Spri, a Litting woman whose alabaster skin and platinum hair made her appear ethereal. The hulking Nimanian man, Zeo, sprawled languidly in his seat, but his keen stare testified to his alertness. His dark hair was shaved nearly down to his scalp. Only Katra’Ruma, the mature Duosien woman with wavy chocolate hair and aggressive eyes, appeared strong enough to challenge him, at least among the females. Little Pixie, the petite New Earthling with the blonde hair and innocent face, certainly couldn’t hope to hold her own with him. The young woman had confided on her application that she was a virgin. She was the only one still in that state, but Xindra had no intention of singling her out. Whitt, their navy blue-haired Allurian, was young, but somewhat experienced, and he planned to pay as he went. That just left Glynn, the brunet Semhym, who appeared to wear a brooding expression quite naturally.
So this was their class. Xindra watched them look each other over, and there was more than one set of eyes that twinkled with interest. Depending on how things progressed, that could either complicate matters or prove to be an asset later on.
“One more thing before we introduce our models and get started,” Quinn said. “We’d like you all to take a pamphlet on safe sexual practices with you when you leave.”
Xindra was already passing them out.
“I know most of you have been around the space port already and know what you’re doing, but we made sure to compile a list of some of the most cutting-edge options in contraception and disease protection. No matter how worldly you might be, I guarantee you’ll find some on this list that are new to you, and you might want to explore alternatives. In this day and age, there’s no excuse for jeopardizing the health of you or your partner. We may come back to this topic in more detail later in the course, but we wanted to emphasize safety from the get-go.”
To her relief, no one shrugged off the advice or seemed resistant. Even their more senior students appeared interested as they skimmed over the information. It looked like this group was everything they’d hoped for.
It was her turn to talk. “Okay. Without further ado, let’s get started. Tonight’s interracial topic is the Allurian male and the New Earthling female. Please welcome our models for this evening, Huv and Deina.”
Everyone clapped politely as Xindra’s cousin stepped forward with a tall, willowy woman Quinn claimed was a friend’s ex. Both wore matching robes as planned, and neither appeared the least bit fazed as they swept off those scraps of clothing to stand naked in front of the class. Although she certainly didn’t think of her cousin in a sexual way, Xindra was still impressed by how trim and fit he was. His maroon hair had darkened over the years until it was almost black, and he had a flat stomach and good muscle tone in his arms and legs. Beside him, Deina should have looked fragile, except she was nearly the same height as her fellow model. Her hazel eyes held an edge of anticipation that made her look anything but weak. Quinn brought up a full diagram of a New Earthling female on the big overhead screen while Xindra took up a place next to the model with a laser pointer.
“Let’s start with the obvious,” she said. “In general, the females of New Earth are smaller and more delicately boned than the males—something that holds true for most, but not all of the humanoid races. Erogenous zones can include anything from the soles of her feet to the pulse points of her neck, and these zones vary among individuals. Generally, the breasts and nipples are responsive to touch. Rubbing, licking, suckling, and careful nibbling of teeth can all be employed to stimulate this area.
“No matter what the race or combination of races, clear communication is important. You should always engage with your partner so you know what level of roughness works for them and what doesn’t. It’s also
Larry Niven, Nancy Kress, Mercedes Lackey, Ken Liu, Brad R. Torgersen, C. L. Moore, Tina Gower