Room 222 | Sunday Morning

[pursuedthestars]

Jim hadn't wasted any time in getting back to his room. Hey, he would almost welcome Jackson's presence after all that time without privacy. He didn't mind the bouncy castles but man, the novelty wore off quick and he didn't like rolling over in the middle of the night and ending up splayed against the side of a castle with plastic up his nose.

He'd brought Natalie the snake back first, setting her up on his bed so she could slither around and do her snake thing before going back and getting the rest of his stuff. He'd dropped all that on the floor beside his bed and stretched before flopping down beside Natalie.

Who was still a snake.

"You ever gonna change back?" he asked idly, not expecting a response. He got none. Jim sighed and tucked an arm under his head. Snakes were not great conversation partners.

[Door is open, post is open]

Comments

[pursuedthestars]

"But, that's not because I'm selective in telling people and not telling people," Jim told her easily. "I tell exactly no one. It's not a matter of being selective about who knows. No one knows. So, everyone is on the same level. Not so for you."

[whenshewasnice]

"Irrelevant since it's not even information you want," Natalie retorted. His pants ended up on the floor, and she took the moment to also pull the blanket off from around her hips, finally. "At least not before it started looking like a status symbol."

[pursuedthestars]

"How do you know it's not information I want?" Jim had to wonder. "I'd like to know your middle name."

[whenshewasnice]

"Well, you told me you didn't need to know it," she shrugged, before crawling back up his now slightly more naked body. "Which seemed like dismissal. Apologies for assuming."

[pursuedthestars]

"No, I don't need to know it but I'd like to know it," Jim told her, shrugging. "You immediately said I wouldn't get to know it because I won't tell you mine."

[whenshewasnice]

"Yes, and that still holds," Natalie replied, dropping a few idle kisses against his chest, hands planted against the bed on either side of him. "It's hard to get information out of you, and when I have something of equal worth, I won't give it up if you won't."

[pursuedthestars]

"Guess I'm not always easy then," he replied with a quiet exhale. "It's just a middle name anyway. But, I'm not telling you or anyone. It's just a choice I've made."

[whenshewasnice]

"It's a weird choice that makes you look like you have a weirder or more embarrassing or more interesting a middle name than is probable," she told him without any real judgment. "But suit yourself."

[pursuedthestars]

"Yes, but it's my choice and one I'm holding onto." He made no exceptions. "Apologies."

[whenshewasnice]

"Unnecessary." She pressed a few more kisses up along his chest. "I don't care."

She was curious, yes. But not that curious.

[pursuedthestars]

"Fine," he said because it was. He fell quiet without any other words to say since she was doing enough to distract him from wanting to talk for awhile.

[whenshewasnice]

Since she moved to lick over one nipple, it was safe to say he was going to continue being a bit distracted.

Except...

"But what's wrong with James?"

[pursuedthestars]

"Nothing," he mumbled, arching up a bit. "I just prefer Jim. James is my mother's father's name. I just have a preference for the shortened version."

[whenshewasnice]

"Okay." See, that was acceptable. He deserved a little bit of gentle teeth for that one. "Okay, Jim."

[pursuedthestars]

"You've got a thing for names," he stated, still mumbling and shifting a bit.

[whenshewasnice]

Well spotted, Jim. He should keep that in mind for when she changed hers.

"Names are important," she murmured, with another brief, gentle nip of her teeth. Then her tongue, to soothe.

[pursuedthestars]

"Why?" Well, she seemed to invest a lot in them and he was curious. "They're not our choice and sometimes they don't fit."

[whenshewasnice]

"When they don't fit, sometimes they choose new ones," she replied, glancing up. "Or someone else gives them one. That's where it gets especially interesting."

[pursuedthestars]

"Something you've thought about?" he asked, raising an eyebrow curiously.

[whenshewasnice]

Natalie shrugged. "I've seen people take on different names, or go almost exclusively by some kind of nickname."

Locke, Jace, Sam.

[pursuedthestars]

"Do you think a nickname is really a change in identity that a whole new name brings?" Well, he was thinking about it now.

[whenshewasnice]

"Not as drastic, no," she said, crawling just a little bit further up, kissing the top of his chest before just looking down at him. "But it can still be a meaningful choice."

[pursuedthestars]

"Mmm." He didn't put as much thought into it as she did so it was interesting to hear her take on it. "What do people who take on just nicknames say to you?"

[whenshewasnice]

"Depends on the person," she replied with a shrug. "Some of them don't like their names. Or their names are too unusual and they want to blend in. Or someone specific calls them by their given name and there are bad associations."

[pursuedthestars]

"Interesting." He slipped an arm under his head to prop himself up a little further. "What am I?"