Text - Anonymous

[foolishjustice]

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.

Comments

anon

[fineprinted]

I think you're perfectly valid for airing this out - I don't think you're the only one who's initially uncomfortable with how this planet encourages being more sexually active. But think of it as teenage hormones growing more rampant than usual, I guess? At least that's how I've thought of it lately.

Or maybe it all depends on our circumstances growing up. I live in Japan for one, and that country is a lot more conservative than most if you don't take a peek at the less savory parts of a certain entertainment industry. For some of us, it's rather liberating to partake in that kind of intimacy after being withheld from it for so long, due to many reasons.

[foolishjustice]

I'm from Japan too, and I can't say the number of Japanese people here hasn't made me worry about the things I've already managed to loosen up about. It makes me pretty damn nervous sometimes, being openly bisexual and polyamorous.

That certain entertainment industry is another of the things I'm having to work to adapt to. I'm not used to thinking of it as something that's actually respected enough to have some decent fucking regulations to keep the workers from being exploited.

[fineprinted]

It's actually comforting that there's a large number of us from Japan, actually! We're probably from alternate versions of Earth, but knowing that there are some commonalities between our versions of Japan is quite interesting. ♪

I still need to observe if the entertainment world here in Prismatica is the same as the one in Japan, but we can only hope that it wasn't as bad as back home. That career path isn't really for everyone, after all, no matter what planet you're in. Though with how liberating this place is, all you've got to do to keep persevering is to keep an open mind and trust to instinct, I guess. Culture shock is one thing, but humans are rather adaptable so one can't keep using that excuse for long.

[foolishjustice]

My experiences back home were pretty shitty, so seeing people from somewhere similar makes me worry they brought the kinds of prejudices that fucked up my life along with them.

I actually checked things out myself during the Vulpus Astra festival. All of the workers said their conditions were fine, even when none of their coworkers could hear them, and they didn't act like people trying to pretend things are better than they are. As far as I've been able to find out, it's no worse than any other customer service job, here.

[fineprinted]

Mm, I'm sorry that happened to you. But I guess people with those kinds of prejudices are inevitable, so the best you can do is surround yourself with the ones who do care and support for you, especially in a world where it's detrimental to be alone for long periods of time.

But, well... That's good to know? Though I'm not sure why they even started kidnapping people out of nowhere? Unless it's for their own entertainment.

[foolishjustice]

I do at least know some people who don't seem to give a shit about if someone's illegitimate. And there are a lot of people here who come from cultures where it's not a big deal to begin with.

I've also done some research into Moonblessings, and the Prismals are as clueless about why we're here as we are. For whatever reason, they can't produce Chroma, but people from other worlds can, and the planet's been dying without it.

[fineprinted]

Oh, that's good to hear. For me, it doesn't matter if one's illegitimate or otherwise. That's their business that I have no right to pry on.

Fufu, that explains the special treatment we've been getting since arriving here. Though maybe they should've extended an invite in advance instead of pulling us away from our obligations back home? I myself don't think that I'm a right fit here, yet here I am.