The serpiente are the descendants of a group that worshipped free will, beauty, and with that sensuality and sexuality. They see nothing immoral in admiring an attractive body, or displaying that body- A'isha said it to Rei; if Anhamirak had not wanted the body to be admired, she would not have made us attracted to it.
Among the serpiente, flesh is considered as sacred, as much a gift of the divine, as the spirit. Acts of beauty and passion, whether as art or intercourse, are also considered sacred. This is why, in their culture, there is no higher crime than rape, which is considered an assault against all of Anhamirak's most basic tenants.
So yes, serpiente do not believe there is anything wrong with sex before marriage, so long as both parties are willing and informed, and since they are open about discussing such things, it is very rare for a young man or woman to be taken advantage of- they know what they're getting into. And, of course, we're back to the concept that forcing such things, even if it's through emotional or mental coercion, *is* one of the greatest evils that a serpiente man or woman can commit.
Most serpiente do not take mates formally. It's only an expected custom among the royal house, where the Diente *must* produce heirs, and must have a way of ensuring that those heirs are his.
Avians
There, you have a different bundle of customs entirely, unsurprisingly. Among avians, physical intimacy is considered the last and least important part of a relationship. Avian ladies traditionally have their alistairs chosen by their parents when they are newly born, so the couple grows up together. By avian standards, they are "married" from that point, so the question of sex before marriage is moot.
Avian ladies are supposedly raised more or less ignorant of sexuality. Young men receive some kind of explanation from their fathers (or other older males) when they're old enough to understand, though certainly not with the assumption that they'll go about it any time soon. Again - a physical relationship comes absolutely last, and generally moves very slowly. Regardless what kind of physical relationship they have, even a pair bond is expected not to touch in public. If they *do* sleep together, they are expected to do so discreetly.
Sex *outside* the pair bond, a.k.a. adultery, is of course an absolute scandal. Avians are*rather sexist, so the punishments differ for men and women. An alistair who breaks his vows can potentially have his wings shorn, leaving him permanently grounded. For women, there is less of a legal punishment, and more of a social one; she'll generally end up ostracized from polite society, and her alistair has a choice of whether or not to stay with her. A single man who commits adultery with someone else’s pair bond is likely to stay very, very single. In either of the former cases, the guilty man would lose any position he held, and even if he weren’t exiled technically, he would never again be accepted into any lady’s household... or most men’s.
Falcons
Falcons, like the serpiente, are the descendents of the original thirteen members of Maeve’s coven- in this case, though, they come from the four followers of Ahnmik, Brysh, and Ecl (instead of Anhamirak, Namid, Kain, Kaya and Mehay; at some point, I’ll explain all eight powers. I’m working on a hyperfiction).
In many ways, falcons are similar to serpiente. Men and women are perceived as equals in society, (assuming, in this case, that they are equal in terms of lineage and power), with neither gender being more protected than the other, and with both taking equal responsibility for potential disagreements. As among the serpiente, sexuality is not a taboo subject. Casual lovers are probably even more common among falcons than serpents, since physical relationships can cross class boundaries far more easily than emotional ones- a trend that makes falcons differ sharply from their serpiente kin. Finally, monogamous pairings are almost unheard of among falcons, since as you may have gathered if you read Snakecharm, the royal house has enough trouble having children without limiting themselves to one potential mate. That, and they don’t really worry if they don’t have someone to inherit; the same Empress has ruled the falcons since Maeve’s day.
And speaking of children- the issue of birth control, when considered, is up to the female. Generally, it doesn’t come up at all, since falcons are due to the nature of their magics largely infertile, and thus children are precious and efforts are not made to avoid them. Usually. Of course, as Fen pointed out, exceptions are made- pt’vem (ie, the child of a peregrine and a merlin, two different falcons) and quemak (ie, the child of a falcon and an outsider) children are not desired. Also, kajaes (magicless) falcons are not allowed to breed. Punishment for violating any of those taboos is severe for both the mother and father.
Of course, on Ahnmik, punishment for violating most rules is severe.
