fandomhigh | Sex, Dating and Self-Confidence [Tuesday, Period 2]

"Morning," Irene greeted the class, today standing at the front of the classroom. Around the room, amongst the desks, she'd set up some stations, and then promptly covered them with drop cloths, because she was a drama queen like that. "Today, we're going to talk about what you all came here for -- or, well, the bit you were all expecting, at least: sex."

"I'm not going to embarrass you by spending too much time on the basics, as I imagine that by this stage in your life, you all largely know the biology," Irene continued, crossing her hands behind her back. "But just in case you don't know, the basic, purely biological reason for sex is procreation." She plucked up a stack of handouts, passing them out as she continued to go over the more basic information about the reproductive system.

"Now, that's the basic, original function," Irene said, when she'd gone over the entirety of the handout. "But we're evolved creatures, humans. We can think beyond using our naughty bits for function, and might be driven to use them for pleasure -- I would wager that most people your age generally aren't aiming to produce offspring when canoodling with one's similarly-teenaged partner."

Irene hadn't really caught up on her cable TV, lately, no.

"We express our attraction through other means. You might buy the girl you like flowers, rather than trying to mount her in the hallway. You text the boy you like something flirty, rather than presenting yourself for mating at his doorway." Irene smiled serenely out at the group, shrugging slightly. "Yes, our bodies might produce inconvenient biological reactions when we're attracted to someone, certainly, but we're not ruled by our hormones. So while this," she flapped the handout, "is very, very handy information to have, it's also not the be-all and end-all of your education. So, first order of business in my book? Is safety."

She circled the room, pulling the drop cloths off her tables as she did so. "I have here three stations, with several methods of contraceptives -- which are a must if you're having heterosexual intercourse -- as well as some safe-sex paraphernalia that everyone should use, regardless. Take this class period to explore them, and at the end, if you have any questions or observations, we'll talk about them. We'll be talking more in-depth about sexually transmitted disease and how one might get them -- for now, just think of them generally, as something we must guard against, and which could conceivably lurk in every tempting orifice of a potential partner's body." Well, that was a gross way to put it, but rather to the point. "Again, this is a safe and respectful place, and I know you'll all be on your best behavior with one another, right?"

She raised an eyebrow, looking fairly stern, for her. At least, until the sudden deluge ice water over her head. That rather ruined the effect.

Irene let out a small shriek, perfectly still and rigid, then wiped water off with a few flicks, blinking at the class. "...right. We'll reconvene at the end of class. I'm going to find some...paper towel or something."

Ugh.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"So ... people actually ... do this," Eleanor said, gesturing a bit to the table full of awkwardness.

"Well, yeah, people do all kinds of things," Joker told her. "I mean, condoms are all nice and convenient, but people don't like rubber in the way, so there's all kinds of other things like these." He gestured at the diaphragm and sponge. "And those," he added, pointing at the dental dams, "are good for protecting against disease. It's all up to the people involved, I guess."

"It all seems like it would defeat the purpose," Eleanor said, shrugging. "But then I hardly speak with authority on the matter. Does it?"

"I... don't actually know," Joker told her. "I mean, it's not like I've ever gone far enough to need it." He frowned and gestured at the dental dams. "Well, except... You know, no matter how many times dental dams have been mentioned in sex ed, I don't think I've ever heard of anyone actually using one."

Eleanor was now giving her boyfriend a very disbelieving look.

"I'm sorry," she said. "Are you saying that whenever you've been intimate with previous partners, you've done so without any sort of protection?"

"Look, it's not like I've been sleeping around!" Joker protested. "I haven't had many girlfriends, my exes hadn't had many boyfriends before me... And I've been tested." He sighed and shrugged. "But, no, I haven't used protection during oral sex. I'll get tested again, if it will make you feel better."

"When was the last time you were tested?" Eleanor asked, folding her arms severely. "Any partner can give you an STD. That's what all this literature says. You could have ... some strain of gonorrhea on the back of your tongue and not even know it."

Ah, yes. The dreaded tongue-gonorrhea. Worst kind.

"Like a month after my girlfriend cheated on me," Joker told her. "I'm not an idiot. And I'm pretty sure that if I had tongue-gonorrhea, I would have noticed it in the last year... but better safe than sorry."

"Have you had sexual contact since that?" she asked. "Because the girl from that one party you were at might be riddled with diseases."

Also, she was probably ugly and shallow and a horrible person. Probably kicked babies when he wasn't looking.

"When I got tested, it was after that," Joker reassured her. "I don't think she had anything, but if she did, I didn't catch it." He raised an eyebrow. "If it makes you feel better to imagine her riddled with disease, just assume she caught it after me."

Eleanor was absolutely not sulking.

"I don't know what you mean by that," she lied.

"I don't know what you think I'm implying," Joker told her. "All I'm saying is she's a skanky whore I should never have touched."

Oh, hey, now it was time to glare at him. "You're making fun of me."

Might possibly be a reason for that, Eleanor.

Joker shrugged. "Nah. You're jealous, and you're also right. I don't know who she'd slept with, and the guy my girlfriend cheated on me with definitely got around. I got myself tested because it was a good idea to. Things can incubate for a while before the tests pick them up, though, so I should go again."

"I don't mean ..." Eleanor bit her lip. Somehow, it deflated the argument to have him agree with her. "I'm sure you're fine," she said. "You said neither of them were promiscuous. I don't know how prevalent these diseases even are."

After a moment, and in a much softer voice, she added, "I am jealous. They've ... been more intimate with you than I have."

"It can't ever hurt to check," Joker told her. "And... look. It's only natural to be jealous, but you don't have anything to worry about. When you feel ready to be more intimate, we'll be more intimate. In the meantime, you only really should be jealous of my hand." He wiggled his fingers at her.

"Clever," she sighed. "No, I mean it's just ... strange to me. That one girl, you said she was just some girl, but you were intimate with her, isn't that odd to think of? Whereas we've been together for months and haven't, the same way."

"Hey," Joker chided softly. "It's not a competition. Sometimes things happen, and sometimes we regret them, and really, it's just a matter of what do you want, and when do you want it? It's all a little weird, sure. But I'm not hung up on anyone else, and I'm not getting impatient."

Eleanor nodded. "Are you sure?" she said. "I don't know ... I mean, it's a lot to think about. But I did grab some of the -- from the bowl."

This was not a go-ahead. This was, you know. That one day, she might consider it.

"Yeah, so did I," Joker told her with a grin. "No matter how much flailing and not-being-ready there is going on, it's always a good idea to be prepared, just in case."

Sex, Dating and Self-Confidence [Tuesday, Period 2]

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!

Re: Station #3: Barriers and Other!