If we include exponential growth, the answer is clearly the carrying capacity of however they are being fed.
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Siobhan does not seem like she enjoys social drama much. And now you’re encouraging this to go in the direction of a harem story?
Are you just trying to torture her?
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Not all polycules are drama filled. Some have about as much drama as a group of friends who hang out every day, like she already deals with.
And im more suggesting a polyclue than a harem… However it might start as a harem because how the h*cken is she going to be able to choose between Lacer, Oliver, and Damien? Those 3 (to me at least) clearly have feelings for her.
I hate the stories where one person has multiple people interested in them and is forced to choose just one. Why? Seriously why? Unless the person only likes one of the options, picking just one has on way to many occasions lead to problems.
Poly isn’t for everyone, it’s not, but I can see her humoring this for a while at least.
The chemistry seems to be shed end up just picking Oliver, but chemistry aside, who does she choose? How does she choose?
With her no longer needing sleep, she could find the balance.
And honestly, I’m more for she has this harem that she has no clue exists, never waking up from being Ace/arom
Poly tends to blow up badly unless you know how to tame the big green monster called jealousy. That goes better when you can learn useful techniques from those who know how to do it.
I somehow suspect that this is a world that doesn’t know about compersion. And even if the world did, Siobhan seems like someone who will assume that people will behave rationally, right until they don’t.
Yeah. I want her to remain clueless. Clueless is safe. Actually diving in will require learning. And said learning requires experience. Which brings risks.
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People who have a problem with jealousy aren’t the best people to be in poly relationships. It’s not for everyone, And that’s fine.
Also, if someone is jealous, then you aren’t doing a proper balance, it’s hard work to figure out.
It’s beautiful when it is working though.
But I think she could handle being poly, I think it could settle and work, the drama of it coming together to would prob be real, miscommunication is absolutely a thing that almost everyone seems to be guilty of.
But let her be clueless with her little harem doing what they can to get along and support her. Look at Damien, he’s already trying to figure out how to deal with others liking her.
Or maybe just one day be into casual adult fun, no strings (for her) which will only drive her group even more crazy
Correct. I say this as someone who has been there, done that. Poly is a hot mess, and it has a tendency to destroy relationships or at least exacerbate critical weaknesses. Somehow, while we have a chance of there being a romantic subplot or two in the future, I highly doubt there will ever be multiple romantic relationships at once.
S is jealous, covetous, and narcissistic. She had trouble remembering that other people exist long enough to be curious about how they’re doing. She’s almost an anti-hero - one committed, non-dysfunctional romantic relationship is already asking a lot.
There’s also obviously no “correct” partner for Siobhan at this time in the books. It’s fun to think about, but we might have more hope of her actually acquiring a familiar.
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I’m kinda happy that she doesn’t have a love interest. I know, I know, don’t come for me.
But it’s really nice seeing a woman go off to university and actually grow in power without having to worry about making time for a relationship. Like…what exactly would she have to give up in order to make time for a healthy relationship? She barely has time to work with Liza, study for university, do apprentice work for Lacer, catch up with her personal projects, light criminal activity to supplement her various projects, do her Raven Queen things, AND go out for dinner from time to time with her friends.
Like, she literally gave up on sleep to fill her schedule more (and get rid of those pesky nightmares).
She needs rest and assistants, not a romance! 
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Wait, who said it has to be a healthy relationship?
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I’ve been in a healthy polycule, one that branched out so many freaking times I don’t know how big it was, my meta had at least 6 partners at the time, and my partner had like 3 others. However, I didn’t want to deal with long distance, nor move there, so we are being who love each other very much, and that’s about it.
I’ve also dealt with unhealthy polycule as well as unhealthy mono relationships and please let us not do that to her.
I like stories where if there is romance, other than the occasional miscommunication, that it’s not full of drama.
The poly post was just a fun way to work in all the love interest in a 99.1% joking manner because holy carp, except for maybe Ana, I don’t see anybody being able to do the work to make sure everything is running smoothly, and that is everybody’s job, not one member.
Let her go to school to learn magic. And instead of relationships, maybe just let her be someone who lets adult fun be adult fun, your friends, nothing more… (At least in her mind)
But even then, talking about why so and so would be good or bad for her is just fun idle talk.
Oof, goodness, this topic went places. Still, interesting thooughts all around!
See, I think I might have agreed with your slightly earlier, but I think we’re seeing new sides of the man. Even if he doesn’t know everything about the “organization”, he sees a clear problem and wants to do something about it, even if he could get hurt. Heck, he’s loosing sleep over it.
Damien (in my opinion) is going through a nie little mini arc right now. Definitely still very upper class, don’t get me wrong, but he’s not the type of person he was at the start of the school entry day.
The image of Siobhan having a pet is so cute, but let’s be real yall, shes barely taking care of HERSELF.
Literally was anemic, if she gets a pet, it must be some level of self-sufficient, I think.
As for the Poly Arguments, I kind of agree that it might require some trust that Siobhan doesnt really have? Though ironically enough, she DOES have rhe attitude of “you do you” that I’ve seen in functional poly relationships so. Meh? Coin flip.
