(10-12-2014, 04:06 PM)Edgar Wrote:(10-12-2014, 03:38 PM)PkThunda Wrote: Well well! This is my kind of thread- I love thinking and talking about character sexuality and it's place in the setting.
My current main character, Z'zhumii Umi is a courtesan. Sexuality is her business.
She is also asexual and aromantic.
I know, I know, you might be scratching your head a little at that.
Why would she end up in a profession that mainly revolves around sex and attraction? What does she get out of it?
Well, the answer to that is gil.
While she herself does not experience sexual or romantic attraction to anyone, sex is still pretty neato and the money people pay her for it is nothing to scoff at.
Umi is in it solely for the business aspect, and she will play on the affections of others to keep the money flowing.
I do charge actual girl for ERP with others on Umi- It actually helps keep my roleplay from devolving solely into smut.
Since the cost is so high, most people won't bother to try and engage Umi for that kind of roleplay, which is nice when I want to focus on plots and events.
I recently (like, a few minutes ago!) finished my big guide on courtesans in history and RP, so it's a big obvious on how open I am with character and setting sexuality xD
I'm scratching my head, but for a different reason.
Aesexual would imply she has no sex drive, which would make her position totally preposterous. Why would someone with no sex drive, even for the sake of gil, go through with sex? The answer is simple: They wouldn't. We're talking a total lack of libido, here; sex would be anything but neato.
Basically, it doesn't make sense to me. You define her as cunning, gil-seeking, and manipulative, playing on another's affections. That takes comprehension of those affections, and those sexual desires, and she doesn't have them because she simply doesn't feel them. Now, if she were merely indifferent to sex, instead of having zero libido as Aesexuals do, you could totally pull this off. She could just have a view where sex is just a tool in her arsenal, and not think highly of it. She could theoretically continue being aromantic in her more serious relationships, because she sees no reason for sex in a serious relationship, but it wouldn't bleed into her source of income, because she would have the desire still there to actually want to go through with the tasks required. Aromantic works for this situation; Aromantic Aesexual does not.
That's just my opinion, though. You've always struck me as rather knowledgeable what with your database on Courtesans, so I have a feeling I might be missing something.
Having had asexual friends in college and having been with someone myself who was asexual, I think I can help answer this.
It sometimes becomes a mind over matter thing. People who are asexual, especially when it comes to the topic of sex, recognize that is fundamental for certain things. For example, most to all romantic relationships need physical intimacy and not everyone who is asexual will find and fall for another asexual partner. In this case, it's required for work.
Just because one is asexual doesn't mean they can't or won't have sex. It just means that they can live without it and still live a happy and normal life. But many that I know of aren't opposed to delving into sex if it's for their partner's happiness or to have a child. Just like, in this case, the character delves into it because it makes her a very good income.