Rape, as among the serpiente, is forbidden. The definition, however, is a little different. Ahnmik is the god of persuasion, manipulation, the mind, power, control – he is Anhamirak’s opposite. Thus, a certain level of coercion is considered not only acceptable but expected in falcon society. If you fall for it, that’s considered your own fault, if it’s anyone’s. And of course, if one of the royal house, or one of the Mercy (the guards of the royal house, and the police, judges, and executioners of Ahnmik), wants something, it is generally considered a good idea to give it to them.
And, finally, the concept of bisexuality or homosexuality in all three realms:
Among the avian courts, it’s not something that’s discussed. A pair bond isn’t intended to be a sexual union (though that is expected, in a silent “don’t talk about it” way). It’s an arranged pairing of two suitable people. Their preferences don’t really come into it, so gay or straight doesn’t matter.
Among the serpiente, what does it matter, male or female? Some are more what we would consider conservative than others, but generally, no one cares. Homosexuality would only be a problem in the royal line, since the Diente must produce heirs; if s/he doesn’t take an opposite-gender mate, s/he doesn’t get to take the throne, and that’s the way of it.
Among the shm’Ahnmik (falcons), it is again normally a non-issue. Sexuality is one of the few things on Ahnmik that has very few laws attached to it (provided you don’t breed accidentally with the wrong person), so same-sex partners are really not a problem. Bisexual magic-using falcons are however proportionally very rare. Children are desired enough that, given a choice, most falcons will choose only opposite-sex partners even for casual affairs. The exception would probably be among the aforementioned classes that are not allowed children, in which case the scales might tip the other direction for safety’s sake; I haven’t really thought much about it until right now.
Azteka
The Azteka include jaguars and quetzals, and frankly, most of my knowledge of them comes through Jaguar and his book, Jade, which is a rather biased source, as Jaguar’s family was something of a model of dysfunction, and many of the Azteka I know didn’t follow Azteka ways (Mitch worked for Midnight, Celeste was born and raised a slave, Kyle was raised by humans.)
My understanding is that Azteka are rather protective of their own. The priests and priestesses are protective of the family unit, as a blood-witch can only be raised and trained by a blood relative. As such, they are fiercely protective of their mates. Sexuality is considered natural and neither revered nor abhorrent, but relationships are expected to remain within the social strata. Affairs outside one’s social group can lead to ostracization. Affairs with non-Azteka are absolutely not allowed, especially for the higher classes. Blood witches who risk soiling the bloodline by having relations with an outsider will be exiled- regardless whether those relations were willing or not. I am not certain how the Azteka view same-sex relationships.
Mistari
The Mistari are actually a collection of dozens of tribes who are mutually ruled by the Disa and Dio. Values vary greatly between one tribe and the next, with the responsibility for decisions falling on the leader of an individual tribe.
Mistari do not have any kind of formal marriage, however, most Mistari do engage in some form of long-term monogamous relationship. In these relationships, men and women are afforded equal status. Children are raised communally by the tribe. When they reach adulthood, they often choose partners from other tribes, at which point the partner from the larger tribe usually joins the smaller tribe to add to its power. Though these relationships are considered monogamous, there are no legal repercussions to separation, especially since custody is not in question. There is no stigma attached to amicable separation. Separation based on other factors, including adultery, is considered an individual issue. It only goes before the tribe leader (Bwana Mistari or Bibi Mistari; judge, jury and executioner in his or her own tribe) if the conflict escalates and has the potential to harm the tribe as a whole.
The exception to this free-for-all, lassie fair approach to relationships and sexuality is the relationship between the Bibi and Bwana Mistari. The Mistari are known as great and fair thinkers, but their laws are very harsh and very final among themselves. Either a male (Bwana) or a female (Bibi) may be leader; the position is earned through a formal challenge. Women may only challenge a Bibi Mistari, and men may only challenge the Bwana Mistari. The only way for the leadership to change from male to female or female to male is for the leader to cede his/her power to his/her mate, at which point positions inverse. It’s all very complicated. Mistari law is a hoot, all loops and whirls... anyway! Relationships...
