Love Endures (A SV-Original Erotica Quest)

And here are our results!

Thematic Focus
Sex is Intimate and Beautiful.
[Majority Win: 17 and 16 votes.]
The votes have spoken: this quest will first and foremost be a romantic drama. It'll be about falling in love and sharing your heart - and all the missteps along the way.

Sex is also Fun...
[Majority Win: 15 votes.]
You've also said quite strongly that you want a healthy dose of fluff and comedy in this quest. When combined with the above two votes, this basically says we're going to be having a slice-of-life story...

... and Intriguing.
[Majority Win: 14 votes]
... about a girl who happens to be able to change the world. The slower pace dictated by the slice-of-life genre means that we'll be able to treat her work realistically, with a minimum of hand-waving: we'll follow her ideas through every step of their development, watching her refine and polish them until they're ready to be shared with humanity.

Still, from time to time, Sex is Weird and Challenging.
[Minority Inclusion: 11 and 9 votes.]
While the earlier votes tell me that you all want this quest to be a realistic, intimate and uplifting experience, you've still given me leeway to use some genuinely strange and stressful elements if need be. Thanks! <3

Issue
Our heroine is a virgin.
[Majority Win: 17 votes.]
She's had many online encounters, but she's yet to have any non-solo experiences in the physical world.

She's also ashamed of one of her kinks...
[Majority Win: 15 votes.]
She's also into something that she doesn't want to be. Perhaps this is why she hasn't had any face-to-face encounters?

... which means she's missing something about her own sexual preferences.
[Minority Inclusion: 10 votes]
Between her lack of physical experience and her embarrassment about what she's into, our heroine has managed to miss something important about her own sexuality. While her overall image of her tastes is correct as far as it goes, she's missing out on a major category of experiences she'd really enjoy.

However, our heroine isn't misinformed.
She's got good research skills and an incisive mind: if she ever had any major misconceptions about sexuality, they've long since been corrected.

Passion
Our heroine is the head of an organization.
[Majority Win: 14 Votes]
She expresses her passion for sexuality through her work! We'll solidify what this means in our next vote.

She's also seriously into a particular kink!
[Majority Win: 14 Votes]
She spends an amazing amount of her time on a single major kink she holds. We'll be defining this more in our next vote as well.

... and she might develop a serious relationship.
[Minority Inclusion: 13 Votes]
Our heroine is also on the edge of a major romantic step for her! It has the potential to become true love - but will it?


Vote 3.1: Making It Concrete
Up until now, we've been speaking in fairly general, abstract terms - but now we've got enough detail to start defining our heroine's life.

First things first: let's see how our earlier votes overlap.

Is the kink she's ashamed of the same kink that she's passionate about?
[ ][Guilty Pleasure] Yes.
[ ][Guilty Pleasure] No.

Is the kink she's passionate about significant to the organization she heads?
[ ][Kink Community] Yes.
[ ][Kink Community] No.

Does the organization she heads "Do Science"? (Research, Invention, etc.)
[ ][Think Tank] Yes.
[ ][Think Tank] No.

Does the organization she heads "Do Art"? (Performances, exhibits, etc.)
[ ][Bohemian] Yes.
[ ][Bohemian] No.

Is her potential serious relationship with a colleague?
[ ][Fraternization] Yes.
[ ][Fraternization] No.

Is her potential serious relationship founded on a shared interest in her favoured kink?
[ ][Play Partner] Yes.
[ ][Play Partner] No.

Now that that's done, let's interrogate her kinks a bit more...

Why is she ashamed of one of her kinks?
[ ][Shame] It feels immoral or Problematic. It's something with uncomfortable implications; sadism, intelligence loss, consensual nonconsent, a particular race or nationality...
[ ][Shame] It feels ridiculous or silly. It's something that most people would ask "that can be a kink"? about, or else impossible in real life; microphilia, vore, wings, being dressed, flaccid play...
[ ][Shame] It feels embarrassing or humiliating; that's the whole point. It's something like cuckqueaning, foot worship, degradation, watersports...
[ ][Shame] It doesn't fall into one of the above categories: it's shameful for personal reasons.

Why is one of her kinks such a large part of her life?
[ ][Kink] It takes a lot of resources. It's something like sex machines or cosplay.
[ ][Kink] It takes a lot of knowledge to do safely and well. It's something like bondage or hypnosis.
[ ][Kink] It takes long-term planning and organization. It's something like chastity or group sex.
[ ][Kink] She just likes it, okay?? She doesn't need to have a practical reason!

... And I think that's enough for one vote: we'll get to the details of her organization and potential relationship in the next poll.

Let's catch up on the voting so far...

