Event: The Talk Part 5, The Path to Enlightenment

[Lucio & Marco Victore]

Lucio and Marco still weren't really sure what this whole 'Talk' was about. From what they understood it was just going to be a grown man talking about sex. Why everyone seemed so wound up about it, Lucio didn't think he'd ever understand. Still, when they saw the box outside the doctor's office Lucio was quick to scribble things down while Marco was more inclined to find out what was going on. Which was about the time they figured out it was mandatory that they go. Marco had groaned at that.

It's not the boys were shy about sex or uneducated in how everything worked. They just preferred to think of it as stuff that would happen 'later'. Like when they were actually in a relationship.

Still, both boys were excited about going to the Talk. If only because it gave them a chance to be social. Marco smiled some as he grabbed the four bag of extra-buttery popcorn from the microwave. They had been preparing for the Talk for the past ten minutes so when Rowan finally showed up to take them to the Talk, they were armed with bags of popcorn and a bag full of drinks. Just in case.

Lucio followed Rowan eagerly, with his brother trailing behind and already munching on the popcorn. Marco waved some when the girl joined in their little group but neither spoke as they reached the auditorium. It wasn't until Rowan led them up to the front row that either boy spoke up and when they did, it wasn't to their friend. No. Lucio waved to the taller Asian looking boy and the brown headed boy that Rowan wasn't sitting on. "'Ello! We will be sitting 'ere as well." He nodded his head before flopping down on the ground, looking up at Dr. Neville and giving the man a wide grin. Just in case. "'Ello!" Marco's more delayed response came in as he just waved to all the people surrounding them, Dr. Neville included, before sitting beside his brother to crack open their bag and produce drinks.

[Deleted]

Sera stepped into the auditorium with her head held high and, as usual, dressed like the rich girl she was. She shouldn’t have to be here again. Sera had been to this dumb lecture last year, as per requirement for her presumed graduation. But since she hadn’t graduated, Sera was required to attend this farce yet again.

She sighed and scanned the auditorium, hoping to spot either one of her friends or “friends”. Sera saw no one.

She silently found an empty cluster of seats and took the one closest to the aisle. Sera sat and watched with disinterest.

[Salem Hirch]

Salem did not want any part of this. The whole idea of being forced to this thing just to graduate made him furious, then again; a lot of things did these days. He didn't really know why, and didn't care. This stupid assembly was not going to make things better. Everyone that he had recently pushed away was there, plus it wasn't like he didn't know this stuff already. In fact he had recently had a crash course in the subject. This thought made the blonde boy's face turn red with a touch of anger, but he calmed himself and shoved passed some girls that were yammering on about something dull. 

Once again, Salem didn't appear as if he had been sleeping or doing anything to help himself at all. His clothes were all in shambles and his hair was definitely not brushed. Like he cared. Once inside he instantly made his way to the back row of seats and hiding in a corner. At first he didn't notice the boy in front of him, but then it clicked. It was Oriel. A little smirked spread to his face and he groaned loud enough for the other to hear. "This...is....pointless." 

With that, Salem flung his heels forward a little and slouched in his seat. Arms folded, he tilted his head back and closed his eyes. This time he actually acknowledge Oriel. "Wake me when it's over will ya?"

[Axelle Flint]

Axelle wasn't necessarily dreading The Talk. She'd had it twice from her father. Once when she was twelve and again a few weeks ago after she's left her journal out. Apparently coveting pictures of heavily muscled men in...semi-risqué poses was cause for alarm. Her father had given her condoms after that and she wasn't sure who was more embarrassed. Not that she even WAS sexually active, and probably wouldn't be for a while...except there was an entertainingly RAMPANT rumor about she and Benji. She wasn't sure who started it but she was going to throw them into the lake...from the school roof, if she ever found out. She walked a bit more slowly into the auditorium than she normally would, still sore from her run in with the statue on the first day of school. It was a story she was tired of re-telling. She had taken to trying and covering her black eye because she knew she was going to sport it for weeks.

She caught sight of George and plopped down into the seat next to her friend, just before Sean had started talking. Even though she was quite aware of what sex entailed and how it happened she felt herself far more nervous about the question and answer bit of the entire show. She felt as though once her questions were read everyone was going to know she wrote them and then she'd never get anyone into bed with her. Her palms were starting to sweat with all the thoughts running through her head and she rubbed them ineffectually on her shorts. There were lots of people here she recognized and some she didn't. She was so worried about questions that it took her a moment to realize that Sean was still talking and she should pay attention. She backed up in her chair and realized her feet were barely brushing the floor. Excellent....

