Intimate

[Barzalene]

I don't know that I have an actual point here. I said to a friend a moment ago that I find that on Arm sex is the least interesting form of intimacy.

I also find that true intimacy is really hard to achieve. My pcs guard their secrets and vulnerabilities.

Ps while this may evolve or devolve into a conversation of mudsex, it's not the act of mudsex I'm alluding to here.

Those typos just killed me. Deb 8/22/15

[Marauder Moe]

I don't think it's the least interesting form.  If you are alone and naked in an apartment with someone, that represents a tremendous amount of trust.

[ShaLeah]

I don't think it's the least interesting form.  If you are alone and naked in an apartment with someone, that represents a tremendous amount of trust.

On Arm I think true intimacy is usually the result of the above.

It -should- be hard to achieve, especially on Arm. Like Moe says, getting naked with someone in a place where everyone carries weapons is a bit daunting, don't you think?

[lordcooper]

It's hard to be intimate in a land where dropping your guard can so easily mean death.  I see no problem with the status quo.

[Barzalene]

It does. I don't think romance is uninteresting, just less interesting than giving people your secrets, your connections or your endorsement.

I think one example is when you play a highly placed assistant of some sort to a highly placed person. Don't we tell our aides things we don't tell our lovers?

[Barzalene]

It's hard to be intimate in a land where dropping your guard can so easily mean death.  I see no problem with the status quo.

I'm not seeing a problem at all. This was meant to be reflection, not complaint. I am curious if my opinion is the norm.

[Marauder Moe]

I think we're in agreement that indeed there are more intimate relationships than sexual partners, yes.

[Barzalene]

I don't think it's the least interesting form.  If you are alone and naked in an apartment with someone, that represents a tremendous amount of trust.

On Arm I think true intimacy is usually the result of the above.

It -should- be hard to achieve, especially on Arm. Like Moe says, getting naked with someone in a place where everyone carries weapons is a bit daunting, don't you think?

It's interesting that I don't think so, don't you think?

Maybe it's because lovers seem so easy to come by on Arm and friends far less so?

[ShaLeah]

It does. I don't think romance is uninteresting, just less interesting than giving people your secrets, your connections or your endorsement.

I think one example is when you play a highly placed assistant of some sort to a highly placed person. Don't we tell our aides things we don't tell our lovers?

Maybe, at first, till that lover earns a trust that aide can't, less you're kanking them too.

I think we're in agreement that indeed there are more intimate relationships than sexual partners, yes.

I actually played an aide when I got back that was head over heels in love with her boss. I think he was in love with her too but they never kanked. Not once. That intimacy was achieved -without- needing to kank.

I think of a truly intimate (sexual or not) relationship on Arm is akin to coming home for Christmas. You walk in the door, you sigh, all that evil, all that fear, all that tension just melts away and you're home. Safe.

What makes it all the more double-delicious on Arm is that it's often an illusion.

I don't think it's the least interesting form.  If you are alone and naked in an apartment with someone, that represents a tremendous amount of trust.

On Arm I think true intimacy is usually the result of the above.

It -should- be hard to achieve, especially on Arm. Like Moe says, getting naked with someone in a place where everyone carries weapons is a bit daunting, don't you think?

It's interesting that I don't think so, don't you think?

Maybe it's because lovers seem so easy to come by on Arm and friends far less so?

You think a truly intimate relationship should be easier to achieve on Arm? Cause they're two different things, the sex and the intimacy.

[Marauder Moe]

All I'm saying is that sex is somewhere in the middle of the spectrum.

[Barzalene]

It does. I don't think romance is uninteresting, just less interesting than giving people your secrets, your connections or your endorsement.

I think one example is when you play a highly placed assistant of some sort to a highly placed person. Don't we tell our aides things we don't tell our lovers?

Maybe, at first, till that lover earns a trust that aide can't, less you're kanking them too.

I think we're in agreement that indeed there are more intimate relationships than sexual partners, yes.

I actually played an aide when I got back that was head over heels in love with her boss. I think he was in love with her too but they never kanked. Not once. That intimacy was achieved -without- needing to kank.

