#aspec book

[newpathmain]

“As we grow up, we are told one cardinal “truth”: that some-day we are all going to crave sex and have a high libido, that we are going to experience strong sexual attraction and want to have sex with our (opposite-sex) peers. And, of course, we are then told not to do it because it’s a sin”

“This sentiment is obviously harmful to aspecs, who often grow up feeling broken because they do not feel the same way their peers supposedly do. But it is also debilitating to allos, who are led to believe that everyone experiences sexual attraction or sexual urges in the same way.”

“The aspec lens shows us that not only is it possible to have differing sexual preferences, but that it is normal and common.”

- Sounds Fake But Okay by Sarah Costello and Kayla Kaszyca

[arashisenshi]

The Stones Stay Silent

For over ten years, Lei has prayed to the Parents at the blue lith outside his hometown, yet the stone never fulfilled his wish.

When a deadly plague sweeps the land, the priests of the Parents drive people into a religious frenzy to appease the gods. "Leia", as people call him, unmarried and with interests unbecoming to a woman, falls victim to it.

Lei flees for his life with his friend Kevv'ach, a semi-corporeal Night Demon suffering from memory loss.

With old and new friends by his side, unanswered questions about Kevv'ach's link to the liths, and his heart's desire undiminished, Lei embarks on a new journey: to the Great Lith, the largest blue stone known to people.

He will beseech the Parents once more to remake his body in the image of the Father so the world sees him as his true self:

Leiander.

Going back to my editor in September. Probably out... in winter? Spring?

[newpathmain]

“But as we age, of course, we begin customizing our lenses. We learn from our friends, our 11th grade English teachers, the media we consume, that perhaps there are other ways of living. And as we all know, this is when clashing can begin. Though perhaps it is slow at first, the more different our lenses become from our parents’, the more difficult certain conversations become.”

- Sounds Fake But Okay by Sarah Costello and Kayla Kaszyca

[newpathmain]

I am not a kinky ace myself, but I thought these were good points in looking at the intersection between kink and asexuality that allo society doesn’t quite understand. For me, the biggest thing I’ve gleaned from learning about kink is true “consent culture” which applies to all human interactions. I think we need to dispel a lot of the prejudices around it - the kink community does consent and communication right!

“While kink and kink culture provide a lot of benefits to the aspecs who participate, it doesn’t all come easily. As kink is largely seen as a sexual practice and asexuality is largely seen as a sexless identity, the two communities don’t always mesh well.”

“The taboos surrounding kink impact kinksters and vanilla folks alike, putting unnecessary rules around the right and wrong ways to gain physical pleasure, whether that involves sex or not.”

- Sounds Fake But Okay by Sarah Costello and Kayla Kaszyca