> Polyamory is a Surprisingly Effective Solution to the Housing Shortage 2 > by SwordTune > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- > Is 7 Inches Enough? > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Twilight stared at herself in the bathroom mirror because she was too afraid to face the conversation going on outside. “Is seven inches enough?” Pinkie Pie had asked Sunset Shimmer.  “I don’t know. If it’s for all of us, it might be best to just go with the ten inch one.” Silly thoughts kept darting transcendentally in Twilight’s mind as she brushed her teeth. Maybe Sunset had a new art project, and they’re looking at canvas sizes. Maybe Pinkie wanted to buy a giant candy bar. Or maybe it was the height of a Funko Pop they wanted. But in her heart, Twilight knew it wouldn’t be anything like those. This was not the start to her day that she wanted. But it has been the norm for a while now. With seven young women under a single roof, the extent of their depravity, their debauchery, had no control or filter. “That’s pretty big, even for me,” Pinkie said. “We’d probably need everyone’s help with it if we got that one.” Everyone’s help? Twilight ducked her head out of the bathroom. “Ayo! What we talking about out there? Ten inches?” “Twilight, you’re awake!” Pinkie announced, her eyes glistening with wolfish amusement. “What’s the matter, you think ten inches would be too big? We could get a seven-incher, but I don’t think I’d be satisfied if I didn’t try it.” Rinsing her mouth and setting down her toothbrush, Twilight walked into the living room. “I don’t even know what I’d do with ten inches,” she said. “It’s too big. Go with seven, for our sake.” “Don’t be silly, Twilight, no one expects you to handle it alone,” Pinkie replied, waving her caution away. “Sunset and I can definitely help you.”  Twilight’s face reddened. “Help how?”  Just then, out from the bedroom opposite the bath, Rainbow Dash walked out into the hall. Her hair was a knotted mess after another long night with Applejack and Rarity. “It’s too early, Pinkie. What are you talking about?” “Ordering stuff online,” Sunset said. “What do you think, Rainbow? Is seven inches enough, or should we get ten?” “Seven?” Rainbow Dash paused, slowly glancing back to Rarity and Applejack’s room. “Not that I’d ever back down from a challenge, but we should keep everyone in mind. Maybe six?”  “They don’t sell six inches,” Sunset said.  “Oh, is that so?” Laughing nervously, Rainbow Dash continued into the kitchen to grab a glass of water. “That’s fine. I can totally handle ten inches, but can I take a look just to make sure?” “Yeah. Here you go.” “Woah,” Rainbow said as she saw whatever was on the screen, her eyebrows arching as high as possible. “That’s pretty impressive. Sure, get what makes you happy.” Was Rainbow bluffing? Twilight pondered. Or had she misjudged the situation? It was hard to tell. This scene was not more unusual than anything else that happened in their house the past year.  It typically went like this: Whenever Applejack or Pinkie Pie would propose a challenge, almost inerrantly Rainbow Dash would snicker and shout back with a ridiculous claim. She was always unwilling to seem the lesser compared to anyone. When they began, Twilight had been curious, especially at Rainbow’s apparently inexhaustible endurance, and included it among her personal studies and observations. But this time, throwing out the prospect of ten inches so casually seemed too carelessly brazen, even for Rainbow. “What’s with the face?” Pinkie asked her. “You look worried.” Because I don’t want to be wrong, Twilight thought to herself, but I don’t want to be right, either. If the situation wasn’t what it so obviously sounded like, they’d all think she was a pervert like the rest of them. But what else could it be? Twilight wracked her mind, but it was their fault for putting thoughts like that in her head.  She didn’t use to. Twilight was fine as a passive observer to the carnal release others so desperately craved. It was an infrequent occurrence for her, simply because there were better endeavors to pursue—paths of science and discovery, pure and untainted. And yet, like a middle schooler hearing “that’s what she said” for the first time, she couldn’t get her mind to focus.  “Good morning girls. Is everything alright?” Fluttershy’s voice came from the front door like an angel singing grace. Her return from a late night shift at the zoo was a true stroke of luck. Despite her proclivities, Fluttershy was still a fair and modest lady, and Twilight had full confidence that she would feel the same about Pinkie and Sunset’s conversation.  “How about we ask her? It’s for all of us, isn’t it?” “Great idea,” Pinkie said. “Hey Flutters. What do you think, is ten inches too big?” Fluttershy blinked and stood in the doorway stunned.  Yes! Twilight thought. Of course someone as innocent as Fluttershy would be mortified by a sudden question like that. So, it’s not just me. Fluttershy tilted her head in ponderance. “Just ten? Seems kind of small.” Twilight’s jaw dropped. She accepted it so easily! “Now hang on a minute! Rainbow might go over the top, but this is too far even for you, Fluttershy!”  