I think of a truly intimate (sexual or not) relationship on Arm is akin to coming home for Christmas. You walk in the door, you sigh, all that evil, all that fear, all that tension just melts away and you're home. Safe.

What makes it all the more double-delicious on Arm is that it's often an illusion.

I don't think it's the least interesting form.  If you are alone and naked in an apartment with someone, that represents a tremendous amount of trust.

On Arm I think true intimacy is usually the result of the above.

It -should- be hard to achieve, especially on Arm. Like Moe says, getting naked with someone in a place where everyone carries weapons is a bit daunting, don't you think?

It's interesting that I don't think so, don't you think?

Maybe it's because lovers seem so easy to come by on Arm and friends far less so?

You think a truly intimate relationship should be easier to achieve on Arm? Cause they're two different things, the sex and the intimacy.

I do not think so at all. I think it's a huge part of why I find non-sexual intimacy so fascinating. It is rare. There's no shortcut.

[lordcooper]

I do not think so at all. I think it's a huge part of why I find non-sexual intimacy so fascinating. It is rare. There's no shortcut.

That rarity might well come from the nature of MUDs themselves.  We only really get to see the shell of a character (that which is spoken, or h/emoted) whereas in reality we can subconsciously pick up on things that people don't even notice they're doing.  This is no fault of players, it's an inherent aspect of the game being text based.  Nobody could emote literally everything their character does.

[ShaLeah]

I do not think so at all. I think it's a huge part of why I find non-sexual intimacy so fascinating. It is rare. There's no shortcut.

Intimacy between -friends- I think is REALLY easy on Arm. Stupid easy. Much too easy and hence, false most times. Elves have the right idea on this one.

Intimacy between lovers, harder to achieve.

Intimacy between almost/wannabebutcan'tbe lovers is much, much harder. I imagine this is quite frequent up in Tuluk where a law forcing no sexual contact would make it PRIME land for that kind of thing. Not being able to kank someone by no means means not WANTING to fuck'em. I can only imagine some of the thinks (those brave enough to THINK about it) on some of these people. Closet pervs, coveters, droolers. \derail

[Barzalene]

I do not think so at all. I think it's a huge part of why I find non-sexual intimacy so fascinating. It is rare. There's no shortcut.

Intimacy between -friends- I think is REALLY easy on Arm. Stupid easy. Much too easy and hence, false most times. Elves have the right idea on this one.

Intimacy between lovers, harder

I think we have to agree to disagree.

[Barzalene]

I do not think so at all. I think it's a huge part of why I find non-sexual intimacy so fascinating. It is rare. There's no shortcut.

That rarity might well come from the nature of MUDs themselves.  We only really get to see the shell of a character (that which is spoken, or h/emoted) whereas in reality we can subconsciously pick up on things that people don't even notice they're doing.  This is no fault of players, it's an inherent aspect of the game being text based.  Nobody could emote literally everything their character does.

I think you are on to something.

[James de Monet]

I think the social stratum of the character also plays into it. Friends represent an investment in trust and time. The more you have to lose, the more expensive picking the wrong friends becomes, and therefore the less likely PCs are to risk it. It's entirely possible to have a lover you don't trust, but a friend isn't really a friend until you trust them.

I guess maybe it isn't a clear cut question of status as much as it is vulnerability. The more people might want to see you dead or disgraced, the less trusting you will be. If you're Amos the Grebber, never offended anyone and no one knows your name, trust might come easier to you. The more powerful or criminal, famous or notorious you get, the harder that is going to be.

[Molten Heart]

Mutual trust and mutual sacrifice are what create intimacy.  Sex is a very powerful way to share/confirm that intimacy once the groundwork has been laid, depending on the nature of the relationship (depending on what's being shared in the relationship).

[Narf]

I don't think it's the least interesting form.  If you are alone and naked in an apartment with someone, that represents a tremendous amount of trust.

It -should- be hard to achieve, especially on Arm. Like Moe says, getting naked with someone in a place where everyone carries weapons is a bit daunting, don't you think?

Depends. Some of the better sex toys can double as weapons in a pinch.

