I kinda have an idea for Lisa. Similar to Brandon, if Lisa sees Zack having sex with someone else, it might push her to get adventurous just to spite him. So I'll get her to the party on my next thread and lay some groundwork for the pair I have in mind. Other than Kendra or Victoria, it's hard to think of someone Shawn has any kind of chemistry with, and even with those two there are obstacles. It's also pretty easy to come up with a slapstick excuse to get Shawn out of the way. The group could throw Shawn outside, lock the doors, and wish him luck with the bears. Or they could tie him to a chair so all he can do is watch the orgy and jerk off. Or he's the only one who's been drinking heavily, so he falls asleep before the orgy even starts.
Curious to see what's going to be your idea for her, then. I guess that if she gets it on with another guy just to make Zack jealous, it could go a few different ways, such as Zack not caring or getting a bit angry and doing her himself for a while, she can even find herself in a new relationship by the end of the festivities. Loved both ideas about Shawn, tying him up or the heavy drinking putting him out of action.
I can see Hannah in this timeline being both director and major participant, given her instigation of this entire shindig and being bi -- especially in having fun with both Bishop siblings. This might force Heather to want to save face in front of Hannah -- I don't think she wants to be seen as a slouch given her reputation, despite the fact that it's been enhanced by rumor and gossip, and she's rather sexually liberated anyway. She may even want to try and compete with her over Zack, leading to a threesome that can only be described as his ultimate fantasy right now. With Zingiber's go-ahead, I'm writing the next scene now, and I hope to have it up by the end of the day or the next morning. It does involve Shawn, though tangentially since he's not the viewpoint character, but given the discussion about how to include him, I try and address that a bit. Patzo's idea of strapping him to a chair with his cock out might be the most fun away, I gotta say.
It's a really good theory about what may happen with Zack, Hannah and Heather, I can definitely see it happening. I imagine the whole night can be considered as Hannah's ultimate fantasy too, seeing as she enjoys sex so much and doesn't mind a go with both sexes, getting to participate and direct an orgy like that must be an early Christmas present to her. Strapping Shawn to a chair, unable to do anything or making him fall drunk before things happen and then wake up the next morning amidst an ocean of naked bodies with one thought on his head "What the fuck did I miss?". I guess both would be a fun way of dealing with him.
On a different note, I've (mostly) finished the first night of the erotophilia threads. Colin and Lisa are still hanging out at the beginning in the ranger station, and Hannah and Shawn are still fucking (which surprisingly is to Shawn' dismay as being dominated isn't his fetish), and I'll finish them with a bang, but I want to charge ahead into the next morning right now. Before that though, I want to explain a bit about what the erotophilia is and how I developed it, in case anyone wants to contribute at any of the branching points but doesn't know exactly how. I understand this is a bit of a selective interest for me and certainly isn't everyone's thing, but I hope that this does much in elucidating my additions to duskford's great story. The erotophilia is an actual word I stole from the psychological literature. (I used to be a psych major, and I have all of these weird words and concepts I have no practical use for anymore, so I write erotica as a hobby -- go figure.) Literally it means "to love sex" and is used to describe a person who has relaxed and positive attitudes and behaviors toward sex. They tend to be sexually active earlier than average, usually have more sexual partners throughout their lives, have a keen interest in their own sexual health, and may even be involved in occupations or sociopolitical movements revolving around sex and sexuality. In contrast, erotophobes ("to hate/fear sex") exist, who abstain or avoid sexual situations or activities involving sex for whatever reasons. They tend not to be interested in their sexual health or are more likely to associate sexual activity with guilt and repression. As you can imagine, they can be more domineering and controlling individuals and support more traditional gender roles and societal values. These qualities aren't universal though and can take on varying forms, but this is probably what you would find in a sexual psychology textbook. My erotophilia though is more akin to a reaction to chemical signals in the air like pheromones. I think pheromones or other biological vectors like viruses receive a lot of play in the sci-fi based erotica world for obvious reasons -- it's a great plot device to get straight to the sexyfuntimes. Here on Chyoa, it's been done before too -- "Cleopatra Virus", "In Space, No One Can Hear You Breed", and "Futa Apocalypse" are the some of the more famous examples in my opinion. And I have to admit that this is one of my fetishes. Raw, animalistic sex where both (or more) partners are simply doing it for relief of sexual tension or for the more basal instinct of procreation is fun to read and write for me, and combining that with the lowering of inhibitions imposed by society or higher brain functions is a natural conclusion. Hence, the erotophilia -- a complex signaling of chemical stimuli designed to induce a population boom through mass