prismatica | Text - Anonymous

I have a question, that...you'll probably understand my reasons for posting anonymously once you finish reading.

The local culture is very open and laid back about sexual interest. It's different as hell from my own home, where men who show sexual attraction are viewed as disgusting perverts and assumed to be dangerous, while people don't even fucking think about women having an interest in sex beyond wanting to have children. Some of the posts I've seen here would get everyone involved labeled sexual deviants for the shit they talk about in the open.

My question is, how do people adapt to it? I'm here doing my damn best to keep my mind out of the gutter because I've been taught thinking about anyone you don't want to date like that is disrespectful as hell and fucking creepy, but then I turn around and see people openly asking for hookups or rating each other's asses, and instead of people calling that shit skeevy, they either go along with it or treat it like a funny joke.

I know it's not prudishness, believe-you-fucking-me, my life would be easier if I was just naturally shy or reserved or whatever. It's an extreme form of culture shock, and I wish I didn't end up feeling like a dick constantly over the kinds of mental images I get from both the way people act in public around here and some of the things the prismals hand out as fucking party favors.

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1. There's nothing wrong with you for having thoughts about people you're not romantically involved with. I'm pretty sure we've all had a case of gutter mind. If you were going around jumping everyone you're having those thoughts about, that would make you a creep. Having them does not.

Compared to other places I've been, this one seems kind of tame. Aside from, y'know, the Prismals being single-minded about what they want us to do. Nobody's being manipulated or threatened into do it, unless you count Iris' unfortunate little side effect. But I'm pretty on the fence about that, considering it's less manipulation and more like a natural occurrence in the animal kingdom (albeit an amplified one).

2. I mean. None of us are being forced to interact with the network. Maybe don't look at every single post. Or filter out posts by people you're not friends with. I don't know. There's probably an easy way to do that.

3. Maybe try talking to your friends and whoever else. Don't necessarily go into explicit detail if you're not comfortable being that honest, but maybe try to explain the situation and request they tone it down a bit, at least at first. If they're not willing to even do that much, then it might be time to ask yourself if you really want to surround yourself with people who can't even take a moment to consider the fact that you're uncomfortable.

[...He takes a moment to consider, then logs in and opens a private message.]

What do you mean by manipulated or threatened? If you're comfortable talking about it, anyway.

The first point is more my problem. I have those thoughts even without seeing people talking about suggestive things, it's just harder not to when I see someone I'm already attracted to doing or saying something sexual.

Also, um...I hope you don't mind my language up there. It was easier to get this out by shoving my entire filter aside.

[Well, this is a surprise.]

The place I came here from was a little more... proactive about wanting people to have sex. The people in charge insisted that they needed us all to do so because it was the only way they could determine if any of us had what they called the deceit gene. I still don't buy that, but I was never able to figure out how I ended up there in the first place.

But again, there's nothing wrong with having sexual thoughts about people. I'm pretty sure that's just part of being attracted to people in general.

And you're fine. I've probably heard worse.

That sounds fucked up. Even if you got to pick your own partners, how could any consent be trusted, under those conditions?

...I can't help worrying about those thoughts turning into actions, especially during my moon phase. Cordis makes me much more impulsive, so I'm more likely to make a suggestive comment if something crosses my mind.

I've already been...much more forward than I should have been on one occasion.

It was an experience. That was one thing they didn't do, though. Pick our partners for us, that is.

[Small victories, she supposed.]

I feel like the solution there would be to try and arrange it so that the majority of your cycle is spent with people you're more comfortable with. That way if something does happen, it's not as big a deal.

Have you?

My appetite makes that trickier than I'd like. But I do try to keep a physical distance anyway, because I don't forget about the pheromones.

I...behaved rather seductively with someone else I like, during my first Cordis. I'm lucky she was just flustered, rather than actually upset.

For the record, the pheromones don't make you a creep any more than having thoughts about people does. Neither of them are something you have any control over.

[Which... isn't even close to anything he's said, but she figures it's something worth saying, and that it might help him to hear it.]

It happens. I can definitely relate to keeping your distance from most people during the cycle, though. There's a reason I tend to avoid my friends from home for those eight consecutive nights a month, after all.

It does make it harder to tell if someone is genuinely interested, though. I don't want to end up with someone only going along with me because they weren't thinking clearly.

For the record, though, I don't have the same guilt over people I know are interested, even while knowing about my more dangerous side.

I can see how that would make things complicated. Though I feel like that's probably a common worry amongst Cordis.

I'm glad to hear it. You deserve to not have to feel guilty about things all the time. And as far as I'm concerned, a little danger never hurt anyone.

It does seem to be. But since it's just airborne, staying downwind or communicating long-distance helps.

I don't think that's quite accurate, but I do try to only hurt people who deserve it, these days. Or people who ask.

I dunno. I live with a Cordis and I've never found the pheromones to be much of a problem.

[It's probably a good thing this is all text, though, because the snort-laughter in response to that next comment is a little ridiculous.]

That's very considerate of you. Have you considered going into business? I'm sure there are people floating around who'd be into that.

[She's teasing, mostly, but she's also not going to tell him that just yet.]

I think that would be...a bit too suggestive for me to offer freely.

I know there definitely are people into that sort of thing.

Just a bit, maybe.

There are probably people around that offer that kind of service, too.

So. People who ask, eh~? 🤔

I'm not at all against getting a bit rough with people who enjoy it.

Is that a request?

I mean.

It's not not a request.

I'll take it under consideration, then.

I'm meeting up with someone else soon, but my evening is clear.

I might have to take you up on that.

Well, you know where to find me if you do.

Text - Anonymous

text: un; nyerd

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