Sunset looked over her shoulder. “Huh? You okay? What are you talking about?” “Am I okay? Me? Just look at what we’re talking about! I don’t even know what to say. We’ve gone too far! Yes, that’s the rub. Even Fluttershy isn’t phased anymore. Can’t you see? We’re sinking further into depravity by the day. It doesn’t matter what size it is—and in fact, most women need external stimulation just as much or maybe even more, so it doesn’t have to be big. A simple five is fine. Six is great! We don’t need to risk ten inches, that’s pain territory! I’m out!” Twilight’s final words hung in the air as the others gave only silence in response. Slowly, they looked at each other, and finally Sunset spoke up. “So… you don’t want cheesecake?” “What?” She showed Twilight her phone. “Mr. and Mrs. Cake are having a cheesecake sale. What did you think we were talking about?” Twilight felt her face flush with heat, and Sunset simply smiled. “Perv.” “It’s not my fault. It’s not.” Twilight crumpled onto the sofa and buried her face in her hands, muttering to herself. “I’ve been twisted by all your degeneracy.”  > Twilight Gets a Little Too Obsessed > -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Background There are few topics in psychology associated with as much pleasure and anxiety as the orgasm, particularly in that of women. Several attempts have been made to characterize and categorize the causes and qualities of the female orgasm, often highlighting particular aspects or key features of sexual interactions. Previous study data suggest that the female orgasm may help with sperm retention, implying an evolutionary pressure on orgasm-inducing males (Valentina 2016). Adding to the concept of partner selection “neurophenomenological model,” as proposed in the article “Mysteries of Orgasm,” draws focus to rhythmic entrainment of the nervous system, describing rhythms that allow for arousal to surpass critical thresholds as an evolutionary mechanism of selection (Saffron, 2016). From this perspective, “mutual entrainment” is considered to be a neurobiological gauge for quality and compatibility of a partner. While this presents a framework for considering internal and interpersonal nervous entrainment to induce trance-like states, it does not adequately describe the location or anatomical origins of orgasms.  In a review paper titled “The Whole and the Parts,” a different framework presents orgasms as “an integration of sets of sensory inputs, bodily movements, positions, autonomic arousal, and partner-and-context-related cues” (Mist, 2016). The complexity of such a multi-faceted system of inputs provides an interesting perspective on the potential for plasticity and changes to arousal response, and possibly emergent behaviors such as experiences of fluid attraction. Additionally, “Physical versus Imagined Stimulation” has presented fMRI scans of brain activity during real and imagined stimulation and showed significant overlap in activated brain regions, suggesting a neural component to sexual experiences and orgasms in the absence of sensory input (Do, 2015).  To integrate these frameworks and understand how they modulate arousal and sexual climax, I, Twilight Sparkle, had undertaken a study comprising an observational and experimental phase involving myself and my six housemates. We had found ourselves in a novel living situation, and close proximity at nearly all hours of the day made frequent and open sexual interactions convenient for eliminating awkward or negative interpersonal relationships and fostering a deeper sense of community among ourselves. In light of the strong emotional and psychological implications of this arrangement, my study aimed to answer the following questions: How does the quality and experiences of sexual climax modulate interpersonal relationships, and vice versa? Why does orgasm intensity vary so broadly, with some having difficulty experiencing a single climax during intercourse while others claim to have many? And is the plasticity of sexual responses able to change this? How do orgasms contribute to mate choice, if at all. If they do, through what mechanisms do they exert influences? For this study, 7 adult women between the ages of 22-23 at time of the study’s start provided post-intercourse evaluations for 1,038 separate consensual sexual interactions across 18 months. Most interactions were limited to only 2 participants, however 132 interactions involved more than two participants, and 72 involved at least 1 participant under the influence of alcohol. As a control, each participant was asked to masturbate either by hand or with a device at least ten times in the 18 month period, with a  total of 210 individual climaxes being recorded by the study’s end.  Of the 7 women, four identified as being multiorgasmic (Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie) while three did not (Fluttershy, Sunset Shimmer, and myself). Prior to the study’s start, Fluttershy reported having difficulty experiencing orgasms on occasion. Orgasm experiences were measured by threshold time (time required to achieve first orgasm), duration of the orgasm, the presence of multiple orgasms, and overall sexual pleasure. All measurements were reported using a clicker light provided to the subjects, which they could turn on during a climax, except for overall pleasure which was gathered by surveys.  