reproduction. Real things like this do happen in nature. Ophiocordyceps unilateralis is a fungus that infects ants and compels them to march to the highest point they can find, then die. The spore-forming stalk eventually sprouts from its hind end and it disperses in the wind. Other ants can be infected by Myrmeconema neotropicum, a parasite that turns its abdomen into a bright, red ball that looks like a cherry or another kind of berry. Birds like berries, and so are tricked into snapping the ant's butt off, and the parasite can complete its life cycle in the bird. I largely based the effects of erotophilia though on the parasite Toxoplasma gondii, which predominantly infects mice after incubating in cats. It depresses the mice's fear response and makes them attracted to cat urine, so they'll be more likely to be killed by said cats. Toxoplasma gondii can then happily infect another cat, and its life goes on. The intriguing thing is that Toxoplasma gondii infections may actually happen in humans with similar effects. Independent surveys have shown that multiple cat owners engage in riskier behavior and often don't mind the smell of cat urine compared to control groups. (Some even report to love the smell, as it reminds them of their love for their cats -- it's bizarre.) Since this is the only evidence of a parasite influencing human behavior, biologists have been wondering if there are others, and I ran with the idea. What's more basic in life than reproduction? Especially if population numbers are declining or stagnant for some reason? What if nature is trying to self-correct something that's out of balance and people just get caught up in the middle? That's the reason behind the erotophilia, and what Dr. Amy Jefferson, the character I introduced at the beginning of the branch, has been researching. She'll appear officially later in my main thread, but that's her reasoning. The Silver Lake Park has seen a decline in wildlife numbers in the same pattern that evidence from the geological record has shown before, which wa followed by a huge population boom. She hasn't received a lot of support for the idea, but manages to eke out enough money from other grants to further her research. More elements of the erotophilia will be introduced as it goes along, especially when Amy comes in to investigate, but I can give you a basic run down of what they are (I think anyway -- some parts may be subject to change): Sudden zoonotic erotophilia is a periodic event as discussed earlier, happening on intervals of many thousands of years or spurred on by a huge outside influence like a mass extinction event or chemical interference like pollution. (I have my own trigger, but spoilers!) Various chemicals are released into the air from various sources. It's a cascade, one thing triggers another until the end result is reached. The erotophilia is only active at night. (Patzo and duskford got this.) This allows the characters to discuss -- if they want to -- what happened over the night before and allows them to rest, because they'll need it realistically. My in-universe reasoning will be that key chemicals in the cascade deteriorate in sunlight. All major branches of life are affected, which in this case means plants and animals. Bacteria, viruses, fungi, and so forth aren't, and you can insert whatever reason why, but mostly because I'd imagine that, if they were, Silver Lake would be knee-deep in slime molds and bacterial biofilms like plaque on teeth, and that's just not sexy. In regards to the last two points, I have used the wildflower motif when talking about the erotophilia effects to the characters, and they've noticed them only to immediately forget after inhaling the air around them. It can be the author's discretion to decide if the flowers are the main source of the cascading chemicals or victims themselves in the larger phenomenon. (Again, I have my own idea, but spoilers!) The erotophilia largely makes cognitive and emotional changes in whoever it affects. It lowers their inhibitions and permits more risky behavior, like unprotected sex, and allows people to explore their sexuality. Some individuals may be more susceptible than others, but, so far, no one has shown full immunity. (I contemplated having Heather and Kurt be immune for a time actually, but decided that they have some resistance and are more aware of their actions than, say, Jennifer and Brandon.) Affection that would otherwise be platonic or familial may be twisted into something more sexual, dredging up either long-suppressed urges or fixating on fleeting sexual thoughts. People who are silently attracted to one another would no longer be quiet about it, and old fantasies with other lovers can be reimagined with someone new. The drive toward reproduction would be relentless, and the brain would find any way to justify it because of the chemical influence. Based on the level of exposure and resulting effects, some changes may be permanent because of the changes in neurological connections, but how the permanence is manifested may not be readily apparent. (I'm really only considering this for one character though -- take a guess who -- and those changes may abate over time.) Some physical changes happen too, but nothing drastic. Stamina and strength is increased, but only as long as the chemicals can influence it. In this sense, nothing is permanent. And I think that's everything I wanted to cover here. Any questions, comments, or concerns? And, as always, my eternal thanks to duskford for allowing this in his story. I've had a heck of a lot of fun, and I'm glad that people can get that fun out of my writing.
