I feel like a fucking movie montage on repeat. Get up, shower, chug a cup of coffee while putting on my face, throw on some khakis, go to work, go to class, somewhere along the route house a sandwich in my car, come home, shower (maybe), get in bed. Literally rinse and repeat. Interchange work with internships, pop those internships into a Saturday slot, throw some Masakhane board meetings in on Sundays and BOOM, I had two actual days off during the entire month of September. 12 hours, 5 days a week, occasional weekends. I. Am. A. Zombie. Appropriate for spoopy month, eh? But for whatever reason, I’ve been making really meaningful connections with folx from my past, past jobs, past degrees, past conferences, past lovers. The connections I’m making at school are few so far, but one in particular has zapped my heartbrain in the most delicious ways and I feel like we’re going to do something magical together. I’ve been volunteering for Ducky’s Sex Ed Skill Share series, which again reinforces the importance of extending, but not overextending our resources just enough to pool them into a mess of passion for like-minded work. So that’s the update, in a really, really small nutshell. Maybe like, half a pistachio.
I wanted to write a review of a toy I’ve had since spring, but hesitated because it is so physically alike two toys I’ve already reviewed, the Jopen Vanity Vr6 which USED to be my all-time favorite before testosterone made my front hole accommodate different shapes, and the We-Vibe Nova, which is still tolerable for insertion but the slippery-wiggly external part feels like it’s in a constant arm-wrestling battle with my clit whenever I’m sufficiently lubed up and hard. Dual points haven’t really been my go-to lately, but for some reason, maybe the slight difference in a less bulbous g-spot angle or a fraction of space between the shaft and the arm? I don’t know… it just works. Pre-T the Mantric was sort of an “eh” version of what I already liked, though it certainly had a few unique perks. Post-T I’m all for it.
For starters, it stands on its own. Literally. Propped upright, it rests like the L’Amorouse Prism V, except even more stable. The base flares out with a little lip to balance it nicely, which makes it a great addition if I’m going on a rotational session with different toys and I want to revisit the Mantric without gooping my nightstand or picking up cat fuzz. The lip of the base also helps my grip, which makes the handle easier for thrusting. The single button is featured on the lip, but it is inset just enough that I have not once accidentally pressed it during use. The button cycles through different vibrations after its initial pale blue standby mode. It changes in strength as the colors switch through the clicks, then eventually goes into different vibrational rhythms. I know I’m not alone when I say that vibrational modes can be excessive, complicated, and especially frustrating when the only way to get back to a desired mode is by clicking the button and cycling through again. Something about the Mantric, though, maybe because there’s only like, four different modes and they’re all wildly different, makes me not mind them so much. The vibration patterns also seem to make more sense than you’re average “cha-cha slide” or zapping so quickly you feel like you’re being tased through the crotch. The yellow, for example, features a vibration for internal stimulation that almost feels like the toy is is being thrusted into me while the arm stays on a constant buzz. I’m for it.
So I’m a sucker for the colors. The Mantric is a pretty bland purple, almost “winey,” but it has this dual panel at the base that looks really fancy even when it’s not on. It’s a clear bubble that reminds me of the bottom of Nike Air soles, and the colors transition smoothly into one another so it doesn’t blink brightly or obnoxiously in the dark. It’s definitely a bonus feature and probably shouldn’t be the main reason I love the toy so much, but to be honest, it kind of is. It gives a new sensory tangibility for transition, and being a visually-oriented person, there’s no guessing which mode I’m on because the color is right fucking there. It also helps me associate via memory which mode I like best which takes out additional guesswork.
The Mantric has strength, it has a reasonable amount of options, it has physical balance, it has manual usability, and it is colorful as fuck. Overall, not bad, not bad at all.