Yarkoz
Really Really Experienced
I really like the idea, but I'm not sure where I'd fit it in. I've considered starting a new branch off of the very earliest thread, so I can establish a slightly different tone that will make elements of a ghost story seem less jarring.
I think it would have to be too. The world would be to be slightly altered to accommodate it a bit more easily, like, on their first night, maybe someone (I'm thinking Heather or Kurt or Zack for various reasons) would introduce the rest to a scary story pow-wow, and one of them (probably one of the same three) would bring up the story of the "haunted, abandoned cabin, oooOOOooooOOoo," and so on. And imagining Zack and Victoria as amateur ghost hunters is hilarious to me.
And not knowing much about psychology, I can see that. From what I do understand there might be a symbolic rationale behind certain paraphilias but not consistently? Maybe I should look into it, as I have a very specific theme around why one might find spirits erotic.
As in, do people demonstrate the same paraphilia differently? They do, yeah. Some may channel it constructively into a hobby or a profession, or it just becomes a simple fetish, and if that's the case, it isn't a cause for concern or treatment. If it interferes with your daily life to the point that it's inappropriate or violates another's agency or prevents you from functioning in some way, then treatment is sought. I remember reading a case of a man who had to masturbate on cars, specifically newer Japanese models and often in showrooms. Other people might just get the thrill of doing it in a car, or even just masturbating alone in a car.
Social factors, brain chemistry, existing mental conditions or states or disorders, all of that plays it part, but the consensus is that most paraphilias originate because of some kind of conditioning early on in life that transmutes into a sexual experience. You see people having sex as a kid, and that steadily becomes ingrained through fantasies while masturbating, and eventually you find voyeurism arousing. That also works for stuffed animals, licking eyeballs, or many of the other random paraphilias. But not everything though -- psychologists once thought BDSM originated from conditioning in child abuse, something even my abnormal psychology book quietly endorsed, but there's no evidence for that. If anything, it seems to be a form of stress relief for most in the community.
Oh lord, I can ramble on!
Yes. YES.
Ahem. I'm a big fan of Heather/Kurt, so I can't wait to see what you come up with between them. I imagine that awareness might lead to an awkward morning after. Has anyone considered writing the two as having an on/off "kissing cousins" relationship? The tension between them is a major appeal, but I keep coming back to the idea of a mutual attraction beyond "I don't care if you're family and an asshole, you're hot."
Glad you like it, lol. But yeah, I've thought about that, and I think I can swing something in that direction
Now I'm thinking Taylor should pose as Heather and sleep with Zack, in order to get an honest appraisal of his skills.
And given he effects of the erotophilia, that just might be the case!
On my alternate path, I'm thinking about pairing up Heather and Kurt romantically, he hits on her so much that he ends up falling for her. But I'm really invested on my main story right now though, so I'm not sure when I'll come back to that alternate.
And I'm definitely curious about Zack's upcoming snag -- involving his sister, yes?