Its Christmas on Vanguard - Part Thirteen

Posted on Tue Dec 27th, 2022 @ 2:07pm by Lieutenant Commander Elizabeth Yamaguchi-Solusar & Lieutenant Kalliope Walking Bear & Lieutenant Commander Kameron "Foehammer" Solusar-Yamaguchi & Grand General Callis "Malice" Fordring

Mission: Mission 118: The Christmas from Hell
Location: Various Locations - Starbase Vanguard
Timeline: 1920Hrs - December 24th, 2393

Callis Fordring regarded her three table companions as she lifted her drink to her lips. She drained a mouthful as she considered how best to explain. It hit her after a moment. "Well, when a Vrykul mates with a random person, it's considered 'Ok'ngost'," she explained. "As to a Vrykul, sex is an activity, in pleasure and bonding. It's meant to be shared." she paused to take a breath. "To my kind. Sex is the act that seals allegiances and creates bonds. In my people's past. Such actions would often determine the fates of kingdoms and rival nation-states. The eldest child of the reigning monarch would be the one who would be married into another rival house, this would cement ties of allegiance between both houses." Fordring explained.

"Our homeworld is replete with such tales as well." Solusar-Yamaguchi explained. "Please, go on."

"Sex is simply a currency to be used at will between the one giving the pleasure and the one receiving the action. It's almost a business transaction at its most basic of levels." Fordring paused. "To the Vrykul, sex itself takes on several functions. It can be used to heal others. Cement family ties and create bonds of fellowship." she paused. "The second level is usually used to heal others. It is often gentle and almost nurturing. It's known as an act of Rohr'ghost."

Elizabeth nodded. "Your mother didn't explain too much of this to us. She was concerned it would cause people to have various concerns with her."

"With good reason." Fordring agreed. "The next level is Haln'har'gnost," she explained. "It's almost always a female seeking a mate, but males engage in this practice too. He or she will seek to gauge the partner's interest. If they are interested then he or she submits to their partner's whims. The sex can get quite demanding and hazardous. Depending on the demands of the dominant partner." Fordring explained. "It depends on the one receiving the attention and how he or she feels about their prospective partner. If he or she accepts the gift, then the two have sex where he or she shows the one offering his or her interest, the same attention in return. If not then they conclude the coupling and then the dominant partner sends the person away. Not to return as their gift was refused."

"But they had sex. Isn't it a little late?" Walking Bear answered quietly. "That sounds almost barbaric."

"To you, perhaps," Fordring answered. "To me, not so much. We are generally free to seek attention if and when we need it. I am free to mate with whosoever that I choose. Be it my primary mate or any choice of secondary mates." she explained. "Partly because of my homeworld's recent history and because of the fact that we don't always become pregnant from our primary mate," Fordring explained before she took a sip of her drink. "Our familial ties trump all, including bloodlines. Any bloodlines that go more than six generations are honoured and any going more than ten are revered." Fordring paused. "However it's the name, that confers your status, not your bloodline."

"So how does raising children work in your society then?" Walking Bear inquired.

"We will generally have one primary mate. Using my mother as an example, she has my father with who she will have all of her children, it's the same with the males, they will generally have one female they will sire children with, anyone else whom they choose to mate with, it's done for building bonds with them or for pleasure." Fordring commented. "Using my aunt as an example. Maya Archer. She had a primary mate who was a Klingon, She would have several children with him, However, he had other mates as did she. But when he died. She opted to not share herself with anyone else, choosing instead to focus on her children and raising them, almost to the exclusion of all other bonds. This is known as Shol'gnost."

"One who refrains from intimacy," Elizabeth answered softly. "Such people are highly respected in your society."

Fordring nodded her head. "Indeed, because what they do is unnatural," she explained. "Sex is something to be enjoyed and shared. Not hidden away from or ignored." she sighed softly. "However, there are those who have other commitments. The proper caring and feeding of their children for example."

Walking Bear nodded her head. "I'm not sure I could have sex with random people so easily," she admitted. "There needs to be some feeling between me and the other person," she admitted. "Otherwise it's just... Exercise at best and a sloppy workout at worst."

"Of course," Fordring answered Walking Bear. She regarded the younger woman with a measure of affection. "It's the same with us. Then there are the last two levels. Hori'ghost. Between a Vrykul couple who are seeking to become primary mates. It can be a male who is choosing a female or a female selecting the male who will father her children." she explained. "The last is related. Kali'ghost which is more or less the act of conceiving a child." Fordring explained before she lifted her drink to her lips. She finished her drink after a moment.