Flirting with strangers resumes in public places

Over the course of late 2019 and 2020, I cataloged the signs of people coming out of their refractory states from the vulnerable phase of the 15-year excitement cycle. Girls catcalling guys, brushing up against guys in public, and so on and so forth -- things which had not happened to me since the summer of 2015, all of a sudden were coming roaring back.

Sometime after the theft of the election -- seems like the Capitol storming or Biden's inauguration -- everyone fled back into their cocoons. Staring down at phones became widespread overnight, when it had all but disappeared during the late 2010s. People swerving 10 feet away from you on the path around a park. Utterly hysterical anxiety, as people tried to figure out what was going to happen in the power vacuum after the coup against Trump and the Reagan-era GOP.

But now that there's a lull in outward signs of political instability (until the next major blow-up), people are starting to lighten up again, and are tentatively coming back out of their shells. The springtime weather certainly helps, especially with the birds-and-the-bees side of the return to social interaction.

The alt girls in particular have been wearing down my defenses, whether by locking eyes with me, following me around, or actually coming up to me and saying, I really like your outfit ^_^. Today I finally felt inspired enough to make the first move in complimenting them.

At one of my regular stops on the thrift store circuit, an adorable alt girl with tawny skin and a quirky purple bob of hair had followed me back into the men's clothing section, where I had been the only person browsing. She started making little moves to stand in the same aisle as me, though at the opposite end, to have plausible deniability in case I ignored her. But like an eager fishie, I took the bait and walked down her way, passing her as I turned around the end of the aisle, then remaining within 5 feet or so of her.

Unlike most alt girls -- and their scene girl ancestors -- this one was a butt girl, standing in a contrapposto while staring up at the t-shirt rack as though pondering a design exhibition (but inwardly focused on luring me closer). I don't even remember what she was wearing on top, all I could see was her buns pushed out to one side, in high-waisted jeans, a grommet belt, and Doc Martens. How could she tell I was a butt guy, and not a boob guy? Maybe she saw that I too was dressed to show off my butt, and figured birds of a feather flock together.

Another pass down the opposite aisle from her, so that she was standing across from me and making eye contact. I noticed she had one or two slits in her eyebrow -- typically a signal of being a lesbian, but given how eagerly she was following me around, maybe the bi girls have adopted it as well.

Then she came back to my aisle, heading right for me. OK, time to give little miss flirty-birdy some spoken validation.

"I like your hair color..."

oh yeahhh?

"Yeah, it's really cool. I used to have that same color, in 8th grade."

(true story -- was not BS-ing just to get on her good side)

yeah, it's... really... funnn.... ^_^

(She must've been so starved for conversation during the pandemic, she was struggling to force the words out of her throat. Awww, it's so cute when girls get speechless.)

I, uh... really, like your shirt! (edgy b&w graphic tee)

"Thanks!"

And that was it -- we went back along our merry ways after our little dance, one step further out of our shells.

When the social mood progresses to further levels of restlessness during this warm-up phase of the cycle, I'll go further and invite her to be thrift store buddies for a little while. Mostly for her to model things, but she could also pick something out for me to try on. I really miss how excited young girls get when they're out clothes shopping and want a random hot guy friend to give them both some unconditional validation as well as some honest feedback. Something they cannot get from a gay BFF -- they want to know if they look hot, and only the attention of a straight guy (preferably one with options) can make that signal palpable.

Speaking of which... there was another alt girl in the next thrift store, who was wearing a dress so sheer you could perfectly see her black bra and bikini-cut underwear. She tried to get my attention a bit, too, passing by me narrowly in the men's jeans aisle, then turning a corner and slowly strutting her ass from side to side, wholly visible under the non-existent dress. This is a clear exit from the vulnerable phase of the cycle, when girls don't want anyone looking at them even partly exposed, and instead resembles the "no pants subway ride," "free the nipple," and other exhibitionistic displays from the last restless and manic phases.

However, I noticed when I first saw her -- like, she's got to be here with her boyfriend or something, otherwise honey-bunny is looking to get catcalled, groped, or slung over someone's shoulder. Well, in a manner of speaking -- she was there with her gay BFF, who was playing the typical eunuch role to his fag-hag friend. Total boner-killer. Minus 10,000 points.

I don't know why girls still don't get it, about not bringing any gay friends out with them when they're trying to get attention from guys. If they wanted to not be approached, then bringing along the gay eunuch makes perfect sense. But when you're dressed half-naked and flexing your buns before a random hot guy? Get him the fuck outta here, Jesus. No eye-contact from me, certainly no verbal compliments or anything further.

Woketards may have made it unsayable in public, but no normal straight guy, especially a hot one looking to flirt with some girls, would ever hang out with gays. It's just not a thing -- no "fag-hag, but a guy". It's already enough to have to befriend or disarm a straight guy friend who you might be out with -- let alone one who will be creepily eying us over even more than you will (they have no filter or shame). It creates such an awkward mood, just... don't.

Final friendly reminder to take off your placebo mask indoors every once in awhile, for awhile, so they can see your face. It gives them a better idea of what you look like, but also makes you more human and approachable -- less faceless. But that's the topic for another post.