ngl... just by looking at how Vere sketches everyone is so telling about how he feels about them, even beyond what the relationship chart tells you. Makes you think...
Kuras, pure rough sketch (no. ??? at this point, cause he can't stop drawing him badly on purpose) and totally was not going to be bothered with the clothes details. A moment of silence for Vere for he had to suffer Kuras' design with us too...
Mhin's is... curious. Why so many sketches, hm? Have them in that pose just festering in your mind, Vere? Clearly a lot of thought went into sketching them. Does he really think about their ██ ███ ██ so much...?
Leander's is a surprisingly neat mess— Vere supposes he must give the man his money's worth. Once he was done he probably shoved it right into his arms and didn't allow Leander a single revision lmao
Oh, if Vere was ever into digital art (or had the means, if we're being realistic), Ais' drawing would have been a fully rendered illustration, you can't tell me otherwise. Drawn with such care and precision, not a line out of place, heck, the shading was done with effort. And he just had that in his sketchbook? I know what you are Vere...
And, looking at the photos side-by-side, why is Ais' drink red?
I had this post sitting in my drafts for a while and I was suddenly reminded of it haha.
Anyway, we all know this line from the main character synopsis, right?
Only humans?
Is this purposeful on the writer's part to specifically mention the curse can only affect humans? Or are humans the only creatures mentioned because that's all the main character has had the chance to... curse with their touch?
Can the curse affect monsters?
Currently, we can't know one way or the other.
Even if we did touch Leander, bare hand and all, it's Leander. The main character is under the impression that, because he's such a strong and powerful mage recommended to us by the mysterious doctor Kuras himself, it's just something he can do apparently— although, we as the players know that's not all there is to it... just what is it? Is it part of his supposed monsterous-ness? Does he really know a spell that can protect against our curse? What's Leander's Jungle Juice really made out of? We can't tell yet...
Chosing Leander in this context is such a strategical plot point because he cannot answer our initial question. Is Leander not affected because he cast his little protection spell? Or is Leander not affected because he is/has become a monster?
However, we still can assume that the main character doesn't have full knowledge on what they are capable of with their curse— ya' know, probably being mostly surrounded by humans and such. So, the idea of touching even a monster is probably not a theory anyone wants to test (unless you're a mage, then please do it on some random monster and not the LIs for funzies... unless you want to).
Could this be a seed the writers are planting? Maybe, maybe not. But leaving the question unaswered (by Leander), again, makes the player and main character cautious by nature.
But what if they did slip up?
What if they slipped up and it happened on accident?
Your bare fist colliding into Ais' chest, skin-on-skin but still a solid blow. Your hand desperately reaching out for Kuras' own, just wanting to feel his warmth once more only for a moment. Your palm sweeping against Vere's shoulder, pushing him away, your skin brushing along the thin translucent fabric. Or your fingers digging into Mhin's wrist as their dagger hovers right above you, their pulse hard against your uncovered touch.
It's startling. It's something you didn't mean to do. Fear grips you immediately; dread rises as your stomach falls. You are as quick to let go of them as your eyes are to look them in the eye and...
Nothing.
While, it wouldn't come as a shock to either Vere or Ais. Kuras, who the main character wouldn't know is an angel at this point, and Mhin are another eyebrow raiser for sure. It didn't affect them, when you know it should. If it doesn't affect them... that would only make the MC raise many more questions about Leander in turn. Ah, what a dramatic way to reveal the fact that the person you fancy is a monster.
Other notes and thoughts:
While, yes, an interesting idea to think about. I'm torn between wanting the monsters to be immune and 'fuck it, this curse affects everyone, even your pet rock ain't safe'. I can't help but feel this idea also lowers the stakes of the MC's curse... if done wrong.
Let's say this, the curse doesn't have an effect on monsters, right? But for each monsterous LI there will be a catch. Say, Vere, for example; a monster who lusts for power beyond him... having a human like yourself with such a deadly curse, well, who's to say it wouldn't give him a few ideas on how to use you it. What? You're still planning on finding a cure? Oh no, but you have him now, don't you? Why need a cure when you have him, your curse, and your soon-to-be mindless worshippers at your feet?
(Won't lie writing some of Vere's points made me think of Leander, but that's manipulation for you)
Or think Kuras, a doctor, an angel who passed through the shroud to watch over humanity. How would Kuras feel if the person he's grown so close to decides their curse isn't worth getting rid of now that you have him— can't you see the danger in yourself anymore?
Or try with, like some previous theories once said for us touching Leander: it doesn't affect him now... but eventually he will devolve into madness like the rest of everyone. But don't just apply that to Leander, now think of everyone else. Imagine finally finding someone you can touch without consequences. It's something that gets your blood rushing and heart pounting with a feeling your haven't felt in a while! However... the more and more you do so, you've noticed they've changed. They're more irritated, they've been having more headaches than normal, and their once beautiful smile twists into something dreadfully familiar. Congratulations, you've made your beloved mad with love! Here's the bad ending! Yipee!
