That makes sense, [ Matt admits with a frown. So the undercurrent of suspicion is more than what the heck are you talking about. At least he can be confident that his sincerity will come through when he adds, ] I wasn't really thinking about that. I mean--I don't think it's ethical to press another creature into service.

[ A faint smile. ]

I mentioned I like these kinds of things, collars and chokers. The occasional leash. But it's just for play, you know--to mess around with power dynamics. In real life, I like my freedom. I actually ...

[ The hesitation comes with a brief stutter in his footwork, though Matt manages to recover without much trouble. ]

My family wanted me to take over their business back home, [ he explains. ] And I wanted to go back to school, so I could learn skills and make connections that'd let me help people. They ended up, uh, kind of disowning me. Lowkey "out of the will," not welcome back home, that kind of thing. But I wouldn't take it back.

Does that make sense?