The Science of Sexuality, Monday

[justhisblogger.livejournal.com]

There was a chart taped up on the board when the class arrived. Next to it, there was an X with ‘Asexuality’ written beneath it. Since Kinsey, in Sherlock’s opinion, ignored the lack of sexual inclination.

"Good morning,” chirped John Watson, looking fairly smiley (if simply in the face of overwhelming odds) and clapped his hands. “And welcome to the Science of Sexuality. I’m Doctor John Watson, this is Sherlock Holmes. We’ll be discussing any number of things over the course of our time together, things you might want to know at your age. But I believe this is the week of introductions, and so we’ll be asking you to introduce yourselves. But first, a little theory.”

Sherlock was less smiley than him, but that was about par for the course if you knew the man. “Sexuality is not as black and white as being heterosexual, homosexual or bisexual,” he said, gesturing toward the chart. “A pure zero or six is more uncommon than one might think. If you’re truly honest with yourself, you will find yourself somewhere between number one and number five on this chart. Take John, for example. He would, undoubtedly end up somewhere within that group.”

Way to be kind to your flatmate, Sherlock.

“...Yes, thank you, Sherlock.” Who was now the recipient of a glare. “At best, I would be a one. Can we please move on?”

That earned him a quick smile before Sherlock continued. He did so enjoy being correct. “As I have written on the board, Kinsey ignored the last potential label for ones’ sexuality. If you look at the handouts on your desk of Rabger’s model, you’ll see the characteristics of attraction and desire. Numbers zero through six include a mixture of both primary and secondary attraction and desire. Asexuality is the absence of primary with the possibility of secondary. It is referred to as being demisexual when the secondary characteristics are present.”

Which was possibly what the teacher was. If pressed and forced to be completely honest. Which would never happen.

Rabger’s Model
Primary Sexual Attraction
-an instant attraction to people based on instantly available information such as their looks or smell which may or may not lead to arousal or sexual desire
Secondary Sexual Attraction
-an attraction that develops over time based on a person's relationship and emotional connection with another person
Primary Sexual Desire
-the desire to engage in sexual activity for the purposes of personal pleasure whether physical, emotional, or both
Secondary Sexual Desire
-the desire to engage in sexual activity solely for the sake of the happiness of the other person involved, or for another ulterior motive such as the conception of children

Was there anyone here in the room willing to press him? John certainly wasn’t. “Right, so that’s two scales of sexual attraction,” he said. He was still recovering from the earlier speculation on his sexuality, but he was doing so nicely, if you asked him. “Now, we’d like you to introduce yourselves today with your name and form, and of course, where you believe you rank on these scales. Oh, and if you’ve had sexual education before.”

He smiled encouragingly at the class. It was possible he was trying to cancel out his roommate.

Comments

Introduce Yourselves

[justhisblogger.livejournal.com]

Like it's introduction week. Name, class, place on either of these scales, and past sex... ed experience.

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[glacial_queen]

"I'm Karla, a sophomore," Karla said when it was her turn. "I like males and females both, with a tendency to be more interested in females on a physical basis, but forming more lasting romantic relationship with males. Though I'm pretty sure that's heavily influenced by the culture I come from," she added after a moment's thought.

"I've taken several classes here on the island, but I belong to both the Healer and Black Widow castes. The training for both requires extensive sexual education."

Beat.

"Oh, and I work for the goddess of love in the sex shop in town. That's a whole different kind of education."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[justhisblogger.livejournal.com]

"Well, you've certainly taken time to think about this one," John said. He was trying to be encouraging. Encouraging! In the face of sex shops. "...Er, is that legal?"

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

"Bruce Wayne, Junior. I'd say I'm probably a one on the Kinsey scale," Bruce said. He would be a strong zero, if not for some passing thoughts in the past. He figured that counted as 'incidental'. "The only sexual education I've had are the basic knowledge and safety conversations with my guardian -" which Alfred really nailed, so to speak, even if it was clear that he was just slightly uncomfortable with it "- and some research of my own into safety and such. Nothing formal, though."