Really, in the end it's all a balancing act, the stake were there and you don't want to take them away before the climax. If you do, place something else in its steed— something to raise them even further than what was initially thought possible.
There's one thing that confuses me about Solomon being in a ship / poly with Barbatos (taking yours just for example & because I would like to understand! /genuinely) because as far I remember the lore, Barbatos was aware of Solomon's magical affinity from where he was still a child in his parents basement, to then being summoned after he caused a great cataclysm (probably uncontrollable magic / dipping into a forbidden art that backfired), with him on the verge of death.
As we know, that's where they make a pact, and it seems he asked to 'reverse' time to undo a damage. Afterwards, he's taken to the sacred spring and declared the wise sorcerer & its guardian while wounds being tend to.
Now, the reason I bring this up at all is because all these makes it seem that Barbatos knows Solomon since he was very young, kind of raised him, too, and seeing them being put in a ship together just?? really rubs me the wrong way. Obviously, he's aged a lot since then, but ykwim (especially with the whole 'his soul shining a lot lighter then to dimming' detail that's directly implied to be Barbatos' doing) gng...
I'd like to hear your thoughts on this if you'd be open to discussion, and perhaps how your own dynamic works with the two with Esther (as I don't entirely understand, still, but would like to!)
Hi Anon! I don't mind the ask at all!
But I would like to preface this long thread by saying: I do not ship Barbatos and Solomon romantically within my polyship — it's my one rule within the overall dynamic!
I'll continue my rambles about them below! ⬇️
To start, I'll mention that I have been an Obey Me! player since January 2020. In that time, a lot of things have evolved, from my own preferences to even how the writers/devs write aspects of the characters. I'm sure we all notice the shift when a character becomes infatuated with the MC; as if they were hit by a love potion. Season 1 Solomon, you asshole, you will be missed... 💔
I say all that because my polyship evolved a lot in that time as well.
Around late 2021, I finally settled on shipping my early drafts of Esther with Barbatos. As I adored the idea of the "MC" not being the main character of the story. This may or may not have been inspired by those... Replaced AUs (if ykyk). But there was none of the angst or anything; I simply liked the setting of an MC living away from the brothers and their shenanigans, and instead, they live somewhere in the castle :D
Then came early 2022, where I believe I fully got back into the story (due to circumstances at that time) and added Simeon to the pre-existing dynamic! It worked out in my mind story-wise; Barbatos and Simeon have this soft spot for Luke, with the butler teaching the young angel baking from time-to-time and Simeon being that kid's gentle guardian. I thought it was cute to imagine these two as a pair of dads slowly warming up to each other the more the kid visited either one. But also attached to Esther as well!
So! There they were. The initial "Three Realm Sandwich" was born, thriving, happy, and existing within their wholesome little family dynamic. Certainly nothing will happen to them!
.
.
.
Then came that bastard...
Ohh, that bastard sorcerer. I don't know when. I don't know how, but he just grew on me.
Like, one moment I was imagining him as... some antagonist from Esther's past (that's lore for another ask), but it was as if the world shifted and I began looking at Solomon through a softer lense? Like I said, he just grew on me! Not even like a wart or tumor, but like flowers growing on top of Esther's corpse the decomposed remains left of the previous Three Realm Sandwich dynamic!
Which is to say that even when the dynamic shifted, it blossomed into something different, maybe beautiful, or perhaps this was the end stage they were meant to end on.
Okay, okay, it shifted fully to include four people this time. Leading this Three Realm Sandwich to become rather... overstuffed with humans, if you asked me. But that was fine. Those four were all fine! Now, surely... they can all live in peace after the end of Obey Me's story (which, I will mention, season 4's conflict was absolute bullshitttttttt)
Finally, peace and love on planet Esther!
.
.
.
Hm? Mhm... What the fuck do you mean they made another fucking game?
And here we are post Nightbringer! Around April 2023 was when the new game was released, and we'll all say that none of us really expected it at that time? At least I didn't. With Nightbringer coming up, we can get into the crux of the Barbatos and Solomon shaped issue in the room.
Forgive the ramble here, I'm still rather confused about the timeline of events happening in their lore. How did Solomon escape his parent's basement? Was he still a child when he fought the entirety of the Devildom, or was this after Barbatos picked him up? Was he near death upon Barbatos' discovery because he summoned him in that basement? It's these points that really drive me crazy because it's so vague.
