So what IS it, then? Is it BDSM in the comfort of one's living room? Or what?

It's a relationship where one person disciplines the other in a paternalistic sort of fashion. I.e., Jim would spank Blair when he did something wrong, and not in a sexy way.

I thought domestic discipline was that thing where you dress up in leather shorts and a mask with a zipper mouth and then clean the kitchen floor with a toothbrush. While being yelled at.

Or is that Private Benjamin?

In other news:

and jadeite orbs

You know, I'm glad that fandom can learn. Back in ye olde XF days, I had a nice long argument with someone who called Krycek's eyes "jade" -- I said (not entirely innocently), isn't that the scary milky color like possessed people in horror movies? And my respondent exclaimed huffily that not all jade was the scary milky color and that I needed some gemology lessons. In fact, jadeite is a much more specific and accurate term for the human shades of green eyes, and does not look like possessed people, and I am glad that fandom can learn.

(Because they usually can't.)

Hate to burst any bubbles, but I have to think that the shift of the cliche to jadeite was less a matter of geological accuracy than of "ooh, shiny extra syllable! that must mean it's even more sophisticated and bee-you-tee-full!"

Green nephrite is closer to human eyecolor than green jadeite, if one must disambiguate the jades. Also, nephrite, unlike jadeite, doesn't come in pink.

"His huge long-lashed jadeite eyes looked not unlike those of a startled albino bunny."

bWHAHAHA!

Hee! Yes, exactly!

Heh. I am glad my cynicism is in good company.

Green nephrite is closer to human eyecolor than green jadeite, if one must disambiguate the jades.

Nikita fandom would have loved you.

My eyes look more like peridot, color-wise.