[Lucy Serrano-Blaise]

Last year, the Talk had sort of fucked a significant amount of things up for Lucy. None of which was her fault, but rather a result of the hostility of the people around her. Jesus, she had some bitches for friends. But that didn't matter. What mattered was having to sit through this whole ordeal again. Another year learning about how to be safe while banging, because evidently a curious mind, raging teenage hormones and an internet connection wasn't enough to jolt people into looking this shit up for themselves.

At any rate, Lucy went because she had to go. She scanned the room for faces she recognised and of course, the first and most important person on her list was her beautiful Boston boy.

But she hesitated, because whatever he was doing probably had a reason behind it. Between him being in Boston and her travels back to Australia, she had honestly missed him way too much.

She pressed her hands to his face at either side, applying light pressure. "Offering up a live show today, DeWitt?" She asked, her grin matching his with equal intention, "Aren't you a bloody man of the people. It's cute to see you sharing the love again." Because it was, genuinely, a good thing to see him socialising. The memory of Alex was now just that, thank fuck.

So she released his face again to find a seat somewhere else, never one to cramp her best friend's style when he was amidst an onslaught of clearly adoring fans.

[Mathis Reeves]

Matty didn't know what to think of The Talk, except... It was a lot worse than what he imagined. For starters there were pictures of females'.... bits on the screen in front of him. Then there was the male stuff, which he already knew about since he had his own but it was a lot different seeing someone else's just dangling about. His face, he knew, was just a whole new shade of red.

A shade which somehow managed to go up yet another degree of red when Rowan plopped down in his lap. Which might have been fine if it were in any other place, on any other day, in any other situation. It was not okay when there was talk about.. STUFF going on around him. NOT OKAY! And as if things weren't bad enough, two blonde headed boys just sat down on the floor like this was completely normal. Dem hadn't even moved from where he was leaning against Mathis leaving the Texan near defenseless. How did y'fall asleep so early?? His thoughts were traitorous to the green eyed boy.

Eventually Matty got over his shock, though his face still remained what was probably an unhealthy shade of red. "W-whatcha think y'are doin', Rowan? My lap ain't a seat!" He had just finished speaking when this... Another person. Some heavily tattooed girl with a face. He didn't know. Whoever she was. She just leaned in and smiled and.. It was like Matty wasn't even there. A live show?

A live show of what?

"Roooooooooooooooooooooow. Getoff. I ain't a chair!" He just wanted the floor to swallow him up. Please. Just. Swallow him up so he could miss the talk and the people on his lap and the weirdos at his feet who didn't. give. their. names.

[Carleigh Davidson]

Although Carleigh had not attended the Talk before in her five years of being at Hammel, she wasn't fearing the day like some of her peers nor excited or looking forward to the event. It was something that simply had to be done.

The normally bubbly blonde was still cheerful with her demeanor, but it was more subdued compared to how she acted on a daily basis. She'd never had the Talk with her parents due to her early manifestation age, and any problem Carleigh encountered she would ask one of her older female friends or a trusted teacher. Easy enough.

Unfortunately, it seemed that her one friend, Xun, was not as nonchalant as she was. He seemed hesitant, and Carleigh almost wondered if he was going to throw up before it even began. "Come on Xun." She urged, literally holding his hand and dragging him into the auditorium. "The more you resist, the more you're going to cause a scene. And that's more embarrassing." The blonde stated factually, before rolling her eyes and letting go of his hand once she was sure he wouldn't turn around and run.

Her eyes landed on a familiar, tattooed girl and Carleigh's lips spread into her easygoing grin. "Nice to see you here, wifey." She said casually, not even aware of the implications that could be had from the statement. Lucy was her banging wife, what else was there to it?

Part of her wondered what sitting near Lucy would be like during the Talk. Carleigh let her decide, as she continued leading Xun towards an empty area of seats near her one friend, Sera. The blonde waved, asking "Those seats taken?" while gesturing towards the ones next to her friend.

And just like that, the Talk had begun. Carleigh fell silent, staring at the screen. Human anatomy. She had that covered. At least, her own. Her nose scrunched up at the sight of the male anatomy, but relaxed. She could totally handle this. Even if she had no idea about male anatomy due to inexperience.

[Deleted]

Well…this is fun. Yup, noooo problem. Marcus himself didn’t have much of a problem with sex in general. Heck, he enjoyed it quite a bit when he got it and he was pretty sure he was gaining some skill in the sack, or as much as he could. Marcus did have his fair share of hook-ups around campus, but that’s all they were. Hook-ups. Nothing serious. And between both guys and girls too. And always with himself as a guy.