However, I can agree with the interpretation of Solomon being a child when he encountered Barbatos — although I like to HC him as being a bit older because the above timeline's a bit ??? for me still. Though I'm not subscribed to the "Barbatos being a father figure toward Solomon" interpretation, I had my reasons, but I would need to brush up on lore to give a proper write out.
It's by Nightbringer where a lot of dynamics shifted and SoloBarb was officially found dead in a ditch for me (it gave me Haikyuu SakuKomo* flashbacks. I was there when that all happened!). But I wouldn't exchange the current dynamic they have for the old because I find Barbatos hating Solomon's guts absolutely hilarious.
Post-Nightbringer, I'd explain everyone's dynamics like this:
Within the polyship, they can be split further into two romantic trios: Solomon/Esther/Simeon and Barbatos/Esther/Simeon — Esther and Simeon being constant between all ships
The reasons I give for the above split are always something like: "Oh, Barbatos/Solomon might be busy elsewhere", whilst Esther and Simeon are the unemployed partners in the relationship (/hj)
Esther is romantically involved with everyone (in this poly relationship)
Simeon is romantically involved with everyone
Solomon is only romantically involved with Esther and Simeon (separated from Barbatos)
Barbatos is only romantically involved with Esther and Simeon (separated from Solomon)
So, yeah, you can see I've drawn strict lines between any romantic entanglements between the two; they're purely platonic with a dash of Barbatos' one-sided enemies-to-major-pain-in-my-ass dynamic.
As of now, I think it's still a fun dynamic; Barbatos can always be annoyed by Esther giving too much attention to Solomon; and the sorcerer can feel the same about the butler hogging all of Esther's time too. At the end of the day, if Esther or Simeon weren't there, Solomon would have had his soul taken the moment Barbatos found out he began dating Esther. It's a sort of... respect for your partner thing? "I may not tolerate that sorcerer, but Esther will be really, really sad if he were gone," sort of thing.
Anywhoozies, I hope that answers your question, Anon! It's a bit long winded, but I thought my perspective as an old player made sense to tack onto the wider discussion
What is the lore behind the great Esther oc... I mean in obey me specifically if there's any difference but I'm soo curious. Their eyes for example. How are they like that.
In light of Esther's almost birthday, I'll finally get to answering this >:3
OM!Esther has nearly 5~6-ish years worth of lore within him, so it'll take me more than a while to explain. But his eyes are slightly easier to explain.
They're already considered unique in-universe. The easiest way to interpret it is: Esther's eyes make him look blind in-universe; they sort of look like cataracts, lol. But he can completely see out of his remaining eye. His other eye is always covered due to an injury (which I believe I showed in the past? I think so anyway)
The reason it's like that, in short, is that he was granted a blessing by a higher power long ago. The blessing given also extended his lifespan as well :0
I also have this to more clearly explain Esther's uniqueness compared to his past self before he was given the blessing
It might be 3am here, but the thought of the player being able to choose their height in game for added flavored dialogue has been in my noggin since last year.
It won't change too much of the dialogue, but it's just enough to make the experience feel a bit more personalized.
———
Imagine being an extremely short MC that has to break their neck every time they have to meet Kuras' gaze. Imagine the look Mhin gives you if you dare call them short.
Imagine being a tall MC peering over people's heads, and most importantly, being so close in height with Ais provides you the best look into his eyes when you're hiding in a shady alley together.
Oh, but imagine being average height in that scene and choosing to look forward only presents you with a wall of man tiddies.
———
Not to mention that one Mhin scene where they pin you against the wall and, despite their small stature, manage to lift you off your feet by the collar? Like, okay? How would they, 168cm, do that with a theoretical 187cm MC? Hm?
Like, I need that—
"Their fist curled, white knuckled into the front of your clothing."
###
if player_height == very_short or short or average:
"And with surprising strength, they lift you off your feet and against the wall, knocking the breath out of your lungs."
elif player_height == tall or very tall:
"And with surprising strength, they shove you against the wall, knocking the breath out of your lungs."
I love that Esther is a fellow monster fucker!! Does he have specific monsters he likes more than others in the touchstarved universe? And also, *bats eyelsahses* how does he feel about forbidden books?
Esther doesn't really have a preference with monsters. As long as they're kind, a little pathetic, cool looking, he says — whatever that means...
"Forbidden knowledge is just knowledge greedy people keep to themselves."
"It's my duty as a mage to know, well, a lot of things! Duh, that's the fun of learning."
If you tell this man that a text is forbidden, or he's not allowed to touch this cursed object, or that he can't eat monster flesh, do not be surprised when that man will go out of his way to obtain that information, or harass a Soulless for its meat.
It's his nature to be curious, and he can't help it! The world holds a lot of unknowns; maybe some are beyond his comprehension, or even dangerous to know (or try), he'll still take that chance.