A huge thanks to you, Yarkoz, for going in-depth about the erotophilia, it'll sure help anyone who wants to contribute to the threads. I've had a few ideas for alternate paths myself, such as Hannah finding out Jennifer outside the cabin instead of Brandon, and both of them ending up joining Zack and Ashley at the kitchen; the only thing to do would be to find the time to write it, what with my main thread and our collaborative effort on the orgy branch. A few points: I'm very curious to meet Dr. Amy Jefferson, somehow I suspect she'll become a fan-favorite. I've found interesting the concept that the erotophilia only awakens at night, it'd be fun to see the characters' desperation on chatting/discussing/whatever during the day because the night is approaching and they'll most likely lose control and start fucking like rabbits. Based on what I've read so far, my guess on who's changing is Chloe, she started acting nearly animalistic there with Peter, turning almost into a female wolf. It's me who should be thanking you for adding such an interesting and creative branch to the story, it's like I've said some time ago, the amount of different stories that can span just from a few teens hopping into a car and go spend a few days in the woods is insane. I've had a lot of bizarre ideas for branches as well, but again, not nearly enough time to write it, such as them stumbling into a secret government facility and discovering a conspiracy, encountering real-life celebrities on nearby cabins, another one where the guys have to watch helplessly as the girls get seduced by older men from other cabins, that's just to mention a few of them.
So let me get this straight. It emerges once every few thousand years. It only comes out at night. And it affects your brain like the zombie fungus. Yarkoz, I dig this kind of movie, but the sexy teenagers don't always live to see the credits roll. With my parasite squicks acknowledged, I love the idea of the erotophilia as you're employing it. Mad, desperate sex to satisfy the need is incredibly hot, but I also like that it's not directly threatening, it's just so baffling and so powerful you can't really do anything about it. I like stories about... not apocalypses, but natural forces beyond the limit of our control, black swan events that no one can predict or respond to. "Outside context problems," if you get that reference. As for specific points, my interpretation was the flowers were equally affected by the phenomenon, rather than the cause of it. As for slime molds and bacteria, I'd imagine whatever is happening only affects complex organisms that reproduce sexually. Science! PS: For anyone who wants to know more about the things Yarkoz is talking about (and you don't, but I'm already cursed with it, so now you're cursed with it), here's a news article and a short story about human parasites. Blegh.
You're not the only one. Some of the ideas I've had for this story include someone releasing a sex demon, aliens abducting the girls, someone finding a magic artifact and using it to their advantage, flash forwards to just after college and when they're in their 30's, an apocalyptic future where these people are all that's left, a few action-adventure plots, and even some dead-end plot lines.
Wow. I guess this is where I cop to my idea about the vaccine that's contagious so you can protect large populations without having to administer it individually, but then it mutates so people with the vaccine are attracted to the people who don't, and that's how it spreads because erotica. EDIT: Oh whoa I completely forgot about the "spectrophilia" thing Yarkoz and I talked about way back when. That's the one with the haunted cabin that terrifies Heather and Kurt so everyone goes there and they have sex with ghosts. I may or may not be spinning that off into its own story...
One of the most bizarre I've thought of is Zack becoming a villain-smasher vigilante when they come back to town. LOL, a lot of my ideas aren't even plausible to develop.
Alas, only so many hours in the day. Even for this story I'm not sure we can pull more than one Cabin in the Woods meta-twist.
