Translations:

Sei-i - Yes

H'ko - No

Ki'sei - I understand/I agree

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"Sei-i, mating season. No one explained?"

"H'ko!" Ka'lu trilled, amused as Lex panicked.

"Let me explain." Ka'lu did just that.

They sat on the bed and got comfy for Ka'lu's explanation.

Mating season sat between a cultural event and a biological occurrence. Culturally, the Yautjan saw it as a prime opportunity to mate and continue the bloodline is an almost systematic fashion. At the same time, their biological clocks reached primer fertilization. Something that built up over the year. More of a hormonal thing than anything.

Males fought for their females, to impress them and be chosen. They sought to gather one or two at a time, responsible for caring for them and pleasing them lest they decide to leave and disgrace the male. Occasionally, one female could pick a multitude of males to please her or go from one bed to the next, but it rarely happened. The female would pass on her genes, but it became a gamble at who the father would be.

On their home planet, the week would be accompanied by massive celebrations filled with music, entertainment, and food. The ships did their best to mimic the celebrations.

Ka'lu explained the process. The males could fight one another or, if the female was interested enough, invite them to see their trophies and express their prowess. Those of other professions often showed their experience in their field and offered gifts of jewelry and decorated skulls one could buy off the market. Then, when chosen, the female and male would continue to have sex all week long.

The goal would be to reproduce, though plenty used various means to get around that. Especially young females and males.

The mother took care of the pups for most of their young lives, receiving support from the father. In the case, the pup wished to proceed into a profession similar to the father's, they often moved to live with them and train under them. If not, they could still choose to live with their father, but receive training from another professional. Their age decided whether or not their parents would pay for the education.

On a different topic, Ka'lu began to explain different types of mates. One could have life mates which is like marriage.

"Marriage?" Lex hadn't heard the term yet. Not in their language, at least.

"Sei-i. When life mated, you are mated for life and only to one another until one dies. Now, whether life mated or not, both must always take care of the pups they breed."

"Breed?" An odd term...

"Temporary mates are more for the purpose of continuing the family bloodline. Reproducing only. Lifemates are a… life..." Ka'lu clicked in frustration.

"Partner?" Lex didn't know the Yautjan term, but she did understand the human one.

Seeing as she got it, Ka'lu chirped in agreement.

Lex stopped to think about it. A lot she didn't understand still but she could wrap her head around most of it.

They are kind of animalistic despite being so advanced.

"Thanks, Ka'lu."

"Your welcome! Can I ask you something?"

"Sei-i."

"Could you give me a ooman nickname?"

Lex sat back and looked up at the metal-plated ceiling. She could feel Ka'lu's anxious eyes drilling into her skull.

"Lu?" Lex looked over to see Lu's eyes widened in excitement and a purr - trill erupted from her chest. Jumping off the bed, Lu danced around.

If it hadn't been obvious before, Lu took exceeding interest in humans and their planet Earth. Lex smiled at that, happy to share what she knew.

"Thank you. N'dhi-ja." Skipping, Lu headed back to her room.

Eyes wide, Lex ran after her.

Stopping just beyond her doorway, she yelled, "when does it start?!"

"In a few days! Stay indoors!" Paling slightly at the thought of being stuck between two massive Yuatja males that were horny, Lex took her new friend's advice and opted to stay indoors.

Leaving at appropriate times, Lex only went out for food and to train. When she went to train, many were sleeping or in the cafeteria.

Lex wiped sweat from her brow and took a large gulp of water, wrapping up the last of her rounds. With cautious steps, Lex listened to only hear distant noises in the opposite direction. To her utter relief. Running down the hall as a last "exercise", Lex made it to her room and slipped inside.

Washing off the sweaty grim, she dressed in more relaxing clothes, some she bought after her hunt with Scar, and jumped into bed for the night. Snuggled deep into her furs, Lex was prepared for sleep but she watched with hooded her eyes as the control panel lit up and beeped.

Ignoring it, Lex watched as it continuously beeped and lit up as the person on other side continued to hit the call button. Lex groaned in utter agony and stumbled to the door.

Scar stood nervously outside until Lex allowed him in. Not bothering with the lights, Lex stumbled back to her bed and collapsed. Scar closed the door and sat at the end of her bed.

"You okay? I heard Ka'lu explain the season to you. I haven't seen you out and about either..."

"Yeah, I'm good. She did a good explanation though you guys should have told me a long time ago. Lu said I should stay inside so I eat early or eat really late then train when you guys are eating or uh... sleeping."

"Smart." Scar nodded in approval.

"Shouldn't you be with mates or whatever?"

Scar grew slightly stiff at the question but he let himself fall back on the bed next to Lex.

"I don't have any. I'm still young so many don't find New Blooded worthy enough."

Lex cringed, immediately beginning to feel bad for obviously poking a sore spot. She apologized.

"H'ko. It's fine. I'm not interested in temporary mates. I'm looking for a life mate really. I don't want to hop from one to the next. I mean yes there are some who caught my eye but they'll bear my pups and move on," stopping to look at her, he whispered, "why am I telling you this?"

"I don't know but I can understand that. You want something solid and stable. That's..." She searched for a Yautjan term but finding nothing she settled for, "ki'sei."

Scar laughed, happy that she still tried and did fairly well.

Silence filled the room and just when he began to wonder if she fell asleep, a light snore sounded. Turning on his side, Scar scooted Lex to the middle of the bed and covered her with a fur. He rolled out of the bed and slipped out of the room.

Thankfully the rooms were mostly soundproof and blocked out the unneeded noises of the mating.

Most, if not all, liked it pretty rough, especially Jag who wouldn't never shut up about it. One reason Scar had been looking for Lex was because at every meal Jag and Molten wouldn't stop sharing their stories. She would provide some peace and quiet.

Night, thankfully, kept quiet but his new mate constantly pranced around him and purred all about. Scar couldn't complain, Night looked quite pleased in the mornings and anxious in the evenings, and he couldn't bother to ruin it.

Navigating his way to his room, Scar began to ponder the thought of Lex and her mate. He had in fact heard few who were curious to see what an ooman female would be like in bed. Even fewer were thinking about placing bets on the matter.

That was what aggravated him the most. It pushed him to seek her out and make sure none them had actually approached her but to his utter surprise and glee, Lex, wisely, stayed inside and away from any potential trouble.

A group of females passed by him, slightly purring before continuing down the hallway.

Would they still be purring if they saw me walk out of Lex's room? Would they snarl? Would they just ignore me? If I was with Lex, would I lose my credibility as a hunter?

Growling in confusion and anger, he turned and punched the wall hard enough to leave a dent. His hand throbbed slightly and bruises would appear later that night but he didn't feel it as he stormed back to his room.

Enough of 'what ifs'!