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This was the third time you’d opened the tab in a week. The idea of cuddling and connecting with strangers felt foreign and intimidating. How could that possibly be safe? Am I weird for wanting this? Could it really be platonic? But this time, curiosity got the better of you, and you got a ticket.

On the night before the event, you lay awake wondering, “What am I doing? Is this a terrible idea?” On the day of the event, you sat in your car in the parking lot, wondering if you could even go in there.

But you did. Someone kind welcomed you at the door and oriented you to the venue. You found a few people chatting in the coatroom, and a few more sitting in low chairs on cozy mattresses. You picked a seat, settled in, and after a little while, the event began with an official welcome.

You were still nervous, but as other participants started to introduce themselves to the group, you felt your guard come down the smallest amount. A couple of hours later, after the consent workshop, you were surprised to find yourself cuddling with two people you’d just met today, as one of them stroked your hair and the other asked if there was anything else you wanted.

You paused for a breath, reflecting on how you got to this moment before you answered.