CH 1: This Place Sucks

[HorizonsDream]

Echo lets out a small sigh. Was he really that naive? "It would be strange mostly because people would assume that we were having relations with one another. If you were a old woman, it would be less strange."

[JadedDM]

"But...why would it be strange if we were having relations? We're both young and attractive," Nuvain points out. "It's not like we're related or anything. Are we?"

[HorizonsDream]

Echo tries her hardest to not let her cheeks flush, but it isn't something she can help. ~He just called me attractive,~ she thought to herself. Honestly, this was a first for her, so she wasn't sure how to respond. "Well, there is nothing wrong with it. We just don't know each other," she points out. "And I don't think we are related."

[JadedDM]

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Humans are big on knowing each other beforehand, right? Although, don't they have like...prostitutes and brothels? Do they have to get to know each other first then? It's all very strange to me," Nuvain admits. "Sex is just sex. I never understood why humans make such a big deal about it. It's natural, after all."

[HorizonsDream]

"There are brothels and prostitutes, but they are looked down upon. They are also paid for their services," Echo explains. "It can be used as something to look down upon someone for. Humans tend to do that a lot. They create gossip, and create a horrible reputation for people that are freer when it comes to sex than others. Even if it is a natural thing, some people don't see it that way. To some it is something to be cherished, something special, or other some such nonsense."

[JadedDM]

"How strange!" Nuvain exclaims. "And I never really thought about it, but it must be awful stressful to live that way. To worry about everything you say and do, and how it will look. I never thought twice about asking you to share my tent. I guess if I was a human, I couldn't have done that without it being weird. Maybe that's why humans seem so stressful all of the time? Ironically, if they had more sex, they probably would be less uptight."

[HorizonsDream]

"There are many reasons why people are uptight, not just the lack of sex," Echo says. "It all depends on how you look at it. Though, now I am curious on how many people you have been with. If you are anything like my mother, then it is probably a lot."

[JadedDM]

Nuvain shrugs. "I haven't really been keeping count. Not so many since I started my training, though. The only women in the group are either clerics or paladins, or pilgrims. The pilgrims act like I'm better than then, that even touching me is somehow going to upset Gonto. That's silly, of course. There's a female paladin and two female clerics in our group, but they're all human and have the same hang-ups most humans do."

[HorizonsDream]

"Gonto doesn't have any teachings when it comes towards sex, as far as I know," Echo says thoughtfully. "Most likely, they are all looking for love and not some casual fling. Though, I have to admit that the female Paladin probably could use some sex. She seems extremely uptight, more so than me."

[JadedDM]

Nuvain chuckles. "Heh, yeah. She didn't like it when I asked her. Actually, she slapped me. She was wearing her armor at the time, too, so it really hurt. After that, I kind of stopped asking; at least, humans anyway."

[HorizonsDream]

"How many times did you ask her?" Echo asks curiously.

[JadedDM]

"Never again after the first time," Nuvain says, putting his hand to his cheek as he remembers the sting. "That's when I first started to realize how different humans are from elves."

[HorizonsDream]

"Such a harsh way to learn a lesson," Echo says. "Such is the life of one that is so free spirited though, at least in the human world."

[JadedDM]

"Yeah, I guess so," Nuvain agrees. "What about you? Have you kept count with how many you've been with?"

[HorizonsDream]

"It is easy for me to keep track of how many I've been with," Echo says. "It has only been one."