Saint James Infirmary 597: Je me souviens

[Haight]

And if you want to hear the difference at length, ask any poly person.

Wait, you have to ask? I've never had that problem. /s

I very much enjoy the fantasy of one male with a (sometimes literal) harem of women, with a healthy dose of mind control mixed in (and other kinks, when I'm not on this site). While certain aspects of the poly lifestyle might seem to resemble that, in the end it's a very different thing. And obviously the poly stuff comes up a lot in these comics (early on in THK, for example) but for me that's of limited attraction... too "real" to be a fantasy, or at least to take it as far as I would like this stuff to go. The power/freedom imbalance in a (fantasy) relationship where one man has multiple women that he doesn't share (with other men) but who is free to pursue other avenues or expand his harem adds a lot of heat to a story. The idea that a woman could be mc'ed into *wanting* a relationship like that adds another layer of fun/sexiness to it.

So Weston? No animus against him. I think he's kind of funny; a bit of comic relief. And I'm glad he's got his gf and his poly relationship(s). But I really hope that Adrian's women stay Adrian's, exclusively (barring Caitlyn's inevitable misadventures), is the main thing.

[jmundt29]

Wait, how is Weston poly?  He would seem to be aspirational poly, actually swinging in controlled situations with Reka.  In other circumstances (say if all the MC practitioners were like Jakob, Johannes, Derek, or worse) Weston might be a likeable everyman.  Mostly so far he seems like a knockoff version of Adrian at best and a perpetually lewd wiseass instigator at worst (like if Stifler from American Pie or Mike Dexter from Can't Hardly Wait were mostly harmless).  He's annoying and his wisecracking tends to kill the mood, but he's not actively toxic.  The dippy Coates who I took to calling Yates after Yates Noll when he first appeared (there are all KINDS of horrific associations with that juxtaposition and it was totally my fault) would seem to be closer to actual poly than swinging (with Astrid at the controls) while Adrian is ACTUALLY poly with open relationships.

I would be pleased to see the harem expanded out of necessity and defense as a result of this escapade, but turning Adrian permanently or quasi-permanently into Jakadrian just...Diane Ford would say it gives me a case of the "huuuhs."

[GodWilling]

And if you want to hear the difference at length, ask any poly person.

They're welcome to try explaining it, as long as they understand that in return I will be calling them swingers at every possible opportunity until one of us dies.

I would be pleased to see the harem expanded out of necessity and defense as a result of this escapade, but turning Adrian permanently or quasi-permanently into Jakadrian just...Diane Ford would say it gives me a case of the "huuuhs."

I doubt the change will be permanent, if only because it would make it very hard to decide - and possibly to care - who has won the war. I do keep thinking though about those forks in the road that lead to the three eventual outcomes. Is one approaching?

As to Adrian's harem expanding... if he's just going to revert to his old self, the prospect leaves me more or less cold.

[laguna85]

yes I'm slow. So Danielle get suck-in the Pearl "Miriam" Cantor dreamscape and Danielle is dress-up as a maid in Jakob Kupple worlds