As the end of weyrlinghood approaches, the Weyrlingmaster and staff will start to counsel their charges in the area of mating flights. Your dragon should still have a few months before they are expected to rise or chase: males become fully sexually mature around eighteen months, though they may become interested in chasing at about a Turn, and they may even participate. It's unlikely but not impossible that they would catch at that age. Green dragons reach full sexual maturity somewhere between eighteen months and two turns, though there is also the possibility of early bloomers who might rise at as early as one Turn. It all depends on the dragon. Golds generally reach their full sexual maturity between two and three Turns.
Weyr Attitudes toward Sex
Even in this era, sex doesn't have quite the same taboo status in a Weyr as in a Hold, relatively speaking (though keep in mind that Nowtimers' outlooks are likely to be far different from those of most Oldtimers). The Weyr perspective is built on generations of survival instinct. While gossiping about sex and relationships is human, letting such things ruin someone's day is strongly discouraged in riders, especially when related specifically to mating flights. A bad mood or a wandering mind can mean risking your life (and others' lives) during Threadfall.
On top of that, green flights are practically an everyday occurrence. While they may occasionally be dramatic for those involved, they don't generally impact others in the Weyr. As riders grow older and gain experience, flights will likely feel more commonplace.
Group Discussions
The Weyrlingmaster and assistants will call a few riders together to discuss mating flights with the weyrlings. The aim is to show the different perspectives so the weyrlings can form a full picture of how flights affect different dragons and riders. It is encouraged that these discussions be frank and open, though again, it depends on the participants. For this reason, mating lectures are most often done in small groups, to further encourage questions and answers.
Weyrlings will be informed about all aspects of mating flights, from learning to spot proddiness in a female dragon (whether their own or someone else's), to dealing with the "morning-after". While it is understood that people come from different backgrounds with different attitudes towards sex, the Weyrlingmaster will expect maturity about it. No matter how contrary it runs to some consciences, it is emphasized that sex as the result of a mating flight is just that: sex.
Occasionally that might mean the lecturers also have to talk about the birds and the bees, for those who haven't yet learned the mechanics. Yes, it happens, and derision aimed at the ignorant will not be tolerated. (i.e. ICA=ICC) Full knowledge here is crucial for the final development stages of both dragons and riders, so these lectures will strive to cover all the bases.
Sex in Flights
Generally, the riders of the mating dragons are the ones who will copulate. There is an incredibly strong, uninhibited urge to join the moment their dragons couple. A select few riders will find they are able to resist that urge just enough to retain more control over themselves and their actions, but most will find they have no will power toward the end of the mating flight, giving in to the pure rush of hormones that is triggered by the urges carried along the mindlink.
Like anything else, everyone's experiences are different. There are exceptions, but the majority of riders eventually take it as a fact of life and think little of it, and this is the attitude encouraged by the Weyrlingmaster. The less stress that is attached to a mating flight, the less it will fatigue and potentially harm or distract the riders involved.
During the lecture, it should be stressed that riders need to avoid freaking out about whichever rider they might end up with. They're also encouraged to avoid jealousy over what happens in others' flights. In short, the lecturing riders should try to teach that mating flight sex is really its own category, and the sooner a rider can learn to compartmentalize that, the happier they will be, and the more satisfied their dragons will be.
There are some rare situations where a rider of one of the mating dragons might be substituted by someone more desirable, provided there is enough warning. This is found most often in the case of weyrmates, who will usually quarantine themselves in the rider's weyr, ensuring that they will not end up with someone else. However, it is again stressed that flight sex is a breed(ing) all its own, and trying to force a coupling that does not correspond to the dragon coupling can cause unnecessary stress, depending on the strength of the mindlink and the personalities involved. Flight sex with someone other than your weyrmate is not considered cheating. Relationships with a jealous person who is excessively bothered by mating flights are discouraged, as it will upset both riders and dragons.