Data reduction analyses using principal component analysis were used to identify 16 variables of interest distributed across five components, which accounted for a significant portion of the variance. K-means clustering revealed four distinct types of orgasms could be parsed out from this group, which could be differentiated by several variables: motivation, sexual history, interest in roleplay, personality similarity, personality disparity, and  multiple orgasm characteristics. Data analysis and graphs are recorded in the project file: “Data_TS_personal_donotread_20220309.” Raw quantitative data and participant evaluations are also located in the same folder. The following summaries are of the semi-quantitative observations made throughout the duration of this study.  Observation 1: Differences in Dominant-Submissive Relationships  Throughout the study, Rainbow Dash engaged repeatedly with either Applejack or Rarity as much as fifty percent more than any other interaction, despite the two being romantically involved prior to the study and our housing arrangement. Dubbed as “Rarijack,” they described their initial relationship as “bedroom only dom/sub,” wherein Applejack assumes the role of the dominant (controlling) sexual partner while Rarity is in the obedient role exclusively in the context of sexual activities. However, in the presence of Rainbow Dash, both Applejack and Rarity assumed the dominant role, and it was RD who acted unexpectedly submissive.  Additionally, there appeared to be a dichotomy between the “RariDash” and “AppleDash” interactions. Rainbow Dash reported having a greater number of multiple orgasms with Applejack with shorter threshold times, however longer durations of orgasms with Rarity. When asked to rate who provided more intense climaxes and greater overall pleasure, Rainbow Dash reported Rarity was often more successful, however she expressed no particular preference between either partner, suggesting an alternate non-sexual motivation for interactions with Applejack.  Interestingly, while the dom/sub relationship of AppleDash did not persist outside the bedroom, the RariDash relationship seemed to expand to a more encompassing role. Prior to the study, Rainbow Dash had been the most reluctant to perform house chores such as cooking, cleaning, laundry, or washing dishes. Gradually, Rarity appeared to exert some influence on her behavior, demanding she behave like a “good girl” in return for a later reward. Furthermore, halfway through the study, Rainbow Dash stopped submitting masturbation results, citing that she “wasn’t given permission by Rarity” to climax alone. When asked about it in a post-study review, Rainbow Dash expressed her belief that it was this behavior that contributed to a significant increase in over pleasure. She stated: “You know, I was pretty stubborn about it at first. I mean, I work out so much more than Rarity, I just couldn’t imagine not being in control. Because with Applejack, it really is about which one of us is winning, and it’s just not fair because she usually gets control since she’s bigger. But with Rarity, I know she’s doing it for me. Like, how do I say it, she puts so much work into being organized and making plans for our nights that I just don’t know how to say no to her. It’s just too hot.”  Observation 2: Roleplay as Context-Dependent Arousal Cues Several interactions in this study involved “roleplay” as an erotic element. While there are broad definitions to what constitutes roleplay, from playful and makeshift to fully realized scripts with costumes and supporting actors, for the purpose of this study, roleplay was defined as “a fictitious scenario in which both participants wear costumes to fulfill predetermined roles.” Participants were free to have scripted or impromptu interactions.  Unsurprisingly, as the supplier of the majority of the props and costumes used during the study, Pinkie Pie was involved in 57% of all roleplay interactions. Distinguishing the impact of variables on arousal and orgasm quality proved difficult with Pinkie Pie, however, as her hyperactivity and fun-loving personality caused all her experiences to be homogeneously positive. Clustering algorithms were unable to distinguish more than a single group.  The second most involved participant in roleplay was Fluttershy, who was present in 32% of all roleplay scenarios. These scenarios constituted 82% of Fluttershy’s total sexual interactions during the study. The first interest was to see whether this preference was related to her occasional difficulty to experience orgasms. Although Fluttershy was able to achieve a full climax in all non-roleplay interactions, the threshold time was about two log2 fold changes greater as compared to roleplay. Supporting this, in her post-sex evaluations, Fluttershy consistently reported greater overall pleasure when participating in roleplay.  