…this is all according to the idea that she would willing enter a romantic relationship, btw. Though I do wonder if the Gender Transformations has affected her sexuality at all? She doesn’t seem to suffer from any disphoria, but because we don’t know what she was like before, we don’t have a clear comparison.
Anyways, I’m off topic as well. The latest chapter fed my Damien/Sebastian agenda, and I will not cease my propaganda!
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Like I have been saying, right now she seems ace/arom
It’s like she isn’t aware of sexual or romantic attractions. And part of me hopes she stays that way, I love seeing her be mostly clueless (there is a little chemistry between her and Oliver, but that scares the crap out of her)
I just think it’s fun to picture all these people who have an interest in her forming this little group that she just doesn’t understand at all about.
Also it would really be nice to see a story where a healthy poly relationship happens organically. I don’t honestly see it happening.
And as far as not seeming to have dysphoria outside of the first time, she might be nonbinary, and it’s just not important. I know 95% of the time I don’t care what gender I am… Though when I do I do, but I’m fluid so…
I absolutely love how for the most part peoples genders and sexual preferences seem to be a whatever thing, except maybe to the older Gervan family who are clearly a bit out dated.
It’s a thing, and it’s not super called out. Throw away comments that are taken as throw aways, like Ana being interested in the frogs… Why is she interested, because she’s an ally or because she’s gay? It doesn’t really matter.
The more I read into this world and how much is built into the more I love it.
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Wait, you mean people weren’t serious when they suggested Bear, Miles and Theo? I’m shocked! Shocked, I tell you!
(Well, maybe not that shocked)
I personally think she should create an automaton à la Carnagore, shove her inner demon into it and use it ruthlessly as a work horse. Romance can bloom from the amount of time they spend together unraveling the mysteries of the universe. It can be the very first inner demon to lover romance.
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We actually seem to perfect going off topic into an art form. 
You thought you were headed to Silva Erde, and somehow you ended up in the Black Wastes.
I will agree with you here. Damien is growing so much, and the layers of naivete are being stripped from him. I think most of the characters are going through some kind of personal growth right now.
Can’t stop, won’t stop! @Darcyspride
When I first saw Bear, I admit that I misread and thought it was an argument for Siobhan choosing the bear over the man, and ended up laughing myself silly when I read it correctly.
Okey, stop. This is actually a fabulous idea for a book. Groundbreaking. It could start a whole inner demons to lovers genre! Why possess a woman’s mind when you could possess her heart?
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We must push for the sebstian/damien agenda. It is all that is left of good in the world.
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I think I missed this, and it’s so true. Siobhan does need a self sufficient pet, like a cat or a bird. She’s obviously not a dog person.
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DAMIEN DAMIEN, he’s our man. If he cant win her/him, NO ONE can!!!
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Isn’t it premature for that considering he has never even interacted with her out of disguise.
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You know, I think it would be absolutely hilarious if Lacer came to visit Sebastien and found evidence of Siobhan sleeping in his bed (long black hair, traces of lipstick, maybe the odd black feather, an obviously too small for Sebastien sock….) and jumped to the conclusion that they’re seeing each other.
I wonder if he’d just die of jealousy on the spot. I’m not sure if he’d be more mad about her stealing his apprentice(‘s attention) or his apprentice getting with the most fascinating woman of Lacer’s acquaintance
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For the record, Damien is too immature. Yes, yes, people have said he’s had his growing up arc, sure, but he’s still…puppy. He’s cute. Friendly. Annoying when you want space. She doesn’t respect him enough to date him. (This is also why I refuse to ship her with Bear - sorry Bear.)
I’m anti Lacer because he’s too old and she’d respect him too much. Very much master and apprentice relationship there and even if they move on to being peers that will still linger.
Oliver, though. He is into her, she has the hots for him however much she tries not to think about it. They’re on a fairly level footing and both need each other in certain ways but can live without the other. But they work better together than they do apart.
He has his interests, she has hers. He’s charming and outgoing and she’s learning from his example. She’s taught him a certain amount of humility and the taste of loss. He can charm her into conversation and get her out of her room when she’s being unhealthy and make sure she’s fed. He’s also able to give her space when she needs it and is mature enough to recognise when to push and when not to push. He’s also not that much older? Maybe early 30s? Late 20s? It’s a bit of an age gap but I can roll with it.
I feel like they could be the power couple of the century - Lord Stag and the Raven Queen. She’s planning to become the most powerful thaumaturge in the world and he’s planning to overthrow the Crowns and lift the masses out of the filth and into a brighter future. They both have big ideas, big plans. They’re revolutionaries in their own fields.
It’s going to be slow burn, for sure, but you need someone to keep you grounded, someone you can be your true self with. I think they can be that for each other.
Edit: also, frankly, Oliver is the only one who I have any confidence in when it comes to knowing what to do with a woman. Lacer strikes me as the type who maybe experimented with sex and decided it was too boring and Damien just…is too innocent.
I said what I said.
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But Oliver did explicitly say that the age gap made him uncomfortable near the beginning of the story at the Gervin’s party.
I know he was referring to Anna but they are the same age.
Also what is the life expectancy of non-thaumaturges?
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