3-MMC
3-MMC is the central substance in Steven’s post-Paris substance arc. It entered through the Arthur after-party period and later moved from social use into work, regulation, dependence, and eventual discontinuation.
Arthur-era introduction
Steven’s regular 3-MMC use began during the relationship with Arthur. At first it belonged to the festive and sexual setting of afters: long private apartment gatherings where 3-MMC and GHB/GBL were common.
The functional turn happened after Arthur fell asleep and Steven stayed awake coding. He experienced the stimulant effect as a solution to executive dysfunction. It gave focus, initiation, and a feeling that projects could advance.
Work aid and stimming
Steven later understood part of this use as stimming. Sitting at the computer during afters gave him a buffer from social overstimulation and a way to remain present without being fully socially available.
This made 3-MMC unusually sticky. It was not only pleasure, and not only work. It linked sociability, sexuality, task initiation, and autism regulation into one pattern.
Collapse
By 2022 and 2023, 3-MMC had moved beyond its original setting. It became a mediator of professional existence during the freelance period. Forty-eight-hour stretches without sleep became normal.
The substance stopped helping reliably. Steven described the point at which it began to work against him: “elle commençait à me desservir.” By March 2023, the crisis was inseparable from escalating use, closed curtains, and professional failure.
Ending
The 3-MMC loop broke after Dimitri arrived in Steven’s building in late 2025. Steven describes the change as environmental rather than purely volitional. The substance stopped almost overnight and was replaced by MDPHP.