Kieran and Poppy throughout the series have minimal exchanges that don’t center around Casteel, their duty, or sexuality. IMO I’ve never seen domestic or emotionally intimate scenes that were exclusively just about them. Favorite color, favorite place, ANYTHING that gave them common ground without someone else being it. Had this been established prior to a poly relationship it would have been more understandable. Not only that, all that WAS intentionally invested in leading up to TWOTQ was sexual tension. By developing this plot of Poppy and Kieran having feelings for one another it smashes Kieran into a 2D character and it perpetuates 3 DAMAGING stereotypes 1) that guys and girls can’t be just friends 2) that guys and girls can’t have casual sex without catching feelings and 3) that girls (especially Poppy) will love anyone that validates them and gives them affection. It does a disservice to Kieran who up until TWOTQs was the only one not simping for Poppy, would hold her accountable, and Cas could trust. Now Kieran has no independent thought and he exists only to serve Poppy. Which also is what happened to Casteel’s character but that at least made more sense. If JLA wanted to set up a great poly relationship she should have A) invested more in Kieran and Poppy’s social relationship B) had Kieran at least be bonded to Cas still so it made sense or set it up so Kieran was her mortal heartmate and Cas was her primal heartmate C) had boundaries discussed before the joining or/and D) had the joining happen with no hints of romantic development after E) not made Cas possessive of Poppy including against Kieran — multiple times. Instead it’s a fucking nightmare and poor representation for the poly community and women in general. This is as bad as Jason Rothenberg with Bellamy and Clarke.