But there was practical experience. Oh yeah.

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[justhisblogger.livejournal.com]

"Then you're about on the right level for this course, Bruce," John said, though his brain was still breaking over sex shop! in giant neon lights. "We'll be trying to expand on basic safety and theoretical know-how during this course. Let us know if you have any questions."

That sounded properly teacherly. The last time John had professionally taught anyone anything, it was in the middle of an Afghanistan desert with a 50% chance of bullets in the afternoon.

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[tripledmyself.livejournal.com]

"Nathan. Here, I guess I'd be a junior but let me assure everyone, there is nothing junior about me."

No one probably cared but, to Nathan, everyone should care.

"And I'm a straight up zero, man," he continued with all the confidence of someone who had no idea what he was really talking about. To him, he was a zero. "I just fit that much better with a girl, yeah. We match."

He clasped his hands together and gave them a shake, illustrating that point.

"As for my past experience, well, dirty magazines are a booming industry for a reason."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[3patchproblem.livejournal.com]

Unfortunately for Nathan, it wasn't John who responded to his introduction. John would have at least tried to be polite.

"Thank you for that, Nathan," Sherlock replied dryly. "I'm sure your vast experience in the masturbatory arts will be a great boon to the class."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[chief-cheerio.livejournal.com]

"Quinn Fabray," Quinn said, when her turn to speak came. "I like boys. Only boys." She'd had a few thoughts about her fellow Cheerios, but she figured that was down to short skirts and their proclivity for making out with each other and talking about it.

She continued, "I took the standard sex ed unit in health class freshman year. Also I believe in abstinence until marriage for religious reasons, so a lot of things we discuss might not apply to me."

True facts: Believing in Jesus really hard was an awesome contraceptive. Oh, wait.

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[3patchproblem.livejournal.com]

Sherlock hummed like she was fooling anyone with the 'only boys' part. It was, in his opinion, as transparent as Nathan's insistence on not being 'junior'.

"You neglected to pick a number, Miss Fabray."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[shes-got-legs.livejournal.com]

"Hello." When it got around to her turn, Ariel gave a faint smile, not without a little bit of a blush across her cheeks, but she was determined to be very adult about this sort of thing. "My name is Ariel, and I'm a sophomore. I suppose, by the looks of it, I'd be around a one on the scale, maybe a two, but I haven't really given it that much thought, which is probably why it's a one, because if it was a two, I'd have thought about it more, right? And I've had sex," don't flit your eyes to anyone else in the room, Ariel, don't flit your eyes, don't---darn it, "education in the summer. With Mr. Winchester, I think."

Yes, that was it. She was never going to be able to forget about that car, even if she wanted to.

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[3patchproblem.livejournal.com]

"I believe this class will take a different approach to sex." He gave it a pause before adding, "Education."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

Bruce was just writing in his notebook during that pause. Write, write, write.

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[elephantgadget.livejournal.com]

My name is Helen and I am a senior. As best I can tell, I am a zero on the scale. I've never felt any attraction towards members of my own sex." She shrugged. "I suppose I cannot rule out the possibility that I might at some point, but this far I have not. I did take a sexual education summer course previously."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[3patchproblem.livejournal.com]

"So nice to see you restrained yourself from the juvenile reaction to questions of sexual preference that permeates your age group," Sherlock drawled, casting a glance over at Nathan. "I believe you'll find this class slightly different from what has previously been taught."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[icecoldfrost]

"Emma Frost, senior," she said smoothly. "I'm a one -" usually. Mostly. That she'd admit to herself, let alone in-front of people she didn't know. "-and I have taken some of the school's previous offerings for sexual education, including being the TA for Mr. Bond's course."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[justhisblogger.livejournal.com]

"Good to have you with us, miss Frost," said John, who had been trying very hard not to facepalm through the past few introductions. Thank you for that, Sherlock. Really. Thank you. "And adding your relative expertise to the pool, so to speak."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[wwiii]

"I'm Warren Worthington," he could have added the third, but that just seemed like showing off, "and a junior. And... honestly, I think I'm probably about a one on the Kinsey Scale."