To further differentiate how the types of roleplay affect her experience, a separate k-means clustering algorithm was performed on Fluttershy’s dataset alone, which identified 4 distinct groups. By mapping each interaction to the data points, these groups could be described as: Fictional with Even Power, Fictional with Uneven Power, Realistic with Even Power, and Realistic with Uneven Power.  Fictional vs Real in this sense refers to whether the roles in the interaction are based on fictional characters/archetypes (ie: witch, magician, cyborg, elf, monster) or modern real-world roles (ie: nurse, police officer, firefighter, maid). Although Fluttershy identified none of her sexual interactions as having a dom/sub component, as she reported being “too intimidated” by the idea of domination to have pleasure, some roles, whether fictional or real, had power dynamics inherent to them, such as “nurse vs patient,” or “demon vs sacrifice,” while other roles were more equal, such as “spy versus assassin.” Between these four groups, orgasms with the shortest threshold time and longest duration were found  in the Fictional with Even Power group, while Realistic with Uneven Power had orgasms with the longest threshold times and shortest duration. All of Fluttershy’s experiences were reported as mono-orgasmic. All participants interacted with Fluttershy in at least one roleplay scenario, however no preference in partner was reported.  In her post-study evaluation and interview, Fluttershy described non-roleplay interactions as “mortifying.” She said, “I feel like there’s an expectation for me to perform even when it’s just plain s-se… intercourse. Like I’m on stage but I don’t know the script. I get so worked up that I forget to enjoy myself. But when I do roleplay it gets easier because I know what those characters are supposed to be like, and the expectations are laid out beforehand.”  When asked if she was disappointed in not having a multi-orgasmic experience, she responded, “I don’t feel happy or sad about it, though I suppose I’m still a little curious. Rainbow Dash is always telling me how awesome it feels, and she tries the most to help me experience it, but after the first one I’m just too sensitive and I get a little scared that Rainbow’s going to get carried away. If it happens one day naturally, that would be fun, but I’m not going to go out of my way to force it.”  Observation 3: Psychology and the Impact of Threshold Time Across all participants, availability and flexibility of time seemed to have a markedly high impact on reported pleasure when threshold time is short. Key examples of this are the differences between Sunset Shimmer and Rarity’s experiences.  Having come from another world, Sunset previously had very few identifying documents and personal history in our world, which resulted in past difficulty with opening bank accounts and applying to university. Because of this, she had developed a moderately successful career playing video games and making digital art on streaming and video sharing platforms. Though now able to pass as a person who wasn’t spat into this dimension by a supernatural portal, her online presence remains her primary job, which allows for extreme flexibility and availability in her schedule.  During the study, Sunset reported preferring orgasms with short threshold times, as it “allowed her to make use of the free time in between video recordings.” This flexible schedule seemed to contribute to partner selection as well, which she claimed was done by “just grabbing whoever was available in the house at the time.” 65% of all her sexual experiences with a partner 100% of her individual masturbations were performed with some form of a vibrator device “on the highest possible setting.” Despite this, orgasm duration did not vary significantly between threshold times, which is consistent with Sunset’s self-reported evaluation that “It all feels about the same for me, so I figured I might as well do it quickly. If the quality is the same, then increase the quantity.”  In contrast, Rarity, who has a typical work day from eight to five at a fashion design company, repeatedly complained about being tired and having less free time. She reported valuing long orgasm threshold times caused by “edging” and “orgasm denial.” These artificially extended times are not caused by reduced arousal or an inability to reach sexual climax, but rather were employed as techniques to increase sensitivity and enhance pleasure. As such, although Rarity’s data reports many data points with long thresholds, or sexual interactions that do not result in any climax at all, she ranked those as being more fulfilling and pleasurable. This is supported by a bimodal distribution of orgasm durations, in which long, intense orgasms lasting 40 to 70 seconds are expressed exclusively during interactions that involve paced, pulsatile vibrations spaced apart by 5-10 seconds of non-contact while direct, continuous stimulation at high frequency result mainly in brief transient orgasms.  