If a new Bwana Mistari (going with one just for the sake of telling; you could inverse the roles. In this case, it’s the Bwana with the power) challenges the old, and wins, he wins the leadership structure that was appointed by the previous Bwana- including among other things the Bibi Mistari. If he doesn’t care for the previous leader’s mate, he can refuse her at a ceremony known as Badilisha; refusal means exile from the tribe, or execution. The Bibi and Bwana Mistari do not need to be a monogamous couple, and for exactly this reason, they often aren’t. However, whether or not they are is entirely the decision of the side of the pair with the power at the time.
Didn’t understand that? Don’t take it personally. This is one of those reasons I only wrote the one book about the Mistari...
Cougars
Cougars are an interesting case, because they are the only shapeshifters who share the breeding-based weakness of their animal counterparts; they go into season. As such, their views on sexuality very well defined. Almost all female cougars choose mates when they reach maturity, for their own safety if nothing else. Same-sex relationships are open and not discriminated against, since when your species the problem of going into heat, no one is really going to challenge whether or not your sexuality is a “choice.” Besides, you won’t be able to stay in the closet very long anyway.
In general, cougars view sexuality as very natural and are as open and unabashed about it as serpiente. There’s really no room for shame. Especially since it is the point in time during which she risks getting pregnant, it is considered very bad form to take advantage of a woman who is in season. It isn’t considered outright rape unless the woman has specifically said no prior to losing her decision making capacity, but if she has family or friends, the man who makes the mistake of abusing her incapacitation is going to find himself in a barrel of trouble. A queen with no mate and no chosen lover is usually watched over by brothers or older (post-menopausal) female relatives.
Leopards
The leopards were at the height of their power among the Shantel. I know that the Shantel are very physical in general; it’s actually an insult not to touch someone in greeting or even during conversation. However, I actually know very little about their cultural views on relationships beyond that. Though Arami Hara had a relationship with Prince Lucas for a while, and it wasn’t a shock to anyone, so I suppose that says something.
Wolves, Lions
Both of these groups is really a collection of dozens of packs/prides, each of which operates on an independent culture. You might as well say “Americans,” meaning everyone from South America to Canada.
Pakana (hyenas)
Pakana (often referred to simply as Pack) mate with Pakana. The Pakana gene lasts an unusually long time as a recessive gene, and so Pakana are often (well, not often, but more often than other elavie) born to human parents, which is a great problem since they are almost exclusively attracted to others of their own kind. Otherwise heterosexual Pakana often end up in homosexual relationships if the only other Pakana they know happen to be of the same sex, not because it turns them gay, but because Pack are drawn to each other. These relationships are not looked down on by other Pakana, since it’s well accepted that Pack needs the presence of Pack to survive and thrive.
Among themselves, Pakana are almost always physically intimate. Plutonic touch is almost a necessity for survival. If you ever see a heterosexual couple curled up naked together and it’s not sexual, they’re probably Pack who didn’t have a change of clothes. A natural extension of this cultural value is that, so long as it’s mutually consensual, sexuality is absolutely fine and dandy and good. Non-Pakana are often confused by the fact that Pakana can be lovers for years, and then if one decides to end that physical side of their relationship, they can almost always easily go back to the perfectly plutonic relationship- almost as if their sexuality came with an on/off switch.
Foxes
And yey for women’s lib? Okay, that’s something severely lacking among the vie vulpus elavie. Female births outnumber male births. Only the males are educated (and I do mean *at all*). Males can have up to a dozen wives. It’s a lousy way to live, at least if you’re a woman. I don’t know where this culture came from. I abhor it.
Desmodus (bats)
I know absolutely nothing about Desmodus views on relationships or sexuality...
Rajar
Our last group is fascinating due to the fact that the Rajar are the only elavie that were their animal forms *first* and given human form by Leben- quite an experiment. Rajar include manta and spotted eagle rays, and several types of moray eel. Relationships and sexuality outside of the water are a new thing introduced by a bunch of humans who were stranded on the island... weren’t they surprised. Most Rajar mate and give birth in the water, but they have been known to mate on dry land if they are mating with a human. Courtship among Rajar is a drawn out process, which often takes months or even years. There is no more shame about sexuality, or more formality about relationships, than among their animal counterparts, and if you tried to explain the idea to them they would look at you with absolute confusion.
