NOVEL NEXT 53: Refreshingly Honest
A pseudonym then.
- Sibsil Creed, Stories of Shurwinn (2791)
PEYDRAN
"Excellent question, Starstudded895," Ryst finished. "Peydran, what's next?" We were on a live video call, and it was time to stir things up.
"Ding, ding, ding," I responded. "We have officially been asked for the 100th time on this live 'Are you two sleeping together?' What do you think, Ryst? We've been asked for four years, and never replied. Is today the day?"
She laughed fully, "Let's give the viewers what they want, Peydran! I mean, if they're gonna ask, then they can't be upset if I pontificate for awhile, right? Alright, gang. We don't talk much about intimacy on this show, but let's discuss it today since everyone has sex on the brain. We're human, right? Sex is part of our lives. My personal life is none of your business, but you've been insistently curious, so let's just clear things up so you can stop asking: Peydran and I have not and never will sleep together. Before you go all 'She's protesting too much' on me, let me assure you with 100% confidence that this is a fact—"
I cut her off. Might as well give them some drama, "And in case anyone is wondering why Dr. Nova is being adamant that this is a fact, let me say that I have zero interest in the female sex. Dr. Nova's a lovely woman, but she's not for me."
"Yes," Ryst butt in. "And Peydran is like a brother to me, or really, far closer than that. We've been through fire together—" I interrupted her again.
"Once again, Dr. Nova is being discreet. She's referencing this here— my augment. Continue, Ryst."
"Yes, and you don't go through something like that with someone and walk away without significant emotional attachment. And truly, I think that's actually what we are all looking for. Sex might be a part of that at times, and not a part of it at other times. I mean, how often do you feel deeply connected to another person? Feel understood? Feel truly known? Feel like you belong? And, well, this thought is just occurring to me, so you tell me what you think, Peydran, but I would like to posit that our desire for deep emotional connections to people, well—things can get confusing."
Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.
"Maybe that's one reason why our viewers just cannot stop suggesting that Peydran and I be romantically involved as well as emotionally close. As though the emotional bond is so profound, that we cannot imagine a world where that isn't romantic as well. And I'm wondering if that's part of the problem that happens when people do things that they later regret such as sleeping with someone and not being happy about it later or cheating."
"Maybe what you're really looking for is someone to understand you, to feel close, to feel like you belong, and you get with someone that you later regret. I know what it is like to have regrets. I'm not immune to making mistakes. The best thing we can do for ourselves when we screw up is understand why we did what we did so we can make better choices in the future."
"Perhaps you're in a relatively happy, committed relationship. And maybe you're miffed at your partner, and then you have this other person that you form an emotional connection to. And suddenly, your physiology, meaning your reproductive system, responds to that emotional connection and starts sending you 'sex, sex, sex' impulses. And your body is confused, and you are confused. And then you do something that seemed perfectly natural, but later you really regret it, and it's hard to make sense of why you made the choices you did."
"And then to add another layer of complexity: this is a site where we talk with people who don't have perfect lives, right? We've got post-surgical issues. We have long-term health concerns. Sometimes we get sick and there's no solution, and we're sick longterm. So, what is intimacy like for those of us who are dealing with being ill or badly injured? I just want to throw that out there and see if anyone else has thoughts about what intimacy truly is. Different kinds of intimacy—romantic or deep emotional connection without romance."
"Well spoken, as always, Ryst. And to piggy back onto that, I think there's something to be said for chemistry. Chemistry and intimacy. Can we have chemistry with a person and it not be about sex? Are there different types of chemistry and different types of intimacy? How do we define these things, and how do we keep confusion out of our relationships?"
"Those are excellent questions, Peydran. And we don't have answers, do we? But I think the number one recommendation I can make is to always be honest and upfront. Games help no one. And the first person to be honest with is yourself. If I don't know myself and don't understand myself and what I want, then how can I expect someone else to understand me? And I think that honesty is what propelled you and me, Peydran, from acquaintances who had pretty instant chemistry to true friends. What do you think?"
"No doubt. If anyone has any doubts about the authenticity of Ryst Nova, well, I don't know why you're still listening," and I couldn't help the snicker that came out. "Thank you so much for joining us today. That's all we have time for!"
"Sunshine, everybody!" Ryst closed the video.