Since flight sex is not very tender or loving, it's generally viewed as a bad idea for someone's first mating flight to be their first sexual experience, especially if the rider is female. If the rider is too busy cowering in a corner or conveying terror or other strong negative emotions across the mindlink, the dragon will likewise be affected negatively. It's generally better to figure out sex before the dragon does, and a member of weyrlingstaff may encourage the weyrlings to think about finding someone to sleep with before their dragon matures sexually.
Mindlink in Flight
The effect of the mindlink on riders of dragons who join in a mating flight will vary greatly. Generally, a flight is something that is not intended to harm either the dragon or the rider, physically or emotionally; it is purely instinctual. With this in mind, many riders can influence their dragons toward or away from certain dragons to some degree. If caught before emotions and hormones get too high, riders of male dragons can mentally convince their dragons to refrain from the chase. Riders of female dragons might be able to encourage theirs to favour one chaser over another.
Side note: In the case of a gold flight (and more specifically the great amount of attention given a leadership flight), it's theorized that the collective thoughts and emotions from the Weyr's population might affect which dragon catches the senior gold, though that's mostly for the philosophers to discuss. It hinges on the idea that gold dragons' telepathic abilities are far greater than any other type of dragon.
Some riders will be more closely linked than others during a flight. Some will keep their cool, while others will become lost in the sensations their dragon is feeling, "seeing" primarily through their eyes. Generally, a rider is aware enough of their circumstances to exhibit some amount of self-control, up until their dragon catches or is caught. Even then, the loss of control is expected to only extend to the immediate aftermath of the flight. The effects of the mindlink would diminish greatly once the dragons' coupling is complete.
Riders of Male Dragons
In general, male dragons experience more mating flights than female dragons, since greens only rise a few times a Turn, and golds even fewer. This does not mean he will chase every female who rises, however, or that he should even be allowed to. Sometimes there will be a lack of chemistry, or perhaps the male is too exhausted from Threadfall or a previous flight. Perhaps an injury is curbing his animal instinct to mate.
A dragon who chases too often might be too tired for Threadfall, which is understandably dangerous. A rider should learn how to control their dragon and keep them grounded if the timing and opportunity are going to have strongly negative drawbacks. This usually involves stressing how upset the rider would be if the dragon chased, since a dragon would not usually do something that might harm their rider.
Riders of male dragons experience something those who ride female do not: disappointment. Every rider and dragon pair will deal with this differently. Some may be relieved, some upset, some happy, some angry. Some dragons may brood, others may be fine with it. Some riders may seek out another person to help appease sexual frustration, while others may not be that bothered by it. Each pair is unique and must learn to deal with their disappointment together. However, a lost flight is never an excuse for poor behaviour toward others. Understandable, certainly, but especially with veteran riders, a level of self-control is expected once the dragon mating has occurred.
Riders of Female Dragons
Green dragons will rise to mate on average between two and four times a Turn. Gold dragons will rise one to three times a Turn, depending largely on the orbit of the Red Star. Toward the end of a Pass or during an interval, a gold may rise only once every eighteen months or more.
For goldriders it will be stressed to let their dragons "blood" in the moments before they rise in flight, consuming only an animal's blood, since consuming meat may impede their flight. For greenriders, this is not as vital, as green flights are over more quickly and don't require that extra time in the air for fertilization. Instinct will often still drive a green to blood or feed, however. If for some reason the greenrider wishes the flight to be over more quickly, it might be better to let the dragon feed.
Riders of female dragons should try to practice self-control in the times leading up to their dragon's mating flights. This is the dragon's estrus period, which most people refer to as "proddy". With time, the proddy periods will become distinct and easier to predict, both for the dragon and the rider. As with the riders of male dragons, it is understandable when eccentric behaviour occurs, but it is still expected that veteran riders should have learned out to deal with it.
