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.
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