creepiest way possible.
"He places his index finger at the nape of my neck and achingly slowly drags it down my spine, his fingernail grazing my skin.
'I like this dress,' he murmurs. 'I like to see your flawless skin.'" -- yeah, baby. and maybe later, I'll wear it like a coat.
He pulls her closer to him and starts kissing her shoulders.
"He is so tantalizingly good at this. My body resonates, and I start to squirm languidly beneath his touch.
'You. Are. Going. To. Have. To. Learn. To. Keep. Still.'" -- No. One. Talks. Like. This.
"He tugs at the fastening at the halter neck, and the dress drops and pools at my feet.
'No bra, Miss Steele. I like that.'" -- COULD YOU NOT TELL THAT BEFORE WHEN YOU WERE STARING AT HER NAKED BACK?
He tells her to turn around to face him, and she does.
"I obey immediately, and my breasts rise and push into his hands, my nipples hardening further. My fingers weave into his hair, and very gently I tug his soft, sexy hair."
Amid all the languid squirming, Christian informs Ana that because she displeased him (I have no idea how), he may not let her come at all. I'd like to point out that orgasm denial was not mentioned in his non-legally-binding list of things he can do to her.
"His hands move down to my sex, and from behind, he slowly inserts his finger.
'Oh yes. My sweet girl is ready,' he breathes as he whirls me around so I'm facing him. His breathing has quickened. He puts his finger in his mouth. 'You taste so fine, Miss Steele.' He sighs.
Holy shit. His finger tastes salty . . . from me." -- actually, I believe the adjective he used there was 'fine', not 'salty.' But okay. Ana is omniscient now. We all should have seen that coming.
Christian tells her to undress him and that she's in charge, and she's stunned. She's never undressed a man before and the task is daunting. I mean, their jeans button on the opposite side! And what about his shirt? Are you just supposed to cut it off? I thought most men just rip their shirts to shreds to remove them. She pushes him on to the bed, because everyone knows it's easier to take clothes off when the person is laying on them, and straddles him. Because it's also easier when you're sitting on the clothing. She fumbles with the buttons on his jeans, and he tells her to get the condom out of his pocket.
"I search in his pocket slowly, watching his face as I feel around. (how big are these pockets??) His mouth is open. I fish out both foil packets that I find and lay them on the bed by his hips. Two!"
She goes to remove his jeans and realises she has a problem.
"I tug down the zipper, and now I'm faced with the problem of removing his pants . . . hmm. I shuffle down and pull. They hardly move. I frown. How can this be so difficult?
'I can't keep still if you're going to bite that lip,' he warns, then arches his pelvis up off the bed so I'm able to tug down his trousers and his boxers at the same time, whoa . . . freeing him. He kicks his clothes to the floor.
Holy Moses, he's all mine to play with, and suddenly it's Christmas." -- Happy Holidays, everyone!
Christmas only lasts for a little while, however, as soon, Christian needs to walk her through how to put on a condom. Seriously, they have sex ed in Washington. What the hell? He's decide that she's going to fuck him (I thought she was in charge?), but she's never been on top before, so this is another thing he walks her through.
"'Here, put this on.' He hands me the foil packet.
Holy crap. How? I rip the packet open, and the rubbery condom is all tacky in my fingers.
'Pinch the top and then roll it down. You don't want any air in the end of that sucker.'" -- sexy.
"I am fucking him. I am in charge. He's mine, and I'm his. The thought pushes me, weighted with concrete, over the edge, and I climax around him . . . shouting incoherently. He grabs my hips, and closing his eyes, tipping his head back, his jaw strained, he comes quietly. I collapse on to his chest, overwhelmed, somewhere between fantasy and reality, a place where there are no hard or soft limits."
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