Proddiness
Proddiness will vary from rider to rider, and from dragon to dragon. Some may not exhibit changed behaviour at all. Others may act as though they have a bad case of PMS or the sillies. A common response is irritability and mood swings. Proddiness can be like waking up in a funky mood, though whether that mood is elation, depression, irritation, or hot flashes depends on the rider. Proddiness will not change one's personality, and proddy riders are still responsible for their actions.
The length of how long a rider is proddy depends on the dragon, though it should not last longer than a sevenday (about two RL days). Some first-timers may feel apprehensive, but it's expected that greenriders will become accustomed to their dragon's cycle. While the first time or two may take them by surprise, they are expected to pay enough attention to their dragon that they know when their dragon is ready to rise.
Proddy pairs are taken off Thread rosters, so as to avoid influencing the dragons around them. Riders are also not to take their dragons out of the Weyr's vicinity while they are proddy, as it's considered tremendously rude to let a dragon rise in another Weyr's or, worse, a Hold's area, since it could cause problems on all sorts of levels.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy happens, but please note, it is extremely rare for riders. Dragonriders live a stressful, intensely physical lifestyle that tends to make females less fertile, since low body fat and high stress levels mean fewer reproductive cycles. On top of that, riders of fighting dragons go ::Between:: on a frequent basis, which negatively affects pregnancy. In the first trimester especially, trips ::Between:: will almost always induce a miscarriage. This means that it is nearly impossible for a female rider flying Fall on a regular basis to "accidentally" get pregnant. They might not even realize it, as it may present like part of a normal cycle.
In the third trimester, a trip between can trigger an early labour which will also often result in a miscarriage or the infant's death, since Pernese do not have access to today's medical knowledge and tools. It is considered relatively safe to go ::Between:: during the second trimester, though it is not recommended, as there is still a risk. Generally, a rider who discovers she is pregnant and who decides to keep the child will ride with the Queen’s wing and avoid ::Between:: until after she delivers. Culturally, there is a taboo against pregnant riders, as it essentially removes their dragon from frighting Thread for a considerable amount of time. As with everything else, ICA=ICC.
OOC:
Running or Participating in a Flight
For the green or gold rider, there are several things to consider:
- Theme: Some people enjoy a flight where poses are themed around something as generic or specific as you like. Other people enjoy no theme at all and like to focus solely on the dragons' various personalities. A flight theme is entirely up to the green- or goldrider.
- OOC organization: It is encouraged that you create a channel to explain the rules and to communicate with the other players involved. Some people will spontaneously hold a flight, while others prefer to arrange one ahead of time. Please be considerate of others when planning your flight, and try to keep the spam contained to those involved.
- PCs and NPCs: Throw the flight open to anyone, or only PC dragonriders?
- Poses: A strict pose order, or a free for all? Full power-play, light power-play, or no power-play? How long should the flight last? You can do a dragon-only or rider-only flight… whatever strikes your fancy!
- How to decide the winner? Predetermined, or may the best male win? Flip a coin, roll a die, pick the best poser, take a vote, make your PD decide? Note: If you decide to go with predetermined, it’s considered good etiquette to let your chasers know beforehand.
If you choose to participate in a green or gold flight:
- Be prompt with your poses. Many times others will be waiting on your pose, so try to keep your attention on the game and on that window. If you need to leave, remember that it's perfectly canon for a dragon to find himself unable to continue up and drop out of the mating flight. If you know you're going to be slow, communicate that to the other players so they'll know not to wait on you.
- Be respectful. Play by the hosting rider's rules and thank them for the RP. Holding a flight is a lot of work, and it's extremely nice to know it's been appreciated.
TS
Generally, it is accepted that after a catch pose, everything "fades to black", with morning -after RP as an option. TS (TinySex) is not required and should never be expected. No one should feel forced to RP anything that makes them uncomfortable. If it happens, page a wizard, an area staff member, or someone on @guides, as such pressure is considered harassment. TS should only occur between consenting adults.
If you choose to engage in TS, it must be kept to private rooms. If you decided to pose a log of it, make absolutely certain to fill out the Content Warning section of the log form.