You know, you'd think Nathan would have learned by now not to allow Jim to come up with the topics for class.

Oh well!

It was time for class, it seemed.

"Good morning class. Today we'll be learning about the theories of sex from Taoist China. More specifically between the Han and Tang dynasties. The idea of sex as a spiritual practice was called HeQi, or 'Joining energy' for anyone not aware of the translation," Jim drawled, sprawled against a desk. Like you do.

Algren was not sprawled against the desk, and he was not drawling. In fact, if he spoke quickly enough, perhaps they could finish this lecture and he wouldn't have to talk about things like holding in one's Jing. Where Jing was... not just energy, really. On the upside, his face wasn't buried in his hand, today.

"The Taoists believe that energy comes in two main forms," he said, clearly. This part was easy. "Qi and Jing. Qi is life force, and is a part of everything that exists. Jing, on the other hand, is essence, the substance that grants life. Once it's completely expended from the body, that body dies."

Jim grinned, taking up the rest of the lecture there before Nathan turned red and hid under the desk.

"Jing meaning any bodily fluids. Though the most of it was in the semen, of course." He shrugged like that was a given. "If you're shocked like Captain Algren, maybe you should have remembered the title of the class. Taoists believed that one should conserve the Jing as much as possible in order to prolong your lifeforce."

"Sex," Algren said, giving Jim a look that suggested that he was at that very moment attempting to kill him with his brain, "was about mutual satisfaction. It was just as necessary to ensure that the female was aroused as the male, and it could only occur if both partners desired it." He was actually doing well, considering. Huh. "Eventually, it did grow to be seen as a game of give and take, however. Men began to see women as the enemy, as the target, so to speak. Women became increasingly objectified, and in time, sex was seen more as a means of extending a man's life by way of stealing a woman's Qi and Jing."

Jim just smiled at him as friendly as could be.

"There were several methods of conserving your Jing used then. One was to pull out before ejaculation." Which, you know. Massive case of blueballs there. "Another was--"

He was trying very hard not to laugh at this, really.

"Retrograde ejaculation. Where they pressed the spot between the scrotum and anus in order to ejaculate into the bladder. Where they believed the jing travelled back up into the brain."

Yes. Think about that for a moment.

"Right. Another method was muscle control that allowed a man to orgasm but not ejaculate while in his partner. That way they could continue to have sex and conserve their Jing over and over again in order to reach immortality."

"It was important," Algren said, re-joining the lecture after a few long moments of refraining from smacking a textbook against his forehead, "to observe and strictly adhere to rules regarding where and when intercourse was to take place. A man was risking harm to his spirit, and a woman was risking serious illness if sex occurred during a full or quarter moon, or on days with inclement weather, such as great wind or rain, as well as darkness over heaven and earth, solar and lunar eclipses, during earthquakes, or when there's a rainbow in the sky. So... Sunny days were about it, really. But one also had to take care to avoid the glare of the sun, moon, or stars, the inside of shrines, or anywhere near a temple, well, stove, grave, or coffin."

Algren blinked, and then consulted his notes before shrugging and looking at the class again. "Really, with all of those restrictions as well as the... conservation of Jing, it was a wonder Taoists ever managed to reproduce at all."

"I'm sure it was a work in progress at conserving that Jing," Jim replied dryly. "So, your task today is to figure out your own ways to conserve your Jing or help your partner conserve theirs."

Helpful, Jim. Real helpful.

"Please, feel free to be as figurative as you please with this assignment," Algren added. Because... Well. Because he was still Victorian.

[OCD on the way is up. Lecture? NWS for talk about conserving your Jing and Qi. Serious.]