Psychology student with a lot of curiosity. :) (nm)

I think I found the Aura of Smooth. by Lily Winterwood on 2014-05-08 17:25:00 UTC Reply

Liquid Trust is liquid oxytocin which you spray on yourself. For some of us who don't know what oxytocin is, it's this hormone that facilitates bonding and trust. So, hypothetically, the person who sprays this liquid trust on themselves will appear more trustworthy to other people.

Now, isn't that like Aura of Smooth, or what?

It gets weirder. by Calista on 2014-05-09 06:06:00 UTC Reply

Oxytocin isn't just a cuddle/trust/romance hormone. It's also associated with prejudice--with loyalty to your own group and hostility to others. In some experiments, oxytocin exposure raised the amount of punishment that test subjects were willing to impose on out-group members.

So not only does it make you want to bond with someone... it makes you want to hurt everybody else.

Is Aura of Smooth oxytocin? I'd say--no. But, like a lot of drugs, Aura of Smooth probably works on oxytocin receptors, at least in cases where the species involved has them, or an analogue of them. It's an artificial substance, much stronger, that was never meant to be in the brains of the poor canons to begin with. It's not like the gentle feelings of attachment that oxytocin brings. Aura of Smooth creates more of an addiction and an inability to think for oneself. It is literary parasitism.

But Sues do even more than that. They can influence even characters who are incapable of attachment. They can romance Voldemort, force normally sociopathic characters to care about them, and even entrance robots, aliens, and inanimate objects. Their influence isn't a matter of simple chemistry--they warp the story directly. A Mary Sue isn't just a simple parasite; she's a reality-warping eldritch abomination.

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Wait a sec... by son_of_heaven176 on 2014-05-10 18:41:00 UTC Reply

you sound pretty knowledgable about this. Did you just do some Wikipedia research, or are you some kind of neuroscientist IRL?

Psychology student with a lot of curiosity. :) (nm) by Calista on 2014-05-10 21:47:00 UTC Reply

Also increases prejudice? by Pippa's Ghost on 2014-05-09 17:51:00 UTC Reply

Interesting. If the Aura of Smooth is anything like oxytocin, maybe that explains why it can also turn men into Designated Misogynist Bastards.

*Looks at product description* by SeaTurtle on 2014-05-09 01:20:00 UTC Reply

>Generic "everyone will like you if you use this thing" blurb
>Classy quote by Lao Tzu
>Works though placebo effect
>"Meh" reviews
>Normally 40 bucks
>About 7.4 ml of product

I'll take "Miscellaneous scams" for 500$, please.

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Yup, it's a scam. by Calista on 2014-05-09 06:09:00 UTC Reply

It might be real oxytocin, but you're not going to get any kind of dose from just being around someone who's sprayed it on themselves. To administer oxytocin, you would need to use an oxytocin nasal spray on yourself. It's a human hormone, so it's supposed to be in your body. If you want to know what oxytocin feels like, just go cuddle a kitten or kiss your significant other. The "You're all mine and I want to hold you close" feeling? That's oxytocin.

Oh, whew. I was kinda creeped out. ^. ^; (nm) by Neshomeh on 2014-05-09 16:52:00 UTC Reply

Hmm... by eatpraylove on 2014-05-08 20:59:00 UTC Reply

That sounds pretty close. But since Aura of Smooth warps the characters' thought processes so all they can think about is the Sue while in her vicinity, I'm thinking there's some Glitter involved in the genuine article. (If so, probably very fine glitter so even the Sue might not know she has a glittery aura.)
So, Are Agents Immune to Oxytocin? by sjosten on 2014-05-08 17:49:00 UTC Reply

At least the assassins spend pretty much all their time around the Aura of Smooth, so I imagine they've built up an immunity by now.

Naw. They just know better than to fall for Sues. by Calista on 2014-05-09 06:12:00 UTC Reply

I mean, they're still capable of cooing over a cute mini, falling in love with each other, or getting protective of the canon or the stories they love. All that stuff floods your brain with oxytocin. Strangely enough, so would killing the Mary Sue--oxytocin is all about bonding, and it's involved in hostility to things that are outside your group. In this case, it's involved in killing a Mary Sue that's attacking the story you love.

Agents' brains use oxytocin just fine--but when they see a Mary Sue, any increased oxytocin activity would be more of the "protect my turf; defend my friends" variety.