Because things just went down the road of weird when he was a girl and stuck in that situation, omg, what the hell was he even supposed to think of that!! It was…mind boggling!! He was going to get a hernia with how much he thought about it and it bugged the living shit outta him!!

Marcus(female) took a breath and moseyed into the auditorium along with the rest of a quite generous crowd. Then came the next important question. Where did she sit? Did she sit alone or next to friends? Like legit friends, not fuck buddies. Would that be too weird?

…..after a moment of thought, Marcus decided that she’d rather sit with friends if only for moral support and quickly scoured the auditorium for any glimpse of the familiar. It took her right up until the lights were dimmed and Dr. Sean started talking for her to finally spot that orange/red head of one of his cool friends. Marcus grinned and started over there, her long long hair flowing like string behind her, until she finally flopped down into the seat next to Axe. Her face might have been just as red as the hair of the girl he was sitting next to, but…who cared!? Marcus was a girl now and girls were allowed to be embarrassed!!!

“Hey, Axe!” she whispered. “Um…what’s up?” Marcus attempted an awkward smile, trying to sound and look at ease around all this.

[Deleted]

Xun did not want to be here.

Not at all.

In fact, he might have tried to hide and try to get away with not going if it wasn't for Carleigh. Somehow, his peppy blonde friend had managed to snag him and drag him along to this... Talk. He grumbled the entire way, tugging weakly against her grip on his hand. "Carleigh," he whined. "I don't want to go." But it was no use. The Chinese boy mumbled into silence at her words; the last thing he wanted to do was cause a scene.

He stared blankly between Carleigh and the woman she called 'wifey', seeing no reason to say anything. Xun's resting bitch face was in place (on purpose for once), and he hoped it would keep people from talking to him. It probably wasn't quite as effective with the pink touching his pale cheeks at the thought of what he was about to endure.

It seemed they were sitting somewhere else, so Xun obediently continued to follow, his eyes landing on a similar feline-esque face that sort of almost reminded him of himself. His blush deepened. She was pretty. Of course, he wouldn't say so. So he sat down silently, not introducing himself, but glancing the stranger up and down once with vague curiosity before turning his attention to...

Oh, no. Noooo...

Xun closed his eyes and sat back in his chair as the images started, crossing his arms over his chest. He wasn't going to put up with this. He wasn't. They couldn't make him listen and look at things that made him uncomfortable. Xun unintentionally leaned sideways towards the two girls, grimacing as Dr. Neville began speaking.

This was going to be a long day. Already the speedster was feeling twitchy in his seat.

[Lucas Blacke]

''Sexsexsexsexsex.''
Luke had no intention of really paying attention to anything the school had to offer, but there were things that changed his entire demeanor. Though a talk about sex by the head ass succeeded in devolving him back to his younger, more annoying years. Not that he wasn't annoying now as much as seeing it as something keeping him back. Both facts that this talk was about something he could and would make fun of and that it was mandatory would certainly net him a good handful of people gaining knowledge of his existence. He couldn't wait.

He came into a room with loads of chairs with people already in them. Luke grinned and rubbed his hands together with a chuckle. He then looked up ahead to see the head ass and gave him two thumbs up with the biggest of smiles.

''Hey!'' He yelled out loud for no apparent reason as he still hung in the door opening. ''Anyone seen my dear friend Dick?'' He walked forward and tried to maintain a straight face. ''He's a real pussy when it comes to sex and shit. He's a real twat like that. Like, man up and grow some balls, right?''

[Georgina Speer]

George's eyes fell on the approaching redhead and she smirked, glad to have some company. She watched the smaller girl sit down, "Hello, Miss. Car Crash." She greeted, smirk not shifting off of their face. She had heard simple details about that incident, but had made the executive decision of not pushing Axelle for anything extra. She was on a bike, and then a car hit her. Simple as.

Well, no, she was walking and talking and only had a black eye as evidence, but that was just the walking definition of super durability. Duh. Oh yeah, and seeing her reminded her of that rumour that had circulated about her and Benji... eesh, that was a weird thought. Her mind began imagining and... OH GOD MAKE IT STOP! Kittens kittens kittens kittens... ahh, kitty cats. You make everything better.

Anyway. Another person approacheth. George looked at the girl and tilted her head, cogs whirring for recognition, until the hammer hit the light-bulb and from the wreckage, she pulled a name, "Marcus, isn't it?" She asked, smiling friendlyly. Yup, she was making friends at the sex talk. All the cool people did.

She also heard the delightful voice of her room-mate coming from the general door direction and automatically scowled and grumbled a little, rolling her eyes backwards in her head. Ugh, that idiot.