18 Voters (jjtdipee, veekie, byzaboo, WolfNight, Darth, Hadrian98, Terrabrand, Timewinders, Sonata, Tulip, Derpmind, DeepWaters, zero_breaker, PurposefulZephyr, Uncle, DreamerGhost, Antix_Shadows, Khona Moshr)

Synergies:
Guilty Pleasure: Tied, at 8 votes either way.
Kink Community: "No" is just edging out "Yes", 10 votes to 8.
Think Tank: "Yes" by a landslide, 15 votes to 2.
Bohemian: "Yes" by a decent lead: 11 votes to 7.
Fraternization: "Yes" by a decent lead: 10 votes to 5.
Play Partner: "No" by a slight lead, 11 votes to 7.

Shame:
It feels immoral. (9/18 Votes, Minority Inclusion)
It feels ridiculous. (8/18 Votes, Minority Inclusion)
Personal Reasons. (6/18 Votes, Minority Inclusion)
It feels humiliating. (5/18 Votes, Minority Inclusion)

Kink:
She just likes it! (13/18 votes, Majority Win)
It takes a lot of knowledge. (10/18 votes, Majority Win)
It takes planning. (7/18 votes, Minority Inclusion)
It takes resources. (6/18 votes, Minority Inclusion)


I think that's enough votes to get the general picture; I'm closing the polls.

Results:
- The kink she's ashamed of is a close relative or outgrowth of her major kink, possibly "the deep end of the pool", so to speak.
- Her organization isn't about her kink, but it might involve it incidentally.
- Her organization does science.
- It also does art, but in a weird or limited way.
- Her potential relationship somehow involves her work, but it's not with a coworker.
- Her potential relationship isn't built on her major kink, but it's involved somehow.

Shame:
No option is satisfactory. Though all the options have some support, none of them have a majority. As the exact nature of our heroine's kinks could make or break the quest for multiple people, it seems clear that a more in-depth vote is needed.
As such, these results will not be used until more context is gathered.

Kink:
Our heroine is just really enthusiastic about her kink!
In pursuing that passion, she's gathered a lot of information, a few connections, and one or two pieces of equipment.

She does not have:
- Anything custom. (Latex suits, restraint hardpoints, Bad Dragon dildoes, anal plugs with tails, etc.)
- Anything difficult to conceal. (Sex machines, sex furniture, sex dolls, big coils of rope, etc.)
- Anything she'd need a partner to get real use out of. (Strap-ons, whips, spreader bars, chastity devices for genitalia she doesn't have, etc.)
- A regular set of kink events she goes to.
- Any established friendships with people "in the scene."

She might have:
- Common kink gear you could get at any sex shop. (Collar and leash, bondage tape, costume lingerie, unusually large dildoes, PVC or mesh lingerie pieces, etc.)
- High-quality versions of common sex toys. (Glass or stainless steel dildoes or plugs, an electric massage wand such as a Lelo or Hitachi, high-quality lingerie.)
- The equivalent of a Fetlife profile.

She does have:
- At least one vibrator.
- At least one dildo.
- At least one set of lingerie.
- At least one established account on a cybersex or ERP site.

The next vote is potentially the most important in the quest, because it's going to be about Limits and Reader Consent - directly addressing the concerns that @Derpmind, @Antix_Shadows and others have raised.

In brief: This quest can itself be considered a kink scene led by me, with you the readers as active participants. As such, it's super important to establish what is or is not cool with everyone up front.

This is usually a fairly complex negotiation, and it's only made more so by the number of people involved here. As such, I'm going to take my time writing this next piece up, and really make sure that I get it right. Thanks for your understanding regarding the delay!

So, kink negotiation.

We've got 20-something people following this quest right now, so whatever we come up with here is of necessity going to be a compromise to some extent.

However, some things are definitely not going to happen. Before we even discuss what to include, let's set some ground rules.

Informed consent matters.
All potential partners in this quest will pass the Harkness Test. (Consenting adults of a species as least as intelligent as humans.)

While there are strong and even necessary stories to be told outside these lines, I do not have the skill to write Lolita, Bear, or The Kite Runner. Nor do I wish to: this quest is intended as a lighthearted and good-natured escape, not an unflinching look at the strange dark corners of the human heart.

"What about edge cases?"

Well, let me address them one by one:

"They look like a minor, but they have an adult mind."
Yes, yes, child vampires and similar have been around since before Carmilla. Yes, there are settings like Eclipse Phase where bodies mean little more than a set of clothes. Yes, it's a popular trope. That does not make Negima's Evangeline A. K. McDowell or Gate's Rory Mercury good portrayals.

To be frank, I'm sympathetic to the argument that the category of "adults that look like children" ought to be allowed. When I was still figuring out I was trans, I wrote stories featuring a child vampire; her disgust with anyone who found her childlike body attractive was a direct parallel for my own situation with my masculine body. Clearly, these themes can be valuable.

Furthermore, I'm deeply disturbed by the unreasoning hatred that the word "pedophile" evokes. It's been used to pass sex-negative laws in Australia and the United States, to force all erotic content off of Tumblr, and to justify bigotry against LGBT people the world over. Again and again, we're told that the people who want sexual freedoms are secretly child molesters.

As a trans person, I strongly believe that bodies shouldn't matter, that the mind is what's important. As an artist, I believe that people should be free to create, even when they transgress society's boundaries. As a contrarian, I'm super tempted to allow it just to stick it to the man.