He fidgeted a little. He hadn't bothered to hide his wings today, but they were going to cramp if he folded them any more tightly across his back.

"And I haven't really had a sex ed course that counts. I mean, unless Mr. Winchester's Hooking Up class counts."

Which Warren kind of doubted.

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[faithandscience.livejournal.com]

"William Murdoch, freshman, and I am a zero," William said, in a tone that probably gave away the fact that he didn't really approve of any of those other numbers on the scale. "I've taken a unit on human biology at my former school." Look, he was Victorian and Catholic, honestly he was lucky that the Jesuits had beeen thorough enough to touch on the reproductive system during that biology class.

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[onlymistaken]

Cally hadn't been here for a full term and not gone near a television, so the fact that some cultures had...issues... on this subject wasn't a surprise. It still threw her a bit, though, hearing the discomfort in some of the voices that had already spoken.

"My name is Cally; I suppose I fall in the middle of the first scale, and vaguely toward the secondary, on the other. My people reproduce largely in vitro now; gender needn't be a consideration when seeking a partner, beyond personal taste."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[eyebrowgoesup]

"My name is Spock, and I am a junior," Spock said. "I took a previous sexual education class offered at this school, and received comprehensive education in such matters as part of the curriculum on my homeworld." There, that was the easy part. "As I am only half-Human, I do not believe I fit entirely within Human sexual rubrics." He hadn't even hit Vulcan puberty Pon Farr yet, come on. "And I do not believe it entirely logical to quantify myself, as these matters are subject to change over time. Thus far, however, I would consider myself a zero on the Kinsey scale." Not that he was that interested in sex with anyone yet. Where was Uhura when you needed her?

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[notmyownage]

"Claudia Donovan. Junior. I, uh." Claudia glanced around. Scully was really the only person she'd actually told that she liked both girls and guys. She didn't really know half these people. "I kinda always figured I just liked people, you know? And, uh. We did sex ed in some of our health classes back home, but that was all, like abstain or die! and, like, pregnancy and stuff."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[theotherpeter.livejournal.com]

"Peter Bishop, Senior, by all current accounts I am a zero on Mr. Kinsey's scale, but as I think he'd argue, it's not like you're at a set number your whole life," Peter said. "Taken plenty of normal sex ed classes back in Boston. I'm mainly here to see what the instructors are like."

He was honest, you'd have to give him that.

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[angelo_wings]

"Hi," Rinoa said, determined not to seem embarrassed. She was, maybe a little, but that was silly. This was a totally natural class about totally natural subjects.

Okay, she was blushing a little.

"My name is Rinoa Heartilly. I'm a junior. I think I'm a one on that scale? Maybe one-and-a-half, if that. I've kissed girls before, on dares, and it was nice, but I don't think I'd kiss them otherwise."

Not that she hadn't enjoyed it. Just that she might not seek it out.

"I had a sex ed class at my last school," she added. "Just the basics."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[awesomebigsis.livejournal.com]

"Ellie Bartowski, senior, and I think I'm about a two on the Kinsey." Mostly, she liked boys, but here were those few instances with her best friend who was no longer on the island that had given her reason to think about it. Those weren't just dares, after all. "I had the usual sex ed classes at my old school, and there had been one over the summer."

Re: Introduce Yourselves

[dontvotemeout]

"I'm Jason Todd, and I'm a sophomore," he said. "I guess I'd be a two on the scale, because I prefer girls, but there's certain kinds of guys that, um, work for me too." Guys who wore a lot of black and liked to be tied up, apparently. "And this is my first time in a sex ed class. Unless looking at pictures on the internet counts."