[Morgan Paige]

Morgan had managed to trip a boy in the auditorium. Not on purpose! She smirked slightly and tried to ask if he was alright, but he seemed so embarrassed that she decided just to brush by. She sat behind said boy and pushed her hair out of the way. No, she didn’t have to be here today, but there wasn’t anything better to do. Besides, she had been coming to the Talks ever since she started attending Hammel. It was fascinating to her. Not the Talk itself, but how everyone seemed to react to it.

Some, like the long haired boy and the blond one sitting next to him, seemed to not care so much that Morgan was willing to bet that they really did. Why put on such an act otherwise? And then there were those like the boy sitting in front of her... Who was currently being turned into a seat cushion. At this, she stifled a laugh and pushed her hair out of the way again. At least she was surrounded by free entertainment.

Dr. Neville started with the basics, and Morgan wondered if anyone would actually admit to not knowing basic anatomy. Surely everyone had to have some idea, even if said ideas looked like a Ken doll...

With so many bodies in here, Morgan was having a hard time keeping her power in check. She was seeing glimpses of futures she would rather not see, and so ended up staring at people unknowingly. Especially the long haired boy. Blinking a couple times, Morgan cleared her throat and glanced around, smiling at the few faces she did know. Her dark eyes flickered over to someone yelling about Dick and balls, and she smirked to herself. She caught the eyes of the brunette girl who was scowling, and her smile broadened.

Silly people.

[Marnie Sullivan]

If Marnie had to guess, she'd say she felt about as apprehensive about the Talk as most of her classmates did. Maybe not necessarily about the subject matter - although the romance novels she read were generally poorly written, she imagined they had the mechanics roughly correct and so Marnie thought she already had a decent idea of the material. But at the same time, she'd been counting down the days until the seminar because she wanted answers. Having been too nervous to ask outright, she'd submitted a couple of anonymous questions to the box outside Dr. Neville's door. Questions she'd been stewing on even more lately, and she wanted some resolution.

Stepping into the auditorium, Marnie scanned the seats for a familiar face to sit next to. There was Colton, the boy tutoring her in French - but he was too young for his presence to be required, wasn't he? And they weren't exactly friends... Further down she spotted the Victore twins. They were closer to her age, but also armed with snacks like they were expecting a show and Marnie wasn't sure she had the wherewithal for that right now. There was Axelle, the girl she'd met the other day in the woods - oh, there! Probably the most familiar face of the bunch, Akira, sat in the middle. Marnie hurried over, glad not to be sitting alone.

"Hi Akira," she greeted the boy as she plopped down in the seat next to him and stuffed her book at under her seat. She offered him a casual smile, hoping she looked less nervous than she felt. "Let's hope this goes quickly, right?"

Okay, maybe Akira wasn't the most familiar face in the room. Down by the entrance Lucas had begun his shenanigans, Marnie realized with a groan. She sank a little further into her seat and stared forward at the slides Dr. Neville was presenting. Even looking at a clinical cross-section of a scrotum was preferable to watching her ex make such an immature grab for attention.

[Akira Koizumi]

Akira looked up, “Marnie-san, of course you can sit with me.” Akira smiled brightly at the familiar face. He was impressed that Marnie found him in the crowd of people.

He nodded his head at Marnie’s comment about having this talk go quickly. But collecting all the in coming seniors (plus some of the underclass mates) in the auditorium to talk about sex would not be a quick talk. Some students would sit quietly and be tortured by being here. Some students are just going to take this a joke. And then there are few who wanted. There was no way this was going to be short.

Akira sighed. “Let’s hope so.”

[Kailin Bishop]

At the moment, the very idea of sex or intimacy was something she didn't care for, nor did she want to think about. She was just cheated on not two months ago, and now she was being forced to 're-learn' the body's anatomy, and then the sexual drive and safe sex. The honor student, while naive, had heard all of this before. Honestly, with what occurred, she was most definitely celibate.

And then there was the fact that she seemed to effectively lose both of her best friends in a matter of a month. Anthony was a lying, cheating bastard, and then Salem had basically changed for the worse ever since that thing with his brother happened. Liv was gone, too, and Neo was too much of a prick to hang out with in this. Never had the blonde felt so alone, and she hated it.

Kailin bypassed the back rows entirely, knowing that the more rowdy and obnoxious kids would be there, and headed more towards the middle. She didn't care who she sat by - so long as she wasn't completely alone. She ended up sitting by a brunette girl and an Asian boy - Akira, she heard his name fall from the brunette's.

"Hey, mind if I sit here?" Kailin offered with a fake cheerfulness that was legitimately realistic. She prided herself on her ability to fool when she wanted to; studying body language and such did a lot to help with that. Her tone was not overly high pitched, but there was no sign of negativity within her plastic words.