Era: Arthur Relationship, October 2020–June 2021
Three weeks after starting Séroplex, Steven went to his first after-party and met Arthur. They became a couple quickly, and Steven moved in with Arthur soon after. The relationship lasted approximately eight months.
The conditions of the relationship
Arthur owned his apartment and did not work. He organized afters lasting two to four days, apartment parties with 3-MMC and GHB/GBL as primary substances. Steven’s account in the context document describes these as spaces of openness, community care, and collective meaning-making: “une communauté très ouverte d’esprit et mature en termes de réduction des risques… on peut y refaire le monde pendant des heures et passer de très bons moments.”
These afters also had a nihilistic dimension: “l’expression d’un désespoir face au non-sens politique et au chaos mondial, ainsi qu’aux confinements à répétition, avec cette idée que le monde pouvait potentiellement toucher à sa fin.”
3-MMC use begins
Steven’s 3-MMC use began in earnest with Arthur. It stayed within the festive and sexual context initially. The turn happened when, at the end of an after, Arthur fell asleep and Steven stayed up coding. The stimulant effect of 3-MMC plus the residual euphoria of GBL created extraordinary focus. He writes: “j’ai réalisé à quel point mes difficultés de concentration et de fonction exécutive, ma capacité à avancer sur diverses tâches et ma volonté d’aboutir à mes projets étaient décuplées.”
He later identified this late-night solo computer use as stimming, using the computer as a sensory buffer against the extreme social stimulation of the after. The dual function, work tool and autism regulation tool, made the pattern sticky.
The COVID Tracker work
During this period, Steven worked on the CovidTracker iOS app, having joined the team after contacting the founder on Twitter. He describes getting stuck in a perfectionist UI loop, “coincé dans une spirale perfectionniste en termes de choix d’interface”, and never shipping the app before the pandemic wound down. His name appears in the team credits but not in a shipped product.
Séroplex discontinuation during Arthur era
Steven stopped Séroplex during this period. He felt well and happy. He suspected 3-MMC, which is serotonergic, would interact badly. There was no medical oversight.
End of relationship
By April 2021, they had separated. Steven writes in the Barcelone entry: “nous nous parlons encore tous les jours, mais goooood (god) ce que c’est compliqué.” He had given “bien plus que ne mérite” emotionally and chose not to write about it extensively. “J’ai besoin d’avancer.”
He went immediately to Barcelona solo for one week with a backpack, then was invited to the Arturo/Poncho wedding in Tulum. See Tulum Refusal. The invitation ended at Miami. He was French, in transit, had a negative PCR, and was denied US entry.
Barcelona and Tulum (April–May 2021)
Immediately after the separation, Steven went to Barcelona alone for one week with a backpack, framing it as the start of a new phase: “À ma façon cette fois ci. Pas à la façon de Mateo, pas celle d’Arthur, ni celle imposée par la société non.” The trip renewed his appetite for solo travel.
Three days after returning, he was invited to the wedding of Arturo and Poncho in Tulum. He prepared in 24 hours, flew out from Lyon toward Miami in transit, and was refused entry by US immigration despite a negative PCR test. He was turned back at Miami, returned to France, and eventually made his way back to Paris.
Post-relationship context
Steven returned to Lyon briefly, then to Paris, installed himself alone. Applied to Shadow. The 3-MMC use continued beyond the relationship and beyond the social-festive frame.