[greasygemo]

When you start emoting and saying identical things at the exact same time and also feel comfortable revealing, things that would under normals circumstances come back and get you murdered later, to each other, then, and only then, can you say that's your "mate". Otherwise, they are just your kank-buddy.

[Narf]

When you start emoting and saying identical things at the exact same time and also feel comfortable revealing, things that would under normals circumstances come back and get you murdered later, to each other, then, and only then, can you say that's your "mate". Otherwise, they are just your kank-buddy.

If your character is constantly saying things that could get them murdered to pretty much everyone, does that then make him a slut?

[AreteX]

Sex has seemed to be an ice-breaker for intimacy to develop in the future.  If you're able to kank then they have passed the first test of trust.  You didn't get stabbed in the back while naked.  That makes it easier to then trust them further and for more intimate things such as secrets, stories you never told anyone else, or lending them your connections, ect.  This has often at least been my experience with sex between characters.  It often leads towards a more intimate relationship that has nothing to do with sex even if that is a regular occurrence.

I think at least on Armageddon intimacy comes in different forms as well.  Two drinking buddies might be intimate with each other.  It happens in real life as well.  You hang out often enough you become familiar.  You drink which opens you up to talking more than you normally might, and soon you're sharing things and confessing to each other.

[Fredd]

I've had some very intimate relationships on Arm. I've had relationships that (literally) made my pc's go crazy. I've run the whole gamut on this. I do agree though, finding someone to kank is easier then finding someone your pc can be truly intimate with.

[greasygemo]

When you start emoting and saying identical things at the exact same time and also feel comfortable revealing, things that would under normals circumstances come back and get you murdered later, to each other, then, and only then, can you say that's your "mate". Otherwise, they are just your kank-buddy.

If your character is constantly saying things that could get them murdered to pretty much everyone, does that then make him a slut?

Depends on how many times they do it before being murdered. I think the magic number is five then you can start charting the slut-o-meter.

[Barzalene]

When you start emoting and saying identical things at the exact same time and also feel comfortable revealing, things that would under normals circumstances come back and get you murdered later, to each other, then, and only then, can you say that's your "mate". Otherwise, they are just your kank-buddy.

If your character is constantly saying things that could get them murdered to pretty much everyone, does that then make him a slut?

A dead slut.

[Dakota]

I love intimacy in arm. I don't mean sex. I mean intimacy.

Perhaps its a fault, but some of my own personal traits come out in my PC's. Like I don't pretend to be best friends with someone if I've seen them a few times. I like that whole.. getting close to someone aspect. RPing it out. Testing them. Gauging them. Baiting them and seeing what they do in the aspect to the relationship you have with that person (just talking general friendship here).

I think all my PC's, even the ones that were long lived could count their "friends" on a single hand. And it took a long time and lots of RP to get them to be considered a friend.

That kind of intimate roleplay that really makes me feel like this game takes things to another level.

[Barzalene]

I love intimacy in arm. I don't mean sex. I mean intimacy.

Perhaps its a fault, but some of my own personal traits come out in my PC's. Like I don't pretend to be best friends with someone if I've seen them a few times. I like that whole.. getting close to someone aspect. RPing it out. Testing them. Gauging them. Baiting them and seeing what they do in the aspect to the relationship you have with that person (just talking general friendship here).

I think all my PC's, even the ones that were long lived could count their "friends" on a single hand. And it took a long time and lots of RP to get them to be considered a friend.

That kind of intimate roleplay that really makes me feel like this game takes things to another level.

This is what I wanted to say, but you said it better.

[Delirium]

Yeah, well said, and agreed.

[perfecto]

I've had some very intimate relationships on Arm. I've had relationships that (literally) made my pc's go crazy. I've run the whole gamut on this. I do agree though, finding someone to kank is easier then finding someone your pc can be truly intimate with.

Exactly this.

I also agree with Lordcoopers comment as well.  I can't tell you how many times I've missenterpreted a text msg from someone because of how dificult it can be to read emotion through text.  Now try only comunicating an entire lifetime through text... Sure we have ways of adding such things in arm but not everyone is as savey with the instruments or uses them when they should.