But I can't ignore the fact that to do so would bring deep and serious risks.

Ignoring for the moment the risks to myself, publishing content that sexualizes childlike bodies - even if the minds inhabiting them are adult - means that SV could get slapped with a lawsuit for publishing obscene material. That in turn means that they have a serious incentive to crack down hard on any such portrayal, which means that any such quest is likely to get deleted, which means nobody will get to enjoy anything. That in turn would have a chilling effect and quite possibly kill any hope of further erotic quests on SV.

As for those personal risks:
- I could reasonably expect to eat a long-term suspension, if not a ban from SV altogether.
- I would probably be considered a pedophile by a certain set of people, which is not a mark you want on your reputation.
- I would be personally responsible for the association of trans people and pedophiles in the minds of even more ignoramuses.
- And it wouldn't even be hot, because I'm not attracted to kids.

So no. No childlike bodies allowed.

"They look like an adult, but - "
No. Do not pass go, do not collect $500. Fucking minors is pedophilia even if they look like adults.

"They're from a species that matures faster than humans."
If they don't look like children, and they don't act like children, and their species doesn't consider them children, they're probably fine.

"They're a created being that's only technically thirty minutes old but looks and acts like an adult."
Do they have the necessary knowledge about the world to provide informed consent? If so, probably fine. The House Elf Problem might be relevant.

"They're a robot."
If they don't have a mind, then they might be a sex toy, subject to health and safety warnings. If they do have a mind, see above. Again, nothing that looks like a child.

"They're an aged-up version of a canon character who's underage."
This is an original quest. Next question.

"What about smart animals?"
I'm gonna say this is fine so long as they're not domesticated. Mantle had a giant magic wolf and a shapeshifter who could turn into a fox, and I remain uninfracted.

"So then what about dragons and werewolves and tentacle monsters and driders and lamia and mermaids and..."
So long as they're either A: mindless sex toys or B: intelligent, consenting adults, they're fair game for inclusion.

"Okay, what's your standard for consent?"
Dubcon in real life is rape. This quest is realistic and will not contain rape. Any more questions?

"What about consensual nonconsent?"
So long as we onscreen all the necessary precautions and make it clear it's just a scene, it ought to be fine.

Respect my hard limits.
I don't even want to see discussion of the following kinks. They are all things I'm entirely unwilling to write, and that will not change if you complain.

- Misogyny, racism, transphobia, etc.
- Scat, puke, filth, STDs.
- Death, gore, permanent injury, bad endings.
- Breathplay of any kind whatsoever.
- Rape. (Consensual nonconsent is not rape.)
- Needles.
- Ludicrous proportions. (Macro, hyper, etc.)

The ground rules established, I'm now going to open up the question to all of you.

What do you want to see? What's hot to you?

This is going to be an actual discussion and negotiation. If you're not up for that kind of engagement, then please don't complain when something you hate gets included in the quest.

Ahem. I'll start:

Hi, I'm Evenstar!
I tend to like (and write) smut that revolves around a theme of "value" or "treasuredness." I like scenes that show power visibly moving between their participants, dominants that don't have to lay a finger on their submissive in order to enforce their control, and sex that's either languorous and cuddly or playfully vicious. Teasing is one of my central kinks: as a bratty switch myself, I enjoy writing both them and their mistresses.

To elaborate a bit on "value" - I like scenes where the amount one partner wants the other becomes very apparent. Sometimes that means passionate lust; sometimes that means being willing to endure something stressful or painful; sometimes that means super fluffy romance!

Naturally, this means I tend to kink on ownership, along with all the ways someone can be "claimed" - the more permanently, the better. Impregnation, defloration, chastity, hypnosis, branding, collars, leashes, hickeys, body-writing, bruises, tattoos, shared secrets, marriage, lipstick marks, uniforms...

I also kink on more ephemeral ways of expressing how much you care about someone. Usually this means affection - kisses, headpets, poetry, snuggles - but sometimes it's much more direct, as in prostitution, begging, worship, and practicing safe sex.

Regrettably, my love of play that's based on showing how much you care also extends to play that's about how much you don't care. Degradation, humiliation, cuckolding, and extremely casual sex all fall under this general umbrella, which I will not continue to talk about right at this moment because it's honestly pretty embarrassing to me. If people express an interest then I'll elaborate.

I'd usually put a description of my limits in here, but it'd be pretty redundant given the section I gave y'all above: I'll just re-emphasize that I am literally terrified of breathplay and therefore it will be A Kink Not Appearing In This Quest. Hopefully the same accommodation will be practical for everyone else's hard limits.



You don't have to write something as detailed as what I've just done: a bullet point list is fine! The major two things I want to see are:
- What do you want?
- What do you seriously not want?

That'll give me a basic understanding, and I'll direct discussion from there.

PS: Please no kink-shaming. I shouldn't have to say this, but I will nonetheless. Play nice.