Oh, the questions one gets to contemplate as a fanfic writer.
In regards to the Elites and their mindlink and all its implied intimacy, would you categorize dating one of them as polyamory?
is this like, a similar logic to Severance?
if it’s Aris with Rachel’s conscience living alongside him, the yes. however, if they’re all in their respective bodies? imma say no
it’s not an instant “yes this is poly” to me but it definitely has the elements to create a polycule
the elite 4 have their fascinating qpr thing going on but that doesn’t mean someone else (Newt, for example) is instantly included in their polycule. in my opinion, Newt and Teresa would not be inclined to have any label to would imply either of them being together even if it was a throuple with Thomas
in a happier ending where Thomas and Teresa’s relationship is salvageable, i think that even then, Newt and Teresa would be like “an this is my boyfriend/life partner Thomas, and the this is his boyfriend/life partner of whom is on ice with me but we stay civil for his sake :)”
and even including Minho, I think it would still be “we are exclusively with Thomas—yes he also holding other people’s hands but we’re not with those other people, just Thomas” kind of relationship. minewt would befriend Aris and Rachel but I wouldn’t say it goes as far as entering a polycule. they’re polycule adjacent
Sonya and Harriet? i think they blur the lines the most with the Elites. they might have some secret third thing with Teresa via Rachel, their qpr with Aris, and Thomas might be a familial sort of branch of the polycule for them
but that’s just me. tho, maybe i’m just stingy on what makes a relationship like a polycule when at least four people are constantly connected via mindlink. a lot of boundaries do get crossed and redefined and you’re more likely to figure out when someone in the link starts having the hits for some stranger
