"Protection? Like a spear?"

"...no, not like a spear. I dunno what it is but it's stuff they use to not have children."

"So, figured out what babies are for yet?"

"No! That takes years! And puberty!"

"Puberty?"

"Yeah, that thing that happens when you're like eleven or twelve that makes your brain act all weird and makes you want to have sex with people and makes your body change in ways that help you have sex with people."

"Yeah, I've seen that happen. Looked scary, but the big kids looked like they were having fun. Sometimes."

"Ew."

"Other times they seemed upset about nothing. And confused by by very simple things."

"Again: ew. And I still think if you don't like or even understand the process for making babies you shouldn't make babies."

"I didn't say we were going to try right now!"

"No but you thought I'd have figured it out in like ten minutes and you can't know you'll want to do it with her. For all you know you're gay. Or she's gay."

"I think I heard that word in a song? It means old, right?"

"What word?"

"Gay."

"...no, gay means you like people of the same gender."

"Oh, that. Humans have a lot of weird words for things."

"It's better than having no words! Anyway, if you're gay or she's gay you won't be making any babies together."

"Not true, I heard humans could make babies without mating!"

"...yeah, I guess. You still shouldn't be having babies in the next like fifteen years."

"My mothers had me and my sister when they were only two times my age."

"Okay, maybe mer are different."

"I think I was her first baby, I'm not sure."

"Well, you said babies are raised by the whole tribe so I guess it's not all that bad."

"Yeah. I still like my mummy, though."