The Birds and the Bees (Lilu)

[Sebz]

Kallandrith had been immensely amused when he learned of the topic of the weyrling lessons, even more soon when C'loy proposed that he fake sick in order to miss it. Don't be stupid boy. It is just procreation, nothing to become flustered about. You are a bronzerider, my rider, so stop being an idiot. I will not have you representing us in such a fashion Muttering a string of curses at his dragons, he had decided to swallow his pride and actually go through with the lesson. Kallandrith always had a way of getting under has skin, but it was usually for the best. The bronze dragon had a point... he would have to grow up eventually.

Now the question was which of his classmates should he go talk to. The weyrling master had instructed that they pair up with each other, and have a discussion on the unpleasant subject. C'loy obviously wanted to partner with a girl, despite his flamboyant outer personality he sure as hell didn't want to learn about sex along with another guy (Kallandrith wouldn't have approved either he was sure), so really his options were rather limited. Kallandrith had given the suggestion that he should choose someone who had a substantial amount of experience in the field, and C'loy, realizing that the arrogant dragon was actually right, decided that there really was only one or two choices available to him. After some short consideration he picked... Lilu.

After Kallandrith assured him that if C'loy needed him, he just had to call for him, C'loy marched towards the girls barracks, his lips pressed thin in a scowl. Somber faced he knocked on Lilu's door. “Hey, Lilu, you in there? Can I talk to you about sex,” he asked, blunt as ever. Hopefully she wouldn't mind his naitivity, and actually teach him something. The faster they got through this, the less painful it would be, right?

[Aftershock]

Lilu was sitting at her desk, running a whetstone down the edge of her short sword. Her dagger, already cleaned, sharpened, and oiled, sat in it's scabbard on the top of the desk. Suddenly, Venideth, lounging on his couch, sent to His, "Lilumine, Kallandrith's approaches. The strange blonde boy that Kallandrith apparently thinks will prove him a true leader by shaping the boy into an actual bronzerider, rather than choosing someone who would already be a good bronzerider," the blue concluded, snorting in derision.

Thanks to the warning, Lilu had already put her blade up and cleaned the oil from her hands with a cloth when she heard the knock on her door, and she quickly got up to answer. She paused a bit mentally as she heard the boy speak through the door, though only because she thought, with his skirts and odd behavior, that the boy would rather speak about such things with another male. Perhaps he simply heard of Lilu's previous experiences regarding such matters, and figured it would be better to get information from her than some sexually inexperienced, nervous wreck of a weyrling like some of her classmates were.

Her train of thought had concluded by the time she reached the door, and she opened it, revealing to C'loy that, not expecting company, she was wearing nothing but a thin breastband and a pair of tight shorts. Putting the hand that wasn't on the door handle on her hip, Lilu raised an eyebrow slightly and said, "Greetings, C'loy. Certainly not the first person I expected to be visiting my room, and definitely not for a discussion about sex." Shrugging her shoulders, sending small vibrations through her barely-covered chest, she concluded, "I have no problems with it, however. Come on in," she added, taking her hand off her hip and gesturing into the room, "unless you'd prefer to have this conversation in the hallway, of course."

[Sebz]

Lilu's state of undress had no effect on the boy, and he blinked at her. It seemed that his outfit was polar opposite of hers- C'loy had forgone his comfortable skirts in favor of something more...conservative. His tunic was tucked loosely into his trousers, which in turn was tucked into his where hide boots. He wanted to keep as much of his skin covered for this lesson, thank you very much. Of course, all of this was not to say the weyrling dissaproved of Lilu's attire.

For years he had lived in the wild, and had grown used to going out and about without a single garment on him. If he had it his way, he would never wear the troublesome stuff, but apparently one had to be decent in order to get far in life, so don the clothes he would. "And why would that be," he said almost defiantly, still a bit riled up from Kallandrith's prodding. He could talk about sex just as well as any other guy, and he was determined to prove it.

C'loy seemed to defrost slightly as she invited him in. "Your room will be fine then, thanks." He strided in, his movements not as fluid as normal. No matter how determined he was to come off like he had an inkling about sex, he couldn't help feeling uncomfortable talking about it with Lilu. From what he had heard, she was one of the more... promiscuous wasn't quite the word, but in any case, she definitely had a fair amount of experience. He nodded to the blue, who was lounging on his couch, before looking around for a place to sit. Not feeling motivated to move far from his position, he decidedly plopped down on the ground and folded his legs. Looking up at Lilu, he motioned expectantly with his hands. "So let's have it. What exactly does sex involve," he asked, stumbling slightly over the three letter word in discomfort.

[Aftershock]

Lilu raised one eyebrow at the bite in C'loy's response... she didn't think the boy capable of any venom. Overhearing her thoughts, Venideth said to Lilu, "That is likely from Kallandrith, Lilumine. I don't think the boy would have that in him by himself." Recovering quickly, Lilu responded, "It is simply unusual for boys to admit ignorance of such matters in even the presence of a woman, not to mention directly to one. For a bronzer, especially," she concluded, though she added, "I will admit, however, that this would not be the first unusual thing for you to do as a bronzerider."

