text | un: undyingsoul

[necroyalty]

So, purely out of curiosity, I'd like to conduct a poll -

How far removed does something have to be from your own species for you to consider it

well

unorthodox

to have any sort of romantic aspirations with them?

I ask this mostly because I'm betrothed to a damned dragon in my own world (no, not a humanoid with draconic qualities, an actual, literal dragon) and apparently both of those are considered just a tad too extreme by most people's standards?

But then no reasonable human on my world would really consider another human at all strange for wanting to bed a goblin, or an elf, orc, dwarf, or what have you, so it appears the line has been drawn somewhere.

Not bothering with anonymity, because why in the Nine Hells not, but you're welcome to if you wish.

Comments

un: tigerpoet

[tigerpoet]

As someone who is only used to humans and former-humans as sapient species, it... depends? The further you get from human shape, the more issues crop up just on a practical level...

Re: un: tigerpoet

[necroyalty]

That's more than a valid concern, I suppose.

Among most of the mortal races I described the general configuration is the same as in humans, give or take a little in terms of size.

We do have a few species that are genuinely incompatible with humans, though, such as the aarakocra.

I'll never forget the time my thirteen year old self had to look up what a cloaca was.

un: allstar | also not anonymous because he is too old to feel shame

[meteorman]

A dragon? I'm jealous.

I can confidently say that in nearly seventy years I've never yet encountered a being that I would consider too unorthodox, though I've certainly encountered some I'd be less interested in than others for reasons having to do with personal taste.

For me the line is dictated by sentience and sapience. If I can't hold an intelligent conversation with it I'm certainly not going to take it to bed.

[necroyalty]

It's not as impressive as you'd think. If it wasn't for her ability to shapeshift, I'd die.

un: D.Vel

[justicedevil]

... I think I'd probably consider the dragon to be a bit weird. But that probably has something to do with the only dragon I've seen rather than anything else.

I mean, my world has bipedal animal people running around, so just "not my species" or "doesn't look like my species" isn't really something I'd consider odd if I heard about it.

[necroyalty]

All true dragons of my world are capable of speech and reason, so I'm pretty sure that's just a thing that hasn't translated well between worlds.

un: phoenixevolution

[manufactured]

The only criteria I really have is as was mentioned by someone above, the sentience/sapience concern. Otherwise, it's a matter of how adventurous I feel that day.

[necroyalty]

I feel the same way, to be honest.

It's just a little entertaining to see how common that is here, but the replies so far haven't disappointed me.

UN: oceangem

[riptidequeen]

Well, technically I'm not human so... I guess in my case they would have to be like, good company? And not someone who is a pain to be around.

Looks and species don't matter much, as long as it's not you know... An animal or a pebble.

[necroyalty]

...okay, I'll admit I'm curious about the context for that second one.

text | un: adler

[disasdeer]

...I mean.

Variety makes things more interesting, right?

[necroyalty]

yes.

un: konoha / text

[lumberlady]

i 's boss was married once with human man... and she is JINBA.

she is small JINBA so... i guess is working better... for proper husband and wife.

this type is very rare. in i 's world. i do not know... human can look nice but... jinba always looks more nice to i...

not saying human is bad! please no mistake i.

voice

[necroyalty]

[ She vaguely recalls that a jinba is a centaur-thing, sorry, it's been a while.

Hold on, maybe voice is better for this if you're having a hard time with text.]

I do think that in your case, it's also a matter of...well. Compatibility.

[ Because she wouldn't fuck a centaur either, okay. ]

A human and a hobgoblin are about the same size, with the same configuration of limbs and [ ahem ] other equipment, so it's a much different issue than a human and a centaur.

text (sn: healerprincess)

[im_gonna_heal_u]

What did being with a dragon feel like?

[ Please don't answer her. ]

Re: text (sn: healerprincess)

[necroyalty]

this is going to sound rather boring, but we came to a realization that it wasn't going to work that way.

luckily, most true dragons have the ability to change into other forms and she'd been going around disguised as an elf for a while by then, so there was that workaround.

un: aziraphale (because why bother being creative)

[gaveitaway]

My beloved is a snake. Some of the time, anyway, and at his core, really. The Serpent of Eden, to be precise.

If you love someone, I really don't see why their form should matter, unless perhaps the two are not physically compatible... But in my (bystander, I assure you) experience of being among humans for 6000 years and counting, love tends to find a way even then. Humans are quite creative.

[necroyalty]

Love finds a way, but I was speaking less about that and more about a general sense of what someone finds attractive in the first place.

un: TheHollowKnight

[instilled]

A taboo of other species does not seem to readily exist upon Hallownest, much like your own world.
Our Father was the Wyrm, our Mother was the Root.
The Wyrm mingled with a Weaver to bring our sister into the world.
The Great Knight Ze'mer loved a Mantis.
There are likely many more examples.
It would seem strange to find a people from a world with varied sapient species who would consider it unmanageable, based on that knowledge.
But then, perhaps a world where there is no varied sapient species would find it far more unlikely.
It is hard to know.
Interpersonal relationships are confusing, conflicting things.

[necroyalty]

A bit hard to follow, but still promising to hear.

I apologize for not knowing what most of those even are.

text | un: springtime

[hopticulture]

Where I'm from same-species couples get a lot of benefits, especially if they have children together. And when you are in an interspecies relationship a lot of animals dismiss it as a phase.

But I think if you love someone, even though being a different species brings on some challenges, if you're willing to confront those challenges you can make it work.

Some animals where I'm from treat interspecies relationships like some kind of fad, though, especially if you're a herbvore seeing a carnivore, which is just as frustrating.

[necroyalty]

That's certainly something I'm familiar with encountering myself, although with my own world the challenges are...considerably different.

I knew a half-elven man whose mother gave him up at birth because of such a challenge.

An elf lives six or seven hundred years; they're an adult at a hundred. A human lives...eighty? Ninety? Rarely more than a century.

Split the difference, a half-elf lives about two hundred. Perhaps two hundred and fifty, if they're fortunate.

You can see why this is a problem.

un: mustlovedogs

[inuko]

Uh, well, I'm not sure we have the same idea of dragons in mind but, you love whom you love. I don't think there's too big a barrier for that, or what do any of us from different worlds have business saying we love each other at all? We're not from the same planet, that's a bigger barrier than form, I'd think.

[necroyalty]

I'm of the same opinion, actually, but I was curious.

un: ilikebigboats

[boobytraps]

Are they sapient? Are they interested? Then we can make it happen.

A *dragon*, though? I think the ones in my world must be a bit different than yours.

[necroyalty]

Not the first time I've heard that.

I'm going to probably say that I sound a lot less adventurous when I tell you most true dragons can shapeshift, though.

text un: gwenhwyfar

[gwenhwyfar]

is that some sort of arranged marriage that's supposed to be symbolic? my betrothed is referred to a dragon in a metaphorical sense.

quick to force, scorches the earth, and has as many enemies as he's revered.

i dont know what would be considered taboo among half-demons. the more unstable of our kind eats human flesh an after being forced to fight back among humans, while most of us dont support it we certainly dont flinch at it

the greatest taboo is taking another life of a half-blood. or raising a weapon, generally any violence

but that is because of how much torment and death humans have put us through

[necroyalty]

Well, no.

Literal, non-symbolic marriage to a literal, non-metaphorical dragon who has scales and breathes lightning and eats entire barns full of livestock.

...also, we chose each other.

[ Just saying to clarify. ]