In her post-study interview, Rarity stated, “I really don’t see the point in just ‘getting it over with’ and going about my day. Call me dramatic, but I have to make a production out of it. In the past, if Applejack was too busy, I’d find myself seeking a little bit of release, and it just wasn’t the same as being slowly led. But now that we’re doing this bizarre project of yours, I can usually find someone to help me out. I feel almost numb to the idea of a straightforward rendezvous with the magic wand, if you catch my meaning.” The difference between these two may be due to their personal preferences, physiology, and sexual background. There is also the uncontrolled variable of hormonal contraceptives (HC) for regulating menstrual cycles, which Rarity takes but Sunset does not. The use of HCs has been associated with “decrease of circulating androgen, estradiol, and progesterone levels, as well as for the inhibition of oxytocin in some women,” although the true effects have yet to be firmly concluded as there has been contradictory research (Meadowbrook, 2019). Even so, these hormones are involved in pair-bonding behavior, pain and pleasure sensitivity, and neural response to stimulation, causing it to be a confounding factor when trying to determine how threshold time impacts sexual climax and pleasure.  Despite these differences, it should be noted that the two women have similar descriptions, orgasm durations, and threshold times during control masturbation. Both reportedly used their vibrator devices at the highest setting. And although the Rarity and Sunset use vibrators of different designs from different companies, the maximum settings for both have comparable intensities, at 130 and 140 Hz respectively. As a result, it may be the case that stress factors, availability, and the psychology of value-based choices may influence each woman’s perception of the better sexual experience, reinforcing their own sense of pleasure and gratification.  Observation 4: Position, Contact, Novelty, and Intimacy Within the myriad of sexual positions and interactions, there are several methods employed by partners who do not wish for direct physical contact while still desiring intimacy. These can be to prevent pregnancy, the spread of STIs, or just as a new experience to share.  To capture the diversity of sex acts, participants were asked to try as many new positions or interactions as they felt comfortable. These included mutual masturbation (MM), guided masturbation, remote stimulation, BDSM, electroshock, and skin contact only—lips, ears, neck, breasts and nipples, back and spine, wrists, feet, and axilla/underarm—stimulated by touch or tickling.  I noted that after the first introduction of mutual masturbation, in which both partners have no physical contact but are present and in view of each other during stimulation, it became almost as common as any other form of interaction for Fluttershy’s interactions involving any other participant. It was reportedly the least favorite for Pinkie Pie. Remote stimulation, in which a vibrator is remotely controlled by the recipient’s partner, usually through a phone app, also became a common occurrence for RariDash interactions. Due to her sexual activity, Applejack was already familiar with BDSM as a dom, but expressed intense interests and amusement at the use of electroshock on both Rainbow Dash and Rarity. Conversely, Sunset found electroshock uncomfortable but reported gaining a curiosity in BDSM methods as both a recipient and provider. Towards the end of the study, there was a marked increase in interactions between Sunset Shimmer and Applejack.  Interestingly, partner selection during MM for most participants deviated from the selection typically observed in other interactions. For instance, while Fluttershy was generally avoidant of hyperactive-types like Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie throughout the first four months of the study, after trying MM, FlutterDash pairings not only increased, but overtook less active pairings, including RariShy or Fluttershy and myself (FlutterTwi). Data also shows that those interactions produced greater orgasm durations for Fluttershy. While masturbation is typically conceived as an independent and intrapersonal sex act, partner coupling and partner complementarity appear to have an impact on initiation, selection, and pleasure perception. Although these new methods eventually became saturated and occurred almost as frequently as typical clitorial/vaginal stimulation, participants frequently discussed or shared their first encounter more than any other time, and these stories coincided with prolonged orgasm durations and shorter threshold times, with the exception of skin contact only, which either did not elicit orgasmic experiences or had a threshold time several log2 fold changes longers than the average. This indicates that the sensation of novel sexual experience may be excitatory and have a perceptual impact on pleasure.  Observation 5: Unusual and Outlying Events Though excluded from the data analysis, a few peculiar events need to be mentioned as they bring up areas unexplored by this study. As previously mentioned, some interactions in this study included more than 2 participants, but in one unusual case, all members of this study were involved for an uncharacteristically long time period.  