Panel 1
(Two feminine people sit across from each other at a table with empty plates and half-empty cups between them. They are enraptured by each other, Date B in a calm, sleepy way, while Date A is more flustered and shy.)
Date B: I really like the work you do! It’s great seeing someone so devoted to sex positivity. You’re really cute, too!
Date A: I have a really big secret though…
Panel 2
(Date A whispers conspiratorially in Date B’s ear. Date B is more confused than surprised.)
Date A: I’m… really vanilla in bed.
Date B: What?
Panel 3
(Date A throws their arms in the air, the words spilling out of their mouth while Date B looks on, still puzzled.)
Date A: I know, right? I just can’t figure it out! I’m so open-minded about what other people do, but I just don’t feel like doing anything wild!
Date B: No, I mean, what do you mean “it’s a secret?”
Panel 4
(Date A fidgets shyly. Date B is consoling.)
Date A: I dunno… I just feel weird about it.
Date B: Alright, well, look at it this way…
Panel 5
(Date B explains, with three people behind her. The first person licks from a single vanilla scoop on a cone, the second looks hungrily at a sundae tower of various complicated flavors soaked in fudge, and a third person shrugs, empty-handed.)
Date B: Sex positivity is about empowering people to say yes to the kinds of sex they want and decline the kinds of sex they don’t want. They may like vanilla sex, sex with multitudes of kinks, or no sex at all – it’s their choice!
Panel 6
(Date A continues to fidget, unsure.)
Date A: But isn’t like, regular penetrative missionary steeped in oppressive ideas? I’m queer! I don’t want to hold myself back.
Panel 7
(Date B is understanding)
Date B: Well… yeah, in a lot of ways. But there are a lot of reasons why people do regular missionary other than being socialized to.
Panel 8
Date B: What do you like about vanilla sex?
(Date A is surprised by the question)
Panel 9
(Date A blushes intensely)
Date A: W-well… I just like being able to touch someone else during sex. Like, just focus on the feeling of their skin and everything underneath… I feel like doing anything extra sort of distracts from that.
Panel 10
(Date B leans closer, gently cupping her hand over Date A’s.)
Date B: Here…
Panel 11
(Date B looks at Date A warmly.)
Date B: Maybe you are still working through the toxic ideas you’ve been taught, but that’s not my business unless you’re asking for my help! You’re on your own journey. I can just decline if I don’t want to have vanilla sex.
Panel 12
(Date A looks shyly at B)
Date A: Do you like vanilla sex?
Panel 13
(Date B laughs while Date A looks on, overwhelmed by Date B’s cuteness)
Date B: It’s kind of like the popcorn and Netflix of sex to me! I like a bit of excitement, but sometimes you just want to relax you know?
Panel 14
(Date A grabs Date B’s hand with both of theirs, blurting out words.)
Date A: Do you want to do some of that?
Panel 15
(Date B is dying laughing. Date A is still flustered but also laughing.)
Date B: The actual popcorn and movies or the sex?
Date A: Both! All of it!
Panel 16
(Date B smiles broadly.)
Date B: A night with a straight forward cutie who’s sex positive and knows what they want and don’t want?
Panel 17
(Date B’s words can be heard from far outside the cafe.)
Date B: It’s a date!