[Harmless]

I like that the intimacy roleplayed in Armageddon inevitably is a reflection of the kind of intimacy they had in real life, as Dakota said. Those bits of you slip out inevitably, because everyone's understanding of what love is hinges on how they experienced it in real life. This is where the barrier between what's IC and RL slips into play, no matter what. By opening up to someone in this game through the vehicle of the character, you show them deeply personal aspects of yourself.

However, the same can be said for any kind of roleplay. It doesn't have to be intimacy that shares this trait. Malevolence, maybe moreso than intimacy, betrays the player's quirks, faults, peeves, and even maybe something deeper than that through their PC's roleplay.

This is why this game is awesome. Intense roleplay, intense as defined by plots that have real, definitive consequences for others, a gameworld, people's time and hopes and dreams. For love, for whatever. The reality of the consequences are what aid in immersion. This world wouldn't have so many compelling relationships if those relationships weren't being threatened from many directions.

[spicemustflow]

I was on the brink of achieving true intimacy, some time ago. It was different, and awesome. It required a leap of faith and you never knew if you'll be forced to betray the other or they'll get a nice price on your head. I hate to admit, but it beats the instant intimacy of clans, tribes and family roles. Hope to do it again.

[Fredd]

I was on the brink of achieving true intimacy, some time ago. It was different, and awesome. It required a leap of faith and you never knew if you'll be forced to betray the other or they'll get a nice price on your head. I hate to admit, but it beats the instant intimacy of clans, tribes and family roles. Hope to do it again.

Don't you love that? the whole "this person now knows enough about me to ruin me forever" part?

And then a carru comes along and ruins it.

[Case]

I managed an intimate relationship with a character once. It had a huge affect on them. From the outside though, it was so sad, with both participants holding back because they knew it couldn't last.

[Harmless]

Dying to carru all the time sucks, but I use them as a proxy for all the bullshit reasons people die in the real world. Mostly, disease, or shitty luck in other flavors like car accidents.

Bumping into a carru (or two..) is like getting hit by a drunk driver. Happens, even to good drivers(riders).

Says a lot about love in real life. Gotta get the most out of it, while you can. I am going to squeeze my special lady extra hard tonight.

[spicemustflow]

Don't you love that? the whole "this person now knows enough about me to ruin me forever" part?

Loved it. Every meeting could have meant the doom for both of us. Good times.

[DustMight]

The only way to play is to play vulnerable.

[Barzalene]

The only way to play is to play vulnerable.

Yes. And with cognizance of the vulnerability. With fear, trepidation and still taking the chance.

[ShaLeah]

The only way to play is to play vulnerable.

How many times have I apologized for that?! She was NOT using him!

[Fujikoma]

Yeah, mudsex is something my characters would actually do here... But as a player it doesn't interest me much. When it does, it's when that trust and relationship could be so easily broken.

[DustMight]

The only way to play is to play vulnerable.

How many times have I apologized for that?! She was NOT using him!

Hahaha!

[Vwest]

I think my favorite relationship (that isn't IC sensitive) would be one between two characters of completely different species. They were twisted and horrible, murderous beyond any hope of redemption, but continued to reinforce each others actions with the belief it was for a greater good. The ends justified the means, someone had to right the wrongs and punish the people who deserve it.

They ended up having something between a father / daughter and brother / sister relationship, completely non-sexual or romantic, yet intimate beyond both. It would be a touching bond and a rare moment where racial tension and bias didn't exist, but the two were so twisted up inside that it often carried a sinister undertone that everyone around them was either completely oblivious to or intentionally ignored.

Bad guys trying so hard to be good guys. Good times, those.

The slow building of relationships over in-game years are what make the tedium of a long lived character worthwhile.

[The Silence of the Erdlus]

The only problem I run across is that its disturbingly common for people to assume you're friends with someone because you've spent more than twenty RL minutes with them, or got seen just sitting with them and talking to them at the bar.

Maybe I am missing something? But that breaks my immersion like every time.