This occurred early in the study, when Rainbow Dash’s experience as a sub to Rarity was still unfamiliar. After repeated disobedience and failing to complete the house chores assigned to her, Rainbow Dash was “ordered” (with consent) to be the centerpiece of a group sex activity as punishment. RD was restrained to a bed in a BDSM-like manner and stimulated to orgasm by all other participants, each rotating out after a climax had been achieved. This cycle persisted for 4 hours until finally Rainbow apologized for never doing her chores and agreed to be obedient to Rarity from then onward.  I had predicted an exponential decrease in threshold times due to heightened sensitivity after repeated stimulation as well as a decrease in orgasm duration due to exhaustion. And while this was broadly true, there was a greater amount of person-to-person variation than expected. Even when comparing stimulation within each pairing, over time, Rainbow Dash appeared to recover and increase her threshold time. However, since it’s her, it’s impossible to tell whether that is common for prolonged overstimulation or whether it is simply due to her stubborn personality and fitness.  Secondly, and more interestingly, there was one instance of transient global amnesia (TGA). TGA is described as “a sudden onset of anterograde and retrograde amnesia.” For privacy, the participant in question will only be referred to as “the patient.” In this case, it occurred suddenly when the patient was found with mental confusion and memory loss about two hours after engaging in sexual activity with Sunset Shimmer. There was no observable head injury, weakness in the limbs, vision change, chest pain, vomiting, shortness of breath, or any other physical complaints. After about another hour, the confusion and behavior changes appeared too uncharacteristic and the patient was driven to the hospital. As an emergency contact, the patient had given permission for medical information to be disclosed to me. Non-contrast computed tomography (CT) scan was performed at the hospital and showed no intracranial pathology, though magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan was performed 10 hours after the episode and revealed a punctate focus of restricted diffusion in the anterior right temporal lobe. Aside from high LDL and A1c, the patient’s blood and urine screens were unremarkable at the time of admission. At sixteen hours, electroencephalography showed no seizure or focal slowing. After thirty-six hours, the patient was alert to person, place, and time and was discharged. The patient followed up three months, five months, and nine months after her hospital admission. With each visit, her cognitive (basic orientation, reasoning, and language) and neurological exams were normal. Or, as normal as she could reasonably be. MRI at nine months showed resolution of the  punctate focus of restricted diffusion without any other abnormalities. It was at this time the physicians at the hospital described the incident to likely be TGA.  After further literature review, it appears that TGA can occur among people who are typically healthy and do not have any comorbidities, risk factors, or triggering factors. It is uncommon, and its causes are not well known. Though otherwise healthy, the patient was carefully monitored for the remainder of the study. However, concern from Sunset Shimmer and a deep sense of responsibility appeared to reduce her interest in sexual activity for roughly two months after the episode.  Personal observations and final remarks Initially, I had intended to remain unbiased and impartial in my analysis, however, to expand the sample size, I had to include myself in this personal investigation. Prior to this study I had engaged in sexual acts very rarely despite the polyamorous arrangement within our house. For the sake of consistency, I kept my interactions with each participant equal (30 interactions each across 18 months). From my own recollection and according to the data, I had an overall increase in receptiveness towards erotic sensation. The use of several devices allowed for greater flexibility and control over orgasm timing and intensity, with more complicated setups (harnesses, collars, restraints) eliciting the excitement of exploration and improved comfort when attempting anatomically challenging positions. Though never engaging in the dom/sub relationship that Rarity had, I explored a deeper understanding of foreplay and sensation through her knowledge of aromatic candles, mood lighting, and massage therapy.  As a whole, this private investigation demonstrates the ways in which orgasm and arousal both powerfully shapes behavior and perception, and is itself shaped by a complex system of contexts and personal preferences. Despite the small sample size, this study has explored a diverse set of personalities and sexual backgrounds, which may hopefully stimulate further understanding of sexual health and wellness in both traditional and nontraditional relationships.