I... would be lying if Lovecraft/Alien/John Carpenter didn't play a role in developing the story, Patzo. *shifty eyes* And I didn't even mention the ichneumon wasp, which captures caterpillars and lays its eggs in them -- while they're still alive. Darwin even used its very existence as a reason why he didn't believe in God. Seriously. Remember kids, nature is terrifying! And sweet, awesome Turtledove story! That's reminds me of "The Screwfly Solution," another short story that's decidedly darker, if you can believe that. Wiki has a good summary of it -- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwfly_Solution -- Also, in case anyone is interested, there's a great book on parasites by Carl Zimmer, Parasite Rex, which has some pictures that would do H. R. Giger proud. (I'm probably not helping, am I Patzo? ) Definitely, it's a black swan! These kinds of stories are a reminder that we're still apart of nature I think, that we're not above its workings or separate from its effects -- and that sometimes we need to be reminded harshly. (Guess that's why I like any kind of disaster movie, even the more milquetoast ones where humans survive with much of what they had intact, but something important is missing -- the reboot of The Day the Earth Stood Still sticks out in my mind. The Happening is a lot like this too, but frankly I didn't care for it, but that's another discussion.) And that's a good interpretation, let's stick with it! Some bacteria still sexually reproduce (look up "sex pilus" and try not to laugh out loud like I did in microbiology) and lots of fungi do, but really it's quite different. Still though, having a bunch of random mushrooms popping up all over the place might be an interesting scene. (Yay, mushroom sex.) And the reference, I really need to read more Ian M. Banks Zack would make a great Mad Max. Speaking of which: Or Ash Williams. (That remind me, I need to finish Burn Notice.) It got stuck that way after materializing in 1910's rural America. He wishes it was a police call box or something cool.
Oh, did you post something, Yarkoz? So sorry. I was in the shower, scrubbing until I was too numb to feel the creepy-crawlies. I've never read "The Screwfly Solution" before, but I have heard of it. My background is in geology, so I'm fascinated by the idea of forces working on a scale, in terms of energy or time expended, that dwarfs anything civilization can reproduce. That's why I love Lovecraft and his ilk but find it hard to get into most apocalyptic stories: seeing people struggle to restructure their lives around these forces is more interesting to me than ultimate death (especially when "ultimate death" looks like a bad ripoff of The Walking Dead or The Road Warrior). You might find Jeff Vandermeer's novel Annihilation and its sequels a good read, since "we're not above its workings or separate from its effects" is their theme to a T. Nature is terrifying, for sure, but more often I find it "awesome" in its original meaning: evoking awe. Life as we know it is so specific to our species and our moment in the history of planet Earth. And you really can't read enough Iain M. Banks... which means I really need to get around to finishing Matter.
In my main thread I'm building on this idea. Lisa is coming to help Gavin, but she is also doing what she does to get back at Zack. And Zack's jealousy will help provide some conflict between him and Vicky
So with the "bad ending" storyline now thrown out there wanted to throw out an idea I've been thinking about. How about a horror movie type storyline? the story I've been thinking about wouldn't have gory details about killing or anything, but would be more of a mystery. But not the type of thing I would ever start w/o permission.
I wonder if a storyline like that might be happier as a spinoff story, so you could edit and drive it forward? The story map is also getting kind of big. Of course, if the horror storyline is popular with contributors especially, it would be mutually beneficial to the new storyline and the rest of the story because they'd get more attention. -Z.
:3 -- I see why you went with geology, lol. Seriously though, I'm curious, how far did you get into it? Ever had a job with a geological society? He's on my reading list now. It's like it's post-post apocalyptic fiction -- what happens when humans start actually rebuilding civilization? What does it look like? I love The Walking Dead too, and absolutely adored World War Z (the book of course) for that theme. I love a good apocalypse myself, but I'm with you there. The social and political forces of the aftermath is much more interesting. World War Z is the best example of that I've read so far. Really, you could substitute anything in that book instead of zombies -- like a massive plague or super-flu for instance, a real and frightening prospect -- and the resulting attitudes and politics might be the same. In a similar vein, I've started reading World Without Us by Alan Wiseman where he goes in depth into what happens to our civilization if we suddenly vanished one day. Needless to say, and the proof of how powerful nature is, not much remains. The scary thing is our existence might be only marked by a thick layer of compressed, plastic sludge dotted with stainless steel cookware and crushed styrofoam. Our synthetic chemicals and materials outlive everything else we've made. (As George Carlin once said, "Maybe Earth needed us to make things it couldn't make by itself. What's the meaning of life? Plastic!") Another one on the reading list! Well, a spinoff might be more beneficial in the future. Opera gets indigestion from loading the storymap for me now. I know you were planning a sequel for the future duskford, what do you say about a Joey to your Friends? (More successful of course.)
By the way, back to the orgy, I posted the next thread. It's definitely longer than most of my contributions, but in editing it, I kept adding to it, and I felt compelled to keep all of the scenes in. I think it still flows fairy well? -- http://chyoa.com/story/6097/thread/192650
