now and forever

7

You sat down on the throne pillow in front of your friends who were now seated on the floor in front of you. It felt like a bizarre classroom setting for animatronics. Except they were learning about your most intimate organ instead of how to read or write. You briefly wondered if you'd get in trouble for teaching them about something that clearly wasn't in their program in the first place. Well, it was either that or have them think you were dying, and despite how nice the pampering was, you didn't want them to suffer any longer.

"Before we begin, I just want to make it very clear to you that this is to not be repeated to anyone, especially the children. This is something the parents must teach them, and not to be heard from their favorite animatronic at the PizzaPlex. Do you understand?" You asked, and was met with vigorous nodding. You took a deep breath, and just gave yourself a moment before you jumped headfirst into this bizarre conversation.

"For starters, I think I should explain where the bleeding is coming from. You see, I have this organ in my lower abdomen called a uterus. This is a very special organ as it is where babies are formed and held until birth." You began, getting a feel of the footing you had in this. So far, they all looked fascinated by what you had to say. Apparently their understanding of human biology was very limited, and they absorbed everything new like a sponge.

"Of course, the baby needs nutrition if it is to grow big enough to survive outside of the mother's body. So, to prepare for this, the uterus spends roughly three weeks lining itself with blood and tissue. That is what feeds the baby so to speak should I get pregnant." You paused, taking in the other's response so far. They still looked interested, their eyes sparkling with new knowledge. That sparkle would most likely fade into horror once you got into the rest of it.

"If I'm not pregnant by the time the fourth week rolls around, however, then the lining becomes too old to be useful. The uterus forcefully sheds the blood and tissue built up over the weeks. This is commonly referred to as a "period". The bleeding takes anywhere between 3-7 days depending on the person, and various factors throughout the month. So, as you can see, I am not dying. This is a natural part of my biology, and the blood I'm losing is not in any way a threat to my life. Are there any questions?" Just as you thought, everyone looked traumatized by the lesson. You stayed quiet to let them gather their thoughts.

"Does it hurt?" Sun asked after a few minutes of silence.

"Incredibly so. Sometimes it's so bad that I can barely walk. That's why I was taking pain killers earlier. Compared to period cramps, my bruised wrist barely hurts at all." You explained, and they all looked even more sickened by the news.

"Is there a way to turn it off?" Roxy asked.

"Some take birth control to shut off their periods. Of course this means they can't get pregnant, which is probably what they're after to begin with. Others have a full on hysterectomy, which means they have their uterus surgically removed. I choose not to use those options since I want kids someday, and I don't want to risk that being hindered by anything." You said, a flicker of their earlier fascination enter their eyes. Well, except for Freddy, the poor guy looked the most traumatized out of all of them.

"Why? Just... why?" he asked, only meeting your gaze for seconds at a time.

"Unlike most animals, humans don't have a mating season, so the body has to make sure it's always ready to carry a baby. This is what nature dictated to be the best option." You shrugged your shoulders.

END OF OPTIONAL

Everyone fell silent as they processed everything they just learned. Some of them looked like they'd be sick if they had stomachs, and Freddy looked like a puppy was brutally slaughtered right in front of him. You felt a little guilty, but not too guilty since you did make an effort to prevent this very conversation. It wasn't your fault your friends were curious gremlins who went through your dirty laundry! You were still a little salty about that, but decided to let it go. They had been punished enough as it was.