queenoflogs | WHAT IS LOVE etc etc

Characters: Lambda-11 and OPEN, followed by Lambda-11 and Akiha Tohno
Date: Sunday, September 9th
Summary: Lambda reads some books and asks some questions.
Warnings: Should be nothing. Will update as needed.

Love was proving to be a very complicated topic. Things Subaru said conflicted with things Urd said. Things Urd said contradicted with what Akiha had mentioned before. And, having no real frame of reference of her own, it was hard for Lambda to determine what information was the most correct.

Obviously, then, the best course of action would be to give herself a frame of reference. Under normal circumstances, she spent very little time in the library, but reading the literature located there seemed like a good way to do this. So, that was where she chose to spend her afternoon, barefoot and clad in her standard leotard as she paged through book after book.

Most of them were proving less helpful than she had hoped. After finding herself unable to parse the pertinent information from one, she would set it aside and pick up another, her demeanor growing a little more frustrated each time. She seemed oblivious to the way her brow had begun to furrow.

So, when the library proved not to be very much help after all, she returned home to the Tohno Mansion. It was evening by the time she did so, and once inside she decided to stop by Akiha's room on what was almost but not quite a whim. She trusted Akiha more than anyone else in the Gardens, so if she was confused about something, it seemed right to make her the one she asked.

She hesitated outside her door longer than was typical, seized by an uncharacteristic feeling of uncertainty. Then, she lifted a hand and knocked.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"It is not required?" That reply made her perk up a little. It was almost relieving to hear, in that it made the fact that she had been brought to the Gardens in the first place more logical. After all, when the formation of that kind of bond was generally regarded as the reason they had been abducted to begin with...

"How do you determine what type of love you have for an individual?"

Who had been talking about sexual attraction with her cyborg? Akiha very much wanted to know so she could give that person a piece of her mind. The half-demon has already poked at Lambda to see if she was capable of sexual attraction when her demon side was in control and eliminating her inhibitions. It simply wasn't acceptable for anyone else to do that.

"I believe the leading example of romantic love without sexual attraction is called courtly love," Akiha pointed out, hoping maybe Lambda knew of it in her databanks or read it in literature. "I'm not sure how to describe how to know what kind of love one has for another."

She pondered a moment. "Well, feeling sexual attraction usually directs the love immediately into the romantic, but when there is no sexual attraction... it's hard to say. Platonic love is generally just another name for friendship. Familial love is more wanting someone to feel safe with you, to belong in your household, someone that you will fight to protect, even if it means sacrificing your life to ensure they're safe and... have a future."

Akiha pulled her ponytail in front of her shoulders, stroking the ends of it. "Romantic... that's even more complicated because someone you romantically love can infuriate you to levels no one else can, but you also put up with more than you should. You accept and even embrace a person's flaws... You want to see them smile, to see them happy. You can... just be yourself, be vulnerable, in front of them and know it's alright. And your heart aches when they're not around and the thought of never having them in your life in neigh unbearable."

A pause. "It's even possible that you'll do irrational things to keep from losing them." She shakes her head. "Those are just a few examples - not all are required. I'm not even sure if any of them are... but that's what I believe."

Lambda stayed quiet as she listened. The nature of the subject made it confusing and difficult for her to understand, but eventually she nodded. It made sense. Akiha had called her part of her family, and Lambda had already realized the depth of her willingness to protect her.

The bit about 'courtly love' was filed away for later. Perhaps it would be easier to find useful information if her chosen topic was narrower. With the amount of books in the library devoted to the topic of romance, it seemed probably that there was something...

However, all else aside, Akiha's reply had left one question unanswered.

"...Akiha-sama. What do 'friends with benefits' qualify as?"

She never should have taught her that term.

Akiha's head comes up sharply, her eyes wide.

"Who said that to you?!"

"You did, when objecting to the definition of 'girlfriend' programmed into my databanks."

"Oh."

Well, Akiha felt stupid. That must have been during her first time in the Gardens and she'd just forgotten about it.

"Friends with benefits is generally a pair of friends that feel sexual attraction to each other that wish to engage in the physical act without initiating a romantic relationship." That was enough Lambda-speak to be understood, right?

Apparently so.

"Understood." Lambda paused to think over the information she had received. Then, she added, "I do not have further questions at this time."

"I do," Akiha replied. "Who brought about your desire to understand these concepts?"

"Urd." She didn't hesitate to inform Akiha of as much.

The muscle along Akiha's jaw twitched. That goddess had been meddling with her cyborg. Now she knew more of what prompted that woman to talk of Lambda's dedication to her...

"Did she touch you?"

Yes, Akiha needs to know if she has to get a doll so Lambda can show here where the bad goddess touched her.

Lambda tilted her head, apparently not understanding what Akiha was getting at.

"...Yes. She placed her hands on my shoulders."

"Is that it?" Akiha was being very demanding.

Which, in turn, only made her more confused.

"...? Yes."

Of course, Urd had been mostly naked at the time, but Lambda didn't see any reason to mention as much.

"...good."

Akiha closed her eyes and counted to ten to calm her temper.

"...Akiha-sama?"

Her eyes opened. "What, Lambda?"

"...What was the purpose of those questions?"

"To see if her manner wit you was inappropriate," Akiha replied. "It it had bee, I would see to it that understood that inappropriate conduct had consequences."

"...Understood."

She didn't look like she actually got it.

"Are you sure?" Akiha tilted her head in question.

...

"I am uncertain what would constitute an 'inappropriate' manner."

Akiha gave a heavy internal sigh. Sometimes she wished she didn't have to educate Lambda like she did.

"Had she touched you in a way that made you uncomfortable or with the intent to elicit a sexual reaction from you... that would be inappropriate." She paused a moment, then frowned. "Just as I had when inverted."

Oh.

"Understood." She seemed more certain now that it had been explained in those terms. Having nothing more to say, she waited for Akiha to either ask her another question or dismiss her.

Akiha picked up her notebook again. "Was there anything else?"

"No."

(no subject)

ritsu_kouyou - 2012-09-16 21:07 (UTC) - Expand

cobbledtogether - 2012-09-17 15:52 (UTC) - Expand