The Shape of Things to Come (Hypernaturals 15)

Analysis

The rest of the day crawled on by. When I got back to the house, we went swimming. Well: those of us not in the "what to do about 'rox'" conference and planning went swimming.

Paul is deeply intrigued by the idea we have a pool inside a building. He wanted to try it out.

Janie may be an exotic dancer at a nude club, and his dad a bartender there, but that does not mean Paul has been exposed to casual, non-sexual nudity. When you go swimming in a human-world public pool, you wear clothes. Janie and Mike compensate for their careers in sexually oriented business by keeping Paul far away from it.

Nudity has nothing to do with sex, but puritanical culture sells shame and does so successfully. Even my brother and sister came out more prudish about skin than I did. The same culture that says women that dress in revealing cloths are 'asking for it' and that in some cultures requires women to cover themselves completely so as not to 'tempt weak men'.

Which is utter bullshit. Men should be taught they are the ones responsible for their actions and their behaviors. Unfortunately, unless you were raised by people like my parents, that is not how the world works. Well. Outside the Vampire world. Inside our microcosm men are absolutely required and expected to keep it in their pants unless invited not to. Maybe one of the reasons my parents so easily accepted the hidden world is their alignment on this point.

Which, come to think of it may be why I fit in this world. I like sex as much as the next guy. Maybe more. This does not mean I have ever felt entitled to a woman because of how she dresses. Hell: I'm still not comfortable with the way Vera is about sex, but at least we communicate about it now.

Vera has come into her own as a Vampire. Her Siren nature is completed in some ways by the confidence being a Vampire has given her. She is afraid of no man, and could not care less what any of them think about her. She will dress how she likes, act how she likes, and be Vampire-siren-succubus all day every day. Woe be unto the man that tries to take anything she does not want to give. That started when she found out she was a Siren. She threw down the gauntlet at the bar. No Siren Song could seduce her, and she took what she wanted.

I like that. What I have trouble with is that when she decides she wants someone, like me? She often wants to be 'owned'. Taken to sexual places of surrender. It never adds up in my head. Once it's over, she is back to being the her I grok again. I understand Jessica, Morgan, Denise, or Helen's sexuality far better. Joy in each other without the need for 'ownership', however temporary.

Although there is that bondage thing Jessica and Morgan are planning for Jessica. I think that is different and it has been discussed but never happened.

I approve of the idea of keeping Paul away from his parent's line of work except I also disagree. I will kill anyone that sexually harms a child. Flat out kill. If Paul were my boy, I'd talk about the fact that they are making money off the built-in mental sickness that the culture encourages. If you can't beat them, profit off them. I'd lay it on the line, and be upfront about it. Honest.

My son Ben will be brought up knowing that he and only he is responsible for his behavior. Not the women around him.

It is easier to make that kind of statement in a world that is almost entirely women. I will be aided in that messaging by all.

Perhaps the fact I have no use for teases or lingerie is a symptom of how I feel about my personal responsibility. If someone wants to wear such things, I'm like, whatever. You are not dressing for me; you are dressing for you. The same goes for undressing.

Paul asked to go swimming, and also asked about the 'No clothes allowed' sign.

"Is that for real?" He asked me. "I never been swimming naked before."