I find it particularly difficult to rp someone who makes few friends, and takes a long time to get close to people (not including elves, for whom this seems to be the default) because I'm under the constant impression that, after a RL month, everyone you've known that long probably believes you think they're your friend. But I know there's this invisible world of thoughts and beliefs underneath your spoken words and actions; you probably know a sociopath, you probably know someone who only thinks of particular people as their friends and everyone else as someone to throw in front of the spiders first, you probably know someone who needs something crazy to happen to let down their paranoid, scarred guard and see you as the trustworthy person they've always wanted you to be, etc.

And then there's the elves, who will probably try to kill you once they like you enough to test you out for true friendship. And then there's breeds. Ah. Breeds.

[Inks]

My most realistic relationship in Arm was an abusive one, where my spice addicted elf gang lord was ashamed of his breed mate, and would break into violence and denigration when on it or if he had a really bad day and came home drunk. But they definately loved each other, and had many moments of genuine intimacy. Was cool.

[Dar]

My best romance was when I dug up a corpse and expressed my feelings to it.


In this we are alike, Inks.

[Malken]

I've had sex with everyone in this thread.

Well, except for that one person. I mean, eww...!

[X-D]

8 year necro, is that some kind of record?

[Inks]

I didn't check the dates. But I am not sorry.

[Dar]

My most realistic relationship in Arm was an abusive one, where my spice addicted elf gang lord was ashamed of his breed mate, and would break into violence and denigration when on it or if he had a really bad day and came home drunk. But they definately loved each other, and had many moments of genuine intimacy. Was cool.

Was it that breed merchant?    I used that relationship to work with her afterwards. Contemplated mentoring your elementalist kid.

[Strongheart]

I didn't check the dates. But I am not sorry.

It literally warns you though:

Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days.
Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic.

[Inks]

Nope.  Didn't see that. Please post on topic if you are posting here.

My most realistic relationship in Arm was an abusive one, where my spice addicted elf gang lord was ashamed of his breed mate, and would break into violence and denigration when on it or if he had a really bad day and came home drunk. But they definately loved each other, and had many moments of genuine intimacy. Was cool.

Was it that breed merchant?    I used that relationship to work with her afterwards. Contemplated mentoring your elementalist kid.

Was that one, yep. Great RPer. Mentoring a virtual child can get demanding, am sure

[Dar]

I don't think the player was interested in letting me teach her kiddo. But she didn't know I was a sorcerer.

But yeah. Her connection to your character earned her protection from the celven part of labyrinth for whenever I wasn't on a break again.

That and I wanted to cut a doorway into the rinth from her warehouse. Eyeshift.

[Tuannon]

I didn't check the dates. But I am not sorry.

It literally warns you though:

Warning: this topic has not been posted in for at least 120 days.
Unless you're sure you want to reply, please consider starting a new topic.

Thread necromancy is a kind of intimacy, good sir or non-sir

[MeTekillot]

Emoting erectile dysfunction is the highest form of intimacy.

[triste]

Went through this weird thread, saw a post by Dakota, and recalled the time Lusts for Blood caught some humans and slapped one of them in the face with a bloody scrap of cloth which was apparently being used as a menstrual rag. Now that's MY kind of intimacy!

Just posting to sincerely apologize to anyone here who has been intimate with me IRL and/or IG. My most sincere apologies.

[Dar]

I once played a Nilazi whose emotions were sucked out by abyss. During his travels he encountered another Nilazi. I don't know if she was emotionless as well (it's a common Nilazi trope), but she went along with my own take on Nilaz.

So this one time we kidnapped a very vibrant and charismatic tuluki aide. We convinced her that we can bring her dead lover back to life if she was to share her life force with him. That required her to voluntarily hold onto an object that slowly and gradually killed her. 
Big giant kudos to the player by the way. It was totally awesome how she played it out.

After she died, mine and that other Nilazi absorbed her emotions and became normal functioning humans again. So we made love, rolling around in a pool of blood spreading from the cut wrists of the dead aide.  The ability to feel faded after awhile, but there is never a shortage of charismatic aides.

[Jihelu]

What the fuck did I just read

[Lotion]

What the fuck did I just read

A beautiful depiction of what mudsex should be. It should be an exploration of the character. Ask yourself "How would my character fuck?" rather than just trying to oocly get off.