She moved smartly aside as C'loy entered the room, and closed the door behind her. Venideth returned the boy's nod with one of his own, and sent to Lilu, "The boy is even wearing proper male clothing today, Lilumine. It seems my bronzebrother is having more of an effect on his bonded than I believed him capable. He might yet make him into a bronzerider worth following." Lilu related her dragon's words to C'loy as she sat back at her desk, taking her whetstone and short sword back up and resuming her maintenance on the blade. Looking over at the boy as he sat on the floor of her weyr, she listened to his question carefully, and responded, without a hint of irony, humor, or anything beyond complete seriousness, "Would you like me to describe it, or demonstrate it? Our dragons are old enough to handle it now, if you'd wish to find out first-hand."

[Sebz]

C'loy didn't bristle at her comment this time, she was right after all. "There's no point claiming knowledge on a subject if I have none." However, Lilu's comment about him being a bronzzer did sting a bit. It was so close to what Kallandrith reminded him so often that he wondered if perhaps they both were right. C'loy was so unlike the stereotypical bronzerider, that perhaps Kallandrith had made a mistake on impressing to him. Feeling C'loys disgruntled thoughts, Kallandrith immediately interceded. I did not make a mistake boy. You have years to grow up, but one day, you will. Thanks Kall, C'loy thought back, truly thankful for the bronze dragon's support, something Kallandrith did not usually give.

The blonde trained his gaze on the blade in Lilu's hand as a red tinge crept across his neck. "No demonstration is needed," he said immediately. Her offer, ironic as it was, put C'loy in a very uncomfortable situation. His indifference to a woman's nakedness was not extended to when the poor boy was actually forced to consider the implications of sex. He was a man after all. Perhaps this was a bad idea after, a really really bad idea, he realized, shifting uncomfortably, and averting his eyes slightly. "Can you just explain it..." quickly.

[Aftershock]

Lilu nodded in respecting agreement when C'loy commented on not claiming knowledge he didn't have, responding, "A good way to live, I've found. Denying ignorance only makes you look more ignorant when your lack of knowledge is proven beyond a shadow of a doubt. Better to admit your ignorance and strive to fill in the gaps in your knowledge."

Continuing to sharpen and care for her blade, she didn't even notice C'loy's red-faced embarrassment at her offer of demonstrating, and simply shrugged when he asked her to explain it. "You see," she began, and then proceeded to explain very directly how sexual relations between two people proceeded, ignoring the modifications that occurred when it was two women instead of a man and a woman, since C'loy would never be in such a situation. Her explanation was without mention of anything but the physical act itself... emotions and feelings were not mentioned once.

"...and the female generally betweens after the act is complete, just to make sure she does not get pregnant, though some who desire children, or do not have access to dragons, don't bother with that last step," she concluded. "Was that all you needed?" Lilu then asked, catching C'loy with a questioning look from her grey eyes.

[Sebz]

C'loy was unable to sit still throughout the entirety of Lilu's explanation, and found himself figgiting. First he fixed his hair, parting it to the right, and then the left. C'loy then moved on to his shirt, tugging at the color restlessly. Anything at all that would distract him from this would be indulged, which is probable why C'loy found himself aimlessly practicing his letters with his finger on the ground.

However, try as he might, he was unable to block out the information that was being presented to him, and eventually when his face could not possibly turn redder, Lilu stopped. the bronzerider found himself unsatisfied by her explanation. And if he had to sit through the whole damned thing anyway, he might as well ask his questions. "But but but, what about, I dunno, love. Aren't you supposed to have sex when you love somebody?" The act itself as was described by Lilu repulsed the boy. There had to be something redeeming about the whole unfortunate act.

[Aftershock]

Lilu, concentrating on her short sword maintenance, didn't really take notice of C'loy's fidgeting, though as she finished and looked at him to see if he had questions, it was hard not to notice his intense blush. Hardly surprising, though, she thought to herself, the boy is obviously sheltered when it came to such things as sex.

As C'loy stammered through his question, though, Lilu simply raised a single well-formed eyebrow slightly. "Love? I wouldn't be the one to ask about love," she started, "though I know what it is. I love being a dragonrider, for instance, and love Venideth, as he is my bonded. However, love is not in the slightest essential for sex, no." Placing the short sword on her table, she wiped the oil from her hands and turned towards C'loy, placing her elbows on her knees and steepling her fingers as she began, "However, no matter who you speak to, take note of this fact... we are dragonriders. Our job is to battle Thread and, if it's required of us, enemy dragonriders. What we fight is not our choice, but depends on the orders given to us... orders sometimes made by those like yourself," she added, reminding the boy of his bronzerider status.

"Either way," she continued, "we were made to fight. Sometimes those fights result in injuries or death. If you wish to involve love, just be wary... I was a dragonrider before, remember, and I've seen the pain and heartbreak caused when a dragonrider chose to love, and then ended up not returning from a Threadfall or a combat action."

Standing up, she closed the short distance between herself and C'loy, and crouched so she was eye level with him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "No matter how good you are, fighting can be messy business, and you never know what might happen. Remember that before you decide to treat sex as anything more than what happens during Flightlust, or what you offer a fellow dragonrider to help calm their nerves before a battle, or Threadfall."