[TOY] Plaything

[skinstealer]

You flick over to the "Sex Work" section, immediately taken aback by a photo of a robotic toy in some kind of leather getup. You sure haven't seen any kind of look like that before, but it's kind of...cool. Kind of punk. You could get behind it. 

"Sex work is just as viable of a career as any other, and can come in many forms! Before considering sex work as an option, you should have some degree of sexual experience and know what you like and what you don't. You can also talk to sex workers willing to share their perspectives yourself to get a feeling for what their work involves- though one of the biggest things to keep in mind is your own boundaries and what kind of services you want to offer. Here are some different types!"

Okay, easy enough. Laurie definitely seemed insistent on the boundaries and respect thing...which does make you feel a bit more at ease with this.

"Escort- A sex worker providing a variety of services in exchange for money- this can extend to things like erotic massages, private sessions involving a variety of sexual activity, and much more! In our world, the majority of escorts work either for professional establishments or are self employed. All escorts practicing responsibly have boundaries and rules established from the get go to ensure safety of both themselves and their clients. Some escorts are even up for nonsexual sessions, such as dates and physical intimacy, but it's up to the individual and/or their establishment to determine what services exactly will be provided."

"Dominant/Dominatrix and Sub/Submissives- There are many forms of sex work involving kinks, but professional dominants and submissives are one of the most common types. This kind of work has a focus on power play, including sadism and masochism and as the name would imply, domination and submission."

Oh god, there's the pain stuff again. Considering your only experience with pain that you can remember was some kind of...betrayal, or something, you can't exactly see the appeal outright...but if these things are so popular, then there has to be some reason why people like it, right?

Might not be your thing, but you can't deny you're curious about why it's such a big interest for people.

"Proper safety measures are absolutely necessary for doms and subs, both professional and otherwise. A professional dom or sub will set up rules immediately, just like any other worker- but due to the potentially dangerous nature of BDSM sessions, it's especially vital that everyone is equipped with the right precautionary measures and boundaries ahead of time. If your dom/sub does not communicate with you or listen to you, don't engage with them!"

Okay, so...people...don't hurt each other like you were, because you know it wasn't agreed on or felt good, at all. That's a bit of a reassurance...

"Dancer/Performer- Some sex workers choose to take a more performance oriented route, with dancing, stripping, and other means being a way for them to get a paycheck. Actual sexual contact with performers is less common, but not unheard of- ask about boundaries with the performers before doing anything, or play it safe- don't touch a performer (just like any other sex worker) without express consent!"

That must be what Laurie was talking about with performances...so people strip and...dance? Huh. That actually sounded pretty cool, even if you have no idea what it'd be like in actuality. Considering people were just being okay with being nude though- and it didn't feel particularly weird to you either, even if you get a sense that for some people it would be- you're left wondering just how much appeal stripping has. If you kept working here, you'd probably get a chance to see it, though.

"There are many more kinds to discover- if you're curious, you can look into what's in your area!"

Easy enough...you're starting to feel like you have more of a handle on this now. It's feeling a lot less foreign, and you're getting kind of riveted by this stuff now. 

Onto the "Dangers and Precautions" section. 

"There are dangers to sexual activity, the main one being violation of consent- if anyone pushes you into doing sexual activity that you are not comfortable with or agree to, that is sexual assault, and in most places with any sense, a serious crime. Even in the settlements and areas where it isn't considered illegal, sexual assault is a massive violation of someone's boundaries and safety, and can extend to any kind of sexual contact, even things like cuddling or touching."

...oh. That's...a bit scary...but you're glad something told you about that. You really wouldn't want something like that to take you off guard...

"Consent is a vital part of any activity, but especially with kink. Consent can be defined as definite, express and explicit agreement to proceed with something, anything at all. It can be anything from verbal play like using certain terms for each other, physical and sexual acts, or even just how someone acts around you. If you aren't comfortable with something, make that boundary known, preferably before it has a chance to happen. If anyone breaks that boundary- either talk with them if they're someone you trust, or disengage if it doesn't feel right!"

"When engaging with sexual activity, especially with someone you don't know and trust, set rules and boundaries ahead of time, as well as a safeword- while many consider safewords to only be necessary during kink activities, it's not a bad idea to have in any kind of situation, sexual or otherwise. A safeword is fairly simple- it's a word you say to indicate that you need to stop play immediately. Some people even have multiple words for checking in and letting their partner(s) know whether to keep going, slow down, or stop. It's up to you to decide what approach you do, but pick something that you wouldn't say normally in a sexual situation, and can be distinctly identified as the safeword. Nothing too long!"

That's...okay, that's something to keep in mind, and makes you feel a bit, well, safer. That's easy enough, and you're pretty sure that anyone who wouldn't agree with that would be someone to avoid the hell out of anyway.

"Kink play can come with its own forms of danger, and each one is different. Before getting into anything for the first time, do your research and/or ask people who are more experienced what their times with that kind of play is like. Don't get in over your head, especially with how permanent injuries and strains can be for us toys! Knowing your own body and personal limits is vital to kink play especially, considering that every species of toy is different- this can be kind of fun though, as every species has their own traits that could lead to more viability with certain kinds of kinks."

Okay, you need to learn more about this kink thing, this stuff sounds weird and kind of wild, and your curiosity is going nuts. But...there's other sections left too.