//------------------------------//
// Courtship 
// Story: Changelings: A Summary 
// by HypernovaBolts11 
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	The courtship customs of changelings are, as my associate has described them to me, more of a ritual affair than a selective one. I am willing to infer that this is due to a sudden drop in the population of reproductive males, but the process is interesting nonetheless.

A drone will stand in a line alongside the queen's selection of other potential suitors, while she watches from a distance, and each male will take turns going about their individual acts. These auditions of sorts range from intricate dancing and flight displays, to simply showing off their sexual prowess by demonstrating on a nearby worker.

She will almost never show favoritism while this goes on, and will fend off any males that get too close while it is not their turn. If she is pleased enough during an audition, she will allow the demonstrating male to touch her in certain ways, but keeping the plates of armor that guard her hindquarters closed, preventing him from copulating with her.

The males will then attempt to collaborate, often to arrange colorful gems in special patterns or perform displays of magic.

After having attempted to woo her as a group, she will select the drones she fancies, and allow them to copulate with her, a process which cannot be completed until his body absorbs a sufficient amount of love from her, indicating that she is satisfied with him.

This is a safeguard against greedy drones getting their way, and a bit humorous, come to think of it, because it means that a selfish bedmate never gets to mate. My associate even tells me stories of drones simply humping away until they collapse from exhaustion.

The queen will often let the failed candidates watch, whether to spite or motivate them to try harder next time I don't know. She will spend a week or two rutting any of her suitors that happen to be conscious, storing their sperm for later use, and then a few months depositing eggs inside of workers. The gestation period can vary widely in duration, depending on the class of changeling the egg(s) develop into; three months for workers; soldiers, six; drones, eight to ten; queens, unknown.

While drones do exist for the sole purpose of reproducing, the queen will keep her selected mates around long after she is done and they've had their fun. She will have workers bring the most desirable prisoners to them for sustenance, and spend what little free time she gets with her chosen mates, ensuring that they are well fed and respected by her subjects.

Incumbent drones will often attempt to strengthen their bonds with the queen, doing minor favors for her, and busying themselves with cleaning her living quarters while she isn't around, which is one less job for the workers to take care of.

But, after a month or two, she will have exhausted the supply of sperm provided by her chosen mates, and allow them one chance to impress her before she assembles what drones have gathered around the hive to repeat the entire process. If they fail, the workers will kick them out of the hive until the next time she needs a mate, giving the other drones a chance to strut their stuff.